Clinical outcomes of atrial fibrillation with hyperthyroidism.

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (Afib) is a common cardiac manifestation of hyperthyroidism. The data regarding outcomes of Afib with and without hyperthyroidism are lacking. HYPOTHESIS: We hypothesized that patients with Afib and hyperthyroidism have better clinical outcomes, compared with Afib patients without hyperthyroidism. METHODS: We queried the National Inpatient Sample database for years 2015-2017 using Validated ICD-10-CM codes for Afib and hyperthyroidism. Patients were separated into two groups, Afib with hyperthyroidism and without hyperthyroidism. RESULTS: The study was conducted with 68 095 278 patients. A total of 9 727 295 Afib patients were identified, 90 635 (0.9%) had hyperthyroidism. The prevalence of hyperthyroidism was higher in patients with Afib (0.9% vs 0.4%, P < .001), compared with patients without Afib. Using multivariate regression analysis adjusting for various confounding factors, the odds ratio of Afib with hyperthyroidism was 2.08 (CI 2.07-2.10; P < .0001). Afib patients with hyperthyroidism were younger (71 vs 75 years, P < .0001) and more likely to be female (64% vs 47%; P < .0001) as compared with Afib patients without hyperthyroidism. Afib patients with hyperthyroidism had lower prevalence of CAD (36% vs 44%, P < .0001), cardiomyopathy (24.1% vs 25.9%, P < .0001), valvular disease (6.9% vs 7.4%, P < .0001), hypertension (60.7% vs 64.4%, P < .0001), diabetes mellitus (29% vs 32%, P < .0001) and obstructive sleep apnea (10.5% vs 12.2%, P < .0001). Afib with hyperthyroidism had lower hospitalization cost ($14 968 ± 21 871 vs $15 955 ± 22 233, P < .0001), shorter mean length of stay (5.7 ± 6.6 vs 5.9 ± 6.6 days, P < .0001) and lower in-hospital mortality (3.3% vs 4.8%, P < .0001. The disposition to home was higher in Afib with hyperthyroidism patients (51% vs 42; P < .0001). CONCLUSION: Hyperthyroidism is associated with Afib in both univariate and multivariate analysis. Afib patients with hyperthyroidism have better clinical outcomes, compared with Afib patients without hyperthyroidism.

Arrhythmia in tumor lysis syndrome and associated in-hospital mortality: A nationwide inpatient analysis.

BACKGROUND: Tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) is a life-threatening oncologic emergency associated with fatal complications including arrhythmia. The epidemiology and mortality outcomes of arrhythmia in TLS are scarcely studied in the literature. METHODS: We used the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) to study the prevalence and outcome of arrhythmia in patients hospitalized with TLS (ICD-9 code 277.88) from 2009 to 2014. Baseline characteristics, burden of arrhythmia, and pertinent outcomes were analyzed. Multivariable regression analysis was performed to identify the impact of underlying malignancy in predicting TLS-related mortality. RESULTS: A total of 9034 cases of arrhythmia among 37 861 TLS patients were identified. More than half of the arrhythmia cases (67%) were found among white old (>65) males admitted to large bed size and urban teaching hospitals. Arrhythmic cohort showed higher frequency of comorbidities such as fluid-electrolyte disturbances, hypertension, congestive heart failure, renal failure, dyslipidemia, diabetes, pulmonary circulatory disorders, chronic pulmonary disease, coagulopathy, and deficiency anemia. The most common malignancies were leukemia, lymphoma, metastatic tumor, and solid tumor without metastasis. We found significantly higher odds of in-hospital mortality among patients with TLS compared to general inpatient population on unadjusted (OR 9.69, 95% CI: 9.27-10.13, P < .001) and adjusted (OR 4.62, 95% CI: 4.39-4.85) multivariable analyses. Overall in-hospital mortality (32% vs 21.3%), median length of stay (11 days vs 9 days), and hospital charges were higher among arrhythmic than nonarrhythmic patients. CONCLUSION: With the availability of more advanced cancer therapy in the US, nearly one in four inpatient encounters of TLS had arrhythmia. Arrhythmia in TLS patients was associated with higher odds of mortality and increased resource utilization. Therefore, strategies to improve the supportive care of TLS patients plus timely diagnosis and treatment of arrhythmia are of utmost importance in reducing mortality and health-care cost.

Sex disparities in cardiovascular disease outcomes among geriatric patients with prediabetes.

AIMS: To analyze the sex-based differences in the prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors and outcomes in older patients with prediabetes using demographically matched national cohorts of hospitalized patients aged ≥65 years. METHODS: We queried the 2007-2014 National Inpatient Database to identify older patients (>65 years) admitted with prediabetes using ICD-9 Clinical Modification codes. The older patients were then subcategorized based on sex. Comparative analyses of their baseline characteristics, the prevalence of cardiovascular(CV) disease comorbidities, hospitalization outcomes, and mortality rates were performed on propensity-matched cohorts for demographics. RESULTS: A total of 1,197,978 older patients with prediabetes (599,223 males; mean age 75years and 598,755 females; mean age 76years) were identified. Higher admission rates were found commonly among older white males (84.1%) and females (81.7%). Prediabetic older males showed a higher frequency of cardiovascular comorbidities compared to females. Prediabetic older males had higher all-cause in-hospital mortality (4.2% vs. 3.6%, p < 0.001), acute myocardial infarction (7.0% vs. 4.7%, p < 0.001), arrhythmia (36.3% vs. 30.5%, p < 0.001), stroke (4.8% vs. 4.6%, p < 0.001), venous thromboembolism (3.3% vs. 3.0%, p < 0.001) and percutaneous coronary intervention (3.1% vs. 1.5%, p < 0.001) compared to females. CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis revealed that among older patients hospitalized with prediabetes, males suffered worse in-hospital CV outcomes and survival rates compared to females.

A Systematic Review of the Cardiovascular Manifestations and Outcomes in the Setting of Coronavirus-19 Disease.

The impact of coronavirus disease, 2019 (COVID-19), has been profound. Though COVID-19 primarily affects the respiratory system, it has also been associated with a wide range of cardiovascular (CV) manifestations portending extremely poor prognosis. The principal hypothesis for CV involvement is through direct myocardial infection and systemic inflammation. We conducted a systematic review of the current literature to provide a foundation for understanding the CV manifestations and outcomes of COVID-19. PubMed and EMBASE databases were electronically searched from the inception of the databases through 27 April 2020. A second literature review was conducted to include major trials and guidelines that were published after the initial search but before submission. The inclusion criteria for studies to be eligible were case reports, case series, and observation studies reporting CV outcomes among patients with COVID-19 infection. This review of the current COVID-19 disease and CV outcomes literature revealed a myriad of CV manifestations with potential avenues for treatment and prevention. Future studies are required to understand on a more mechanistic level the effect of COVID-19 on the myocardium and thus provide avenues to improve mortality and morbidity.

Prevalence of Pulmonary Embolism in COVID-19: a Pooled Analysis.

There remains a high risk of thrombosis in patients affected by the SARS-CoV-2 virus and recent reports have shown pulmonary embolism (PE) as a cause of sudden death in these patients. However, the pooled rate of this deadly and frequently underdiagnosed condition among COVID-19 patients remains largely unknown. Given the frequency with which pulmonary embolism has been reported as a fatal complication of severe coronavirus disease, we sought to ascertain the actual prevalence of this event in COVID-19 patients. Using PubMed/Medline, EMBASE, and SCOPUS, a thorough literature search was performed to identify the studies reporting rate of PE among COVID-19. Random effects models were obtained to perform a meta-analysis, and I 2 statistics were used to measure inter-study heterogeneity. Among 3066 COVID-19 patients included from 9 studies, the pooled prevalence of PE was 15.8% (95% CI (6.0-28.8%), I 2 = 98%). The pooled rate in younger cohort (age < 65 years) showed a higher prevalence of 20.5% (95% CI (17.6-24.8%)) as compared to studies including relatively older cohort (age > 65 years) showing 14.3% (95% CI (2.9-30.1%)) (p < 0.05). Single-center studies showed a prevalence of 12.9% (95% CI 1.0-30.2%), while that of multicenter studies was 19.5% (95% CI 14.9-25.2%) (p < 0.05). Pulmonary embolism is a common complication of severe coronavirus disease and a high degree of clinical suspicion for its diagnosis should be maintained in critically ill patients.

Nationwide Trends in Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases and Outcomes Among Young Adults (18-39 years) Hospitalized With Comorbid Depression.

Background Modern-day studies that assess temporal trends in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (CCE) and outcomes among the young population in the United States (US) with depression remain limited. Methods We compared baseline demographics, comorbidities, all-cause mortality, acute myocardial infarction (AMI), percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI), arrhythmia, stroke, and venous thromboembolism (VTE) among hospitalized young adults (18-39 years) with vs. without depression using the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) from 2007 to 2014. Results A total of 3,575,275 patients out of 63,020,008 hospitalized young adults had comorbid depression (5.7%; median 31 years, 71.3% females). The depressed cohort more often comprised of older, white, male, and non-electively admitted patients. Higher rates of comorbidities, all-cause mortality, PCI, arrhythmia, VTE, and stroke were observed among the depressed cohort. The rising trend in all-cause mortality was observed among the depressed against a stable trend in the non-depressed. The prevalence of AMI remained stable among depressed with consistent upsurges in arrhythmia and stroke. Those with depression had extended hospital stay, higher hospitalization charges, and were more often transferred to other facilities or discharged against advice. Conclusions Rising trends of inpatient mortality, CCE, and higher resource utilization among young adults with depression are concerning and warrants a multidisciplinary approach to improve quality of life and outcomes.

Alarmingly Rising Trends in Venous Thromboembolic Events and Respiratory Failure in Takotsubo Syndrome-Related Hospitalizations in the United States.

Background There is very scarce data about the shifting landscape of complications like venous thromboembolic events (VTE) and respiratory failure in Takotsubo syndrome (TTS). We have assessed the rates and trends of these complications in (TTS)-related hospitalizations. Methods The National Inpatient Sample (2007-2014) was queried to identify adult hospitalizations for TTS and subsequent VTE and respiratory failure using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9 CM) codes. Trends were assessed using discharge weights and the linear-by-linear association test for the overall cohort and subgroups based on age, sex, and race. Results Of 156,506 admissions for TTS from 2007-2014, 3.5% (N=5,550) of admissions revealed VTE whereas 17.4% (N=27,252) of admissions revealed respiratory failure. There were significantly rising trends in VTE (from 2.2% to 4.2%) and respiratory failure (10% to 20.7%) with TTS (p<0.05) from 2007-2014. On subgroup analysis, all subgroups showed rising trends in VTE and respiratory failure. However, young (18-44 years), male patients admitted with TTS demonstrated a greater surge in VTE as compared to other groups. In contrast, the frequency of respiratory failure rose more significantly in young, male, non-white TTS patients compared to older, female and white TTS patients. Conclusion There were alarming trends in the VTE and respiratory failure despite the improved understanding of TTS etiopathogenesis and advanced diagnostic modalities among TTS-related admissions, mostly comprising of young, male, and non-white patients. Introduction.

Epidemiology and Outcomes of Takotsubo Syndrome in Hospitalizations With Systemic Sclerosis.

Background Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) is associated with chronic inflammation which leads to macrophage activation and thus vascular insult and fibrosis. Macrophage activation is shown to precede Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) which may be a common pathophysiologic link to SSc.  Methods We queried the National Inpatient Sample (2008-2014) for adult SSc-related hospitalizations and TTS using relevant International Classification of Diseases Clinical Modification, 9th Revision codes. We assessed the prevalence and trends in TTS during this time. We further assessed demographics, comorbidities, and outcomes were in SSc with and without TTS. The primary outcomes of the analysis were all-cause mortality and in-hospital complications including cardiac arrest and acute myocardial infarction (AMI), arrhythmias, and venous thromboembolism, and stroke.  Results A total of 213,728 SSc-related hospitalizations were found, of which 357 experienced TTS (0.2%) with rising trends in TTS from 2008-2014 (0.06% to 0.3%, relative increase of 24%, ptrend<0.001). The TTS cohort was older (median age 68 vs 62 years), with 92.8% females and 80.1% white adults with TTS (p<0.001). Co-morbidities were higher in the TTS cohort including hypertension (62.2% vs. 51.5%, p<0.001), dyslipidemia (41.5% vs. 22.8, p<0.001), smoking (28.9% vs. 20.1%, p<0.001), peripheral vascular disease (17.8% vs. 9.1%, p<0.001), uncomplicated diabetes (18.1% vs. 11.9%, p<0.001). The all-cause in-hospital mortality (11% vs. 4.6%; adjusted odds ratio=1.82, 95% confidence interval: 1.21-2.72, p<0.005), cardiovascular complications like AMI (29% vs. 2.9%,p<0.001), arrhythmias (38.9% vs. 21.5%, p<0.001), and median length of stay [6 vs. 4 days] were significantly higher in the TTS cohort as compared to the non-TTS cohort. Conclusion This analysis revealed a nearly 10 times higher prevalence of TTS in SSc-related hospitalizations compared to the general inpatient population. Concomitant TTS occurrence in SSc-related hospitalizations led to nearly two times higher odds of all-cause mortality. Cardiovascular co-morbidities in SSc may increase the risk of TTS and worsened outcomes.

Nationwide Trends in Prevalent Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Diseases in Young Adults: Differences by Sex and Race and In-Hospital Outcomes.

OBJECTIVES: Prevalence and trends in all cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors among young adults (18-39 years) have not been evaluated on a large scale stratified by sex and race. The aim of this study was to establish the prevalence and temporal trend of CVD risk factors in US inpatients younger than 40 years of age from 2007 through 2014 with racial and sex-based distinctions. In addition, the impact of these risk factors on inpatient outcomes and healthcare resource utilization was explored. METHODS: A cross-sectional nationwide analysis of all hospitalizations, comorbidities, and complications among young adults from 2007 to 2014 was performed. The primary outcomes were frequency, trends, and race- and sex-based differences in coexisting CVD risk factors. Coprimary outcomes were trends in all-cause mortality, acute myocardial infarction, arrhythmia, stroke, and venous thromboembolism in young adults with CVD risk factors. Secondary outcomes were demographics and resource utilization in young adults with versus without CVD risk factors. RESULTS: Of 63 million hospitalizations (mean 30.5 [standard deviation 5.9] years), 27% had at least one coexisting CVD risk factor. From 2007 to 2014, admission frequency with CVD risk factors increased from 42.8% to 55.1% in males and from 16.2% to 24.6% in females. Admissions with CVD risk were higher in male (41.4% vs 15.9%) and white (58.4% vs 53.8%) or African American (22.6% vs 15.9%) patients compared with those without CVD risk. Young adults in the Midwest (23.9% vs 21.1%) and South (40.8% vs 37.9%) documented comparatively higher hospitalizations rates with CVD risk. Young adults with CVD risk had higher all-cause in-hospital mortality (0.4% vs. 0.3%) with a higher average length of stay (4.3 vs 3.2 days) and charges per admission ($30,074 vs $20,124). CONCLUSIONS: Despite modern advances in screening, management, and interventional measures for CVD, rising trends in CVD risk factors across all sex and race/ethnic groups call for attention by preventive cardiologists.

Prevalence, trends and in-hospital outcomes of takotsubo syndrome among United States cannabis users.

BACKGROUND: Recent reports suggest a link between increased cannabis (marijuana) use and stress-cardiomyopathy (Takotsubo Syndrome, TTS) and related complications. Amidst recent trends in cannabis legalization and a paucity of data, it remains essential to evaluate the prevalence, trends and outcomes of TTS in cannabis users on a large-scale. METHOD: We studied prevalence and trends in TTS among adult cannabis users vs. non-users using the National Inpatient Sample (2007-2014). Baseline characteristics, comorbidities, and in-hospital outcomes of TTS were compared between cannabis users vs. non-users. Weighted logistic regression was performed adjusting for confounders to estimate the inpatient outcomes of TTS with vs. without cannabis use. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of TTS in cannabis users (47/100,000) was lower as compared to non-users (62/100,000). Rising trends in TTS among cannabis users (<11 to 82, ~8-fold) were more pronounced as compared to non-users (19 to 108, ~6 fold) per 100,000 hospitalizations from 2007 to 2014 (ptrend<0.001). Of all inpatient encounters for TTS (n=156,506), 1565 (0.1%) reported cannabis use. Polysubstance use including alcohol (4.1% vs. 24.4%), cocaine (0.4% vs. 8.5%), amphetamine (0.2% vs. 8.0%), and smoking (31.2% vs. 64.8%) was significantly higher in TTS-cannabis cohort. Although cardiovascular comorbidities were lower in TTS-cannabis cohort, the adjusted odds of all-cause mortality (aOR1.50, p<.05) were 50% higher in cannabis users compared to non-users without statistically significant difference in cardiac complications. CONCLUSIONS: Cannabis users showed lower prevalence but a more pronounced rising trend of TTS and subsequent risk of in-hospital mortality compared to non-users.

Higher odds and rising trends in arrhythmia among young cannabis users with comorbid depression.

BACKGROUND: Cannabis (marijuana) use and depression are known to be strongly interconnected. However, amid alarming rates of mental health problems in the United States young population, the risk of arrhythmia among young cannabis users with comorbid depression has never been studied. METHODS: In-hospital encounters of arrhythmia were identified among young cannabis users (18-39 years) with or without depression using the National Inpatient Sample (2007-2014) databases and apposite ICD-9 codes. Baseline characteristics and trends in prevalence of arrhythmia were evaluated among inpatient young cannabis users with or without depression. A multivariable regression was performed after adjusting for baseline demographics, comorbidities and parallel history of substance abuse. RESULTS: Of 2,011,598 young cannabis users (59.6% male) admitted from 2007-2014, 190,146 (9.5%) of patients had comorbid depression, of which 6.9% of patients experienced arrhythmias with atrial fibrillation being most common. Cannabis users with depression were more likely older, white, females and frequently hospitalized in Midwest and rural hospitals. We observed a steadily rising trend in prevalence of arrhythmia in both groups, but a more rapid rise in cannabis users with depression (4.9% in 2007 to 8.5% in 2014 vs. 3.7% in 2007 to 5.7% in 2014). Correspondingly, young depressed cannabis users had higher odds of arrhythmia compared to non-depressed even after controlling for demographics and comorbidities (OR: 1.41, 95% CI: 1.38-1.44, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Rampant recreational use of marijuana may increase the risk of arrhythmia by 40% in young cannabis users with depression as compared to non-depressed.

National prevalence, trends and outcomes of takotsubo syndrome in hospitalizations with prior history of mediastinal/intrathoracic cancer and radiation therapy.

BACKGROUND: Radiation therapy (RT) for cancers in thoracic/mediastinal region has been linked with heart damage following years of radiation exposure. However, prevalence of takotsubo syndrome (TTS) in patients with prior intrathoracic/mediastinal malignancies treated with RT has never been analyzed on a large scale. METHODS: We identified adult hospitalizations with prior mediastinal/intrathoracic cancer and RT and TTS using ICD-9 CM codes and the National Inpatient Sample (2007-2014) after excluding current admissions for chemotherapy. We then assessed the prevalence, odds, trends and in-hospital outcomes of TTS-related admissions in patients with vs. without prior intrathoracic cancer and RT. RESULTS: We identified a total of 5,991,314 hospitalizations with prior intrathoracic/mediastinal malignancies and RT (~73 yrs., 85.2% female), of which 7663 (0.13%, 128 per 100,000) were diagnosed with TTS (~74 yrs., 95.8% females, 88.1% white). Higher odds and rising trends in TTS per 100,000 hospitalizations (from 31 to 241) were seen among patients with prior intrathoracic malignancies and RT as compared to those without (from 19 to 104) (ptrend < 0.001). All-cause in-hospital mortality (4.6% vs 2.8%; OR 1.45; 95%CI 1.29-1.63, p < 0.001), cardiogenic shock (4.3% vs 0.2%), cardiac arrest (3.1% vs 0.9%), arrhythmia (34.3% vs 24.6%), stroke (3.6% vs 2.8%), respiratory failure (14.5% vs 4.6%), and median length of stay and hospital charges were significantly higher in the TTS cohort. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed higher odds and increasing trends in TTS-related admissions with worse in-hospital outcomes among patients with prior intrathoracic/mediastinal cancer and RT, irrespective of the time interval from cancer diagnosis or RT to TTS occurrence.

Peripheral Arterial Disease in Women: The Gender Effect.

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a common atherosclerotic disease approximately affecting 8.5 million Americans above age 40 and is associated with significant functional impairment, morbidity and mortality from both cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular causes. PAD has increasing prevalence in females contrary to previous findings. Compared to men, women with PAD are more asymptomatic or have atypical symptoms. Women with PAD have increased quality of life impairment, increased risk of depression and increased cardiovascular mortality. The intent of this review is to provide an update on gender differences in PAD that can help in timely diagnosis and appropriate management through intensive cardiovascular risk factor modification, exercise program and guideline directed therapy to improve cardiovascular outcomes.

Nationwide Analysis of Resource Utilization and In-Hospital Outcomes in the Obese Patients With Lower Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage.

GOALS: The goal of this study was to evaluate the impact of obesity on the outcomes of patients with lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage (LGIH). BACKGROUND: Obesity is considered as an independent risk factor for LGIH. We sought to analyze in-hospital outcomes and characteristics of nonobese and obese patients who presented with LGIH, and further, identify resource utilization during their hospital stay. MATERIALS AND METHODS: With the use of National Inpatient Sample from January 2005 through December 2014, LGIH-related hospitalizations (age≥18 y) were identified using International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) diagnostic codes. Patients were stratified into the nonobese and obese groups depending on their body mass index (>30 kg/m). The statistical analyses were performed using SAS 9.4. RESULTS: Of the total 482,711 patients with LGIH-related hospitalizations, 38,592 patients were found to be obese. In a propensity-matched analysis, the in-hospital mortality was higher in the nonobese patients (4.2% vs. 3.8%, P=0.004), however, the mean length of hospital stay and mean cost was higher in the obese group which could be due to a higher number of comorbidities in the obese group. Secondary outcomes such as the need for mechanical ventilation vasopressor use and colonoscopy was significantly higher in the obese group. CONCLUSIONS: The study results demonstrate that 'obesity paradox' do exist for LGIH-related hospitalizations for mortality. LGIH hospitalizations in the obese patients are associated with higher resource utilization as evidenced by the longer length of stay and higher cost of hospitalizations as compared with the nonobese patients.

Burden and impact of takotsubo syndrome in myasthenic crisis: A national inpatient perspective on the under-recognized but potentially fatal association.

BACKGROUND: Patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) remain at a higher risk of developing takotsubo syndrome (TS), particularly during a myasthenic crisis (MC) event. The prevalence of MC-associated TS and its impact on subsequent in-hospital outcomes have not been explored previously. METHODS: We queried the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) databases (2007-2014) using weighted data and ICD-9 CM codes to evaluate the prevalence of MC-associated TS, demographics, comorbidities and inpatient outcomes of TS secondary to MC vs. other triggers. RESULTS: The nationwide prevalence of MC-associated TS was 0.3% (175/56,472). Of all 156,506 TS encounters, MC was present in 0.11% (n = 175) of cases. The groups were comparable in terms of demographics (median age 68-73 years, Caucasian >70%, females >80%). In comparison to non-MC TS, MC-associated TS demonstrated a higher frequency of coexisting diabetes and a lower frequency of smoking. The MC-TS cohort experienced significantly higher rates of all-cause mortality [8.6% vs. 4.7%, p = 0.014, unadjusted (OR1.91, p = 0.017) and adjusted (OR1.82, p = 0.038)] and complications including respiratory failure, the need of intubation/mechanical ventilation, and arrhythmia. The MC-TS cohort had fewer routine discharges and frequent transfers. The median stay was 6 days longer (10 vs. 4 days) and median hospital charges per admission were nearly $100,000 higher ($133,999 vs. $38,367) with MC-associated TS. CONCLUSIONS: This population-based analysis revealed a 15 times greater prevalence of secondary TS following MC as compared to the general inpatient population, a nearly 2 times higher odds of all-cause mortality, and significantly higher resource utilization in MC-associated TS as compared to TS triggered by other etiologies.

Rising Trends in Medication Non-compliance and Associated Worsening Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Outcomes Among Hospitalized Adults Across the United States.

Introduction Small-scale studies have described concerning rates of non-compliance/nonadherence towards groups of medications for primary and secondary prevention. Trends in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (CCE) among hospitalized patients with a non-compliant behavior towards medication, on the whole, remains unexplored on a large scale. Methods Using the National Inpatient Sample databases (2007-2014), we sought to assess the prevalence and trends in all-cause mortality and CCE in adult patients hospitalized with medication non-compliance. We compared baseline characteristics and comorbidities in the non-compliant patients with and without concomitant in-hospital CCE. Results We identified 7,453,831 adult hospitalizations with medication non-compliance from 2007 to 2014, of which 867,997 (11.6%) patients demonstrated in-hospital CCE. Non-compliant patients with CCE consisted of a higher number of older, white, male patients having greater comorbid risk factors. Non-compliant patients with CCE had higher all-cause in-hospital mortality (3% vs. 0.7%), frequent transfers [4.4% vs. 1.8% transfers to short-term hospitals, and 17.6% vs. 11.6% other transfers (skilled nursing or intermediate care facilities)], lower routine discharges (59.4% vs. 71.1%), and higher mean hospital charges ($52,740 vs. $30,748) compared to non-compliant patients without CCE. Remarkably, this study demonstrates the rising trend in medication non-compliance across all age, sex, and race groups, and related in-hospital mortality, CCE, transfers to other facilities, and the health care cost from 2007 to 2014. Conclusions We observed rising trends in the prevalence of medication non-compliance and subsequent in-hospital mortality in hospitalizations among adults from 2007 to 2014. Non-compliant patients with inpatient CCE demonstrated rising trends in all-cause mortality, complications, health care utilization, and cost from 2007 to 2014.

Rising Trends in Hospitalizations for Cardiovascular Events among Young Cannabis Users (18-39 Years) without Other Substance Abuse.

Background and objectives: Modern-day epidemiologic data on the risk and shifting landscape of occurrence of cardiovascular events in cannabis users remain inadequate and rather conflicting, especially amongst the young adult population. Furthermore, the problem of polysubstance use among youth is challenging for healthcare professionals and policy-makers. Previous studies report higher risk of concomitant use of tobacco, alcohol, cocaine, and amphetamine in young cannabis users. However, most of these studies did not eliminate the confounding effects of concomitant other substance abuse while assessing the incidence and outcome of cardiovascular events in cannabis users. Materials and methods: Using weighted discharge records from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) from 2007-2014, we assessed the national trends in hospitalizations for major cardiovascular events including acute myocardial infarction (AMI), arrhythmia, stroke, and venous thromboembolic events (VTE) among young cannabis users (18-39 years), excluding cases with concomitant substance abuse with alcohol, tobacco, cocaine, and amphetamine. Results: Of 52.3 million hospitalizations without other substance abuse, 0.7 million (1.3%) young adults were current/former cannabis users. Among young adults without concomitant substance abuse, the frequency of admissions for AMI (0.23% vs. 0.14%), arrhythmia (4.02% vs. 2.84%), and stroke (0.33% vs. 0.26%) was higher in cannabis users as compared to non-users (p < 0.001). However, the frequency of admissions for VTE (0.53% vs. 0.84%) was lower among cannabis users as compared non-users. Between 2007 and 2014, we observed 50%, 79%, 300%, and 75% relative increases in hospitalizations for AMI, arrhythmias, stroke, and VTE, respectively, among young cannabis users as compared to non-users, showing relatively inferior or no ascent in the rates (ptrend < 0.001). Conclusions: The rising trends in hospitalizations for acute cardiovascular events among young cannabis users without concomitant other substance abuse call for future prospective well-designed studies to assess cannabis-related short-and long-term cardiovascular implications while simultaneously developing focused interventions towards raising awareness among the young population regarding the potential deleterious effects of cannabis use.

Regional trends in In-hospital Cardiac Arrest following sepsis-related admissions and subsequent mortality.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have reported regional variation in either the incidence or outcomes of sepsis or In-hospital Cardiac Arrest (IHCA) discretely; however, regional variations in the incidence and outcomes of sepsis-associated IHCA (SA-IHCA) have never been studied. METHODS: From the National Inpatient Sample (NIS), discharges with sepsis and sepsis-associated IHCA were identified in 4 geographic regions (Northeast, Midwest, South, West) from 2007 to 2014 using applicable ICD-9-CM codes. We assessed the regional incidence and trends in SA-IHCA and subsequent inpatient outcomes. RESULTS: Out of 8,058,091 sepsis-related admissions, 187,163 (2.3%) were associated with IHCA with a rising trend in the incidence from 2007- to 2014 (2.0% to 2.6%, ptrend < 0.001). The overall incidence of SA-IHCA was highest in South (2.6%) with the highest mortality in West (74.4%) (p < 0.001). The incidence of SA-IHCA increased in the South (2.4%-3.0%) and Midwest (1.6%-2.4%) from 2007 to 2014. Mortality has not significantly increased or decreased across all regions. Compared with the West, survivors in the Northeast, Midwest, and the South were less likely to be discharged home and were more likely to be transferred to other facilities. In the SA-IHCA cohort, the mean length of stay for SA-IHCA was highest in Northeast (˜10.9 days) and lowest in Midwest (˜8.6 days) (p < 0.001). Hospital charges were highest in the West ($234,278) and lowest in the Midwest ($125,725) (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: This nationwide analysis demonstrates that the highest incidence of SA-IHCA is in the Southern region of the US whereas the associated in-hospital mortality was highest in the West. The incidence of SA-IHCA is rising in the Midwest and South from 2007 to 2014. Despite significant advances in the treatment of sepsis and IHCA, there has been no significant improvement in the incidence of SA-IHCA and subsequent survival in any US geographic region from 2007 to 2014.