Clinical value of plasma ALZpath pTau217 immunoassay for assessing mild cognitive impairment.

BACKGROUND: Among plasma biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease (AD), pTau181 and pTau217 are the most promising. However, transition from research to routine clinical use will require confirmation of clinical performance in prospective cohorts and evaluation of cofounding factors. METHOD: pTau181 and pTau217 were quantified using, Quanterix and ALZpath, SIMOA assays in the well-characterised prospective multicentre BALTAZAR (Biomarker of AmyLoid pepTide and AlZheimer's diseAse Risk) cohort of participants with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). RESULTS: Among participants with MCI, 55% were Aß+ and 29% developed dementia due to AD. pTau181 and pTau217 were higher in the Aß+ population with fold change of 1.5 and 2.7, respectively. MCI that converted to AD also had higher levels than non-converters, with HRs of 1.38 (1.26 to 1.51) for pTau181 compared with 8.22 (5.45 to 12.39) for pTau217. The area under the curve for predicting Aß+ was 0.783 (95% CI 0.721 to 0.836; cut-point 2.75 pg/mL) for pTau181 and 0.914 (95% CI 0.868 to 0.948; cut-point 0.44 pg/mL) for pTau217. The high predictive power of pTau217 was not improved by adding age, sex and apolipoprotein E ε4 (APOEε4) status, in a logistic model. Age, APOEε4 and renal dysfunction were associated with pTau levels, but the clinical performance of pTau217 was only marginally altered by these factors. Using a two cut-point approach, a 95% positive predictive value for Aß+ corresponded to pTau217 >0.8 pg/mL and a 95% negative predictive value at <0.23 pg/mL. At these two cut-points, the percentages of MCI conversion were 56.8% and 9.7%, respectively, while the annual rates of decline in Mini-Mental State Examination were -2.32 versus -0.65. CONCLUSIONS: Plasma pTau217 and pTau181 both correlate with AD, but the fold change in pTau217 makes it better to diagnose cerebral amyloidosis, and predict cognitive decline and conversion to AD dementia.

[Natriuretic peptides in the diagnosis and monitoring of heart failure]. / Peptides natriurétiques dans le diagnostic et le suivi de l'insuffisance cardiaque.

NATRIURETIC PEPTIDES IN THE DIAGNOSIS AND MONITORING OF CARDIAC FAILURE. Heart failure (HF) is a serious and common disease requiring a prompt diagnosis for appropriate management. Natriuretic peptides, such as BNP and NT-proBNP, play a crucial role in diagnosing HF due to their s pecificity and reproducibility. It is important to measuring natriuretic peptides, especially in cases of acute dyspnea, to differentiate cardiac causes from others. Specific thresholds are recommended, with high values strongly suggest HF, while normal levels rule out the diagnosis. Clinical characteristics, such as age, renal function, atrial fibrillation, obesity, and gender, influence natriuretic peptides levels and should be considered in interpretation. For diabetic, hypertensive, and obese patients, early screening for HF through natriuretic peptides measurement is crucial. Furthermore, these natriuretic peptides are useful for monitoring chronic heart failure patients. They assist in confirming decompensation, titrating treatment, evaluating treatment response, and establishing prognosis. However, it's essential to choose a single biomarker (BNP or NT-proBNP) to avoid confusion.

DANS LE DIAGNOSTIC ET LE SUIVI DE L'INSUFFISANCE CARDIAQUE. L'insuffisance cardiaque (IC) est une maladie grave et fréquente nécessitant un diagnostic rapide pour une prise en charge adéquate. Les peptides natriurétiques, tels que le BNP et le NT-proBNP, jouent un rôle essentiel dans le diagnostic de l'IC en raison de leur spécificité et de leur reproductibilité. Il est important de doser les peptides natriurétiques, en particulier lors d'une dyspnée aiguë, pour différencier les causes cardiaques des autres. Des seuils spécifiques sont recommandés, et des valeurs élevées évoquent fortement une IC, tandis que des taux normaux écartent le diagnostic. Les caractéristiques cliniques ­ telles que l'âge, la fonction rénale, la fibrillation atriale, l'obésité et le sexe ­ modifient les taux de peptides natriurétiques et doivent être prises en compte dans l'interprétation. Chez les patients diabétiques, hypertendus et obèses, le dépistage précoce de l'IC par le dosage des peptides natriurétiques est crucial. De plus, ces peptides natriurétiques sont utiles pour le suivi des patients insuffisants cardiaques chroniques. Ils aident à confirmer une décompensation, à titrer le traitement, à en évaluer la réponse et à établir un pronostic. Cependant, il est essentiel de choisir un seul biomarqueur (BNP ou NT-proBNP) pour éviter toute confusion.

Anticoagulation and venous thromboembolism in patients aged 90 years and older: Data from the RIETE registry.

BACKGROUND: Age is a major risk factor for venous thromboembolism (VTE), yet patients aged ≥90 years are under-represented in clinical trials of anticoagulant therapy. The objectives were to describe and compare patient clinical characteristics, treatments, and outcomes (VTE recurrence, bleeding, and mortality) during the first 3 months of anticoagulation between VTE patients aged ≥90 years and those aged <90 years. METHODS: We analyzed data from the Registro Informatizado Enfermedad TromboEmbὀlica (RIETE), an ongoing global observational registry of patients with objectively confirmed acute VTE. RESULTS: From January 2001 to October 2022, 96,701 patients were registered in RIETE, of whom 3262 (3.4%) were aged ≥90 years. Patients aged ≥90 years were less likely to be men, and to have experienced cancer or recent surgery, but more likely to manifest immobility, chronic heart failure, anemia, renal insufficiency, or dementia than those aged <90 years. Most (99.6%) patients aged ≥90 years were receiving anticoagulant therapy. During the first 3 months, 26 patients aged ≥90 years developed VTE recurrences, 116 experienced major bleeding, and 564 died. Among patients initially presenting with pulmonary embolism (PE), deaths due to PE exceeded those due to fatal bleeding (76 vs. 19). Among those initially presenting with isolated deep-vein thrombosis (DVT), it was the reverse (2 vs. 11 deaths). CONCLUSIONS: In patients aged ≥90 years, the difference in the outcome of anticoagulant treatment depending on the initial presentation of VTE could suggest a need for different management approaches. Clinical trials evaluating the optimal duration of anticoagulation according to initial VTE presentation are warranted to limit excess deaths in this particular population.

Management of cancer-associated thromboembolism in vulnerable population.

Although all patients with cancer-associated thrombosis (CAT) have a high morbidity and mortality risk, certain groups of patients are particularly vulnerable. This may expose the patient to an increased risk of thrombotic recurrence or bleeding (or both), as the benefit-risk ratio of anticoagulant treatment may be modified. Treatment thus needs to be chosen with care. Such vulnerable groups include older patients, patients with renal impairment or thrombocytopenia, and underweight and obese patients. However, these patient groups are poorly represented in clinical trials, limiting the available data, on which treatment decisions can be based. Meta-analysis of data from randomised clinical trials suggests that the relative treatment effect of direct oral factor Xa inhibitors (DXIs) and low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) with respect to major bleeding could be affected by advanced age. No evidence was obtained for a change in the relative risk-benefit profile of DXIs compared to LMWH in patients with renal impairment or of low body weight. The available, albeit limited, data do not support restricting the use of DXIs in patients with CAT on the basis of renal impairment or low body weight. In older patients, age is not itself a critical factor for choice of treatment, but frailty is such a factor. Patients over 70 years of age with CAT should undergo a systematic frailty evaluation before choosing treatment and modifiable bleeding risk factors should be addressed. In patients with renal impairment, creatine clearance should be assessed and monitored regularly thereafter. In patients with an eGFR<30mL/min/1.72m2, the anticoagulant treatment may need to be adapted. Similarly, platelet count should be assessed prior to treatment and monitored regularly. In patients with grade 3-4, thrombocytopenia (<50,000 platelets/µL) treatment with a LMWH at a reduced dose should be considered. For patients with CAT and low body weight, standard anticoagulant treatment recommendations are appropriate, whereas in obese patients, apixaban may be preferred.

The role of nutrition in the prevention of cognitive decline.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Dementia is a growing concern and underscores the urgent need for effective preventive measures targeting modifiable risk factors. Nutrition is a key player in the onset and progression of inflammation and cognitive decline. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the effects of different dietary patterns, vitamins and nutrients for preventing cognitive decline, mainly among healthy individuals and those with mild cognitive impairment. RECENT FINDINGS: The Mediterranean diet, omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and B vitamins are the most investigated, with evidence supporting protection against cognitive decline among older adults varying across studies. More recent interventions examined in this review, such as MIND Diet, are promising with positive results, but further research is needed to conclusively establish their efficacy. It is also crucial to consider complete lifestyle as physical activity for preventing cognitive decline. SUMMARY: Definitive conclusions are difficult to draw. Future studies should adopt a comprehensive approach and focus on multinutrient strategies and whole diets.

Blood Neurofilament Levels Predict Cognitive Decline across the Alzheimer's Disease Continuum.

Neurofilament light chain (NfL) is a potential diagnostic and prognostic plasma biomarker for numerous neurological diseases including Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this study, we investigated the relationship between baseline plasma concentration of Nfl and Mild Cognitive Impairment in participants who did and did not have a clinically determined diagnosis of dementia by the end of the three-year study. Additionally, we explored the connection between baseline plasma concentration of NfL and AD dementia patients, considering their demographics, clinical features, and cognitive profiles. A total of 350 participants from the Biomarker of AmyLoid pepTide and AlZheimer's diseAse Risk (BALTAZAR) multicenter prospective study were investigated: 161 AD dementia participants and 189 MCI participants (of which 141 had amnestic MCI and 48 non-amnestic MCI). Plasma biomarkers were measured at baseline and the progression of clinical and cognitive profiles was followed over the three years of follow-up. Baseline plasma NfL concentration increased across the Alzheimer's disease continuum with a mean NfL value of 17.1 ng/mL [SD = 6.1] in non-amnestic MCI, 20.7 ng/mL [SD = 12.0] in amnestic MCI, and 23.1 ng/mL [SD = 22.7] in AD dementia patients. Plasma NfL concentration correlated with age, body mass index (BMI), and global cognitive performance and decline, as measured by the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). MMSE scores decreased in parallel with increasing plasma NfL concentration, independently of age and BMI. However, NfL concentration did not predict MCI participants' conversion to dementia within three years. Discussion: Baseline plasma NfL concentration is associated with cognitive status along the AD continuum, suggesting its usefulness as a potential informative biomarker for cognitive decline follow-up in patients.

Cancer mortality and competing causes of death in older adults with cancer: A prospective, multicentre cohort study (ELCAPA-19).

BACKGROUND: In older patients with cancer, comorbidities compete with cancer for cause of death. The objectives were to evaluate cancer mortality and factors associated, according to metastatic status. METHODS: Between 2007 and 2014, patients with cancer aged ≥70 referred for pre-therapeutic geriatric assessment (GA) were included through the ELCAPA prospective cohort study. The underlying cause of death was defined according to the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision. The World Health Organisation definition was used to categorise the cause of death as cancer versus another disease (e.g. cardiovascular disease, infectious disease, etc.) Competing risk models were used. RESULTS: Mean (SD) age of the 1445 included patients was 80.2 (5.8) and 48% were women. Most common tumour sites were colorectal (19%), breast (17%) and urinary (15%); 773 patients (49%) had metastases. After a 34-month median follow-up, 706 cancer deaths were observed among 843 deaths. The 6-month and 3-year cancer mortality rates (95% CI) were 12% (9-15) and 34% (29-38) for non-metastatic patients and 43% (39-47) and 79% (75-82) for metastatic patients, respectively. Dependency in activities of daily living and comorbidities were associated with 6-month and 3-year cancer mortality in non-metastatic (adjusted subhazard ratio [aSHR] = 1.68 [0.99-2.85] and 1.69 [1.16-2.45]; and 1.98 [1.08-3.63] and 3.38 [1.47-7.76], respectively) and metastatic patients (aSHR = 2.81 [2.01-3.93] and 2.95 [2.14-4.07]; and 1.63 [1.18-2.25] and 2.06 [1.39-3.05], respectively). Impaired Timed-Get-Up-and-Go test was associated with 6-month and 3-year cancer mortality in metastatic patients (aSHR = 1.5 [1.06-2.12] and 1.38 [1.06-1.81], respectively). Obesity was negatively associated with 3-year cancer death in non-metastatic (aSHR = 0.53 [0.29-0.97]) and metastatic patients (aSHR = 0.71 [0.51-1.00]). CONCLUSIONS: The majority of older adults with cancer referred for pre-therapeutic GA die from cancer. Geriatric parameters are independently associated with cancer mortality and should be considered for prognosis assessment, decision-making and care.

Optimización de los tratamientos de la insuficiencia cardiaca con fracción de eyección reducida en la práctica diaria: propuesta de un grupo de expertos / Optimisation of treatments for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction in routine practice: a position statement from a panel of experts

El tratamiento de los pacientes con insuficiencia cardiaca con fracción de eyección reducida (IC-FEr) con una combinación de 4 clases de fármacos se recomienda en las principales guías de práctica clínica internacionales. Sin embargo, no especifican cómo deben introducirse y ajustarse estos tratamientos. En consecuencia, muchos pacientes con IC-FEr no pasan a un régimen de tratamiento optimizado. El objetivo de esta revisión es proponer un algoritmo pragmático para optimizar el tratamiento, diseñado para que sea lo más fácil posible de aplicar en la práctica diaria. El primer objetivo es garantizar que las 4 clases de medicación recomendadas se inicien cuanto antes para establecer una terapia eficaz, incluso a dosis bajas. Esto se considera preferible a iniciar menos medicamentos a una dosis máxima. El segundo objetivo es garantizar que los intervalos entre la introducción de los medicamentos y entre los distintos pasos de titulación sean lo más breves posible, por la seguridad del paciente. Se hacen propuestas específicas para los pacientes de edad avanzada (> 75 años) frágiles, y para aquellos con trastornos del ritmo cardiaco. La aplicación de este algoritmo debería permitir alcanzar un protocolo de tratamiento óptimo en un plazo de 2 meses para la mayoría de los pacientes. Este debe ser nuestro objetivo en el tratamiento de la IC-FEr. (AU)

Major international practice guidelines recommend the use of a combination of 4 medication classes in the treatment of patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) but do not specify how these treatments should be introduced and up-titrated. Consequently, many patients with HFrEF do not receive an optimized treatment regimen. This review proposes a pragmatic algorithm for treatment optimization designed to be easily applied in routine practice. The first goal is to ensure that all 4 recommended medication classes are initiated as early as possible to establish effective therapy, even at a low dose. This is considered preferable to starting fewer medications at a maximum dose. The second goal is to ensure that the intervals between the introduction of different medications and between different titration steps are as short as possible to ensure patient safety. Specific proposals are made for older patients (> 75 years) who are frail, and for those with cardiac rhythm disorders. Application of this algorithm should allow an optimal treatment protocol to be achieved within 2-months in most patients, which should the treatment goal in HFrEF. (AU)

Head-to-Head Comparison of Two Plasma Phospho-tau Assays in Predicting Conversion of Mild Cognitive Impairment to Dementia.

BACKGROUND: Among blood biomarkers, phospho-tau181 (pTau181) is one of the most efficient in detecting Alzheimer disease across its continuum. However, transition from research to routine clinical use will require confirmation of clinical performance in prospective cohorts and evaluation of cofounding factors. METHODS: Here we tested the Lumipulse assay for plasma pTau181 in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) participants from the Baltazar prospective cohort. We compared the performance of this assay to the corresponding Simoa assay for the prediction of conversion to dementia. We also evaluated the association with various routine blood parameters indicative of comorbidities. RESULTS: Lumipulse and Simoa gave similar results overall, with hazard ratios for conversion to dementia of 3.48 (95% CI, 2.23-5.45) and 3.70 (95%CI, 2.39-5.87), respectively. However, the 2 tests differ somewhat in terms of the patients identified, suggesting that their use may be complementary. When combined with age, sex, and apolipoprotein E (APOE)ε4 status, areas under the curves for conversion detection were 0.736 (95% CI, 0.682-0.791) for Lumipulse and 0.733 (95% CI, 0.679-0.788) for Simoa. Plasma pTau181 was independently associated with renal dysfunction (assessed by creatinine and glomerular filtration) for both assays. Cardiovascular factors (adiponectin and cholesterol), nutritional, and inflammatory markers (total protein content, C-reactive protein) also impacted plasma pTau181 concentration, although more so with the Simoa than with the Lumipulse assay. CONCLUSIONS: Plasma pTau181 measured using the fully automated Lumipulse assay performs as well as the Simoa assay for detecting conversion to dementia of MCI patients within 3 years and Lumipulse is less affected by comorbidities. This study suggests a pathway to routine noninvasive in vitro diagnosis-approved testing to contribute to the management of Alzheimer disease. CLINICALTRIALS.GOV REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT01315639.

Management of Coronary Artery Disease in Older Adults: Recent Advances and Gaps in Evidence.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is highly prevalent in older adults, yet its management remains challenging. Treatment choices are made complex by the frailty burden of older patients, a high prevalence of comorbidities and body composition abnormalities (e.g., sarcopenia), the complexity of coronary anatomy, and the frequent presence of multivessel disease, as well as the coexistence of major ischemic and bleeding risk factors. Recent randomized clinical trials and epidemiological studies have provided new data on optimal management of complex patients with CAD. However, frail older adults are still underrepresented in the literature. This narrative review aims to highlight the importance of assessing frailty as an aid to guide therapeutic decision-making and tailor CAD management to the specific needs of older adults, taking into account age-related pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic changes, polypharmacy, and potential drug interactions. We also discuss gaps in the evidence and offer perspectives on how best in the future to optimize the global strategy of CAD management in older adults.

Multiancestry analysis of the HLA locus in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases uncovers a shared adaptive immune response mediated by HLA-DRB1*04 subtypes.

Across multiancestry groups, we analyzed Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) associations in over 176,000 individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) versus controls. We demonstrate that the two diseases share the same protective association at the HLA locus. HLA-specific fine-mapping showed that hierarchical protective effects of HLA-DRB1*04 subtypes best accounted for the association, strongest with HLA-DRB1*04:04 and HLA-DRB1*04:07, and intermediary with HLA-DRB1*04:01 and HLA-DRB1*04:03. The same signal was associated with decreased neurofibrillary tangles in postmortem brains and was associated with reduced tau levels in cerebrospinal fluid and to a lower extent with increased Aß42. Protective HLA-DRB1*04 subtypes strongly bound the aggregation-prone tau PHF6 sequence, however only when acetylated at a lysine (K311), a common posttranslational modification central to tau aggregation. An HLA-DRB1*04-mediated adaptive immune response decreases PD and AD risks, potentially by acting against tau, offering the possibility of therapeutic avenues.

Different Trajectories of Apathy and Depression Among Subjective Cognitive Impairment Individuals with or without Conversion to Dementia: Results from the Memento Cohort in France.

BACKGROUND: Apathy and depression are two early behavioral symptoms in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related disorders that often occur prior to the onset of cognitive decline and memory disturbances. Both have been associated with an increased risk of conversion to dementia, with a distinct neuropathology. OBJECTIVE: The assessment of the trajectories of apathy and depression and their independent impact on dementia conversion. METHODS: Apathy and Depression were measured using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory for caregiver (NPI) and clinician (NPI-C), among the nondemented individuals reporting subjective cognitive decline (SCD) at baseline. They were followed up over a 60-month period. Some converted to dementia, according to the methodology carried out by the French Memento Cohort. RESULTS: Among individuals with SCD (n = 2,323), the levels of apathy and depression were low and did not evolve significantly over the 60-month period, despite a trend in apathy increasing as of month 24. Regarding SCD individuals who converted to dementia within the 60-month period (n = 27), the prevalence of depression remained globally steady, while the levels of apathy increased over time. CONCLUSION: Apathy and depression have different trajectories among individuals with SCD and apathy alone is more likely-compared to depression-to be associated with conversion to dementia.

Primary prevention of cancer-associated venous thrombosis: Rationale and challenges in clinical practice.

Cancer-associated venous thrombosis (CAT) is a common, multifactor event known to complicate the course of cancer and jeopardize a patient's prognosis. The current guidelines regarding the prevention of CAT are sometimes considered insufficiently precise about specific situations, or are poorly applied. The expected benefits of thromboprophylaxis are balanced by the risk of major bleeding induced by anticoagulation, which implies a need to accurately identify ambulatory patients at high risk of thrombosis or hemorrhage. The Khorana score is commonly used for this, but is limited by the non-reproducibility of predicted performance across cancer types, and by the fact that antitumor treatment and cardiovascular risks are not included. The COMPASS-CAT score, which includes those two aspects, was found to be a more accurate predictor of venous thromboembolism in patients with lung cancer, and to better distinguish between patients at low or high risk of thrombosis. The frailty of patients with cancer is also a major issue, and should be taken into account when thromboprophylaxis is considered. According to current guidelines, CAT prophylaxis should be considered for hospitalized patients, those for whom surgery is scheduled, or those with pancreatic cancers. In ambulatory patients, decisions should be made according to patient, cancer and antitumoral treatment characteristics. Low molecular weight heparin is the gold standard of CAT prophylaxis. Despite increased risks of bleeding or drug-drug interactions in cancer patients, direct oral anticoagulants could be alternate options for high-risk ambulatory patients that should be accompanied by a careful global analysis of benefits, harms, and patient preferences.

Plasma phosphorylated tau 181 predicts amyloid status and conversion to dementia stage dependent on renal function.

OBJECTIVES: Plasma P-tau181 is an increasingly established diagnostic marker for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Further validation in prospective cohorts is still needed, as well as the study of confounding factors that could influence its blood level. METHODS: This study is ancillary to the prospective multicentre Biomarker of AmyLoid pepTide and AlZheimer's diseAse Risk cohort that enrolled participants with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) who were examined for conversion to dementia for up to 3 years. Plasma Ptau-181 was measured using the ultrasensitive Quanterix HD-X assay. RESULTS: Among 476 MCI participants, 67% were amyloid positive (Aß+) at baseline and 30% developed dementia. Plasma P-tau181 was higher in the Aß+ population (3.9 (SD 1.4) vs 2.6 (SD 1.4) pg/mL) and in MCI that converted to dementia (3.8 (SD 1.5) vs 2.9 (SD 1.4) pg/mL). The addition of plasma P-tau181 to a logistic regression model combining age, sex, APOEε4 status and Mini Mental State Examination improved predictive performance (areas under the curve 0.691-0.744 for conversion and 0.786-0.849 for Aß+). The Kaplan-Meier curve of conversion to dementia, according to the tertiles of plasma P-tau181, revealed a significant predictive value (Log rank p<0.0001) with an HR of 3.8 (95% CI 2.5 to 5.8). In addition, patients with plasma P-Tau(181) ≤2.32 pg/mL had a conversion rate of less than 20% over a 3-year period. Using a linear regression approach, chronic kidney disease, creatinine and estimated glomerular filtration rate were independently associated with plasma P-tau181 concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: Plasma P-tau181 effectively detects Aß+ status and conversion to dementia, confirming the value of this blood biomarker for the management of AD. However, renal function significantly modifies its levels and may thus induce diagnostic errors if not taken into account.

Medico-economic comparison of two anticoagulant treatment strategies: Vitamin K antagonists vs. direct oral anticoagulants in older adults in nursing homes in France. The "MIKADO" study.

OBJECTIVES: Currently, two classes of oral anticoagulants are available in nursing home residents: vitamin K antagonists (VKA) and direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC). DOACs have a higher net clinical benefit than VKAs but DOACs are about 10 times more expensive than VKAs. The objective of our study was to assess and compare the overall costs of anti-coagulant strategy (VKA or DOAC), i.e., including drugs, laboratory costs and time spent in human capital (nurses and medical time) in nursing homes in France. METHODS: This was an observational, multicenter, prospective study including nine nursing homes in France. Among these nursing homes, 241 patients aged 75 years and older and treated with VKA (n = 140) or DOAC (n = 101) therapy accepted to participate in the study. RESULTS: During the 3-month follow-up period, the adjusted mean costs per patient were higher for VKA than DOACs for nurse care (€327 (57) vs. €154 (56), p<.0001) for general practitioner care (€297 (91) vs. €204 (91), p = 0.02), for coordinating physicians care (€13 (7) vs. €5 (7), p < 0.07), for laboratory tests (€23 (5) vs. €5 (5), p<.0001), but were lower for drug costs (€8 (3) vs. €165 (3), p<.0001). The average overall cost for 3 months per patient was €668 (140) with VKA vs. €533 (139) with DOAC (p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: Our study showed that in nursing homes despite a higher drug cost, DOAC therapy is associated with a lower total cost and less time used by nurses and physicians for drug monitoring when compared to VKA.

Optimisation of treatments for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction in routine practice: a position statement from a panel of experts.

Major international practice guidelines recommend the use of a combination of 4 medication classes in the treatment of patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) but do not specify how these treatments should be introduced and up-titrated. Consequently, many patients with HFrEF do not receive an optimized treatment regimen. This review proposes a pragmatic algorithm for treatment optimization designed to be easily applied in routine practice. The first goal is to ensure that all 4 recommended medication classes are initiated as early as possible to establish effective therapy, even at a low dose. This is considered preferable to starting fewer medications at a maximum dose. The second goal is to ensure that the intervals between the introduction of different medications and between different titration steps are as short as possible to ensure patient safety. Specific proposals are made for older patients (> 75 years) who are frail, and for those with cardiac rhythm disorders. Application of this algorithm should allow an optimal treatment protocol to be achieved within 2-months in most patients, which should the treatment goal in HFrEF.

Impact of a public open-access community-based physical activity and fall prevention program on physical performance in older adults.

BACKGROUND: In older adults, physical activity (PA) is important in maintaining physical performance. Data on the effectiveness of public open-access community-based programs on physical performance and fall prevention are scarce. METHODS: Prospective observational controlled study in community centers providing an open-access public prevention program. Retirees aged ≥60 years who chose to participate in weekly PA workshops for 3 months were compared to those who chose the cognitive stimulation (CS) workshops. Collected data: handgrip strength, five times sit-to-stand, single-leg stance, Timed Up and Go tests, gait speed, short physical performance battery (SPPB) and frailty status at baseline (M0) and at 3 months (M3). The proportion of participants reporting a history of falls was assessed at baseline and using follow-up telephone interviews (F-Up). RESULTS: Two hundred eighty-eight participants (age 73.8 years, 87% women) were included. The sit-to-stand test, single-leg stance and SPPB scores improved significantly between M0 and M3 in both groups. A greater SPPB increase was observed in the PA than in the CS group (+0.39 vs. +0.32 points, P = 0.02) after adjustment for age, sex, number of sessions attended, fall history and SPPB at baseline. During F-Up (median 22 months), the proportion of participants reporting at least one fall decreased from 55% to 31% (P = 0.01) in the PA group and from 27% to 19% (P = 0.12) in the CS group. CONCLUSION: In a public open-access community-based program participants improved physical performance and reduced fall incidence when participating in the PA or the CS workshops. Older adults may benefit most from multifaceted prevention programs.

Validity and Performance of Blood Biomarkers for Alzheimer Disease to Predict Dementia Risk in a Large Clinic-Based Cohort.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Blood biomarkers for Alzheimer disease (AD) have consistently proven to be associated with CSF or PET biomarkers and effectively discriminate AD from other neurodegenerative diseases. Our aim was to test their utility in clinical practice, from a multicentric unselected prospective cohort where patients presented with a large spectrum of cognitive deficits or complaints. METHODS: The MEMENTO cohort enrolled 2,323 outpatients with subjective cognitive complaint (SCC) or mild cognitive impairment (MCI) consulting in 26 French memory clinics. Participants had neuropsychological assessments, MRI, and blood sampling at baseline. CSF sampling and amyloid PET were optional. Baseline blood Aß42/40 ratio, total tau, p181-tau, and neurofilament light chain (NfL) were measured using a Simoa HD-X analyzer. An expert committee validated incident dementia cases during a 5-year follow-up period. RESULTS: Overall, 2,277 individuals had at least 1 baseline blood biomarker available (n = 357 for CSF subsample, n = 649 for PET subsample), among whom 257 were diagnosed with clinical AD/mixed dementia during follow-up. All blood biomarkers but total tau were mildly correlated with their equivalence in the CSF (r = 0.33 to 0.46, p < 0.0001) and were associated with amyloid-PET status (p < 0.0001). Blood p181-tau was the best blood biomarker to identify amyloid-PET positivity (area under the curve = 0.74 [95% CI = 0.69; 0.79]). Higher blood and CSF p181-tau and NfL concentrations were associated with accelerated time to AD dementia onset with similar incidence rates, whereas blood Aß42/40 was less efficient than CSF Aß42/40. Blood p181-tau alone was the best blood predictor of 5-year AD/mixed dementia risk (c-index = 0.73 [95% CI = 0.69; 0.77]); its accuracy was higher in patients with clinical dementia rating (CDR) = 0 (c-index = 0.83 [95% CI = 0.69; 0.97]) than in patients with CDR = 0.5 (c-index = 0.70 [95% CI = 0.66; 0.74]). A "clinical" reference model (combining demographics and neuropsychological assessment) predicted AD/mixed dementia risk with a c-index = 0.88 [95% CI = 0.86-0.91] and performance increased to 0.90 [95% CI = 0.88; 0.92] when adding blood p181-tau + Aß42/40. A "research" reference model (clinical model + apolipoprotein E genotype and AD signature on MRI) had a c-index = 0.91 [95% CI = 0.89-0.93] increasing to 0.92 [95% CI = 0.90; 0.93] when adding blood p181-tau + Aß42/40. Chronic kidney disease and vascular comorbidities did not affect predictive performances. DISCUSSION: In a clinic-based cohort of patients with SCC or MCI, blood biomarkers may be good hallmarks of underlying pathology but add little to 5-year dementia risk prediction models including traditional predictors.

Apixaban versus other anticoagulants in patients with nonvalvular fibrillation: a comparison of all-cause and event-related costs in real-life setting in France.

OBJECTIVES: Compare costs associated with all-cause healthcare resource use (HCRU), stroke/systemic thromboembolism (STE) and major bleedings (MB) between patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) initiating apixaban or other oral anticoagulants (OACs). METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study using the French healthcare claims database, including NVAF patients between 2014/01/01 and 2016/12/31, followed until 2016/12/31. We used 4 sub-cohorts of OAC-naive patients, respectively initiating apixaban, dabigatran, rivaroxaban or VKAs. We matched patients initiating apixaban with patients initiating each other OACs using 1:n propensity score matching. All-cause HCRU and event-related costs by OAC treatment were estimated and compared between matched patients using generalised-linear models with gamma-distribution and two-part models. RESULTS: There were 175,766 patients in the apixaban-VKA, 181,809 in the apixaban-rivaroxaban, and 42,490 in the apixaban-dabigatran matched cohorts. Patients initiating apixaban had significantly lower HCRU costs than patients initiating VKA (€1,105 vs. €1,578, p < 0.0001), dabigatran (€993 vs. €1,140, p < 0.0001) and rivaroxaban (€1,013 vs. €1,088 p < 0.0001). They have had significantly lower costs related to stroke/STE and MB than patients initiating VKA (respectively, €183 vs. €449 and €147 vs. €413; p < 0.0001), rivaroxaban (respectively, €145 vs. €197 and €129 vs. €193; p < 0.0001), and lower costs related to stroke/STE than patients initiating dabigatran (€135 vs. €192, p < 0.02). Costs related to MB were not significantly different in patients initiating apixaban and those initiating dabigatran (€119 vs. €149, p = 0.07). CONCLUSIONS: HCRU and most event-related costs were lower in patients initiating apixaban compared to other OACs. Apixaban may be cost-saving compared to VKAs, and significantly cheaper than other DOACs, although cost differences are limited.