Evaluating novel approaches for estimating awake and sleep blood pressure: design of the Better BP Study - a randomised, crossover trial.

INTRODUCTION: For many people, blood pressure (BP) levels differ when measured in a medical office versus outside of the office setting. Out-of-office BP has a stronger association with cardiovascular disease (CVD) events compared with BP measured in the office. Many BP guidelines recommend measuring BP outside of the office to confirm the levels obtained in the office. Ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) can assess out-of-office BP but is not available in many US practices and some individuals find it uncomfortable. The aims of the Better BP Study are to (1) test if unattended office BP is closer to awake BP on ABPM compared with attended office BP, (2) assess if sleep BP assessed by home BP monitoring (HBPM) agrees with sleep BP from a full night of ABPM and (3) compare the strengths of associations of unattended versus attended office BP, unattended office BP versus awake BP on ABPM and sleep BP on HBPM versus ABPM with markers of end-organ damage. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We are recruiting 630 adults not taking antihypertensive medication in Birmingham, Alabama, and New York, New York. Participants are having their office BP measured with (attended) and without (unattended) a technician present, in random order, using an automated oscillometric office BP device during each of two visits within one week. Following these visits, participants complete 24 hours of ABPM and one night of HBPM, in random order. Psychosocial factors, anthropometrics, left ventricular mass index and albumin-to-creatinine ratio are also being assessed. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study was approved by the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the Columbia University Medical Center Institutional Review Boards. The study results will be disseminated at scientific conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT04307004.

Factors Associated With Not Having a Healthcare Visit in the Past Year Among US Adults With Hypertension: Data From NHANES 2013-2018.

BACKGROUND: Not having a healthcare visit in the past year has been associated with a higher likelihood of uncontrolled blood pressure (BP) among individuals with hypertension. METHODS: We examined factors associated with not having a healthcare visit in the past year among US adults with hypertension using data from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2013-2018 (n = 5,985). Hypertension was defined as systolic BP (SBP) ≥140 mm Hg, diastolic BP (DBP) ≥90 mm Hg, or antihypertensive medication use. Having a healthcare visit in the past year was self-reported. RESULTS: Overall, 7.0% of US adults with hypertension reported not having a healthcare visit in the past year. Those without vs. with a healthcare visit in the past year were less likely to be aware they had hypertension (45.0% vs. 83.9%), to be taking antihypertensive medication (36.7% vs. 91.4%, among those who were aware they had hypertension), and to have controlled BP (SBP/DBP <140/90 mm Hg; 9.1% vs. 51.7%). After multivariable adjustment, not having a healthcare visit in the past year was more common among US adults without health insurance (prevalence ratio [PR]: 2.22; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.68-2.95), without a usual source of healthcare (PR: 5.65; 95% CI 4.16-7.67), who smoked cigarettes (PR: 1.34; 95% CI 1.02-1.77), and with heavy vs. no alcohol consumption (PR: 1.55; 95% CI 1.16-2.08). Also, not having a healthcare visit in the past year was more common among those without diabetes or a history of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, and those not taking a statin. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions should be considered to ensure all adults with hypertension have annual healthcare visits.

Characteristics of patients with diabetes and a history of myocardial infarction initiating PCSK9 and SGLT2 inhibitors.

Study objective: Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitors (PCSK9i) and sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) reduce the risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) events in patients with diabetes and ASCVD. We assessed factors associated with initiating either medication among patients with diabetes and a prior myocardial infarction (MI). Setting/participants: US adults ≥19 years old with private health insurance (MarketScan) or government health insurance (Medicare) who had diabetes and a prior MI and initiated a PCSK9i or an SGLT2i in 2017 or 2018. Main outcome measures: PCSK9i or SGLT2i initiation was identified using pharmacy claims. Results: Overall, 8102 patients initiated a PCSK9i (n = 1501; 18.5%) or an SGLT2i (n = 6601; 81.5%). Patients with 2 and ≥3 versus 1 prior MI (risk ratio [RR]: 1.32 [95%CI: 1.17-1.48] and 1.68 [1.41-2.01], respectively), prior coronary revascularization (1.47 [1.31-1.64]), prior stroke (1.28 [1.06-1.56]), history of peripheral artery disease (1.27 [1.14-1.41]), receiving cardiologist care (1.51 [1.36-1.67]) or taking ezetimibe (2.57 [2.35-2.82]) were more likely to initiate a PCSK9i versus an SGLT2i. Patients with a history of short-term (RR 1.07 [95%CI 1.05-1.09]) or long-term (1.07 [1.04-1.09]) diabetes complications, and taking a low/moderate- and high-intensity statin dosage (1.61 [1.51-1.70] and 1.68 [1.58-1.77], respectively) were more likely to initiate an SGLT2i versus a PCSK9i. Among patients who initiated a PCSK9i, 2.9% subsequently initiated an SGLT2i; 0.8% who initiated an SGLT2i subsequently initiated a PCSK9i. Conclusion: The decision to initiate PCSK9i or SGLT2i is explained by having very high cardiovascular disease risk for those initiating PCSK9i and diabetes complications for those initiating SGLT2i.

Racial Differences in Blood Pressure Control Following Stroke: The REGARDS Study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: In the general population, Black adults are less likely than White adults to have controlled blood pressure (BP), and when not controlled, they are at greater risk for stroke compared with White adults. High BP is a major modifiable risk factor for recurrent stroke, but few studies have examined racial differences in BP control among stroke survivors. METHODS: We used data from the REGARDS study (Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke) to examine disparities in BP control between Black and White adults, with and without a history of stroke. We studied participants taking antihypertensive medication who did and did not experience an adjudicated stroke (n=306 and 7693 participants, respectively) between baseline (2003-2007) and a second study visit (2013-2016). BP control at the second study visit was defined as systolic BP <130 mm Hg and diastolic BP <80 mm Hg except for low-risk adults ≥65 years of age (ie, those without diabetes, chronic kidney disease, history of cardiovascular disease, and with a 10-year predicted atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk <10%) for whom BP control was defined as systolic BP <130 mm Hg. RESULTS: Among participants with a history of stroke, 50.3% of White compared with 39.3% of Black participants had controlled BP. Among participants without a history of stroke, 56.0% of White compared with 50.2% of Black participants had controlled BP. After multivariable adjustment, there was a tendency for Black participants to be less likely than White participants to have controlled BP (prevalence ratio, 0.77 [95% CI, 0.59-1.02] for those with a history of stroke and 0.92 [95% CI, 0.88-0.97] for those without a history of stroke). CONCLUSIONS: There was a lower proportion of controlled BP among Black compared with White adults with or without stroke, with no statistically significant differences after multivariable adjustment.

Lifestyle Behaviors Among Adults Recommended for Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring According to the 2017 ACC/AHA Blood Pressure Guideline.

BACKGROUND: The 2017 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association blood pressure (BP) guideline recommends ambulatory BP monitoring to exclude white coat hypertension (WCH) among adults with office systolic BP (SBP)/diastolic BP (DBP) of 130-159/80-99 mm Hg, and masked hypertension (MHT) among adults with office SBP/DBP of 120-129/75-79 mm Hg after a 3-month trial of lifestyle modification. We estimated the proportion of individuals with ideal lifestyle factors among those who meet these office BP criteria. METHODS: We analyzed data from participants not taking antihypertensive medication in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) and Jackson Heart Study (JHS) who met the office BP criteria for screening for WCH (CARDIA n = 490, JHS n = 873) and MHT (CARDIA n = 486, JHS n = 614). We estimated the prevalence of lifestyle factors including ideal body mass index (BMI), physical activity, diet, and alcohol use among participants who met office BP criteria for WCH or MHT screening. RESULTS: Among participants who met office BP criteria for WCH screening, 15.5% in CARDIA and 3.6% in JHS had 3 or more ideal lifestyle factors. Among participants who met office BP criteria for MHT screening, 22.6% in CARDIA and 4.7% in JHS had 3 or more ideal lifestyle factors. Ideal BMI, diet, and physical activity were present in less than half of participants in each sample. CONCLUSIONS: Few participants who met office BP criteria for the screening of WCH or MHT had ideal lifestyle factors.

Risk for recurrent cardiovascular disease events among patients with diabetes and chronic kidney disease.

BACKGROUND: Adults who have experienced multiple cardiovascular disease (CVD) events have a very high risk for additional events. Diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are each associated with an increased risk for recurrent CVD events following a myocardial infarction (MI). METHODS: We compared the risk for recurrent CVD events among US adults with health insurance who were hospitalized for an MI between 2014 and 2017 and had (1) CVD prior to their MI but were free from diabetes or CKD (prior CVD), and those without CVD prior to their MI who had (2) diabetes only, (3) CKD only and (4) both diabetes and CKD. We followed patients from hospital discharge through December 31, 2018 for recurrent CVD events including coronary, stroke, and peripheral artery events. RESULTS: Among 162,730 patients, 55.2% had prior CVD, and 28.3%, 8.3%, and 8.2% had diabetes only, CKD only, and both diabetes and CKD, respectively. The rate for recurrent CVD events per 1000 person-years was 135 among patients with prior CVD and 110, 124 and 171 among those with diabetes only, CKD only and both diabetes and CKD, respectively. Compared to patients with prior CVD, the multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio for recurrent CVD events was 0.92 (95%CI 0.90-0.95), 0.89 (95%CI: 0.85-0.93), and 1.18 (95%CI: 1.14-1.22) among those with diabetes only, CKD only, and both diabetes and CKD, respectively. CONCLUSION: Following MI, adults with both diabetes and CKD had a higher risk for recurrent CVD events compared to those with prior CVD without diabetes or CKD.

Atherosclerotic Risk and Statin Use Among Patients With Peripheral Artery Disease.

BACKGROUND: Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is associated with increased risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) events. OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to compare the risk for ASCVD events and the use of statins among patients with PAD versus those with coronary heart disease (CHD) or cerebrovascular disease. METHODS: The authors conducted a retrospective cohort study of adults age ≥19 years with commercial or Medicare health insurance who had a history of PAD, CHD, or cerebrovascular disease on December 31, 2014. Patients were followed for ASCVD events comprising CHD, cerebrovascular disease, and PAD events until December 31, 2017. RESULTS: Among 943,232 patients included in the analysis, the age-standardized ASCVD event rate per 1,000 person-years for those with a history of 1, 2, and 3 conditions including PAD, CHD, and cerebrovascular disease was 40.8 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 40.3 to 41.3), 68.9 (95% CI: 67.9 to 70.0), and 119.5 (95% CI: 117.0 to 122.0), respectively. The ASCVD event rate among patients with PAD only, CHD only, and cerebrovascular disease only was 34.7 (95% CI: 33.2 to 36.2), 42.2 (95% CI: 41.5 to 42.8), and 38.9 (95% CI: 37.6 to 40.1), respectively. Among patients with PAD and CHD, with PAD and cerebrovascular disease, and with CHD and cerebrovascular disease, the ASCVD event rate was 72.8 (95% CI: 71.0 to 74.7), 63.9 (95% CI: 60.6 to 67.4), and 67.9 (95% CI: 66.4 to 69.3), respectively. Statin use was lower in patients with PAD only (33.9%) versus those with cerebrovascular disease only (43.0%) or CHD only (51.7%). CONCLUSIONS: Despite having high risk for ASCVD events, patients with PAD were less likely to be taking a statin versus those with CHD or cerebrovascular disease. ASCVD risk-reduction interventions including statin therapy in patients with PAD are warranted.

Association of Sleep Characteristics With Nocturnal Hypertension and Nondipping Blood Pressure in the CARDIA Study.

Background Sleep characteristics and disorders are associated with higher blood pressure (BP) when measured in the clinic setting. Methods and Results We tested whether self-reported sleep characteristics and likelihood of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) were associated with nocturnal hypertension and nondipping systolic BP (SBP) among participants in the CARDIA (Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults) study who completed 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring during the year 30 examination. Likelihood of OSA was determined using the STOP-Bang questionnaire. Global sleep quality, habitual sleep duration, sleep efficiency, and midsleep time were obtained from the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Nocturnal hypertension was defined as mean asleep SBP ≥120 mm Hg or diastolic BP ≥70 mm Hg. Nondipping SBP was defined as a decline in awake-to-asleep SBP <10%. Among 702 participants, the prevalence of nocturnal hypertension and nondipping SBP was 41.3% and 32.5%, respectively. After multivariable adjustment including cardiovascular risk factors, the prevalence ratios (PRs) for nocturnal hypertension and nondipping SBP associated with high versus low likelihood of OSA were 1.32 (95% CI, 1.00-1.75) and 1.31 (95% CI, 1.02-1.68), respectively. The association between likelihood of OSA and nocturnal hypertension was stronger for white participants (PR: 2.09; 95% CI, 1.23-3.48) compared with black participants (PR: 1.11; 95% CI, 0.79-1.56). The PR for nondipping SBP associated with a 1-hour later midsleep time was 0.92 (95% CI, 0.85-0.99). Global sleep quality, habitual sleep duration, and sleep efficiency were not associated with either nocturnal hypertension or nondipping SBP. Conclusions These findings suggest that addressing OSA risk and sleep timing in a clinical trial may improve BP during sleep.

Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Schedule: Adherence Among Commercially Insured Adolescents and Young Adults in the United States, 2011-2017.

Objectives. To determine rates of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine adherence to the 2011 and 2016 Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommendations in the United States.Methods. We conducted a retrospective cohort study by using the 2011 to 2017 Marketscan data for beneficiaries aged 9 to 26 years who had at least 1 claim for HPV vaccination between January 1, 2011, and January 1, 2017. According to the 2011 ACIP recommendation, adherence is defined as 30 to 90 days between the first and second vaccination and 168 to 212 days between the first and third vaccination. According to the 2016 recommendation, preadolescents are classified as adherent if they had 2 claims of vaccination within 168 to 212 days. We calculated proportions of completion and adherence by recommendation.Results. Among patients classified under the 2011 ACIP recommendation (n = 2 164 096), 8.3% completed all 3 doses of the vaccine series. Of those who completed, 69.6% were considered adherent to the recommended schedule. Completion and adherence increased to 9.6% and 70.8%, respectively, among patients who were classified under the 2016 ACIP recommendation.Conclusions. Simpler recommendations lead to better adherence to the HPV vaccination schedule.

Excess Risk for Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Outcomes Among US Adults With HIV in the Current Era.

Background In the 2000s, adults with HIV had a higher risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) compared with those without HIV. There is uncertainty if this excess risk still exists in the United States given changes in antiretroviral therapies and increased statin use. Methods and Results We compared the risk for ASCVD events between US adults aged ≥19 years with and without HIV who had commercial or supplemental Medicare health insurance between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2016. Beneficiaries with HIV (n=82 426) were frequency matched 1:4 on age, sex, and calendar year to those without HIV (n=329 704). Beneficiaries with and without HIV were followed up through December 31, 2016, for ASCVD events, including myocardial infarction, stroke, and lower extremity artery disease hospitalizations. Most beneficiaries were aged <55 years (79%) and men (84%). Over a median follow-up of 1.6 years (maximum, 6 years), there were 3287 ASCVD events, 2190 myocardial infarctions, 891 strokes, and 322 lower extremity artery disease events. The rate per 1000 person-years among beneficiaries with and without HIV was 5.53 and 3.49 for ASCVD, respectively, 3.58 and 2.34 for myocardial infarction, respectively, 1.49 and 0.94 for stroke, respectively, and 0.65 and 0.31 for lower extremity artery disease hospitalizations, respectively. The multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio (95% CI) for ASCVD, myocardial infarction, stroke, and lower extremity artery disease hospitalizations comparing beneficiaries with versus without HIV was 1.29 (1.18-1.40), 1.26 (1.13-1.39), 1.30 (1.11-1.52), and 1.46 (1.11-1.92), respectively. Conclusions Adults with HIV in the United States continue to have a higher ASCVD risk compared with their counterparts without HIV.

Prediabetes and Risk for Cardiovascular Disease by Hypertension Status in Black Adults: The Jackson Heart Study.

OBJECTIVE: Recent studies have suggested that prediabetes is associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) only among individuals with concomitant hypertension. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We analyzed the association between prediabetes and CVD by hypertension status among 3,313 black adults in the Jackson Heart Study (JHS) without diabetes or a history of CVD at baseline (2000-2004). Prediabetes was defined as fasting plasma glucose between 100 and 125 mg/dL or hemoglobin A1c between 5.7 and 6.4% (39 and 46 mmol/mol). Hypertension was defined as systolic/diastolic blood pressure ≥140/90 mmHg and/or self-reported antihypertensive medication use. Participants were followed for incident CVD events and all-cause mortality through 31 December 2014. RESULTS: Overall, 35% of JHS participants did not have prediabetes or hypertension, 18% had prediabetes alone, 22% had hypertension alone, and 25% had both prediabetes and hypertension. Compared with participants without either condition, the multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios for CVD events among participants with prediabetes alone, hypertension alone, and both prediabetes and hypertension were 0.86 (95% CI 0.51, 1.45), 2.09 (1.39, 3.14), and 1.93 (1.28, 2.90), respectively. Among participants with and without hypertension, there was no association between prediabetes and an increased risk for CVD (0.78 [0.46, 1.34] and 0.94 [0.70, 1.26], respectively). No association was present between prediabetes and all-cause mortality among participants with or without hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: Regardless of hypertension status, prediabetes was not associated with an increased risk for CVD or all-cause mortality in this cohort of black adults.

Proportion of US Adults Recommended Out-of-Clinic Blood Pressure Monitoring According to the 2017 Hypertension Clinical Practice Guidelines.

The 2017 Hypertension Clinical Practice Guidelines recommend out-of-clinic BP monitoring to screen for white coat and masked hypertension among adults not taking antihypertensive medication and white coat effect and masked uncontrolled hypertension among adults taking antihypertensive medication. We estimated the percentage of US adults meeting criteria for out-of-clinic BP monitoring by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guideline using the 2011 to 2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (n=9623). Among US adults not taking antihypertensive medication, 92.6% (95% CI, 90.7%-94.1%) with systolic/diastolic BP ≥130/80 mm Hg met criteria for out-of-clinic BP monitoring to screen for white coat hypertension and 32.8% (95% CI, 30.4%-35.3%) with systolic/diastolic BP<130/80 mm Hg met criteria to screen for masked hypertension. Criteria for out-of-clinic BP monitoring to screen for white coat hypertension were less often met at an older age and did not differ by race/ethnicity or sex. The proportion meeting criteria for out-of-clinic BP monitoring to screen for masked hypertension was higher at an older age, among men versus women and non-Hispanic blacks and whites versus non-Hispanic Asians or Hispanics. Among US adults taking antihypertensive medication, 12.5% (95% CI, 10.5%-14.9%) with systolic/diastolic BP ≥130/80 mm Hg met criteria to screen for white coat effect and 57.4% (95% CI, 52.7%-62.1%) with systolic/diastolic BP<130/80 mm Hg met criteria to screen for masked uncontrolled hypertension. Criteria for out-of-clinic BP monitoring to screen for white coat effect was more commonly met at an older age and among non-Hispanic blacks than non-Hispanic whites and to screen for masked uncontrolled hypertension in older adults and men. In conclusion, ≈103.8 million US adults (45.8%) met the 2017 Hypertension Clinical Practice Guidelines criteria for out-of-clinic BP monitoring.