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Background: The Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) score was developed to evaluate risk in patients with acute coronary syndrome with or without ST-segment elevation. Little is known about its performance at predicting in-hospital mortality for ethnic minority patients. Methods and Results: We identified 326,160 admissions with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) in the Myocardial Infarction National Audit Project (MINAP), 2010-2017, including White (n = 299,184) and ethnic minorities (excluding White minorities) (n=26,976). We calculated the GRACE score for in-hospital mortality and assessed ethnic group baseline characteristics by low, intermediate and high risk. Performance of the GRACE risk score was estimated by discrimination (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC]) and calibration (calibration plots). Ethnic minorities presented younger and had increased prevalence of cardiometabolic risk factors in all GRACE risk groups. The GRACE risk score for White (AUC 0.87, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.86-0.87) and ethnic minority (AUC 0.87, 95% CI 0.86-0.88) patients had good discrimination. However, whilst the GRACE risk model was well calibrated in White patients (expected to observed (E:O) in-hospital death rate ratio 0.99; slope 1.00), it overestimated risk in ethnic minority patients (E:O ratio 1.29; slope: 0.94). Conclusion: The GRACE risk score provided good discrimination overall for in-hospital mortality, but was not well calibrated and overestimated risk for ethnic minorities with NSTEMI.

Objective\ud To investigate the utility of Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) as a measure of comorbidity burden to predict procedural outcomes after de novo cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) implantation.\ud Methods\ud All de novo CIED implantations in the United States National Inpatient Sample between 2015 and 2018 were retrospectively analyzed, stratified by CCI score (0=no comorbidity burden, 1=mild, 2=moderate, ≥3=severe). Multivariable logistic regression models were performed to examine the association between unit CCI score (scale) and in-hospital outcomes (major adverse cerebrovascular and cardiovascular events [MACCE]: composite of all-cause mortality, acute ischemic stroke, thoracic and cardiac complications, and device-related complications; and MACCE individual components).\ud Results\ud Of 474,475 CIED procedures, the distribution of CCI score was as follows: CCI=0 (17.7%), CCI=1 (21.8%), CCI=2 (18.7%), and CCI=3+ (41.8%). Charlson comorbidity index score was associated with increased odds ratios of MACCE (1.10; 95% CI, 1.09 to 1.11), all-cause mortality (1.23; 95% CI, 1.21 to 1.25), and acute stroke (1.45; 95% CI, 1.44 to 1.46). This finding was consistent across all CIED groups except the cardiac resynchronization therapy groups in which CCI was not associated with increased risk of mortality. A higher CCI score was not associated with increased odds of procedural (thoracic and cardiac) and device-related complications.\ud Conclusion\ud In a nationwide cohort of CIED procedures, higher comorbidity burden as measured by CCI score was associated with an increased risk of in-hospital mortality and acute ischemic stroke, but not procedure-related (thoracic and cardiac) or device-related complications. Objective assessment of comorbidity burden is important to risk-stratify patients undergoing CIED implantation for better prognostication of their in-hospital survival.

Severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with increased risk of venous thromboembolism events (VTE). This study performed a systematic review in PubMed/EMBASE of studies reporting the prevalence of VTE in patients with COVID-19 who were totally screened/assessed for deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and/or for pulmonary embolism (PE). Among 47 candidate studies (n = 6459; 33 in Europe), 17 studies (n = 3973; weighted age 63.0 years, males 60%, intensive care unit (ICU) 16%) reported the prevalence of PE with a pooled estimate of 32% (95% CI: 25, 40%), and 32 studies (n = 2552; weighted age 62.6 years, males 57%, ICU 49%) reported the prevalence of DVT with a pooled estimate of 27% (95% CI: 21, 34%). A total of 36 studies reported the use of at least prophylactic antithrombotic treatment in the majority of their patients. Meta-regression analysis showed that the prevalence of VTE was higher across studies with a higher percentage of ICU patients and higher study population mean D-dimer values, and lower in studies with mixed dosing of anticoagulation in ⩾ 50% of the population compared to studies with standard prophylactic dosing of anticoagulation in < 50% of the population. The pooled odds ratio for death in patients with COVID-19 and VTE versus those without VTE (17 studies, n = 2882) was 2.1 (95% CI: 1.2, 3.6). Hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19 are at high VTE risk despite prophylactic anticoagulation. Further research should investigate the individualized VTE risk of patients with COVID-19 and the optimal preventive antithrombotic therapy. PROSPERO Registration No.: CRD42020185543. © The Author(s) 2021.

Background Studies have reported significant reduction in acute myocardial infarction–related hospitalizations during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic. However, whether these trends are associated with increased incidence of out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in this population is unknown. Methods and Results Acute myocardial infarction hospitalizations with OHCA during the COVID‐19 period (February 1–May 14, 2020) from the Myocardial Ischaemia National Audit Project and British Cardiovascular Intervention Society data sets were analyzed. Temporal trends were assessed using Poisson models with equivalent pre–COVID‐19 period (February 1–May 14, 2019) as reference. Acute myocardial infarction hospitalizations during COVID‐19 period were reduced by >50% (n=20 310 versus n=9325). OHCA was more prevalent during the COVID‐19 period compared with the pre–COVID‐19 period (5.6% versus 3.6%), with a 56% increase in the incidence of OHCA (incidence rate ratio, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.39–1.74). Patients experiencing OHCA during COVID‐19 period were likely to be older, likely to be women, likely to be of Asian ethnicity, and more likely to present with ST‐segment–elevation myocardial infarction. The overall rates of invasive coronary angiography (58.4% versus 71.6%; P

Background: Patients with complex high-risk coronary anatomy, such as those with a last remaining patent vessel (LRPV), are increasingly revascularized with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in contemporary practice. There are limited data on the outcomes of these high-risk procedures. Methods: We analyzed a large longitudinal PCI cohort (2007–2014, n=501 841) from the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society database. Clinical, demographic, procedural, and outcome data were analyzed by dividing patients into 2 groups; LRPV group (n=2432) and all other PCI groups (n=506 691). Results: Patients in the LRPV PCI group were older, had more comorbidities, and higher prevalence of moderate-severe left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Mortality was higher in the LRPV PCI group during hospital admission (12 % versus 1.5 %, P P P P P P P Conclusions: In this contemporary cohort, patients who had PCI to their LRPV had a higher-risk profile and more adverse clinical outcomes, irrespective of the vessel treated.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to describe the early (inpatient and 30-day) and late (1-year) outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in saphenous vein grafts (SVGs), with and without the use of embolic protection devices (EPD), in a large, contemporary, unselected national cohort from the database of the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society.\ud \ud BACKGROUND: There are limited, and discrepant, data on the clinical benefits of the adjunctive use of EPDs during PCI to SVGs in the contemporary era.\ud \ud METHODS: A longitudinal cohort of patients (2007 to 2014, n = 20,642) who underwent PCI to SVGs in the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society database was formed. Clinical, demographic, procedural, and outcome data were analyzed by dividing into 2 groups: no EPD (PCI to SVGs without EPDs, n = 17,730) and EPD (PCI to SVGs with EPDs, n = 2,912).\ud \ud RESULTS: Patients in the EPD group were older, had more comorbidities, and had a higher prevalence of moderate to severe left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Mortality was lower in the EPD group during hospital admission (0.70% vs. 1.29%; p = 0.008) and at 30 days (1.44% vs. 2.01%; p = 0.04) but similar at 1 year (6.22% vs. 6.01%; p = 0.67). Following multivariate analyses, no significant difference in mortality was observed during index admission (odds ratio [OR]: 0.71; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.42 to 1.19; p = 0.19), at 30 days (OR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.60 to 1.25; p = 0.45), and at 1 year (OR: 0.92; 95% CI: 0.77 to 1.11; p = 0.41), along with similar rates of in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular events (OR: 1.16; 95% CI: 0.83 to 1.62; p = 0.39) and stroke (OR: 0.68; 95% CI: 0.20 to 2.35; p = 0.54). In propensity score-matched analyses, lower inpatient mortality was observed in the EPD group (OR: 0.46; 95% CI: 0.13 to 0.80; p = 0.002), although the adjusted risk for the periprocedural no-reflow or slow-flow phenomenon was higher in patients in whom EPDs were used (OR: 2.16; 95% CI: 1.71 to 2.73; p

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OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate national temporal trends in same-day discharge (SDD) and compare clinical outcomes with those among patients admitted for overnight stay undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for stable angina.BACKGROUND: Overnight observation has been the standard of care following PCI, with no previous national analyses around changes in practice or clinical outcomes from health care systems in which SDD is the predominant practice for elective PCI.METHODS: Data from 169,623 patients undergoing elective PCI between 2007 and 2014 were obtained from the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society registry. Multiple logistic regressions and the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society risk model were used to study the association between SDD and 30-day mortality.RESULTS: The rate of SDD increased from 23.5% in 2007 to 57.2% in 2014, with center SDD median prevalence varying from 17% (interquartile range: 6% to 39%) in 2007 to 66% (interquartile range: 45% to 77%) in 2014. The largest independent association with SDD was observed for radial access (odds ratio: 1.69; 95% confidence interval: 1.65 to 1.74; p < 0.001). An increase in 30-day mortality rate over time for the SDD cases was observed, without exceeding the predicted mortality risk. According to the difference-in-differences analysis, observed 30-day mortality temporal changes did not differ between SDD and overnight stay (odds ratio: 1.15; 95% confidence interval: 0.294 to 4.475; p = 0.884).CONCLUSIONS: SDD has become the predominant model of care among elective PCI cases in the United Kingdom, in increasingly complex patients. SDD appears to be safe, with 30-day mortality rates in line with those calculated using the national risk prediction score used for public reporting. Changes toward SDD practice have important economic implications for health care systems worldwide.

Context: Hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) is an important predictor of severe hypoglycemia. Objective: To determine the association of proximal HbA1C level with first hypoglycemia hospitalization (HH) in adults with incident type 2 diabetes (T2D). Design, Setting, and Participants: A nested case-control study was designed using linked data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink and Hospital Episode Statistics in England in 1997 to 2014. The first hypoglycemia event as primary diagnosis for hospitalization after T2D diagnosis was identified. Proximal HbA1C was measured within 90 days before the first HH. Main Outcome Measure: OR for developing HH. Results: The association of proximal HbA1C level with first HH was similar between HbA1C levels of 6.0% (OR, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.12 to 2.11) and 9.0% [1.48 (1.01 to 2.17)] compared with the reference HbA1C level of 7.0%. For proximal HbA1C level of 4.0% to 6.5%, every additional 0.5% increase in HbA1C was associated with lower first HH risk, with ORs (95% CI) ranging between 0.37 (0.20 to 0.67) and 0.86 (0.76 to 0.98). For proximal HbA1C level of 8.0% to 11.5%, every additional 0.5% increase in HbA1C was associated with higher first HH risk, with ORs (95% CI) ranging between 1.16 (1.04 to 1.29) and 1.34 (1.18 to 1.52). The U-shaped association between proximal HbA1C level and first HH did not exist among current sulfonylurea users but persisted among current insulin users (Pinteraction = 0.002). Among current noninsulin nonsulfonylurea users who had a first HH, 78% took insulin or sulfonylureas before the HH. Conclusions: Having either poor or near-normal HbA1C was associated with a higher risk of first HH within 3 months in T2D.

ObjectivePercutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has seen substantial shifts in patient selection in recent years that have increased baseline patient mortality risk. It is unclear to what extent observed changes in mortality are attributable to background mortality risk or the indication and selection for PCI itself. PCI-attributable mortality can be estimated using relative survival, which adjusts observed mortality by that seen in a matched control population. We report relative survival ratios and compare these across different time periods.MethodsNational Health Service PCI activity in England and Wales from 2007 to 2014 is considered using data from the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society PCI Registry. Background mortality is as reported in Office for National Statistics life tables. Relative survival ratios up to 1 year are estimated, matching on patient age, sex and procedure date. Estimates are stratified by indication for PCI, sex and procedure date.Results549 305 procedures were studied after exclusions for missing age, sex, indication and mortality status. Comparing from 2007 to 2008 to 2013–2014, differences in crude survival at 1 year were consistently lower in later years across all strata. For relative survival, these differences remained but were smaller, suggesting poorer survival in later years is partly due to demographic characteristics. Relative survival was higher in older patients.ConclusionsChanges in patient demographics account for some but not all of the crude survival changes seen during the study period. Relative survival is an under-used methodology in interventional settings like PCI and should be considered wherever survival is compared between populations with different demographic characteristics, such as between countries or time periods.

SummaryBackgroundSince the mid-1990s, excess mortality has increased markedly for adults aged 25–44 years in the north compared with the south of England. We examined the underlying causes of this excess mortality and the contribution of socioeconomic deprivation.MethodsMortality data from the Office of National Statistics for adults aged 25–44 years were aggregated and compared between England's five most northern versus five most southern government office regions between Jan 1, 1981, and Dec 31, 2016. Poisson regression models, adjusted for age and sex, were used to quantify excess mortality in the north compared with the south by underlying cause of death (accidents, alcohol related, cardiovascular disease and diabetes, drug related, suicide, cancer, and other causes). The role of socioeconomic deprivation, as measured by the 2015 Index of Multiple Deprivation, in explaining the excess and regional variability was also explored.FindingsA mortality divide between the north and south appeared in the mid-1990s and rapidly expanded thereafter for deaths attributed to accidents, alcohol misuse, and drug misuse. In the 2014–16 period, the northern excess was incidence rate ratio (IRR) 1·47 (95% CI 1·39–1·54) for cardiovascular reasons, 2·09 (1·94–2·25) for alcohol misuse, and 1·60 (1·51–1·70) for drug misuse, across both men and women aged 25–44 years. National mortality rates for cardiovascular deaths declined over the study period but a longstanding gap between north and south persisted (from 33·3 [95% CI 31·8–34·8] in 1981 to 15·0 [14·0–15·9] in 2016 in the north vs from 23·5 [22·3–24·8] to 9·9 [9·2–10·5] in the south). Between 2014 and 2016, estimated excess numbers of death in the north versus the south for those aged 25–44 years were 1881 (95% CI 726–2627) for women and 3530 (2216–4511) for men. Socioeconomic deprivation explained up to two-thirds of the excess mortality in the north (IRR for northern effect reduced from 1·15 [95% CI 1·14–1·15; unadjusted] to 1·05 [1·04–1·05; adjusted for Index of Multiple Deprivation]). By 2016, in addition to the persistent north–south gap, mortality rates in London were lower than in all other regions, with IRRs ranging from IRR 1·13 (95% CI 1·12–1·15) for the East England to 1·22 (1·20–1·24) for the North East, even after adjusting for deprivation.InterpretationSharp relative rises in deaths from cardiovascular reasons, alcohol misuse and drug misuse in the north compared with the south seem to have created new health divisions between England's regions. This gap might be due to exacerbation of existing social and health inequalities that have been experienced for many years. These divisions might suggest increasing psychological distress, despair, and risk taking among young and middle-aged adults, particularly outside of London.FundingMedical Research Council and Wellcome Trust.

Background: There has been a marked recent increase in excess mortality for adults aged 25-44 in the North compared to the South of England. We examined the underlying causes of the excess mortality and the relative contribution of socioeconomic deprivation. \ud \ud Methods: Mortality data for adults aged 25-44 were aggregated and compared between England’s five northernmost versus five southernmost Government Office Regions, between 1981 and 2016. Poisson regression models, adjusted for age and sex, were used to quantify excess mortality in the North by underlying cause of death (accidents, alcohol-related, cardiovascular disease and diabetes, drug poisoning, suicide, cancer, other causes). The role of measured deprivation in explaining the excess, and regional variability in the excess were also explored.\ud \ud Findings: A mortality divide appeared in the mid-1990s and rapidly increased thereafter for deaths attributed to accidents, alcohol and drug poisoning. Mortality rates for these conditions increased nationwide, but more quickly in the North. National mortality rates for cardiovascular deaths declined over the study period, but a long-standing gap between North and South persisted. Between 2014 and 2016, estimated excess numbers of death in the North for those aged 25-44 were 1881 for females and 3530 for males. Measured deprivation explained up to two-thirds of the excess mortality in the North. By 2016, in addition to the persistent North-South gap, mortality rates London were at least 13% lower than in all other regions of the North or South of England. \ud \ud Interpretation: Sharp rises in deaths from accidents, alcohol and drug poisoning appear to have created new health divisions between England’s regions, possibly from exacerbated existing social and health inequalities which have been experienced by multiple generations. These divisions may indicate increasing psychological distress, despair and risk-taking among young and middle-aged adults, particularly outside London.

OBJECTIVES: The authors sought to determine the relationships between left radial access (LRA) or right radial access (RRA) and clinical outcomes using the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society (BCIS) database.BACKGROUND: LRA has been shown to offer procedural advantages over RRA in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) although few data exist from a national perspective around its use and association with clinical outcomes.METHODS: The authors investigated the relationship between use of LRA or RRA and clinical outcomes of in-hospital or 30-day mortality, major adverse cardiovascular events, in-hospital stroke, and major bleeding complications in patients undergoing PCI between 2007 and 2014.RESULTS: Of 342,806 cases identified, 328,495 (96%) were RRA and 14,311 (4%) were LRA. Use of LRA increased from 3.2% to 4.6% from 2007 to 2014. In patients undergoing a repeat PCI procedure, the use of RRA dropped to 72% at the second procedure and was even lower in females (65%) and patients >75 years of age (70%). Use of LRA (compared with RRA) was not associated with significant differences in in-hospital mortality (odds ratio [OR]: 1.19, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.90 to 1.57; p = 0.20), 30-day mortality (OR: 1.17, 95% CI: 0.93 to 1.74; p = 0.16), MACE (OR: 1.06, 95% CI: 0.86 to 1.32; p = 0.56), or major bleeding (OR: 1.22, 95% CI: 0.87 to 1.77; p = 0.24). In propensity match analysis, LRA was associated with a significant decrease in in-hospital stroke (OR: 0.52, 95% CI: 0.37 to 0.82; p = 0.005).CONCLUSIONS: In this large PCI database, use of LRA is limited compared with RRA but conveys no increased risk of adverse outcomes, but may be associated with a reduction in PCI-related stroke complications.

Objectives\ud The authors sought to determine the relationships between left radial access (LRA) or right radial access (RRA) and clinical outcomes using the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society (BCIS) database.\ud \ud Background\ud LRA has been shown to offer procedural advantages over RRA in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) although few data exist from a national perspective around its use and association with clinical outcomes.\ud \ud Methods\ud The authors investigated the relationship between use of LRA or RRA and clinical outcomes of in-hospital or 30-day mortality, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), in-hospital stroke, and major bleeding complications in patients undergoing PCI between 2007 and 2014.\ud \ud Results\ud Of 342,806 cases identified, 328,495 (96%) were RRA and 14,311 (4%) were LRA. Use of LRA increased from 3.2% to 4.6% from 2007 to 2014. In patients undergoing a repeat PCI procedure, the use of RRA dropped to 72% at the second procedure and was even lower in females (65%) and patients >75 years of age (70%). Use of LRA (compared with RRA) was not associated with significant differences in in-hospital mortality (odds ratio [OR]: 1.19, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.90 to 1.57; p = 0.20), 30-day mortality (OR: 1.17, 95% CI: 0.93 to 1.74; p = 0.16), MACE (OR: 1.06, 95% CI: 0.86 to 1.32; p = 0.56), or major bleeding (OR: 1.22, 95% CI: 0.87 to 1.77; p = 0.24). In propensity match analysis, LRA was associated with a significant decrease in in-hospital stroke (OR: 0.52, 95% CI: 0.37 to 0.82; p = 0.005).\ud \ud Conclusions\ud In this large PCI database, use of LRA is limited compared with RRA but conveys no increased risk of adverse outcomes, but may be associated with a reduction in PCI-related stroke complications.

Objectives\ud This study aimed to examine the 30-day unplanned readmissions rate, predictors of readmission, causes of readmissions, and clinical impact of readmissions after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).\ud \ud Background\ud Unplanned rehospitalizations following PCI carry significant burden to both patients and the local health care economy and are increasingly considered as an indicator of quality of care.\ud \ud Methods\ud Patients undergoing PCI between 2013 and 2014 in the U.S. Nationwide Readmission Database were included. Incidence, predictors, causes, and cost of 30-day unplanned readmissions were determined.\ud \ud Results\ud A total of 833,344 patients with PCI were included, of whom 77,982 (9.3%) had an unplanned readmission within 30 days. Length of stay for the index PCI was greater (4.7 vs. 3.9 days) and mean total hospital cost ($23,211 vs. $37,524) was higher for patients who were readmitted compared with those not readmitted. The factors strongly independently associated with readmissions were index hospitalization discharge against medical advice (odds ratio [OR]: 1.91; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.65 to 2.22), transfer to short-term hospital for inpatient care (OR: 1.62; 95% CI: 1.38 to 1.90), discharge to care home (OR: 1.57; 95% CI: 1.51 to 1.64), and chronic kidney disease (OR: 1.50; 95% CI: 1.44 to 1.55). Charlson Comorbidity Index score (OR: 1.28; 95% CI: 1.27 to 1.29) and number of comorbidities (OR: 1.18; 95% CI: 1.17 to 1.18) were independently associated with unplanned readmission. The majority of readmissions were due to noncardiac causes (56.1%).\ud \ud Conclusions\ud Thirty-day readmissions after PCI are relatively common and relate to baseline comorbidities and place of discharge. More than one-half of the readmissions were due to noncardiac causes.

Background: At a low geographical level, little is known about the associations between population characteristics and deprivation, and their trends, which would be directly affected by the house market, labour pressures and government policies. We describe temporal trends in health and overall deprivation in England by age, sex, urbanity and ethnicity.Methods: Repeated cross-sectional whole population study for England, 2004-2015, at a low geographical level (average 1500 residents). We calculated weighted medians of the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD), for each subgroup of interest. Results: Over time, we observed increases in relative deprivation for people aged under 30, and aged 30 to 59, while median deprivation decreased for those aged 60 or over. Subgroup analyses indicated that relative overall deprivation was consistently higher for young adults (aged 20-29) and infants (aged 0-4), with increases in deprivation for the latter. Levels of overall deprivation in 2004 greatly varied by ethnicity, with the lowest levels observed for White Britishand the highest for Blacks. Over time, small reductions were observed in the deprivation gap between White British and all other ethnic groups. Findings were consistent across overall IMD and its health and disability subdomain, but large regional variability was also observed.Conclusions: Government policies, the financial crisis of 2008, education funding and the increasing cost of houses relative to real wages are important parameters in interpreting our findings. Socio-economic deprivation is an important determinant of health and the inequalities this work highlights may have significant implications for future fiscal and healthcare policy.

Aims To determine association between HbA1C variability and hypoglycemia requiring hospitalization (HH) in adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Methods Using nested case-control design in electronic health record data in England, one case with first or recurrent HH was matched to one control who had not experienced HH in incident T1D and T2D adults. HbA1C variability was determined by standard deviation of ≥ 3 HbA1C results. Conditional logistic models were applied to determine association of HbA1C variability with first and recurrent HH. Results In T1D, every 1.0% increase in HbA1C variability was associated with 90% higher first HH risk (95% CI, 1.25–2.89) and 392% higher recurrent HH risk (95% CI, 1.17–20.61). In T2D, a 1.0% increase in HbA1C variability was associated with 556% higher first HH risk (95% CI, 3.88–11.08) and 573% higher recurrent HH risk (95% CI,1.59–28.51). In T2D for first HH, the association was the strongest in non-insulin non-sulfonylurea users (P < 0.0001); for recurrent HH, the association was stronger in insulin users than sulfonylurea users (P = 0.07). The HbA1C variability-HH association was stronger in more recent years in T2D (P ≤ 0.004). Conclusions HbA1C variability is a strong predictor for HH in T1D and T2D.

Objectives\ud The aims of this study were to examine the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and clinical outcomes following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and to determine the relevance of different clinical presentations requiring PCI to this relationship.\ud \ud Background\ud Obesity is a growing problem, and studies have reported a protective effect from obesity compared with normal BMI for adverse outcomes after PCI.\ud \ud Methods\ud Between 2005 and 2013, 345,192 participants were included. Data were obtained from the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society registry, and mortality data were obtained through the U.K. Office of National Statistics. Multiple logistic regression was performed to determine the association between BMI group (30 kg/m2) and adverse in-hospital outcomes and mortality.\ud \ud Results\ud At 30 days post-PCI, significantly lower mortality was seen in patients with elevated BMIs (odds ratio [OR]: 0.86 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.80 to 0.93] 0.90 [95% CI: 0.82 to 0.98] for BMI 25 to 30 and >30 kg/m2, respectively). At 1 year post-PCI, and up to 5 years post-PCI, elevated BMI (either overweight or obese) was an independent predictor of greater survival compared with normal weight (OR: 0.70 [95% CI: 0.67 to 0.73] and 0.73 [95% CI: 0.69 to 0.77], respectively, for 1 year; OR: 0.78 [95% CI: 0.75 to 0.81] and 0.88 [95% CI: 0.84 to 0.92], respectively, for 5 years). Similar reductions in mortality were observed for the analysis according to clinical presentation (stable angina, unstable angina or non–ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, and ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction).\ud \ud Conclusions\ud A paradox regarding the independent association of elevated BMI with reduced mortality after PCI is still evident in contemporary U.K. practice. This is seen in both stable and more acute clinical settings.

BACKGROUND: The burden of psoriasis across many world regions is high and there is a recognised need to better understand the epidemiology of this common skin disorder.OBJECTIVES: To examine changes in the prevalence and incidence of psoriasis, and mortality rates over a 15 year period.METHODS: Cohort study involving analysis of longitudinal electronic health records between 1999 and 2013 using the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD).RESULTS: The prevalence of psoriasis increased steadily from 2.3% (2297 cases per 100,000) in 1999 to 2.8% (2815 per 100,000) in 2013, which does not appear to be attributable to changes in incidence rates. We observed peaks in age-bands characteristic of early (type I) and late-onset (type II) psoriasis, and changes in incidence and prevalence rates with increasing latitude in the UK. All-cause mortality rates for the general population and for patients with psoriasis have decreased over the last 15 years. However, the risk of all-cause mortality for psoriasis patients remains elevated compared to people without psoriasis (hazard ratio (HR) 1.21; 95% CI 1.13-1.3) and we found no significant change in this relative excess mortality gap over time.CONCLUSIONS: We found an increasing population living longer with psoriasis in the UK which has important implications for healthcare service delivery and for resource allocation. Importantly, early mortality in patients with psoriasis remains elevated compared to the general population and we found no evidence of change in this premature mortality gap. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Background An occluded lower limb arterial bypass is associated with poor prognosis for the limb. Currently, no risk assessment method to estimate the risk of early graft failure exists. Aim of this study was to investigate the effect of various potential factors on early graft failure of infrainguinal bypass surgery and to develop a risk-scoring model to predict it. Methods A prospective observational clinical study was performed. One hundred infrainguinal bypass procedures (60 autologous and 40 synthetic grafts), throughout a 3-year period were included. Nearly, 84 patients suffered by chronic limb ischemia, whereas 16 by acute limb ischemia or popliteal aneurysm disease. Various possible factors including demographic data, atherosclerosis predisposing factors, and technical details of the procedure were examined as possible causes of early graft failure. Using a combination of univariable and multivariable analysis techniques, the most significant factors were extracted, and a simple predicting risk-scoring system of early graft failure was calculated. Results The overall early graft failure rate was 14%. The factors related to it at a statistically significant level, 0.05, were the female gender, a bypass performed after a previous ipsilateral lower limb angioplasty, a redo procedure on the same limb, and a distal anastomosis at an inframalleolar level (pedal bypass). After internal validation, the FARP2-predicting scoring system was formed as following: Female gender 1 point (F), bypass after a previous Angioplasty 1 point (A), Redo bypass 1 point (R), and Pedal bypass 2 points (P2). An overall score equal or greater than 2, provided an early graft failure prediction with sensitivity of 100%, specificity 86%, positive predictive value 54%, and negative predictive value of 100% (area under the receiver operator characteristic curve: 0.959). Conclusions FARP2 is a simple scoring system for predicting early graft failure after an infrainguinal bypass procedure. Further external validation in larger populations is needed. © 2016 Elsevier Inc.

Objectives: Diabetic patients who undergo lower limb arterial bypass surgery are considered to have a worse clinical outcome compared to non-diabetics. The aim of the study was to test this hypothesis after applying propensity score matching analysis. Patients and methods: A total of 113 consecutive lower limb bypass procedures (55 diabetic and 58 non-diabetic) were evaluated regarding their clinical outcome. Endpoints of the study included amputation-free survival, limb salvage, patency and patients’ survival up to 36 months post-procedure. After propensity score matching analysis, two new groups, diabetic and non-diabetic, of 31 limbs in each one were created, both equivalent regarding all baseline characteristics. Results: Between the propensity score matching groups, the amputation-free survival was 68.8% in the non-diabetic and 37.7% in the diabetic group at 36 months (p = 0.004). Similarly, the survival was 88.6% and 57.6%, respectively, in the two groups at the same time point (p = 0.01). On the contrary, no difference was found in patency (58.3% vs. 56%) and in limb salvage rate (74.1% vs. 60.8%). Conclusions: Lower limbs arterial bypass surgery has similar results regarding patency and limb salvage rate in diabetic and non-diabetic patients. On the contrary, mortality is worse in diabetic patients, this affecting negatively their amputation-free survival. © 2016, © The Author(s) 2016.

OBJECTIVE To determine trends in hospitalization for hypoglycemia in adults with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in England. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Adults with T1DM or T2DM were identified from 398 of the 684 practices within the Clinical Practice Research Datalink, for which linkage to the Hospital Episode Statistics was possible. Hypoglycemia as the primary reason for hospitalization between 1998 and 2013 was extracted. Trends were estimated using joinpoint regression models for adults with T1DM, young and middle-aged adults with T2DM (18–64 years), and elderly adults with T2DM (≥65 years), respectively. RESULTS Among 23,246 adults with T1DM, 1,591 hypoglycemia hospitalizations occurred during 121,262 person-years. Among 241,441 adults with T2DM, 3,738 hypoglycemia hospitalizations occurred during 1,344,818 person-years. In adults with T1DM, the incidence increased 3.74% (95% CI 1.70–5.83) annually from 1998 to 2013. In young and middle-aged adults with T2DM, the annual incidence increase was 4.12% (0.61–7.75) from 1998 to 2013. In elderly adults with T2DM, the incidence increased 8.59% (5.76–11.50) annually from 1998 to 2009, and decreased 8.05% (−14.48 to −1.13) annually from 2009 to 2013, but the incidence was still higher in 2013 than 1998 (adjusted rate ratio 3.01 [1.76–5.14]). Trends in HbA1c level did not parallel trends of hypoglycemia hospitalization for both diabetes types. A possible reason for declined hypoglycemia trend in 2009–2013 in elderly adults with T2DM may be continuously decreased sulfonylurea use after 2009, which was not seen in young and middle-aged adults with T2DM. CONCLUSIONS Hypoglycemia requiring hospitalization has been an increasing burden in adults with T1DM and T2DM in England in the previous two decades, with the exception of the decline in elderly adults with T2DM starting in 2009.

Background\ud We aim to determine the prevalence of anemia in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients and compare their clinical characteristics, management, and clinical outcomes to those without anemia in an unselected national ACS cohort.\ud \ud Methods and Results\ud The Myocardial Ischemia National Audit Project (MINAP) registry collects data on all adults admitted to hospital trusts in England and Wales with diagnosis of an ACS. We conducted a retrospective cohort study by analyzing patients in this registry between January 2006 and December 2010 and followed them up until August 2011. Multiple logistic regressions were used to determine factors associated with anemia and the adjusted odds of 30‐day mortality with 1 g/dL incremental hemoglobin increase and the 30‐day and 1‐year mortality for anemic compared to nonanemic groups. Analyses were adjusted for covariates. Our analysis of 422 855 patients with ACS showed that 27.7% of patients presenting with ACS are anemic and that these patients are older, have a greater prevalence of renal disease, peripheral vascular disease, diabetes mellitus, and previous acute myocardial infarction, and are less likely to receive evidence‐based therapies shown to improve clinical outcomes. Finally, our analysis suggests that anemia is independently associated with 30‐day (OR 1.28, 95% CI 1.22‐1.35) and 1‐year mortality (OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.27‐1.35), and we observed a reverse J‐shaped relationship between hemoglobin levels and mortality outcomes.\ud \ud Conclusions\ud The prevalence of anemia in a contemporary national ACS cohort is clinically significant. Patients with anemia are older and multimorbid and less likely to receive evidence‐based therapies shown to improve clinical outcomes, with the presence of anemia independently associated with mortality outcomes.

Performance, satisfaction and safety indicators are commonly measured on a percentage scale. Such indicators are often subject to ceiling or floor effects and performance may be inherently non-linear: for example, improving from 85% to 95% may be more difficult and require more effort than improving from 55% to 65%. As such, analysis of these indicators is not always straightforward and standard linear analysis may be problematic. We present the most common approach to dealing with this problem: a logit transformation of the score, following which standard linear analysis can be conducted on the transformed score. We also demonstrate how estimates can be back-transformed to percentages for easier communication of findings. In this paper we discuss the benefits of this method, algebraically describe the relevant steps in the transformation process, provide guidance on interpretation and provide a tool for analysis.

Objective To conduct a fully independent and external validation of a research study based on one electronic health record database, using a different electronic database sampling the same population.\ud \ud Design Using the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD), we replicated a published investigation into the effects of statins in patients with ischaemic heart disease (IHD) by a different research team using QResearch. We replicated the original methods and analysed all-cause mortality using: (1) a cohort analysis and (2) a case-control analysis nested within the full cohort.\ud \ud Setting Electronic health record databases containing longitudinal patient consultation data from large numbers of general practices distributed throughout the UK.\ud \ud Participants CPRD data for 34 925 patients with IHD from 224 general practices, compared to previously published results from QResearch for 13 029 patients from 89 general practices. The study period was from January 1996 to December 2003.\ud \ud Results We successfully replicated the methods of the original study very closely. In a cohort analysis, risk of death was lower by 55% for patients on statins, compared with 53% for QResearch (adjusted HR 0.45, 95% CI 0.40 to 0.50; vs 0.47, 95% CI 0.41 to 0.53). In case-control analyses, patients on statins had a 31% lower odds of death, compared with 39% for QResearch (adjusted OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.63 to 0.75; vs OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.52 to 0.72). Results were also close for individual statins.\ud \ud Conclusions Database differences in population characteristics and in data definitions, recording, quality and completeness had a minimal impact on key statistical outputs. The results uphold the validity of research using CPRD and QResearch by providing independent evidence that both datasets produce very similar estimates of treatment effect, leading to the same clinical and policy decisions. Together with other non-independent replication studies, there is a nascent body of evidence for wider validity.