Primary Care-Based Cardiovascular Disease Risk Management After Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes: a Narrative Review.

Several common adverse pregnancy outcomes can reveal subclinical or latent cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, transiently exposed through the physiologic stress of pregnancy. The year after pregnancy may be a singular opportunity to identify and initiate treatment for CVD risk, even before the onset of traditional CVD risk factors. However, clinical guidance regarding CVD risk management after adverse pregnancy outcomes is lacking. We therefore conducted a systematic review of US clinical practice guidelines and professional society recommendations to inform primary care-based CVD risk management after adverse pregnancy outcomes. We identified 13 relevant publications. While most recommendations were based on limited or weak evidence, we identified several areas of consensus. First, individuals with an adverse pregnancy outcome associated with future CVD are likely to benefit from CVD risk assessment-accompanied by education, counseling, and support for lifestyle modification-beginning within the first postpartum year. Second, among clinicians, clear and consistent documentation about adverse pregnancy outcomes and recommended follow-up is important to coordinate care after pregnancy. In addition, patients need to be informed about their pregnancy complications and associated CVD risks, so that they can make informed health care and lifestyle decisions. Finally, in general, CVD prevention in the year after an adverse pregnancy outcome focuses on lifestyle modification, reserving pharmacotherapy for the highest-risk patients and those with traditional CVD risk factors. While postpartum lifestyle interventions show promise for reducing CVD risk after adverse pregnancy outcomes, continued research to determine the optimal content, timing, and long-term effects of such interventions is needed.

Contraceptive Procedures in Internal Medicine Clinics and Resident Education: a Qualitative Study of Implementation Methods, Barriers, and Facilitators.

BACKGROUND: Long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) such as intrauterine devices (IUDs) and implants are highly effective and increasingly popular. Internal Medicine (IM) clinics and residency curricula do not routinely include LARCs, which can limit patient access to these methods. In response, internists are integrating LARCs into IM practices and residency training. OBJECTIVE: This study examines the approaches, facilitators, and barriers reported by IM faculty to incorporating LARCs into IM clinics and resident education. DESIGN: We interviewed faculty who were prior or current LARC providers and/or teachers in 15 IM departments nationally. Each had implemented or attempted to implement LARC training for residents in their IM practice. Semi-structured interviews were used. PARTICIPANTS: Eligible participants were a convenience sample of clinicians identified as key informants at each institution. APPROACH: We used inductive thematic coding analysis to identify themes in the transcribed interviews. KEY RESULTS: Fourteen respondents currently offered LARCs in their clinic and 12 were teaching these procedures to residents. LARC integration into IM clinics occurred in 3 models: (1) a dedicated procedure or women's health clinic, (2) integration into existing IM clinical sessions, or (3) an interdisciplinary IM and family medicine or gynecology clinic. Balancing clinical and educational priorities was a common theme, with chosen LARC model(s) reflecting the desired priority balance at a given institution. Most programs incorporated a mix of educational modalities, with opportunities based upon resident interest and desired educational goals. Facilitators and barriers related to clinical (equipment, workflow), educational (curriculum, outcomes), or process considerations (procedural volume, credentialing). Participants reported that support from multiple stakeholders including patients, residents, leadership, and other departments was necessary for success. CONCLUSION: The model for integration of LARCs into IM clinics and resident education depends upon the clinical resources, patient needs, stakeholder support, and educational goals of the program.

Prepregnancy Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes in a Safety-Net Hospital.

Background: Many adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs) are associated with elevated cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. However, APO data in the context of pre-existing CVD risk factors, and from diverse populations, are limited. We assessed the occurrence of APOs among individuals with and without prepregnancy CVD risk factors, overall and by race/ethnicity. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study using electronic medical record data from a large urban safety-net hospital. Individuals with prenatal care and delivery between 2016 and 2018 at the hospital were included, and data from prenatal intake through the delivery hospitalization were captured. The exposure, prepregnancy CVD risk factors (hypertension, diabetes, tobacco use, and obesity), and the outcome, APOs (hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, gestational diabetes, preterm delivery, low birth weight, and stillbirth), were identified from electronic medical records. Results: We identified 3760 unique delivering individuals, of whom 55.1% self-identified as Black non-Hispanic and 17% as Hispanic. Prepregnancy CVD risk factor prevalence was 45.6%, most commonly obesity (26.6%). APO prevalence was 35.6%, most commonly a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy (20.1%). Overall, 45.7% of APOs occurred in the absence of recognized prepregnancy CVD risk factors, representing 16.3% of the total sample. Among individuals without prepregnancy CVD risk factors, APO prevalence was 30.0% and did not vary by race/ethnicity. Conclusions: In this racially and ethnically diverse hospital-based sample, APOs were present in one in three parous individuals without prepregnancy CVD risk factors-a group with potentially elevated CVD risk who might otherwise be missed by traditional CVD risk factor screening.

Women's health update: A literature review impacting primary care.

The authors review studies on key issues in women's health with potential impact on internal medicine practice. The reviewed articles discuss cardiovascular disease risks, bone health, breast cancer genetics, cervical cancer prevention, depression in the peripartum period, pelvic pain, and emergency contraception.