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Quinn S Wells,1,2 Eric Farber-Eger,1,2 Loren Lipworth,2,3 Paul Dluzniewski,4 Ricardo Dent,4 John Umeijiego,4 Sarah S Cohen3,5 1Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; 2Vanderbilt Translational and Clinical Cardiovascular Research Center (VTRACC), Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; 3Division of Epidemiology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; 4Center for Observational Research, Amgen, Inc., Thousand Oaks, CA, USA; 5Epidstrategies, A Division of Toxstrategies, Inc., Cary, NC, USACorrespondence: Sarah S Cohen Tel +1 919-885-0548Email scohen@epidstrategies.comPurpose: Given known differences between real-world and clinical trial populations, we characterized demographics, clinical characteristics, and outcomes using real-world (RW) data for patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), including those similar to subjects enrolled in an HFrEF clinical trial to better understand patient populations that could benefit from novel therapies.Patients and Methods: Using Vanderbilt University Medical Center electronic health records (2006– 2019), two RW cohorts of HFrEF patients were identified. The “Clinical Cohort” was based on a validated HFrEF algorithm and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤ 40%. The “GALACTIC-HF-like Cohort” mirrored enrollment requirements of the GALACTIC-HF clinical trial including hospitalizations, medications, laboratory values, and LVEF ≤ 35%.Results: Median age at index for the Clinical Cohort (N = 3954) and GALACTIC-HF-like Cohort (N = 1541) were 65 and 61 years, respectively; both were 67% male and 80% white. Over half had coronary artery disease (55% Clinical vs 64% GALACTIC-HF-like); hypercholesterolemia was common (69% Clinical vs 74% GALACTIC-HF-like). Chronic kidney disease (31 vs 21%), atrial fibrillation (32 vs 29%), and cardiac resynchronization or implantable cardioverter defibrillator (26 vs 23%) were higher in the GALACTIC-HF-like Cohort. ACE inhibitor use was high in both groups but more common in the GALACTIC-HF-like Cohort (71% and 82%, respectively). Beta-blockers or loop diuretics were used by > 90% of both cohorts. HF hospitalization rates were 261 (95% CI 224, 297) per 1000 person-years in Clinical versus 523 (484, 562) in GALACTIC-HF-like Cohort (median follow-up of 2.9 and 4.2 years, respectively).Conclusion: Approximately 40% of RW HFrEF patients met criteria for the GALACTIC-HF trial. While findings of ongoing clinical trials may be directly generalizable to this sizable proportion of patients, future trials should examine whether the majority of patients with lower prevalence of comorbidities and rate of HF hospitalization could benefit from emerging HF treatments.Keywords: heart failure, reduced ejection fraction, real-world evidence, electronic health record

BACKGROUND: Existing evidence suggests that proinflammatory cytokines play an intermediary role in postchemotherapy cognitive impairment. This is one of the largest multicentered, cohort studies conducted in Singapore to evaluate the prevalence and proinflammatory biomarkers associated with cognitive impairment in breast cancer patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Chemotherapy-receiving breast cancer patients (stages I-III) were recruited. Proinflammatory plasma cytokines concentrations [interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, interferon-γ and tumor necrosis factor-α] were evaluated at 3 time points (before chemotherapy, 6 and 12 weeks after chemotherapy initiation). The FACT-Cog (version 3) was utilized to evaluate patients self-perceived cognitive disturbances and a computerized neuropsychological assessment (Headminder) was administered to evaluate patients memory, attention, response speed and processing speed. Changes of cognition throughout chemotherapy treatment were compared against the baseline. Linear mixed-effects models were applied to test the relationships of clinical variables and cytokine concentrations on self-perceived cognitive disturbances and each objective cognitive domain. RESULTS: Ninety-nine patients were included (age 50.5 ± 8.4 years; 81.8% Chinese; mean duration of education = 10.8 ± 3.3 years). Higher plasma IL-1β was associated with poorer response speed performance (estimate: -0.78; 95% confidence interval (CI) -1.34 to -0.03; P = 0.023), and a higher concentration of IL-4 was associated with better response speed performance (P = 0.022). Higher concentrations of IL-1β and IL-6 were associated with more severe self-perceived cognitive disturbances (P = 0.018 and 0.001, respectively). Patients with higher concentrations of IL-4 also reported less severe cognitive disturbances (P = 0.022). CONCLUSIONS: While elevated concentrations of IL-6 and IL-1β were observed in patients with poorer response speed performance and perceived cognitive disturbances, IL-4 may be protective against chemotherapy-associated cognitive impairment. This study is important because cytokines would potentially be mechanistic mediators of chemotherapy-associated cognitive changes.

Dirk J Blom,1 Ricardo Dent,2 Rita C Castro,2 Peter P Toth3,4 1Division of Lipidology, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; 2Amgen, Inc., Thousand Oaks, CA, 3Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 4CGH Medical Center, Sterling, IL, USA Abstract: Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) increases low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) concentrations through interference with normal physiologic hepatic LDL receptor (LDLR) recycling. Inhibiting PCSK9 results in improved LDLR recycling, increased LDLR availability on hepatocyte cell surfaces, and reduced blood LDL-C levels, making PCSK9 inhibition a novel therapeutic strategy for managing hypercholesterolemia. Monoclonal antibodies directed against PCSK9 have been developed for this purpose. A large number of clinical trials have demonstrated that monoclonal antibodies against PCSK9 yield substantial reductions in LDL-C when administered as monotherapy or in combination with statins to patients with nonfamilial and familial forms of hypercholesterolemia. Data from long-term trials demonstrate that the LDL-C-lowering effect of PCSK9 inhibitors is durable. These agents are generally well tolerated, and few patients discontinue treatment due to adverse events. Moreover, PCSK9 inhibitors do not appear to elicit the hepatic and muscle-related side effects associated with statin use. The ultimate value of PCSK9 inhibitors will be measured by their effect on clinical outcomes. Early evidence of a reduction in cardiovascular events after 1 year of treatment was shown in a prospective exploratory analysis of two ongoing long-term open-label extension evolocumab trials. Similarly, cardiovascular events were reduced in another exploratory analysis after >1 year of therapy with alirocumab. For the primary care physician, PCSK9 inhibitors represent a welcome additional option for lowering LDL-C in patients with familial forms of hypercholesterolemia and those with clinical atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease who are on maximally tolerated statin therapy. Keywords: alirocumab, monoclonal antibody, hypercholesterolemia, hyperlipidemia, LDL-C

Inclusion of both skin and proximity effects in the prediction of impedance matrices in eddy-current problems significantly complicates the prediction of the impedance matrix. In this paper, a technique employing a boundary element method is used to predict these impedance matrices using an additional constant vector potential which is added to the interior of every conductor. This constant vector potential is slightly altered for an axisymmetric problem and allows for the easy prediction of induced voltage in an eddy-current conductor. Perhaps the greatest contribution offered by this paper is in the interpretation of these matrices and in particular, with the negative components comprising the resistance matrix. The phasor diagrams, both for voltage and current as well as magnetic fields, are employed to aid in better understanding the information delivered within the impedance matrix. The explanations are directed specifically toward a three-coil axisymmetric problem. The technique is tested against the measured voltage in a three-phase current fed system. Index Terms - Eddy-current, impedance, matrix, proximity effect.