Risk Of Death In Patients Research Articles

Comparison of the Effectiveness of Body Surface Area Estimation Formulas in Predicting the Risk of Death in Patients with Heart Failure

Background/Objectives: Body surface area is one of the most important anthropometric parameters in medicine. The study’s primary objective is to compare the consistency of the BSA estimation results through applying available formulas. Other objectives include determining the ability of these formulas to discriminate between death and survival in patients, comparing the formulas’ diagnostic features, and investigating whether the risk associated with a low BSA is independent of BMI. Methods: This study included 1029 patients (median age, 54 years; female, 13.7%; NYHA I/II/III/IV, 6.3%/36.5%/47.7%/9.5%) diagnosed with heart failure. For each patient, BSA was calculated using 25 formulas. Over the 3-year observation period, 31.2% of the patients died. Results: The average BSA value of the optimal discrimination thresholds was 1.79 m2 ± 0.084 m2 and the BSA difference between the estimators with the lowest (BSAMeeh1879) and the highest (BSANwoye1989) optimal discrimination thresholds was 0.42 m2. The lowest mortality rate was 35.2% and occurred in the subgroup of individuals with BSA values below the optimal discrimination threshold using the BSASchlich2010 estimator. The highest mortality was predicted when the estimator BSAMeeh1879 or BSALivingston&Lee2001 was used. Conclusions: Our study showed a relatively good concordance of 25 BSA estimators in BSA assessment in patients, without extremes of weight or height being known to disrupt it. All BSA estimators presented a significant, although weak, ability to discriminate death from survival at 3-year follow-up; however, BSA is not a very good predictor of HF mortality at 3 years. The higher risk of death in smaller patients, as shown by BSA, was independent of BMI in all but two BSA estimators.

Patterns of protein intake and mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes: results from NHANES

We aimed to look at the potential relationship between patterns of protein intake and risk of death in adults with type 2 diabetes. We included 4646 adults with type 2 diabetes participating in NHANES (1999–2018). We estimated intake of proteins from 11 animal- and plant-based food groups and then, used principal component analysis to explore data-driven patterns of protein intake. All-cause mortality was ascertained through linkage to National Death Index until December 31, 2019 (n = 969 deaths). Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Four dietary protein patterns were identified: “healthy” (high in proteins from legumes, fruits, nuts, seeds, and fish and low in red meat protein), “red meat and egg” (high in red meat and egg proteins and low in fish and poultry proteins), “vegetables/fish” and “dairy/nuts” patterns. The HRs of all-cause mortality for the highest compared to the lowest quartile of “healthy” and “red meat and egg” protein patterns were, respectively, 0.77 (95%CI: 0.62, 0.97; Ptrend = 0.014) and 1.28 (95%CI: 1.06, 1.54; Ptrend = 0.033). Greater adherence to a healthy protein pattern may be associated with a reduced risk of death in patients with type 2 diabetes, while greater adherence to a dietary pattern rich in red meat and egg proteins and low in fish and poultry proteins may be associated with a higher risk.

Risk of death in patients with early cardiovascular complications following ischaemic stroke: an individual patient data pooled analysis from the VISTA database

Abstract Background Early cardiovascular complications may occur in patients following ischaemic stroke (stroke-heart-syndrome, SHS). We investigated the risk of death in patients with SHS, and across the SHS manifestations. Methods Data were sought from the Virtual International Stroke Trials Archive (VISTA), an international repository of clinical trials data. We reviewed relevant adverse events and classified patients into two cohorts based on the incidence of cardiovascular complications within 30 days post-stroke (acute coronary syndrome [ACS] including acute myocardial injury, heart failure [HF]/left ventricular [LV] dysfunction, atrial fibrillation [AF]/atrial flutter [AFL], other arrhythmia/ ECG abnormalities, and cardio-respiratory arrest [CRA]), i.e. those with SHS and those with stroke-only (without SHS). Using Cox proportional hazards model, we evaluated the 90-day risk of death trajectories associated with SHS. We also compared the 90-day risk of death across SHS manifestations excluding CRA, using multivariate analysis. Results Among 15,054 patients with ischaemic stroke (mean age 72±11 years; 55% male), 1,787 (11.8%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 11.3-12.3, Table 1) developed SHS, with incidence peaked at day 3 post-stroke (interquartile range: 2-5). Other arrhythmia/ECG abnormalities were the most prevalent (6.5%; 95%CI: 6.1-6.9), followed by AF/AFL, HF/LV dysfunction, ACS/acute myocardial injury, and CRA. Patients who developed SHS between 10-30 days post-stroke had significantly higher risks of death compared to those with SHS within the first 0-3 days (adjusted hazard ratio [HR]: 2.13 [1.57-2.89]). In the multivariate-adjusted analysis which includes 13 background factors such as age and sex, SHS manifested as ACS/acute myocardial injury and HF/LV dysfunction were associated with highest risk of death within 90-day post-stroke (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] [95% CI], HR 2.13 (1.08-4.18) and HR 2.28 (1.42-3.66), respectively, Figure 1). Conclusions Stroke-heart syndrome is associated with high risk of death, with greater risk observed with the delayed SHS onset. Among the SHS manifestations, ACS/acute myocardial injury and HF/LV dysfunction were associated with the highest risk of death post-stroke.Figure 1

Association between reduced risk of gastrointestinal bleeding related to proton pump inhibitor use and subsequent all-cause death in patients with percutaneous coronary intervention

Abstract Background Gastrointestinal bleeding is the leading cause of post-percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) bleeding complications which are associated with a high risk for subsequent clinical outcomes. The aim of this study was to estimate association between risk of gastrointestinal bleeding events related to proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use and subsequent clinical outcomes in patients with PCI. Methods The Clinical Deep Data Accumulation System (CLIDAS) is a database for inclusive of patient characteristics, medications, laboratory test, physiological test, cardiac catheterization and PCI treatment, all of which were aggregated from electronic medical records in 7 tertiary hospitals in Japan. Data of 6457 patients who underwent PCI between April 2014 and March 2020 and were then followed for 30 days after the index PCI, were analyzed. These patients were divided into two groups based on use of PPI; the PPI group (n=5285; 82%) and the non-PPI group (n=1172; 18%). Clinical outcomes, defined as gastrointestinal bleeding and all-cause death, were assessed using propensity score matching (PSM) and inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) models. Results Among the 6457 PCI patients, 90 (1.7%) in the PPI group and 31 (2.6%) in the non-PPI group experienced gastrointestinal bleeding events. Adjusting for baseline demographics, comorbidities, and anti-thrombotic treatments, the multivariable Cox hazard model suggested a trend towards a lower risk of gastrointestinal bleeding with PPI use (HR, 0.70; 95%CI, 0.46-1.05; p=0.087). The PSM analysis confirmed a significant association between PPI use and a lower risk of gastrointestinal bleeding (HR, 0.13; 95%CI, 0.04-0.43; p=0.001), consistent with IPTW model results (HR, 0.60; 95%CI, 0.38-0.95; p=0.031). Subgroup analysis showed that PPI use was associated with a low risk of all-cause death in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) (HR, 0.58; 95%CI, 0.36-0.93; p=0.024). Causal mediation analysis indicated an indirect effect of PPI on reducing all-cause death through the suppression of gastrointestinal bleeding events. Conclusion These findings suggested that use of PPI against gastrointestinal bleeding complications might reduce the risk of subsequent all-cause death in ACS patients undergoing PCI.

Systemic inflammation and risk of death in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease

Abstract Background Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and chronic kidney disease stage 3 - 4 (CKD) affects 7% and 10% of the Danish population, respectively. Systemic inflammation (SI) contributes to destabilisation of atherosclerotic plaques and is characterized by elevated levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) in the blood. CKD is associated with SI and is independently associated with an increased risk of ASCVD. CRP levels ≥2 mg/L have been identified as a risk factor for mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Purpose To provide real-world evidence on the clinical burden of SI in patients diagnosed with ASCVD and CKD, using national health registers. Method Data from the Danish National Patient Registry from 1994-2022 was used to identify ASCVD patients by ICD-10 codes. CKD was identified by eGFR test results in the range [15 -59mL/min/1.73m2], in the Register of Laboratory Results for Research (RLRR). The latter diagnosis of ASCVD and CKD was set as index date. CRP-test results were extracted from RLRR and only individuals with at least two CRP tests were included. If two CRP-test results ≥2mg/L to < 20mg/L were observed less than six month apart, and within two years of index date, the individual was classified to have SI. The eGFR data from RLRR was available from 2011 onwards, with some regional differences in reporting. Individuals observed with CKD or ASCVD in the first year of eGFR availability were excluded to ensure a study of incident individuals. Individuals using select medications or diagnosed with selected chronic conditions thought to influence CRP levels were excluded. Additional population characteristics were extracted from corresponding national health and administrative registers. Hazard of all-cause mortality and MACE was analysed in a Cox proportional risk regression. Results From 2012 to 2022, a total of 19,162 individuals were eligible for the study population (SI: 13,039, No SI: 6,123). Median follow-up time was 4.1 and 8.2 years for individuals with or without SI, respectively. Median CRP two years before and after index date in the two groups was 7mg/L and 1mg/L. No clinically significant differences were found for demographic or socioeconomic characteristics. Patients with SI had more frequent history of hypertension, atrial fibrillation, COPD, heart failure and Type 2 diabetes before index, and higher risk of hypertension, atrial fibrillation, stroke, heart failure and type 2 diabetes after index. SI population had significantly increased hazard of mortality in a crude model (HR: 2.35, 95% CI: [2.22 – 2.50]), and in adjusted analysis HR: 2.06 ([1.92 - 2.21]). The corresponding hazard ratios for MACE were 1.9 ([1.81 – 2.01]) and 1.66 ([1.57 – 1.77]). The results were consistent across different model specifications and subgroups. Conclusion SI is associated with a significantly higher clinical burden of disease and a higher risk of all-cause mortality.Flowchart of inclusion/exclusionHazard ratio, overall and by subgroup

Prognostic utility of heart-type fatty acid binding protein in patients with cardiac amyloidosis

Abstract Background Heart-type fatty acid binding protein (H-FABP) is a biomarker that has been shown to provide long-term prognostic information in patients with heart failure (HF), yet its role in patients with cardiac amyloidosis (CA) is unknown. Purpose We aim to investigate the association of H-FABP levels with prognosis in patients with CA. Methods Consecutive patients diagnosed with cardiac amyloidosis from October 2015 to May 2022 at Heart Failure Center, of our hospital were enrolled. Patients were categorized into 2 categories based on H-FABP levels measured in the baseline blood sample: < or = 7 ng/ml (low H-FABP), >7 ng/ml (high H-FABP). Univariate and multivariate Cox models were used to identify predictors of survival. Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed to compare survival between patients with low or high H-FABP. Results Overall, ninety-five patients were included. H-FABP was elevated (>7 ng/ml) in 37 patients (39%). Patients with high H-FABP were more likely to present with higher levels of high-sensitivity troponin-T (hs-TNT)(0.17ng/mL vs. 0.11ng/mL, p =0.01) and higher levels of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) (18098.76pg/mL vs. 6211.69pg/mL, p<0.001). Patients were followed for an average follow-up period of 440 days, in which 53 (56%) patients died. Univariate and multivariate analysis demonstrated that H-FABP levels (HR 1.48, 95% CI 1.03-2.13, per 1-SD greater) was independently associated with prognosis, even after adjusting for NT-proBNP, hs-TNT and renal function. Conclusions Elevation of H-FABP is associated with an increased risk of death in patients with cardiac amyloidosis. H-FABP can serve as a novel biomarker independent of other established predictors for prognosis in cardiac amyloidosis.Kaplan-Meier curves for overall survival

Effect of triglycerides on cardiovascular risk in patients with a first vs. recurrent acute coronary syndrome

Abstract Background Triglyceride (TG) levels have gained increasing interest in the prevention of cardiovascular disease although there is divergent evidence that might be explained by confounding factors. Methods We performed a multicenter and retrospective study using the ongoing registries of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients of 7 hospitals from Spain. TG were measured during the hospitalization, and mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) were analyzed through follow-up. Results We included 14,483 patients discharged after an ACS, mean age 67.5 (13.3), 28.1% women, and 30.4% with an ST-elevation ACS; 2,378 (16.4%) patients had a previous ACS and were classified as recurrent ACS. Median triglyceride level was 120.5 (interquartile range [IQRS] 90-197) mg/dL and was slightly higher in patients with recurrent ACS (135 IQR 98-186 vs. 129 IQR 95-175; p<0.01). Patients with first vs. recurrent ACS received ticagrelor or prasugrel more frequently at discharge (14.8% vs. 7.4%; p<0.01), but no other differences in medical treatments were observed. Median follow-up was 1223 (interquartile range 570-2040) days. All-cause mortality was 15.0% (n= 2,166), and 34.71% (n=5,019) of the patients experienced a first MACE during follow-up. Patients with recurrent ACS had higher mortality (32.9% vs. 11.4%; p<0.01) and MACE (46.5% vs. 32.4%; p<0.01) rates. Multivariate analysis, adjusted for age, sex, diabetes, previous heart failure, and medical treatments at discharge showed that TG levels were not associated with higher risk of mortality (p=0.29) but with higher risk of MACE (p=0.04). A significant interaction (p=0.01) was observed for TG and previous ACS for both endpoints and, therefore, analyses were performed separately (Figure 1). As shown in Figure 2, TG were associated with higher risk of death in patients with first ACS (p=0.02) but not in patients with recurrent ACS (p=0.48); in contrast, TG were associated with higher risk of MACE (p=0.024) in patients with a recurrent ACS but not in patients with a first ACS (p=0.25). Conclusions Previous ACS modifies the risk of TG on mortality and MACE in patients discharged after an ACS. TG might be considered a target for treatment in patients after a first or recurrent ACS, although the exact impact on outcomes might be different.

Long-term prognosis and predictors of death in chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy in women and men

Abstract Background Chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy (CCC) is one of the leading causes of heart failure (HF) in Latin America and carries high morbidity and mortality. Previous studies showed conflicting results in epidemiological and clinical evidence of a gender-associated risk of death in patients with HF due to CCC. Purpose This study analysed the long-term prognosis and the main predictors of death in women and men with HF due to CCC. Methods From March 2009 to January 2023, we followed a cohort of outpatients with HF due to CCC. Specific serological tests diagnosed Chagas disease. Baseline data included clinical characteristics and echocardiographic findings. Statistical analyses were performed using the Kaplan-Meier (K-M) method to analyse time-to-event data and Cox proportional hazards methods to search for predictors of death. Results We studied 739 patients, with a mean age of 57.0 ± 12.1 years, 387 (52%) male. Women had a higher mean age (58.4 ± 11.7 vs. 55.8 ± 12.3 years; p=0.001), had a higher mean baseline left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (44.3±14.5 % vs. 37.0±14.5%; p<0.001) and a smaller left ventricular diastolic diameter (LVDD) (56.8±8.9 vs. 62.5±9.4 mm; p<0.001). Over a median follow-up period of 10 years, 213 (56%) men and 169 (44%) women died (K-M: log-rank p=0.043; Figure). Men received more beta-blocker therapy (52.4% vs. 47.6%; p=0.040) and had a higher prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) (p=0.003) and stroke (p=0.007). HFpEF was more prevalent in women and HFrEF in men (p<0.001). Device implantation and transplant were similar between women and men. Cox regression analysis for death adjusted for age, sex, myocardial infarction, diabetes, CKD, stroke, atrial fibrillation (AF), and LVEF showed LVEF (HR= 0.98;95%CL:0.97-0.98), age (HR=1.03;95%CL1.02-1.04) and CKD (HR= 1.32;95%CL:1.10-1.64) as the main predictors of death. In men, the main predictors were age (HR=1.02;95%CL:1.01-1.04), CKD (HR=1.409;95%CL:1.07-1.86), and LVEF (HR=0.98;95%CL:0.97-0.99), and in women AF (HR=1.41;95%CL:1.03-1.91), age (HR=1.03;95%CL:1.01-1.04), and LVEF (HR=0.97;95%CL:0.96 -0.98). Conclusion women had a better prognosis than men, but gender was not an independent predictor of death. Prevention of comorbidities, especially CKD in men and AF in women, and higher beta-blocker therapy can significantly reduce the death rate in women and men with HF from CCC.

Measures of left atrial structure and function predict cardiovascular death in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction

Abstract Background The role of the left atrium (LA) is increasingly recognized as a predictor of cardiovascular health outcomes. This study aimed to investigate the prognostic value of LA strain in relation to cardiovascular (CV) death in patients with heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Methods In this retrospective cohort analysis, patients diagnosed with stable HFrEF and free from atrial fibrillation at baseline were included. All patients had a Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction (LVEF) of 45% or below at the time of referral. Baseline clinical and echocardiographic parameters were collected from the database of the HF outpatient clinic, and data on CV death was gathered through the Danish National Patient Registry. LA function was assessed by means of LA emptying fraction (LAEF), peak atrial longitudinal strain (PALS), peak atrial contraction strain (PACS), and LA conduit strain (LACS). Uni- and multivariable Cox regression models adjusted for clinical and echocardiographic baseline characteristics were used to determine the association between LA parameters and CV death. Cubic splines were used to identify cutoff values for LA parameters corresponding to a HR of 1. Results The study population consisted of 495 patients (mean age 66 ±11.5 years, 71% males). During a follow-up of 10.9 years [IQR: 6.2; 13.4], 134 (27%) patients reached the outcome of CV death. At baseline, patients who died of CV death were generally older (70.7±9.7 years vs. 64.2±11.7, p<0.001), had a higher prevalence of diabetes (25.4% vs. 13.9%, p=0.004), and a higher prevalence of moderate or severe valve disease (11.2% vs. 3.9%, p=0.004), as well as a lower LVEF (25.1%±8.5 vs. 29.4±8.9, p<0.001). Among LA parameters, the patients who met the outcome had a significantly lower LAEF (30.5% [IQR: 18.0; 42.0] vs. 38.9% [IQR: 29.0; 49.3], p<0.001), PALS (18.2% [IQR: 12.7; 24.4] vs. 23.0% [IQR: 18.3; 29.9], p<0.001), PACS (7.7% [IQR: 2.9; 13.6] vs. 11.7% [IQR: 7.9; 16.4], p<0.001), and LACS (9.4% [IQR: 7.2 ; 12.4] vs. 11.9% [IQR: 8.8; 15.0], p<0.001). Lower levels of all LA parameters were associated with an increased risk of CV death in univariable analysis (p<0.0001 for all parameters). However, in multivariable analysis, only LAEF (HR 0.99 per 1% increase, 95% CI 0.973-0.999, p=0.039), PALS (HR 0.96 per 1% increase, 95% CI 0.931–0.991, p=0.011), and PACS (HR 0.94 per 1% increase, 95% CI 0.90–0.98, p=0.002) remained significant. Splines for LAEF, PALS, and PACS were constructed with identified cutoff points for higher CV death risk (Figure 1), which were utilized to generate Kaplan-Meier curves (Figure 2). Conclusion Lower LA parameters, including LAEF, PALS, and PACS, are associated with increased risk of CV death in patients with HFrEF.Spline curves for LAEF, PALS, and PACS.Kaplan-Meier survival estimates for CVD

Causes and predictors of long-term mortality in patients referred to a cardiac rehabilitation program

Abstract Introduction Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs have proven to reduce short-term mortality in patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD) and hospitalization rates in patients with heart failure (HF) (1-3). However, there is insufficient evidence about long-term mortality (>24-36 months) for patients receiving treatments based on recent clinical practice recommendations. Purpose To assess the long-term prognosis and predictors of mortality in a heterogenous group of patients referred to cardiac rehabilitation, and to obtain a detailed overview of death causes. Methods An inferential analysis of consecutive patients referred for exercise-based CR at a single site between January 2016 and January 2021 was performed. Included subjects were classified attending to four indications for referral: IHD, HF, valvular heart disease (VHD) and cancer therapy-related cardiovascular toxicity (CTR-CVT). Patients who did not initiate the CR program or were referred for other indications were excluded. The primary endpoint was all cause death. The secondary endpoint was cardiovascular (CV) death. A survival analysis was performed using Kaplan Meier estimates for each referral indication and a Cox proportional hazards model was fitted to investigate mortality predictors. The initiation of the exercise program was considered the inclusion date, and patients were followed until they met the primary endpoint or censored by January 2024. Results A total of 1180 patients were included in the analysis (81% male, mean age 61 ± 11 years), with a median follow-up of 5.3 years. Most of the patients had been referred due to IHD (87%), while the proportion for HF, VHD, and CTR-CVT was 9.9%, 1.8% and 1.4%, respectively. Seventy-eight patients (6.6%) died during follow-up, with a Kaplan-Meier estimated survival of 94.5% at 5 years (95% CI 93.2%-95.9%). Nineteen patients (24.4%) died due to a cardiovascular event, mostly sudden cardiac death (47%). The predominant non-CV causes of death were infectious disease (36%) and cancer (34%). A multivariate Cox model analysis (Table 1) showed an increased risk of all cause death for patients referred due to HF (HR 2.95, 95% CI 1.33 - 6.55), VHD (HR 5.55, 95% CI 1.19 - 25.9) and CTR-CVT (22.47, 95% IC 7.32 - 68.95) when compared to IHD (Figure 1). Other significant predictors of mortality were LVEF <40%, male sex, age, diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, and multivessel coronary disease. Only LVEF <40%, VHD, CTR-CVT and peripheral vascular disease were independent predictors of CV death. Conclusion Patients who initiated an exercise-based CR program had a low risk of all cause death at 5 years. Indications for CR other than IHD were associated with higher mortality rates after adjusting for confounder variables, likely due to a selection bias of patients in advanced stages of the disease.Table 1.Cox models for all-cause deathFigure 1.KM plot for all-cause death

A systematic review and meta-analysis of frailty in patients with heart failure.

To systematically evaluate the effect of frailty on the prognosis of patients with heart failure. Computer searches were conducted on PubMed, Embase, The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CNKI, Wanfang Data Knowledge Service platform, Weipu full-text database of Chinese scientific and technological journals, and Chinese biomedical literature database from August 12, 2022. After literature screening was completed by two researchers, the data extraction (such as study type, sample size, age of included patients, New York Heart Association (NYHA) Functional Classification, frailty assessment tool, frailty positive rate, outcome indicators, etc.) was performed and the risk of bias in the included studies was assessed. Meta-analysis was performed using Revman 5.4 and Stata 14.0 software. A total of 32 studies were included, including 406,269 patients with heart failure. All included studies were rated high overall quality. The results of meta-analysis showed: Frailty increases the risk of all-cause death in patients with heart failure (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.73, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.50 - 2.00, p < 0.001), unplanned readmission (HR = 1.96, 95% CI: 1.21 - 3.17, p = 0.006), and joint endpoint risk (HR = 1.66, 95% CI: 1.48 - 1.86, p < 0.001). Current evidence suggests that frailty increases the risk of all-cause death, unplanned readmission, and joint endpoints in patients with heart failure.

Racial Inequities in Receiving Neoadjuvant Treatment in Patients With Pancreatic Cancer Are Associated With Worse Outcomes in Louisiana.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths. In recent years, the approach to managing this malignancy has evolved toward embracing neoadjuvant treatment (NAT), backed by studies reporting its survival benefit. This study aimed to identify factors that contribute to disparities in NAT utilization and their impact on outcomes in patients with PDAC who underwent resection in Louisiana. Data on diagnosed PDAC cases were obtained from the Louisiana Tumor Registry between 2000 and 2020. We conducted multivariable logistic regression to adjust for potential confounding factors in assessing the covariate relationships with NAT use. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed to determine which factors were associated with survival. Chained multiple imputation was performed on covariates with missing data in multivariable regressions. The study encompassed 2121 patients who underwent resection for PDAC. Upon controlling for potential confounding variables, Black patients were on average 5.7% less likely to receive NAT than their White counterparts (ATE = 5.7, aOR= 0.56, 95% CI = 0.40-0.80, p = 0.001). After adjustment for confounding factors, there was a significant decrease in the risk of overall death for patients who received NAT (aHR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.71-0.94, p = 0.006). There was no significant interaction between race and NAT for the risk of death. Black patients with PDAC were less likely to receive NAT before resection in Louisiana. Overall survival improved in patients who underwent NAT. These differences were independent of insurance status and poverty zip codes, and future investigations should identify modifiable barriers to access and receipt of NAT in patients with PDAC.

Presepsin Does Not Predict Risk of Death in Sepsis Patients Admitted to the Intensive Care Unit: A Prospective Single-Center Study.

Background: Sepsis is defined as life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by an abnormal host response to infection. The study aimed to evaluate the utility of presepsin (P-SEP) in predicting the risk of death in patients with sepsis at the time of intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Methods: Adult patients were included in the study if they met SEPSIS-3 criteria at ICU admission. Demographic and clinical data were collected. The following inflammatory parameters were determined: C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and presepsin (P-SEP). Material was collected for microbiological testing depending on the suspected source of infection. The primary endpoint was patient death before ICU discharge. The secondary endpoint was a positive microbiological test result. Results: Eighty-six patients were included in the study. Thirty patients (35%) died before discharge from the ICU. There was no difference in P-SEP, CRP, PCT, and IL-6 values between patients who survived and those who died (p > 0.05 for all). P-SEP, CRP, PCT, and IL-6 were determined at ICU admission and did not accurately predict the risk of death in ROC curve analysis (p > 0.05 for all). Confirmation of the location of the focus of bacterial infection by microbiological testing was obtained in 43 (49%) patients. P-SEP, PCT, CRP, and IL-6 were significantly higher in patients with positive microbiological findings. Conclusions: In patients with suspected sepsis admitted to the Intensive Care Unit, presepsin does not accurately predict the risk of in-hospital death, but it can predict a positive microbiological culture.

Association of periodontal disease with the prognosis of chronic kidney disease: A meta-analysis.

To assess the association between periodontal disease (PD) and the prognosis of chronic kidney disease (CKD). A systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library to identify eligible cohort studies until April 2023. Relative risk (RR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to evaluate the strength of the relationship between PD and CKD prognosis using the random-effects model. 10 cohort studies involving 10,144 patients with CKD were selected for the meta-analysis. The summary results indicated that PD was associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality in patients with CKD (RR:1.32; 95%CI:1.10-1.59; 𝑝 = 0.003). Although no association was observed between PD and the risk of cardiac death in patients with CKD (𝑝 = 0.180), while sensitivity analysis revealed PD may be associated with the risk of cardiac death (RR:1.31; 95%CI:1.05-1.64; 𝑝 = 0.017). In addition, subgroup analyses revealed that the strength of the association of PD with the risks of all-cause mortality and cardiac death varies when stratified by region, male proportion, comparison, CKD stage, and adjusted level. Herein, PD might exert a harmful effect on the subsequent risks of all-cause mortality and cardiac death in patients with CKD.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists improve outcomes in individuals with type 2 diabetes with and without heart failure

BackgroundThe effectiveness of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP1Ras) for prevention of heart failure (HF) in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) without HF and for risk of death in patients with T2DM with HF has not been fully elucidated in routine clinical practice. MethodsUsing the real-world global electronic medical record TriNetX database, individuals with T2DM and with or without HF who initiated either GLP1Ras or sitagliptin from 2017 to 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. In individuals with T2DM without HF, the primary outcome was a composite of all-cause mortality and a new diagnosis of HF within three years. In individuals with T2DM with HF, the primary outcome was all-cause mortality within three years. Propensity-score (PS) matching was used to adjust for over 100 baseline characteristics. ResultsA total of 65,598 individuals with T2DM without HF starting a GLP1Ras were PS matched with 65,598 starting sitagliptin. GLP1Ras were associated with a lower incidence of the composite endpoint (10.5 % versus 11.8 %, hazard ratio [HR] 0.82, [0.80–0.85], p < 0.001), mortality (HR 0.66 [0.63–0.69]) and new diagnosis of HF (HR 0.92 [0.88–0.96]). There were 6002 individuals in each group matched for T2DM and HF. Mortality was lower in the GLP1Ras group (17.6 % versus 22.8 %, HR 0.70 [0.65–0.76], p < 0.001). Results were consistent across subgroups. ConclusionsIn this global real-world data analysis, GLP1Ra use was associated with a lower risk of death and HF in individuals with T2DM without HF, and lower risk of death in those with HF.

Metabolic disorders in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension

To analyze the relationship between metabolic disorders and obesity with hemodynamic parameters and the severity of the condition of patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) based on the POLET register. The study included patients with CTEPH from the POLET register. Data from medical history, lipid profile, glycemia, uric acid level, weight, height, functional class (FC), distance in the 6-minute walk test (6MWT), echocardiography, and right heart catheterization were used for analysis. The study included 84 patients 60±14 years old, including 45 men. The majority of patients had FC III - 51 (65%), which corresponded to 6MWT - 338±113 m. Nineteen (23%) people had experience in taking PAH specific therapy, 37 (46%) had cardiovascular comorbidity. In the general group, the body mass index (BMI) was 25.7±4.5 kg/m2, and normal glycemia, lipid profile, and uric acid levels were also determined. mPAP was 51±12 mmHg, RA area was 25.5 (20; 30) cm2. Correlations were identified between: RA area and the level of total cholesterol (r=0.60; p<0.01), triglycerides (r=-0.24; p<0.001), LDL cholesterol (r=0.75; p=0.04), uric acid (r=0.75; p=0.03); total cholesterol and 6MWT (r=0.44; p=0.04). Analysis of metabolic disorders, FC and comorbidity revealed differences between FC III and IV groups in the level of HDL cholesterol (p=0.02) and triglycerides (p<0.01). The POLET registry includes mainly older patients. Severe FC (87% - III and IV) may be a result of the older age and the presence of concomitant pathology in almost half of the patients. The discovered relationships between the area of RA and FC with lipid and purine metabolism were discovered for the first time, however, they correspond to the direction of the world scientific researches, are important due to the use of these indicators in the scale for calculating the risk of death in patients with PAH and require further development.

Effect of deep testosterone reduction on the prognosis of metastatic prostate cancer with high-volume disease

ObjectiveThis study aims to investigate the correlation between serum testosterone levels after one month of treatment and prognosis in patients with high-volume disease metastatic prostate cancer (mPCa) who are undergoing combined androgen blockade therapy (CAB).MethodsThe clinical data of 199 patients with high-volume disease mPCa, diagnosed through biopsy pathology and imaging, were retrospectively analyzed from January 2010 to October 2022 in the Department of Urology at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University. Among these patients, 111 cases had a deep reduction in serum testosterone (< 0.7 nmol/l) after one month of treatment, while 88 cases did not achieve a deep reduction (≥ 0.7 nmol/l). The study utilized the Kaplan–Meier method to plot survival curves and employed the multifactor COX regression model to analyze independent risk factors. The risk factors with a significance level of P < 0.05 in the multivariate analysis were included in the nomogram prediction model. The accuracy of the model was assessed using the ROC curve and the calibration curve, while the net benefit for patients was evaluated through the decision curve analysis (DCA).ResultsThe group that achieved deep testosterone reduction(DTR) had a higher proportion of PSA < 0.2 ng/ml and a greater PSA decline rate after six months of treatment (P < 0.05). The group that achieved DTR and the group that did not achieve DTR had a progression to castration resistant prostate cancer(CRPC) time of 17.93 ± 6.68 months and 13.43 ± 6.12 months, respectively (P < 0.001). The median progression-free survival time for the 2 groups were 18 months and 12 months, respectively (P < 0.001). The median overall survival times were 57 months and 32 months, respectively (P < 0.001). The median progression-free survival times were 18, 15, and 10 months for the group that achieved DTR within 1 month, the group that achieved DTR beyond 1 month but within 1 year, and the group that did not achieve DTR within 1 year, respectively (P < 0.001), and the median survival times were 57, 45, and 26 months, respectively (P < 0.001). COX multivariate analysis revealed that a testosterone level of ≥ 0.7 nmol/l at 1 month of treatment is an independent risk factor for the progression to CRPC and prognosis in patients with high-volume disease mPCa (P < 0.05). The risk of death in patients with a testosterone level of ≥ 0.7 nmol/l at 1 month of treatment was 2.087 times higher than that of patients with a level of < 0.7 nmol/l (P < 0.05). A nomogram prediction model was developed using independent risk factors, with the area under the ROC curve (AUC) for progression-free survival (PFS) at 12, 15, 18, and 21 months being 0.788, 0.772, 0.760, and 0.739, respectively. For 3 and 5 years, the AUCs for overall survival (OS) were 0.691 and 0.624. The calibration curve demonstrated good consistency between the model’s predicted values and the actual outcomes.ConclusionPatients with high-volume disease mPCa who receive CAB treatment may experience extended progression-free survival and overall survival if their serum testosterone levels are below 0.7 nmol/l after one month of treatment. The longer it takes to achieve DTR, the worse the patient’s prognosis may be. The nomogram prediction model developed in this study demonstrates good predictive ability in assessing the progression and prognosis of high-volume disease mPCa.

The U-shaped association between hemoglobin concentrations and all-cause death risk in patients with community-acquired pneumonia.

The prevalence of anemia in patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) has been well described. However, few studies have explored its association with short-term and long-term mortality risk in CAP patients. We aimed to investigate the associations between hemoglobin concentrations at baseline and 14-day and 1-year mortality risk in a CAP population with a large sample size. Our data originated from the Dryad database, including a dataset from the study "Incidence rate of community-acquired pneumonia in adults: a population-based prospective active surveillance study in 3 cities in South America." A total of 1463 study samples with follow-up data from the dataset were enrolled for our analysis. During the follow-up period of 3 years, the 14-day risk and 1-year mortality risk were 206 (14.08%) and 401 (27.41%), respectively, among these CAP patients. Curve analysis indicated a strong U-shaped relationship between blood hemoglobin concentrations and 14-day mortality (r = -0.191, P < .001) and 1-year mortality (r = -0.220, P < .001). The blood hemoglobin level with the lowest point of mortality risk was 14.5g/dL, suggesting that an increased hemoglobin concentration contributed to reduced 14-day and 1-year mortality risk in CAP patients when hemoglobin does not exceed 14.5g/dL even if it is within the normal clinical range. In addition, we also observed significant associations of hemoglobin with 14-day mortality risk (odds ratio [OR] = 0.817; 95% CI, 0.742-0.899 P < .001) and 1-year mortality risk (OR = 0.834; 95% CI, 0.773-0.900; P < .001), but only in participants without risk factors for health care-associated pneumonia (HCAP) rather than in participants with risk factors for HCAP. The greatest discovery is that our findings indicated a significant U-shaped relationship between hemoglobin levels and 14-day and 1-year mortality risk in CAP patients. However, a significant relationship was only discovered in subjects without risk factors for HCAP. More evidence is needed to support this finding.

Association between sarcopenia index, intraoperative events and post-discharge mortality in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention: a retrospective cohort study in a teaching hospital in Western China.

To examine the association between the sarcopenia index (SI) and the risk of intraprocedural events and post-discharge death during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). A retrospective cohort study. The study was conducted at a teaching hospital in Western China. The participants were patients aged 45 years and older who underwent PCI at the hospital and had an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of ≥15 mL/min/1.73 m2. Patients who died during hospitalisation, as well as those with unknown death dates, those lost to follow-up and those with missing information for the SI calculation, were excluded. The SI was calculated as serum creatinine/cystatin C (Cr/CysC) × 100. The high-SI group was defined as the highest quartile, while the remaining participants were included in the low-SI group. Intraprocedural events included intraprocedural coronary slow flow (CSF)/coronary artery no-reflow (CNR) and malignant ventricular arrhythmia (MVA). In the event of death, the date of death was recorded. The study included 497 patients who underwent PCI in our hospital, of whom 369 (74.25%) were males. A total of 57 (11.47%) patients developed CSF, 100 (20.12%) developed CNR and 4 (0.8%) developed MVA. Forty-four (8.85%) patients died post-discharge. The proportion of patients in the low-SI group who developed CSF was higher than those who did not (16.94% vs 9.65%, p=0.027). In addition, the average SI was lower in patients who developed CSF than in those who did not (81.99 vs 87.11, p=0.043). After adjusting for possible confounding factors, logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of CSF in the low-SI group was higher than that in the high-SI group (OR = 2.01, 95% CI: 1.04 to 3.89). In addition, it was found that the lower the SI, the higher the risk of CSF (OR = 0.983, 95% CI: 0.967 to 0.999). Patients with lower SI had a greater risk of developing CSF, and the lower the SI, the higher the risk of CSF. However, these data suggest that SI is not associated with CNR and the risk of post-discharge death in patients after PCI.

Construction of a metabolism-malnutrition-inflammation prognostic risk score in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: a machine learning based Lasso-Cox model

BackgroundMetabolic disorder, malnutrition and inflammation are involved and interplayed in the mechanisms of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). We aimed to construct a Metabolism-malnutrition-inflammation score (MIS) to predict the risk of death in patients with HFpEF.MethodsWe included patients diagnosed with HFpEF and without infective or systemic disease. 20 biomarkers were filtered by the Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso)-Cox regression. 1000 times bootstrapping datasets were generated to select biomarkers that appeared above 95% frequency in repetitions to construct the MIS.ResultsAmong 1083 patients diagnosed with HFpEF, 342 patients (31.6%) died during a median follow-up period of 2.5 years. The MIS was finally constructed based on 6 biomarkers, they were albumin (ALB), red blood cell distribution width-standard deviation (RDW-SD), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), lymphocytes, triiodothyronine (T3) and uric acid (UA). Incorporating MIS into the basic predictive model significantly increased both discrimination (∆C-index = 0.034, 95% CI 0.013–0.050) and reclassification (IDI, 6.6%, 95% CI 4.0%-9.5%; NRI, 22.2% 95% CI 14.4%-30.2%) in predicting all-cause mortality. In the time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, the mean area under the curve (AUC) for the MIS was 0.778, 0.782 and 0.772 at 1, 3, and 5 years after discharge in the cross-validation sets. The MIS was independently associated with all-cause mortality (hazard ratio: 1.98, 95% CI [1.70–2.31], P < 0.001).ConclusionsA risk score derived from 6 commonly used inflammatory, nutritional, thyroid and uric acid metabolic biomarkers can effectively identify high-risk patients with HFpEF, providing potential individualized management strategies for patients with HFpEF.Graphical