Prescribing patterns of fall risk-increasing drugs in older adults hospitalized for heart failure.

BACKGROUND: Older adults hospitalized for heart failure (HF) are at risk for falls after discharge. One modifiable contributor to falls is fall risk-increasing drugs (FRIDs). However, the prevalence of FRIDs among older adults hospitalized for HF is unknown. We describe patterns of FRIDs use and examine predictors of a high FRID burden. METHODS: We used the national biracial REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study, a prospective cohort recruited from 2003-2007. We included REGARDS participants aged ≥ 65 years discharged alive after a HF hospitalization from 2003-2017. We determined FRIDs -cardiovascular (CV) and non-cardiovascular (non-CV) medications - at admission and discharge from chart abstraction of HF hospitalizations. We examined the predictors of a high FRID burden at discharge via modified Poisson regression with robust standard errors. RESULTS: Among 1147 participants (46.5% women, mean age 77.6 years) hospitalized at 676 hospitals, 94% were taking at least 1 FRID at admission and 99% were prescribed at least 1 FRID at discharge. The prevalence of CV FRIDs was 92% at admission and 98% at discharge, and the prevalence of non-CV FRIDs was 32% at admission and discharge. The most common CV FRID at admission (88%) and discharge (93%) were antihypertensives; the most common agents were beta blockers (61% at admission, 75% at discharge), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (36% vs. 42%), and calcium channel blockers (32% vs. 28%). Loop diuretics had the greatest change in prevalence (53% vs. 72%). More than half of the cohort (54%) had a high FRID burden (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) score ≥ 6), indicating high falls risk after discharge. In a multivariable Poisson regression analysis, the factors strongly associated with a high FRID burden at discharge included hypertension (PR: 1.41, 95% CI: 1.20, 1.65), mood disorder (PR: 1.24, 95% CI: 1.10, 1.38), and hyperpolypharmacy (PR: 1.88, 95% CI: 1.64, 2.14). CONCLUSIONS: FRID use was nearly universal among older adults hospitalized for HF; more than half had a high FRID burden at discharge. Further work is needed to guide the management of a common clinical conundrum whereby guideline indications for treating HF may contribute to an increased risk for falls.

Prescriptions for Potentially Inappropriate Medications from the Beers Criteria Among Older Adults Hospitalized for Heart Failure.

BACKGROUND: We sought to better understand patterns of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) from the Beers criteria among older adults hospitalized with heart failure (HF). This observational study of hospitalizations was derived from the geographically diverse REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke cohort. METHODS AND RESULTS: We examined participants aged 65 years and older with an expert-adjudicated hospitalization for HF. The Beers criteria medications were abstracted from medical records. The prevalence of PIMs was 61.1% at admission and 64.0% at discharge. Participants were taking a median of 1 PIM (interquartile range [IQR] 0-1 PIM) at hospital admission and a median of 1 PIM (IQR 0-2 PIM) at hospital discharge. Between admission and discharge, 19.1% of patients experienced an increase in the number of PIMs, 15.1% experienced a decrease, and 37% remained on the same number between hospital admission and discharge. The medications with the greatest increase from admission to discharge were proton pump inhibitors (32.6% to 38.6%) and amiodarone (6.2% to 12.2%). The strongest determinant of potentially harmful prescribing patterns was polypharmacy (relative risk 1.34, 95% confidence interval 1.16-1.55, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: PIMs are common among older adults hospitalized for HF and may be an important target to improve outcomes in this vulnerable population.

Polypharmacy and Guideline-Directed Medical Therapy Initiation Among Adults Hospitalized With Heart Failure.

Background: Underprescribing of guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) for heart failure (HF) persists. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess polypharmacy as a barrier to GDMT. Methods: We examined participants hospitalized for HF with reduced ejection fraction and HF with mildly reduced ejection fraction between 2003 and 2017 from the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke study. Participants were stratified by admission medication count-0 to 4, 5 to 9, and ≥10 medications. We examined GDMT use at admission, GDMT contraindications, and initiation of eligible indicated GDMT by medication count. We conducted a multivariable Poisson regression with robust standard errors to examine the association between medication count and GDMT initiation. GDMT included agents for HF with reduced ejection fraction/HF with mildly reduced ejection fraction, antiplatelet agents and statins for coronary artery disease, and anticoagulants for atrial fibrillation. Results: Among 545 participants with HF, 34% were not taking a beta-blocker, 39% were not taking an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin receptor blocker/angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor, or hydralazine-isosorbide dinitrate, and 90% were not taking a mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist at admission; among participants with coronary artery disease, 36% were not taking an antiplatelet agent, and 38% were not taking a statin; and among participants with atrial fibrillation, 49% were not taking an anticoagulant. Polypharmacy was inversely associated with initiation of at least one indicated medication (5-9 medications: relative risk [RR]: 0.67; 95% CI: 0.56-0.82; P < 0.001; ≥10 medications: RR: 0.50; 95% CI: 0.39-0.64; P < 0.001) and initiation of at least half of indicated medications (5-9 medications: RR: 0.64; 95% CI: 0.51-0.81; P < 0.001; ≥10 medications: RR: 0.50; 95% CI: 0.38-0.67; P < 0.001). Conclusions: Polypharmacy is an important barrier to GDMT.

Social Determinants of Health and Cardiologist Involvement in the Care of Adults Hospitalized for Heart Failure.

Introduction: The involvement of a cardiologist in the care of adults during a hospitalization for heart failure (HF) is associated with reduced rates of in-hospital mortality and hospital readmission. However, not all patients see a cardiologist when they are hospitalized for HF. Since reasons for this are not entirely clear, we sought to determine whether social determinants of health (SDOH) are associated with cardiologist involvement in the management of adults hospitalized for HF. We hypothesized that SDOH would be inversely associated with cardiologist involvement in the care of adults hospitalized for HF. Methods: We included adult participants from the national REasons for Geographic And Racial Difference in Stroke (REGARDS) cohort, who experienced an adjudicated hospitalization for HF between 2009 and 2017. We excluded participants who were hospitalized at institutions that lacked cardiology services (n=246). We examined nine candidate SDOH, which align with the Healthy People 2030 conceptual model: Black race, social isolation (0-1 visits from a family or friend in the past month), social network/caregiver availability (having someone to care for them if ill), educational attainment < high school, annual household income < $35,000, living in rural areas, living in a zip code with high poverty, living in a Health Professional Shortage Area, and residing in a state with poor public health infrastructure. The primary outcome was cardiologist involvement, a binary variable which was defined as involvement of a cardiologist as the primary responsible clinician or as a consultant, collected via chart review. We examined associations between each SDOH and cardiologist involvement using Poisson regression with robust standard errors. Candidate SDOH with statistically significant associations (p<0.10) were retained for multivariable analysis. Potential confounders/covariates for the multivariable analysis included age, race, sex, HF characteristics, comorbidities, and hospital characteristics. Results: We examined 876 participants hospitalized at 549 unique US hospitals. The median age was 77.5 years (IQR 71.0-83.7), 45.9% were female, 41.4% were Black, and 56.2% had low income. Low household income (<$35,000/year) was the only SDOH that had a statistically significant association with cardiologist involvement in a bivariate analysis (RR: 0.88 [95% CI: 0.82-0.95]). After adjusting for potential confounders, low income remained inversely associated (RR: 0.89 [95% CI: 0.82-0.97]). Conclusions: Adults with low household income were 11% less likely to have a cardiologist involved in their care during a hospitalization for HF. This suggests that socioeconomic status may implicitly bias the care provided to patients hospitalized for HF.

Physician Perspectives on the Use of Beta Blockers in Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction.

ß-blockers are commonly used in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), even in the absence of a compelling indication and despite the potential to cause harm. Identifying reasons for ß-blocker prescription in HFpEF could permit the development of strategies to reduce unnecessary use and potentially improve medication prescribing patterns in this vulnerable population. We administered an online survey regarding ß-blocker prescribing behavior to physicians trained in internal medicine or geriatrics (noncardiology physicians) and to cardiologists at 2 large academic medical centers. The survey assessed the reasons for ß-blocker initiation, agreement regarding initiation and/or continuation of ß-blockers by another clinician, and deprescribing behavior. The response rate was 28.2% (n = 231). Among respondents, 68.2% reported initiating ß-blockers in patients with HFpEF. The most common reason for initiating a ß-blocker was for treatment of an atrial arrhythmia. Notably, 23.7% of physicians reported initiating a ß-blocker without an evidence-based indication. When a ß-blocker was considered not necessary, 40.1% of physicians reported they were rarely or never willing to deprescribe. The most common reason for not deprescribing a ß-blocker when the physician felt that a ß-blocker was unnecessary was the concern about interfering with another physicians' treatment plan (76.6%). In conclusion, a significant proportion of noncardiology physicians and cardiologists report prescribing ß-blockers to patients with HFpEF, even when evidence-based indications are absent, and rarely deprescribe ß-blockers in these scenarios.

Social Determinants of Health and Cardiologist Involvement in the Care of Adults Hospitalized for Heart Failure.

Importance: Involvement of a cardiologist in the care of adults during a hospitalization for heart failure (HF) is associated with reduced rates of in-hospital mortality and hospital readmission. However, not all patients see a cardiologist when they are hospitalized for HF. Objective: To determine whether social determinants of health (SDOH) are associated with cardiologist involvement in the management of adults hospitalized for HF. Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective cohort study used data from the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Difference in Stroke (REGARDS) cohort. Participants included adults who experienced an adjudicated hospitalization for HF between 2009 and 2017 in all 48 contiguous states in the US. Data analysis was performed from November 2022 to January 2023. Exposures: A total of 9 candidate SDOH, aligned with the Healthy People 2030 conceptual model, were examined: Black race, social isolation, social network and/or caregiver availability, educational attainment less than high school, annual household income less than $35 000, living in rural area, living in a zip code with high poverty, living in a Health Professional Shortage Area, and living in a state with poor public health infrastructure. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was cardiologist involvement, defined as involvement of a cardiologist as the primary responsible clinician or as a consultant. Bivariate associations between each SDOH and cardiologist involvement were examined using Poisson regression with robust SEs. Results: The study included 1000 participants (median [IQR] age, 77.8 [71.5-84.0] years; 479 women [47.9%]; 414 Black individuals [41.4%]; and 492 of 876 with low income [56.2%]) hospitalized at 549 unique US hospitals. Low annual household income (<$35 000) was the only SDOH with a statistically significant association with cardiologist involvement (relative risk, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.82-0.95). In a multivariable analysis adjusting for age, race, sex, HF characteristics, comorbidities, and hospital characteristics, low income remained inversely associated with cardiologist involvement (relative risk, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.82-0.97). Conclusions and Relevance: This cohort study found that adults with low household income were 11% less likely than adults with higher incomes to have a cardiologist involved in their care during a hospitalization for HF. These findings suggest that socioeconomic status may bias the care provided to patients hospitalized for HF.

Attitudes toward deprescribing among adults with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Attitudes toward deprescribing could vary among subpopulations. We sought to understand patient attitudes toward deprescribing among patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Academic medical center in New York City. PARTICIPANTS: Consecutive patients with HFpEF seen in July 2018-December 2019 at a program dedicated to providing care to older adults with HFpEF. MEASUREMENTS: We assessed the prevalence of vulnerabilities outlined in the domain management approach for caring for patients with heart failure and examined data on patient attitudes toward having their medicines deprescribed via the revised Patient Attitudes Toward Deprescribing (rPATD). RESULTS: Among 134 patients with HFpEF, median age was 75 (interquartile range 69-82), 60.4% were women, and 35.8% were nonwhite. Almost all patients had polypharmacy (94.0%) and 56.0% had hyperpolypharmacy; multimorbidity (80.6%) and frailty (78.7%) were also common. Overall, 90.3% reported that they would be willing to have one or more of their medicines deprescribed if told it was possible by their doctors; and 26.9% reported that they would like to try stopping one of their medicines to see how they feel without it. Notably, 91.8% of patients reported that they would like to be involved in decisions about their medicines. In bivariate logistic regression, nonwhite participants were less likely to want to try stopping one of their medicines to see how they feel without it (odds ratio 0.25, 95% confidence interval [0.09-0.62], p = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with HFpEF contend with many vulnerabilities that could prompt consideration for deprescribing. Most patients with HFpEF were amenable to deprescribing. Race may be an important factor that impacts patient attitudes toward deprescribing.

Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Adults With a History of Heart Failure Hospitalized for COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: It is important to understand the risk for in-hospital mortality of adults hospitalized with acute coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection with a history of heart failure (HF). METHODS: We examined patients hospitalized with COVID-19 infection from January 1, 2020 to July 22, 2020, from 88 centers across the US participating in the American Heart Association's COVID-19 Cardiovascular Disease registry. The primary exposure was history of HF and the primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. To examine the association between history of HF and in-hospital mortality, we conducted multivariable modified Poisson regression models that included sociodemographics and comorbid conditions. We also examined HF subtypes based on left ventricular ejection fraction in the prior year, when available. RESULTS: Among 8920 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, mean age was 61.4±17.5 years and 55.5% were men. History of HF was present in 979 (11%) patients. In-hospital mortality occurred in 31.6% of patients with history of HF, and 16.9% in patients without a history of HF. In a fully adjusted model, history of HF was associated with increased risk for in-hospital mortality (relative risk: 1.16 [95% CI, 1.03-1.30]). Among 335 patients with left ventricular ejection fraction, heart failure with reduced ejection fraction was significantly associated with in-hospital mortality in a fully adjusted model (heart failure with reduced ejection fraction relative risk: 1.40 [95% CI, 1.10-1.79]; heart failure with mid-range ejection fraction relative risk: 1.06 [95% CI, 0.65-1.73]; heart failure with preserved ejection fraction relative risk, 1.06 [95% CI, 0.84-1.33]). CONCLUSIONS: Risk for in-hospital mortality was substantial among adults with history of HF, in large part due to age and comorbid conditions. History of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction may confer especially elevated risk. This population thus merits prioritization for the COVID-19 vaccine.