Reaching the Frail Elderly for the Diagnosis and Management of Atrial Fibrillation-REAFEL.

BACKGROUND: Frail elderly patients are exposed to suffering strokes if they do not receive timely anticoagulation to prevent stroke associated to atrial fibrillation (AF). Evaluation in the cardiological ambulatory can be cumbersome as it often requires repeated visits. AIM: To develop and implement CardioShare, a shared-care model where primary care leads patient management, using a compact Holter monitor device with asynchronous remote support from cardiologists. METHODS: CardioShare was developed in a feasibility phase, tested in a pragmatic cluster randomization trial (primary care clinics as clusters), and its implementation potential was evaluated with an escalation test. Mixed methods were used to evaluate the impact of this complex intervention, comprising quantitative observations, semi-structured interviews, and workshops. RESULTS: Between February 2020 and December 2021, 314 patients (30% frail) were included, of whom 75% had AF diagnosed/not found within 13 days; 80% in both groups avoided referral to cardiologists. Patients felt safe and primary care clinicians satisfied. In an escalation test, 58 primary-care doctors evaluated 93 patients over three months, with remote support from four hospitals in the Capital Region of Denmark. CONCLUSIONS: CardioShare was successfully implemented for AF evaluation in primary care.

Incidence of myocardial infarction, heart failure, and cardiovascular mortality in patients with peripheral artery disease: trends between 1997 and 2016.

AIMS: Over the past decades, there have been improvements in the management of cardiovascular (CV) disease and risk factors. Long-term contemporary data on the population-level incidence of myocardial infarction (MI), heart failure (HF), and CV mortality in patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) are sparse, which we aim to investigate in this study. METHODS AND RESULTS: Danish nationwide registers were used to identify all patients aged ≥18 years, with first diagnosis of PAD between 1997 and 2016. Age-standardized incidence rates (IRs) per 1000 person-years were calculated to estimate trends of MI, HF, and CV mortality. The risk of MI, HF, and CV mortality was estimated by 1-year cumulative incidence with death as the competing risk. A total of 131 568 patients with PAD were identified [median age 70.67 (interquartile range, IQR, 61-78) years and 53.05% males]. The IRs showed increasing trends of MI until 2002, with an estimated annual percentage change (APC) of + 0.6 [95% confidence interval (CI) 3.3-16.1, P-value 0.2]. After the year 2002, MI incidence persistently decreased until the study end with an estimated APC of -5.0 (95% CI 3.7-6.3, P < 0.0001), HF declined with an estimated APC of -3.3 (95% CI 2.0-4.6, P < 0.0001); and CV mortality declined, with an APC of -3.5 (95% CI 3.0-4.0, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: The incidence of MI (since 2002) and HF in patients with PAD has significantly decreased over time, together with a decline in CV mortality. Our results suggest that preventive strategies have overall improved, most likely due to improvements in the application of guidelines in clinical care.

Reaching Frail Elderly Patients to Optimize Diagnosis and Management of Atrial Fibrillation (REAFEL): A Feasibility Study of a Cross-Sectoral Shared-Care Model.

Introduction: Atrial fibrillation (AF) management in primary care often requires a referral to cardiology clinics, which can be strenuous for frail patients. We developed "cardio-share" (CS), a new cross-sector collaboration model, to ease this process. General practitioners (GPs) can use a compact Holter monitor (C3 from Cortrium) to receive remote advice from the cardiologist. Objective: To test the feasibility and acceptability of the CS model to manage suspected AF in frail elderly patients. Methods: We used a mixed methods design, including the preparation of qualitative semistructured interviews of GPs and nurses. Results: Between MAR-2019 and FEB-2020, 54 patients were consulted through the CS model, of whom 35 underwent C3 Holter monitoring. The time from referral to a final Holter report was shortened from a mean (SD) of 117 (45) days in usual care to 30 days (13) with the CS model. Furthermore, 90% of the patients did not need to attend visits at the cardiology clinic. The GPs and nurses highlighted the ease of using the C3 monitor. Their perception was that patients were confident in the GPs' collaboration with cardiologists. Conclusions: The CS model using a C3 monitor for AF is both feasible and seems acceptable to GPs. The elapsed time from referral to the Holter report performed for the diagnosis was significantly reduced.

Trends in Use of Cardioprotective Medication in Peripheral Artery Disease: A Nationwide Study.

Background Guideline-based cardioprotective medical therapy is intended to reduce the burden of adverse cardiovascular and limb outcomes in patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD). However, contemporary data describing trends in use of medication remains limited. The present study, therefore, aims to investigate changes in use of cardioprotective medication in PAD. Methods and Results By using Danish national healthcare registries, we identified all patients with first-time diagnosis of PAD (1997-2016) and classified them into two groups: (1) PAD+ that includes all patients with PAD with a history of cardiovascular disease, ie, myocardial infarction, atrial fibrillation, and stroke (n=162 627); and (2) PAD (n=87 935) that comprise patients without a history of cardiovascular disease. We determined the use of medication in the first 12 months after the incident diagnosis of PAD and estimated age standardized 1-year mortality rates. Our results showed increase in use of cardioprotective medication throughout the study period in both groups. However, PAD+ had a higher use of medication (acetylsalicylic acid, 3.5%-48.4%; Clopidogrel, 0%-17.6%; vitamin K antagonists, 0.9%-7.8%; new oral anticoagulants, 0.0%-10.1%; Statins, 1.9%-58.1%; angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, 1.2%-20.6%), compared with PAD (acetylsalicylic acid, 2.9%-54.4%; Clopidogrel, 0%-11.9%; vitamin K antagonists, 0.9%-2.4%; new oral anticoagulants, 0.0%-3.4%; Statins, 1.5%-56.9%; angiotensin-converting enzyme, 0.9%-17.2%), respectively. Furthermore, 1-year mortality rates in PAD declined with increased use of medications during study. Conclusions In this nationwide study, use of cardioprotective medication increased considerably with time, but compared to patients with other atherosclerotic diseases, there remains an underuse of guideline-based medical therapy in patients with PAD.

Time trends in the risk of atrial fibrillation and ischaemic stroke in patients with peripheral artery disease between 1997 and 2015.

OBJECTIVE: The risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) and stroke in patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) is an important issue that has not been investigated adequately. Our aim with the present study was to explore trends in the incidence of AF and stroke in patients with PAD. METHODS: We employed Danish nationwide registers to identify all patients with first-time diagnosis of PAD (aged ≥18 years) between 1997 and 2015. Age-standardised incidence rates per 1 000 person-years were calculated to estimate trends of AF and stroke. Risk of AF and stroke was estimated by 1 year cumulative incidence. RESULTS: A total of 121.241 patients with first-time diagnosis of PAD were identified. The 1-year cumulative incidence of AF in patients with PAD were 1.97% for year 1997-2000, 2.63% for year 2001-2005, 2.66% for year 2006-2010 and 2.78% for year 2011-2015, respectively. The 1-year cumulative incidence of stroke in patients with PAD were 2.71%, 2.71%, 1.95% and 1.81%, for the 1997-2000, 2001-2005, 2006-2010 and 2011-2015 year groups, respectively. Likewise, the age-standardised incidence rates showed increasing trends of AF during the study period, whereas trends of stroke demonstrated a decline. During study, the initiation of cholesterol-lowering agents and clopidogrel increased markedly from 7.0% to 51.3% and 0.1% to 5.9%, whereas use of warfarin slightly dropped from 4.29% to 3.21%. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of AF in patients with PAD has significantly increased over time, whereas a marked decline has occurred in the incidence of stroke. This may suggest that the secondary prevention strategies aimed at reducing risk of stroke are broadly effective.

Diabetes and risk of peripheral artery disease in patients undergoing first-time coronary angiography between 2000 and 2012 - a nationwide study.

BACKGROUND: The risk of peripheral artery disease (PAD) in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) and coronary artery disease (CAD) is an important and inadequately addressed issue. Our aim is to examine the impact of DM on risk of PAD in patients with different degrees of CAD characterized by coronary angiography (CAG). METHODS: Using nationwide registers we identified all patients aged ≥18 years, undergoing first time CAG between 2000 and 2012. Patients were categorized into DM/Non-DM group, and further classified into categories according to the degree of CAD i.e., no-vessel disease, single-vessel disease, double-vessel disease, triple-vessel disease, and diffuse disease. Risk of PAD was estimated by 5-year cumulative-incidence and adjusted multivariable Cox-regression models. RESULTS: We identified 116,491 patients undergoing first-time CAG. Among these, a total of 23.969 (20.58%) had DM. Cumulative-incidence of PAD among DM patients vs. non-DM were 8.8% vs. 4.9% for no-vessel disease, 8.2% vs. 4.8% for single-vessel disease, 10.2% vs. 6.0% for double-vessel disease, 13.0% vs. 8.4% for triple-vessel disease, and 6.8% vs. 6.1% for diffuse disease, respectively. For all patients with DM, the cox-regression analysis yielded significantly higher hazards of PAD compared with non-DM patients with HR 1.70 (no-vessel disease), 1.96 (single-vessel disease), 2.35 (double-vessel disease), 2.87 (triple-vessel disease), and 1.46 (diffuse disease), respectively (interaction-p 0.042). CONCLUSION: DM appears to be associated with increased risk of PAD in patients with and without established CAD, with increasing risk in more extensive CAD. This observation indicates awareness on PAD risk in patients with DM, especially among patients with advanced CAD.

Influence of sibutramine in addition to diet and exercise on the relationship between weight loss and blood glucose changes.

Aims: Weight loss is expected to improve glycaemic control in patients with diabetes or at high risk hereof. Sibutramine causes weight loss and is associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarction and stroke in high-risk patients. We examined the impact of sibutramine-induced weight loss on glycaemic control. Methods and results: In total, 8192 obese patients with diabetes were randomized to sibutramine or placebo plus diet and exercise after a preliminary 6 weeks in which all patients received sibutramine. Patients were classified into four groups of weight change. A total of 1582 patients had a weight loss >5.7 kg; 2047 patients lost 3.7-5.7 kg; 2432 patients lost <3.7 kg, and 1875 patients gained weight. Patients on sibutramine lost slightly more weight than those on placebo (-0.2 kg on average, P < 0.0001). Mean blood glucose changes in the placebo group were -0.6 mmol/L (±3.1, P = 0.0002), -0.2 mmol/L (±2.7, P = 0.04), and -0.1 mmol/L (±3.0, P = 0.01) in the moderate, modest, and mild weight loss groups, respectively; in the weight gain group blood glucose levels increased by +0.2 mmol/L (±3.1, P = 0.003). Corresponding mean blood glucose changes in the sibutramine-treated patients were -0.4 mmol/L (±3.2, P = 0.0002), +0.1 mmol/L (±3.0, P = 0.04), +0.4 mmol/L (±2.8, P = 0.01), and +0.2 mmol/L (±3.4, P = 0.003). Mean values of HbA1c followed the same pattern though the HbA1c changes were smaller with weight loss and greater with weight gain in the sibutramine group. All results were statistically significant (P < 0.0001). Conclusion: Weight loss induced by sibutramine, diet, and exercise attenuates falls in blood glucose levels and HbA1c compared with similar weight loss with placebo, diet, and exercise.