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Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), a backbone treatment for advanced prostate cancer (PC), is known to have a variety of metabolic side effects. We conducted an updated meta-analysis to quantify the metabolic risks of ADT.We searched PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus in May of 2022 for studies investigating the risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS), diabetes, and hypertension from ADT in PC patients using keywords. Only full-length studies with a control group of PC patients not on ADT were included. All results compatible with each outcome domain in each included study were sought. For included studies, relative risk (RR) was pooled using a random effects model and a trim-fill approach was used to adjust for publication bias.1,846 records were screened, of which 19 were found suitable for data extraction. Five studies, including 891 patients, were evaluated for MetS as an outcome, with the random effects model showing a pooled RR of 1.60 ([95% Confidence Interval (CI), 1.06-2.42]; P=0.03) for patients on ADT while twelve studies, including 336,330 patients, examined diabetes as an outcome, and the random effects model showed a RR of 1.43 ([95% CI, 1.28-1.59]; P0.01). After adjustment for publication bias, ADT was associated with a 25% increased risk for diabetes but was not associated with MetS. 4 studies, including 7,051 patients, examined hypertension as an outcome, and the random effects model showed a RR of 1.30 ([95% CI, 1.08-1.55]; P=0.18) in ADT patients.In patients with PC, ADT was not associated with MetS and the association with diabetes was not as strong as previously reported. Our novel meta-analysis of hypertension showed that ADT increased the risk of hypertension by 30%. These results should be understood in the context of collaborating care between a patient's oncologist and primary care provider to optimize care.

Immune-checkpoint inhibitor-associated myocarditis (ICI-myocarditis) often presents with arrhythmias, but the prognostic value of early electrocardiogram findings is unclear. Although ICI-myocarditis and acute cellular rejection (ACR) following cardiac transplantation use similar treatment strategies, differences in arrhythmia burden are unknown.To evaluate the association of electrocardiogram findings in ICI-myocarditis with myocarditis-related mortality and life-threatening arrhythmia.A total of 125 cases of ICI-myocarditis were identified retrospectively across 49 hospitals worldwide; 50 cases of grade 2R or 3R ACR were included as comparators. Two cardiologists blinded to clinical data interpreted electrocardiograms. Associations between electrocardiogram features, myocarditis-related mortality and the composite of myocarditis-related mortality and life-threatening arrhythmias were examined. Adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) were calculated.The cohort had 78 (62.4%) men; median (interquartile range) age was 67 (58-76) years. At 30 days, myocarditis-related mortality was 20/124 (16.1%), and 28/124 (22.6%) met the composite endpoint. Patients who developed complete heart block (aHR by subdistribution hazards model [aHR(sh)] 3.29, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.24-8.68; P=0.02) or life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias (aHR(sh) 6.82, 95% CI: 2.87-16.21; P0.001) had a higher risk of myocarditis-related mortality. Pathological Q waves (aHR(sh) 3.40, 95% CI: 1.38-8.33; P=0.008), low QRS voltage (aHR(sh) 6.05, 95% CI: 2.10-17.39; P0.001) and Sokolow-Lyon index (aHR(sh)/mV 0.54, 95% CI: 0.30-0.97; P=0.04) on admission electrocardiogram were also associated with increased risk of myocarditis-related mortality. These associations were mirrored in the composite outcome analysis. Compared with ACR, ICI-myocarditis had a higher incidence of life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias (15/125 [12.0%] vs 1/50 [2%]; P=0.04) and third-degree heart block (19/125 [15.2%] vs 0/50 [0%]; P=0.004).Electrocardiograms in ICI-myocarditis with ventricular tachycardias, heart block, low-voltage and pathological Q waves were associated with myocarditis-related mortality and life-threating arrhythmia. Arrhythmia burden in ICI-myocarditis exceeds that of ACR after heart transplant.

The aim of this review is to discuss the current health disparities in rural communities and to explore the potential role of telehealth and artificial intelligence in providing cardio-oncology care to underserviced communities. With advancements in early detection and cancer treatment, survivorship has increased. The interplay between cancer and cardiovascular disease, which are the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in this population, has been increasingly recognized. Worldwide, cardio-oncology clinics (COCs) have emerged to deliver a multidisciplinary approach to the care of patients with cancer to mitigate cardiovascular risks while minimizing interruptions in cancer treatment. Despite the value of COCs, the accessibility gap between urban and rural communities in both oncology and cardio-oncology contributes to health care disparities and may be an underrecognized determinant of health globally. Telehealth and artificial intelligence offer opportunities to provide timely care irrespective of rurality. We therefore explore current developments within this sphere and propose a novel model of care to address the disparity in urban vs. rural cardio-oncology using the experience in Canada, a geographically large country with many rural communities.

Background Although several epidemiological studies have linked social isolation to increased risk of mortality, the magnitude of any effect is unclear, in part because of the use of different measures of social isolation. Objective To examine the association between social isolation and all-cause mortality and investigate whether it differs in various subgroups or populations. Data sources We searched for relevant studies in electronic databases: MEDLINE (1946 to December 31, 2021), EMBASE (1974 to December 31, 2021), and PsycINFO (1806 to December 31, 2021). Selection criteria We included both prospective and retrospective cohort studies that examined the association between social isolation and all-cause mortality among adults. Data collection and analysis Two reviewers screened and extracted data independently. We contacted study authors to obtain missing information whenever possible. Data were pooled using a random effect model to calculate estimates of the effects of social isolation on all-cause mortality. Results Data from studies involving 1.30 million individuals were included. The pooled hazard ratio of social isolation for all-cause mortality was 1.33 (95% confidence interval; 1.26–1.41, heterogeneity: Chi² = 112.51, P < 0.00001, I² = 76%). Conclusion Social isolation is associated with increased risk for all-cause mortality. Registration PROSPERO (CRD42020152351).

ImportanceIn the Cardiovascular Outcomes for People Using Anticoagulation Strategies (COMPASS) trial, there was a significant reduction in the adjudicated primary outcome among patients with stable atherosclerotic vascular disease randomized to dual pathway inhibition (rivaroxaban 2.5 mg twice daily plus aspirin 100 mg daily) vs aspirin monotherapy, but not with rivaroxaban 5 mg twice daily vs aspirin monotherapy. Whether the results are similar without adjudication is unknown.ObjectiveTo examine the impact of dual pathway inhibition (with rivaroxaban plus aspirin) or rivaroxaban monotherapy compared with aspirin monotherapy on investigator-reported CV events and to understand the extent of concordance between investigator-reported and centrally adjudicated clinical events.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis is a secondary analysis of the COMPASS trial, an international, double-blind, double-dummy, randomized clinical trial with a 3-by-2 partial factorial design that evaluated participants with stable atherosclerotic vascular disease receiving rivaroxaban plus aspirin, rivaroxaban monotherapy, or aspirin monotherapy. End points were collected by blinded site investigators and adjudicated by a blinded clinical end point committee. Data were analyzed from March 2013 through February 2017.InterventionsParticipants received dual inhibition pathway (2.5 mg rivaroxaban twice daily plus 100 mg aspirin once daily), rivaroxaban monotherapy (5 mg twice daily), or aspirin monotherapy (100 mg once daily).Main Outcomes and MeasuresThe primary efficacy outcome was a composite of cardiovascular (CV) death, stroke, or myocardial infarction (MI). Adjudicated and investigator-reported end points were compared.ResultsA total of 27 395 patients (mean [SD] age, 68.2 [7.9] years; 78.0% men) were assessed, including 9152 patients randomized to dual pathway inhibition, 9117 patients randomized to rivaroxaban monotherapy, and 9126 patients randomized to aspirin monotherapy. Adjudication reduced the number of events by 10% to 15% for most end points. Among investigator-reported end points, dual pathway inhibition significantly reduced the rate of the primary efficacy outcome compared with aspirin alone (411 patients [4.5%] vs 542 patients [5.9%]; hazard ratio [HR], 0.75 [95% CI, 0.66-0.85]; P P P = .04) compared with adjudicated events (448 patients [4.9%] vs 496 patients [5.4%]; HR, 0.90 [95% CI, 0.79-1.03]; P = .12).Conclusions and RelevanceThis secondary analysis of the COMPASS trial found that whether assessed by blinded site investigators or adjudicators, dual pathway inhibition significantly reduced CV events among patients with stable atherosclerotic disease compared with aspirin plus placebo. These findings suggest that using investigator-reported events in blinded clinical trials may be a more efficient alternative to adjudication.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01776424

BACKGROUND: Over 80% of adult patients diagnosed with cancer survive long-term. Long-term complications of cancer and its therapies may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), but prospective studies utilizing adjudicated cancer and CVD events are lacking. OBJECTIVES: Assess the risk of CVD in cancer survivors in a prospective community-based study. METHODS: We included 12,414 ARIC participants. Cancer diagnoses were ascertained via linkage with state registries supplemented with medical records. Incident CVD outcomes were coronary heart disease (CHD), heart failure (HF), stroke, and a composite of these endpoints. We used multivariable Poisson and Cox regression to estimate the association of cancer with incident CVD. RESULTS: Mean age was 54, 55% were female, and 25% Black. 3,250 (25%) participants had incident cancer over a median 13.6 years of follow-up. Age-adjusted IR of CVD (per 1,000 person-years) were 27.0 (24.7, 29.1) for cancer survivors and 12.0 (11.5, 12.4) for non-cancer controls. After adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors, cancer survivors had significantly higher risks of CVD (HR 1.37, 95% CI 1.26, 1.50), HF (HR 1.52, 95% CI 1.38, 1.68), and stroke (HR 1.22, 95% CI 1.03, 1.44), but not CHD (HR 1.11, 95% CI 0.97, 1.28). Breast, lung, colorectal, and hematologic/lymphatic cancers, but not prostate cancer, were significantly associated with CVD risk. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to persons without cancer, adult cancer survivors have significantly higher risk of CVD, especially HF, independent of traditional cardiovascular risk factors. There is an unmet need to define strategies for CVD prevention in this high-risk population.

Background: The relative cardiovascular safety of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonists compared with GnRH agonists in men with prostate cancer and known atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease remains controversial. Methods: In this international, multicenter, prospective, randomized, open-label trial, men with prostate cancer and concomitant atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease were randomly assigned 1:1 to receive the GnRH antagonist degarelix or the GnRH agonist leuprolide for 12 months. The primary outcome was the time to first adjudicated major adverse cardiovascular event (composite of death, myocardial infarction, or stroke) through 12 months. Results: Because of slower-than-projected enrollment and fewer-than-projected primary outcome events, enrollment was stopped before the 900 planned participants were accrued. From May 3, 2016, to April 16, 2020, a total of 545 patients from 113 sites across 12 countries were randomly selected. Baseline characteristics were balanced between study groups. The median age was 73 years, 49.8% had localized prostate cancer; 26.3% had locally advanced disease, and 20.4% had metastatic disease. A major adverse cardiovascular event occurred in 15 (5.5%) patients assigned to degarelix and 11 (4.1%) patients assigned to leuprolide (hazard ratio, 1.28 [95% CI, 0.59–2.79]; P =0.53). Conclusions: PRONOUNCE (A Trial Comparing Cardiovascular Safety of Degarelix Versus Leuprolide in Patients With Advanced Prostate Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease) is the first, international, randomized clinical trial to prospectively compare the cardiovascular safety of a GnRH antagonist and a GnRH agonist in patients with prostate cancer. The study was terminated prematurely because of the smaller than planned number of participants and events, and no difference in major adverse cardiovascular events at 1 year between patients assigned to degarelix or leuprolide was observed. The relative cardiovascular safety of GnRH antagonists and agonists remains unresolved. Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov ; Unique identifier: NCT02663908.

Yafasova A, Butt JH, Elming MB, et al.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE:Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the second most common cause of death in prostate cancer (PC) patients, yet the prevalence of CVD and its risk factors have been incomplet...

The use of fasting plasma glucose (FPG) levelor =7.0 mmol/l leads to underdiagnosis of type 2 diabetes compared with the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). The OGTT is of limited use for population screening. Most of the increase in cardiovascular risk in relation to increasing blood glucose occurs before the threshold at which the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes is made. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of HbA(1c) and FPG as predictors of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular risk and, accordingly, to develop a rational approach to screening for abnormalities of glucose tolerance.OGTT and measurement of HbA(1c) and FPG levels were performed in 505 subjects screened for type 2 diabetes. Anthropomorphic measurements were obtained. A cardiovascular risk factor questionnaire was completed.The subjects were aged 19-88 years (mean 53.8). The incidence of type 2 diabetes was 10.4% based on the OGTT and 4% based on an FPG levelor =7.0 mmol/l. Using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), HbA(1c) of4.7 andor =6.2% predicted with certainty the absence or presence of type 2 diabetes as defined by the OGTT. The corresponding cutoffs were5.0 andor =6.8% for HbA(1c) (DCA2000 HPLC device; Bayer Diagnostics, Mulgrave, Australia) and4.7 andor =6.4 mmol/l for FPG. However, 75-85% of subjects in each case had intermediate values, which were therefore nondiagnostic. Cardiovascular risk increased at least 2.2 times at an HbA(1c) levelor =6.2% (by HPLC), 1.8-2.2 times at an HbA(1c) level of 5.6-6.1% (by HPLC), 2 times at an FPG levelor =6.4 mmol/l, and 1.7-1.9 times at an FPG level of 5.6-6.3 mmol/l.Measurement of FPG and HbA(1c) levels will diagnose or exclude type 2 diabetes with certainty in a minority (15%) of people. There is a continuous relationship between FPG and HbA(1c) and cardiovascular risk. Accordingly, we propose that there is a rational basis for using either FPG and HbA(1c) for purposes of screening and assigning risk. Individuals with an HbA(1c) level of 5.6-6.1% and an FPG level of 5.6-6.3 mmol/l are at greatest risk for cardiovascular disease and should be targeted for further evaluation. An algorithm outlining a cost-effective approach is presented.

The definition of the term "quality" continues to be centered on health care providers and not the health of the community. The shift to managed care financing provides a unique opportunity to raise the importance of health outcomes as the true mark of quality in managed care. A widespread fear that managed care organizations are too ready to reduce quality for increased profits has lead to a current national backlash against managed care. Instead of only viewing health plan members as recipients of medical services, health plans should also view members as a population group with subpopulations within them, needing both medical and nonmedical services to improve their health. We introduce the Outcomes Improvement System, an outcomes-driven method for managed care plans and other health systems that incorporates both medical care and population-based health services in a managed care setting.

This paper describes some of the current problems in assuring basic maternity care as an essential community service in the rural state of Vermont. Solving the cost of care problem will still leave large gaps in the ability of our maternity care system to provide continuous and high-quality maternity care for all pregnant women. The problem of access is not only a temporary aberration of the current medical care system, but a central and identifying characteristic of it. Maternity care services are as essential as other community services such as utilities and education. The authors propose that the state should assure the availability and quality of maternity care services as it would other essential services. The development of a statewide care system using a nurse midwife model of services is suggested.