Maternal and Fetal Outcomes in Pulmonary Hypertension During Pregnancy: A Contemporary Nationwide Analysis.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) disproportionately affects women, presenting challenges during pregnancy. Historically, patients with PH are advised to avoid pregnancy; however, recent reports have indicated that the incidence of adverse events in pregnant patients with PH may be lower than previously reported. We conducted a retrospective cohort study in pregnant patients with PH using the National Readmission Database from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2020. PH was categorized according to the World Health Organization classification. Primary end points include maternal mortality and 30-day nonelective readmission rate. Other adverse short-term maternal (cardiovascular and obstetric) and fetal outcomes were also analyzed. Of 9,922,142 pregnant women, 3,532 (0.04%) had PH, with Group 1 PH noted in 1,833 (51.9%), Group 2 PH in 676 (19.1%), Group 3 PH in 604 (17.1%), Group 4 PH in 23 (0.7%), Group 5 PH in 98 (2.8%), and multifactorial PH in 298 (8.4%). PH patients exhibited higher rates of adverse cardiovascular events (15.7% vs 0.3% without PH, p <0.001) and mortality (0.9% vs 0.01% without PH, p <0.001). Mixed PH and Group 2 PH had the highest prevalence of adverse cardiovascular events in the World Health Organization PH groups. Patients with PH had a significantly higher nonelective 30-day readmission rate (10.4% vs 2.3%) and maternal adverse obstetric events (24.2% vs 9.1%) compared with those without PH (p <0.001) (Figure 1). In conclusion, pregnant women with PH had significantly higher adverse event rates, including in-hospital maternal mortality (85-fold), compared with those without PH.

Outcomes of Percutaneous Revascularization in Severe Ischemic Left Ventricular Dysfunction.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This article presents a comprehensive review of coronary revascularization versus optimal medical therapy (OMT) in patients with severe ischemic left ventricular dysfunction. RECENT FINDINGS: The REVIVED-BCIS2 trial randomized 700 patients with extensive coronary artery disease and left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤ 35% and viability in more than four dysfunctional myocardial segments to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) plus OMT versus OMT alone. Over a median duration of 41 months, there was no difference in the composite of all-cause mortality, heart failure hospitalization, or improvement in LVEF with PCI plus OMT versus OMT alone at 6 and 12 months, quality of life scores at 24 months, or fatal ventricular arrhythmia. The STICH randomized trial was conducted between 2002 and 2007, involving patients with LV dysfunction and coronary artery disease. The patients were assigned to either CABG plus medical therapy or medical therapy alone. At the 5-year follow-up, the trial showed that CABG plus medical therapy reduced cardiovascular disease-related deaths and hospitalizations but no reduction in all-cause mortality. However, a 10-year follow-up showed a significant decrease in all-cause mortality with CABG. The currently available evidence showed no apparent benefit of PCI in severe ischemic cardiomyopathy as compared to OMT, but that CABG improves outcomes in this patient population. The paucity of data on the advantages of PCI in this patient population underscores the critical need for optimization of medical therapy for better survival and quality of life until further evidence from RCTs is available.

Factors Associated With Myocardial Infarction in a Rural Population With Peripheral Arterial Diseases.

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) studies in rural populations are limited. The incidence of myocardial infarction (MI) is higher in patients with PAD. This study examined the association between sociodemographic and clinical risk factors and MI in patients with PAD in Central Appalachia, comprising of 230 counties across six states in the United States. Data from electronic medical records of 13,455 patients with PAD were extracted from a large health system in Central Appalachia. Bivariate and logistic regression analyses were conducted. The final sample consisted of 5574 patients with PAD, of whom 24.85% were also diagnosed with MI. The mean age was 71 ± 11.23 years, and the majority were male (56.40%). After adjusting for confounders, patients with hypertension had three times higher odds of MI (adjusted Odds Ratio [aOR] = 3.21; 95% CI: 2.50-4.14) compared with those without hypertension. The likelihood of MI increased by 51% among patients with diabetes (aOR = 1.51; 95% CI: 1.33-1.71), 34% among ever-smokers (aOR = 1.34; 95% CI: 1.18-1.52), and 45% in males (aOR = 1.45; 95% CI: 1.27-1.65). Hypertension, diabetes, smoking, and male sex were identified as significant risk factors for MI. Screening and effective management of these risk factors in rural areas could potentially prevent MI incidence among patients with PAD.

Influenza associated cardiac arrhythmia- a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Influenza infection is rarely associated with cardiac conduction disorder. Cardiac arrhythmias due to such an infection have a full spectrum with ventricular arrythmias being the most common. METHODS: In our systematic review from PubMed, OVID Medline and EMBASE we have identified 23 articles describing arrythmias associated with different influenza infection. Most of them were case reports where ventricular arrhythmias were the most common. RESULTS: Complete heart block after influenza infection is usually temporary and a permanent pacemaker is rarely needed. There are reports of Influenza associated with arrhythmias in adults, neonates, and even fetuses in pregnant woman. Different mechanisms were described in literatures by which influenza causes arrhythmias such as interleukin 6 & tumor necrosis factor-alpha mediated inflammatory response, sympathetic overactivation, focal myocarditis and cleavage of angiotensin converting enzyme 2 protein which is cardioprotective. CONCLUSIONS: ACE 2 binder influenza viruses have more prone to be associated with cardiac conduction disorder. Oseltamivir for influenza infection is also associated with bradycardia and can shorten or lengthen QT segment. Influenza vaccination has found to be protective from cardiac arrhythmia.

In-Hospital Outcomes of Combined Coronary Revascularization and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation in Inpatient Nationwide Analysis.

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is accepted as an alternative to surgery, but data on combined percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) and TAVI during the same in-hospital stay are still lacking. Using the national inpatient sample (NIS) database, we identified all TAVI encounters and compared in-hospital outcomes of patients who had TAVI only to patients who had TAVI and PCI. We used multivariable logistic regression analysis to calculate the adjusted odds ratio (aOR). Of 291,810 patient encounters with TAVI, 13,114 (4.5%) had combined PCI during the same index admission. The average age was 79.61 ± 8.61 years in the TAVI-only vs 80.25 ± 8.73 years in the combined TAVI-PCI group. Combined TAVI and PCI was associated with higher in-hospital mortality (4.5% vs 1.8%, aOR: 2.3), stroke (4.7% vs 2.9%, aOR: 1.4), net adverse events (NAE) (20.2% vs 5.7%, aOR: 3.6), major bleeding (40.1% vs 24.3%, aOR: 1.8), vascular complications (10.6% vs 2.5%, aOR: 3.9), acute kidney injury (AKI) (23.3% vs 11.7%, aOR: 2.1), hemodialysis (HD) (4.2% vs 2.4%, aOR: 1.4), postoperative cardiogenic shock (1.2% vs 0.4%, aOR: 2.8), need for mechanical circulatory support (6.9% vs 1%, aOR: 7); p-value < 0.001 for all. The utilization of permanent pacemakers was similar between the groups (9.8% vs 9.2%, aOR: 1; p = 0.6). Combining TAVI and PCI during the same index admission is associated with worse outcomes. The decision to do PCI for patients undergoing TAVI should be individualized and tailored based on the patient's clinical conditions.

Ticagrelor Versus Prasugrel in Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Limited data comparing prasugrel and ticagrelor in acute coronary syndrome are available. Online databases, including MEDLINE and Cochrane Central, were queried to compare these drugs. The primary outcomes of this meta-analysis are myocardial infarction (MI), all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, noncardiovascular mortality, stent thrombosis, and stroke. The secondary outcome is major bleeding. A total of 9 studies, including 94,590 patients (prasugrel group = 32,759; ticagrelor group = 61,831), were included in this meta-analysis. The overall mean age was 62.73 years, whereas the mean age for the ticagrelor and prasugrel groups was 63.80 and 61.65 years, respectively. Prasugrel is equally effective as compared with ticagrelor in preventing MI. There was no difference between the 2 groups regarding all-cause mortality, stent thrombosis, stroke, or major bleeding. In patients with acute coronary syndrome, prasugrel is equally effective when compared with ticagrelor in preventing MI.

Superior Vena Cava Syndrome: An Umbrella Review.

Superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS) is a medical emergency that encompasses an array of signs and symptoms due to obstruction of blood flow through the superior vena cava (SVC). It poses a significant healthcare burden due to its associated morbidity and mortality. Its impact on the healthcare system continues to grow due to the increasing incidence of the condition. This incidence trend has been attributed to the growing use of catheters, pacemakers, and defibrillators, although it is a rare complication of these devices. The most common cause of SVCS remains malignancies accounting for up to 60% of the cases. Understanding the pathophysiology of SVCS requires understanding the anatomy, the SVC drains blood from the right and left brachiocephalic veins, which drain the head and the upper extremities accounting for about one-third of the venous blood to the heart. The most common presenting symptoms of SVCS are swelling of the face and hand, chest pain, respiratory symptoms (dyspnea, stridor, cough, hoarseness, and dysphagia), and neurologic manifestations (headaches, confusion, or visual/auditory disturbances). Symptoms generally worsen in a supine position. Diagnosis typically requires imaging, and SVCS can be graded based on classification schemas depending on the severity of symptoms and the location, understanding, and degree of obstruction. Over the past decades, the management modalities of SVCS have evolved to meet the increasing burden of the condition. Here, we present an umbrella review providing an overall assessment of the available information on SVCS, including the various management options, their indications, and a comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of these modalities.

Sex, Racial, and Geographic Disparities in Pulmonary Embolism-related Mortality Nationwide.

Rationale: Acute pulmonary embolism is a leading cause of cardiovascular death. There are limited data on the national mortality trends from pulmonary embolism. Understanding these trends is crucial for addressing the mortality and associated disparities associated with pulmonary embolism. Objectives: To analyze the national mortality trends related to acute pulmonary embolism and determine the overall age-adjusted mortality rate (AAMR) per 100,000 population for the study period and assess changes in AAMR among different sexes, races, and geographic locations. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis using mortality data of individuals aged ⩾15 years with pulmonary embolism listed as the underlying cause of death in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research database from January 2006 to December 2019. These data are produced by the National Center for Health Statistics. Results: A total of 109,992 pulmonary embolism-related deaths were noted in this dataset nationwide between 2006 and 2019. Of these, women constituted 60,113 (54.7%). The AAMR per 100,000 was not significantly changed, from 2.84 in 2006 to 2.81 in 2019 (average annual percentage change [AAPC], 0.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.1 to 0.5; P = 0.15). AAMR increased for men throughout the study period compared with women (AAPC, 0.7 for men; 95% CI, 0.3 to 1.2; P = 0.004 vs. AAPC, -0.4 for women; 95% CI, -1.1 to 0.3; P = 0.23, respectively). Similarly, AAMR for pulmonary embolism increased for Black compared with White individuals, from 5.18 to 5.26 (AAPC, 0.4; 95% CI, 0.0 to 0.7; P = 0.05) and 2.82 to 2.86 (AAPC, 0.0; 95% CI, -0.6 to 0.6; P = 0.99), respectively. Similarly, AAMR for pulmonary embolism was higher in rural areas than in micropolitan and large metropolitan areas during the study period (4.07 [95% CI, 4.02 to 4.12] vs. 3.24 [95% CI, 3.21 to 3.27] vs. 2.32 [95% CI, 2.30-2.34], respectively). Conclusions: Pulmonary embolism mortality remains high and unchanged over the past decade, and enduring sex, racial and socioeconomic disparities persist in pulmonary embolism. Targeted efforts to decrease pulmonary embolism mortality and address such disparities are needed.

Meta-Analysis of the Outcomes of Peri-Device Leak After Left Atrial Appendage Closure.

Left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) reduces the risk of thromboembolic stroke in atrial fibrillation. Peri-device leak (PDL) after LAAC may affect the subsequent risk of thromboembolism. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the effect of PDL after LAAC. We searched PubMed/Medline, Embase, and Google Scholar for studies reporting outcomes of PDL after LAAC from inception through October 2022. The primary outcome was the composite of stroke, transient ischemic attack (TIA), or systemic embolism (SE). Secondary outcomes included all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, ischemic stroke, TIA, and device-related thrombus. Outcomes were pooled using random-effects models. We used I2 statistics to assess statistical heterogeneity; I2 >50% considered significant heterogeneity. This study included 54,279 patients from 11 studies (6 observational, 2 nonrandomized controlled trials [non-RCTs] primary results, 2 RCT post hoc analyses, and 1 analysis combining 2 RCTs data). PDL was associated with a significant increase in the composite outcome of stroke, TIA, or SE (odds ratio 1.63, 95% confidence interval 1.06 to 2.52, p = 0.03, I2 = 43%) as compared with cases with no PDL. There were no significant differences in all-cause or cardiovascular mortality, ischemic stroke, TIA, or device-related thrombus. In conclusion, PDL after LAAC is associated with an increased risk of thromboembolism (composite stroke, TIA, or SE) without impacting mortality.

Predicting Risk of Cardiac Arrest in Young Asian Americans: Insights from an Artificial Neural Network Analysis of the Nationwide Cohort.

We used the Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model to identify predictors of Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) in a national cohort of young Asian patients in the United States. The National Inpatient Sample (2019) was used to identify young Asians (18-44-year-old) who were hospitalized with SCA. The neural network's predicted criteria for SCA were selected. After eliminating missing data, young Asians (n = 65,413) were randomly divided into training (n = 45,094) and testing (n = 19347) groups. Training data (70%) was used to calibrate ANN while testing data (30%) was utilized to assess the algorithm's accuracy. To determine ANN's performance in predicting SCA, we compared the frequency of incorrect prediction between training and testing data and measured the area under the Receiver Operating Curve (AUC). The 2019 young Asian cohort had 327,065 admissions (median age 32 years; 84.2% female), with SCA accounting for 0.21%. The exact rate of error in predictions vs. tests was shown by training data (0.2% vs 0.2%). In descending order, the normalized importance of predictors to accurately predict SCA in young adults included prior history of cardiac arrest, sex, age, diabetes, anxiety disorders, prior coronary artery bypass grafting, hypertension, congenital heart disease, income, peripheral vascular disease, and cancer. The AUC was 0.821, indicating an excellent ANN model for SCA prediction. Our ANN models performed excellently in revealing the order of important predictors of SCA in young Asian American patients. These findings could have a considerable impact on clinical practice to develop risk prediction models to improve the survival outcome in high-risk patients.

Role of Intravascular Ultrasound in Pulmonary Embolism Patients Undergoing Mechanical Thrombectomy: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Traditionally, mechanical thrombectomy performed for pulmonary embolism (PE) necessitates the utilization of iodinated contrast. Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) has been used as a diagnostic and therapeutic modality in the management of acute high and intermediate-risk PE. Recently, with the shortage of contrast supplies and the considerable incidence of contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI), other safer and more feasible IVUS methods have become desirable. The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate the importance of IVUS in patients with PE undergoing thrombectomy. METHODS: Medline/PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Google Scholar were searched for review studies, case reports, and case series. Clinical characteristics, outcomes and the usage of IVUS-guided mechanical thrombectomy during the treatment of acute high and intermediate-risk PE were examined in a descriptive analysis. RESULTS: In this systematic review, we included one prospective study, two case series, and two case reports from July 2019 to May 2023. A total of 39 patients were evaluated; most were female (53.8%). The main presenting symptoms were dyspnea and chest pain (79.5%); three patients (7.9%) presented with syncope, one with shock and one with cardiac arrest. Biomarkers (troponin and BNP) were elevated in 94.6% of patients. Most patients (87.2%) had intermediate-risk PE, and 12.8% had high-risk PE. All patients presented with right-heart strain (RV/LV ratio ≥ 0.9, n = 39). Most patients (56.4%) had bilateral PE. Mechanical thrombectomy was performed using IVUS without contrast utilization in 39.4% of the patients. After the initial learning curve, contrast usage decreased gradually over time. There was a significant decrease in the composite mean arterial pressure immediately following IVUS-guided thrombectomy from 35.1 ± 7.2 to 25.2 ± 8.3 mmHg (p < 0.001). Post-procedure, there was no reported (0%) CI-AKI, no all-cause mortality, no major bleeding, or other adverse events. There was a significant improvement in symptoms and RV function at the mean follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: New evidence suggests that IVUS-guided mechanical thrombectomy is safe, with visualization of the thrombus for optimal intervention, and reduces contrast exposure.

Adding Pharmacist-Led Home Blood Pressure Telemonitoring to Usual Care for Blood Pressure Control: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Health systems have been quickly adopting telemedicine throughout the United States, especially since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there are limited data on whether adding pharmacist-led home blood pressure (BP) telemonitoring to office-based usual care improves BP. We searched PubMed/MEDLINE and Embase for randomized controlled trials from January 2000 until April 2022, comparing studies on pharmacist-led home BP telemonitoring with usual care. Six randomized controlled trials, including 1,550 participants, satisfied the inclusion criteria. There were 774 participants in the pharmacist-led telemonitoring group and 776 in the usual care group. The addition of pharmacist-led telemonitoring to usual care was associated with a significant decrease in systolic BP (mean difference -8.09, 95% confidence interval -11.15 to -5.04, p <0.001, I2 = 72%) and diastolic BP (mean difference -4.19, 95% confidence interval -5.58 to -2.81, p <0.001, I2 = 42%) compared with usual care. In conclusion, this meta-analysis showed that adding pharmacist-led home BP telemonitoring to usual care achieves better BP control than usual care alone.

Effects of Valvular Heart Disease on Clinical Outcomes in Sarcoidosis.

Systemic sarcoidosis can lead to heart failure, conduction abnormalities and ventricular arrhythmias although data on concomitant valvular heart disease (VHD) is limited. We reported the prevalence and outcomes of VHD in systemic sarcoidosis. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using National Inpatient Sample between 2016 and 2020 with respective ICD-10-CM codes. 406,315 patients were hospitalized with sarcoidosis, out of which 20,570 had comorbid VHD (5.1%). Mitral disease was most common (2.5%), followed by aortic, and tricuspid disease. Tricuspid disease was associated with increased mortality in sarcoidosis (OR 1.6, 95% CI, 1.1-2.6, P = 0.04), while aortic disease was associated with higher mortality in only 31-50 years age cohort. Patients with sarcoidosis and VHD have higher hospitalization charges and lower or similar valvular intervention rates than those without sarcoidosis. VHD has a prevalence of 5% in sarcoidosis, predominantly affecting mitral and aortic valves. Underlying VHD is associated with worse outcomes in sarcoidosis.

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and health literacy in US Southern states.

OBJECTIVES: COVID-19 vaccination in the United States has stalled, with some of the lowest rates in the South. Vaccine hesitancy is a primary contributor and may be influenced by health literacy (HL). This study assessed the association between HL and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in a population residing in 14 Southern states. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study using a web-based survey conducted between February and June 2021. METHODS: The outcome was vaccine hesitancy, and the main independent variable was HL, assessed as an index score. Descriptive statistical tests were performed, and multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted, controlling for sociodemographic and other variables. RESULTS: Of the total analytic sample (n = 221), the overall rate of vaccine hesitancy was 23.5%. Vaccine hesitancy was more prevalent in those with low/moderate HL (33.3%) vs those with high HL (22.7%). The association between HL and vaccine hesitancy, however, was not significant. Personal perception of COVID-19 threat was significantly associated with lower odds of vaccine hesitancy compared with those without perception of threat (adjusted odds ratio, 0.15; 95% CI, 0.03-0.73; P = .0189). The association between race/ethnicity and vaccine hesitancy was not statistically significant (P = .1571). CONCLUSIONS: HL was not a significant indicator of vaccine hesitancy in the study population, suggesting that general low rates of vaccination in the Southern region may not be due to knowledge about COVID-19. This indicates a critical need for place-based or contextual research on why vaccine hesitancy in the region transcends most sociodemographic differences.

Examining Disparities in Current E-Cigarette Use among U.S. Adults before and after the WHO Declaration of the COVID-19 Pandemic in March 2020.

This paper aims to estimate the prevalence of e-cigarette use before and after the COVID-19 pandemic declaration and to delineate disparities in use across subpopulations. Data were derived from the 2020 Health Information National Trends Survey (N = 3865) to conduct weighted multivariable logistic regression and marginal analyses. The overall prevalence of current e-cigarette use increased from 4.79% to 8.63% after the COVID-19 pandemic declaration. Furthermore, non-Hispanic Black people and Hispanic people had lower odds of current e-cigarette use than non-Hispanic White people, but no significant differences were observed between groups before the pandemic. Compared to heterosexual participants, sexual minority (SM) participants had higher odds of current e-cigarette use after the declaration, with insignificant differences before. People who had cardiovascular disease conditions, relative to those without, had higher odds of current e-cigarette use after the declaration, but no group differences were found before the declaration. The marginal analyses showed that before and after the pandemic declaration, SM individuals had a significantly higher probability of using e-cigarettes compared to heterosexual individuals. These findings suggest the importance of adopting a subpopulation approach to understand and develop initiatives to address substance use, such as e-cigarettes, during pandemics and other public health emergencies.

Setting Patient-Centered Priorities for Cardiovascular Disease in Central Appalachia: Engaging Stakeholder Experts to Develop a Research Agenda.

The disproportionate burden of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and associated risk factors continues to exist in the Central Appalachian Region (CAR) of the United States. Previous studies to gather data about patient-centered care for CVD in the region were conducted through focus group discussions. There have not been any studies that used a collaborative framework where patients, providers, and community stakeholders were engaged as panelists. The objective of this study was to identify patient-centered research priorities for CVD in the CAR. We used a modified Delphi approach to administer questionnaires to forty-two stakeholder experts in six states representing the CAR between the fall of 2018 and the summer of 2019. Their responses were analyzed for rankings and derived priorities by research gaps. Six of the fifteen research priorities identified were patient-centered. These patient-centered priorities included shorter wait times for appointments; educating patients at their level; empowering patients to take responsibility for their health; access to quality providers; heart disease specialists for rural areas; and lifestyle changes. The participants' commitments to identify patient-centered research priorities indicate the potential to engage in community-based collaboration to address the burden of CVD in the CAR.

Concurrent Cardio-Cerebral Infarctions in COVID-19: A Systematic Review of Published Case Reports/Series.

Twelve CCI patients were studied with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infection. The majority of these patients were males (83.3%) with a median age of 55 years from three geographical locations, constituting the Middle East (7), Spain (3), and the USA (1). In 6 patients, IgG/IgM was positive for COVID-19, 4 with high pretest probability and 2 with positive RT-PCR. Type 2 DM, hyperlipidemia, and smoking were the primary risk factors. Right-sided neurological impairments and verbal impairment were the most common symptoms. Our analysis found 8 (66%) synchronous occurrences. In 58.3% of cases, neuroimaging showed left Middle Cerebral Artery (MCA) infarct and 33.3% right. Carotid artery thrombosis (16.6%), tandem occlusion (8.3%), and carotid stenosis (1%) were also reported in imaging. Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) and anticoagulants were conservative therapies (10). Two AMI patients had aspiration thrombectomy, while three AIS patients had intravenous thrombolysis/tissue plasminogen activator (IVT-tPA), 2 had mechanical thrombectomy (MT), and 1 had decompressive craniotomy. Five had COVID-19-positive chest X-rays, whereas 4 were normal. four of 8 STEMI and 3 NSTEMI/UA patients complained chest pain. LV, ICA, and pulmonary embolism were further complications (2). Upon discharge, 7 patients (70%) had residual deficits while 1 patient unfortunately died.

The prevalence of metabolic conditions before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and its association with health and sociodemographic factors.

BACKGROUND: There is a dearth of evidence on the relationship between COVID-19 and metabolic conditions among the general U.S. population. We examined the prevalence and association of metabolic conditions with health and sociodemographic factors before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Data were drawn from the 2019 (N = 5,359) and 2020 (N = 3,830) Health Information National Trends Surveys on adults to compare observations before (2019) and during (2020) the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted weighted descriptive and multivariable logistic regression analyses to assess the study objective. RESULTS: During the pandemic, compared to pre-pandemic, the prevalence of diabetes (18.10% vs. 17.28%) has increased, while the prevalence of hypertension (36.38% vs. 36.36%) and obesity (34.68% vs. 34.18%) has remained similar. In general, the prevalence of metabolic conditions was higher during the pandemic (56.09%) compared to pre-pandemic (54.96%). Compared to never smokers, former smokers had higher odds of metabolic conditions (AOR = 1.38, 95% CI = 1.01, 1.87 and AOR = 1.57, 95% CI = 1.10, 2.25) before and during the pandemic, respectively. People with mild anxiety/depression symptoms (before: AOR = 1.52, 95% CI = 1.06, 2.19 and during: AOR = 1.55, 95% CI = 1.01, 2.38) had higher odds of metabolic conditions relative to those with no anxiety/depression symptoms. CONCLUSION: This study found increased odds of metabolic conditions among certain subgroups of US adults during the pandemic. We recommend further studies and proper allocation of public health resources to address these conditions.