Impact of hepatitis C treatment status on risk of Parkinson's disease and secondary parkinsonism in the era of direct-acting antivirals.

Research suggests a possible link between chronic infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) and the development of Parkinson's Disease (PD) and secondary Parkinsonism (PKM). We investigated the impact of antiviral treatment status (untreated, interferon [IFN] treated, direct-acting antiviral [DAA] treated) and outcome (treatment failure [TF] or sustained virological response [SVR]) on risk of PD/PKM among patients with HCV. Using data from the Chronic Hepatitis Cohort Study (CHeCS), we applied a discrete time-to-event approach with PD/PKM as the outcome. We performed univariate followed by a multivariable modelling that used time-varying covariates, propensity scores to adjust for potential treatment selection bias and death as a competing risk. Among 17,199 confirmed HCV patients, we observed 54 incident cases of PD/PKM during a mean follow-up period of 17 years; 3753 patients died during follow-up. There was no significant association between treatment status/outcome and risk of PD/PKM. Type 2 diabetes tripled risk (hazard ratio [HR] 3.05; 95% CI 1.75-5.32; p < .0001) and presence of cirrhosis doubled risk of PD/PKM (HR 2.13, 95% CI 1.31-3.47). BMI >30 was associated with roughly 50% lower risk of PD/PKM than BMI <25 (HR 0.43; 0.22-0.84; p = .0138). After adjustment for treatment selection bias, we did not observe a significant association between HCV patients' antiviral treatment status/outcome on risk of PD/PKM. Several clinical risk factors-diabetes, cirrhosis and BMI-were associated with PD/PKM.

Laboratory monitoring and antiviral treatment for chronic hepatitis B among routine care patients in the United States.

We investigated factors associated with rates of recommended monitoring of chronic hepatitis B (HBV) patients for viral DNA and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and initiation of antiviral treatment among eligible patients, in a US cohort of patients under routine care. Patients were categorised by treatment indication: definite, equivocal or ineligible. Baseline covariates included demographics, clinical characteristics and specialist care status. 'Recommended monitoring' was defined ≥1 ALT or HBV DNA test per year. Logit models, univariate then multivariable, were used to evaluate factors associated with monitoring and treatment. Among 3,830 patients, treatment was received by 67.5% (788/1168 patients) in the 'definite' category, and 34.1% (208/610 patients) in the 'equivocal' category, of whom 109 moved up to 'definite' status at some point during follow-up. Sex, age and specialist care were independently associated with receipt of treatment in 'definite' patients. Routine monitoring rates were high prior to treatment in 'definite/ treated' patients (ALT: 77%; DNA: 85%) but declined afterwards (ALT 63%; DNA 36%). Rates of monitoring were lower in 'definite/ untreated' patients (ALT: 48%; DNA: 32%). Among 'equivocal/ treated' patients, lower age and comorbidity scores were associated with receipt of treatment; ALT monitoring rates were similar before and after treatment initiation (41% and 46%, respectively), while rates of DNA monitoring declined (55% and 29%). Monitoring among 'treatment ineligible' patients was similar to those in the 'equivocal' and untreated 'definite' groups. A large proportion of US HBV patients under routine care did not receive recommended annual laboratory monitoring, especially after initiation of antiviral treatment, and nearly one-third of patients with 'definite' indications for antiviral therapy remained untreated.

Alcohol-related hepatitis admissions increased 50% in the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic in the USA.

Early reports suggest that alcohol misuse increased in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using retrospective data from Henry Ford Health System in Detroit MI-an area that experienced an early and severe COVID-19 outbreak-we investigated the impact of the pandemic on alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD) in the summer of 2020 compared with the same period in 2016-2019. Both the number of ARLD admissions and the proportion of total admissions represented by ARLD patients increased significantly in 2020 compared with previous years. The number of ARLD admissions as a proportion of all hospitalizations was 50% higher in 2020 than in 2016-2019 (0.31% vs 0.21%; P = .0013); by September 2020, the number of admissions was 66% higher than previous years. Despite racial and geographical disparities in direct and indirect COVID-related stressors across the Detroit metropolitan area, the demographic profile of ARLD patients did not change compared with previous years.

Availability of PEth testing is associated with reduced eligibility for liver transplant among patients with alcohol-related liver disease.

BACKGROUND: Serum phosphatidylethanol (PEth) is a highly sensitive test to detect alcohol use. We evaluated whether the availability of PEth testing impacted rates of liver transplant evaluation terminations and delistings. METHODS: Medical record data were collected for patients who initiated transplant evaluation due to alcohol-related liver disease in the pre-PEth (2017) or PEth (2019) eras. Inverse probability weighting (IPW) was used to balance baseline patient characteristics. Outcomes included termination of evaluation or delisting due to alcohol use; patients were censored at receipt of transplant; death was considered a competing risk. The Fine-Gray method was performed to determine whether PEth testing affected risk of evaluation termination/ delisting due to alcohol use. RESULTS: Three hundred and seventy-five patients with alcohol-related indications for transplant (157 in 2017; 210 in 2019) were included. The final IPW-adjusted model for the composite outcome of terminations/delisting due to alcohol use retained two significant variables (P < .05): PEth era and BMI category. Patients evaluated during the PEth era were almost three times more likely to experience an alcohol-related termination/delisting than those in the pre-PEth era (sHR = 2.86; 95%CI 1.67-4.97) CONCLUSION: We found that availability of PEth testing at our institution was associated with a higher rate of exclusion of patients from eligibility for liver transplant. Use of PEth testing has significant potential to inform decisions regarding transplant candidacy for patients with alcohol-related liver disease.

Trends in Cirrhosis and Mortality by Age, Sex, Race, and Antiviral Treatment Status Among US Chronic Hepatitis B Patients (2006-2016).

BACKGROUND: Changing US demographics and evolving chronic hepatitis B (CHB) treatments may affect longitudinal trends in CHB-related complications. We studied trends in the prevalence of cirrhosis (past or present) and incidence of all-cause mortality, stratified by patient age, sex, race, and antiviral treatment status, in a sample from US health care systems. METHODS: Joinpoint and Poisson regression (univariate and multivariable) were used to estimate the annual percent change in each outcome from 2006 to 2016. RESULTS: Among 5528 CHB patients, cirrhosis prevalence (including decompensated cirrhosis) rose from 6.7% in 2006 to 13.7% in 2016; overall mortality was unchanged. Overall rates of cirrhosis and mortality were higher among treated patients, but adjusted annual percent changes (aAPC) were significantly lower among treated than untreated patients (cirrhosis: aAPC +2.4% vs. +6.2%, mortality: aAPC -3.9% vs. +4.0%). Likewise, among treated patients, the aAPC for mortality declined -3.9% per year whereas among untreated patients, mortality increased +4.0% per year. CONCLUSIONS: From 2006 to 2016, the prevalence of cirrhosis among CHB patients doubled. Notably, all-cause mortality increased among untreated patients but decreased among treated patients. These results suggest that antiviral treatment attenuates the progression of cirrhosis and the risk of death among patients with CHB.

Dynamic Risk Prediction of Response to Ursodeoxycholic Acid Among Patients with Primary Biliary Cholangitis in the USA.

BACKGROUND: Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) remains the first-line therapy for primary biliary cholangitis (PBC); however, inadequate treatment response (ITR) is common. The UK-PBC Consortium developed the modified UDCA Response Score (m-URS) to predict ITR (using alkaline phosphatase [ALP] > 1.67 times the upper limit of normal [*ULN]) at 12 months post-UDCA initiation). Using data from the US-based Fibrotic Liver Disease Consortium, we assessed the m-URS in our multi-racial cohort. We then used a dynamic modeling approach to improve prediction accuracy. METHODS: Using data collected at the time of UDCA initiation, we assessed the m-URS using the original formula; then, by calibrating coefficients to our data, we also assessed whether it remained accurate when using Paris II criteria for ITR. Next, we developed and validated a dynamic risk prediction model that included post-UDCA initiation laboratory data. RESULTS: Among 1578 patients (13% men; 8% African American, 9% Asian American/American Indian/Pacific Islander; 25% Hispanic), the rate of ITR was 27% using ALP > 1.67*ULN and 45% using Paris II criteria. M-URS accuracy was "very good" (AUROC = 0.87, sensitivity = 0.62, and specificity = 0.82) for ALP > 1.67*ULN and "moderate" (AUROC = 0.74, sensitivity = 0.57, and specificity = 0.70) for Paris II. Our dynamic model significantly improved accuracy for both definitions of ITR (ALP > 1.67*ULN: AUROC = 0.91; Paris II: AUROC = 0.81); specificity approached 100%. Roughly 9% of patients in our cohort were at the highest risk of ITR. CONCLUSIONS: Early identification of patients who will not respond to UDCA treatment using a dynamic prediction model based on longitudinal, repeated risk factor measurements may facilitate earlier introduction of adjuvant treatment.

Sex Differences in Extrahepatic Outcomes After Antiviral Treatment for Hepatitis C.

INTRODUCTION: Despite recognized differences in the rates of cardiovascular and renal disease between men and women in the general population, studies of the downstream effects of antiviral treatment for hepatitis C (HCV) have not investigated differences in outcomes based on sex. We analyzed sex differences in risk of acute coronary syndrome (ACS), end-stage renal disease (ESRD), and ischemic stroke by treatment and response in a large US-based multisite cohort of HCV patients. METHODS: Observation started at the HCV diagnosis date (untreated) or last antiviral treatment start (treated). Treatment selection bias was addressed using an inverse probability-weighting approach. We estimated the effect of treatment on the cumulative incidence of outcomes using the Fine-Gray method (subdistribution hazard ratios [sHR] and 95% confidence intervals [95% CI]). Death was a competing risk. RESULTS: Roughly 40% of 15,295 HCV patients were women. After controlling for other risk factors, sustained virological response (SVR) (interferon-based [IFN] or direct-acting antiviral [DAA]) significantly reduced risk of all outcomes, particularly among female patients. Female patients who achieved SVR after IFN-based treatment had significantly lower risk of ACS compared with male patients with SVR from either treatment type (sHR 0.45 [95% CI 0.35-0.59] vs 0.81 [95% CI 0.69-0.96, for DAA SVR] and sHR 0.72 [95% 0.62, 0.85, for IFN SVR]). Successful treatment seemed to be most protective against ESRD; female patients who achieved SVR were at 66%-68% lower risk than untreated patients (sHR 0.32 [95% CI 0.17-0.60 for DAA SVR] and 0.34 [95% CI 0.20-0.58 for IFN SVR]), whereas men were at 38%-42% lower risk (sHR 0.62 [95% CI 0.46-0.85 for DAA SVR] and 0.58 [95% CI 0.43-0.76 for IFN SVR]). IFN treatment failure significantly increased risk of all outcomes by 50%-100% among female patients. Compared with no treatment, female patients who experienced IFN treatment failure were at 63% increased risk of ACS (sHR 1.63 [95% CI 1.35-1.96]), almost twice the risk of ESRD (sHR 1.95 [95% CI 1.43-2.66]) and 51% increased risk of stroke (sHR 1.49 [95%CI 1.11-2.00]). DISCUSSION: SVR reduced the risk of extrahepatic complications, particularly in females. The significantly increased risk associated with IFN TF in women-a subset who represented roughly 10% of that group-underscores the importance of prioritizing these patients for DAA treatment irrespective of the fibrosis stage.

Social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic: quantifying the practice in Michigan - a "hotspot state" early in the pandemic - using a volunteer-based online survey.

BACKGROUND: Public Health policies related to social distancing efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic helped slow the infection rate. However, individual-level factors associated with social distancing are largely unknown. We sought to examine social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan, an infection "hotspot" state in the United States early in the pandemic. METHODS: Two surveys were distributed to Michigan residents via email lists and social media following COVID-19 related state mandates in March; 45,691 adults responded to the first survey and 8512 to the second. Staying home ≥ 3 out of 5 previous days defined having more social distancing. Logistic regression models were used to examine potential factors associated with more social distancing. RESULTS: Most respondents were women (86% in Survey 1, 87% in Survey 2). In Survey 1, 63% reported more social distancing, increasing to 78% in Survey 2. Female sex and having someone (or self) sick in the home were consistently associated with higher social distancing, while increasing age was positively associated in Survey 1 but negatively associated in Survey 2. Most respondents felt social distancing policies were important (88% in Survey 1; 91% in Survey 2). CONCLUSIONS: Michiganders responding to the surveys were both practicing and supportive of social distancing. State-level executive orders positively impacted behaviors early in the COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan. Additional supports are needed to help vulnerable populations practice social distancing, including older individuals.

Race, Age, and Geography Impact Hepatitis C Genotype Distribution in the United States.

GOALS: To determine the impact of geography and patient characteristics on hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype and subtype distribution in a large sample of patients under routine clinical care BACKGROUND:: HCV genotype impacts disease course and response to treatment. Although several studies have reported genotype distribution within specific US populations, there are no comprehensive descriptions in large, geographically diverse cohorts. STUDY: Using data from the Chronic Hepatitis Cohort Study, we present the distribution of HCV genotypes (GT) and subtypes (ST) among a racially diverse cohort of over 8000 HCV-infected patients from four large US health systems. RESULTS: Genotype distribution varied significantly by geographic and demographic factors. In age-adjusted analyses, African American patients had significantly higher prevalence of GT1 (85%) than other racial categories, largely driven by a markedly higher proportion of GT1 subtype b (∼34%) than in Asian/other (24%) and white (21%) patients. GT3 represented an increasing proportion of infections as birth decade progressed, from 4% in patients born before 1946 to 18% of those born after 1976. Within the cohort of "living/uncured" patients, highly elevated alanine aminotransferase (>2 times the upper limit of normal) was significantly more common in GT3 patients, whereas Fibrosis-4 Index scores indicative of cirrhosis were most common in the combined group of GT4&6 patients. CONCLUSION: Distribution of HCV genotypes and subtypes in the United States is more variable than suggested by previous national-level estimates and single-center studies. "Real-world" prevalence data may improve targeting of prevention, screening, and treatment efforts for hepatitis C.

Increasing Prevalence of Primary Biliary Cholangitis and Reduced Mortality With Treatment.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: There are few data from longitudinal studies of trends in primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) among patients under routine clinical care in the United States. We collected data from the Fibrotic Liver Disease consortium to investigate changes in the incidence and prevalence of PBC and the effects of patient demographics, clinical features, and treatment on mortality. METHODS: We collected demographic and clinical data for the general patient population as well as PBC patients receiving care from 11 health systems in different regions of the United States (Northeast, Midwest, Northwest, and South) from January 1, 2003, through December 31, 2014. Annual percentage changes in PBC prevalence and incidence were estimated using join-point Poisson regression. Differences based on race, age, and gender were calculated with rate ratios. All-cause mortality was estimated using Cox regression with adjustment for patient characteristics and treatment with ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA). Propensity scores were used to adjust for treatment selection bias. Analyses were adjusted by geographic regions. RESULTS: In our racially diverse cohort of 3488 patients with PBC (21% Hispanic, 8% African American, 7% Asian American), 70% had ever received UDCA. From 2006 through 2014, the prevalence of PBC increased from 21.7 to 39.2 per 100,000 persons. Adjusted annual percentage changes in prevalence differed among age groups (≤40 y, 41-50 y, 51-60 y, 61-70 y, and >70 y), ranging from 3.0% to 7.5% (P < .05). Incidence did not change significantly during the study period (4.2 vs 4.3 per 100,000 person-years in 2006 and 2014, respectively; P = .98). Ratios of prevalence for women vs men (3.9:1) and incidence for women vs men (3.2:1) were consistent over the study period. Among African Americans, the prevalence of PBC increased from 16.9 to 30.8 per 100,000 during the study period, and annual incidence ranged from 2.6 to 6.6 per 100,000 person-years. In adjusted analyses, an increased level of alkaline phosphatase at baseline was associated with significantly higher mortality (adjusted hazard ratios [aHR], 1.24; 95% CI, 1.04-1.48 for patients with levels 1-2 times the upper limit of normal and aHR, 2.27; 95% CI, 1.88-2.73 for patients with levels more than 3 times the upper limit of normal). UDCA treatment was associated with significantly reduced mortality (aHR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.52-0.64). CONCLUSIONS: In an analysis of data from patients receiving routine clinical care in Fibrotic Liver Disease Consortium health systems, we found that the prevalence of PBC increased from 2004 through 2014, despite steady incidence. Patient demographic and clinical characteristics, as well as UDCA treatment, affected mortality.

Changing trends in complications of chronic hepatitis C.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related complications have increased over the past decade. METHODS: We used join-point regression modelling to investigate trends in these complications from 2006 to 2015, and the impact of demographics on these trends. Using data from the Chronic Hepatitis Cohort Study (CHeCS), we identified points at which the trend significantly changed, and estimated the annual percent change (APC) in rates of cirrhosis, decompensated cirrhosis and all-cause mortality, adjusted by race, sex and age. RESULTS: Among 11,167 adults with chronic HCV infection, prevalence of cirrhosis increased from 20.8% to 27.6% from 2006 to 2015, with adjusted annual percentage change (aAPC) of 1.2 (p <. 01). Although incidence of all-cause mortality increased from 1.8% in 2006 to 2.9% in 2015, a join-point was identified at 2010, with aAPCs of 9.6 before (2006 < 2010; p < .01) and -5.2 after (2010 ≤ 2015; p < .01), indicating a decrease in mortality from 2010 and onward. Likewise, overall prevalence of decompensated cirrhosis increased from 9.3% in 2006 to 10.4% in 2015, but this increase was confined to patients 60 or older (aAPC = 1.5; p = .023). Asian American and Black/African American patients demonstrated significantly higher rates of cirrhosis than White patients, while older patients and men demonstrated higher rates of cirrhosis and mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Although cirrhosis and mortality among HCV-infected patients in the US have increased over the past decade, all-cause mortality has decreased in recent years.

Comparison of ICD-9 Codes for Depression and Alcohol Misuse to Survey Instruments Suggests These Codes Should Be Used with Caution.

BACKGROUND: Research suggests depression and alcohol misuse are highly prevalent among chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients, which is of clinical concern. AIMS: To compare ICD-9 codes for depression and alcohol misuse to validated survey instruments. METHODS: Among CHC patients, we assessed how well electronic ICD-9 codes for depression and alcohol misuse predicted these disorders using validated instruments. RESULTS: Of 4874 patients surveyed, 56% were male and 52% had a history of injection drug use. Based on the PHQ-8, the prevalence of depression was 30% compared to 14% based on ICD-9 codes within 12 months of survey, 37% from ICD-9 codes any time before or within 12 months after survey, and 48% from ICD-9 codes any time before or within 24 months after survey. ICD-9 codes predicting PHQ-8 depression had a sensitivity ranging from 59 to 88% and a specificity ranging from 33 to 65%. Based on the AUDIT-C, the prevalence of alcohol misuse was 21% compared to 3-23% using ICD-9 codes. The sensitivity of ICD-9 codes to predict AUDIT-C score ranged from 9 to 35% and specificity from 80 to 98%. Overall 39% of patients reported ever binge drinking, with a sensitivity of ICD-9 to predict binge drinking ranging from 7 to 33% and a specificity from 84 to 98%. More than half of patients had either an ICD-9 code for depression, a survey score indicating depression, or both (59%); more than one-third had the same patterns for alcohol misuse (36%). CONCLUSIONS: ICD-9 codes were limited in predicting current depression and alcohol misuse, suggesting that caution should be exercised when using ICD-9 codes to assess depression or alcohol misuse among CHC patients.

Hepatitis C treatment failure is associated with increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Sustained virological response (SVR) to antiviral therapy for hepatitis C (HCV) reduces risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but there is little information regarding how treatment failure (TF) compares to lack of treatment. We evaluated the impact of treatment status on risk of HCC using data from the Chronic Hepatitis Cohort Study (CHeCS-an observational study based in four large US health systems, with up to 7 years of follow-up on patients). Multivariable analyses were used to adjust for bias in treatment selection, as well as other covariates, followed by sensitivity analyses. Among 10 091 HCV patients, 3681 (36%) received treatment, 2099 (57%) experienced treatment failure (TF), and 1582 (43%) of these achieved sustained virological response (SVR). TF patients demonstrated almost twice the risk of HCC than untreated patients [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 1.95, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.50-2.53]; this risk persisted across all stages of fibrosis. Several sensitivity analyses validated these results. Although African Americans were at increased risk of treatment failure, they were at lower risk for HCC and all-cause mortality compared to White patients. SVR patients had lower risk of HCC than TF patients (aHR = 0.48, CI 0.31-0.73), whereas treatment - regardless of outcome - reduced all-cause mortality (aHR = 0.45, CI 0.34-0.60 for SVR patients; aHR = 0.78, CI 0.65-0.93 for TF patients).

Alcohol-related hepatitis admissions decline in 2021 after a 2020 surge attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: We previously investigated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD), finding that admissions for alcoholic hepatitis (AH) increased by 50% in the summer of 2020 compared to the same period in 2016-2019. We have now expanded our analysis to consider full years' data and evaluate how rates changed in 2021. We also sought to identify factors associated with ICU admissions, need for dialysis, liver transplant evaluations, and death. METHODS: Using retrospective data, we identified patients admitted to our four Detroit, Michigan area hospitals for acute ARLD for three periods pre-COVID (2016-February 2020), early COVID (June-December 2020), and late COVID (2021). Clustered logistic regression was performed to study rates of AH admissions across the three eras, where the patient was defined as the cluster and the analysis accounted for multiple encounters per cluster. A similar regression approach, univariate followed by multivariable analysis, was also used to study associations between patient characteristics and outcomes during hospitalization for AH. RESULTS: AH-related admissions declined significantly from the early COVID to late COVID eras (OR 0.68, 95% CL 0.52, 0.88), returning to levels similar to that of the pre- COVID period (OR 1.18, 95% CL 0.96, 1.47). In multivariable analysis, baseline MELD score was associated with ICU admission, initiation of dialysis, transplant evaluation, and death while hospitalized for AH. Female patients were at almost twice the risk of death during admission compared to male patients (aOR 1.81, 95% CL 1.1, 2.98). Increasing age was associated with slightly lower odds of transplant (aOR 0.97, 95% CL 0.94, 1) and higher odds of death (aOR 1.03, 95% CL 1.01. 1.06). CONCLUSION: After a spike in AH-related admissions during the first summer of the COVID-19 pandemic, rates declined significantly in 2021, returning to pre-pandemic levels.

Early Utilization of Mechanical Circulatory Support in Acute Myocardial Infarction Complicated by Cardiogenic Shock: The National Cardiogenic Shock Initiative.

BACKGROUND: Acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock (AMI-CS) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Mechanical circulatory support (MCS) devices increase systemic blood pressure and end organ perfusion while reducing cardiac filling pressures. METHODS AND RESULTS: The National Cardiogenic Shock Initiative (NCT03677180) is a single-arm, multicenter study. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of utilizing early MCS with Impella in patients presenting with AMI-CS. The primary end point was in-hospital mortality. A total of 406 patients were enrolled at 80 sites between 2016 and 2020. Average age was 64±12 years, 24% were female, 17% had a witnessed out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, 27% had in-hospital cardiac arrest, and 9% were under active cardiopulmonary resuscitation during MCS implantation. Patients presented with a mean systolic blood pressure of 77.2±19.2 mm Hg, 85% of patients were on vasopressors or inotropes, mean lactate was 4.8±3.9 mmol/L and cardiac power output was 0.67±0.29 watts. At 24 hours, mean systolic blood pressure improved to 103.9±17.8 mm Hg, lactate to 2.7±2.8 mmol/L, and cardiac power output to 1.0±1.3 watts. Procedural survival, survival to discharge, survival to 30 days, and survival to 1 year were 99%, 71%, 68%, and 53%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Early use of MCS in AMI-CS is feasible across varying health care settings and resulted in improvements to early hemodynamics and perfusion. Survival rates to hospital discharge were high. Given the encouraging results from our analysis, randomized clinical trials are warranted to assess the role of utilizing early MCS, using a standardized, multidisciplinary approach.

The Predictive Validity of Functional Outcome Measures With Discharge Destination for Hospitalized Medical Patients.

Objective: To investigate the predictive validity for discharge to home or facility of 4 functional mobility outcome measures. Design: Retrospective, observational study. Setting: Urban, academic hospital in the United States. Participants: Adult patients (N=3999) admitted to medical units between June 1, 2019, and February 29, 2020, with 2 or more recorded scores on each of 4 tools: Activity Measure for Post-Acute Care (AM-PAC) 6-Clicks Basic Mobility and Daily Activity, Henry Ford Mobility Level, and The Johns Hopkins Highest Level of Mobility. Interventions: Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures: Mobility scores and discharge destination. Results: For the 3999 subjects, 51.4% went home at discharge and had higher mean scores on each measure than those not returning home. Both early (I) and later (II) time point for each measure had positive predictability for discharge home. AM-PAC 6-Clicks had the highest confidence intervals for early and later recorded scores. The c-statistic value for Basic Mobility I (cut point=16) was 0.74 and for II (cut point=18) was, 0.79. The value for Daily Activity I (cut point=18) was 0.75 and for Daily Activity II (cut point=18) was 0.80). The Johns Hopkins Highest Level of Mobility and Henry Ford Mobility Level measures were less discriminative at initial score (c-statistic 0.704 and 0.665, respectively) and final score (c-statistic 0.74 and 0.75, respectively). Conclusions: Functional outcome measures have good predictive validity for discharge destination. The AM-PAC Basic mobility score appears to have a slightly higher confidence interval than the other tools in this study design.

Consensus core clinical data elements for meningiomas (v2021.1).

BACKGROUND: With increasing molecular analyses of meningiomas, there is a need to harmonize language used to capture clinical data across centers to ensure that molecular alterations are appropriately linked to clinical variables of interest. Here the International Consortium on Meningiomas presents a set of core and supplemental meningioma-specific common data elements (CDEs) to facilitate comparative and pooled analyses. METHODS: The generation of CDEs followed the 4-phase process similar to other National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) CDE projects: discovery, internal validation, external validation, and distribution. RESULTS: The CDEs were organized into patient- and tumor-level modules. In total, 17 core CDEs (10 patient level and 7 tumor level) as well as 14 supplemental CDEs (7 patient level and 7 tumor level) were defined and described. These CDEs are now made publicly available for dissemination and adoption. CONCLUSIONS: CDEs provide a framework for discussion in the neuro-oncology community that will facilitate data-sharing for collaborative research projects and aid in developing a common language for comparative and pooled analyses. The meningioma-specific CDEs presented here are intended to be dynamic parameters that evolve with time and The Consortium welcomes international feedback for further refinement and implementation of these CDEs.

Influence of a One-Time Web-Based Provider Intervention on Patient-Reported Outcomes After the Well-Child Visit: A Feasibility Study.

PURPOSE: Patient-centered care promotes positive health outcomes in pediatrics. We created a provider-focused intervention and implemented it in a pragmatic clustered randomized controlled trial to improve health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among pediatric patients. METHODS: A one-time (1-1.5-hour) webinar focusing on patient-centered care and motivational interviewing, using obesity screening as an example, was developed. Pediatric providers were recruited and randomized to either intervention (webinar) or control (usual care) arms. All well-child visits to these providers for a period of up to 5 months following webinar completion (or study enrollment for controls) were identified, and these family/patients were invited to complete a survey to assess HRQOL postvisit. Reported outcomes were compared between intervention and control participants using clustered t-tests, chi-squared tests and multiple linear regression models. RESULTS: We recruited 20 providers (10 intervention, 10 control) to the study; 469 parents/guardians and 235 eligible children seeing these providers completed the postvisit survey. Parents/guardians of 8-12-year-old children in the intervention group reported higher school functioning compared to controls (83.5 vs 75.8; P=0.023). There were no other differences in children's HRQOL between intervention and control groups. CONCLUSIONS: A one-time, web-based provider intervention is feasible to implement in pediatrics. Modest evidence, requiring further study, indicates that instructing providers on patient-centered care in the well-child visit may improve aspects of pediatric HRQOL (ie, school functioning) compared to usual care. However, this was a brief intervention, with multiple outcomes tested and no evaluation of pre- and postintervention provider knowledge, thus additional study is needed.

African Americans Demonstrate Significantly Lower Serum Alanine Aminotransferase Compared to Non-African Americans.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Normal ranges of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) may vary by race. However, results from research studies are contradictory, and many of these studies have included only small numbers of African Americans. We investigated ALT values in patients without evidence of liver disease to determine whether normal ranges differ across race groups. We also evaluated whether a race- and sex-dependent upper limit of normal (ULN) would improve the ability of ALT to predict liver disease compared to the sex-dependent ULN currently in use. METHODS: We identified ICD9 codes for liver conditions and diabetes in medical records from a sample of 6719 patients. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to assess differences in ALT log-transformed distributions by race. Logistic regression was used to evaluate whether the addition of race to the current sex-dependent ULN improves the ability of ALT to predict liver disease (assessed by area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC)). RESULTS: Among 1200 patients with BMI 18.5 < 25 and no evidence of liver disease or type 2 diabetes in their medical record, African Americans demonstrated significantly lower ALT (23.47 IU/L; 95% CL 22.87-24.10) than a combined group of Asian American/White/Other patients (25.71 IU/L; 95% CL 24.69-26.77). This difference remained across BMI categories. The race- and sex-dependent model demonstrated significantly better predictive ability than the sex-dependent model (AUROC = 66.6% versus 59.6%, respectively; p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: In a large, racially diverse sample, African Americans demonstrated significantly lower ALT compared to non-African Americans; this difference remained as BMI increased. The establishment of race-specific normal ranges for ALT could contribute to better screening and care for African American patients.

Introduction of a community health worker diabetes coach improved glycemic control in an urban primary care clinic.

The burden of diabetes is higher in urban areas and among racial and ethnic minorities. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of extending a diabetes intervention program (DIP) by engaging a team, including a community health worker (CHW), to provide care for patients to meet glycemic control, specifically in a predominantly urban, minority patient population. The DIP enrolled diabetic patients from an internal medicine clinic. A CHW facilitated the collection of glucose meter readings. The CHW coached patients on glycemic control while the CHW's registered nurse partner titrated the patient's recommended insulin dose. Subsequent HbA1c values for participants were compared to those seen at the same clinic who were not enrolled. The DIP was deployed for nine months. One hundred forty-four patients were enrolled in the DIP and 348 patients constituted the comparator group. Ninety-three DIP participants had pre- and post-intervention HbA1c values and were compared to 348 non-DIP participants. Propensity score weighted adjusted analyses suggest that participants were more likely to reduce their HbA1c values by at least 1.0% and have HbA1c values of less than 8.0% (64 mmol/mol) than non-participants (adjusted odds ratio = aOR = 1.47, 95% CI 1.26-1.71, and aOR = 1.23, 95% CI 1.06-1.43, respectively). CHW coaches as part of a team in a clinical setting improved glycemic control in a predominantly urban, minority patient population.