Skin Cancer Risk Perception and Tanning Bed Use: A Population-Based Survey to Identify Persons at Risk for Melanoma in Olmsted County, Minnesota.

BACKGROUND: Cutaneous melanoma is strongly associated with tanning bed use. OBJECTIVE: To describe local residents' knowledge, attitudes, and behavior regarding skin cancer and tanning bed use and to estimate prevalence of high risk for melanoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A survey was mailed to 886 local residents (549, aged 18-39 years; 337, aged ≥40 years). Logistic and linear regression and univariate and multivariable analysis were used to assess perceived risk and skin cancer knowledge. RESULTS: The response rate was 21%; 55% of the younger group and 37% of the older group had used indoor tanning, and prevalence of high risk for melanoma according to a skin cancer risk calculator was 18% in the younger group and 33% in the older group. Individuals with high risk scores were more likely to correctly perceive that they were at high risk for skin cancer. Most participants with high risk scores and those who previously used tanning beds reported low likelihood of future indoor tanning. CONCLUSION: Female sex, high risk score, and previous indoor tanning were associated with participants' views of higher skin cancer risk. No specific knowledge gaps were identified. Understanding community residents' attitudes about skin cancer and indoor tanning can help guide interventions.

Development and Validation of a Kidney-Transplant Specific Measure of Treatment Burden.

BACKGROUND: Treatment burden refers to the work involved in managing one's health and its impact on well-being and has been associated with nonadherence in patients with chronic illnesses. No kidney transplant (KT)-specific measure of treatment burden exists. The aim of this study was to develop a KT-specific supplement to the Patient Experience with Treatment and Self-Management (PETS), a general measure of treatment burden. METHODS: After drafting and pretesting KT-specific survey items, we conducted a cross-sectional survey study involving KT recipients from Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, Arizona, and Florida. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to identify domains for scaling the KT-specific supplement. Construct and known-groups validity were determined. RESULTS: Survey respondents (n = 167) had a mean age of 61 years (range 22-86) and received a KT on average 4.0 years ago. Three KT-specific scales were identified (transplant function, self-management, adverse effects). Higher scores on the KT-specific scales were correlated with higher PETS treatment burden, worse physical and mental health, and lower self-efficacy (p < 0.0001). Patients taking more medications reported higher transplant self-management burden. CONCLUSIONS: We developed a KT-specific supplement to the PETS general measure of treatment burden. Scores may help providers identify recipients at risk for nonadherence.

Population-Based Incidence of Potentially Life-Threatening Complications of Hypocalcemia and the Role of Vitamin D Deficiency.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the incidence of potentially life-threatening complications of hypocalcemia in infants and children in Olmsted County, Minnesota; and to determine if vitamin D deficiency contributed to these events and was, at the time of clinical presentation, considered as a possible cause. STUDY DESIGN: In this population-based descriptive study, data were abstracted from the Rochester Epidemiology Project, a medical record linkage system covering 95% of patients in Olmsted County, Minnesota. Participants were children aged 0-5 years who resided in Olmsted County between January 1, 1996 and June 30, 2017, and who received diagnoses of seizures, cardiomyopathy, cardiac arrest, respiratory arrest, laryngospasm, and/or tetany. The incidence of hypocalcemia plus a potentially life-threatening complication was calculated. RESULTS: Among 15 419 patients aged 0-5 years in Olmsted County during the study period, 1305 had eligible complications: 460 had serum calcium checked within 14 days of presentation and 85 had hypocalcemia. Patients were excluded when causes other than hypocalcemia likely triggered the complication, leaving 16 children whose complication was attributed to hypocalcemia. Three of these 16 patients had a serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D measurement and 2 were deficient (≤6 ng/mL [15 nmol/L]). Among children aged 0-5 years, the incidence of hypocalcemia plus a potentially life-threatening complication was 6.1 per 100 000 person-years (95% CI, 3.5-10.0). CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin D deficiency is an underinvestigated cause of complications of hypocalcemia in children. Serum calcium and 25-hydroxyvitamin D should be measured in children with these complications to identify possibly life-threatening vitamin D deficiency.

Effect of a near-universal hospitalization-based prophylaxis regimen on annual number of venous thromboembolism events in the US.

The annual number of US venous thromboembolism (VTE) events, the number of potentially preventable events, and the effect of hospitalization-based prophylaxis are uncertain. We estimated VTE attack (incident plus recurrent VTE) rates and the total annual number of US VTE events related and unrelated to hospitalization using Rochester Epidemiology Project resources to identify all Olmsted County, Minnesota, residents with incident or recurrent VTE over the 6-year period 2005-2010. The average annual VTE attack rates related and unrelated to hospitalization were 282 and 8 per 10 000 person-years, respectively. The estimated average number of US VTE events was 495 669 per year (48% unrelated to hospitalization). Among Olmsted County residents hospitalized at a Mayo Clinic hospital from 2005 to 2010, the proportion of patients receiving VTE prophylaxis or with an indication that prophylaxis was unnecessary increased from ∼40% in 2005 to ∼90% by 2010. The annual age- and sex-adjusted hospitalization-related (in-hospital) VTE attack rates from 2005 to 2010 ranged from 251 to 306 (1155 to 1751) per 10 000 person-years (bed-years) and did not change significantly. The median durations of hospitalization and in-hospital prophylaxis were 3 days and 70 hours, respectively. A total of 75% of VTE events occurred after hospital discharge, with a 19.5-day median time to VTE. Additional efforts are needed to identify the individual inpatient and outpatient at high risk for incident and recurrent VTE and target (longer duration) primary and secondary prophylaxis to high-risk individuals who would benefit most.

Psychosocial Risk Predicts New Episode Depression After Heart Transplant.

BACKGROUND: Psychosocial assessment is an essential component of the pretransplant evaluation. Many individuals have significant psychosocial problems, and they are either denied for transplantation or deferred from listing and transplant until the psychosocial issues are addressed. OBJECTIVE: The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of patients who initially had significant psychosocial problems, but who addressed them and received a heart transplant. METHODS: This retrospective study included heart transplant recipients from 1/1/2000 to 12/31/2012. Those with initial Psychosocial Assessment of Candidates for Transplantation (PACT) scale score <2 were compared with those whose initial score was ≥2 for the variables new onset depression and anxiety, length of stay, rejection, and survival using logistic and linear regression and Cox proportional hazards modeling. RESULTS: Of 164 heart recipients with pretransplant PACT scores, 46 (28%) were female, 154 (94%) were white, and the mean age was 52.7 years. Only 11 (7%) received an initial PACT score <2; these candidates underwent heart transplantation after their scores increased to ≥2. Initial PACT <2 increased the odds of new depression by 11-fold (p = 0.002), but was not associated with differences in survival, posttransplant length of stay, the occurrence of treated episodes of rejection or new anxiety (p ≥ 0.20 for all). CONCLUSION: Among heart recipients, initially high pretransplant psychosocial risk, as assessed by PACT, was associated with posttransplant new episode depression. However, after addressing the primary psychosocial issues before transplant, posttransplant length of stay, organ rejection, and survival were the same as those without prior psychosocial concerns.

Psychosocial Risk Impacts Mortality in Women After Liver Transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Liver transplant candidates undergo psychosocial assessment as a component of their pretransplant evaluation. Global psychosocial assessment scales, including the Psychosocial Assessment of Candidates for Transplantation (PACT), capture and quantify these psychiatric and social variables. OBJECTIVE: Our primary aim was to assess for an association between global PACT score and survival in liver transplant recipients. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study examined records of all liver recipients at one U.S. Transplant Center from 2000 to 2012 with outcomes monitoring until 07/01/2016. We investigated for associations between the following variables and mortality: PACT score, age, gender, marital status, race, alcoholic liver disease (ALD), and body mass index (BMI). Statistical methods included Student's t-test, Wilcoxon rank sum test, chi-square, Fisher's exact test, Kaplan-Meier curve, and Cox proportional hazard models. RESULTS: Of 1040 liver recipients, 538 had a documented PACT score. Among these, PACT score was not associated with mortality. In women, a lower PACT score was associated with mortality (p = 0.003) even after adjustments for age, marital status, and BMI. Women with ALD had a 2-fold increased hazard of death (p = 0.012). Increasing age was associated with increased risk of death for the cohort as a whole (p = 0.019) and for men (p = 0.014). In men, being married and BMI were marginally protective (p = 0.10 and p = 0.13, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Transplant psychosocial screening scales, specifically the PACT, identify psychosocial burden and may predict post-transplant outcomes in certain populations. In female liver recipients, lower PACT scores and ALD were associated with a greater risk of post-transplant mortality.

Epidemiology, risk factors, and outcome of Clostridium difficile infection in heart and heart-lung transplant recipients.

BACKGROUND: Clostridium difficile is a major cause of diarrhea in thoracic organ transplant recipients. We investigated the epidemiology, risk factors, and outcome of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in heart and heart-lung transplant (HT) recipients. METHODS: This is a retrospective study from 2004 to 2013. CDI was defined by diarrhea and a positive toxigenic C. difficile in stool measured by toxin enzyme immunoassay (2004-2006) or polymerase chain reaction (2007-2013). Cox proportional hazards regression was used to model the association of risk factors with time to CDI and survival with CDI following transplantation. RESULTS: There were 254 HT recipients, with a median age of 53 years (IQR, 45-60); 34% were female. During the median follow-up of 3.1 years (IQR, 1.3-6.1), 22 (8.7%) patients developed CDI. In multivariable analysis, risk factors for CDI were combined heart-lung transplant (HR 4.70; 95% CI, 1.30-17.01 [P=.02]) and retransplantation (HR 7.19; 95% CI, 1.61-32.12 [P=.01]). Acute cellular rejection was associated with a lower risk of CDI (HR 0.34; 95% CI, 0.11-0.94 [P=.04]). CDI was found to be an independent risk factor for mortality (HR 7.66; 95% CI, 3.41-17.21 [P<.0001]). CONCLUSIONS: Clostridium difficile infection after HT is more common among patients with combined heart-lung and those undergoing retransplantation. CDI was associated with a higher risk of mortality in HT recipients.

Relationship between pre-transplant physical function and outcomes after kidney transplant.

BACKGROUND: Performance-based measures of physical function predict morbidity following non-transplant surgery. Study objectives were to determine whether physical function predicts outcomes after kidney transplant and assess how physical function changes post-transplant. METHODS: We conducted a prospective study involving living donor kidney transplants recipients at our center from May 2012 to February 2014. Physical function was measured using the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB [balance, chair stands, gait speed]) and grip strength testing. Initial length of stay (LOS), 30- day rehospitalizations, allograft function, and quality of life (QOL) were assessed. RESULTS: The majority of the 140 patients in our cohort had excellent pre-transplant physical function. In general, balance scores were more predictive of post-transplant outcomes than the SPPB. Decreased pre-transplant balance was independently associated with longer LOS and increased rehospitalizations but not with post-transplant QOL; 35% of patients experienced a clinically meaningful (≥ 1.0 m/s) improvement in gait speed 4 months post-transplant. CONCLUSIONS: Decreased physical function may be associated with longer LOS and rehospitalizations following kidney transplant. Further studies are needed to confirm this association. The lack of relationship between pre-transplant gait speed and outcomes in our cohort may represent a ceiling effect. More comprehensive measures, including balance testing, may be required for risk stratification.

Predictors of venous thromboembolism recurrence and bleeding among active cancer patients: a population-based cohort study.

Active cancer is the major predictor of venous thromboembolism (VTE) recurrence, but further stratification of recurrence risk is uncertain. In a population-based cohort study of all Olmsted County, Minnesota, residents with active cancer-related incident VTE during the 35-year period from 1966 to 2000 who survived 1 day or longer, we estimated VTE recurrence, bleeding on anticoagulant therapy, and survival and tested cancer and noncancer characteristics and secondary prophylaxis as predictors of VTE recurrence and bleeding, using Cox proportional hazards modeling. Of 477 patients, 139 developed recurrent VTE over the course of 1533 person-years of follow-up. The adjusted 10-year cumulative VTE recurrence rate was 28.6%. The adjusted 90-day cumulative incidence of major bleeding on anticoagulation was 1.9%. Survival was significantly worse for patients with cancer who had recurrent VTE (particularly pulmonary embolism) and with bleeding on anticoagulation. In a multivariable model, brain, lung, and ovarian cancer; myeloproliferative or myelodysplastic disorders; stage IV pancreatic cancer; other stage IV cancer; cancer stage progression; and leg paresis were associated with an increased hazard, and warfarin therapy was associated with a reduced hazard, of recurrent VTE. Recurrence rates were significantly higher for cancer patients with 1 or more vs no predictors of recurrence, suggesting these predictors may be useful for stratifying recurrence risk.

The Psychosocial Assessment of Candidates for Transplantation: A Cohort Study of its Association With Survival Among Lung Transplant Recipients.

BACKGROUND: The United Network for Organ Sharing mandates a psychosocial assessment of transplant candidates before listing. A quantified measure for determining transplant candidacy is the Psychosocial Assessment of Candidates for Transplant (PACT) scale. This instrument's predictive value for survival has not been rigorously evaluated among lung transplantation recipients. METHODS: We reviewed medical records of all patients who underwent lung transplantation at Mayo Clinic, Rochester from 2000-2012. A transplant psychiatrist had assessed lung transplant candidates for psychosocial risk with the PACT scale. Recipients were divided into high- and low psychosocial risk cohorts using a PACT score cutoff of 2. The main outcome variable was posttransplant survival. Mortality was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier estimator and Cox proportional hazard models. RESULTS: This study included 110 lung recipients: 57 (51.8%) were females, 101 (91.8%) Whites, mean age: 56.4 years. Further, 7 (6.4%) recipients received an initial PACT score <2 (poor or borderline candidates) and later achieved a higher score, allowing transplant listing; 103 (93.6%) received initial scores ≥2 (acceptable, good or great candidates). An initial PACT score < 2 was modestly associated with higher mortality (adjusted hazard ratio = 2.73, p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Lung transplant recipients who initially received a low score on the PACT scale, reflecting poor or borderline psychosocial candidacy, experienced greater likelihood of mortality. This primary finding suggests that the psychosocial assessment, as measured by the PACT scale, may provide additional mortality risk stratification for lung transplant candidates.

Quantifying the impact of chronic conditions on a diagnosis of major depressive disorder in adults: a cohort study using linked electronic medical records.

BACKGROUND: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is often comorbid with other chronic mental and physical health conditions. Although the literature widely acknowledges the association of many chronic conditions with the risk of MDD, the relative importance of these conditions on MDD risk in the presence of other conditions is not well investigated. In this study, we aimed to quantify the relative contribution of selected chronic conditions to identify the conditions most influential to MDD risk in adults and identify differences by age. METHODS: This study used electronic health record (EHR) data on patients empanelled with primary care at Mayo Clinic in June 2013. A validated EHR-based algorithm was applied to identify newly diagnosed MDD patients between 2000 and 2013. Non-MDD controls were matched 1:1 to MDD cases on birth year (±2 years), sex, and outpatient clinic visits in the same year of MDD case diagnosis. Twenty-four chronic conditions defined by Chronic Conditions Data Warehouse were ascertained in both cases and controls using diagnosis codes within 5 years of index dates (diagnosis dates for cases, and the first clinic visit dates for matched controls). For each age group (45 years or younger, between 46 and 60, and over 60 years), conditional logistic regression models were used to test the association between each condition and subsequent MDD risk, adjusting for educational attainment and obesity. The relative influence of these conditions on the risk of MDD was quantified using gradient boosting machine models. RESULTS: A total of 11,375 incident MDD cases were identified between 2000 and 2013. Most chronic conditions (except for eye conditions) were associated with risk of MDD, with different association patterns observed depending on age. Among 24 chronic conditions, the greatest relative contribution was observed for diabetes mellitus for subjects aged ≤ 60 years and rheumatoid arthritis/osteoarthritis for those over 60 years. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that specific chronic conditions such as diabetes mellitus and rheumatoid arthritis/osteoarthritis may have greater influence than others on the risk of MDD.

Genetic polymorphisms associated with carotid artery intima-media thickness and coronary artery calcification in women of the Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study.

Menopausal hormone treatment (MHT) may limit progression of cardiovascular disease (CVD) but poses a thrombosis risk. To test targeted candidate gene variation for association with subclinical CVD defined by carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT) and coronary artery calcification (CAC), 610 women participating in the Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study (KEEPS), a clinical trial of MHT to prevent progression of CVD, were genotyped for 13,229 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within 764 genes from anticoagulant, procoagulant, fibrinolytic, or innate immunity pathways. According to linear regression, proportion of European ancestry correlated negatively, but age at enrollment and pulse pressure correlated positively with CIMT. Adjusting for these variables, two SNPs, one on chromosome 2 for MAP4K4 gene (rs2236935, ß = 0.037, P value = 2.36 × 10(-06)) and one on chromosome 5 for IL5 gene (rs739318, ß = 0.051, P value = 5.02 × 10(-05)), associated positively with CIMT; two SNPs on chromosome 17 for CCL5 (rs4796119, ß = -0.043, P value = 3.59 × 10(-05); rs2291299, ß = -0.032, P value = 5.59 × 10(-05)) correlated negatively with CIMT; only rs2236935 remained significant after correcting for multiple testing. Using logistic regression, when we adjusted for waist circumference, two SNPs (rs11465886, IRAK2, chromosome 3, OR = 3.91, P value = 1.10 × 10(-04); and rs17751769, SERPINA1, chromosome 14, OR = 1.96, P value = 2.42 × 10(-04)) associated positively with a CAC score of >0 Agatston unit; one SNP (rs630014, ABO, OR = 0.51, P value = 2.51 × 10(-04)) associated negatively; none remained significant after correcting for multiple testing. Whether these SNPs associate with CIMT and CAC in women randomized to MHT remains to be determined.

Heparin and warfarin anticoagulation intensity as predictors of recurrence after deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism: a population-based cohort study.

To test recommended anticoagulation measures as predictors of 180-day venous thromboembolism (VTE) recurrence, we identified all Olmsted County, MN residents with incident VTE over the 14-year period of 1984-1997, and followed each case (N = 1166) forward in time for VTE recurrence. We tested the activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), international normalized ratio (INR), and other measures of heparin and warfarin anticoagulation as predictors of VTE recurrence while controlling for baseline and time-dependent characteristics using Cox proportional hazards modeling. Overall, 1026 (88%) and 989 (85%) patients received heparin and warfarin, respectively, and 85 (8%) developed VTE recurrence. In multivariable analyses, increasing proportions of time on heparin with an APTT ≥ 0.2 anti-X(a) U/mL and on warfarin with an INR ≥ 2.0 were associated with significant reductions in VTE recurrence, while the hazard with active cancer was significantly increased. Time from VTE onset to heparin start, duration of overlapping heparin and warfarin, and inferior vena cava (IVC) filter placement were not independent predictors of recurrence. At a heparin dose ≥ 30 000 U/d, the median proportion of time with an APTT ≥ 0.2 anti-X(a) U/mL was 92%, suggesting that routine APTT monitoring and heparin dose adjustment may be unnecessary. In summary, lower-intensity heparin and standard-intensity warfarin anticoagulation are effective in preventing VTE recurrence.

Physiological Age by Artificial Intelligence-Enhanced Electrocardiograms as a Novel Risk Factor of Mortality in Kidney Transplant Candidates.

BACKGROUND: Mortality risk assessment before kidney transplantation (KT) is imperfect. An emerging risk factor for death in nontransplant populations is physiological age as determined by the application of artificial intelligence to the electrocardiogram (ECG). The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between ECG age and KT waitlist mortality. METHODS: We applied a previously developed convolutional neural network to the ECGs of KT candidates evaluated 2014 to 2019 to determine ECG age. We used a Cox proportional hazard model to examine whether ECG age was associated with waitlist mortality. RESULTS: Of the 2183 patients evaluated, 59.1% were male, 81.4% were white, and 11.4% died during follow-up. Mean ECG age was 59.0 ± 12.0 y and mean chronological age at ECG was 53.3 ± 13.6 y. After adjusting for chronological age, comorbidities, and other characteristics associated with mortality, each increase in ECG age of >10 y than the average ECG age for patients of a similar chronological age was associated with an increase in mortality risk (hazard ratio 3.59 per 10-y increase; 95% confidence interval, 2.06-5.72; P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: ECG age is a risk factor for KT waitlist mortality. Determining ECG age through artificial intelligence may help guide risk-benefit assessment when evaluating candidates for KT.

Use of Complementary and Integrative Medicine Among Patients With Glioblastoma Multiforme Seen at a Tertiary Care Center.

Background: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is among the most aggressive and lethal tumors, with a median survival of 12-15 months. Many patients use complementary and integrative medicine (CIM) therapies to supplement their cancer treatment. Objective: To determine the prevalence of CIM use and identify the most frequently used types of CIM in a cohort of patients with GBM seen at a tertiary care medical center in the United States. Methods: An anonymous survey was mailed through the US Postal Service from August 1, 2019, through February 21, 2020, to patients with GBM. Results: A total of 346 surveys were mailed, and 146 responses (42%) were received. The median age of respondents was 61 years (range, 52-68 years), and 85 (58%) were male. Most patients had undergone surgery (90%), chemotherapy (96%), and radiotherapy (95%). The median time from diagnosis of GBM to survey participation was 18 months (range, 12-31 months). Most respondents (81%) used some form of CIM, most frequently meditation (22%), relaxation and other stress management techniques (19%), chiropractic therapy (16%), and acupuncture (12%). Compared with men, women more commonly meditated (32% vs 16%; P = .046) and practiced yoga (20% vs 6%; P = .04). We observed age-based differences, with younger patients more commonly meditating, practicing relaxation and stress management techniques, and receiving chiropractic therapy (P < .05 for all). Conclusions: Providers should encourage patients with GBM to discuss their interest in CIM therapies and guide them to evidence-based treatments that may help improve their quality of life.

The Relationship Between Health Literacy and Outcomes Before and After Kidney Transplantation.

Limited health literacy (HL) is associated with decreased kidney function and death in patients with chronic kidney disease. Less is known about the impact of HL on kidney transplant (KT) outcomes. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between HL and KT outcomes, including rates of waitlisting, healthcare utilization, acute rejection, renal allograft function, renal allograft failure, and death. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of HL data previously collected at our center. HL was assessed in a convenience sample of consecutive, English-speaking patients age ≥18 y who were evaluated for KT at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota between June 2015 and March 2017 as part of a practice improvement feasibility project (n = 690). HL was assessed using the 4-item Brief Health Literacy Screening Tool modified for the outpatient KT evaluation process. The 4 items assess confidence completing forms, reading comprehension, and oral literacy. Results: Overall, 30.4% of patients had limited or marginal HL. Patients with limited or marginal HL were less likely than those with adequate HL to be waitlisted for KT (hazard ratio = 0.62 and 0.69, respectively), even after adjusting for age, marital status, body mass index, Charlson comorbidity index, or dialysis dependency. Patient HL was not associated with post-KT healthcare utilization, acute rejection, or renal allograft function. Patients with limited or marginal HL appeared to experience a higher risk of renal allograft failure and post-KT death, but the number of events was small, and the relationship was statistically significant only for marginal HL. Conclusions: Inadequate HL is common in KT candidates and independently associated with decreased waitlisting for KT. We observed no statistically significant relationship between HL and posttransplant outcomes in our cohort. Further efforts to improve communication in patients with inadequate HL may improve access to KT.

Sirolimus-Based Immunosuppression Is Associated with Decreased Incidence of Post-Transplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder after Heart Transplantation: A Double-Center Study.

Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors have been shown to reduce proliferation of lymphoid cells; thus, their use for immunosuppression after heart transplantation (HT) may reduce post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) risk. This study sought to investigate whether the sirolimus (SRL)-based immunosuppression regimen is associated with a decreased risk of PTLD compared with the calcineurin inhibitor (CNI)-based regimen in HT recipients. We retrospectively analyzed 590 patients who received HTs at two large institutions between 1 June 1988 and 31 December 2014. Cox proportional-hazard modeling was used to examine the association between type of primary immunosuppression and PTLD after adjustment for potential confounders, including Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) status, type of induction therapy, and rejection. Conversion from CNI to SRL as primary immunosuppression occurred in 249 patients (42.2%). During a median follow-up of 6.3 years, 30 patients developed PTLD (5.1%). In a univariate analysis, EBV mismatch was strongly associated with increased risk of PTLD (HR 10.0, 95% CI: 3.8-26.6; p < 0.001), and conversion to SRL was found to be protective against development of PTLD (HR 0.19, 95% CI: 0.04-0.80; p = 0.02). In a multivariable model and after adjusting for EBV mismatch, conversion to SRL remained protective against risk of PTLD compared with continued CNI use (HR 0.12, 95% CI: 0.03-0.55; p = 0.006). In conclusion, SRL-based immunosuppression is associated with lower incidence of PTLD after HT. These findings provide evidence of a benefit from conversion to SRL as maintenance therapy for mitigating the risk of PTLD, particularly among patients at high PTLD risk.

Temporal Trends in Use of Complementary Therapies Among Patients With Cardiovascular Disorders.

This study aimed to evaluate the use and frequency of complementary and integrative medicine (CIM) therapies in an outpatient cohort with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and compare trends over time. This cross-sectional point-of-care prospective study assessed patients attending a cardiology outpatient clinic. As in our 2009 cohort, data were collected with a 17-question survey on demographic characteristics, CVD history, current use and future interest in CIM. In total, 964 patients completed the survey. CIM use continues to be high (2009 vs 2018, 83.4% vs 81.8%) (p = 0.34), with dietary supplements the most common therapy (75% in both studies). We observed increased use of mind-body therapies (28.5% vs 23.9%, p = 0.02), especially meditation, yoga, and tai chi. Of the patients receiving CIM therapies, 41.9% reported using CIM for heart-related symptoms. Relaxation, stress management, and meditation were the top three mind-body therapies for CVD-related symptoms in both cohorts. Reporting of CIM use to clinicians is low (15%) and interest on future use is high (47%). In conclusion, CIM is highly used in cardiology patients-4 of 10 patients use CIM for CVD-related symptoms. Most take dietary supplements, with an increased use of mind-body therapies. Our data highlight the importance of documenting CIM use in practice and the need for research to document efficacy.

Factors Having an Impact on Relapse and Survival in Transplant Recipients With Alcohol-Induced Liver Disease.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of standardized pretransplant alcohol abstinence and treatment guidelines on liver transplant outcomes. METHODS: This study assessed the posttransplant relapse and survival associated with a pretransplant guideline mandating alcohol abstinence, addiction treatment, and Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) attendance. This retrospective cohort study included liver recipients with alcohol-induced liver disease transplanted between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2012, at a Midwest transplant center. Cox regression models tested for associations between pretransplant treatment, demographic and clinical characteristics, and outcome measures. RESULTS: Of 236 liver recipients (188 [79.7%] male; 210 [89%] white; mean follow-up, 88.6±55.0 months), 212 (90.2%) completed pretransplant treatment and 135 (57.2%) attended AA weekly. At 5 years, 16.3% and 8.2% had relapsed to any alcohol use and to high-dose drinking, respectively. Smoking during the 6 months before transplant was associated with any relapse (P=.0002) and high-dose relapse (P<.0001), and smoking at transplant was associated with death (P=.001). High-dose relapse was associated with death (hazard ratio, 3.5; P<.0001). CONCLUSION: A transplant center with a guideline requiring abstinence, treatment, and AA participation experienced lower posttransplant relapse rates from those previously reported in comparable large US transplant programs. Smoking cessation may further improve posttransplant outcomes.

Is diabetes mellitus an independent risk factor for venous thromboembolism?: a population-based case-control study.

OBJECTIVE: Although diabetes mellitus is reported as a risk factor for venous thromboembolism (VTE), persons with diabetes are frequently hospitalized for medical illness or surgery, or confined to a nursing home, all major VTE risk factors. Consequently, we tested diabetes for an independent association with incident VTE. METHODS AND RESULTS: Using Rochester Epidemiology Project resources, we identified all Olmsted County, Minn residents who met objective criteria for incident VTE over the 25-year period, 1976 to 2000 (n=1922), and 1 to 2 resident controls per case, matched on age, gender, and length of medical history (n=2115). Complete medical histories in the community were reviewed for previously identified independent VTE risk factors and diabetes-related variables. We tested diabetes and diabetes complications (retinopathy, nephropathy or neuropathy, and ketoacidosis) as potential VTE risk factors, both alone and after adjusting for VTE risk factors. Univariately, diabetes by clinical diagnosis or by stricter criteria (fasting ambulatory blood glucose >/=140 mg/dL or antidiabetic drug therapy), and diabetes complications, were associated with overall incident VTE. However, after controlling for hospitalization for major surgery or medical illness and nursing home confinement, diabetes was no longer associated with VTE. CONCLUSIONS: Diabetes mellitus and diabetes complications are not independent risk factors for incident VTE.