Shared medical appointments for patients with a nondiabetic physical chronic illness: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVES: Shared medical appointments are group appointments, with an optional individual consultation, for patients diagnosed with chronic illnesses. Shared medical appointments improve diabetes management, but little is known about their use for other illnesses. The objective was to determine the effect that shared medical appointments have on patients with a physical chronic illness, healthcare providers, and the healthcare system. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted searching databases from January 1970 to September 2016. Eligible trials evaluated shared medical appointments for patients with a homogeneous chronic illness, excluding diabetes and mental illness. Screening, data extraction, and risk of bias were conducted independently by two authors. Analysis was descriptive. RESULTS: Of 2364 citations, nine randomized trials were included. Shared medical appointments were evaluated for cardiovascular illnesses (four studies), breast cancer, chronic kidney disease, Parkinson's disease, stress urinary incontinence, and carpal tunnel syndrome. Compared to usual care, no negative effects on patient quality of life, knowledge and satisfaction were reported. One study reported no difference in healthcare provider satisfaction. Another study showed fewer hospital admissions for patients who attended shared medical appointments. DISCUSSION: Few rigorous studies evaluated the use of shared medical appointments for chronic illnesses. Overall, there appears to be no patient harms. Further studies should include more objective outcomes and larger sample sizes.

Optimal sequence of adjuvant endocrine and radiation therapy in early-stage breast cancer - A systematic review.

IMPORTANCE: Clinical equipoise exists around the optimal time to start adjuvant endocrine therapy in patients who will receive post-operative radiotherapy for breast cancer. Concerns continue to exist regarding potential reduced efficacy, or increased toxicity, when radiation, and endocrine therapy are administered concurrently. OBJECTIVE: To perform a systematic review of studies comparing outcomes between sequential and concurrent adjuvant radiation and endocrine therapy in early-stage breast cancer. All modalities of radiation therapy were considered, and endocrine therapy could be either tamoxifen or an aromatase inhibitor. Outcomes of interest included; local, regional or distant recurrence, overall survival and treatment-related toxicities. EVIDENCE REVIEWED: PubMed, Ovid Medline, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched from 1946 to December 2017. Two reviewers independently assessed each citation using the criteria outlined above. Study quality was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration's tool for prospective studies, and the Newcastle-Ottawa scale for retrospective studies. FINDINGS: Of 2137 unique citations identified, 13 met eligibility criteria. Eleven were unique studies (7569 patients), while 2 of the studies were updated analyses of previous studies. Studies evaluated the timing of adjuvant radiation, and tamoxifen (5 studies, 1550 patients), or aromatase inhibitors (6 studies, 6019 patients). We identified 1 complete randomized clinical trial (150 patients), and 5 retrospective studies (1580 patients), in addition to conference abstracts (5 studies, 5839 patients). Overall, none of the studies showed a significant difference in efficacy, or toxicity, with concurrent versus sequential treatment. However, given the significant heterogeneity of the study populations, it was not possible to conduct a meta-analysis. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In the absence of high quality data, adequately powered randomized trials are required to answer this important clinical question.

Network geometry of evidence from randomised controlled trials addressing donor selection and source of haematopoietic progenitor cells used in allogeneic transplantation: a systematic scoping review.

BACKGROUND AND METHODS: A scoping review of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) addressing source of cells and choice of donor for allogeneic haematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) was performed to create a network of best evidence that allows us to identify new potential indirect comparisons for the strategic development of future studies that connect to the existing evidence network. RESULTS: A total of 19 eligible RCTs (2589 total patients) were identified. Nine studies (1566 patients) compared clinical outcomes following the use of peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBPCs) with bone marrow (BM) from matched related donors (eight studies) or matched unrelated donors (one study). The remaining studies compared BM or PBPCs with various methods of BM stimulation or manipulation (six studies), compared different methods of surface molecule-based selection and/or depletion of grafts (two studies) or compared the optimal number of units for paediatric cord blood transplantation (two studies). No published RCTs compared different types of donors. The geometry of the evidence network was analysed to identify opportunities for potential novel indirect comparisons and to identify opportunities to expand the network. Few indirect comparisons are currently feasible due to small sample size and heterogeneity in patient diagnoses and demographics between treatment nodes in the network. CONCLUSION: More RCTs that enrol greater numbers of similar patients are needed to leverage the current evidence network concerning donor choice and source of cells used in allogeneic HCT.

Potential drug-drug and drug-disease interactions in well-functioning community-dwelling older adults.

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE: There are few studies examining both drug-drug and drug-disease interactions in older adults. Therefore, the objective of this study was to describe the prevalence of potential drug-drug and drug-disease interactions and associated factors in community-dwelling older adults. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 3055 adults aged 70-79 without mobility limitations at their baseline visit in the Health Aging and Body Composition Study conducted in the communities of Pittsburgh PA and Memphis TN, USA. The outcome factors were potential drug-drug and drug-disease interactions as per the application of explicit criteria drawn from a number of sources to self-reported prescription and non-prescription medication use. RESULTS: Over one-third of participants had at least one type of interaction. Approximately one quarter (25·1%) had evidence of had one or more drug-drug interactions. Nearly 10·7% of the participants had a drug-drug interaction that involved a non-prescription medication. % The most common drug-drug interaction was non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) affecting antihypertensives. Additionally, 16·0% had a potential drug-disease interaction with 3·7% participants having one involving non-prescription medications. The most common drug-disease interaction was aspirin/NSAID use in those with history of peptic ulcer disease without gastroprotection. Over one-third (34·0%) had at least one type of drug interaction. Each prescription medication increased the odds of having at least one type of drug interaction by 35-40% [drug-drug interaction adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1·35, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1·27-1·42; drug-disease interaction AOR = 1·30; CI = 1·21-1·40; and both AOR = 1·45; CI = 1·34-1·57]. A prior hospitalization increased the odds of having at least one type of drug interaction by 49-84% compared with those not hospitalized (drug-drug interaction AOR = 1·49, 95% CI = 1·11-2·01; drug-disease interaction AOR = 1·69, CI = 1·15-2·49; and both AOR = 1·84, CI = 1·20-2·84). WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION: Drug interactions are common among community-dwelling older adults and are associated with the number of medications and hospitalization in the previous year. Longitudinal studies are needed to evaluate the impact of drug interactions on health-related outcomes.

Symptom practice guide for telephone assessment of patients with cancer treatment-related cardiotoxic dyspnea: Adaptation and evaluation of acceptability.

BACKGROUND: Patients with cancer treatment-related cardiotoxicity, which may manifest as heart failure (HF), can present with dyspnea. Nurses frequently assess, triage and offer self-care strategies to patients experiencing dyspnea in both the cardiology and oncology settings. However, there are no known tools available for nurses to manage patients in the setting of cancer treatment-related cardiotoxicity. The objective of this study was to adapt and evaluate the acceptability of an evidence-informed symptom practice guide (SPG) for use by nurses over the telephone for the assessment, triage, and management of patients experiencing dyspnea due to cancer treatment-related cardiotoxicity. METHODS: The CAN-IMPLEMENT© methodology guided this descriptive study. A systematic search was conducted in four databases to identify cardio-oncology and HF guidelines and systematic reviews. Screening was conducted by two reviewers, with data extracted into a recommendation matrix from eligible guidelines and systematic reviews on: assessment criteria, medications, and/or self-care strategies to manage dyspnea. Healthcare professionals with an expertise in oncology and/or cardiology were recruited using purposeful and snowball sampling. Evaluation of acceptability of the adapted SPG was gathered through semi-structured interviews and a survey with open- and closed-ended questions. Quantitative findings and participant feedback from the interviews and the open-ended survey questions were analyzed descriptively. RESULTS: Of 490 citations, seven HF guidelines were identified. Evidence from these guidelines was added to the original SPG. Eleven healthcare professionals completed the interview and acceptability survey. The adapted SPG was iteratively revised three times during the interviews. The original SPG was adaptable, and participants indicated the adapted SPG was comprehensive, easy to follow, and would be useful in clinical practice. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the lack of knowledge tools and available clinical practice guidelines to guide healthcare professionals to assess, triage and/or offer self-care strategies to patients with cancer treatment-related cardiotoxic dyspnea. Moreover, most nurses require assistance to differentiate among the various causes of dyspnea from oncology treatment in order to triage severity appropriately. Further research should focus on evaluating the validity of the adapted SPG in clinical practice.

Should de-escalation of bone-targeting agents be standard of care for patients with bone metastases from breast cancer? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: De-escalation of bone-targeted agents, such as bisphosphonates and denosumab, from 4- to 12-weekly dosing is an increasingly used strategy in patients with bone metastases from breast cancer. It is unclear whether there is sufficient evidence to support de-escalation as a standard of care. METHODS: A systematic review of randomized trials comparing standard 4-weekly administration of bone-targeted agents with de-escalated (Q12-weekly) dosing in breast cancer patients was carried out. Medline, PubMed and the Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials were searched from inception until November 2014 for relevant studies. Outcomes of interest included skeletal-related event (SRE) rates, bone pain, adverse events (AEs) and bone turnover biomarkers. Random-effects meta-analyses were carried out. RESULTS: A total of nine citations representing seven unique studies were eligible. One study is ongoing with no reported data. Six studies reported data for at least one outcome of interest. Data were available comparing standard versus de-escalated therapy for pamidronate (1 study, 38 patients), zoledronate (3 studies, 1117 patients) and denosumab (2 studies, 284 patients). Meta-analysis of five trials reporting data for on-study SRE rates between standard (61/443 patients) and de-escalated (49/392 patients) arms produced a summary risk ratio of 0.90 (95% confidence interval 0.63-1.29). Meta-analyses of data for AEs and bone turnover biomarkers also showed no statistically significant differences between standard and de-escalated arms, though only limited numbers of patients and events were present for most analyses. CONCLUSION: In this systematic review of studies of bisphosphonates and denosumab, there appears to be no difference in SREs or pain with de-escalated therapy. While a large, hopefully definitive study is ongoing, the data presented so far are consistent with de-escalation of bone-targeting agents becoming a standard of care for patients with bone metastases from breast cancer.

Bleeding risk, physical functioning and non-use of anticoagulation among patients with stroke and atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is common among people with stroke. Anticoagulation medications can be used to manage the deleterious impact of AF after stroke, however, may not be prescribed due to concerns about post-stroke falls and decreased functioning. Thus, the purpose of this study was to identify, among people with stroke and AF, predictors of anticoagulation prescription at hospital discharge. METHODS: This is a secondary analysis of a retrospective cohort study of data retrieved via medical records, including National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, Functional Independence Measure (FIM) motor score (motor or physical function), ambulation on second day of hospitalization, Morse Falls Scale (fall risk) and HAS-BLED score (Hypertension; Abnormal renal and liver function; Stroke; Bleeding; Labile INRs; Elderly >65; and Drugs or alcohol). Data analyses included bivariate comparisons between people with and without anticoagulation at discharge. Logistic-regression modeling was used to assess predictors of discharge anticoagulation. RESULTS: There were 334 subjects included in the analyses, whose average age was 75 years old. Anticoagulation was prescribed at discharge for 235 (70%) of patients. In the adjusted regression analyses, only the FIM motor score (adjusted OR = 1.015, 95% CI 1.001-1.028) and the HAS-BLED score (adjusted OR = 0.36, 95% CI 0.22-0.58) were significantly associated with anticoagulation prescription at discharge. CONCLUSION: It appears that in this sample, post-stroke anticoagulation decisions appear to be made based on clinical factors associated with bleed risk and motor deficits or physical functioning. However, opportunities may exist for improving clinician documentation of specific reasoning for non-anticoagulation prescription.

Glycemia and cognitive function in older adults using glucose-lowering drugs.

OBJECTIVES: In experimental studies, both high and low levels of plasma glucose are associated with cognitive impairment. In populations, less is known about the relationship between glycemia and cognitive function, especially in persons using glucose-lowering drugs. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study of 378 high-functioning black and white men and women aged 70 to 79 participating in the Health, Aging, and Body Composition Study (Health ABC) who used glucose-lowering medications. Glycemic measures included fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c). Cognitive function was assessed using the Modified Mini-Mental State Examination (3MS) and the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSS) at the same examination visit in which the glycemic measures were determined. SETTING: Memphis, Tennessee and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. RESULTS: We observed an "inverted-U" relationship (p =.0025 for 3MS, p=.0277 for DSS) between FPG (range 47 - 366 mg/dl) and performance on these two tests. The fasting plasma glucose levels associated with the highest score on the 3MS was 180 mg/dl and 135 mg/dl for the DSS. There was a monotonic inverse relationship between HbA1c and performance on 3MS and DSS without evidence of a threshold effect. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that older adults who are treated for diabetes may experience a small degree of cognitive impairment within the recommended fasting glucose levels, yet measures of long-term glycemic control support tight glycemic control. Given the high prevalence of diabetes and the common use of glucose-lowering drugs in older adults, further studies are needed to elucidate these relationships.

Ovarian cancer patients and hormone replacement therapy: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: Although the majority of patients with ovarian cancer are menopausal, approximately one-third are premenopausal at the time of diagnosis. Little information is available concerning the impact of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on the clinical outcomes of patients previously treated for ovarian cancer. The objective of this review is to determine whether there is any adverse impact on survival among women with ovarian cancer on HRT. METHODS: A protocol was developed in advance of commencement of this systematic review. It detailed the plan for the search strategy, selection criteria for studies, and methods for data collection and analysis. No limitation of study design was made, and the details of the search strategy are described in the text of the review. Two reviewers independently evaluated the eligibility of all studies and abstracted the data. RESULTS: One randomized trial and two observational studies are included. Due to methodological heterogeneity of the included studies, results have not been pooled in a meta-analysis. The randomized trial presented differences between the intervention and control groups on median overall survival (44 months vs. 34 months/HRT vs. No-HRT) and disease-free survival (34 months vs. 27 months/HRT vs. No-HRT) that were not significant. Similarly, there were nonsignificant differences in survival and recurrence rates in the two included cohort studies. CONCLUSIONS: This is a comprehensive systematic review of the evidence concerning HRT in ovarian cancer patients. Until more evidence becomes available, it appears that HRT is acceptable for patients with ovarian cancer as part of supportive and symptomatic therapy.

Association between the inception of a SAFE KIDS Coalition and changes in pediatric unintentional injury rates.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the relationship between the implementation of a SAFE KIDS Coalition and pediatric unintentional injury rates. SETTING: Shelby County, Tennessee. DESIGN: Retrospective observational analysis. PATIENTS: County residents nine years of age or younger presenting to the children's medical center, its emergency department, or its outpatient clinics from 1990-97. INTERVENTION: Implementation of a SAFE KIDS Coalition. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Rates of unintentional injuries targeted by the SAFE KIDS Coalition that resulted in hospitalization or in death. Rates of motor vehicle occupant injuries that resulted in hospitalization or in death. Rates of non-targeted unintentional injuries, namely injuries secondary to animals and by exposure to toxic plants. Rates of severe injuries (defined as those targeted injuries that required hospitalization or resulted in death), and specifically, severe motor vehicle occupant injuries were compared before and after the inception of the coalition using Poisson regression analysis. RESULTS: The relative risk of targeted severe injury rates decreased after implementation of the coalition even after controlling for changes in hospital admission rates. Specifically, severe motor vehicle occupant injury rates decreased 30% (relative risk 0.70; 95% confidence interval 0.54 to 0.89) after initiation of the coalition. CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of a SAFE KIDS Coalition was associated with a decrease in severe targeted injuries, most notably, severe motor vehicle occupant injuries. Although causality cannot be determined, these data suggest that the presence of a coalition may be associated with decreased severe unintentional injury rates.

Type 2 diabetes in older well-functioning people: who is undiagnosed? Data from the Health, Aging, and Body Composition study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess, in an older population, the prevalence of diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes, the number needed to screen (NNTS) to identify one individual with undiagnosed diabetes, and factors associated with undiagnosed diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Socioeconomic and health-related factors were assessed at the baseline examination of the Health, Aging, and Body Composition (Health ABC) Study, a cohort of 3,075 well-functioning people aged 70-79 years living in Memphis, Tennessee and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (42% blacks and 48% men). Diabetes was defined according to the 1985 World Health Organization criteria (fasting glucose > or =7.8 mmol/l or 2-h glucose > or =11.1 mmol/l) and the 1997 American Diabetes Association criteria (fasting glucose > or =7.0 mmol/l). RESULTS: The prevalence of diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes was 15.6 and 8.0%, respectively, among all participants (NNTS 10.6), 13.9 and 9.1% among white men (NNTS 9.5), 7.8 and 7.4% among white women (NNTS 12.4), 22.7 and 9.1% among black men (NNTS 8.5), and 21.6 and 6.2% among black women (NNTS 12.6). In multivariate analyses, compared with individuals without diabetes, individuals with undiagnosed diabetes were more likely to be men and were more likely to have a history of hypertension, higher BMI, and larger waist circumference. NNTS was lowest in men (9.1), individuals with hypertension (8.7), individuals in the highest BMI quartile (6.9), and individuals in the largest waist circumference quartile (6.8). CONCLUSIONS: In approximately one-third of all older people with diabetes, the condition remains undiagnosed. Screening for diabetes may be more efficient among men and individuals with hypertension, high BMI, and large waist circumference.

Prevalence and clinical implications of American Diabetes Association-defined diabetes and other categories of glucose dysregulation in older adults: the health, aging and body composition study.

Using data on history of diabetes, fasting glucose (FG) and the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), the authors contrasted cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors (body mass index, blood pressure, lipids and glycated hemoglobin) in 3052 African-American and White adults aged 70-79 in mutually exclusive categories of diagnosed diabetes, undiagnosed diabetes defined by the American Diabetes Association (ADA), isolated post-challenge hyperglycemia (IPH; FG < 126 mg/dL and 2 h post-OGTT > or = 200 mg/dL), impaired fasting glucose (IFG; FG > or = 110 but < 126 mg/dL), and individuals who were non-diabetic by both ADA and World Health Organization (WHO) criteria (FG < 126 mg/dL and 2 h post-challenge glucose < 200 mg/dL). The prevalence of diagnosed diabetes, undiagnosed ADA diabetes and IPH were 15.2, 3.8 and 4.7%, respectively, with more diagnosed and undiagnosed ADA diabetes in African-Americans than Whites. Compared to mean glycated hemoglobin (HbA(1c)) among ADA/WHO non-diabetic individuals (6.0%), HbA(1c) was substantially higher in the diagnosed diabetes and undiagnosed ADA diabetes groups (8.0% and 7.7%), but not in the IPH group (6.3%). The diagnosed and undiagnosed ADA diabetic groups had worse CVD risk factor profiles than the ADA/WHO non-diabetic group. IPH subjects had elevated levels of some CVD risk factors, but differences were more modest than those for the diabetic groups. Among people with IPH, those who also had IFG had worse CVD profiles than those with IPH alone. Although the OGTT may identify additional adults with more CVD risk factors than normals, these differences appear to be clustered among those who also have IFG.

Educational program for physicians to reduce use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs among community-dwelling elderly persons: a randomized controlled trial.

CONTEXT: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are among the most frequently prescribed drugs for patients 65 years of age or older, primarily for musculoskeletal symptoms of osteoarthritis. Because NSAIDs frequently cause serious gastrointestinal (GI) and other complications among elderly patients, expert guidelines for osteoarthritis recommend acetaminophen-based regimens, which are safer and often as effective as NSAIDs. OBJECTIVE: Evaluate a physician education program that communicated guidelines for management of osteoarthritis in elderly patients that emphasized avoidance of NSAIDs when possible. The program reviewed NSAID risks and benefits and recommended: re-evaluating continuous NSAID users, considering substitution of up to 4 g/d of acetaminophen for the NSAID, and trying topical agents and nonpharmacologic measures. DESIGN AND SETTING: Randomized controlled trial among community-dwelling Tennessee Medicaid enrollees. SUBJECTS: Study physicians had 5 or more patients who: were community-dwelling Medicaid enrollees 65 years of age or older; had used NSAIDs regularly for at least 180 days; had had no medical care encounters during this period suggesting an indication other than osteoarthritis; and had 1 year of baseline and follow-up data. The study thus included 209 physicians (103 intervention/106 control) with 1,566 qualifying regular NSAID users (768/798). INTERVENTIONS: Face-to-face visit to study physicians by another physician, and reminder placements in the charts of patients eligible to have NSAID use reevaluated. OUTCOMES: Change between baseline and follow-up years in: days of prescribed NSAIDs, acetaminophen, other drugs for musculoskeletal disorders, and GI drugs; outpatient visits and inpatient days of stay; SF36 measures of general health, physical function, and bodily pain (from 40% random patient sample); and over-the-counter NSAIDs (from the sample). RESULTS: Intervention-attributable reduction of 7% (95% CI, 3% to 11%) in days of prescribed NSAIDs use with concomitant increase in acetaminophen use. No significant changes in other study endpoints. The intervention effect was greater among 75 physicians with a completed study visit, whose 564 patients had a 10% (95% CI, 6% to 14%) attributable reduction in NSAID use. CONCLUSIONS: The educational program modestly reduced NSAID exposure in community-dwelling elderly patients without undesirable substitution of other medications or detectable worsening of musculoskeletal symptoms.

Financial difficulty in acquiring food among elderly disabled women: results from the Women's Health and Aging Study.

OBJECTIVES: This study described the prevalence and characteristics of financial difficulty acquiring food and its relation to nutritional biomarkers in older disabled women. METHODS: Baseline data were analyzed from the Women's Health and Aging Study, a population-based survey of 1002 community-dwelling, disabled women 65 years and older from Baltimore, Md. RESULTS: Minority women (49.5%) were more likely than White women (13.4%) to report financial difficulty acquiring food (odds ratio [OR] = 6.2, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 4.5, 8.6). Of the women reporting financial difficulty acquiring food, only 19.3% received food stamps and fewer than 7% participated in food assistance programs. Women reporting financial difficulty acquiring food had higher levels of psychologic depression than women not reporting such difficulty. Greater likelihood of financial difficulty acquiring food was associated with poorer quality of life and physical performance among White women and with more medical conditions among minority women. Finally, anemia (hemoglobin < 120 g/L) was associated with financial difficulty acquiring food (age-adjusted OR = 2.9, 95% CI = 1.9, 4.3). CONCLUSIONS: Financial difficulty acquiring food was common, and receipt of nutritional services was rare, in community-dwelling, older disabled women. Nutrition assistance programs for the elderly should reexamine their effectiveness in preventing nutritional deficits in older disabled women.

Dementia and disability outcomes in large hypertension trials: lessons learned from the systolic hypertension in the elderly program (SHEP) trial.

In the Systolic Hypertension in the Elderly Program (SHEP) trial (1985-1990), active treatment reduced the incidence of cardiovascular events, but not that of dementia and disability, as compared with placebo. This study aims to evaluate if assessment of cognitive and functional outcomes was biased by differential dropout. Characteristics of subjects who did or did not participate in follow-up cognitive and functional evaluations were compared. The relative risks of incident cognitive impairment and disability were assessed in the two treatment groups, with the use of the reported findings and under the assumption that the proportions of cognitive and functional impairment among dropouts increased. Assignment to the placebo group and the occurrence of cardiovascular events independently predicted missed assessments. From the reported findings, the risk of cognitive and functional impairment was similar between the two treatment groups. However, when 20-30% and 40-80% of the subjects who missed the assessment were assumed to be cognitively and, respectively, functionally impaired, assignment to active treatment reduced the risk of these outcomes. In the SHEP, the cognitive and functional evaluations were biased toward the null effect by differential dropout. This might have obscured the appraisal of a protective effect of treatment on the cognitive and functional decline of older hypertensive adults.

Serum uric acid, diuretic treatment and risk of cardiovascular events in the Systolic Hypertension in the Elderly Program (SHEP).

OBJECTIVE: To assess longitudinally the association of serum uric acid and its change due to diuretic treatment with cardiovascular events in hypertensive patients. DESIGN: Cohort study in a randomized trial. SETTING: Cohort of hypertensive patients. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 4327 men and women, aged > or = 60 years, with isolated systolic hypertension, randomized to placebo or chlorthalidone, with the addition of atenolol or reserpine if needed, were observed for 5 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Major cardiovascular events, coronary events, stroke and all-cause mortality. RESULTS: Cardiovascular event rates for quartiles of baseline serum uric acid were: I, 32.7 per 1000 person-years; II, 34.5 per 1000 person-years; III, 38.1 per 1000 person-years; and IV, 41.4 per 1000 person-years (P for trend = 0.02). The adjusted hazard ratio (HR), of cardiovascular events for the highest quartile of serum uric acid versus the lowest quartile was 1.32 (95% CI, 1.03-1.69). The benefit of active treatment was not affected by baseline serum uric acid. After randomization, an increase of serum uric acid < 0.06 mmol/l (median change) in the active treatment group was associated with a HR of 0.58 (0.37-0.92) for coronary events compared with those with a serum uric acid increase > or = 0.06 mmol/l. This difference was not explained by blood pressure effects. Those with a serum uric acid increase > or = 0.06 mmol/l in the active treatment group had a similar risk of coronary events as the placebo group. CONCLUSIONS: Serum uric acid independently predicts cardiovascular events in older persons with isolated systolic hypertension. Monitoring serum uric acid change during diuretic treatment may help to identify patients who will most benefit from treatment.

Glycemic control of older adults with type 2 diabetes: findings from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988-1994.

BACKGROUND: Although nearly half of all people who have diabetes are aged 65 or older, glycemic control of older adults with diabetes has not been well described. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 1,482 participants with self-reported type 2 diabetes in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988-1994 (NHANES III), a nationally representative sample of the US noninstitutionalized civilian population. Variables included in this analysis included age, sociodemographic factors, drug treatment, and level of glycemic control. RESULTS: The mean % (+/-SE) HbA1c was 7.78 +/- 0.21, 7.64 +/- 0.18, 7.71 +/- 0.14, and 7.27 +/- 0.14 in persons aged 20 to 54, 55 to 64, 65 to 74 and > or = 75 years, respectively. The mean mg/dL (+/-SE) fasting plasma glucose (FPG) was 175.9 +/- 7.6, 164.5 +/- 6.1, 183.3 +/- 5.3, and 158.5 +/- 5.5 in the four age groups and older, respectively. When controlling for race, gender, education, and duration of diabetes, age was not significantly associated with levels of HbA1c [P (trend) =0.17] or FPG [P (trend) =0.19]. Among NHANES III participants aged 65 or older, ADA guidelines for glycemic control (HbA1c < 7%) were achieved by 71%, 44%, and 27% of persons using no drug therapy, oral hypoglycemic agents, and insulin, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Although many older adults with type 2 diabetes do not achieve targets for glucose control, there is no evidence to suggest that community-dwelling older adults with diabetes are treated less vigorously than younger persons with diabetes.

The role of diastolic blood pressure when treating isolated systolic hypertension.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the role of treated diastolic blood pressure (DBP) level in stroke, coronary heart disease (CHD), and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients with isolated systolic hypertension (ISH). DESIGN: An analysis of the 4736 participants in the Systolic Hypertension in the Elderly Program (SHEP) was undertaken. The SHEP was a randomized multicenter double-blind outpatient clinical trial of the impact of treating ISH in men and women aged 60 years and older. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Cox proportional hazards regression analysis, with DBP and systolic blood pressure (SBP) as time-dependent covariables. RESULTS: After adjustment for the baseline risk factors of race (black vs other), sex, use of antihypertensive medication before the study, a composite variable (diabetes, previous heart attack, or stroke), age, and smoking history (ever vs never) and adjustment for the SBP as a time-dependent variable, we found, for the active treatment group only, that a decrease of 5 mm Hg in DBP increased the risk for stroke (relative risk, [RR], 1.14; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05-1.22), for CHD (RR, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.00-1.16), and for CVD (RR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.05-1.16). CONCLUSIONS: Some patients with ISH may be treated to a level that uncovers subclinical disease, and some may be overtreated. Further studies need to determine whether excessively low DBP can be prevented by more careful titration of antihypertensive therapy while maintaining SBP control. It is reassuring that patients receiving treatment for ISH never perform worse than patients receiving placebo in terms of CVD events.