A mediation analysis evaluating change in self-stigma on diabetes outcomes among people with depression in urban India: A secondary analysis from the INDEPENDENT trial of the collaborative care model.

Self-stigma-the internalization of negative community attitudes and beliefs about a disease or condition-represents an important barrier to improving patient care outcomes for people living with common mental disorders and diabetes. Integrated behavioral healthcare interventions are recognized as evidence-based approaches to improve access to behavioral healthcare and for improving patient outcomes, including for those with comorbid diabetes, yet their impact on addressing self-stigma remains unclear. Using secondary data from the Integrating Depression and Diabetes Treatment (INDEPENDENT) study-a trial that aimed to improve diabetes outcomes for people with undertreated and comorbid depression in four urban Indian cities via the Collaborative Care Model-we longitudinally analyzed self-stigma scores and evaluated whether change in total self-stigma scores on diabetes outcomes is mediated by depressive symptom severity. Self-stigma scores did not differ longitudinally comparing Collaborative Care Model participants to enhanced standard-of-care participants (mean monthly rate of change in Self-Stigma Scale for Chronic Illness-4 Item scores; B = 0.0087; 95% CI: -0.0018, 0.019, P = .10). Decreases in total self-stigma scores over 12 months predicted diabetes outcomes at 12 months (HbA1c, total effect; B = 0.070 95%CI: 0.0032, 0.14; P < .05), however depressive symptoms did not mediate this relationship (average direct effect; B = 0.064; 95% CI: -0.0043, 0.13, P = .069). Considering the local and plural notions of stigma in India, further research is needed on culturally grounded approaches to measure and address stigma in India, and on the role of integrated care delivery models alongside multi-level stigma reduction interventions. Trial registration : ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02022111. https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02022111.

Social Determinants of Cardiovascular Health in Asian Americans: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association.

To achieve cardiovascular health (CVH) equity in the United States, an understanding of the social and structural factors that contribute to differences and disparities in health is necessary. The Asian American population is the fastest-growing racial group in the United States but remains persistently underrepresented in health research. There is heterogeneity in how individual Asian American ethnic groups experience CVH and cardiovascular disease outcomes, with certain ethnic groups experiencing a higher burden of adverse social conditions, disproportionately high burden of suboptimal CVH, or excess adverse cardiovascular disease outcomes. In this scientific statement, upstream structural and social determinants that influence CVH in the Asian American population are highlighted, with particular emphasis on the role of social determinants of health across disaggregated Asian American ethnic groups. Key social determinants that operate in Asian American communities include socioeconomic position, immigration and nativity, social and physical environments, food and nutrition access, and health system-level factors. The role of underlying structural factors such as health, social, and economic policies and structural racism is also discussed in the context of CVH in Asian Americans. To improve individual-, community-, and population-level CVH and to reduce CVH disparities in Asian American ethnic subgroups, multilevel interventions that address adverse structural and social determinants are critical to achieve CVH equity for the Asian American population. Critical research gaps for the Asian American population are given, along with recommendations for strategic approaches to investigate social determinants of health and intervene to reduce health disparities in these communities.

Investigation of non-communicable diseases prevalence, patterns, and patient outcomes in hospitalized populations: a prospective observational study in three tertiary hospitals.

BACKGROUND: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) pose a significant global health challenge, constituting over 80% of mortality and morbidity. This burden is particularly pronounced in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), including Ethiopia. Despite this, there's limited research on this issue in Africa. This study aims to investigate the prevalence, patterns, and outcomes of NCDs in hospitalized populations across three tertiary hospitals in Ethiopia. METHODS: A hospital-based cohort study (August 2022 - January 2023) included patients aged 14 and older diagnosed with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), diabetes mellitus (DM), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, or cancer at three Ethiopian hospitals. Data on demographics, socio-economic factors, clinical characteristics, and outcomes were collected through medical records and interviews. Logistic regression identified factors independently associated with in-hospital mortality, with p ≤ 0.05 considered statistically significant. RESULTS: In the study across three tertiary hospitals involving 2,237 patients, we uncovered the impact of NCDs. About 23.4% of patients struggled with NCDs, with cardiovascular diseases (53.3%), cancer (29.6%), diabetes (6.1%), and respiratory diseases (6.5%) being the most prevalent. Notably, among those affected, women comprised a slight majority (55.1%), with the average patient age being 47.2 years. Unfortunately, 15.3% of patients with NCDs faced in-hospital mortality. Our analysis revealed predictors of mortality, including cancer diagnosis (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]:1.6, 95% CI: 1.2-1.8, p = 0.01), medication adherence ( AOR: 0.36, 95% CI: 0.21-0.64, p < 0.001), concurrent infections (AOR: 0.36, 95% CI: 0.16-0.86, p < 0.001), chronic kidney diseases (CKD) (AOR: 0.35, 95% CI: 0.14-0.85, p = 0.02), and complications during hospitalization (AOR: 6.36, 95% CI: 3.45-11.71, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Our study reveals a substantial prevalence of NCDs among hospitalized patients, affecting approximately one in four individuals, primarily with CVDs and cancer. Alarmingly, a significant proportion of these patients did not survive their hospitalization, emphasizing the urgent need for targeted interventions to enhance outcomes in this population.

Concordance of weight status between mothers and children: a secondary analysis of the Pakistan Demographic and health survey VII.

BACKGROUND: Familial concordance of weight status is an emerging field of study that may guide the development of interventions that operate beyond the individual and within the family context. There is a dearth of published data for concordance of weight status within Pakistani households. METHODS: We assessed the associations between weight status of mothers and their children in a nationally representative sample of households in Pakistan using Demographic and Health Survey data from 2017-18. Our analysis included 3465 mother-child dyads, restricting to children under-five years of age with body mass index (BMI) information on their mothers. We used linear regression models to assess the associations between maternal BMI category (underweight, normal weight, overweight, obese) and child's weight-for-height z-score (WHZ), accounting for socio-demographic characteristics of mothers and children. We assessed these relationships in all children under-five and also stratified by age of children (younger than 2 years and 2 to 5 years). RESULTS: In all children under-five and in children 2 to 5 years, maternal BMI was positively associated with child's WHZ. For all children under-five, children of normal weight, overweight, and obese women had WHZ scores that were 0.21 [95% CI (confidence interval): 0.04, 0.37], 0.43 [95% CI: 0.25, 0.62], and 0.51 [95% CI: 0.30, 0.71] units higher than children of underweight women, respectively. For children ages 2 to 5, children of normal weight, overweight, and obese women had WHZ scores that were 0.26 [95% CI: 0.08, 0.44), 0.50 [95% CI: 0.30, 0.71), and 0.61 [95% CI: 0.37, 0.84] units higher than children of underweight women, respectively. There was no association between maternal BMI and child WHZ for children under-two. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that the weight status of mother's is positively associated with that of their children, particularly after age 2. These associations further strengthen the call for research regarding interventions and policies aimed at healthy weight promotion among mothers and their children collectively, rather than focusing on individuals in isolation.

Prospective Study on Kidney Dysfunction Markers and Risk for Mortality among South Asians.

Introduction: Associations between markers of impaired kidney function and adverse outcomes among South Asians is understudied and could differ from existing data derived mostly from North American or European cohorts. Methods: We conducted a prospective analysis of 9797 participants from the ongoing cardiometabolic risk reduction study in South Asia, India. We examined the associations between baseline spot urine albumin-to-creatinine (UACR) ratio and creatinine-based estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) estimating equations with all-cause mortality using Cox proportional hazards regression, adjusting for baseline age, sex, diabetes, systolic blood pressure, tobacco, history of cardiovascular disease, and cholesterol. Additionally, we calculated population attributable fraction (PAF) for both markers. Results: Over a median 7-year follow-up, with 66,909 person-years, 791 deaths occurred. At baseline, the weighted prevalence of UACR ≥ 30 mg/g and eGFRCKD-EPI 2009 <60 ml/min per 1.73 m2 was 6.6% and 1.6%, respectively. The risk for mortality was increased with higher UACR (10-30 hazard ratio [HR]: 1.6 [1.2-2.1]), 30-300 HR: 2.4 [1.8-3.1]), and ≥300 (HR: 6.0 [3.8-9.4] relative to UACR <10 mg/g). Risk for mortality was also higher with lower eGFRCKD-EPI 2009 (44-30; HR: 4.5 [2.5-8.3] and <30 HR: 7.0 [3.7-13.0], relative to 90-104 ml/min per 1.73 m2). PAF for mortality because of UACR ≥30 mg/g and eGFRCKD-EPI 2009 <45 ml/min per 1.73 m2 were 24.4% and 13.4%, respectively. Conclusion: Single-time point assessment of UACR ≥30 mg/g or eGFRCKD-EPI 2009 <45 ml/min per 1.73 m2 portends higher mortality risk among urban South Asians. Because albuminuria is common and associated with accelerated decline in GFR, screening and targeted efforts to reduce albuminuria are warranted.

Rationale, Design and Baseline Characteristics of a Randomized Controlled Trial of a Cardiovascular Quality Improvement Strategy in India: The C-QIP Trial.

BACKGROUND: Quality of chronic care for cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains suboptimal worldwide. The Collaborative Quality ImProvement (C-QIP) trial aims to develop and test the feasibility and clinical effect of a multicomponent strategy among patients with prevalent CVD in India. METHODS: The C-QIP is a clinic-based, open randomized trial of a multicomponent intervention vs usual care that was locally developed and adapted for use in Indian settings through rigorous formative research guided by Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). The C-QIP intervention consisted of 5 components: 1) electronic health records and decision support system for clinicians, 2) trained nonphysician health workers (NPHW), 3) text-message based lifestyle reminders, 4) patient education materials, 5) quarterly audit and feedback reports. Patients with CVD (ischemic heart disease, ischemic stroke, or heart failure) attending outpatient CVD clinics were recruited from September 2022 to September 2023 and were randomized to the intervention or usual care arm for at least 12 months follow-up. The co-primary outcomes are implementation feasibility, fidelity (ie, dose delivered and dose received), acceptability, adoption and appropriateness, measured at multiple levels: patient, provider and clinic site-level, The secondary outcomes include prescription of guideline directed medical therapy (GDMT) (provider-level), and adherence to prescribed therapy, change in mean blood pressure (BP) and LDL-cholesterol between the intervention and control groups (patient-level). In addition, a trial-based process and economic evaluations will be performed using standard guidelines. RESULTS: We recruited 410 socio-demographically diverse patients with CVD from 4 hospitals in India. Mean (SD) age was 57.5 (11.7) years, and 73.0% were males. Self-reported history of hypertension (48.5%) and diabetes (41.5%) was common. At baseline, mean (SD) BP was 127.9 (18.2) /76.2 (11.6) mm Hg, mean (SD) LDLc: 80.3 (37.3) mg/dl and mean (SD) HbA1c: 6.8% (1.6%). At baseline, the GDMT varied from 62.4% for patients with ischemic heart disease, 48.6% for ischemic stroke and 36.1% for heart failure. CONCLUSION: This study will establish the feasibility of delivering contextually relevant, and evidence-based C-QIP strategy and assess whether it is acceptable to the target populations. The study results will inform a larger scale confirmatory trial of a comprehensive CVD care model in low-resource settings. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Trials Registry India: CTRI/2022/04/041847; Clinicaltrials.gov number: NCT05196659.

Asthma Control and Associated Factors Among Children with Current Asthma - Findings from the 2019 Child Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System - Asthma Call-Back Survey.

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and correlates of uncontrolled asthma among children with current asthma in four US states. We also determined the rates and correlates of asthma-related hospitalization, urgent care center (UCC), or emergency department (ED) visits. Participants and Methods: We analyzed the 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS) Asthma Call-back Survey (ACBS) datasets. Asthma control status was classified as well-controlled or uncontrolled asthma based on day- and night-time asthma symptoms, activity limitation or use of rescue medications. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify the correlates of uncontrolled asthma and asthma-related hospitalization or UCC/ED visits. Results: Among 249 children with current asthma, 55.1% had uncontrolled asthma while 40% reported asthma-related hospitalization or UCC/ED visits in the past year. Non-Hispanic ethnicity, ages of 0-9 and 15-17 years, household income <$25,000, and not having a flu vaccination had higher odds of uncontrolled asthma. Conversely, asthma self-management education and households with two children compared to one were positively associated with uncontrolled asthma. For healthcare utilization, male and non-Hispanic children, along with those from households earning <$25,000 exhibited higher odds of asthma-related hospitalization and UCC/ED visits. Conclusion: Uncontrolled asthma and asthma-related visits to UCC/ED and hospitalization are common among children with current asthma. These outcomes are influenced by low household income and male sex, among other factors which call for multi-faceted interventions by healthcare providers and policymakers. Targeted strategies to effectively manage asthma and reduce the need for emergency healthcare services are recommended.

Factors influencing diabetes treatment satisfaction in the INtegrating DEPrEssioN and Diabetes treatmENT randomized clinical trial: A multilevel model analysis.

AIMS: Patient satisfaction is associated with positive diabetes outcomes. However, there are no identified studies that evaluate both patient- and clinic-level predictors influencing diabetes care satisfaction longitudinally. METHODS: Data from the INtegrating DEPrEssioN and Diabetes treatmENT trial was used to perform the analysis. We used fixed and random effects models to assess whether and how changes in patient-level predictors (treatment assignment, depression symptom severity, systolic blood pressure, body mass index, LDL cholesterol, and haemoglobin A1C) from 0 to 24 months and clinic-level predictors (visit frequency, visit cost, number of specialists, wait time, time spent with healthcare provider, and receiving verbal reminders) measured at 24 months influence diabetes care satisfaction from 0 to 24 months. RESULTS: Model 1 (patient-level predictors) accounted for 7% of the change in diabetes satisfaction and there was a significant negative relationship between change in depressive symptoms and care satisfaction (ß = -0.23, SE = 0.12, p < 0.05). Within Model 1, 2% of the variance was explained by clinic-level predictors. Model 2 included both patient- and clinic-level predictors and accounted for 18% of the change in diabetes care satisfaction. Within Model 2, 9% of the variance was attributed to clinic-level predictors. There was also a cross-level interaction where the change in depression had less of an impact on the change in satisfaction for those who received a verbal reminder (ß = -0.11, SE = 0.21, p = 0.34) compared with those who did not receive a reminder (ß = -0.62, SE = 0.08, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Increased burden of depressive symptoms influences diabetes care satisfaction. Clinic-level predictors also significantly influence diabetes care satisfaction and can reduce dissatisfaction in primary care, specifically, reminder calls from clinic staff.

Effect of a multicomponent quality improvement strategy on sustained achievement of diabetes care goals and macrovascular and microvascular complications in South Asia at 6.5 years follow-up: Post hoc analyses of the CARRS randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes control is poor globally and leads to burdensome microvascular and macrovascular complications. We aimed to assess post hoc between-group differences in sustained risk factor control and macrovascular and microvascular endpoints at 6.5 years in the Center for cArdiovascular Risk Reduction in South Asia (CARRS) randomized trial. METHODS AND FINDINGS: This parallel group individual randomized clinical trial was performed at 10 outpatient diabetes clinics in India and Pakistan from January 2011 through September 2019. A total of 1,146 patients with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes (HbA1c ≥8% and systolic BP ≥140 mm Hg and/or LDL-cholesterol ≥130 mg/dL) were randomized to a multicomponent quality improvement (QI) strategy (trained nonphysician care coordinator to facilitate care for patients and clinical decision support system for physicians) or usual care. At 2.5 years, compared to usual care, those receiving the QI strategy were significantly more likely to achieve multiple risk factor control. Six clinics continued, while 4 clinics discontinued implementing the QI strategy for an additional 4-year follow-up (overall median 6.5 years follow-up). In this post hoc analysis, using intention-to-treat, we examined between-group differences in multiple risk factor control (HbA1c <7% plus BP <130/80 mm Hg and/or LDL-cholesterol <100 mg/dL) and first macrovascular endpoints (nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, death, revascularization [angioplasty or coronary artery bypass graft]), which were co-primary outcomes. We also examined secondary outcomes, namely, single risk factor control, first microvascular endpoints (retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy), and composite first macrovascular plus microvascular events (which also included amputation and all-cause mortality) by treatment group and whether QI strategy implementation was continued over 6.5 years. At 6.5 years, assessment data were available for 854 participants (74.5%; n = 417 [intervention]; n = 437 [usual care]). In terms of sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, participants in the intervention and usual care groups were similar and participants at sites that continued were no different to participants at sites that discontinued intervention implementation. Patients in the intervention arm were more likely to exhibit sustained multiple risk factor control than usual care (relative risk: 1.77; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.45, 2.16), p < 0.001. Cumulatively, there were 233 (40.5%) first microvascular and macrovascular events in intervention and 274 (48.0%) in usual care patients (absolute risk reduction: 7.5% [95% CI: -13.2, -1.7], p = 0.01; hazard ratio [HR] = 0.72 [95% CI: 0.61, 0.86]), p < 0.001. Patients in the intervention arm experienced lower incidence of first microvascular endpoints (HR = 0.68 [95% CI: 0.56, 0.83), p < 0.001, but there was no evidence of between-group differences in first macrovascular events. Beneficial effects on microvascular and composite vascular outcomes were observed in sites that continued, but not sites that discontinued the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: In urban South Asian clinics, a multicomponent QI strategy led to sustained multiple risk factor control and between-group differences in microvascular, but not macrovascular, endpoints. Between-group reductions in vascular outcomes at 6.5 years were observed only at sites that continued the QI intervention, suggesting that practice change needs to be maintained for better population health of people with diabetes. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01212328.

The association of hypertension among married Indian couples: a nationally representative cross-sectional study.

Mounting evidence demonstrates that intimate partners sharing risk factors have similar propensities for chronic conditions such as hypertension. The objective was to study whether spousal hypertension was associated with one's own hypertension status independent of known risk factors, and stratified by socio-demographic subgroups (age, sex, wealth quintile, caste endogamy). Data were from heterosexual married couples (n = 50,023, women: 18-49 years, men: 21-54 years) who participated in the National Family Health Survey-V (2019-2021). Hypertension was defined as self-reported diagnosis of hypertension or average of three blood pressure measurements ≥ 140 systolic or 90 mmHg diastolic BP. Among married adults, the prevalence of hypertension among men (38.8 years [SD 8.3]) and women (33.9 years [SD 7.9]) were 29.1% [95% CI 28.5-29.8] and 20.6% [95% CI 20.0-21.1] respectively. The prevalence of hypertension among both partners was 8.4% [95% CI 8.0-8.8]. Women and men were more likely to have hypertension if their spouses had the condition (husband with hypertension: PR 1.37 [95% CI 1.30-1.44]; wife with hypertension: PR 1.32 [95% CI 1.26-1.38]), after adjusting for known risk factors. Spouse's hypertension status was consistently associated with own status across all socio-demographic subgroups examined. These findings present opportunities to consider married couples as a unit in efforts to diagnose and treat hypertension.

Diabetes Disparities in the United States: Trends by Educational Attainment from 2001 to 2020.

INTRODUCTION: Tracking changes in socioeconomic disparities in diabetes in the U.S. is important to evaluate progress in health equity and guide prevention efforts. Disparities in diabetes prevalence by educational attainment from 2001 to 2020 were investigated. METHODS: Using a serial cross-sectional design, data from 33,220 adults aged 30-79 assessed in nine rounds of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys between 2001 and 2020 were analyzed in 2023-2024. Diabetes was defined as self-reported prior diagnosis, elevated glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c≥6.5%), or use of diabetes medications. Marginalized age- and covariate-adjusted prevalence differences (PD) and prevalence ratios (PR) of diabetes by educational attainment (less than high school graduation, high school graduation, some college education or associate degree, or college graduation [reference]) by calendar period (2001-2004, 2005-2008, 2009-2012, 2013-2016, 2017-2020) were derived from logistic regression models. RESULTS: From 2001 to 2020, age-adjusted diabetes prevalence was consistently higher among adults without a college degree. Adults without a high school diploma exhibited the largest disparities in both 2001-2004 (PD 8.0%; 95%CI 5.6-10.5 and PR 2.1; 95%CI 1.5-2.6) and 2017-20 (PD 11.0%; 95%CI 6.7-15.2 and PR 2.1; 95%CI 1.5-2.7). Between 2001-2004 and 2017-2020, the absolute disparity in diabetes changed only among adults with a high school diploma (increase from PD 1.7%; 95%CI -0.5- 3.9 to PD 8.8% 95%CI 4.1-13.4, respectively), while the PR did not change in any group. Education-related disparities in diabetes were attenuated after accounting for socio-demographic factors and BMI. CONCLUSIONS: From 2001 to 2020, national education-related disparities in diabetes prevalence have shown no signs of narrowing.

Historical Redlining and Heart Failure Outcomes Following Hospitalization in the Southeastern United States.

BACKGROUND: Historical redlining, a discriminatory lending practice, is an understudied component of the patient risk environment following hospital discharge. We investigated associations between redlining, patient race, and outcomes following heart failure hospitalization. METHODS AND RESULTS: We followed a hospital-based cohort of Black and White patients using electronic medical records for acute heart failure hospitalizations between 2010 and 2018 (n=6800). Patient residential census tracts were geocoded according to the 1930s Home Owners' Loan Corporation map grades (A/B: best/still desirable, C: declining, D: redlined). We used Poisson regression to analyze associations between Home Owners' Loan Corporation grade and 30-day outcomes (readmissions, mortality, and their composite). One-third of patients resided in historically redlined tracts (n=2034). In race-stratified analyses, there was a positive association between historically declining neighborhoods and composite readmissions and mortality for Black patients (risk ratio [RR], 1.24 [95% CI, 1.003-1.54]) and an inverse association between redlined neighborhoods and 30-day readmissions among White patients (RR, 0.58 [95% CI, 0.39-0.86]). Examining racial disparities across Home Owners' Loan Corporation grades, Black patients had higher 30-day readmissions (RR, 1.86 [95% CI, 1.31-2.65]) and composite readmissions and mortality (RR, 1.32 [95% CI, 1.04-1.65]) only in historically redlined neighborhoods. CONCLUSIONS: Historical redlining had potentially mixed impacts on outcomes by race, such that residing in less desirable neighborhoods was associated with an elevated risk of an adverse outcome following heart failure hospitalization in Black patients and a reduced risk in White patients. Moreover, racial disparities in patient outcomes were present only in historically redlined neighborhoods. Additional research is needed to explore observed heterogeneity in outcomes.

Association of Psychosocial Risk Factors With Quality of Life and Readmissions 1 Year After LVAD Implantation.

BACKGROUND: Among patients with advanced heart failure (HF), treatment with a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) improves health-related quality of life (HRQOL). We investigated the association between psychosocial risk factors, HRQOL and outcomes after LVAD implantation. METHODS: A retrospective cohort (n = 9832) of adults aged ≥ 19 years who received durable LVADs between 2008 and 2017 was identified by using the Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support (INTERMACS). Patients were considered to have psychosocial risk factors if ≥ 1 of the following were present: (1) substance abuse; (2) limited social support; (3) limited cognitive understanding; (4) repeated nonadherence; and (5) major psychiatric disease. Multivariable logistic and linear regression models were used to evaluate the association between psychosocial risk factors and change in Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ)-12 scores from baseline to 1 year, persistently poor HRQOL (KCCQ-12 score < 45 at baseline and 1 year), and 1-year rehospitalization. RESULTS: Among the final analytic cohort, 2024 (20.6%) patients had ≥ 1 psychosocial risk factors. Psychosocial risk factors were associated with a smaller improvement in KCCQ-12 scores from baseline to 1 year (mean ± SD, 29.1 ± 25.9 vs 32.6 ± 26.1; P = 0.015) for a difference of -3.51 (95% confidence interval [CI]: -5.88 to -1.13). Psychosocial risk factors were associated with persistently poor HRQOL (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.35, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.04-1.74), and 1-year all-cause readmission (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.11, 95% CI 1.05-1.18). Limited social support, major psychiatric disorder and repeated nonadherence were associated with persistently poor HRQOL, while major psychiatric disorder was associated with 1-year rehospitalization. CONCLUSION: The presence of psychosocial risk factors is associated with lower KCCQ-12 scores and higher risk for readmission at 1 year after LVAD implantation. These associations are statistically significant, but further research is needed to determine whether these differences are clinically meaningful.

Poor Medication Access as a Driver of Excess Heart-Failure Readmissions Among Patients Living in Economically Deprived Neighborhoods.

BACKGROUND: Patients residing in socioeconomically deprived neighborhoods experience higher hospital readmission rates after hospitalization for heart failure (HF). The role of medication access in the excessive readmissions in this group is poorly understood. This study explored patients' perspectives on medication access by individuals living in socioeconomically deprived neighborhoods who had experienced HF readmission. METHODS: We conducted semistructured in-depth interviews with 25 patients (mean age 61 ± 9 years, 96% Black, 40% women) who were readmitted with acute HF at Emory Healthcare hospitals and were living in highly deprived neighborhoods (top decile of the Social Deprivation Index). Qualitative descriptive analyses of the interviews were performed by using a multilevel coding strategy. RESULTS: Most patients (84%) highlighted medications as a driver of HF readmission. Patients' reported reasons for lack of medication access included medication costs (60%), having access to refills only through an emergency department or hospitalization (36%), limited access to transportation (12%), and limited understanding of medications' role in disease management (12%). CONCLUSION: Lack of access to medications for patients with HF who live in socioeconomically distressed neighborhoods exacerbate excess hospitalizations in this vulnerable population. This study focuses on patients' perspectives and experiences and identifies some potentially high-value areas to focus on in trying to enhance access and adherence to evidence-based therapies.

Natural History of Type 2 Diabetes in Indians: Time to Progression.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the natural history of diabetes in Indians. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Data are from participants older than 20 years in the Centre for Cardiometabolic Risk Reduction in South Asia longitudinal study. Glycemic states were defined per American Diabetes Association criteria. Markov models were used to estimate annual transition probabilities and sojourn time through states. RESULTS: Among 2,714 diabetes-free participants, 641 had isolated impaired fasting glucose (iIFG), and 341 had impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). The annual transition to diabetes for those with IGT was 13.9% (95% CI 12.0, 15.9) versus 8.6% (7.3, 9.8) for iIFG. In the normoglycemia ↔ iIFG → diabetes model, mean sojourn time in normoglycemia was 40.3 (34.6, 48.2) years, and sojourn time in iIFG was 9.7 (8.4, 11.4) years. For the normoglycemia ↔ IGT → diabetes model, mean sojourn time in normoglycemia was 34.5 (29.5, 40.8) years, and sojourn time in IGT was 6.1 (5.3, 7.1) years. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals reside in normoglycemia for 35-40 years; however, progression from prediabetes to diabetes is rapid.

Association of collaborative care intervention features with depression and metabolic outcomes in the INDEPENDENT study: A mixed methods study.

AIMS: The INtegrating DEPrEssioN and Diabetes treatmENT (INDEPENDENT) trial tested a collaborative care model including electronic clinical decision support (CDS) for treating diabetes and depression in India. We aimed to assess which features of this clinically and cost-effective intervention were associated with improvements in diabetes and depression measures. METHODS: Post-hoc analysis of the INDEPENDENT trial data (189 intervention participants) was conducted to determine each intervention feature's effect: 1. Collaborative case reviews between expert psychiatrists and the care team; 2. Patient care-coordinator contacts; and 3. Clinicians' CDS prompt modifications. Primary outcome was baseline-to-12-months improvements in diabetes control, blood pressure, cholesterol, and depression. Implementer interviews revealed barriers and facilitators of intervention success. Joint displays integrated mixed methods' results. RESULTS: High baseline HbA1c≥ 74.9 mmol/mol (9%) was associated with 5.72 fewer care-coordinator contacts than those with better baseline HbA1c (76.8 mmol/mol, 9.18%, p < 0.001). Prompt modification proportions varied from 38.3% (diabetes) to 1.3% (LDL). Interviews found that providers' and participants' visit frequencies were preference dependent. Qualitative data elucidated patient-level factors that influenced number of clinical contacts and prompt modifications explaining their lack of association with clinical outcomes. CONCLUSION: Our mixed methods approach underlines the importance of the complementarity of different intervention features. Qualitative findings further illuminate reasons for variations in fidelity from the core model.

COVID-19 pandemic-related healthcare interruptions and diabetes distress: a national study of US adults with diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Early COVID-19 pandemic research found changes in health care and diabetes management, as well as increased diabetes distress. This study aims to determine the association between COVID-19 pandemic-related healthcare interruptions and diabetes distress among adults with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes in the US in 2021. METHODS: Multinomial logistic regression was used to analyze moderate and high levels of diabetes distress (reference = no diabetes distress) in 228 individuals with Type 1 diabetes and 2534 individuals with Type 2 diabetes interviewed in the National Health Interview Survey in 2021. RESULTS: Among adults with Type 1 diabetes, 41.2% experienced moderate diabetes distress and 19.1% experienced high diabetes distress, and among adults with Type 2 diabetes, 40.8% experienced moderate diabetes distress and 10.0% experienced high diabetes distress. In adults with Type 1 diabetes, experiencing delayed medical care was associated with an adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of 4.31 (95% CI: 1.91-9.72) for moderate diabetes distress and 3.69 (95% CI: 1.20-11.30) for high diabetes distress. In adults with Type 2 diabetes, experiencing delayed medical care was associated with an aOR of 1.61 (95% CI: 1.25-2.07) for moderate diabetes distress and 2.27 (95% CI: 1.48-3.49) for high diabetes distress. Similar associations were observed between not receiving medical care due to the pandemic and diabetes distress. CONCLUSION: Among people with diabetes, experiencing delayed medical care and not receiving care due to the pandemic were associated with higher reports of diabetes distress.

Changes in Diabetes Care and Management Practices during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: Evidence suggests diabetes management was negatively impacted early in the pandemic. However, the impact of the pandemic on key healthcare services for diabetes control and diabetes self-management practices is less known. We examined changes in diabetes care and management practices before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Population-based data regarding 4 diabetes-related healthcare engagement and 4 self-management indicators were obtained from adults with diabetes surveyed in 19 US States and Washington DC through the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Using logistic regression, we estimated changes in the prevalence of each indicator, overall and by sociodemographic subgroups, before (2019; n = 15,307) and during (2021; n = 13,994) the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: Between 2019 and 2021, the prevalence of biannual HbA1c tests reduced by 2.6 percentage points (pp, 95% CI :-4.8, -0.4), from 75.4-73.1%, and prevalence of annual eye exams fell by 4.0 pp (-6.2, -2.8), from 72.2-68.7%. The composite indicator of engagement with healthcare for diabetes control fell by 3.5 pp (-5.9, -1.1), from 44.9-41.9%. Reductions in engagement with healthcare were largely seen across sex, age, education, employment status, marital status, insurance status, and urbanicity; and were more pronounced among those aged 18-34 and the uninsured. Reductions in engagement with healthcare were seen in several states, with Delaware and Washington DC reporting the largest decrease. Of self-management behaviors, we only observed change in avoidance of smoking, an increase of 2.0 pp (0.4, 3.6) from 84.7-87.1%. Conclusions: The pandemic had mixed impacts on diabetes care and self-management. The findings suggest a deterioration of the uptake of evidence-based, preventive health services requiring laboratory services and clinical examination for diabetes control during the pandemic. On the other hand, smoking rates decreased, suggesting potential positive impacts of the pandemic on health behaviors in people with diabetes.

Association of pro-inflammatory cytokines, adipokines and hepatokine with incident diabetes in India: a nested case-control study within CARRS cohort.

AIMS: To study the association of pro-inflammatory markers with incident diabetes in India. METHODS: We did a nested case-control study within the CARRS (Centre for Ardiometabolic Risk Reduction in South Asia) cohort. Of the 5739 diabetes-free individuals at the baseline, 216 participants with incident diabetes and 432 age-, gender- and city-matched controls at 2-year follow-up were included. We measured high sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 ( MCP-1), adiponectin, leptin and fetuin-A in the stored baseline blood samples. We did multivariate conditional logistic regression to estimate association of inflammatory markers (as quartiles) and incident diabetes. Covariates were baseline fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and lipids, body mass index (BMI), family history of diabetes, smoking and alcohol use. RESULTS: Baseline hsCRP and TNF-α were higher, and IL-6 and adiponectin were lower among cases vs. controls. In multivariate conditional logistic regression models, only quartile-3 (odds ratio [OR]: 2.96 [95% CI:1.39, 6.30]) and quartile-4 (OR: 2.58 [95% CI: 1.15, 5.79]) of TNF-α and quartile-4 of MCP-1 (OR: 2.55 [95% CI: 1.06, 6.16]) were positively associated with diabetes after adjusting for baseline FPG and BMI. These associations did not remain after adjusting for family history. High level (quartile-4) of IL-6 was negatively associated with diabetes after adjusting for all factors (OR: 0.18 [95% CI: 0.06, 0.55]). CONCLUSIONS: Higher TNF-α and MCP-1 levels and lower IL-6 were associated with higher risk of developing diabetes. Better understanding and potential methods of addressing these biomarkers, especially in relation to family history, are needed to address diabetes in South Asians.

Concordance of high blood pressure among middle-aged and older same-sex couples in the USA.

Heterosexual couples in romantic relationships are known to influence each other's hypertension risk. However, the role of partners on an individual's hypertension status in same-sex relationships is less understood. Our objective is to characterize the burden of high blood pressure among middle-aged and older couples consisting of men who have sex with men (MSM) and women who have sex with women (WSW) living in the US. Among 81 same-sex couples from the Health and Retirement Study 2006-18, 72.4% (95%CI: 23.4-95.7) MSM couples and 61.0% (95%CI: 30.4-84.8) WSW couples consisted of both partners with hypertension. Same-sex couples demonstrate high concordance of hypertension and related risk factors, suggesting a need to develop novel interventions targeting MSM and WSW couples.