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We aimed to determine whether newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation (AF) predicted cardiovascular events and death after myocardial infarction (AMI) in a large nationwide cohort of patients. All Medicare beneficiaries aged >65 years who were discharged alive after a diagnosis of AMI between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2008 were identified. Main exposure was a diagnosis of AF during admission or within 90 days after discharge. Primary outcome was a composite of recurrent AMI, stroke and all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes were each of recurrent AMI, stroke and all-cause mortality. We used Cox proportional hazards regression to assess the relationship between AF and time-to-event outcomes with follow up ending at 3 years. Of 184,980 patients, 9.1 % had AF; 40.6 % were male; 82.8 % were non-Hispanic whites. Mean age was 79.1 ± 8.1 years. Overall, 15.7 % had subsequent AMI, 5.7 % had stroke and 43.9 % died during a mean follow up of 26.4 months. AF was associated with a significantly increased risk of the primary outcome (Hazard ratio (HR) = 1.10; 95 % confidence interval (CI): 1.07-1.12). AF was also separately associated with significantly increased risk of recurrent AMI (HR = 1.09; 95 % CI: 1.04-1.14), stroke (HR = 1.29; 95 % CI: 1.21-1.37), and death (HR = 1.09; 95 % CI: 1.06-1.12). Neither age, race nor sex modified the effects of AF on primary or secondary outcomes. In conclusion, AF is a significant predictor of adverse cardiovascular outcomes and mortality after AMI. Further studies are needed to understand mechanisms by which AF alters outcomes in survivors of AMI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We aimed to study the impact of atrial fibrillation (AF) on hospitalization outcomes of abdominal aortic artery (AAA) endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) at a large-scale sample size representative of the entire United States (U.S.) population.Methods: We included all adults who were hospitalized in the U.S. for AAA repair with EVAR between 2016 and 2017 using the International Classification of Diseases-10th Revision, Clinical procedural diagnosis codes. The primary outcome was all-cause in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes were stroke, myocardial infarction, respiratory failure, acute kidney injury (AKI), bleeding event, vascular complications, aortic dissection, length of stay (LOS), and hospitalization cost. Hospitalization outcomes were modeled using logistic regression for binary outcomes and Poisson or log-gamma regression for count or right-skewed numeric outcomes, respectively.Results: We included a total of 39,330 records for patients with AAA who underwent EVAR. There were 5.940 patients with AF. On multivariable analysis, EVAR patients with AF had significantly higher odds for mortality with adjusted OR 2.06 (95%CI: 1.09-3.91). They also had significantly higher odds for AKI (A-OR: 1.79 (95%CI: 1.38-2.32), p < 0.001), acute myocardial infarction (A-OR: 2.72 (95%CI: 1.39-5.32), p = 0.004), post procedural bleedings (A-OR: 1.51 (95%CI: 1.20-1.89), p < 0.001), LOS (1.35 (95%CI: 1.24-1.47) p < 0.001) and higher cost (A-OR: 1.06 (9% CI, 1.03-1.09) p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in risk of stroke, vascular complications, and aortic dissection.Conclusion: AF is an important independent predictor for mortality and adverse outcomes in patients with AAA undergoing EVAR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The impact of pre-existing atrial fibrillation (AF) on outcomes after noncardiac surgery is not clear.Objectives: We aimed to study the impact of AF on the risk of adverse outcomes after noncardiac surgery in a nationwide cohort.Methods: We identified Medicare beneficiaries admitted for noncardiac surgery from 2015 to 2019 and divided the study cohort into 2 groups: with and without AF. Noncardiac surgery was classified into vascular, thoracic, general, genitourinary, gynecological, orthopedics and neurosurgery, breast, head and neck, and transplant. We used propensity score matching on exact age, sex, race, urgency and type of surgery, revised cardiac risk index (RCRI) and CHA2DS2-VASc score, and tight caliper on other comorbidities. The study outcomes were 30-day mortality, stroke, myocardial infarction, and heart failure. We examined the incremental utility of AF in addition to RCRI to predict adverse events after noncardiac surgery.Results: The study cohort included 8,635,758 patients who underwent noncardiac surgery (16.4% with AF). Patients with AF were older, more likely to be men, and had higher prevalence of comorbidities. After propensity score matching, AF was associated with higher risk of mortality (OR: 1.31; 95% CI: 1.30-1.32), heart failure (OR: 1.31; 95% CI: 1.30-1.33), and stroke (OR: 1.40; 95% CI: 1.37-1.43) and lower risk of myocardial infarction (OR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.79-0.82). Results were consistent in subgroup analysis by sex, race, type of surgery, and all strata of RCRI and CHA2DS2-VASc score. AF improved the discriminative ability of RCRI (C-statistic 0.73 to 0.76).Conclusion: Pre-existing AF is independently associated with postoperative adverse outcomes after NCS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Data regarding cardiac arrest (CA) complicating acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in patients with cancers are limited.Methods: Using the HCUP-NIS database (2000-2017), we identified adult admissions with AMI-CA and current or historical cancers to evaluate in-hospital mortality, utilization of coronary angiography, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), mechanical circulatory support (MCS), palliative care consultation, do-not-resuscitate status use, among those with current, historical and without cancer.Results: Of 11,622,528 AMI admissions, CA was noted in 584,263 (5.0%). Current and historical cancers were identified in 14,790 (2.5%) and 26,939 (4.6%), respectively. Both current and historical cancer groups were on average older, of white race, had greater comorbidity, and received care at small/medium-sized hospitals compared to those without. The current cancer cohort had the lowest rates of coronary angiography (45.2% vs. 59.2% vs. 63.3%), PCI (32.4% vs. 42.3% vs. 47.0%), MCS (13.5% vs. 16.5% vs. 20.9%) and CABG (4.1% vs. 7.6% vs. 10.2%) compared to the historical cancer and no cancer cohorts (all p < 0.001). Compared to those without, the current (61.1% vs. 44.0%; adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.25 [95% confidence interval {CI} 1.20-1.31], p < 0.001) and historical cancer cohorts (52.2% vs. 44.0%; adjusted OR 1.05 [95% CI 1.01-1.08], p = 0.003) had higher in-hospital mortality. Cancer admissions had higher rates of palliative care consultations and do-not-resuscitate status.Conclusion: AMI-CA admissions with cancer were older, had lower utilization of cardiac procedures, and higher rates of palliative care and do-not-resuscitate status and in-hospital mortality compared to those without cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The long-term effect of bariatric surgery on cardiovascular outcomes in the elderly population is not well studied.Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between bariatric surgery and long-term cardiovascular outcomes in the Medicare population.Methods: Medicare beneficiaries who underwent bariatric surgery from 2013 to 2019 were matched to a control group of patients with obesity with a 1:1 exact matching based on age, sex, body mass index, and propensity score matching on 87 clinical variables. The study outcomes included all-cause mortality, new-onset heart failure (HF), myocardial infarction (MI), and ischemic stroke. An instrumental variable analysis was performed as a sensitivity analysis.Results: The study cohort included 189,770 patients (94,885 matched patients in each group). By study design, the 2 groups had similar age (mean: 62.33 ± 10.62 years), sex (70% female), and degree of obesity (mean body mass index: 44.7 ± 7.3 kg/m2) and were well balanced on all clinical variables. After a median follow-up of 4.0 years (IQR: 2.4-5.7 years), bariatric surgery was associated with a lower risk of mortality (9.2 vs 14.7 per 1,000 person-years; HR: 0.63; 95% CI: 0.60-0.66), new-onset HF (HR: 0.46; 95% CI: 0.44-0.49), MI (HR: 0.63; 95% CI: 0.59-0.68), and stroke (HR: 0.71; 95%: CI: 0.65-0.79) (P < 0.001). The benefit of bariatric surgery was evident in patients who were 65 years and older. Using instrumental variable analysis, bariatric surgery was associated with a lower risk of mortality, HF, and MI.Conclusions: Among Medicare beneficiaries with obesity, bariatric surgery is associated with lower risk of mortality, new-onset HF, and MI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mortality rates for patients presenting with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and cardiogenic shock (CS) remain high despite advances in revascularization strategies and mechanical circulatory support (MCS) devices.Objectives: This study sought to elucidate the association between comorbid lower extremity peripheral artery disease (PAD) and outcomes in CS and AMI.Methods: PAD status was defined in Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized with CS and AMI from October 1, 2015 to June 30, 2018. Primary outcomes ascertained through December 31, 2018 included in- and out-of-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes included bleeding, amputation, stroke, and lower extremity revascularization. Multivariable regression models with adjustment for confounders were used to estimate risk. Subgroup analyses included patients treated with MCS and those who underwent coronary revascularization.Results: Among 71,690 patients, 5.9% (N = 4,259) had PAD. Mean age was 77.8 ± 7.9 years, 58.7% were male, and 84.3% were White. Cumulative in-hospital mortality was 47.2%, with greater risk among those with PAD (56.3% vs 46.6% without PAD; adjusted OR: 1.50; 95% CI: 1.40-1.59). PAD patients also had greater risk of in-hospital amputation (1.6% vs 0.2%; adjusted OR: 7.0; 95% CI: 5.26-9.37) and out-of-hospital mortality (67.9% vs 40.7%; adjusted HR: 1.78; 95% CI: 1.67-1.90). MCS was less frequently utilized in PAD patients (21.5% vs 38.6% without PAD; P < 0.001) and was associated with higher mortality, need for lower extremity revascularization, and amputation risk. Findings were consistent in patients who underwent coronary revascularization.Conclusions: Among patients presenting with AMI and CS, PAD was associated with worse limb outcomes and survival. In addition to lower MCS utilization rates, those with PAD who received MCS had increased mortality, lower extremity revascularization, and amputation rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There have been limited large scale studies assessing sex disparities in the outcomes of cardiac arrest (CA) complicating acute myocardial infarction (AMI).Methods and Results: Using the National Inpatient Sample (2000-2017), we identified adult admissions (≥18 years) with AMI and CA. Outcomes of interest included sex disparities in coronary angiography (early [hospital day zero] and overall), time to angiography, percutaneous coronary angiography (PCI), mechanical circulatory support (MCS) use, in-hospital mortality, hospitalization costs, hospital length of stay and discharge disposition. In the period between January 1, 2000-December 31, 2017, 11,622,528 admissions for AMI were identified, of which 584,216 (5.0%) were complicated by CA. Men had a higher frequency of CA compared to women (5.4% vs. 4.4%; p < 0.001). Women were on average older (70.4 ± 13.6 vs 65.0 ± 13.1 years), of black race (12.6% vs 7.9%), with higher comorbidity, presenting with non-ST-segment-elevation AMI (36.4% vs 32.3%) and had a non-shockable rhythm (47.6% vs 33.3%); all p < 0.001. Women received less frequent coronary angiography (56.0% vs 66.2%), early coronary angiography (32.0% vs 40.2%), PCI (40.4% vs 49.7%), MCS (17.6% vs 22.0%), and CABG (8.3% vs 10.8%), with a longer median time to angiography (all p < 0.001). Women had higher in-hospital mortality (52.6% vs 40.6%, adjusted odds ratio 1.13 [95% confidence interval 1.11-1.14]; p < 0.001), shorter length of hospital stays, lower hospitalization costs and less frequent discharges to home.Conclusion: Despite no difference in guideline recommendations for men and women with AMI-CA, there appears to be a systematic difference in the use of evidence-based care that disadvantages women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Limited studies have evaluated regional disparities in the care of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients with cardiac arrest (CA). This study sought to evaluate 18-year national trends, resource utilization, and geographical variation in outcomes in AMI-CA admissions.Methods and Results: Using the National Inpatient Sample (2000-2017), we identified adults with AMI and concomitant CA admitted to the United States census regions of Northeast, Midwest, South, and West. Clinical outcomes of interest included in-hospital mortality, use of coronary angiography, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), mechanical circulatory support (MCS), hospitalization costs and length of stay. Of 9,680,257 admissions for AMI, 494,083 (5.1%) had concomitant CA. The West (6.0%) had higher prevalence compared to the Northeast (4.4%), Midwest (5.0%), and South (5.1%), p < 0.001. Admissions in the West had higher rates of STEMI, cardiogenic shock, multiorgan failure, mechanical ventilation, and hemodialysis. Northeast admissions had lower use of coronary angiography (52.0% vs. 67.9% vs. 60.9% vs. 61.5%), PCI (38.7% vs. 51.9% vs. 44.8% vs. 46.7%), and MCS (18.4% vs. 21.8% vs. 18.1%, vs. 20.0%) compared to the Midwest, West and South (all p < 0.001). Compared with the Northeast, adjusted in-hospital mortality was higher in the Midwest (odds ratio [OR] 1.06 [95% confidence interval {CI} 1.03-1.08]), South (OR 1.11 [95% CI 1.09-1.13]) and highest in the West (OR 1.16 [95% CI 1.13-1.18]), all p < 0.001. Temporal trends showed a decline in in-hospital mortality except in the West, which showed a slight increase.Conclusions: There remain significant regional disparities in the management and outcomes of AMI-CA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• FH ACS patients present at young age with fewer comorbidities. • FH ACS patients are likely to present with STEMI. • FH ACS patients commonly experience high in-hospital complications. • FH ACS patients are more likely to be readmitted with recurrent ACS. Individuals with Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH) are at high risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) events. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence, predictors, and outcomes of admissions for acute coronary syndromes (ACS) in this high-risk group. Utilizing the National Readmission Databases, we identified individuals with or without FH admitted to participating hospitals for ACS. The primary outcome was admission for recurrent ACS at 11 month follow-up. There were a total of 1,697,513 ACS admissions from 10/2016 to 12/2017 (non-FH=1,696,979 and FH=534). Individuals with FH admitted for ACS were younger (median age 57 vs 69 y), had fewer comorbidities (hypertension 74.7% vs 79.6%; diabetes mellitus 30.5% vs 39.0%;p<0.01), were more likely to present with ST-elevation-myocardial infarction (32.8% vs 22.6%;p<0.01) and more likely to undergo multivessel percutaneous coronary intervention (11.4% vs 7.6%;p<0.01) than patients without FH. After propensity-score matching, FH patients more commonly experienced in-hospital VT arrest (11.8% vs 8.0%;p<0.01) and required more mechanical circulatory support (8.6% vs 3.3%; p<0.01). The 30-day readmission in those with FH was more frequently for cardiovascular disease (81.5% vs 46.5%; =p<0.01). At 11-month follow-up, FH patients were more likely to be readmitted with recurrent ACS compared to those without FH (hazard ratio=2.34; 95% confidence interval=1.30-4.23; p<0.01). Individuals with FH admitted for ACS are younger, have fewer comorbidities, and more frequently present with STEMIs compared to those without FH. FH patients were more likely to suffer in-hospital cardiac complications and have a higher incidence of recurrent ACS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The risk of arterial thromboembolism in patients with cancer is incompletely understood.Objectives: The authors aimed to better define this epidemiological relationship, including the effects of cancer stage.Methods: Using the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results-Medicare linked database, the authors identified patients with a new primary diagnosis of breast, lung, prostate, colorectal, bladder, pancreatic, or gastric cancer or non-Hodgkin lymphoma from 2002 to 2011. They were individually matched by demographics and comorbidities to a Medicare enrollee without cancer, and each pair was followed through 2012. Validated diagnosis codes were used to identify arterial thromboembolism, defined as myocardial infarction or ischemic stroke. Cumulative incidence rates were calculated using competing risk survival statistics. Cox hazards analysis was used to compare rates between groups at discrete time points.Results: The authors identified 279,719 pairs of patients with cancer and matched control patients. The 6-month cumulative incidence of arterial thromboembolism was 4.7% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.6% to 4.8%) in patients with cancer compared with 2.2% (95% CI: 2.1% to 2.2%) in control patients (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.2; 95% CI: 2.1 to 2.3). The 6-month cumulative incidence of myocardial infarction was 2.0% (95% CI: 1.9% to 2.0%) in patients with cancer compared with 0.7% (95% CI: 0.6% to 0.7%) in control patients (HR: 2.9; 95% CI: 2.8 to 3.1). The 6-month cumulative incidence of ischemic stroke was 3.0% (95% CI: 2.9% to 3.1%) in patients with cancer compared with 1.6% (95% CI: 1.6% to 1.7%) in control patients (HR: 1.9; 95% CI: 1.8 to 2.0). Excess risk varied by cancer type (greatest for lung), correlated with cancer stage, and generally had resolved by 1 year.Conclusions: Patients with incident cancer face a substantially increased short-term risk of arterial thromboembolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Postoperative cardiac events in orthopaedic trauma patients constitute severe morbidity and mortality. It is therefore increasingly important to determine patient risk factors that are predictive of postoperative myocardial infarctions and cardiac arrests. This study sought to assess if there is an association between anatomic area and cardiac complications in the orthopaedic trauma patient.Patients and Methods: From 2006-2013, a total of 361,402 orthopaedic patients were identified in the NSQIP database using Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes. Of these, 56,336 (15.6%) patients were identified as orthopaedic trauma patients broken down by anatomic region: 11,905 (21.1%) upper extremity patients (UE), 29,009 (51.5%) hip/pelvis patients (HP), and 15,422 (27.4%) lower extremity patients (LE) using CPT codes. Patients were defined as having adverse cardiac events if they developed myocardial infarctions or cardiac arrests within 30days after surgery. Chi-squared analysis was used to determine if there was an association between anatomic area and rates of cardiac events. Multivariate logistical analysis was used with over 40 patient characteristics including age, gender, history of cardiac disease, and anatomic region as independent predictors to determine whether anatomic area significantly predicted the development of cardiac complications.Results: There were significant differences in baseline demographics among the three groups: HP patients had the greatest average age (77.6 years) compared to 54.8 years for UE patients and 54.1 years in LE patients (p<0.001). HP patients also had the highest average ASA score (3.0) (p<0.001). There was a significant difference in adverse cardiac events based on anatomic area: 0.27% (32/11,905) UE patients developed cardiac complications compared to 2.15% (623/29,009) HP patients and 0.61% (94/15,422) LE patients. After multivariate analysis, HP patients were significantly more likely to develop cardiac complications compared to both UE patients (OR: 6.377, p=0.014) and LE patients (OR: 2.766, p=0.009).Conclusion: There is a significant difference in adverse cardiac events following orthopaedic trauma based on anatomic region. Hip/Pelvis surgery appeared to be a significant risk factor in developing an adverse cardiac event. Further studies should investigate why hip/pelvic patients are at a higher risk of adverse cardiac events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: As US healthcare expenditures continue to rise, there is significant pressure to reduce the cost of inpatient medical services. Studies have estimated that over 70% of routine labs may not yield clinical benefits while adding over $300 in costs per day for every inpatient. Although orthopaedic trauma patients tend to have longer inpatient stays and hip fractures have been associated with significant morbidity, there is a dearth of data examining pre-operative labs in predicting post-operative adverse events in these populations. The purpose of this study was to assess whether pre-operative labs significantly predict post-operative cardiac and septic complications in orthopaedic trauma and hip fracture patients.Methods: Between 2006 and 2013, 56,336 (15.6%) orthopaedic trauma patients were identified and 27,441 patients (7.6%) were diagnosed with hip fractures. Pre-operative labs included sodium, BUN, creatinine, albumin, bilirubin, SGOT, alkaline phosphatase, white count, hematocrit, platelet count, prothrombin time, INR, and partial thromboplastin time. For each of these labs, patients were deemed to have normal or abnormal values. Patients were noted to have developed cardiac or septic complications if they sustained (1) myocardial infarction (MI), (2) cardiac arrest, or (3) septic shock within 30 days after surgery. Separate regressions incorporating over 40 patient characteristics including age, gender, pre-operative comorbidities, and labs were performed for orthopaedic trauma patients in order to determine whether pre-operative labs predicted adverse cardiac or septic outcomes.Results: 749 (1.3%) orthopaedic trauma patients developed cardiac complications and 311 (0.6%) developed septic shock. Multivariate regression demonstrated that abnormal pre-operative platelet values were significantly predictive of post-operative cardiac arrest (OR: 11.107, p=0.036), and abnormal bilirubin levels were predictive (OR: 8.487, p=0.008) of the development of septic shock in trauma patients. In the hip fracture cohort, abnormal partial thromboplastin time was significantly associated with post-operative myocardial infarction (OR: 15.083, p=0.046), and abnormal bilirubin (OR: 58.674, p=0.002) significantly predicted the onset of septic shock.Conclusions: This is the first study to demonstrate the utility of pre-operative labs in predicting perioperative cardiac and septic adverse events in orthopaedic trauma and hip fracture patients. Particular attention should be paid to haematologic/coagulation labs (platelets, PTT) and bilirubin values.Level Of Evidence: Prognostic Level II. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients hospitalized with sepsis may be predisposed to acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The incidence, treatment, and outcomes of AMI in sepsis have not been studied. We analyzed data from the National Inpatient Sample from 2002 to 2011 for patients with a diagnosis of sepsis. The incidence of AMI as a nonprimary diagnosis was evaluated. Propensity score matching was used to identify a cohort of patients with secondary AMI and sepsis with similar baseline characteristics who were managed invasively (defined as cardiac catheterization, percutaneous coronary intervention [PCI], or coronary artery bypass graft [CABG] surgery) or conservatively. The primary outcome was in-hospital all-cause mortality. A total of 2,602,854 patients had a diagnosis of sepsis. AMI was diagnosed in 118,183 patients (4.5%), the majority with non-ST elevation AMI (71.4%). In-hospital mortality was higher in patients with AMI and sepsis than those with sepsis alone (35.8% vs 16.8%, p <0.0001; adjusted odds ratio 1.24, 95% CI 1.22 to 1.26). In patients with AMI, 11,899 patients (10.1%) underwent an invasive management strategy, in which 4,668 patients (39.2%) underwent revascularization. PCI was performed in 3,413 patients (73.1%), CABG in 1,165 (25.0%), and both CABG and PCI in 90 patients (1.9%). In a propensity-matched cohort of 23,708 patients with AMI, invasive management was associated with a lower mortality than conservative management (19.0% vs 33.4%, p <0.001; odds ratio 0.47, 95% CI 0.44 to 0.50). In subgroups that underwent revascularization, the odds of mortality were consistently lower than corresponding matched subjects from the conservative group. In conclusion, myocardial infarction not infrequently complicates sepsis and is associated with a significant increase in in-hospital mortality. Patients managed invasively had a lower mortality than those managed conservatively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]