The Population-level Prevalence of Exocrine Pancreas Insufficiency and the Subsequent Risk of Pancreatic Cancer.

OBJECTIVES: To study the prevalence of exocrine pancreas insufficiency (EPI) at a population level and the subsequent risk of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). METHODS: Using TriNetX (a database of over 79 million US residents), we included patients ≥18 years with EPI (identified via ICD-10 codes) and continuous follow-up from 2016-2022. Patients with prior pancreas resection and PDAC before an EPI diagnosis were excluded. The primary outcome was EPI prevalence. Secondary outcomes included imaging utilization, PDAC risk and, pancreas enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) utilization. We performed 1:1 propensity score matching of patients with EPI vs. patients without an EPI diagnosis. Adjusted odds ratio (aOR) and hazard ratios (aHR) with 95% confidence intervals were reported. RESULTS: The population prevalence of EPI was 0.8% (n = 24,080) with a mean age of 55.6 years at diagnosis. After propensity score matching, PDAC risk among patients with EPI was twice as high compared to patients without EPI (AHR 1.97, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.66-2.36). This risk persisted even after excluding patients with a history of acute or chronic pancreatitis (aOR: 4.25, 95% CI 2.99-6.04). Only 58% (n = 13, 390) of patients with EPI received PERT with a mean treatment duration of 921 days. No difference was observed in PDAC risk between patients with EPI treated with PERT vs. those that did not receive PERT (AHR 1.10, 95% CI 0.95-1.26, p = 0.17). CONCLUSIONS: Despite a low prevalence, patients with EPI may have a higher risk of PDAC and many of these patients with EPI were not on PERT. PERT did not appear to impact incident PDAC risk after an EPI diagnosis.

Myeloproliferative Neoplasms: Contemporary Review and Molecular Landscape.

Myelofibrosis (MF), Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), and MDS/MPN overlap syndromes have a broad range of clinical presentations and molecular abnormalities, making their diagnosis and classification complex. This paper reviews molecular aberration, epigenetic modifications, chromosomal anomalies, and their interactions with cellular and other immune mechanisms in the manifestations of these disease spectra, clinical features, classification, and treatment modalities. The advent of new-generation sequencing has broadened the understanding of the genetic factors involved. However, while great strides have been made in the pharmacological treatment of these diseases, treatment of advanced disease remains hematopoietic stem cell transplant.

The Impact of Patients' Primary Language on Inpatient Gastrointestinal Bleeding Outcomes.

BACKGROUND: The impact of English proficiency on gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) outcomes remains unclear. In this analysis, we compare inpatient GIB outcomes between patients with English as their primary language (EPL) and those with a primary language other than English (PLOE). METHODS: Using the 2019 State Inpatient Databases for New Jersey, Maryland, and Michigan, we created an analysis cohort of GIB hospitalizations using International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision codes. Patients were stratified by primary language (EPL vs PLOE) and type of bleeding (variceal upper GI bleeding [VUGIB], nonvariceal upper GI bleeding [NVUGIB], and lower GI bleeding (LGIB)]. Regression analyses were used to compare mortality, 30-day readmissions, and length of stay. Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were reported. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: In the cohort, 5.5%-10% of the patients spoke a primary language other than English. Endoscopy utilization was lower among patients with PLOE vs EPL for NVUGIB (17.2% vs 21.2%, P < 0.001) and LGIB (26.3% vs 29.2%, P = 0.027). Patients with PLOE had higher odds of dying of VUGIB (aOR 1.45, 95% CI 1.16-2.48) and LGIB (aOR 1.71, 95% CI 1.22-2.12). Patients with PLOE were also more likely to be readmitted after NVUGIB (aOR 1.75, 95% CI 1.64-1.81). However, after controlling for the percentage of patients with PLOE discharged from each hospital, the disparities in mortality and readmissions were no longer detected. DISCUSSION: Disparities exist in GIB outcomes among patients with PLOE, but these gaps narrow at hospitals with higher percentages of patients with PLOE. Cultural and linguistic competence may improve outcomes in this vulnerable group.

A nationwide study of liver disease hospitalizations during the coronavirus pandemic in the United States.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The impact of the Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on patients with liver disease is not well described at the population level in the United States. We used the largest, nationwide inpatient dataset to describe inpatient liver disease outcomes in the United States during the first year of the pandemic (2020) using 2018 and 2019 as comparator years. METHODS: Using the National Inpatient Sample (2018-2020), we explored year-to-year and 2020 month-to-month trends in hospitalizations, length of stay, and inpatient mortality for liver-related complications including cirrhosis, alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) and alcoholic hepatitis using regression modeling. We reported relative change (RC) in the study period. RESULTS: Decompensated cirrhosis hospitalizations decreased in 2020 compared with 2019 (RC: -2.7%, P < 0.001) while all-cause mortality increased by 15.5% (P < 0.001). Hospitalizations for ALD increased compared with pre-pandemic years (RC: 9.2%, P < 0.001) with a corresponding increase in mortality in 2020 (RC 25.2%, P = 0.002). We observed an increase in liver transplant surgery mortality during the peak months of the pandemic. Importantly, mortality from COVID-19 was higher among patients with decompensated cirrhosis (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.72, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.53-1.94]), Native Americans (OR 1.76, 95% CI [1.53-2.02]), and patients from lower socioeconomic groups. CONCLUSIONS: Cirrhosis hospitalizations decreased in 2020 compared with pre-pandemic years but were associated with higher all-cause mortality rates particularly in the peak months of the COVID-19 pandemic. In-hospital COVID-19 mortality was higher among Native Americans, patients with decompensated cirrhosis, chronic illnesses, and those from lower socioeconomic groups.