Trends in sleep apnea and heart failure related mortality in the United States from 1999 to 2019.

National estimates of deaths related to both heart failure (HF) and sleep apnea (SA) are not known. We evaluated the trends in HF and SA related mortality using the CDC-WONDER database in adults aged ≥25 years in the US. All deaths related to HF and SA as contributing or underlying causes of death were queried. Between 1999 and 2019, there were a total of 6,484,486 deaths related to HF, 204,824 deaths related to SA, and 53,957 deaths related to both. There was a statistically significant increase in the age-adjusted mortality rate (AAMR) for both SA-related (average annual percent change [AAPC] 8.2%) and combined HF and SA- related (AAPC 10.1 %) deaths. Men had consistently higher AAMRs compared with women, and both groups had a similar increasing trend in AAMR. Non-Hispanic (NH) Black individuals had the highest HF and SA-related AAMR, followed by NH White and Hispanic/Latino individuals. Adults aged >75 years consistently had the highest AAMR with the steepest increase (AAPC 11.1%). In conclusion, HF and SA-related mortality has significantly risen over the past two decades with the elderly, men, and NH Black at disproportionately higher risk.

Early Transcatheter or Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement Versus Conservative Management in Asymptomatic Patients With Severe Aortic Stenosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

The merits of conservative management vs early intervention in patients with asymptomatic severe aortic stenosis remains unknown. Digital databases (MEDLINE, Google Scholar, and Embase) were searched for all relevant studies from inception through September 2022. Studies comparing conservative management with early intervention were compared using a random-effects model to calculate risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence interval (CI). A total of 12 studies comprising 3624 asymptomatic aortic stenosis patients (1747 receiving surgery, and 1877 receiving conservative treatment) were included in the analysis. The average follow-up time was 4.45 (IQR 3.5-5) years. Early intervention was associated with a significantly reduced risk of cardiac (RR 0.42, 95% CI 0.25-0.72; P = 0.001; I2 = 54%), non-cardiac (RR 0.46, 95% CI 0.32-0.68; P < 0.0001; I2 = 0%), all-cause mortality (RR 0.40, 95% CI 0.32-0.51; P < 0.00001; I2 = 58%), heart failure hospitalization (RR 0.21, 95% CI 0.13-0.36; P < 0.00001; I2 = 0%), sudden cardiac death (RR 0.29, 95% CI 0.12-0.66; P = 0.004, I2 = 24%), and MACE (RR 0.46, 95% CI; 0.28-0.75; P = 0.002; I2 = 68%), compared with conservative management. There was no significant difference in the 30-day mortality (RR 0.63, 95% CI 0.19-2.04; P = 0.44; I2 = 28%), myocardial infarction (RR 0.44, 95% CI 0.19-1.06; P = 0.07, I2=0%), and 90-day mortality (RR 0.68, 95% CI 0.20-2.37; P = 0.55; I2 = 61%) between the 2 groups. This meta-analysis shows statistically significant reductions in the risk for all-cause mortality, cardiac specific mortality, non-cardiac mortality, heart failure hospitalization, MACE, and sudden cardiac death among asymptomatic aortic stenosis patients who underwent early intervention as opposed to conservative management.

No difference in myocardial iron concentration and serum ferritin with deferasirox and deferiprone in pediatric patients with hemoglobinopathies: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Iron overload is a common complication experienced by transfusion-dependent children with hemoglobin disorders. Chelators such as deferasirox (DFX) and deferiprone (DFP) are effective in overcoming this problem. We conducted this systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of DFX compared to DFP in treating iron overload amongst pediatric patients with hemoglobin disorders. MATERIAL AND METHODS: PubMed and Cochrane Central were searched from their inception until Dec 21 2021, for randomized clinical trials (RCTs) and observational studies, which assessed the efficacy of DFX compared to DFP in the treatment of inherited hemoglobin disorders. The outcomes of interest included myocardial iron concentration (MRI T2*) at the end of the trial and change in mean serum ferritin (SF) levels at the 6 and 12 months mark. Weighted mean differences (WMDs) with their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for continuous outcomes using random effects model. RESULTS: A total of 5 studies comprising 607 children were included. The results of our analysis revealed no significant difference between DFX and DFP in MRI T2* at the end of treatment (WMD: -0.92; 95% CI [-3.35, 1.52]; p = 0.46; I2 = 0). Moreover, there has been no significant difference noted in SF levels at both 6 months (WMD: 97.31; 95% CI [-236.16, 430.77]; p = 0.57; I2 = 0) and 12 months (WMD: 46.99; 95% CI [-191.42, 285.40]; p = 0.70; I2 = 0) respectively. CONCLUSION: Our analysis shows no significant difference between the efficacy of DFX and DFP in the management of iron overload in children with inherited blood disorders. Future large-scale clinical trials are required to further validate our results.

Distal Trans-radial Access Compared to Conventional Trans-radial Access in Coronary Interventions: A Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Distal trans-radial access (dTRA) is a novel technique of arterial cannulation in coronary interventions. The comparative efficacy of dTRA and conventional trans-radial access (TRA) in attenuating peri-procedural complications is unknown. METHODS: Embase and PubMed/MEDLINE were searched from their inception until June 25, 2022, for randomized clinical trials. Outcomes included were radial artery occlusion (RAO), radial artery spasm, hemostasis time, access time, unsuccessful cannulation, crossover rate, and early discharge after trans-radial stenting of coronary arteries (EASY) type I-III hematomas. Statistical analysis was conducted using the random effects model to derive risk ratios (RRs) and mean differences (MDs) with their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: A total of 6 randomized clinical trials comprising 3240 patients were included. Subjects were predominantly male (73%) and had a mean age of 66 years. The dTRA group had a lower risk of RAO [RR 0.43 (95% CI, 0.26-0.69); P = 0.0005; I 2 = 0%] and had a shorter hemostasis time [MD -22.85 min (95% CI, -39.06 to -6.65); P = 0.006; I 2 = 99%]. The dTRA group had a higher crossover rate [RR 3.04 (95% CI, 1.88-4.91); P = 0.00001; I 2 = 56%] and a longer access time [MD 0.68 min (95% CI, 0.17-1.18); P = 0.009; I 2 = 99%]. The TRA group had a lower rate of unsuccessful cannulation [RR 0.81 (95% CI, 0.70-0.95); P = 0.01; I 2 = 92%]. There was no significant difference between the groups for radial artery spasm and EASY type I-III hematomas. CONCLUSION: dTRA is a safe alternative to conventional TRA for coronary interventions with a lower risk of RAO. Future trials are required to further compare both approaches.

Efficacy of bariatric surgery in COVID-19 patients: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Obesity is linked with poor outcomes in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. In patients with BMI > 35 kg/m2, increased rates of hospital and subsequently ICU admissions have been noted. Bariatric surgery resulting in sustained weight loss is hypothesized to decrease the morbid outcomes associated with COVID. In this review, we update the evidence on the topic. Methods: An extensive literature search was conducted of electronic databases. Screening of the articles based on the eligibility criteria was followed by relevant data extraction. In addition to articles used in a previous meta-analysis, relevant databases were searched to filter for any new articles. Initially, two independent reviewers screened Pubmed and the Cochrane database followed by a thorough search of additional databases such as Google scholar and Medrxiv. Articles were first screened using title and abstract, followed by a full text read. Duplicates, meta-analysis, letter to the editors, and commentaries were excluded. No language restrictions were applied. Results: A total of nine articles with a population of 1,130,341 were entered into RevMan. Patients with bariatric surgery displayed significantly decreased hospitalization (OR: 0.52, 95% CI [0.45, 0.61]), were less likely to be admitted to the ICU (OR: 0.44, 95% CI [0.29, 0.67]), and had reduced overall mortality (OR: 0.42, 95% CI [0.25, 0.70]). Conclusion: Surgically induced weight loss is beneficial in reducing morbidity and mortality of COVID-19.

Efficacy of statins in treatment and development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and steatohepatitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common causes of chronic liver disease worldwide. There is no universally accepted effective treatment for NAFLD. Although various studies propose statins effective in lowering liver enzymes and in improving liver histology, their potency in the treatment and development of NAFLD remains unknown. PURPOSE: We conducted this meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy of statins in the treatment and the development of NAFLD. METHODS: Electronic databases (MEDLINE and Cochrane CENTRAL) were searched from their inception until May 2021 for observational studies and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that assessed the efficacy of statins for the treatment of NAFLD and its development. Studies were included irrespective of the dosage or duration, and their risk of bias was assessed. The outcomes of interest for our study were the effect of statins on liver histology (steatosis, fibrosis and necroinflammation, NAFLD activity score [NAS]) and liver enzymes (Alanine transaminase [ALT], Aspartate transaminase [AST], and Gamma-glutamyl transferase [GGT] levels). To pool continuous outcomes, a random-effects model was used to derive weighted mean difference (WMD) or standardized mean difference (SMD) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Generic inverse variance was then used for different measurement units reported by the studies. For studies investigating the effects of statins on the development of NAFLD, generic inverse variance along with random effects model was used to derive odds ratio (ORs) and its corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: A total of 14 studies including 1,247,503 participants were short-listed for our analysis. All the studies included in our analysis had a low to moderate risk of bias. The results of our analysis suggest that statins may significantly reduce the risk of developing NAFLD (OR:0.69, 95% CI [0.57,0.84]; p = 0.0002; I² =36%). Statin use significantly reduced ALT levels (WMD: -27.28, 95% CI [-43.06, -11.51]; p = 0.0007; I² =90%), AST levels (WMD: -10.99, 95% CI [-18.17, -3.81]; p = 0.003; I² =79%) and GGT levels (WMD: -23.40, 95% CI [-31.82, -14.98]; p < 0.00001; I² = 21%) in patients presenting with NAFLD at baseline. In liver histology outcomes, steatosis grade (SMD: -2.59, 95% CI [-4.61, -0.56]; p = 0.01; I² = 95%), NAS (WMD: -1.03, 95% CI [-1.33, -0.74]; p < 0.00001; I² = 33%), necro-inflammatory stage (WMD: -0.19, 95% CI [-0.26, -0.13]; p < 0.00001; I² = 0%) and significant fibrosis (OR:0.20, 95% CI [0.04, 0.95]; p = 0.04; I² = 97%) underwent notable reduction. However, fibrosis stage outcome (WMD: 0.07, 95% CI [-0.05, 0.20]; p = 0.27; I² = 0%) was non-significant. CONCLUSION: There was a significant decrease in transaminase and transferase levels. Marked improvement in liver histology of NAFLD patients was observed. Statin use also remarkably reduced the risk of developing NAFLD. Future large-scale trials can further aid in identifying the positive impact of statins in treatment for NAFLD and those at risk of developing it.