Prognostic Association of Major Frailty Domain Trajectories With 5-Year Mortality in Very Old Adults: Results From the PARTAGE Cohort Study.

We aimed to identify trajectories of nutrition, cognitive function, and autonomy over time among very old adults and to assess their impact on mortality. A cohort of subjects aged ≥80 years (in 2007-2008) who were followed for 5 years in 72 Italian and French nursing homes was used for post hoc analyses. Body mass index (BMI; weight (kg)/height (m)2), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score, and Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living (ADL) score were assessed at 4 time points. Information on vital status was collected during follow-up. Latent trajectory and Cox models were used. In the 710 subjects included, the mean age at inclusion was 88.0 (standard deviation, 4.8) years, and 78.9% were female. We identified 7 composite trajectories based on BMI, MMSE, and ADL values. As compared with the reference group (trajectory 7-stable overweight; preserved cognitive function and autonomy), 2 trajectories presented increased hazards of dying: trajectory 1 (stable overweight; moderately impaired, then declining, cognitive function and autonomy (adjusted hazard ratio = 1.79, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.26, 2.55)) and trajectory 6 (stable normal BMI; slight cognitive decline; and moderate, then degrading, loss of autonomy (adjusted hazard ratio = 1.67, 95% CI: 1.15, 2.44)). The C-index was 0.81 (95% CI: 0.72, 0.88). Repeated monitoring of BMI, MMSE score, and ADL in very old adults provides trajectories that produce better prognostic information than simple baseline assessment.

Impact of early valve surgery on outcome of Staphylococcus aureus prosthetic valve infective endocarditis: analysis in the International Collaboration of Endocarditis-Prospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: The impact of early valve surgery (EVS) on the outcome of Staphylococcus aureus (SA) prosthetic valve infective endocarditis (PVIE) is unresolved. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between EVS, performed within the first 60 days of hospitalization, and outcome of SA PVIE within the International Collaboration on Endocarditis-Prospective Cohort Study. METHODS: Participants were enrolled between June 2000 and December 2006. Cox proportional hazards modeling that included surgery as a time-dependent covariate and propensity adjustment for likelihood to receive cardiac surgery was used to evaluate the impact of EVS and 1-year all-cause mortality on patients with definite left-sided S. aureus PVIE and no history of injection drug use. RESULTS: EVS was performed in 74 of the 168 (44.3%) patients. One-year mortality was significantly higher among patients with S. aureus PVIE than in patients with non-S. aureus PVIE (48.2% vs 32.9%; P = .003). Staphylococcus aureus PVIE patients who underwent EVS had a significantly lower 1-year mortality rate (33.8% vs 59.1%; P = .001). In multivariate, propensity-adjusted models, EVS was not associated with 1-year mortality (risk ratio, 0.67 [95% confidence interval, .39-1.15]; P = .15). CONCLUSIONS: In this prospective, multinational cohort of patients with S. aureus PVIE, EVS was not associated with reduced 1-year mortality. The decision to pursue EVS should be individualized for each patient, based upon infection-specific characteristics rather than solely upon the microbiology of the infection causing PVIE.

Influence on quality of life from an early cinacalcet prescription for secondary hyperparathyroidism in dialysis.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study is to compare patient-reported quality of life (PRQOL) evolution between two groups of end-stage renal disease patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT). The first with a cinacalcet prescription within 3 months after a diagnosis of SHPT (early group) and a second group of patients with a later or no cinacalcet prescription (nonearly group). PATIENTS AND METHODS: From 2009 to 2012, we conducted a multicenter pharmaco-epidemiologic study in Lorraine region (France) including all consecutive patients on maintenance dialysis for at least 3 months with a diagnosis of SHPT (PTH > 500 pg/ml or first cinacalcet prescription). PRQOL was estimated using the Kidney Disease Quality Of Life-Short Form questionnaire, at baseline and at 6 and 12 months follow-up. Change in PRQOL was compared between the groups and adjusted with a propensity score. RESULTS: We included 124 patients: 44 in the early group and 80 in the nonearly group. The mental component summary score was lower in the early group, at baseline (43.6 ± 6.6 vs 46.6 ± 7.6; p = 0.030), and at the follow-up assessment (42.6 ± 6.9 vs 45.7 ± 7.9; p = 0.033). We found no difference between the groups in change in PRQOL, for all dimensions, even after adjustment with the propensity score. Mean serum alkaline phosphatase levels were normal in both groups at baseline (80.9 ± 32.5 vs 95.1 ± 39.6; p = 0.41). CONCLUSION: Cinacalcet prescription immediately following diagnosis of SHPT does not seem to be associated with better PRQOL evolution at 1 year. Mean serum alkaline phosphatase levels suggest that physicians should consider waiting for another PTH assay result before starting cinacalcet in case of a PTH rise.

Targets for parathyroid hormone in secondary hyperparathyroidism: is a "one-size-fits-all" approach appropriate? A prospective incident cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Recommendations for secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) consider that a "one-size-fits-all" target enables efficacy of care. In routine clinical practice, SHPT continues to pose diagnosis and treatment challenges. One hypothesis that could explain these difficulties is that dialysis population with SHPT is not homogeneous. METHODS: EPHEYL is a prospective, multicenter, pharmacoepidemiological study including chronic dialysis patients (≥ 3 months) with newly SHPT diagnosis, i.e. parathyroid hormone (PTH) ≥ 500 ng/L for the first time, or initiation of cinacalcet, or parathyroidectomy. Multiple correspondence analysis and ascendant hierarchical clustering on clinico-biological (symptoms, PTH, plasma phosphorus and alkaline phosphatase) and treatment of SHPT (cinacalcet, vitamin D, calcium, or calcium-free calcic phosphate binder) were performed to identify distinct phenotypes. RESULTS: 305 patients (261 with incident PTH ≥ 500 ng/L; 44 with cinacalcet initiation) were included. Their mean age was 67 ± 15 years, and 60% were men, 92% on hemodialysis and 8% on peritoneal dialysis. Four subgroups of SHPT patients were identified: 1/ "intermediate" phenotype with hyperphosphatemia without hypocalcemia (n = 113); 2/ younger patients with severe comorbidities, hyperphosphatemia and hypocalcemia, despite SHPT multiple medical treatments, suggesting poor adherence (n = 73); 3/ elderly patients with few cardiovascular comorbidities, controlled phospho-calcium balance, higher PTH, and few treatments (n = 75); 4/ patients who initiated cinacalcet (n = 43). The quality criterion of the model had a cut-off of 14 (>2), suggesting a relevant classification. CONCLUSION: In real life, dialysis patients with newly diagnosed SHPT constitute a very heterogeneous population. A "one-size-fits-all" target approach is probably not appropriate. Therapeutic management needs to be adjusted to the 4 different phenotypes.

Predictive performance of surgical mortality risk scores in infective endocarditis.

OBJECTIVES: This observational study aimed to evaluate Association pour l'Etude et la Prévention de l'Endocardite Infectieuse (AEPEI) surgery score predictive performance in comparison to general (EuroSCORE I, II) and specific (De Feo, PALSUSE) surgical risk scores for infective endocarditis (IE). METHODS: The study included patients who underwent surgery for IE during the acute phase at Bichat University Hospital (Paris, France) between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2016 and at Nancy University Hospital (Nancy, France) between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2019. Patients with IE complicating percutaneous aortic valve implantations or implantable intra-cardiac devices were excluded. Discrimination and calibration were assessed using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, calibration curves and the Hosmer-Lemeshow test. RESULTS: In-hospital mortality rates were 18% at Bichat and 16% at Nancy. Discrimination was high for all risk scores at Bichat (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve = 0.77 for EuroSCORE I, 0.78 for EuroSCORE II, 0.76 for De Feo score, 0.72 for PALSUSE and 0.73 for AEPEI with 95% confidence interval ranging from 0.67 to 0.83), but lower at Nancy (0.56 for EuroSCORE I, 0.65 for EuroSCORE II, 0.63 for De Feo score, 0.67 for PALSUSE and 0.66 for AEPEI score with 95% confidence interval ranging from 0.47 to 0.75). With Brier score, all scores were adequately calibrated in both populations between 0.129 (De Feo) and 0.135 (PALSUSE) for Bichat and between 0.128 (De Feo) and 0.135 (EuroSCORE I) for Nancy. With the Hosmer-Lemeshow test, the AEPEI score exhibited the best calibration (observed/predicted ratio 1.058 in Bichat, 1.087 in Nancy). CONCLUSIONS: This surgical score external validation in 2 large independent populations demonstrated that the AEPEI surgical score had the best predictive performance compared to other prognosis scores. It could be helpful in clinical practice to assist the endocarditis team in decision-making.

Contribution of taking part in sport to the association between physical activity and quality of life.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the contribution of sport to the association between physical activity (PA) and quality of life (QoL). METHODS: Cross-sectional data were gathered on 4,909 subjects (age 15-69) from the French National Barometer 2005 survey. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and the abbreviated version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF) were administered. An additional question was used to assess sporting activity. All analyses used linear regression models and were adjusted on variables associated with QoL in a general population. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants (both men and women) decreased with increasing PA level. Sport was positively associated with QoL among men (ß range from 4.2 [95 % CI 3.1-5.4] for physical health to 2.4 [95 % CI 1.1-3.8] for social relationship domains) and women (ß range from 3.6 [95 % CI 2.6-4.5] for physical health to 1.6 [95 % CI 0.6-2.8] for social relationship domains). The association between sport and QoL was greater for low or high PA levels rather than moderate PA for men (physical and psychological health) and women (physical health only). For women, there was a dose-response association with psychological health and social relationships (contribution of sport to QoL increased with PA level). CONCLUSIONS: These results showed that sport was nearly always associated with better QoL, even more so for people who had low or high PA levels (physical and psychological health for men and physical health for women). Prospective studies are necessary to confirm these findings.

The impact of transoesophageal echocardiography in elderly patients with infective endocarditis.

BACKGROUND: Infective endocarditis (IE) increasingly involves older patients. Geriatric status may influence diagnostic and therapeutic decisions. AIM: To describe transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE) use in elderly IE patients, and its impact on therapeutic management and mortality. METHODS: A multicentre prospective observational study (ELDERL-IE) included 120 patients aged ≥75 years with definite or possible IE: mean age 83.1±5.0; range 75-101 years; 56 females (46.7%). Patients had an initial comprehensive geriatric assessment, and 3-month and 1-year follow-up. Comparisons were made between patients who did or did not undergo TEE. RESULTS: Transthoracic echocardiography revealed IE-related abnormalities in 85 patients (70.8%). Only 77 patients (64.2%) had TEE. Patients without TEE were older (85.4±6.0 vs. 81.9±3.9 years; P=0.0011), had more comorbidities (Cumulative Illness Rating Scale-Geriatric score 17.9±7.8 vs. 12.8±6.7; P=0.0005), more often had no history of valvular disease (60.5% vs. 37.7%; P=0.0363), had a trend toward a higher Staphylococcus aureus infection rate (34.9% vs. 22.1%; P=0.13) and less often an abscess (4.7% vs. 22.1%; P=0.0122). Regarding the comprehensive geriatric assessment, patients without TEE had poorer functional, nutritional and cognitive statuses. Surgery was performed in 19 (15.8%) patients, all with TEE, was theoretically indicated but not performed in 15 (19.5%) patients with and 6 (14.0%) without TEE, and was not indicated in 43 (55.8%) patients with and 37 (86.0%) without TEE (P=0.0006). Mortality was significantly higher in patients without TEE. CONCLUSIONS: Despite similar IE features, surgical indication was less frequently recognized in patients without TEE, who less often had surgery and had a poorer prognosis. Cardiac lesions might have been underdiagnosed in the absence of TEE, hampering optimal therapeutic management. Advice of geriatricians should help cardiologists to better use TEE in elderly patients with suspected IE.

Combined Bacterial Meningitis and Infective Endocarditis: When Should We Search for the Other When Either One is Diagnosed?

INTRODUCTION: We aimed to describe patients with coexisting infective endocarditis (IE) and bacterial meningitis (BM). METHODS: We merged two large prospective cohorts, an IE cohort and a BM cohort, with only cases of definite IE and community-acquired meningitis. We compared patients who had IE and BM concurrently to patients with IE only and BM only. RESULTS: Among the 1030 included patients, we identified 42 patients with IE-BM (4.1%). Baseline characteristics of patients with IE-BM were mostly similar to those of patients with IE, but meningitis was the predominant presentation at admission (39/42, 92.3%). Causative pathogens were predominantly Streptococcus pneumoniae (18/42, 42.9%) and Staphylococcus aureus (14/42, 33.3%). All pneumococcal IE were associated with BM (18/18). BM due to oral and group D streptococci, Streptococcus agalactiae, and S. aureus were frequently associated with IE (14/30, 46.7%). Three-month mortality was 28.6% in patients with IE-BM, 20.5% in patients with IE, and 16.6% in patients with BM. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with pneumococcal IE or altered mental status during IE must be investigated for BM. Patients with S. aureus, oral and group D streptococcal or enterococcal BM, or unfavorable outcome in pneumococcal meningitis would benefit from an echocardiography. Patients with the dual infection have the worst prognosis. Their identification is mandatory to initiate appropriate treatment.

Characteristics of patients with infective endocarditis and no underlying cardiac conditions.

BACKGROUND: Infective endocarditis (IE) typically occurs in patients with underlying cardiac conditions (UCC). Little is known about IE in patients without UCC. We aimed to describe the clinical, microbiological and imaging characteristics, management, and in-hospital mortality of IE patients without UCC. METHODS: We analysed the data of patients with definite IE included in an observatory between 1st January 2009 and 31st December 2019. We described patients without UCC compared to those with UCC. RESULTS: Of 1502 IE patients, 475 (31.6%) had no UCC. They were younger (median 64.0 [19.0-101.0] vs. 70.0 [18.0-104.0] years, p < .001), more often on chronic haemodialysis (5.5% vs. 2.7%, p = .008), and had more often malignancy (22.5% vs. 17.3%, p = .017), immune deficiency (10.3% vs. 6.4%, p = .008), and an indwelling central venous line (14.5% vs. 7.0%, p < .001). They more often developed cerebral complications (34.7% vs. 27.5%, p = .004) and extracerebral embolism (48.6% vs. 36.1%, p < .001). Causative microorganisms were less often coagulase negative staphylococci (5.9% vs. 10.8%, p = .002) or enterococci (10.3% vs. 15.0%, p = .014) and more often group D streptococci (14.1% vs. 10.0%, p = .020). Vegetations were more common (92.8% vs. 77.0%, p < .001) and larger (14.0 [1.0-87.0], vs. 12.0 [0.5-60.0] mm, p = .002). They had more valve perforation or valve regurgitation (67.4% vs. 53.0%, p < .001) and underwent valve surgery more often (53.5% vs. 36.3%, p < .001). In-hospital mortality did not significantly differ between groups. CONCLUSION: Patients with IE and no UCC were younger than those with UCC, had specific comorbidities and portals of entry, and a more severe disease course.

Health-related quality of life in French adolescents and adults: norms for the DUKE Health Profile.

BACKGROUND: The continual monitoring of population health-related quality of life (HRQoL) with validated instruments helps public health agencies assess, protect, and promote population health. This study aimed to determine norms for the French adolescent and adult general population for the Duke Health Profile (DUKE) questionnaire in a large representative community sample. METHODS: We randomly selected 17,733 French people aged 12 to 75 years old in 2 steps, by households and individuals, from the National Health Barometer 2005, a periodic population study by the French National Institute for Prevention and Health Education. Quality of life and other data were collected by computer-assisted telephone interview. RESULTS: Normative data for the French population were analyzed by age, gender and self-reported chronic disease. Globally, function scores (best HRQoL=100) for physical, mental, social, and general health, as well as perceived health and self-esteem, were 72.3 (SEM 0.2), 74.6 (0.2), 66.8 (0.1), 71.3 (0.1), 71.3 (0.3), 76.5 (0.1), respectively. Dysfunction scores (worst HRQoL=100) for anxiety, depression, pain and disability domains were 30.9 (0.1), 27.6 (0.2), 34.3 (0.3), 3.1 (0.1), respectively. CONCLUSION: The French norms for adolescents and adults for the DUKE could be used as a reference for other studies assessing HRQoL, for specific illnesses, in France and for international comparisons.

Adherence to diagnostic and therapeutic practice guidelines for suspected cardiac implantable electronic device infections.

BACKGROUND: Despite guidelines describing the optimal diagnostic and therapeutic procedures for patients with suspected cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) infections, their management is often challenging. AIMS: To describe our diagnostic and therapeutic practices for suspected CIED infection, and to compare them with European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) guidelines. METHODS: Patients hospitalized in the tertiary care Nancy University Hospital for suspected CIED infection from 2014 to 2019 were included retrospectively. We applied the EHRA classification of CIED infection, and compared diagnostic and therapeutic management with the EHRA guidelines. RESULTS: Among 184 patients (mean age 72.3±12.4 years), 137 had a proven infection of the lead (by transthoracic echocardiography/transoesophageal echocardiography, 18F-fluorodesoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography or positive culture of the lead) or an isolated pocket infection without proof of lead infection, and 47 had no proof of CIED infection. According to the EHRA classification, CIED infection was considered as definite in 145 patients and possible in 31 and was excluded in eight patients. Regarding recommended diagnostic procedures, blood cultures were performed in 90.8%, transthoracic echocardiography in 97.8%, transoesophageal echocardiography in 85.9%, 18F-fluorodesoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography in 50.5% and imaging for embolisms in 78.3% of the patients. Compared with therapeutic recommendations for the 145 cases of definite CIED infection, device removal was performed in 96 patients (66.2%) and antibiotic therapy was prescribed in 130 (89.7%), with a duration equal to or longer than that recommended in 105 (72.4%) of the patients. CONCLUSION: This study underlines the difficulties in following theoretical guidelines in daily practice, where both technical and human considerations interfere with their strict appliance.

Impact of referral bias on prognostic studies outcomes: insights from a population-based cohort study on infective endocarditis.

PURPOSE: Prognostic studies derived from samples of patients managed in tertiary hospitals are subject to referral bias. We aimed to characterize this bias using the example of infective endocarditis. METHODS: We analyzed data from a French population-based cohort, which included 497 patients with infective endocarditis. Patients were admitted directly to a tertiary hospital (Group T), admitted to a non-tertiary hospital and referred to a tertiary hospital (Group NTT) or not (Group NT). We compared patients' characteristics, survival rates and prognostic factors between groups. RESULTS: Compared with Group T (n = 291), NTT patients (n = 144) were more often males (81.3% vs. 72.5%; P = .046), injection drug users (9.7% vs. 4.5%; P = .033), and had more frequent surgical indications (78.5% vs. 64.3%; P = .003). Compared with Group NT (n = 62), NTT patients were more often males (81.3% vs. 67.7%; P = .034) and had surgical indications more often (78.5% vs. 19.4%; P < .001). One-year survival was higher in NTT + T patients than in NT patients (73.0% vs. 56.1%; P = .01). Prognostic factors and hazard ratios estimates varied across groups. CONCLUSIONS: When derived from samples mixing patients admitted directly and those referred to tertiary hospitals, validity of characteristics description, survival estimates, and hazard ratios is threatened by referral bias.

Factors associated with psychological and behavioral functioning in people with type 2 diabetes living in France.

BACKGROUND: To identify demographic and clinical factors associated with psychological and behavioral functioning (PBF) in people with type 2 diabetes living in France. METHODS: In March 2002, approximately 10,000 adults, who had been reimbursed for at least one hypoglycemic treatment or insulin dose during the last quarter of 2001, received a questionnaire about their health status and PBF (3,646 responders). For this analysis, the 3,090 persons with type 2 diabetes, aged 18-85 years old were selected.PBF was measured with the adapted version of the Diabetes Health Profile for people with type 2 diabetes. This permitted the calculation of three functional scores - psychological distress (PD), barriers to activity (BA), and disinhibited eating (DE) - from 0 (worst) to 100 (best). RESULTS: Major negative associations were observed with PBF for microvascular complications (a difference of 6.7 in the BA score between persons with and without microvascular complications) and severe hypoglycemia (difference of 7.9 in the BA score), insulin treatment (-8.5 & -9.5 in the PD & BA scores respectively, as compared to treatment with oral hypoglycemic agents), non-adherence to treatment (-12.3 in the DE score for persons forgetting their weekly treatment), increasing weight (-8.5 & -9.7 in the PD & DE scores respectively, as compared to stable weight), at least one psychiatrist visit in 2001 (-8.9 in the DE score), and universal medical insurance coverage (-7.9 in the PD score) (due to low income). CONCLUSION: Prevention and management of microvascular complications or adherence to treatment (modifiable factors) could be essential to preserving or improving PBF among people with type 2 diabetes. A specific approach to type 2 diabetes management may be required in groups with a low socioeconomic profile (particularly people with universal medical insurance coverage), or other non modifiable factors.

Data on prognostic factors associated with 3-month and 1-year mortality from infective endocarditis.

This article describes supplementary tables and figures associated with the research paper entitled "Impact of referral bias on prognostic studies outcomes: insights from a population-based cohort study on infective endocarditis". The aforementioned paper is a secondary analysis of data from the EI 2008 cohort on infective endocarditis and aimed at characterising referral bias. A total of 497 patients diagnosed with definite infective endocarditis between January 1st and December 31st 2008 were included in EI 2008. Data were collected from hospital medical records by trained clinical research assistants. Patients were divided into three groups: admitted to a tertiary hospital (group T), admitted to a non-tertiary hospital and referred secondarily to a tertiary hospital (group NTT) or admitted to a non-tertiary hospital and not referred (group NT). The pooled (NTT+T) group mimicked studies recruiting patients in tertiary hospitals only. Two different starting points were considered for follow up: date of first hospital admission and date of first admission to a tertiary hospital if any (hereinafter referred to as "referral time"). Referral bias is a type of selection bias which can occur due to recruitment of patients in tertiary hospitals only (excluding those who are admitted to non-tertiary hospitals and not referred to tertiary hospitals). This bias may impact the description of patients' characteristics, survival estimates as well as prognostic factors identification. The six tables presented in this paper illustrate how patients' selection (population-based sample [pooled (NT+NTT+T) group] versus recruitment in tertiary hospitals only [pooled (NTT+T) group]) might impact Hazards Ratios values for prognostic factors. Crude and adjusted Cox regression analyses were first performed to identify prognostic factors associated with 3-month and 1-year mortality in the whole sample using inclusion as the starting point. Analyses were then performed in the pooled (NTT+T) group first using inclusion as the starting point and finally using referral time as the starting point. Figures 1 to 3 illustrate how HR increase with time for covariates that were considered as time-varying covariates (covariate*time interaction).

Infective Endocarditis Related to Unusual Microorganisms: A Prospective Population-Based Study.

BACKGROUND: Increased access to heart valves through early surgery and progress in molecular microbiology have reduced the proportion of infective endocarditis (IE) with no microbiological documentation and increased the proportion of IE associated with unusual microorganisms. METHODS: We performed an ancillary study of a large prospective population-based survey on IE. Unusual-microorganism IE was defined as definite IE (Duke-Li criteria) due to microorganisms other than streptococci, staphylococci, or enterococci. RESULTS: Of 471 cases of documented IE, 46 (9.8%) were due to unusal microorganisms; the following were involved in >1 case: Candida albicans (n = 4), Cutibacterium acnes (n = 4), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n = 3), Cardiobacterium hominis (n = 3), and Coxiella burnetii (n = 2). Cases were documented with blood cultures (n = 37, 80.4%), heart valve polymerase chain reaction (PCR; n = 5), heart valve culture (n = 2), PCR on vertebral biopsy (n = 1), or serology (n = 1). As compared with IE due to staphylococci, streptococci, or enterococci (n = 420), IE due to unusual microorganisms occurred more frequently in patients with previously known heart disease (69.0% vs 44.3%; P = .002), prosthetic valve (40.5% vs 18.1%; P = .0006), longer duration of fever (mean, 35.1 ± 46.8 days vs 12.5 ± 17.8; P = .003), and who were more often nosocomial (38.1% vs 20.2%; P = .02). CONCLUSIONS: In this population-based study, 9.8% of IE cases were due to unusual microorganisms, with a predominance of anaerobes, yeast, and gram-negative bacilli. As compared with IE related to staphylococci, streptococci, or enterococci, IE cases related to unusual microorganisms were associated with previously known heart disease, prosthetic valve, longer duration of fever, and nosocomial acquisition. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ORCID 0000-0003-3617-5411.

Definition and construct validation of clinically relevant cutoffs on the Flare Assessment in Rheumatoid Arthritis (FLARE-RA) questionnaire.

OBJECTIVE: The Flare Assessment in Rheumatoid Arthritis (FLARE-RA) questionnaire was devised for the detection of flares in patients with RA. We aimed to define construct validity and cut-off(s) for the FLARE-RA questionnaire. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included adult patients with prevalent RA (2010 ACR/EULAR criteria) attending outpatient rheumatology clinics in France (n = 138), Denmark (n = 253), USA (n = 75), and Argentina (n = 105). Flare occurrence over the past 3 months was assessed with the FLARE-RA questionnaire scoring from 0 (no flare) to 10 (maximum flare). The cut-offs for the FLARE-RA score were defined using the following anchor items obtained at the same encounter: (1) Patient report of flare; (2) DAS28-CRP > 3.2; (3) Change of anti-rheumatic treatment, based on the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and distance to (0,1). RESULTS: Four hundred seventy four patients with RA duration ≥2 years (mean age 58.6 years, 74.9% female) were included in the main analysis. The discrimination for the FLARE-RA cut-offs was acceptable-to-excellent: AUC for the global FLARE-RA score ranged from 0.71 to 0.92. The cut-offs for the FLARE-RA score were lower using "patient report of flare" than DAS28-CRP and "change of anti-rheumatic treatment". Proposed FLARE-RA cut-offs for clinical detection and change of anti-rheumatic treatment are 2 and 5, respectively, for patients with RA duration 2-5 years, and 2 and 3.5, respectively, for patients with RA duration >5 years. CONCLUSIONS: Proposed FLARE-RA cut-offs have acceptable discriminative capacity across the tested anchor items and are expected to aid in early recognition and timely management of RA flares.

Reliability and validity of the French version of the global physical activity questionnaire.

BACKGROUND: The Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) has been used to measure physical activity (PA) and sedentary time in France, but no study has assessed its psychometric properties. This study aimed to compare the reliability as well as criterion and concurrent validity of the French version of the GPAQ with the French International Physical Activity Questionnaire long form (IPAQ-LF) and use of an accelerometer in a general adult population. METHODS: We included 92 participants (students or staff) from the Medicine Campus at the University of Lorraine, Nancy (north-eastern France). The French GPAQ was completed twice, 7 days apart, to study test-retest reliability. The IPAQ-LF was used to assess concurrent validity of the GPAQ, and participants wore an accelerometer (ActiGraph GT3X+) for 7 days to study criterion validity. Reliability as well as concurrent and criterion validity of the GPAQ were tested by the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), Spearman correlation coefficient for quantitative variables, and Kappa and Phi coefficients for qualitative variables. Both concurrent and criterion validity of GPAQ were assessed by Bland-Altman plots. RESULTS: The GPAQ showed poor to good reliability (ICC = 0.37-0.94; Kappa = 0.50-0.62) and concurrent validity (Spearman r = 0.41-0.86), but only poor criterion validity (Spearman r = -0.22-0.42). Limits of agreement for the GPAQ and accelerometer were wide, with differences between 286.5 min/week and 601.3 min/week. CONCLUSION: The French version of the GPAQ provides limited but acceptable reliability and validity for the measurement of PA and sedentary time. It may be used for assessing PA and sedentary time in a French adult population.

Possible relationship between antiphospholipid antibodies and embolic events in infective endocarditis.

OBJECTIVE: Antiphospholipid (aPL) antibodies may activate platelets and contribute to vegetation growth and embolisation in infective endocarditis (IE). We aimed to determine the value of aPL as predictors of embolic events (EE) in IE. METHODS: We studied 186 patients with definite IE (Duke-Li criteria, all types of IE) from the Nanc-IE prospective registry (2007-2012) who all had a frozen blood sample and at least one imaging procedure to detect asymptomatic or confirm symptomatic EE. Anticardiolipin (aCL) and anti-ß2-glycoprotein I (ß2GPI) antibodies (IgG and IgM) were assessed after the end of patients' inclusion. The relationship between antibodies and the detection of EE after IE diagnosis were studied with Kaplan-Meier and Cox multivariate analyses. RESULTS: At least one EE was detected in 118 (63%) patients (52 cerebral, 95 other locations) after IE diagnosis in 80 (time interval between IE and EE diagnosis: 5.9±11.3 days). At least one aPL antibody was found in 31 patients (17%).Detection of EE over time after IE diagnosis was more frequent among patients with anti-ß2GPI IgM (log-rank P=0.0036) and that of cerebral embolisms, among patients with aCL IgM and anti-ß2GPI IgM (log-rank P=0.002 and P<0.0001, respectively).Factors predictive of EE were anti-ß2GPI IgM (HR=3.45 (1.47-8.08), P=0.0045), creatinine (2.74 (1.55-4.84), P=0.0005) and vegetation size (2.41 (1.41-4.12), P=0.0014). Those of cerebral embolism were aCL IgM (2.84 (1.22-6.62), P=0.016) and anti-ß2GPI IgM (4.77 (1.79-12.74), P=0.0018). CONCLUSION: The presence of aCL and anti-ß2GPI IgM was associated with EE, particularly cerebral ones, and could contribute to assess the embolic risk of IE.

Time interval between infective endocarditis first symptoms and diagnosis: relationship to infective endocarditis characteristics, microorganisms and prognosis.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the characteristics and outcome of infective endocarditis (IE) according to the time interval between IE first symptoms and diagnosis. METHODS: Among the IE cases of a French population-based epidemiological survey, patients having early-diagnosed IE (diagnosis of IE within 1 month of first symptoms) were compared with those having late-diagnosed IE (diagnosis of IE more than 1 month after first symptoms). RESULTS: Among the 486 definite-IE, 124 (25%) had late-diagnosed IE whereas others had early-diagnosed IE. Early-diagnosed IE were independently associated with female gender (OR = 1.8; 95% CI [1.0-3.0]), prosthetic valve (OR= 2.6; 95% CI [1.4-5.0]) and staphylococci as causative pathogen (OR = 3.7; 95% CI [2.2-6.2]). Cardiac surgery theoretical indication rates were not different between early and late-diagnosed IE (56.3% vs 58.9%), whereas valve surgery performance was lower in early-diagnosed IE (41% vs 53%; p = .03). In-hospital mortality rates were higher in early-diagnosed IE than in late-diagnosed IE (25.1% vs 16.1%; p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: The time interval between IE first symptoms and diagnosis is closely related to the IE clinical presentation, patient characteristics and causative microorganism. Better prognosis reported in late-diagnosed IE may be related to a higher rate of valvular surgery. KEY MESSAGES Infective endocarditis, which time interval between first symptoms and diagnosis was less than one month, were mainly due to Staphylococcus aureus in France. Staphylococcus aureus infective endocarditis were associated with septic shock, transient ischemic attack or stroke and higher mortality rates than infective endocarditis due to other bacteria or infective endocarditis, which time interval between first symptoms and diagnosis was more than one month. Infective endocarditis, which time interval between first symptoms and diagnosis was more than one month, were accounting for one quarter of all infective endocarditis in our study and were associated with vertebral osteomyelitis and a higher rate of cardiac surgery performed for hemodynamic indication than other infective endocarditis.