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Objective: To propose and evaluate a metric for quantifying hospital-specific disparities in health outcomes that can be used by patients and hospitals., Data Sources/study Setting: Inpatient admissions for Medicare patients with acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, or pneumonia to all non-federal, short-term, acute care hospitals during 2012-2015., Study Design: Building on the current Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services methodology for calculating risk-standardized readmission rates, we developed models that include a hospital-specific random coefficient for either patient dual eligibility status or African American race. These coefficients quantify the difference in risk-standardized outcomes by dual eligibility and race at a given hospital after accounting for the hospital's patient case mix and proportion of dual eligible or African American patients. We demonstrate this approach and report variation and performance in hospital-specific disparities., Principal Findings: Dual eligibility and African American race were associated with higher readmission rates within hospitals for all three conditions. However, this disparity effect varied substantially across hospitals., Conclusion: Our models isolate a hospital-specific disparity effect and demonstrate variation in quality of care for different groups of patients across conditions and hospitals. Illuminating within-hospital disparities can incentivize hospitals to reduce inequities in health care quality., (© 2019 The Authors. Health Services Research published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Health Research and Educational Trust.)

Heart failure (HF) is one of the leading causes of hospitalization and readmissions. Our study aimed to examine racial disparities in heart failure patients including onset, mortality, length of stay (LOS), direct costs, and readmission rates. This is a secondary data analysis. We analyzed the risk-adjusted inpatient data of all patients admitted with HF to one health academic center. We compared five health outcomes among three racial groups (white, black, and Hispanic). There were 1006 adult patients making 1605 visits from 10/01/2011 to 09/30/2015. Most black patients were admitted in younger age than other racial groups which indicates the needs for more public health preventions. With risk adjustments, the racial differences in LOS and readmission rates remain. We stratified health outcomes by race/ethnic and type of HF. The findings suggest that further studies to uncover underlying causes of these disparities are necessary. Using risk-adjusted hospitalization data allows for comparisons of quality of care across three racial groups. The study suggests that more prevention and protection services are needed for African American patients with heart failure.

Heart failure (HF) is responsible for more 30-day readmissions than any other condition. Minorities, particularly African American males (AAM), are at much higher risk for readmission than the general population. In this study, demographic, social, and clinical data were collected from the electronic medical records of 132 AAM patients (control and intervention) admitted with a primary or secondary admission diagnosis of HF. Both groups received guideline-directed therapy for HF. Additionally the intervention group received a pharmacist-led intervention. Data collected from these patients were used to develop and validate a predictive model to evaluate the impact of the pharmacist-led intervention, and identify predictors of readmission in this population. After propensity score matching, the intervention was determined to have a significant impact on readmission, as a significantly smaller proportion of patients in the intervention group were readmitted as compared to the control group (11.5% vs. 42.9%; p = .03). A predictive model for 30-day readmission was developed using K-nearest neighbor (KNN) classification algorithm. The model was able to correctly classify about 71% patients with an AUROC of 0.70. Additionally, the model provided a set of key patient attributes predictive of readmission status. Among these predictive attributes was whether or not a patient received the intervention. A relative risk analysis identified that patients who received the intervention are less likely to be readmitted within 30 days. This study demonstrated the benefit of a pharmacist-led intervention for AAM with HF. Such interventions have the potential to improve quality of life for this patient population.

Importance: African Americans have a higher burden of heart failure (HF) risk factors and clinical HF than other racial/ethnic groups. However, the factors underlying the transition from at-risk to clinical HF in African Americans are not well understood., Objective: To evaluate the contributions of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and subclinical myocardial injury as determined by abnormal high-sensitivity cardiac troponin-I (hs-cTnI) measurements toward HF risk among African Americans., Design, Setting, and Participants: This prospective, community-based cohort study was conducted between July 2016 and September 2018 and included African American participants from Jackson, Mississippi enrolled in the Jackson Heart Study without prevalent HF who had hs-cTnI measurements and an echocardiographic examination at baseline. Participants were stratified into categories based on the presence or absence of LVH and subclinical myocardial injury (category 1: hs-cTnI <4 ng/L in women and <6 ng/L in men; category 2: 4-10 ng/L in women and 6-12 ng/L in men; category 3: >10 ng/L in women and >12 ng/L in men)., Main Outcomes and Measures: Adjusted associations between LVH, subclinical myocardial injury, and the risk of incident HF hospitalization were assessed using Cox proportional hazards models., Results: The study included 3987 participants (2552 women [64%]; 240 (6.0%) with LVH; 1003 (25.1%) with myocardial injury) with 285 incident HF events over a median follow-up of 9.8 years (interquartile range, 8.9-10.6 years). In adjusted analyses, higher LV mass and subclinical myocardial injury were independently associated with the risk of HF with a significant interaction between the 2 (Pint < 0.001). The highest risk of HF was noted among individuals with both LVH and myocardial injury (absolute incidence, 35%; adjusted hazard ratio [aHR; vs no LVH and no myocardial injury], 5.35; 95% CI, 3.66-7.83). A significant interaction by sex was also observed. Men with LVH and subclinical myocardial injury had an almost 15-fold higher risk of HF (aHR, 14.62; 95% CI, 7.61-28.10) vs those with neither LVH nor injuries. By contrast, women with this phenotype had a nearly 4-fold higher risk of HF (aHR, 3.81; 95% CI, 2.40-6.85)., Conclusions and Relevance: The combination of LVH and subclinical myocardial injury identifies a malignant, preclinical HF phenotype in African Americans with a very high risk of HF, particularly among men. This finding could have implications for future screening strategies that are designed to prevent HF in the population.

Background: Higher fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF23) concentrations have been found to be associated with incident heart failure (HF). Experimental data suggest FGF23 directly stimulates myocardial hypertrophy. FGF23 may also enhance renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system activity. Whether FGF23 is associated with increased HF risk in populations with hypertension and whether this association is weaker in the presence of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) or angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) therapy is unknown., Methods: We studied 2,858 adults with hypertension free of cardiovascular disease at baseline (65.6 ± 9.5 years, 46.2% male) participating in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). We investigated the association of baseline serum intact FGF23 with incident HF over a 14-year median follow-up and whether ACEI/ARB therapy modified this risk. We also investigated the relationship of FGF23 with aldosterone and plasma renin activity in a random subgroup of the entire MESA cohort with available assays (N = 1,642)., Results: In adjusted Cox regression models, higher FGF23 was associated with a 63% greater hazard of incident HF (hazard ratio: 1.63, 95% confidence interval: [1.13-2.36] per 1-unit increase in log-transformed FGF23), which persisted after exclusion of participants with chronic kidney disease (hazard ratio: 1.94 [1.10-3.43]). There was no heterogeneity by ACEI/ARB use (Pinteraction = 0.438). FGF23 improved model fit over covariables (likelihood ratio χ2 = 6.67, P = 0.010). In multivariable linear regression models, there was no association between FGF23 and aldosterone or plasma renin activity., Conclusions: Higher FGF23 concentrations are associated with a significantly increased risk of HF in hypertension but this risk did not differ by ACEI/ARB treatment status. FGF23 may be a useful biomarker for HF risk in hypertensive populations.

Background: Our aim was to review the published literature evaluating treatment approaches for chronic heart failure (HF), notably as it relates to African American patients., Method: We undertook a comprehensive database search (1986-2017) of PubMed, EMBASE, and Ovid/MEDLINE utilizing terms 'African American', 'black', 'chronic heart failure', 'heart failure', 'medication', 'chronic therapy', and 'clinical trials'. Additional notable studies were obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov . Studies published in English that examine treatment modalities of chronic HF in African American and non-African American patients were included., Results: Examples of current gaps worthy of investigation include whether to maximize thiazides and calcium-channel blockers prior to adding renin-angiotensin system (RAS) inhibitors or beta blockers in HF with preserved ejection fraction; whether hydralazine/isosorbide dinitrate (ISDN) should be initiated during earlier HF stages; whether to prioritize hydralazine/ISDN over other agents such as RAS inhibitors; varying response of African Americans to different agents within drug classes; and the role of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists., Conclusion: Further studies are needed in order for consensus guidelines to clarify how best to treat this population.

Background: The correlation between CYP11B2 rs1799998 polymorphism and atrial fibrillation (AF) was analyzed by several studies, but the results of these studies were inconsistent. Thus, we performed this study to obtain a more conclusive result on relationship between CYP11B2 rs1799998 polymorphism and AF., Methods: Eligible studies were searched in PubMed, Medline and Embase. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to estimate the strength of correlation., Results: A total of 12 studies with 5466 participants were analyzed. We found that CYP11B2 rs1799998 polymorphism was significantly associated with AF in overall population under recessive genetic model with FEM (P = 0.005, OR = 1.29, 95%CI 1.08-1.54), but no positive results were detected in overall analyses with REMs. Further subgroup analyses revealed that CYP11B2 rs1799998 polymorphism was significantly correlated with AF in East Asians, but not in West Asians. Furthermore, significant associations between rs1799998 polymorphism and AF were observed in subjects with essential hypertension (EH) and heart failure (HF). No any other positive results were found in overall and subgroup analyses., Conclusions: Overall, our meta-analysis suggested that rs1799998 polymorphism may serve as a potential biological marker of AF in East Asians and subjects with EH or HF., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Aims: This analysis evaluates gender differences in the Egyptian cohort of patients hospitalized for acute heart failure (AHF) in the European Society of Cardiology Heart Failure Long-Term Registry., Methods and Results: From April 2011 to September 2014, 1634 patients hospitalized with AHF were enrolled by 20 hospitals all over Egypt. Of these patients, 1112 (68%) patients were male and 522 (32%) were female. Women presented with a higher admission systolic blood pressure and resting heart rate. Compared with men, women had a higher body mass index (32.5 ± 9.0 vs. 29.3 ± 4.9, P < 0.001), more frequent atrial fibrillation (34.7% vs. 22.4%, P < 0.001), and anaemia defined by haemoglobin < 12 g/dL (83.1% vs. 58.4%, P < 0.001). Women were more likely to present with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (29.7% vs. 10.6%, P < 0.001). Women had more frequent diabetes mellitus (48.1% vs. 41.6%, P < 0.05) and hypertension (48.7% vs. 39.3%, P < 0.001) than had men, whereas smoking was rare among them (8.8% vs. 82.9%, P < 0.005). There was no significant difference in the primary aetiology of heart failure between both sexes. ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists, antiplatelets, statins, and nitrates were less frequently prescribed to women, whereas they more often received digoxin, amiodarone, anticoagulants, and calcium channel blockers. There was no significant difference in in-hospital (5.7% vs. 4.6%, P = 0.39) and 1 year mortality (27.9% vs. 25.9%, P = 0.48) between women and men, respectively., Conclusions: Men and women with AHF differ significantly in baseline clinical characteristics and management but not in adverse outcomes. These findings emphasize the importance of individualized management and need for more comprehensive recruitment of women in clinical trials., (© 2018 The Authors. ESC Heart Failure published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.)

Background and Aims: We aimed to evaluate the associations and prognostic value of interleukin-6 (IL6) for the prediction of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) events, heart failure (HF), and other chronic diseases in a large, multi-ethnic, contemporary population., Methods: We included 6617 participants from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (5640 non-users, 977 users of statins at baseline). Main outcomes were hard ASCVD events and HF; secondary outcomes included all-cause death, atrial fibrillation, venous thromboembolism and cancer., Results: Median follow-up was 13.2 years. Strong associations were observed in Cox regression analyses between higher IL6 levels and ASCVD events, HF, and mortality, particularly among statins users. In the latter, associations remained strong after adjusting for traditional risk factors and other inflammation biomarkers (e.g., risk factor, hsCRP-adjusted hazard ratio for incident HF comparing 3rd vs. 1st IL6 tertiles: 3.55, 95% CI 1.23-10.27). Although IL6 did not improve CHD prediction beyond traditional risk factors, among statin users it improved the prediction of stroke (improvement in the C statistic +0.018), incident HF (+0.028, the largest C statistic increase across all study outcomes), and all-cause death (+0.017)., Conclusions: IL6 is strongly and independently associated with ASCVD events, HF, and all-cause mortality, particularly among statin users. Although the prognostic value of IL6 is limited for the prediction of CHD events, it may have a role for the prediction of stroke, HF and all-cause death in asymptomatic statin users. Larger studies are needed to replicate these findings., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Rationale: Although chronic obstructive pulmonary disease has been related to heart failure, the relationship between the restrictive spirometry pattern (forced vital capacity [FVC] < 80% predicted with preserved forced expiratory volume in 1 second [FEV 1 ]/FVC ratio) and heart failure is poorly understood., Objectives: To determine whether having a restrictive spirometry pattern is associated with incident heart failure hospitalization., Methods: Community-dwelling African Americans from the Jackson Heart Study (total n = 5,306; analyzed n = 4,210 with spirometry and heart failure outcome data) were grouped by restrictive spirometry (FEV 1 /FVC ≥ 0.70, FVC < 80%; n = 840), airflow obstruction (FEV 1 /FVC < 0.70; n = 341), and normal spirometry (FEV 1 /FVC ≥ 0.70, FVC ≥ 80%; n = 3,029) at the time of baseline examination in 2000-2004. We assessed relationships of echocardiographic parameters and biomarkers with spirometry patterns using regression models. Incident heart failure was defined as an adjudicated hospitalization for heart failure after January 1, 2005 in subjects with no self-reported heart failure history. We used multivariable-adjusted Poisson regression models and Cox proportional hazards models, with death treated as a competing risk in the Cox models, to test associations between spirometry patterns and incident heart failure. We also modeled the association of FVC% predicted with heart failure hospitalization risk using a restricted cubic spline after excluding subjects with airflow obstruction., Results: At the time of baseline spirometry, participants with restrictive spirometry had a median age of 57.2 years (interquartile range, 47.8-64.1); 38.1% were male. Compared with normal spirometry, restrictive spirometry was associated with a higher transmitral early (E) wave velocity to atrial (A) wave velocity ratio, higher pulmonary artery systolic pressure, and higher endothelin levels. After a median follow-up time of 8.0 years, 8.0% of subjects with restrictive spirometry (n = 67) had developed incident heart failure, compared with 3.8% of those with normal spirometry (n = 115) and 10.6% of those with airflow obstruction (n = 36). After risk adjustment, both a restrictive pattern (hazard ratio [HR], 1.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1-2.0) and airflow obstruction (HR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.1-2.5) were associated with increased rates of incident heart failure hospitalization compared with normal spirometry. Using flexible modeling, the lowest hazards of heart failure hospitalization were observed around FVC 90-100%, with lower FVC% values associated with an increased incidence of heart failure., Conclusions: Both a restrictive pattern on spirometry and airflow obstruction identify African Americans with impaired lung health at risk for heart failure.

Importance: Despite the importance of age, sex, and race/ethnicity representativeness in clinical trials, limited data exist regarding the enrollment trends of these groups in contemporary heart failure (HF) trials., Objective: To characterize the representation of older patients, women, and racial and ethnic minorities in HF trials., Evidence Review: We performed a systematic search of HF trials enrolling more than 400 participants published between January 2001 and December 2016 using PubMed/Medline and ClinicalTrials.gov. A total of 118 trials enrolling a cumulative 215 508 patients were included. Trial findings were compared with large epidemiologic studies indexed to hospitalization status and ejection fraction., Findings: Median number of participants per trial was 994 (interquartile range [IQR], 543-1899), enrolled from a median of 82 (IQR, 28-171) study sites. Overall, 94 trials (80%) enrolled patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) exclusively. Mean (SD) age of trial participants was 65 (11) years (from 64 years in 2001 to 2004 to 65 years in 2013 to 2016), and 58 873 of 215 508 were women (27%; from 26% in 2001 to 2004 to 29% in 2013 to 2016); no significant temporal trends were observed (P ≥ .60 for both). Chronic HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) trials enrolled older participants (mean [SD] age, 71 [7] years compared with 65 [11] years for HFrEF and 66 [12] years for acute HF [AHF] trials; P = .01). Corresponding mean ages in US epidemiologic studies were 69 years for HFrEF and 73 years for both patients with HFpEF and patients with AHF. The HFpEF trials had a higher proportion of women (n = 4940 of 8845 [56%]) compared with HFrEF (n = 34 397 of 143 538 [24%]) or AHF (n = 11 013 of 34 633 [32%]) (P < .001). Corresponding weighted proportions of women in HFpEF, HFrEF, and AHF trials in epidemiologic studies were 62%, 29%, and 50%, respectively. Distribution of racial/ethnic groups was reported in 55% (47%) of the trials; 22% of the participants were not white (n = 27 463 of 124 980), with significant increase over time from 13% in 2001 to 2004 (n = 5606 of 44 616) to 30% in 2013 to 2016 (8421 of 28 073) (P = .01)., Conclusions and Relevance: In contemporary HF trials, older patients and women are consistently underrepresented. Race/ethnicity data are reported in less than half of trials; when reported, such data show that enrollment of nonwhite patients increased over time.

Importance: Contemporary clinical trials of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) apply natriuretic peptide (NP) thresholds to identify patients who are more likely to have the disease of interest and to enrich the baseline risk of the enrolled cohort., Objective: To determine whether age, race/ethnicity, obesity, renal function, and atrial fibrillation (AF) affect the levels of NPs in HFpEF and whether the prognostic significance of NPs varies in these clinically important subgroups., Design, Setting, and Participants: This secondary analysis of the Treatment of Preserved Cardiac Function Heart Failure With an Aldosterone Antagonist Trial (TOPCAT) evaluated the distribution and prognostic significance of NPs across 6 subgroups comprising 1057 adult patients (60%) in the Americas region of TOPCAT with symptomatic heart failure (HF) and a left ventricular ejection fraction of 45% or more with available NPs at baseline., Exposures: Natriuretic peptides were log-transformed and standardized (expressed per 1 SD, z score) and assessed in 6 subgroups: age (cutoff, 70 years), black race, body mass index (BMI; calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared; cutoff, 30 kg/m2), waist circumference (cutoff, 102 cm for men, 88 cm for women), estimated glomerular filtration rate (cutoff, 60 mL/min/1.73 m2), and a history of AF., Main Outcomes and Measures: Time to composite cardiovascular death, hospitalization for HF, or aborted cardiac arrest at mean (SD) 2.4-year (1.5) follow-up., Results: Of 1057 participants, the mean (SD) age was 72 (10) years, 183 (17.3%) were black, the mean (SD) BMI was 33.4 (8.6) kg/m2, the mean (SD) estimated glomerular filtration rate was 64.6 (21.8) mL/min/1.73 m2, and 472 (45%) had a history of AF. Median B-type NP (n = 698) and N-terminal pro-B-type NP concentrations (n = 359) were 257 (interquartile range, 149-443) ng/L and 959 (interquartile range, 554-2015) ng/L, respectively. Natriuretic peptide concentrations varied by up to 0.5 SD within the 6 subgroups, being higher in older patients with nonblack race, a lower BMI, a lower waist circumference, a lower estimated glomerular filtration rate, and a history of AF. Elevated NP levels (per 1-SD increase) were independently associated with an increased risk of the primary outcome (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.22-1.54; P < .001) consistently across all investigated subgroups (interaction P > .05). In TOPCAT Americas (n = 1767), 791 (45%) were enrolled based on elevated NP levels as the qualifying criterion (as opposed to a history of HF hospitalization). This proportion was 31% (93 of 302), 34% (258 of 760), and 39% (443 of 1144) for black race, younger than 70 years, and a BMI of 30 kg/m2 or greater, respectively., Conclusions and Relevance: Natriuretic peptides remain important biomarkers of prognosis in HFpEF, even in subgroups who tend to have lower NP levels. A single, absolute NP threshold for inclusion in contemporary HFpEF trials may lead to an underrepresentation of certain demographic and clinical subgroups., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00094302.

Objective- Lp(a) [lipoprotein(a)] levels vary by race/ethnicity and were recently found to be associated with risk of heart failure (HF). We aimed to determine whether Lp(a)-related risk of HF is similar across different races and whether Lp(a) may further be related to HF with reduced ejection fraction or HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Approach and Results- In 6809 participants of the MESA (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis), aged 45 to 84 years and free of cardiovascular disease, 308 incident HF events occurred during a median 13-year follow-up. Baseline Lp(a) concentrations were determined by immunoassay. Incident HF was adjudicated, distinguishing HF with reduced ejection fraction (ejection fraction, <45%) from HFpEF (ejection fraction, ≥45%). Cox regression assessed relations between Lp(a) and HF risk among 4 races/ethnicities. Lp(a) was examined as a continuous variable (per log unit) and using clinical cutoff values, 30 and 50 mg/dL. Lp(a) was related to greater risk of HF in whites alone: per log unit Lp(a) (hazard ratio [HR], 1.20; P=0.02); Lp(a) ≥30 mg/dL (HR, 1.69; P=0.01), Lp(a) ≥50 mg/dL (HR, 1.87; P=0.006). No significant relations were found in black, Hispanic, or Chinese participants, and significant race interactions were observed. Lp(a) was additionally related to greater risk of HFpEF in white participants: per log unit Lp(a) (HR, 1.48; P=0.001), Lp(a) ≥30 mg/dL (HR, 2.15; P=0.01), Lp(a) ≥50 mg/dL (HR, 2.60; P=0.004). Lp(a)-related risk of HF and HFpEF in whites was independent of aortic valve disease. Conclusions- In a multiethnic sample, Lp(a)-related risks of HF and HFpEF were only evident in white participants. If confirmed, these findings have implications in further Lp(a) research and clinical practice.

Importance: Although studies have described differences in hospital outcomes by patient race and socioeconomic status, it is not clear whether such disparities are driven by hospitals themselves or by broader systemic effects., Objective: To determine patterns of racial and socioeconomic disparities in outcomes within and between hospitals for patients with acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, and pneumonia., Design, Setting, and Participants: Retrospective cohort study initiated before February 2013, with additional analyses conducted during the peer-review process. Hospitals in the United States treating at least 25 Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries aged 65 years or older in each race (ie, black and white) and neighborhood income level (ie, higher income and lower income) for acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, and pneumonia between 2009 and 2011 were included., Main Outcomes and Measures: For within-hospital analyses, risk-standardized mortality rates and risk-standardized readmission rates for race and neighborhood income subgroups were calculated at each hospital. The corresponding ratios using intraclass correlation coefficients were then compared. For between-hospital analyses, risk-standardized rates were assessed according to hospitals' proportion of patients in each subgroup. These analyses were performed for each of the 12 analysis cohorts reflecting the unique combinations of outcomes (mortality and readmission), demographics (race and neighborhood income), and conditions (acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, and pneumonia)., Results: Between 74% (3545 of 4810) and 91% (4136 of 4554) of US hospitals lacked sufficient racial and socioeconomic diversity to be included in this analysis, with the number of hospitals eligible for analysis varying among cohorts. The 12 analysis cohorts ranged in size from 418 to 1265 hospitals and from 144 417 to 703 324 patients. Within included hospitals, risk-standardized mortality rates tended to be lower among black patients (mean [SD] difference between risk-standardized mortality rates in black patients compared with white patients for acute myocardial infarction, -0.57 [1.1] [P = .47]; for heart failure, -4.7 [1.3] [P < .001]; and for pneumonia, -1.0 [2.0] [P = .05]). However, risk-standardized readmission rates among black patients were higher (mean [SD] difference between risk-standardized readmission rates in black patients compared with white patients for acute myocardial infarction, 4.3 [1.4] [P < .001]; for heart failure, 2.8 [1.8] [P < .001], and for pneumonia, 3.7 [1.3] [P < .001]). Intraclass correlation coefficients ranged from 0.68 to 0.79, indicating that hospitals generally delivered consistent quality to patients of differing races. While the coefficients in the neighborhood income analysis were slightly lower (0.46-0.60), indicating some heterogeneity in within-hospital performance, differences in mortality rates and readmission rates between the 2 neighborhood income groups were small. There were no strong, consistent associations between risk-standardized outcomes for white or higher-income neighborhood patients and hospitals' proportion of black or lower-income neighborhood patients., Conclusions and Relevance: Hospital performance according to race and socioeconomic status was generally consistent within and between hospitals, even as there were overall differences in outcomes by race and neighborhood income. This finding indicates that disparities are likely to be systemic, rather than localized to particular hospitals.

Background: Clinical guidelines recommend cardioverter defibrillator implantation for patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction. Despite this, women and minorities have been less likely to receive implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy than white men. We examined race and sex differences in ICD implantation in a recent cohort., Methods: Using cross-sectional, retrospective analyses, we mined our health system's outpatient electronic medical records to assess age, race, sex, medications, and comorbidities for patients aged ≥18 years with ejection fraction ≤ 35% during 2014. While adjusting for confounding variables such as medications, age, and comorbidities, we conducted a multivariable logistic regression assessing whether racial and sex differences in ICD therapy persist., Results: Among 5,156 outpatients with ejection fraction ≤35%, 1,681 (32.6%) patients had an ICD present at the time of their index outpatient visit in 2014. Women were less likely to have an ICD than men (25.0% vs 36.3%, P < 0.01), and black patients were less likely to have an ICD than white patients (28.0% vs 33.2%, P  =  0.02). In adjusted multivariable analyses, women were less like to have ICDs (adjusted odds ratio [OR]  =  0.68, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.58-0.79, P < 0.01) but the race difference dissipated (adjusted OR for black race  =  0.86, 95% CI, 0.68-1.08, P  =  0.18)., Conclusions: In this large, outpatient cohort, we have shown that sex differences in ICD therapy continue to exist, but the difference in ICD prevalence by race was attenuated. Dedicated studies are required to fully understand the causes of persistent sex differences in ICD therapy., (© 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Aim: To describe differences in patient characteristics and outcomes by ethnicity in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) and heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF, ejection fraction ≤35%) in a multi-ethnic cohort., Methods and Results: Patient level data from two cohorts (HF-ACTION and ASIAN-HF) were combined, and patients grouped by self-reported ethnicity. DM was defined as the presence of a clinical diagnosis and/or receiving anti-diabetic therapy. A total of 6214 (1324 whites, 674 blacks, 1297 Chinese, 1510 Indians, 717 Malays, 692 Japanese/Koreans) patients were included. The overall prevalence of DM was 39.5% (n = 2454). The prevalence of DM was lowest in whites (29.3%), followed by Japanese/Koreans (34.1%), blacks (35.9%), Chinese (42.3%), Indians (44.2%), and highest in Malays (51.9%). The correlation between age, sex, body mass index, coronary artery disease, hypertension, atrial fibrillation, peripheral vascular disease and chronic kidney disease with DM differed significantly by ethnicity (P for interaction <0.05). The strongest correlations were seen in Malay women, whites with obesity, Indians with coronary artery disease and hypertension, and blacks with chronic kidney disease. On multivariable analyses, DM was significantly associated with the composite of 1-year overall mortality/HF hospitalization (hazard ratio 1.37, 95% confidence interval 1.19-1.57; P < 0.001), with no interaction by ethnicity (P for interaction =0.31)., Conclusions: There is marked heterogeneity in the prevalence and correlates of DM among different ethnic groups with HF worldwide. Subgroups particularly predisposed to DM warrant special attention, since DM increases the combined risk of morbidity and mortality in all ethnicities with HF., (© 2018 The Authors. European Journal of Heart Failure © 2018 European Society of Cardiology.)

Sex differences in heart failure development following myocardial infarction (MI) are not fully understood. We hypothesized that differential MI signaling could explain variations in outcomes. Analysis of the mouse heart attack research tool 1.0 (422 mice; young = 5.4 ± 0.1; old = 23.3 ± 0.1 months of age) was used to dissect MI signaling pathways, which was validated in a new cohort of mice (4.8 ± 0.2 months of age); and substantiated in humans. Plasma collected at visit 2 from the MI subset of the Jackson Heart Study (JHS; a community-based study consisting of middle aged and older adults of African ancestry) underwent glycoproteomics grouped by outcome: (1) heart failure hospitalization after visit 2 (n = 3 men/12 women) and (2) without hospitalization through 2012 (n = 24 men/21 women). Compared to young male mice, the infarct region of young females had fewer, but more efficient tissue clearing neutrophils with reduced pro-inflammatory gene expression. Apolipoprotein (Apo) F, which acts upstream of the liver X receptors/retinoid X receptor (LXR/RXR) pathway, was elevated in the day 7 infarcts of old mice compared to young controls and was increased in both men and women with heart failure. In vitro, Apo F stimulated CD36 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)γ activation in male neutrophils to turn off NF-κB activation and stimulate LXR/RXR signaling to initiate resolution. Female neutrophils were desensitized to Apo F and instead relied on thrombospondin-1 stimulation of CD36 to upregulate AMP-activated protein kinase, resulting in an overall better wound healing strategy. With age, female mice were desensitized to LXR/RXR signaling, resulting in enhanced interleukin-6 activation, a finding replicated in the JHS community cohort. This is the first report to uncover sex differences in post-MI neutrophil signaling that yielded better outcomes in young females and worse outcomes with age.

Background: The proportion of racial/ethnic minorities receiving ventricular assist devices (VADs) has previously been less than expected. It is unclear if trends have changed since the broadening of access to insurance in 2014 and the rapid adoption of VAD technology., Methods and Results: Using the Interagency Registry of Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support, we analyzed time trends by race/ethnicity for 10 795 patients (white, 67.4%; African-American, 24.8%; Hispanic, 6.3%; Asian, 1.5%) who had a VAD implanted between 2012 and 2015. Linear models were fit to the annual census-adjusted rate of VAD implantation for each racial/ethnic group, stratified by sex and age group. From 2012 to 2015, African-Americans had an increase in the census-adjusted annual rate of VAD implantation per 100 000 (0.26 [95% confidence interval, 0.17-0.34]) while other ethnic groups exhibited no significant changes (white: 0.06 [-0.03 to 0.14]; Hispanic: 0.04 [-0.05 to 0.12]; Asian: 0.04 [-0.04 to 0.13]). Stratified by sex, rates increased in both African-American men and women ( P <0.05), but the change in rate was highest among African-American men (men 0.37 [0.28-0.46]; women 0.16 [0.07-0.25]; interaction with sex P =0.004). Stratified by age group, rates increased in African-Americans aged 40 to 69 years and Asians aged 50 to 59 years ( P <0.05). The observed differential change in VAD implantation rate by age group was significant among African-Americans (interaction with age, P <0.01) and Asians (interaction with age, P =0.02)., Conclusions: From 2012 to 2015, VAD implantation rates increased among African-Americans but not other racial/ethnic groups. The greatest increase in rate was observed among middle-aged African-American men, suggesting a decline in racial disparities. Further investigation is warranted to reduce disparities among women and older racial/ethnic minorities., (© 2018 American Heart Association, Inc.)

Conflicting data exist regarding the associations of early repolarization (ER) with electrocardiogram (ECG) and clinical outcomes in blacks. We examined the association of ER defined by J point elevation (JPE) and all-cause mortality, and heart failure (HF) hospitalization in blacks in the Jackson Heart Study (JHS) cohort. We included JHS participants with ECGs from the baseline visit coding JPE and excluded participants with paced rhythms or QRS duration ≥120 ms. We compared the cumulative incidence of 10-year all-cause mortality and 8-year HF hospitalization by presence of JPE ≥0.1 mV in any ECG lead at baseline using Kaplan-Meier estimates and multivariable Cox models. Of the 4,978 participants, 1,410 (28%) had JPE at baseline: anterior leads 97.8%, lateral leads 8.3%, and inferior leads 2.9%. Compared with participants without JPE, those with JPE were younger, more likely to be male and current smokers, and less likely to have hypertension. Over a median follow-up of 8 years, there were no significant differences in the cumulative incidence or multivariable-adjusted hazards of all-cause mortality or HF hospitalization in participants with and without JPE in any lead (adjusted hazard ratio 0.97, 95% confidence interval 0.89 to 1.52, and adjusted hazard ratio 1.18, 95% confidence interval 0.9 to 1.54, respectively). Of the 2,523 participants who completed Exam 3 without JPE at baseline, 246 (10%) developed JPE over follow-up. In conclusion, JPE on ECG was not associated with long-term mortality or HF hospitalization in a large prospective black community cohort, suggesting that ER may represent a benign ECG finding in blacks., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Community trends of acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) in diverse populations may differ by race and sex., Methods: The ARIC study (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) sampled heart failure-related hospitalizations (≥55 years of age) in 4 US communities from 2005 to 2014 using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes. ADHF hospitalizations were validated by standardized physician review and computer algorithm, yielding 40 173 events after accounting for sampling design (unweighted n=8746)., Results: Of the ADHF hospitalizations, 50% had reduced ejection fraction, and 39% had preserved EF (HFpEF). HF with reduced ejection fraction was more common in black men and white men, whereas HFpEF was most common in white women. Average age-adjusted rates of ADHF were highest in blacks (38.1 per 1000 black men, 30.5 per 1000 black women), with rates differing by HF type and sex. ADHF rates increased over the 10 years (average annual percentage change: black women +4.3%, black men +3.7%, white women +1.9%, white men +2.6%), mostly reflecting more acute HFpEF. Age-adjusted 28-day and 1-year case fatality proportions were ≈10% and 30%, respectively, similar across race-sex groups and HF types. Only blacks showed decreased 1-year mortality over time (average annual percentage change: black women -5.4%, black men -4.6%), with rates differing by HF type (average annual percentage change: black women HFpEF -7.1%, black men HF with reduced ejection fraction -4.7%)., Conclusions: Between 2005 and 2014, trends in ADHF hospitalizations increased in 4 US communities, primarily driven by acute HFpEF. Survival at 1 year was poor regardless of EF but improved over time for black women and black men., (© 2018 American Heart Association, Inc.)

Obesity continues to be a public health problem in the general population, and also significantly increases the risk for the development of new-onset heart failure (HF). However, in patients with already-established, chronic HF, overweight and mild to moderate obesity is associated with substantially improved survival compared to normal weight patients; this has been termed the "obesity paradox". The majority of studies measure obesity by body mass index, but studies utilizing less-frequently used measures of body fat and body composition, including waist circumference, waist-hip ratio, skinfold estimates, and bioelectrical impedance analysis also confirm the obesity paradox in HF. Other areas of investigation such as the relationship of the obesity paradox to cardiorespiratory fitness, gender, and race are also discussed. Finally, this review explores various explanations for the obesity paradox, and summarizes the current evidence for intentional weight loss treatments for HF in context., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aims: Systolic time intervals change in the progress of cardiac dysfunction. The usefulness of left ventricular ejection time (LVET) to predict cardiovascular morbidity, however, is unknown., Methods and Results: We studied middle-aged African-Americans from one of four cohorts of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study (Jackson cohort, n=1980) who underwent echocardiography between 1993 and 1995. Left ventricular ejection time was measured by pulsed-wave Doppler of the left ventricular outflow tract and related to outcomes. A shorter LVET was associated with younger age, male sex, higher diastolic blood pressure, higher proportion of diabetes, higher heart rate, higher blood glucose levels and worse fractional shortening. During a median follow-up of 17.6 years, 384 (19%) had incident heart failure (HF), 158 (8%) had a myocardial infarction, and 587 (30%) died. In univariable analysis, a lower LVET was significantly associated with increased risk of all events (P<0.05 for all). However, after multivariable adjustment for age, sex, hypertension, diabetes, body mass index, heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fractional shortening and left atrial diameter, LVET remained an independent predictor only of incident HF [hazard ratio 1.07 (1.02-1.14), P=0.010 per 10 ms decrease]. In addition, LVET provided incremental prognostic information to the known risk factors included in the Framingham risk score, in regard to predicting all outcomes except for myocardial infarction., Conclusion: Left ventricular ejection time is an independent predictor of incident HF in a community-based cohort and provides incremental prognostic information on the risk of future HF and death when added to known risk prediction models., (© 2017 The Authors. European Journal of Heart Failure © 2017 European Society of Cardiology.)

Objectives: This study sought to describe the health status of outpatients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) by sex, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status (SES)., Background: Although a primary goal in treating patients with HFrEF is to optimize health status, whether disparities by sex, race/ethnicity, and SES exist is unknown., Methods: In the CHAMP-HF (Change the Management of Patients with Heart Failure) registry, the associations among sex, race, and SES and health status, as measured by the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire-overall summary (KCCQ-os) score (range 0 to 100; higher scores indicate better health status) was compared among 3,494 patients from 140 U.S. clinics. SES was categorized by total household income. Hierarchical multivariate linear regression estimated differences in KCCQ-os score after adjusting for 31 patient characteristics and 10 medications., Results: Overall mean KCCQ-os scores were 64.2 ± 24.0 but lower for women (29% of sample; 60.3 ± 24.0 vs. 65.9 ± 24.0, respectively; p < 0.001), for blacks (60.5 ± 25.0 vs. 64.9 ± 23.0, respectively; p < 0.001), for Hispanics (59.1 ± 21.0 vs. 64.9 ± 23.0, respectively; p < 0.001), and for those with the lowest income (<$25,000; mean: 57.1 vs. 63.1 to 74.7 for other income categories; p < 0.001). Fully adjusted KCCQ-os scores were 2.2 points lower for women (95% confidence interval [CI]: -3.8 to -0.6; p = 0.007), no different for blacks (p = 0.74), 4.0 points lower for Hispanics (95% CI: -6.6 to -1.3; p = 0.003), and lowest in the poorest patients (4.7 points lower than those with the highest income (95% CI: 0.1 to 9.2; p = 0.045; p for trend = 0.003)., Conclusions: Among outpatients with HFrEF, women, blacks, Hispanics, and poorer patients had worse health status, which remained significant for women, Hispanics, and poorer patients in fully adjusted analyses. This suggests an opportunity to further optimize treatment to reduce these observed disparities., (Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: It remains unclear whether beta-blockade is similarly effective in black patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction as in white patients, but self-reported race is a complex social construct with both biological and environmental components. The objective of this study was to compare the reduction in mortality associated with beta-blocker exposure in heart failure and reduced ejection fraction patients by both self-reported race and by proportion African genetic ancestry., Methods and Results: Insured patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (n=1122) were included in a prospective registry at Henry Ford Health System. This included 575 self-reported blacks (129 deaths, 22%) and 547 self-reported whites (126 deaths, 23%) followed for a median 3.0 years. Beta-blocker exposure (BBexp) was calculated from pharmacy claims, and the proportion of African genetic ancestry was determined from genome-wide array data. Time-dependent Cox proportional hazards regression was used to separately test the association of BBexp with all-cause mortality by self-reported race or by proportion of African genetic ancestry. Both sets of models were evaluated unadjusted and then adjusted for baseline risk factors and beta-blocker propensity score. BBexp effect estimates were protective and of similar magnitude both by self-reported race and by African genetic ancestry (adjusted hazard ratio=0.56 in blacks and adjusted hazard ratio=0.48 in whites). The tests for interactions with BBexp for both self-reported race and for African genetic ancestry were not statistically significant in any model ( P >0.1 for all)., Conclusions: Among black and white patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction, reduction in all-cause mortality associated with BBexp was similar, regardless of self-reported race or proportion African genetic ancestry., (© 2018 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley.)

Background: Increased left ventricular (LV) myocardial stiffness may be associated with impaired LV hemodynamics and incident heart failure (HF). However, an indicator that estimates LV myocardial stiffness easily and non-invasively is lacking. The purpose of this study was to determine whether diastolic wall strain (DWS), an echocardiographic estimator of LV myocardial stiffness, is associated with incident HF in a middle-aged community-based cohort of African Americans., Methods and Results: We investigated associations between DWS and incident HF among 1528 African Americans (mean age 58.5 years, 66% women) with preserved LV ejection fraction (EF ≥50%) and without a history of cardiovascular disease in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. Participants with the smallest DWS quintile (more LV myocardial stiffness) had a higher LV mass index, higher relative wall thickness, and lower arterial compliance than those in the larger four DWS quintiles (p<0.01 for all). Over a mean follow-up of 15.6 years, there were 251 incident HF events (incidence rate: 10.9 per 1000 person-years). After adjustment for traditional risk factors and incident coronary artery disease, both continuous and categorical DWS were independently associated with incident HF (HR 1.21, 95%CI 1.04-1.41 for 0.1 decrease in continuous DWS, p=0.014, HR 1.40, 95%CI 1.05-1.87 for the smallest DWS quintile vs other combined quintiles, p=0.022)., Conclusions: DWS was independently associated with an increased risk of incident HF in a community-based cohort of African Americans. DWS could be used as a qualitative estimator of LV myocardial stiffness., (Copyright © 2017 Japanese College of Cardiology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to analyze cumulative Medicare expenditures at index admission and after discharge by race or ethnicity., Background: Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a growing proportion of heart failure (HF) admissions. Research on health care expenditures for patients with HFpEF is limited., Methods: Records of patients discharged from the Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure registry between 2006 and 2014 were linked to Medicare data. The primary outcome was unadjusted payments for acute care services. Comparisons between race/ethnic groups were made using generalized linear mixed models. Cost ratios were reported by race/ethnicity, and adjustments were made sequentially for patient characteristics, hospital factors, and regional socioeconomic status., Results: Median Medicare costs for index hospitalizations were $7,241 for the entire cohort, $7,049 for whites, $8,269 for blacks, $8,808 for Hispanics, $8,477 for Asians, and $8,963 for other races. Median costs at 30 days for readmitted patients were $9,803 and $17,456 for the entire cohort at 1-year. No significant differences were seen in index admission cost ratios by race/ethnicity. At 30 days among readmitted patients, costs were 9% higher (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1% to 17%; p = 0.020) for blacks in the fully adjusted model than whites. At 1 year, costs were 14% higher (95% CI: 9% to 18%; p < 0.001) for blacks, 7% higher (95% CI: 0% to 14%; p = 0.041) for Hispanics, and 24% higher (95% CI: 8% to 42%; p = 0.003) for patients of other races. No significant differences between white and Asian expenditures were noted., Conclusions: Minority patients with HFpEF have greater acute care service costs. Further research of improving care delivery is needed to reduce acute care use for vulnerable populations., (Copyright © 2018 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Recent studies have described the entity of heart failure with recovered ejection fraction (HFrecEF), but population-specific studies remain lacking. The aim of this study was to characterize patients enrolled in the African-American Heart Failure Trial (A-HeFT) who had significant improvement in their ejection fraction (EF) during the 1st 6 months of follow-up., Methods and Results: Subjects with HFrecEF (improvement in EF from <35% to >40% in 6 months; n = 59) were compared with 259 subjects with heart failure and persistently reduced EF (HFrEF), defined as EF ≤40% at 6-month follow-up. The effects of improvement in EF on all-cause mortality and 1st and all hospitalizations were analyzed. Compared with HFrEF, subjects with HFrecEF had a nonsignificant trend toward lower mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 0.16, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.02-1.15; P = .068), fewer 1st HF hospitalizations (HR 0.22, 95% CI 0.07-0.71; P = .011), fewer recurrent HF hospitalizations (HR 0.13, 95% CI 0.05-0.37; P <.001), similar 1st all-cause hospitalizations (HR 0.67, 95% CI 0.39-1.15; P = .150), and fewer recurrent all-cause hospitalizations (HR 0.41, 95% CI 0.24-0.68; P <.001)., Conclusions: These data confirm that, as in other populations, a small subgroup of black patients receiving standard care improve their EF with favorable outcomes. Further studies are required to determine whether myocardial recovery is permanent and the best management strategies in such patients., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: The goal of this study was to illustrate the potential benefit of effective congestive heart failure (CHF) treatment in terms of improved health, greater social value, and reduced health disparities between black and white subpopulations., Background: CHF affects 5.7 million Americans, costing $32 billion annually in treatment expenditures and lost productivity. CHF also contributes to health disparities between black and white Americans: black subjects develop CHF at a younger age and are more likely to be hospitalized and die of this disease. Improved CHF treatment could generate significant health benefits and reduce health disparities., Methods: We adapted an established economic-demographic microsimulation to estimate scenarios in which a hypothetical innovation eliminates the incidence of CHF and, separately, 6 other diseases in patients 51 to 52 years of age in 2016. This cohort was followed up until death. We estimated total life years, quality-adjusted life years, and disability-free life years with and without the innovation, for the population overall and for race- and sex-defined subpopulations., Results: CHF prevalence among 65- to 70-year-olds increased from 4.3% in 2012 to 8.5% in 2030. Diagnosis with CHF coincided with significant increases in disability and medical expenditures, particularly among black subjects. Preventing CHF among those 51 to 52 years of age in 2016 would generate nearly 2.9 million additional life years, 1.1 million disability-free life years, and 2.1 million quality-adjusted life years worth $210 to $420 billion. These gains are greater among black subjects than among white subjects., Conclusions: CHF prevalence will increase substantially over the next 2 decades and will affect black Americans more than white Americans. Improved CHF treatment could generate significant social value and reduce existing health disparities., (Copyright © 2018 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Hispanics are a fast-growing minority in the United States and have a high risk for the development of heart failure (HF). Hispanics have higher HF-related hospital readmission rates compared with non-Hispanics. However, the risk of readmission in a largely disadvantaged and majority Hispanic population has not been evaluated., Methods: We analyzed data for patients discharged with a principal discharge diagnosis of HF from the University of New Mexico Hospital from 2010-2014. Student t-test and chi-square analysis were used to assess the unadjusted associations between baseline characteristics and 30-day readmission rate. Multivariable logistic regression modeling evaluated the associations between 30-day hospital readmission rate, socio-demographic characteristics, and clinical variables., Results: A total of 1,594 patients were included in our analysis. Mean age (SD) was 63.1 ± 14 and 62.9 ±13.8 (P=.07) for Hispanics and non-Hispanics, respectively. Sixty percent of Hispanics had HF with reduced ejection fraction compared with 53.9% of non-Hispanics (P=.012). In unadjusted analysis, Hispanic ethnicity was associated with a two-fold increase in HF readmission rate compared with non-Hispanic ethnicity (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.5-2.7). In fully adjusted models, Hispanic ethnicity showed an 80% increase in HF readmission rate compared with non-Hispanic ethnicity (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.2-2.6)., Conclusion: Among patients from a socioeconomically disadvantaged background living in a Hispanic-majority area, being Hispanic is associated with higher odds of 30-day hospital re-admission after adjusting for demographic, clinical and socioeconomic covariates. Our findings show that further research is needed to understand disparities in Hispanic's heart failure-related outcomes., Competing Interests: Competing Interests: None declared.

Background: Lifetime risk of heart failure has been estimated to range from 20% to 46% in diverse sex and race groups. However, lifetime risk estimates for the 2 HF phenotypes, HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), are not known., Methods: Participant-level data from 2 large prospective cohort studies, the CHS (Cardiovascular Health Study) and MESA (Multiethnic Study of Atherosclerosis), were pooled, excluding individuals with prevalent HF at baseline. Remaining lifetime risk estimates for HFpEF (EF ≥45%) and HFrEF (EF <45%) were determined at different index ages with the use of a modified Kaplan-Meier method with mortality and the other HF subtype as competing risks., Results: We included 12 417 participants >45 years of age (22.2% blacks, 44.8% men) who were followed up for median duration of 11.6 years with 2178 overall incident HF events with 561 HFrEF events and 726 HFpEF events. At the index age of 45 years, the lifetime risk for any HF through 90 years of age was higher in men than women (27.4% versus 23.8%). Among HF subtypes, the lifetime risk for HFrEF was higher in men than women (10.6% versus 5.8%). In contrast, the lifetime risk for HFpEF was similar in men and women. In race-stratified analyses, lifetime risk for overall HF was higher in nonblacks than blacks (25.9% versus 22.4%). Among HF subtypes, the lifetime risk for HFpEF was higher in nonblacks than blacks (11.2% versus 7.7%), whereas that for HFrEF was similar across the 2 groups. Among participants with antecedent myocardial infarction before HF diagnosis, the remaining lifetime risks for HFpEF and HFrEF were up to 2.5-fold and 4-fold higher, respectively, compared with those without antecedent myocardial infarction., Conclusions: Lifetime risks for HFpEF and HFrEF vary by sex, race, and history of antecedent myocardial infarction. These insights into the distribution of HF risk and its subtypes could inform the development of targeted strategies to improve population-level HF prevention and control., (© 2018 American Heart Association, Inc.)

Background: N-terminal pro B-type peptide (NT-proBNP) has been associated with risk of myocardial infarction (MI), but less is known about the relationship between NT-proBNP and very small non ST-elevation MI, also known as microsize MI. These events are now routinely detectable with modern troponin assays and are emerging as a large proportion of all MI. Here, we sought to compare the association of NT-proBNP with risk of incident typical MI and microsize MI in the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) Study., Methods: The REGARDS Study is a national cohort of 30,239 US community-dwelling black and white adults aged ≥ 45 years recruited from 2003 to 2007. Expert-adjudicated outcomes included incident typical MI (definite/probable MI with peak troponin ≥ 0.5 μg/L), incident microsize MI (definite/probable MI with peak troponin < 0.5 μg/L), and incident fatal CHD. Using a case-cohort design, we estimated the hazard ratio of the outcomes as a function of baseline NT-proBNP. Competing risk analyses tested whether the associations of NT-proBNP differed between the risk of incident microsize MI and incident typical MI as well as if the association of NT-proBNP differed between incident non-fatal microsize MI and incident non-fatal typical MI, while accounting for incident fatal coronary heart disease (CHD) as well as heart failure (HF)., Results: Over a median of 5 years of follow-up, there were 315 typical MI, 139 microsize MI, and 195 incident fatal CHD. NT-proBNP was independently and strongly associated with all CHD endpoints, with significantly greater risk observed for incident microsize MI, even after removing individuals with suspected HF prior to or coincident with their incident CHD event., Conclusion: NT-proBNP is associated with all MIs, but is a more powerful risk factor for microsize than typical MI.

Aims: N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is the most frequently used biomarker in heart failure (HF), but its prognostic utility across ethnicities is unclear., Methods and Results: This study included 546 Caucasians with HF from the Coordinating Study Evaluating Outcomes of Advising and Counseling in Heart Failure and 578 Asians with HF from the Singapore Heart Failure Outcomes and Phenotypes study. NT-proBNP was measured at discharge after HF hospitalization. The studied outcome was a composite of all-cause mortality and HF hospitalization at 18 months. Compared with Caucasian patients, Asian patients were younger (63 ± 12 vs. 71 ± 11 years); less often female (26% vs. 39%); and had lower body mass index (26 vs. 27 kg/m 2 ), better renal function (61 ± 37 vs. 54 ± 20 mL/min/1.73 m 2 ), lower rates of atrial fibrillation (25% vs. 46%), strikingly higher rates of diabetes (59% vs. 30%), and higher rates of hypertension (76% vs. 44%). Despite these clear inter-group differences in individual drivers of NT-proBNP, average levels were similar in Asians [2709 (1350, 6302) pg/mL] and Caucasians [2545 (1308, 5484) pg/mL] (P = 0.514). NT-proBNP was strongly associated with outcome [hazard ratio 1.28 (per doubling), 95% confidence interval 1.18-1.39, P < 0.001], regardless of ethnicity (P interaction  = 0.719). NT-proBNP was similarly associated with outcome in HF with reduced and preserved ejection fraction in Asian (P interaction  = 0.776) and Caucasian patients (P interaction  = 0.558)., Conclusions: NT-proBNP has similar prognostic performance in Asians and Caucasians with HF despite ethnic differences in known clinical determinants of plasma NT-proBNP., (© 2018 The Authors. ESC Heart Failure published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.)

Background: Heart failure is a chronic, burdensome condition with higher re-hospitalization rates in African Americans than Whites. Higher dietary antioxidant intake is associated with lower oxidative stress and improved endothelial function. Lower dietary antioxidant intake in African Americans may play a role in the re-hospitalization disparity between African American and White patients with heart failure., Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the associations among race, dietary antioxidant intake, and cardiac event-free survival in patients with heart failure., Methods: In a secondary analysis of 247 patients with heart failure who completed a four-day food diary, intake of alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein, zeaxanthin, lycopene, vitamins C and E, zinc, and selenium were assessed. Antioxidant deficiency was defined as intake below the estimated average requirement for antioxidants with an established estimated average requirement, or lower than the sample median for antioxidants without an established estimated average requirement. Patients were followed for a median of one year to determine time to first cardiac event (hospitalization or death). Survival analysis was used for data analysis., Results: African American patients had more dietary antioxidant deficiencies and a shorter cardiac event-free survival compared with Whites ( p = .007 and p = .028, respectively). In Cox regression, race and antioxidant deficiency were associated with cardiac event-free survival before and after adjusting for covariates., Conclusion: African Americans with heart failure had more dietary antioxidant deficiencies and shorter cardiac event-free survival than Whites. This suggests that encouraging African American patients with heart failure to consume an antioxidant-rich diet may be beneficial in lengthening cardiac event-free survival.

Aims: To determine whether baseline metabolic syndrome (MetS) modifies the effect of intensive blood pressure control on cardiovascular (CV) outcomes, and whether the effects varied by race/ethnicity., Methods: We performed post hoc analyses among non-Hispanic black, non-hispanic white and Hispanic participants, with and without MetS, in the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT), who were randomized to a systolic blood pressure (SBP) target of <120 mm Hg (intensive group, N = 4544) or an SBP target of <140 mm Hg (standard group, N = 4553). The median follow-up was 3.26 years. The primary outcome was the composite of the first occurrence of myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure, non-myocardial infarction acute coronary syndrome or CV death., Results: Overall, 3521/9097 participants (38.7%) met the criteria for MetS at baseline. Baseline characteristics were similar in the two SBP target groups within each MetS subgroup, except body mass index was slightly higher in the standard arm of the MetS subgroup (33.3 ± 5.6 vs 33.0 ± 5.3 kg/m 2 ; P < .01), but were similar across treatment arms in the non-MetS subgroup. The hazard ratio for the primary outcome was similarly reduced in participants with or without baseline MetS: 0.75 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.57, 0.96) and 0.71 (95% CI 0.57, 0.87), respectively (adjusted P value for treatment by subgroup interaction = .98). Similarly, there was no evidence of treatment × MetS subgroup interaction for all-cause mortality (adjusted interaction P value = .98). The findings were also similar across race/ethnic subgroups., Conclusions: In this analysis the CV benefit of intensive SBP control did not differ among participants by baseline MetS status, regardless of race/ethnicity., (© 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Black individuals have a disproportionately higher burden of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) relative to other racial and ethnic populations. We conducted a systematic review to determine the representation, enrollment trends, and outcomes of black patients in historic and contemporary randomized clinical trials (RCTs) for HFrEF., Methods: We searched PubMed and Embase for RCTs of patients with chronic HFrEF that evaluated therapies that significantly improved clinical outcomes. We extracted trial characteristics and compared them by trial type. Linear regression was used to assess trends in enrollment among HFrEF RCTs over time., Results: A total of 25 RCTs, 19 for pharmacotherapies and 6 (n=9,501) for implantable cardioverter defibrillators, were included in this analysis. Among these studies, there were 78,816 patients, 4,640 black (5.9%), and the median black participation per trial was 162 patients. Black race was reported in the manuscript of 14 (56.0%) trials, and outcomes by race were available for 12 (48.0%) trials. Implantable cardiac defibrillator trials enrolled a greater percentage of black patients than pharmacotherapy trials (7.1% vs 5.7%). Overall, patient enrollment among the 25 RCTs increased over time (P = .075); however, the percentage of black patients has decreased (P = .001). Outcomes varied significantly between black and white patients in 6 studies., Conclusions: Black patients are modestly represented among pivotal RCTs of individuals with HFrEF for both pharmacotherapies and implantable cardioverter defibrillators. The current trend for decreasing black representation in trials of HF therapeutics is concerning and must improve to ensure the generalizability for this vulnerable population., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: This study sought to evaluate the influence of race/ethnicity on the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and mortality in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and HF with reduced EF (HFrEF) patients., Background: Prior studies demonstrated an "obesity paradox" among overweight and obese patients, where they have a better HF prognosis than normal weight patients. Less is known about the relationship between BMI and mortality among diverse patients with HF, particularly given disparities in obesity and HF prevalence., Methods: The authors used Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure data to assess the relationship between BMI and in-hospital mortality by using logistic regression modeling. The authors assessed 30-day and 1-year rates of all-cause mortality following discharge by using Cox regression modeling., Results: A total of 39,647 patients with HF were included (32,434 [81.8%] white subjects; 3,809 [9.6%] black subjects; 1,928 [4.9%] Hispanic subjects; 544 [1.4%] Asian subjects; and 932 [2.3%] other subjects); 59.7% of subjects had HFpEF, and 30.7% were obese. More black and Hispanic patients had Class I or higher obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m 2 ) than whites, Asians, or other racial/ethnic groups (p < 0.0001). Among subjects with HFpEF, higher BMI was associated with lower 30-day mortality, up to 30 kg/m 2 with a small risk increase above 30 kg/m 2 (BMI: 30 vs. 18.5 kg/m 2 ), hazard ratio (HR) of 0.63 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.54 to 0.73). A modest relationship was observed in HFrEF subjects (BMI: 30 vs. 18.5 kg/m 2 ; HR: 0.73; 95% CI: 0.60 to 0.89), with no risk increase above 30 kg/m 2 . There were no significant interactions between BMI and race or ethnicity related to 30-day mortality (p > 0.05)., Conclusions: This work is one of the first suggesting the obesity paradox for 30-day mortality exists at all BMI levels in HFrEF but not in patients with HFpEF. Higher BMI was associated with lower 30-day mortality across racial/ethnic groups in a manner inconsistent with the J-shaped relationship noted for coronary artery disease. The differential slope of obesity and mortality among HFpEF and patients with HFrEF potentially suggests differing mechanistic factors, requiring further exploration., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: Perceived control is an important construct in patients with heart failure (HF) and related to improved health outcomes. There is no reliable and valid instrument available for the measurement of perceived control in Taiwan, limiting the practical application of the construct in research and clinical practice., Purpose: The aim of this study was to translate, culturally adapt, and validate the Mandarin version of the Control Attitudes Scale-Revised (Mandarin CAS-R) in Taiwanese patients with HF., Methods: The Mandarin CAS-R was developed using a translation/back-translation process and semantic equivalence; importantly, conceptual equivalence was also examined. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach's α to determine internal consistency, and item homogeneity was assessed using item-total and interitem correlations. Construct validity was examined using exploratory factor analysis and hypothesis testing for known associations., Results: Three hundred forty-eight patients with HF were included, and 5-item Mandarin CAS-R was validated in the study. The model performance was acceptable with all factor loadings greater than 0.70, a variance explained of 55.2%, and a Cronbach's α of .79. The 5-item Mandarin CAS-R was associated with higher levels of self-care maintenance (β = 0.395, P < .001), management (β = 0.219, P < .01), and confidence (β = 0.524, P < .001); perceived social support (β = 0.246, P < .001); and depression (β = -0.125, P < .05)., Conclusions: This study provided evidence of the reliability and validity of the 5-item Mandarin CAS-R as a measure of perceived control in Taiwanese patients with HF.

Background: Collagen biomarkers may correlate with incident heart failure (HF) and its subtypes. We hypothesized that circulating procollagen type III N-terminal propeptide (PIIINP) and collagen type I carboxy-terminal telopeptide (ICTP) predict incident HF., Methods and Results: We used a stratified sampling design in a multiethnic sample of 3187 subjects, initially aged 45 to 84 years and free of cardiovascular disease. We assayed baseline serum PIIINP and ICTP concentrations using radioimmunoassay. Incident HF was adjudicated, distinguishing reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF; EF <45%) from preserved EF (HFpEF; EF ≥45%). The incidence density for HFpEF and HFrEF was computed using Poisson regression per SD for each of PIIINP and ICTP, adjusting in model 1 for age, race, sex, and renal function or in model 2 for these variables plus blood pressure and medication. Mean (SD) ICTP was 3.38±1.77 μg/L, and mean (SD) PIIINP was 5.48±2.04 μg/L. Among the HF cases, 96 were HFrEF and 107 were HFpEF. Neither ICTP nor PIIINP significantly predicted incident HFrEF. The incidence density for HFpEF per 100 people observed for 13 years was 1.65 for low PIIINP (lower 6 octiles) versus 3.00 for higher PIIINP ( P =0.002) in model 1 and correspondingly 1.45 versus 2.59 ( P =0.003) in model 2. For low ICTP (lower 7 octiles) versus higher ICTP (octile 8), incidence densities were 1.79 versus 3.64 ( P =0.002) in model 1 and 1.58 versus 3.12 ( P =0.002) in model 2., Conclusions: High levels of circulating ICTP and PIIINP as collagen biomarkers appear to be associated with incident HFpEF, but not HFrEF., (© 2018 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley.)

Background: As heart failure (HF)-associated morbidity and mortality continue to escalate, enhanced focus on prevention is increasingly important. "Malignant" left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy (LVH): LVH combined with an elevated cardiac biomarker reflecting either injury (high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T), or strain (amino-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide) has predicted accelerated progression to HF. We sought to determine whether malignant LVH identified community-dwelling adults initially free of cardiovascular disease at high risk of asymptomatic decline in LV ejection fraction or a clinical cardiovascular event., Methods and Results: A total of 4985 of 6814 individuals without prevalent cardiovascular disease underwent baseline cardiac magnetic resonance for LVH in combination with measurement of plasma high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T and amino-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide as part of MESA (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis) and were subsequently divided into 4 groups: (1) No LVH, no elevated biomarkers (n=2206; 44.3%); (2) No LVH, ≥1 elevated biomarkers (n=2275; 45.7%); (3) LVH, no elevated biomarkers (n=153; 3.0%); and (4) LVH, ≥1 elevated biomarkers (malignant LVH; n=351; 7.0%). Cardiac magnetic resonance was repeated 10 years later (n=2831) for assessment of LV ejection fraction <50%. Median follow-up was 12.2 years. Malignant LVH was associated with 7.0-, 3.5-, and 2.6-fold adjusted increases in incidence of HF, cardiovascular death, and asymptomatic LV dysfunction, respectively, versus group 1. New-onset HF was predominately HF with reduced ejection fraction (9.5-fold increase)., Conclusions: Malignant LVH is predictive of progression to asymptomatic LV dysfunction, HF (particularly HF with reduced ejection fraction), and cardiovascular death. Consequently, malignant LVH represents a high-risk phenotype among individuals without known cardiovascular disease, which should be targeted for increased surveillance and more-aggressive therapies., (© 2018 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley.)

Background: Recent data suggest that neighborhood socioeconomic environment predicts heart failure (HF) hospital readmissions. We investigated whether neighborhood deprivation predicts risk of incident HF beyond individual socioeconomic status in a low-income population., Methods and Results: Participants were 27 078 whites and blacks recruited during 2002 to 2009 in the SCCS (Southern Community Cohort Study), who had no history of HF and were using Centers for Medicare or Medicaid Services. Incident HF diagnoses through December 31, 2010, were ascertained using International Classification of Diseases , Ninth Revision, codes 428.x via linkage with Centers for Medicare or Medicaid Services research files. Participant residential information was geocoded and census tract determined by a spatial join to the US Census Bureau TIGER/Line Shapefiles. The neighborhood deprivation index was constructed using principal components analysis based on census tract-level socioeconomic variables. Cox models with Huber-White cluster sandwich estimator of variance were used to investigate the association between neighborhood deprivation index and HF risk. The study sample was predominantly middle aged (mean, 55.5 years), black (69%), female (63%), low income (70% earned <$15 000/y), and >50% of participants lived in the most deprived neighborhoods (third neighborhood deprivation index tertile). Over median follow-up of 5.2 years, 4300 participants were diagnosed with HF. After adjustment for demographic, lifestyle, and clinical factors, a 1 interquartile increase in neighborhood deprivation index was associated with a 12% increase in risk of HF (hazard ratio, 1.12; 95% confidence interval, 1.07-1.18), and 4.8% of the variance in HF risk (intraclass correlation coefficient, 4.8; 95% confidence interval, 3.6-6.4) was explained by neighborhood deprivation., Conclusions: In this low-income population, scant neighborhood resources compound the risk of HF above and beyond individual socioeconomic status and traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Improvements in community resources may be a significant axis for curbing the burden of HF., (© 2018 American Heart Association, Inc.)

Background: Approximately three million U.S. adult women have heart failure (HF), increasing their risk of adverse perioperative outcomes. While gender and racial differences are reported in surgical outcomes, less is known about 30-day perioperative outcomes in HF patients., Objectives: To characterize and compare gender and racial differences in 30-day perioperative outcomes in adults with new or acute/worsening HF., Methods: The 2012-2013 American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database of surgical patients (n = 9458) with HF was analyzed. Logistic regression was used to adjust for gender and racial differences in baseline covariates., Results: No gender difference in mortality (odds ratio = 0.922, 95% confidence interval = 0.0792-1.073, p = 0.294) was noted. Whites were more likely than Blacks to die 30 days after surgery (14% vs 9%, p < 0.001); after adjustment, Blacks were more likely to experience complications and be readmitted compared to Whites., Conclusions: There was no gender difference in mortality. White patients with HF were more likely to die after surgery than Black patients., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: It is unknown if normal findings on noninvasive cardiac assessment are able to identify individuals who are low risk for developing heart failure (HF)., Methods: We examined if normal findings on the routine electrocardiogram (ECG) and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were able to identify individuals who are low risk for developing HF in 4986 (mean age=62±10years; 52% women; 39% White; 13% Chinese-American; 26% Black; 22% Hispanic) participants from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis who were free of clinically apparent HF at baseline. A normal ECG was defined as the absence of major abnormalities by Minnesota Code Classification, and a normal MRI was defined as absence of structural abnormalities and systolic dysfunction., Results: There were 3988 (80%) participants with normal findings at baseline on both ECG and MRI, 894 (18%) who had either a normal ECG or normal MRI, and 104 (2%) who had abnormal findings on ECG and MRI. Over a median follow-up of 12.2years, 177 (3.6%) HF events occurred. Normal ECG (HR=0.41, 95%CI=0.29, 0.56) and MRI (HR=0.32, 95%CI=0.23, 0.45) were each associated with lower risk of HF compared with abnormal, and their combination was associated with a lower HF risk (HR=0.13, 95%CI=0.08, 0.21) than either in isolation., Conclusion: Normal findings on noninvasive cardiac assessment identify individuals in whom the risk of HF is low. Further studies are needed to explore the utility of this low-risk profile in HF prevention strategies., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Prior studies have documented racial and ethnic disparities in hospitalization among patients with heart failure (HF). However, racial/ethnic differences in trajectories of hospitalization following the diagnosis of HF have not been well characterized. This study examined racial/ethnic differences in individual-level trajectories of hospitalization in older adults with diagnosed HF., Methods and Results: Data from a nationally representative prospective cohort of US men and women aged 45 years and older were used to examine the number of hospitalizations reported every 24 months. Participants who were non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, and Hispanic with a reported diagnosis of HF (n=3011) were followed from 1998 to 2014. Results showed a quadratic change in the number of reported hospitalizations following HF diagnosis, with an average of 2.36 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.19-2.53; P <0.001) hospitalizations within 24 months that decreased by 0.35 (95% CI, -0.45 to -0.25; P <0.001) every 24 months and subsequently increased by 0.03 (95% CI, 0.02-0.05; P <0.001) thereafter. In men, there were no racial/ethnic differences in hospitalizations reported at the time of diagnosis; however, Hispanic men had significant declines in hospitalizations after diagnosis (Hispanic×time=-0.52; 95% CI, -0.99 to -0.05 [ P =0.031]) followed by a sizeable increase in hospitalizations at later stages of disease (Hispanic×time 2 =0.06; 95% CI, 0.00-0.12 [ P =0.047]). In women, hospitalizations were consistently high following their diagnosis and black women had significantly more hospitalizations throughout follow-up than white women (black=0.28; 95% CI, 0.00-0.55 [ P =0.048]). Racial/ethnic disparities varied by geography and the differences remained significant after adjusting for multiple sociodemographic, psychosocial, behavioral, and physiological factors., Conclusions: There were significant racial/ethnic differences in trajectories of hospitalization following the diagnosis of HF in US men and women. Racial/ethnic disparities varied by place of residence and the differences persisted after adjustment for multiple risk factors. The findings have important implications that may be crucial to planning the immediate and long-term delivery of care in patients with HF to reduce potentially preventable hospitalizations., (© 2017 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley.)

We studied the association of coronary artery calcium (CAC) and risk of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) among men and women in a multiethnic cohort. Coronary artery disease is a risk factor for development of HFpEF and assessment of subclinical atherosclerosis using CAC may allow for the early identification of patients at risk for HFpEF. We used data from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. CAC was measured at baseline in all participants. Incident HFpEF was defined as heart failure hospitalization with left ventricular ejection fraction ≥50%. Multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate HFpEF risk by CAC categories (0, 1 to 100, 101 to 300, and >300) and by CAC (continuous), stratified by gender and race/ethnicity. Of 6809 total participants, 127 incident HFpEF cases (1.8%) were ascertained. Mean age was 62 years (±10 years), and the participants were 53% female, 38% White, and 12% Black. In adjusted analysis, CAC >300 was associated with increased risk of HFpEF (hazard ratio [HR] 1.68, 95% confidence interval [95 CI] 1.00, 1.83); however, this was significant only in women (HR 2.82, 95% CI 1.32, 6.00 vs HR 0.91, 95% CI 0.46, 1.82 for men, interaction p = 0.03). Similarly, CAC modeled as a continuous variable was strongly predictive in women but not in men. In conclusion, measurement of CAC, a marker of coronary atherosclerosis, may stratify risk of HFpEF beyond traditional risk factors for women. Further investigation is needed to better understand potential gender differences in pathophysiology and presentation of HFpEF., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: African American women with heart failure (HF) have stressors that negatively impact HF self-management adherence and heighten the occurrence of negative cardiac health events. Perceptions of illness coherence and controllability and emotion regulation are known to facilitate self-management in the face of stressors., Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether difficulties with emotion regulation and negative perceptions of illness coherence and controllability are detrimental to adherence and increase negative cardiac health events in this patient population., Methods: African American women (n = 54) with HF, aged 49 to 84 years, participated in this longitudinal descriptive correlational study. Using convenience sampling, we recruited patients from hospitals and HF clinics. They completed interviews at intake and 30 days, and their medical records were reviewed at 90 days. Linear and logistic regression models were used to assess predictors of general adherence and negative cardiac health events., Results: Of 54 patients who participated in the study, 28 experienced a negative health event during 90 days, and 57% of these events were cardiac related. The only clear predictor of these events was greater New York Heart Association functional classification (β = 1.47, P = .027). No associations were found between predictors (emotion regulation, controllability, coherence, age, education) and general adherence., Conclusions: Emotion regulation showed a possible greater impact on negative cardiac health events than on general adherence. Perceived illness coherence showed less impact on negative cardiac health events than on general adherence.