Venous thromboembolism mortality and trends in older US adults, 2011-2019.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) affects 1.2 million people per year in the United States. With several clinical changes in diagnosis and treatment approaches in the past decade, we evaluated contemporary post-VTE mortality risk profiles and trends. Incident VTE cases were identified from the 2011-2019 Medicare 20% Sample, which is representative of nearly all Americans aged 65 and older. The social deprivation index was linked from public data; race/ethnicity and sex were self-reported. The all-cause mortality risk 30 days and 1 year after incident VTE was calculated in demographic subgroups and by prevalent cancer diagnosis status using model-based standardization. Risks for major cancer types, risk differences by age, sex, race/ethnicity, and socio-economic status (SES), and trends over time are also reported. The all-cause mortality risk among older US adults following incident VTE was 3.1% (95% CI 3.0-3.2) at 30 days and 19.6% (95% CI 19.2-20.1) at 1 year. For cancer-related VTE events, the age-sex-race-standardized risk was 6.0% at 30 days and 34.7% at 1 year. The standardized 30-day and 1-year risks were higher among non-White beneficiaries and among those with low SES. One-year mortality risk decreased 0.28 percentage points per year (95% CI 0.16-0.40) on average across the study period, with no trend observed for 30-day mortality risk. In sum, all-cause mortality risk following incident VTE has decreased slightly in the last decade, but racial and socio-economic disparities persist. Understanding patterns of mortality among demographic subgroups and in cancer-associated events is important for targeting efforts to improve VTE management.

Alpha Globin Gene Copy Number Is Associated with Prevalent Chronic Kidney Disease and Incident End-Stage Kidney Disease among Black Americans.

BACKGROUND: α-Globin is expressed in endothelial cells of resistance arteries, where it limits endothelial nitric oxide signaling and enhances α-adrenergic-mediated vasoconstriction. α-Globin gene (HBA) copy number is variable in people of African descent and other populations worldwide. Given the protective effect of nitric oxide in the kidney, we hypothesized that HBA copy number would be associated with kidney disease risk. METHODS: Community-dwelling Black Americans aged ≥45 years old were enrolled in a national longitudinal cohort from 2003 through 2007. HBA copy number was measured using droplet digital PCR. The prevalence ratio (PR) of CKD and the relative risk (RR) of incident reduced eGFR were calculated using modified Poisson multivariable regression. The hazard ratio (HR) of incident ESKD was calculated using Cox proportional hazards multivariable regression. RESULTS: Among 9908 participants, HBA copy number varied from 2 to 6. In analyses adjusted for demographic, clinical, and genetic risk factors, a one-copy increase in HBA was associated with 14% greater prevalence of CKD (PR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.07 to 1.21; P<0.0001). While HBA copy number was not associated with incident reduced eGFR (RR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.94 to 1.19; P=0.38), the hazard of incident ESKD was 32% higher for each additional copy of HBA (HR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.09 to 1.61; P=0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Increasing HBA copy number was associated with a greater prevalence of CKD and incidence of ESKD in a national longitudinal cohort of Black Americans.

Inflammation biomarkers and incident coronary heart disease: the Reasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke Study.

BACKGROUND: Individual inflammation biomarkers are associated with incident coronary heart disease (CHD) events. However, there is limited research on whether the risk for incident CHD is progressively higher with a higher number of inflammation biomarkers in abnormal levels. METHODS: We used data from 15,758 Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study participants aged ≥45 years without a history of CHD at baseline in 2003-2007. Abnormal levels of baseline high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, leukocyte count and serum albumin were defined as ≥3.8 mg/L (3rd tertile), ≥6.3 x 109 cells/L (3rd tertile), and <4.0 g/dL (1st tertile), respectively. The outcome was a composite of incident myocardial infarction or CHD death. RESULTS: Overall, 38.9% (n = 6,123) had 0, 36.6% (n = 5,774) had 1, 19.8% (n = 3,113) had 2 and 4.7% (n = 748) had 3 biomarkers of inflammation in abnormal levels. Over a median follow-up of 11.4 years, 954 (6.1%) participants had incident CHD. The rate of incident CHD per 1000 person-years for individuals with 0, 1, 2, and 3 biomarkers of inflammation in abnormal levels was 4.4 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.9-5.0), 6.3 (95% CI: 5.6-6.9), 8.8 (95% CI: 7.8-9.9), and 10.6 (95% CI: 8.1-13.1), respectively. Multi-variable adjusted hazard ratios for incident CHD associated with 1, 2 and 3 versus no inflammation biomarker in abnormal levels were 1.26 (95% CI: 1.07-1.49), 1.72 (95% CI: 1.43-2.07), and 1.84 (95% CI: 1.37-2.47), respectively (P-trend < .001). CONCLUSIONS: The number of inflammation markers in abnormal levels was associated with increased risk of incident CHD after multi-variable adjustment.

Prognostic factors for VTE and bleeding in hospitalized medical patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

There may be many predictors of venous thromboembolism (VTE) and bleeding in hospitalized medical patients, but until now, systematic reviews and assessments of the certainty of the evidence have not been published. We conducted a systematic review to identify prognostic factors for VTE and bleeding in hospitalized medical patients and searched Medline and EMBASE from inception through May 2018. We considered studies that identified potential prognostic factors for VTE and bleeding in hospitalized adult medical patients. Reviewers extracted data in duplicate and independently and assessed the certainty of the evidence using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach. Of 69 410 citations, we included 17 studies in our analysis: 14 that reported on VTE, and 3 that reported on bleeding. For VTE, moderate-certainty evidence showed a probable association with older age; elevated C-reactive protein (CRP), D-dimer, and fibrinogen levels; tachycardia; thrombocytosis; leukocytosis; fever; leg edema; lower Barthel Index (BI) score; immobility; paresis; previous history of VTE; thrombophilia; malignancy; critical illness; and infections. For bleeding, moderate-certainty evidence showed a probable association with older age, sex, anemia, obesity, low hemoglobin, gastroduodenal ulcers, rehospitalization, critical illness, thrombocytopenia, blood dyscrasias, hepatic disease, renal failure, antithrombotic medication, and presence of a central venous catheter. Elevated CRP, a lower BI, a history of malignancy, and elevated heart rate are not included in most VTE risk assessment models. This study informs risk prediction in the management of hospitalized medical patients for VTE and bleeding; it also informs guidelines for VTE prevention and future research.

APOL1 Risk Variants Associated with Serum Albumin in a Population-Based Cohort Study.

INTRODUCTION: The association of apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1) nephropathy risk variants (APOL1), unique to African-ancestry (African-American [AA]) populations, with systemic inflammation, a contributor to chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) is ill-defined. This study aimed to describe the role of inflammatory markers in the relationship between APOL1 and incident kidney outcomes using a prospective cohort study. METHODS: APOL1 high-risk status under a recessive genetic model was studied in 10,605 AA adults aged ≥45 years from the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke study. The primary variables of interest were inflammatory markers: C-reactive protein (mg/dL), white blood cell count (cells/mm3), and serum albumin (sALB) (mg/dL). High inflammation status was defined if at least one of these inflammatory markers exceeded clinical threshold. The association between APOL1 and biomarkers were assessed using regression models adjusting for age, sex, ancestry, hypertension, lipid medications, albumin-to-creatinine ratio, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Models were stratified by diabetes status. We identified incident ESKD using USRDS linkage, and we defined incident CKD as an eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m2 and ≥25% decline in the eGFR and normal baseline eGFR and tested for mediation of APOL1 and outcomes by biomarkers using the causal inference approach. RESULTS: Among 7,151 participants with data available on all inflammation markers, 4,479 participants had ≥1 marker meeting the clinical threshold. APOL1 high-risk status was associated with lower adjusted odds of reduced sALB {odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval [CI]): 0.59 [0.36, 0.96])}, and this association was significant in people with diabetes (OR [95% CI]: 0.40 [0.18, 0.89]) but not in those without diabetes. There was no association of APOL1 high-risk status with other markers or high inflammation status. APOL1 was independently associated with ESKD (OR [95% CI] = 1.78 [1.28, 2.48]) and CKD (OR [95% CI] = 1.38 [1.00, 1.91]). On mediation analysis, the direct effect between APOL1 and ESKD strengthened after accounting for sALB, but the estimated mediated effect was not statistically significant (OR [95% CI]: 0.98 [0.92, 1.05], p = 0.58). CONCLUSION: APOL1 high-risk variants were associated with sALB. However, sALB did not statistically mediate the association between APOL1 and incident ESKD.

High-Density Lipoprotein Carries Markers That Track With Recovery From Stroke.

RATIONALE: Prospective cohort studies question the value of HDL-C (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) for stroke risk prediction. OBJECTIVE: Investigate the relationship between long-term functional recovery and HDL proteome and function. METHODS AND RESULTS: Changes in HDL protein composition and function (cholesterol efflux capacity) in patients after acute ischemic stroke at 2 time points (24 hours, 35 patients; 96 hours, 20 patients) and in 35 control subjects were measured. The recovery from stroke was assessed by 3 months, the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale and modified Rankin scale scores. When compared with control subject after adjustments for sex and HDL-C levels, 12 proteins some of which participate in acute phase response and platelet activation (APMAP [adipocyte plasma membrane-associated protein], GPLD1 [phosphate inositol-glycan specific phospholipase D], APOE [apolipoprotein E], IHH [Indian hedgehog protein], ITIH4 [inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor chain H4], SAA2 [serum amyloid A2], APOA4 [apolipoprotein A-IV], CLU [clusterin], ANTRX2 [anthrax toxin receptor 2], PON1 [serum paraoxonase/arylesterase], SERPINA1 [alpha-1-antitrypsin], and APOF [apolipoprotein F]) were significantly (adjusted P<0.05) altered in stroke HDL at 96 hours. The first 8 of these proteins were also significantly altered at 24 hours. Consistent with inflammatory remodeling, cholesterol efflux capacity was reduced by 32% (P<0.001) at both time points. Baseline stroke severity adjusted regression model showed that changes within 96-hour poststroke in APOF, APOL1, APMAP, APOC4 (apolipoprotein C4), APOM (apolipoprotein M), PCYOX1 (prenylcysteine oxidase 1), PON1, and APOE correlate with stroke recovery scores (R2=0.38-0.73, adjusted P<0.05). APOF (R2=0.73) and APOL1 (R2=0.60) continued to significantly correlate with recovery scores after accounting for tPA (tissue-type plasminogen activator) treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Changes in HDL proteins during early acute phase of stroke associate with recovery. Monitoring HDL proteins may provide clinical biomarkers that inform on stroke recuperation.

Soluble CD14 Levels in the Jackson Heart Study: Associations With Cardiovascular Disease Risk and Genetic Variants.

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A New Risk Assessment Model for Hospital-Acquired Venous Thromboembolism in Critically Ill Children: A Report From the Children's Hospital-Acquired Thrombosis Consortium.

OBJECTIVES: To create a risk model for hospital-acquired venous thromboembolism in critically ill children upon admission to an ICU. DESIGN: Case-control study. SETTING: ICUs from eight children's hospitals throughout the United States. SUBJECTS: Critically ill children with hospital-acquired venous thromboembolism (cases) 0-21 years old and similar children without hospital-acquired venous thromboembolism (controls) from January 2012 to December 2016. Children with a recent cardiac surgery, asymptomatic venous thromboembolism, or a venous thromboembolism diagnosed before ICU admission were excluded. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The multi-institutional Children's Hospital-Acquired Thrombosis registry was used to identify cases and controls. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine the association between hospital-acquired venous thromboembolism and putative risk factors present at or within 24 hours of ICU admission to develop the final model. A total of 548 hospital-acquired venous thromboembolism cases (median age, 0.8 yr; interquartile range, 0.1-10.2) and 187 controls (median age, 2.4 yr; interquartile range, 0.2-8.3) were analyzed. In the multivariable model, recent central venous catheter placement (odds ratio, 4.4; 95% CI, 2.7-7.1), immobility (odds ratio 3.6, 95% CI, 2.1-6.2), congenital heart disease (odds ratio 2.9, 95% CI, 1.7-4.7), length of hospital stay prior to ICU admission greater than or equal to 3 days (odds ratio, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.1-5.6), and history of autoimmune/inflammatory condition or current infection (odds ratio, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.2-3.4) were each independently associated with hospital-acquired venous thromboembolism. The risk model had an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.79 (95% CI, 0.73-0.84). CONCLUSIONS: Using the multicenter Children's Hospital-Acquired Thrombosis registry, we identified five independent risk factors for hospital-acquired venous thromboembolism in critically ill children, deriving a new hospital-acquired venous thromboembolism risk assessment model. A prospective validation study is underway to define a high-risk group for risk-stratified interventional trials investigating the efficacy and safety of prophylactic anticoagulation in critically ill children.

Thrombophilia Testing After Ischemic Stroke: Why, When, and What?

Thrombophilia testing is frequently performed after an ischemic stroke, particularly when cryptogenic. However, there is minimal evidence supporting a significant association between most conditions assessed through thrombophilia testing and ischemic stroke, and the rationale for thrombophilia testing in many clinical situations remains uncertain. In this topical review, we review and contextualize the existing data on the risks, predictors, and outcomes of thrombophilic conditions in patients with ischemic stroke. We report that inherited thrombophilias have an uncertain relationship with ischemic stroke. Conversely, antiphospholipid syndrome, an acquired immune-mediated thrombophilia, seems to be a strong risk factor for arterial thromboembolic events, including ischemic stroke, and especially among young patients. Our findings suggest that certain circumstances may warrant targeted thrombophilia testing, such as stroke in the young, cryptogenic stroke, and high estrogen states. Future prospective studies should investigate the utility and cost effectiveness of thrombophilia testing in various stroke settings, including among patients with patent foramen ovale; as well as the optimal secondary stroke prevention regimen in patients with confirmed thrombophilia, particularly if no other potential stroke mechanism is identified.

d-dimer and Death in Critically Ill Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019.

OBJECTIVES: Hypercoagulability may be a key mechanism for acute organ injury and death in patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019, but the relationship between elevated plasma levels of d-dimer, a biomarker of coagulation activation, and mortality has not been rigorously studied. We examined the independent association between d-dimer and death in critically ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019. DESIGN: Multicenter cohort study. SETTING: ICUs at 68 hospitals across the United States. PATIENTS: Critically ill adults with coronavirus disease 2019 admitted to ICUs between March 4, 2020, and May 25, 2020, with a measured d-dimer concentration on ICU day 1 or 2. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The primary exposure was the highest normalized d-dimer level (assessed in four categories: < 2×, 2-3.9×, 4-7.9×, and ≥ 8× the upper limit of normal) on ICU day 1 or 2. The primary endpoint was 28-day mortality. Multivariable logistic regression was used to adjust for confounders. Among 3,418 patients (63.1% male; median age 62 yr [interquartile range, 52-71 yr]), 3,352 (93.6%) had a d-dimer concentration above the upper limit of normal. A total of 1,180 patients (34.5%) died within 28 days. Patients in the highest compared with lowest d-dimer category had a 3.11-fold higher odds of death (95% CI, 2.56-3.77) in univariate analyses, decreasing to a 1.81-fold increased odds of death (95% CI, 1.43-2.28) after multivariable adjustment for demographics, comorbidities, and illness severity. Further adjustment for therapeutic anticoagulation did not meaningfully attenuate this relationship (odds ratio, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.36-2.19). CONCLUSIONS: In a large multicenter cohort study of critically ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019, higher d-dimer levels were independently associated with a greater risk of death.

Development of a Risk Model for Pediatric Hospital-Acquired Thrombosis: A Report from the Children's Hospital-Acquired Thrombosis Consortium.

OBJECTIVE: To identify pertinent clinical variables discernible on the day of hospital admission that can be used to assess risk for hospital-acquired venous thromboembolism (HA-VTE) in children. STUDY DESIGN: The Children's Hospital-Acquired Thrombosis Registry is a multi-institutional registry for all hospitalized participants aged 0-21 years diagnosed with a HA-VTE and non-VTE controls. A risk assessment model (RAM) for the development of HA-VTE using demographic and clinical VTE risk factors present at hospital admission was derived using weighted logistic regression and the least absolute shrinkage and selection (Lasso) procedure. The models were internally validated using 5-fold cross-validation. Discrimination and calibration were assessed using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve and Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness of fit, respectively. RESULTS: Clinical data from 728 cases with HA-VTE and 839 non-VTE controls, admitted between January 2012 and December 2016, were abstracted. Statistically significant RAM elements included age <1 year and 10-22 years, cancer, congenital heart disease, other high-risk conditions (inflammatory/autoimmune disease, blood-related disorder, protein-losing state, total parental nutrition dependence, thrombophilia/personal history of VTE), recent hospitalization, immobility, platelet count >350 K/µL, central venous catheter, recent surgery, steroids, and mechanical ventilation. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.78 (95% CI 0.76-0.80). CONCLUSIONS: Once externally validated, this RAM will identify those who are at low-risk as well as the greatest-risk groups of hospitalized children for investigation of prophylactic strategies in future clinical trials.

Correlates of a southern diet pattern in a national cohort study of blacks and whites: the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study.

The Southern dietary pattern, derived within the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) cohort, is characterised by high consumption of added fats, fried food, organ meats, processed meats and sugar-sweetened beverages and is associated with increased risk of several chronic diseases. The aim of the present study was to identify characteristics of individuals with high adherence to this dietary pattern. We analysed data from REGARDS, a national cohort of 30 239 black and white adults ≥45 years of age living in the USA. Dietary data were collected using the Block 98 FFQ. Multivariable linear regression was used to calculate standardised beta coefficients across all covariates for the entire sample and stratified by race and region. We included 16 781 participants with complete dietary data. Among these, 34·6 % were black, 45·6 % male, 55·2 % resided in stroke belt region and the average age was 65 years. Black race was the factor with the largest magnitude of association with the Southern dietary pattern (Δ = 0·76 sd, P < 0·0001). Large differences in Southern dietary pattern adherence were observed between black participants and white participants in the stroke belt and non-belt (stroke belt Δ = 0·75 sd, non-belt Δ = 0·77 sd). There was a high consumption of the Southern dietary pattern in the US black population, regardless of other factors, underlying our previous findings showing the substantial contribution of this dietary pattern to racial disparities in incident hypertension and stroke.

Liver Fibrosis is Associated with Ischemic Stroke Risk in Women but not Men: The REGARDS Study.

BACKGROUND: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is inconsistently associated with ischemic stroke, with one study suggesting an association in women and not men. The relative importance of liver fibrosis, as opposed to fatty liver, for cardiovascular risk is increasingly appreciated. We hypothesized that advanced liver fibrosis is associated with incident ischemic stroke risk, and especially in women. METHODS: We performed a case-cohort study in the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke cohort. Black and white individuals aged 45 and older were recruited between 2003 and 2007 and followed for ischemic stroke. The Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) score and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Fibrosis Score (NFS) were calculated using baseline data for stroke cases and a cohort random sample; advanced liver fibrosis was classified using validated cutoffs. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) of stroke after adjusting for potential confounders. Sex differences were assessed. RESULTS: There were 572 incident ischemic strokes (285 in women) over 5.4 (SD, 2.2) years. Advanced liver fibrosis was not significantly associated with ischemic stroke overall using the FIB-4 (HR 1.44; 95% CI 0.49-4.28) or NFS (HR 1.76; 95% CI 0.67-4.61). However, liver fibrosis was associated with stroke in women (HR 3.51; 95% CI 1.00-12.34) but not men (HR 0.70, 95% CI 0.16-3.16) (P = 0.098 for interaction) when using FIB-4. A similar but non-significant sex difference was seen for NFS. CONCLUSION: Advanced liver fibrosis may be associated with a higher risk of ischemic stroke in women but not men.

Identifying Genetic and Biological Determinants of Race-Ethnic Disparities in Stroke in the United States.

In the United States, causes of racial differences in stroke and its risk factors remain only partly understood, and there is a long-standing disparity in stroke incidence and mortality impacting Black Americans. Only half of the excess risk of stroke in the United States Black population is explained by traditional risk factors, suggesting potential effects of other factors including genetic and biological characteristics. Here, we nonsystematically reviewed candidate laboratory biomarkers for stroke and their relationships to racial disparities in stroke. Current evidence indicates that IL-6 (interleukin-6), a proinflammatory cytokine, mediates racial disparities in stroke through its association with traditional risk factors. Only one reviewed biomarker, Lp(a) (lipoprotein[a]), is a race-specific risk factor for stroke. Lp(a) is highly genetically determined and levels are substantially higher in Black than White people; clinical and pharmaceutical ramifications for stroke prevention remain uncertain. Other studied stroke risk biomarkers did not explain racial differences in stroke. More research on Lp(a) and other biological and genetic risk factors is needed to understand and mitigate racial disparities in stroke.

Nivolumab-Induced Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura in a Patient with Anal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Lesson on Hematologic Toxicity from Immunotherapy.

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a rare but life-threatening microangiopathic hemolytic anemia characterized by thrombocytopenia, hemolytic anemia, and ischemic organ damage. It is mainly caused by an autoreactive antibody directed at ADAMTS13. Immunotherapy is frequently associated with autoimmune complications in patients with cancer, but only three cases of TTP have been reported, none implicating single treatment with the anti-programmed cell death receptor 1 ligand antibody nivolumab. We present the first identified and reported case of nivolumab-associated TTP in a 51-year-old woman with stage IIIc anal carcinoma who achieved complete response following chemoradiation and received adjuvant nivolumab as part of a randomized clinical trial. Twelve weeks into treatment, she presented with dark urine, progressive fatigue, and headache. TTP diagnosis was based on laboratory evidence of hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and ADAMTS13 activity of 9% associated with an inhibitor. She was treated with daily plasma exchange and oral prednisone and responded well to treatment, with platelet counts over 100 K/cmm within 4 days. We reviewed and summarized data from all reported cases of TTP associated with cancer immunotherapy. We provide guidance on identification and management of this devastating hematologic complication, focusing on the importance of early recognition, as most patients achieve complete recovery with appropriate treatment. KEY POINTS: Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) was originally excluded from previous reviews of hematologic immune-related adverse events; however, several cases have been reported in the past 2 years in patients treated with either single agent or combination of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 and the programmed cell death receptor 1 (PD-1) or the PD-1 ligand inhibitors. Although rare, TTP is a life-threatening condition that could be challenging to diagnose, and early recognition is key as delayed treatment is associated with significant increase in mortality. The pathophysiology of immunotherapy-induced TTP is likely related to autoimmune inhibition of ADAMTS13; the addition of prednisone and rituximab to urgent plasmapheresis appears to be effective and should be part of the up-front management for these patients.

APOL1 Nephropathy Risk Alleles and Mortality in African American Adults: A Cohort Study.

RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE: APOL1 nephropathy risk alleles are associated with the development of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in African Americans. Although CKD is an established risk factor for mortality, associations of APOL1 risk alleles with mortality are uncertain. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cohort. SETTINGS & PARTICIPANTS: 10,380 African American and 17,485 white American participants in the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) Study. EXPOSURES: APOL1 nephropathy risk alleles. OUTCOMES: All-cause and cause-specific mortality. ANALYTICAL APPROACH: Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine the association of APOL1 high-risk genotypes (2 risk alleles) versus APOL1 low-risk genotypes (0/1 risk allele) with all-cause and cause-specific mortality in African Americans and examine the risk for all-cause mortality in African Americans with high-risk genotypes versus African Americans with low-risk genotypes and white Americans. RESULTS: APOL1 high-risk participants were younger and had a higher prevalence of albuminuria than low-risk participants. There was no statistically significant association of APOL1 high- versus low-risk genotypes with all-cause mortality in models adjusted for sociodemographic variables, comorbid conditions, and kidney function (HR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.77-1.01). After further adjustment for genetic ancestry in a subset with available data, a statistically significant association emerged (HR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.69-0.96). Associations differed by CKD status (Pinteraction=0.04), with African Americans with high-risk genotypes having lower risk for mortality than those with low-risk genotypes in fully adjusted models (HR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.62-0.99) among those with CKD, but not those without CKD (HR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.66-1.05). Compared with white Americans, African Americans with high-risk genotypes had a similar rate of mortality, whereas African Americans with low-risk genotypes had a higher rate of mortality (HR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.00-1.14) in fully adjusted models. LIMITATIONS: Lack of follow-up measures of kidney function. CONCLUSIONS: African Americans with high-risk APOL1 genotypes had lower mortality than those with low-risk genotypes in multivariable-adjusted models including genetic ancestry.

Hemoglobin levels and coronary heart disease risk by age, race, and sex in the reasons for geographic and racial differences in stroke study (REGARDS).

Higher and lower hemoglobin concentrations are associated with coronary heart disease (CHD), but whether this risk is consistent across age, sex, and race is unclear. The Reasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study is an observational cohort study of 30 239 black, and white, adults aged 45 and older recruited 2003-7. Participants were included if they had hemoglobin measures, were CHD-free at baseline, and had all baseline variables. The primary outcome was incident CHD. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for incident CHD by hemoglobin concentration. This was expressed as a continuous variable and divided into age-, sex-, and race-specific quintiles. The 16 332 participants were included, contributing 114 362 person-years of follow-up and 915 incident CHD events. The mean age was 63 years, 35% were male, 41% were black, and the mean baseline hemoglobin was 13.6 g/dL (SD 1.4). A significant non-linear association between hemoglobin and CHD was identified (P < .001). This association differed significantly by race (P = .025) but not by sex or age. In whites, the risk for incident CHD was higher in the lowest (HR 2.28, 95% CI 1.61, 3.33) and highest (HR 1.94, 95% CI 1.35, 2.79) hemoglobin quintiles relative to the third quintile. For blacks, only those in the lowest hemoglobin quintile had an increased risk for incident CHD events (HR 1.70, 95% CI 1.20, 2.41). Hemoglobin is an independent risk factor for CHD in whites and blacks but with different hemoglobin concentrations conferring different risks.

Lipoprotein(a) and Risk of Ischemic Stroke in the REGARDS Study.

Objective- Increased Lp(a) [lipoprotein(a)] is associated with coronary heart disease risk, but links with stroke are less consistent. Blacks have higher Lp(a) levels and stroke incidence than whites but have been underrepresented in studies. We hypothesized that Lp(a) is a risk factor for ischemic stroke and that risk differs by race. Approach and Results- REGARDS (Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke) recruited 30 239 black and white US adults aged ≥45 in 2003-2007 to study regional and racial differences in stroke mortality. We measured baseline Lp(a) by immunonephelometric assay in 572 cases of incident ischemic stroke and a 967-person cohort random sample. The hazard ratio of stroke by baseline Lp(a) was calculated using Cox proportional hazards models, stratified by race. Lp(a) was modeled in sex- and race-specific quartiles, given known differences in distributions by race and sex. Interactions were tested by including interaction terms in the proportional hazards models, with P<0.10 considered statistically significant. After adjustment for age, sex, and stroke risk factors, being in the fourth versus the first Lp(a) quartile was weakly associated with ischemic stroke overall, hazard ratio, 1.45 (95% CI, 0.96-2.19). In blacks, the hazard ratio was 1.96 (95% CI, 1.10-3.46), whereas in whites HR was 1.14 (95% CI, 0.64-2.04); P interaction=0.12. Lp(a) was lower in men than women, but associations with stroke in men and women were similar. Conclusions- We confirm that Lp(a) is a risk factor for ischemic stroke. Further research is needed to confirm the role of racial differences of the Lp(a) risk multiplier in ischemic stroke.

Impact of oral anticoagulation choice on healthcare utilization for the primary treatment of venous thromboembolism.

Little is known about the impact of oral anticoagulation (OAC) choice on healthcare encounters during venous thromboembolism (VTE) primary treatment. Among anticoagulant-naïve patients with VTE, we tested the hypotheses that healthcare utilization would be lower among users of direct OACs (DOACs; rivaroxaban or apixaban) than among users of warfarin. MarketScan databases for years 2016 and 2017 were used; healthcare utilization was identified in the first 6 months after initial VTE diagnoses. The 23,864 patients with VTE had on average 0.2 ± 0.5 hospitalizations, spent 1.3 ± 5.2 days in the hospital, had 5.7 ± 5.1 outpatient encounters, and visited an emergency department 0.4 ± 1.1 times. As compared to warfarin, rivaroxaban and apixaban were associated with fewer hospitalizations, days hospitalized, outpatient office visits, and emergency department visits after accounting for age, sex, comorbidities, and medications. Hospitalization rates were 24% lower (incidence rate ratio (IRR): 0.76; 95% CI: 0.69, 0.83) with rivaroxaban and 22% lower (IRR: 0.78; 95% CI: 0.71, 0.87) with apixaban, as compared to warfarin (IRR: 1.00 (reference)). Healthcare utilization was similar between apixaban and rivaroxaban users. Patients with VTE prescribed rivaroxaban and apixaban had lower healthcare utilization than those prescribed warfarin, while there was no difference when comparing apixaban to rivaroxaban. These findings complement existing literature supporting the use of DOACs over warfarin.

APOL1 Kidney Risk Variants and Cardiovascular Disease: An Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Two coding variants in the apo L1 gene (APOL1) are strongly associated with kidney disease in blacks. Kidney disease itself increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, but whether these variants have an independent direct effect on the risk of cardiovascular disease is unclear. Previous studies have had inconsistent results. METHODS: We conducted a two-stage individual participant data meta-analysis to assess the association of APOL1 kidney-risk variants with adjudicated cardiovascular disease events and death, independent of kidney measures. The analysis included 21,305 blacks from eight large cohorts. RESULTS: Over 8.9±5.0 years of follow-up, 2076 incident cardiovascular disease events occurred in the 16,216 participants who did not have cardiovascular disease at study enrollment. In fully-adjusted analyses, individuals possessing two APOL1 kidney-risk variants had similar risk of incident cardiovascular disease (coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, stroke and heart failure; hazard ratio 1.11, 95% confidence interval, 0.96 to 1.28) compared to individuals with zero or one kidney-risk variant. The risk of coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, stroke and heart failure considered individually was also comparable by APOL1 genotype. APOL1 genotype was also not associated with death. There was no difference in adjusted associations by level of kidney function, age, diabetes status, or body-mass index. CONCLUSIONS: In this large, two-stage individual participant data meta-analysis, APOL1 kidney-risk variants were not associated with incident cardiovascular disease or death independent of kidney measures.