Effects of preeclampsia and eclampsia on maternal metabolic and biochemical outcomes in later life: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the association between preeclampsia (PE) and eclampsia (E) on subsequent metabolic and biochemical outcomes.

METHODS

Systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. We searched five engines until November 2018 for studies evaluating the effects of PE/E on metabolic and biochemical outcomes after delivery. PE was defined as presence of hypertension and proteinuria at >20 weeks of pregnancy; controls did not have PE/E. Primary outcomes were blood pressure (BP), body mass index (BMI), metabolic syndrome (MetS), blood lipids and glucose levels. Random effects models were used for meta-analyses, and effects reported as risk difference (RD) or mean difference (MD) and their 95% confidence interval (CI). Subgroup analyses by time of follow up, publication year, and confounder adjustment were performed.

RESULTS

We evaluated 41 cohorts including 3300 PE/E and 13,967 normotensive controls. Women were followed up from 3 months after delivery up to 32 years postpartum. In comparison to controls, PE/E significantly increased systolic BP (MD = 8.3 mmHg, 95%CI 6.8 to 9.7), diastolic BP (MD = 6.8 mmHg, 95%CI 5.6 to 8.0), BMI (MD = 2.0 kg/m²; 95%CI 1.6 to 2.4), waist (MD = 4.3 cm, 95%CI 3.1 to 5.5), waist-to-hip ratio (MD = 0.02, 95%CI 0.01 to 0.03), weight (MD = 5.1 kg, 95%CI 2.2 to 7.9), total cholesterol (MD = 4.6 mg/dL, CI 1.5 to 7.7), LDL (MD = 4.6 mg/dL; 95%CI 0.2 to 8.9), triglycerides (MD = 7.7 mg/dL, 95%CI 3.6 to 11.7), glucose (MD = 2.6 mg/dL, 95%CI 1.2 to 4.0), insulin (MD = 19.1 pmol/L, 95%CI 11.9 to 26.2), HOMA-IR index (MD = 0.7, 95%CI 0.2 to 1.2), C reactive protein (MD = 0.05 mg/dL, 95%CI 0.01 to 0.09), and the risks of hypertension (RD = 0.24, 95%CI 0.15 to 0.33) and MetS (RD = 0.11, 95%CI 0.08 to 0.15). Also, PE/E reduced HDL levels (MD = -2.15 mg/dL, 95%CI -3.46 to -0.85). Heterogeneity of effects was high for most outcomes. Risk of bias was moderate across studies. Subgroup analyses showed similar effects as main analyses.

CONCLUSION

Women who had PE/E have worse metabolic and biochemical profile than those without PE/E in an intermediate to long term follow up period.

Association between social determinants of health and trends in prevalence of hypertension in patients of the Peruvian Ministry of Health

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the association between social determinants of health and trends in the prevalence of hypertension among patients of the Peruvian Ministry of Health 2007-2016.

METHODS

We conducted an ecological study with secondary data sources using health care and death records obtained from the Peruvian Ministry of Health, data from the Peruvian National Household Survey and data from the Regional Information System for Decision Making. We determined the standardised prevalence of hypertension at national and region level, conducted a geospatial exploratory analysis at region level, and applied generalised linear mixed models to evaluate the association between social determinants of health and the prevalence of HT, according to the domains suggested by Healthy People 2020.

RESULTS

The prevalence of hypertensive patients of the Peruvian Ministry of Health increased from 966.8/100 000 in 2007 to 1619.1/100 000 in 2016. The prevalence of hypertension rose by 17.7/100 000 per 1% increase of insurance coverage and by 2.2/100 000 per 1% increase in the number of hospitals. In contrast, it decreased by 12.3/100 000 per 1% increase of the poverty rate, by 9.8/100 000 per 1% increase of the proportion of people with native language, by 3.6/100 000 per 1% increase of GDP per capita and by 3/100 000 per 1% increase in the number of local health centres.

CONCLUSIONS

The growing trend of HT prevalence in Peru is directly associated with insurance coverage and number of hospitals, and inversely associated with poverty rate, proportion of people with native language, GDP per capita and number of local health centres.

Association of statin use and clinical outcomes in heart failure patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The role of statins in patients with heart failure (HF) of different levels of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) remains unclear especially in the light of the absence of prospective data from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in non-ischemic HF, and taking into account potential statins' prosarcopenic effects. We assessed the association of statin use with clinical outcomes in patients with HF.

METHODS

We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Google Scholar and Cochrane Central until August 2018 for RCTs and prospective cohorts comparing clinical outcomes with statin vs non-statin use in patients with HF at different LVEF levels. We followed the guidelines of the 2009 PRISMA statement for reporting and applied independent extraction by multiple observers. Meta-analyses of hazard ratios (HRs) of effects of statins on clinical outcomes used generic inverse variance method and random model effects. Clinical outcomes were all-cause mortality, cardiovascular (CV) mortality and CV hospitalization.

RESULTS

Finally we included 17 studies (n = 88,100; 2 RCTs and 15 cohorts) comparing statin vs non-statin users (mean follow-up 36 months). Compared with non-statin use, statin use was associated with lower risk of all-cause mortality (HR 0.77, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.72-0.83, P < 0.0001, I2 = 63%), CV mortality (HR 0.82, 95% CI: 0.76-0.88, P < 0.0001, I2 = 63%), and CV hospitalization (HR 0.78, 95% CI: 0.69-0.89, P = 0.0003, I2 = 36%). All-cause mortality was reduced on statin therapy in HF with both EF < 40% and ≥ 40% (HR: 0.77, 95% Cl: 0.68-0.86, P < 0.00001, and HR 0.75, 95% CI: 0.69-0.82, P < 0.00001, respectively). Similarly, CV mortality (HR 0.86, 95% CI: 0.79-0.93, P = 0.0003, and HR 0.83, 95% CI: 0.77-0.90, P < 0.00001, respectively), and CV hospitalizations (HR 0.80 95% CI: 0.64-0.99, P = 0.04 and HR 0.76 95% CI: 0.61-0.93, P = 0.009, respectively) were reduced in these EF subgroups. Significant effects on all clinical outcomes were also found in cohort studies' analyses; the effect was also larger and significant for lipophilic than hydrophilic statins.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, statins may have a beneficial effect on CV outcomes irrespective of HF etiology and LVEF level. Lipophilic statins seem to be much more favorable for patients with heart failure.

45Association of types of dietary fats and all-cause and cause-specific mortality: a prospective cohort study and meta-analysis of prospective studies with 1,148,117 participants

Background

The associations between dietary fats with mortality are poorly delineated.

Purpose

Using a large prospective cohort we evaluated the link between total fat, mono-unsaturated (MUFA), polyunsaturated (PUFA) and saturated fatty acid (SFA) consumption and all-cause, coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, and diabetes (T2D)-associated mortality in a representative sample of US adults. We then added our results to a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Methods

We evaluated 35,080 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) 1988–1999 (19.2 years follow-up) and 1999–2010 (12 years follow-up), with vital status available through December 31, 2011. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to evaluate the association between baseline quartiles of fat consumption (g/day, 24h recall) and all-cause or cause-specific mortality. For the systematic review, selected databases were searched up to November 2018 and 29 prospective cohorts (n=1,148,117) met inclusion criteria. The DerSimonian-Laird method and generic inverse variance methods were used for random effects meta-analyses.

Results

In fully adjusted models from our prospective study, there was a negative association between total fat (hazard ratio [HR]:0.90, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.82, 0.99, Q4 vs. Q1) and PUFA (0.81,95% CI: 0.78–0.84) consumption and all-cause mortality (Figure), whereas SFA were positively associated with mortality (1.08, 95% CI: 1.04–1.11). In the meta-analysis we found a significant negative association between total fat (HR: 0.89, 95% CI: 0.82–0.97, I2:27%), MUFA (0.93, 95% CI: 0.87–0.99, I2:56%) and PUFA (0.86, 95% CI: 0.80–0.93, I2:63%) consumption and all-cause mortality. No significant association was observed between total fat and both CVD and CHD mortality (0.92, 95% CI: 0.79–1.08, I2:46%, and 1.03, 95% CI: 0.99–1.09, I2:42%, respectively), while a positive association between SFA intake and CHD mortality (1.10, 95% CI: 1.01–1.20, I2:52.6%) was observed. Neither MUFA nor PUFA were associated with CVD and CHD mortality. Inverse associations were observed between MUFA (0.80, 95% CI: 0.67–0.96, I2:0%) and PUFA (0.84, 95% CI: 0.80–0.90, I2:0%) intakes and stroke mortality.

All-cause death and total fat intake.

Conclusions

Our results highlight differential associations of total fat, MUFA and PUFA intake with all-cause mortality, but no association of them with CVD and CHD mortalities. SFA intake was significantly associated with higher all-cause mortality inNHANES and with CHD mortality in our meta-analysis. The type of fat intake appears to be associated with important health outcomes.

Acknowledgement/Funding

None

Comparative Effectiveness of Analgesics to Reduce Acute Pain in the Prehospital Setting

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to assess comparative effectiveness and harms of opioid and nonopioid analgesics for the treatment of moderate to severe acute pain in the prehospital setting. Methods: We searched MEDLINE^®, Embase^®, and Cochrane Central from the earliest date through May 9, 2019. Two investigators screened abstracts, reviewed full-text files, abstracted data, and assessed study level risk of bias. We performed meta-analyses when appropriate. Conclusions were made with consideration of established clinically important differences and we graded each conclusion's strength of evidence (SOE). Results: We included 52 randomized controlled trials and 13 observational studies. Due to the absence or insufficiency of prehospital evidence we based conclusions for initial analgesia on indirect evidence from the emergency department setting. As initial analgesics, there is no evidence of a clinically important difference in the change of pain scores with opioids vs. ketamine administered primarily intravenously (IV) (low SOE), IV acetaminophen (APAP) (low SOE), or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) administered primarily IV (moderate SOE). The combined use of an opioid and ketamine, administered primarily IV, may reduce pain more than an opioid alone at 15 and 30 minutes (low SOE). Opioids may cause fewer adverse events than ketamine (low SOE) when primarily administered intranasally. Opioids cause less dizziness than ketamine (low SOE) but may increase the risk of respiratory depression compared with ketamine (low SOE), primarily administered IV. Opioids cause more dizziness (moderate SOE) and may cause more adverse events than APAP (low SOE), both administered IV, but there is no evidence of a clinically important difference in hypotension (low SOE). Opioids may cause more adverse events and more drowsiness than NSAIDs (low SOE), both administered primarily IV. Conclusions: As initial analgesia, opioids are no different than ketamine, APAP, and NSAIDs in reducing acute pain in the prehospital setting. Opioids may cause fewer total side effects than ketamine, but more than APAP or NSAIDs. Combining an opioid and ketamine may reduce acute pain more than an opioid alone but comparative harms are uncertain. When initial morphine is inadequate, giving ketamine may provide greater and quicker acute pain relief than giving additional morphine, although comparative harms are uncertain. Due to indirectness, strength of evidence is generally low, and future research in the prehospital setting is needed.

Geographic Trends, Patient Characteristics, and Outcomes of Infective Endocarditis Associated With Drug Abuse in the United States From 2002 to 2016

Background

There has been an increase in the prevalence of drug abuse (DA) in the national opioid epidemic. With increasing DA, there is an increased risk of infective endocarditis (IE). There are limited recent data evaluating national trends on the incidence and geographical distribution of DA‐IE. We aim to investigate those numbers as well as the determinants of outcome in this patient population.

Methods and Results

Hospitalized patients with a primary or secondary diagnosis of IE based on the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth and Tenth Revisions (ICD‐9, ICD‐10) were included. We described the national and geographical trends in DA‐IE. We also compared DA‐IE patients’ characteristics and outcomes to those with IE, but without associated drug abuse (non‐DA‐IE) using Poisson regression models. Incidence of DA‐IE has nearly doubled between 2002 and 2016 All US regions were affected, and the Midwest had the highest increase in DA‐IE hospitalizations (annual percent change=4.9%). Patients with DA‐IE were younger, more commonly white males, poorer, had fewer comorbidities, and were more likely to have human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis C, concomitant alcohol abuse, and liver disease. Their length of stay was longer (9 versus 7 days; P<0.001) and were more likely to undergo cardiac surgery (7.8% versus 6.2%; P<0.001), but their inpatient mortality was lower (6.4% versus 9.1%; P<0.001).

Conclusions

DA‐IE is rising at an alarming rate in the United States. All regions of the United States are affected, with the Midwest having the highest increase in rate. Young‐adult, poor, white males were the most affected.

Outcomes of patients with severe tricuspid regurgitation and congestive heart failure

Objectives

A substantial number of patients with severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR) and congestive heart failure (CHF) are medically managed without undergoing corrective surgery. We sought to assess the characteristics and outcomes of CHF patients who underwent tricuspid valve surgery (TVS), compared with those who did not.

Methods

Retrospective observational study involving 2556 consecutive patients with severe TR from the Cleveland Clinic Echocardiographic Database. Cardiac transplant patients or those without CHF were excluded. Survival difference between patients who were medically managed versus those who underwent TVS was compared using Kaplan-Meier survival curves. Multivariate analysis was performed to identify variables associated with poor outcomes.

Results

Among a total of 534 patients with severe TR and CHF, only 55 (10.3%) patients underwent TVS. Among the non-surgical patients (n=479), 30% (n=143) had an identifiable indication for TVS. At 38 months, patients who underwent TVS had better survival than those who were medically managed (62% vs 35%; p<0.001). On multivariate analysis, advancing age (HR: 1.23; 95% CI 1.12 to 1.35 per 10-year increase in age), moderate (HR: 1.39; 95% CI 1.01 to 1.90) and severe (HR: 2; 95% CI 1.40 to 2.80) right ventricular dysfunction were associated with higher mortality. TVS was associated with lower mortality (HR: 0.44; 95% CI 0.27 to 0.71).

Conclusion

Although corrective TVS is associated with better outcomes in patients with severe TR and CHF, a substantial number of them continue to be medically managed. However, since the reasons for patients not being referred to surgery could not be ascertained, further randomised studies are needed to validate our findings before clinicians can consider surgical referral for these patients.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of treatment modalities for vestibulodynia in women

Objective: To quantify the effects of available treatments of vestibulodynia. Methods: Systematic review of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in six search engines until December 2018, comparing any intervention vs. placebo or sham in women with vestibulodynia. Primary outcome was dyspareunia assessed with visual analogue (VAS) or numeric rating (NRS) scales. Secondary outcomes were daily vestibular symptoms (DVS), McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) and Index of Sexual Satisfaction (ISS). Effects were described as mean differences (MDs) with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Traditional and frequentist network meta-analyses (NMA) were performed using random effect models. Results: Four RCTs (n = 275) were included evaluating vaginal cream of conjugated oestrogens, oral desipramine with or without topical lidocaine, topical lidocaine, laser therapy and transcranial direct current. In traditional MA, interventions did not reduce dyspareunia (MD = 0.08; 95%CI = -0.49 to 0.64), DVS (MD = -0.04; 95%CI = -0.31 to 0.24; 4 interventions), or MPQ (MD = -0.17; 95%CI = -2.16 to 1.81; 4 interventions). ISS was significantly improved (MD = -5.14; 95%CI = -9.52 to -0.75). In NMA, oral desipramine with or without lidocaine significantly improved ISS vs. other treatments. Conclusions: Several existing interventions were not associated with improvements in vestibulodynia. There only was improvement of sexual function with oral desipramine with or without lidocaine.

Safe and Efficacious Use of 1-Month Triple Therapy in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation and High Bleeding Risk Undergoing PCI

BACKGROUND

The impact of short or prolonged use of triple therapy (TT) on outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and high risk of bleeding undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is unclear. We compared clinical outcomes according to the duration of TT in patients with AF and HAS-BLED ≥ 3 at 1 year of follow-up.

METHODS

A prospective observational cohort enrolled 735 patients with AF between 2010 and 2015. Of these, 521 (70.9%) had HAS-BLED ≥ 3 and 380 (72.9%) were discharged on TT. TT was prescribed for 1 month in 233 patients (61.3%). The primary endpoint was the incidence of Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC ≥ 3). The secondary endpoint was the occurrence of ischemic events (cardiac death, MI, stroke, or stent thrombosis).

RESULTS

Patients on 1-month TT had a higher median HAS-BLED. Intracraneal hemorrhage was twofold more frequently in patients on > 1-month TT but without statistical significance (0.9% vs 2.1%, p = 0.20). Rates of the primary endpoint (bleeding BARC ≥ 3) were 8.2% vs 10.9% and did not differ between groups, while secondary endpoint did not occur more frequently in the 1-month TT group compared with the > 1-month TT group (26.6% vs 23.1%). In adjusted multivariate analyses, patients receiving 1-month TT had a similar risk of the primary endpoint compared to those with > 1-month TT (HR 1.47; 95% CI 0.48-4.47, p = 0.50). No difference was found in the secondary ischemic endpoint (HR 1.24; 95% CI 0.77-2.00, p = 0.38).

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with AF undergoing PCI at lower ischemic risk and higher bleeding risk, 1 month of TT seems safe and efficacious. Further studies are warranted in patients at high ischemic risk.

Effect of vegetarian diets on the presentation of metabolic syndrome or its components: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Several studies have examined the effect of vegetarian diets (VD) on metabolic syndrome (MetS) or its components, but findings have been inconsistent. The aim of this study was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies to assess the association between VD and MetS or its components (systolic blood pressure [SBP], diastolic blood pressure [DBP], fasting glucose triglycerides, waist circumference [WC], HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C)) in adults.

METHODS

The Cochrane Library, EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus were searched. RCTs, cohort studies and cross-sectional studies evaluating the effects of VD on MetS or its components in adults, with omnivore diet as control group, were included. Random effects meta-analyses stratified by study design were employed to calculate pooled estimates.

RESULTS

A total of 71 studies (n = 103 008) met the inclusion criteria (6 RCTs, 2 cohorts, 63 cross-sectional). VD were not associated with MetS in comparison to omnivorous diet (OR 0.96, 95% CI 0.50-1.85, p = 0.9) according to meta-analysis of five cross-sectional studies. Likewise, meta-analysis of RCTs and cohort studies indicated that consumption of VD were not associated with MetS components. Meta-analysis of cross-sectional studies demonstrated that VD were significantly associated with lower levels of SBP (mean difference [MD] -4.18 mmHg, 95%CI -5.57 to -2.80, p < 0.00001), DBP (MD -3.03 mmHg, 95% CI -4.93 to -1.13, p = 0.002), fasting glucose (MD -0.26 mmol/L, 95% CI -0.35to -0.17, p < 0.00001), WC (MD -1.63 cm, 95% CI -3.13 to -0.13, p = 0.03), and HDL-C (MD -0.05 mmol/L, 95% CI -0.07 to -0.03, p < 0.0001) in comparison to omnivorous diet. Heterogeneity of effects among cross-sectional studies was high. About, one-half of the included studies had high risk of bias.

CONCLUSIONS

VD in comparison with omnivorous diet is not associated with a lower risk of MetS based on results of meta-analysis of cross-sectional studies. The association between VD and lower levels of SBP, DBP, HDL-C, and fasting glucose is uncertain due to high heterogeneity across the cross-sectional studies. Larger and controlled studies are needed to evaluate the association between VD and MetS and its components.

Glycemia upon admission and mortality in a pediatric intensive care unit

Objectives

To analyze the association between glycemia levels upon pediatric intensive care unit admission and mortality in patients hospitalized.

Methods

A retrospective cohort of pediatric intensive care unit patients admitted to the Instituto Nacional de Salud del Niño between 2012 and 2013. A Poisson regression model with robust variance was used to quantify the association. Diagnostic test performance evaluation was used to describe the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and likelihood ratios for each range of glycemia.

Results

In total, 552 patients were included (median age 23 months, age range 5 months to 79.8 months). The mean glycemia level upon admission was 121.3mg/dL (6.73mmol/L). Ninety-two (16.6%) patients died during hospitalization. In multivariable analyses, significant associations were found between glycemia < 65mg/dL (3.61mmol/L) (RR: 2.01, 95%CI 1.14 - 3.53), glycemia > 200mg/dL (> 11.1mmol/L) (RR: 2.91, 95%CI 1.71 - 4.55), malnutrition (RR: 1.53, 95%CI 1.04 - 2.25), mechanical ventilation (RR: 3.71, 95%CI 1.17 - 11.76) and mortality at discharge. There was low sensitivity (between 17.39% and 39.13%) and high specificity (between 49.13% and 91.74%) for different glucose cut-off levels.

Conclusion

There was an increased risk of death at discharge in patients who developed hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia upon admission to the pediatric intensive care unit. Certain glucose ranges (> 200mg/dL (> 11.1mmol/L) and < 65mg/dL (3.61mmol/L)) have high specificity as predictors of death at discharge.

Oral turmeric/curcumin effects on inflammatory markers in chronic inflammatory diseases: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Turmeric extract or active component curcumin may have anti-inflammatory effects in people with chronic inflammatory diseases. The effect of turmeric or curcumin on a wide range of inflammatory markers has not been evaluated in a systematic review. We performed a systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the effects of oral turmeric or curcumin on inflammatory markers (CRP, hsCRP, IL-1, IL-6, TNF) in patients with a wide range of chronic inflammatory diseases. Pubmed, EMBASE, Scopus, the Web of Science, and the Cochrane library were evaluated until June 2018. Random effects meta-analyses with inverse variance methods and stratified by turmeric or curcumin were performed. Effects were expressed as mean differences (MD) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI). Risk of bias of RCTs was evaluated with the Cochrane tool. Nineteen RCTs were identified; included patients had rheumatic diseases, advanced chronic kidney disease with hemodialysis, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular diseases. Turmeric was the intervention in 5 RCTs (n = 356) and curcumin/curcuminoids in 14 RCTs (n = 988). Follow up times ranged between 4 and 16 weeks. One RCT had high risk of bias. In comparison to controls, turmeric or curcumin did not significantly decrease levels of CRP (MD -2.71 mg/L, 95%CI -5.73 to 0.31, p = 0.08, 5 studies), hsCRP (MD -1.44 mg/L, 95%CI -2.94 to 0.06, p = 0.06, 6 studies), IL-1 beta (MD -4.25 pg/mL, 95%CI -13.32 to 4.82, p = 0.36, 2 studies), IL-6 (MD -0.71 pg/mL, 95%CI -1.68 to 0.25, p = 0.15), and TNF alpha (MD -1.23 pg/mL, 95%CI -3.01 to 0.55, p = 0.18, 7 studies). There were no differences between turmeric and curcumin interventions. High heterogeneity of effects was observed for all markers across studies, except hsCRP. Other inflammatory markers such as IL-1 alpha, TNF beta, IL-17, and IL-22 had scarce data. Turmeric or curcumin did not decrease several inflammatory markers in patients with chronic inflammatory diseases.

Cardiovascular mortality among patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma: Differences according to lymphoma subtype

Survival rates of patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) have improved over the last decade. However, cardiotoxicities remain important adverse consequences of treatment with chemotherapy and radiation, although the burden of cardiovascular mortality (CVM) in such patients remains unknown. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients greater than or equal to 20 years of age diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), follicular lymphoma (FL), and chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) between 2000 and 2013 using data extracted from the United States Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Our primary endpoint was CVM. The association between NHL and CVM was evaluated using multivariable Cox regression analysis after adjusting for other patient characteristics. We calculated standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) for CVM, comparing NHL patients with the general population. We identified 153 983 patients who met the inclusion criteria (69 329 with DLBCL, 48 650 with CLL/SLL, and 36 004 with FL). The median follow-up was 37 months (interquartile range, 10-78 months); the mean patient age was 66.24 (±14.69) years; 84 924 (55.2%) were men; 134 720 (87.5%) were White, and 131 912 (85.7%) did not receive radiation therapy. Overall, 9017 patients (5.8%) died from cardiovascular disease, and we found that NHL patients had a higher risk of CVM than the general population, after adjusting for age (SMR 15.2, 95% confidence interval: 14.89-15.52). The rates of CVM were 5.1%, 8%, and 4.4% in patients with DLBCL, CLL/SLL, and FL, respectively. Furthermore, across all NHL subtypes, older age, higher stage at the time of diagnosis (particularly stage 4), male sex, and living in the south were associated with higher risks of CVM. Our data suggest that risk assessment and careful cardiac monitoring are recommended for NHL patients, particularly those with the CLL/SLL subtypes.

Abstract WP49: Emboli in New Territory After Mechanical Thrombectomy: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Introduction: As mechanical thrombectomy (MT) for acute ischemic stroke has become standard therapy, interest has grown in treatment of milder strokes. Minor complications might therefore be important in mild strokes. The primary objective of the systematic review was to report the rate of emboli in new territory (ENT) following MT. Secondary objectives included describing rates other non-CNS hemorrhage procedural complications of arterial perforation, dissection, vasospasm and access site complications.

Methods: We searched randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in MEDLINE/PubMed from 2010 to 2018 supplemented by a hand-search of reference lists and review articles. Random-effects models using the inverse variance method were used to estimate the pooled complication rates. We also performed subgroup analyses by technique (stent retriever first group or other devices) and year of publication (2010-2015 or 2016-2018).

Results: A total 19 RCTs with 2454 procedures for MT were included in our analysis. ENT, perforation, dissection, vasospasm, and access site complications were reported in 9 (47%), 11 (58%), 7 (37%), 7 (37%), 8 (42%) studies, respectively. The pooled ENT rate was 3.5% (95% CI 2.0-5.4), and there was no significant difference in the rate of ENT between stent retriever first group (2.8%, 95% CI 0.4-6.7) and other devices group (4.4%, 95% CI 2.6-6.7, p=0.43). There was no differences in ENT rates by year of publication. Other complication rates were perforation 2.2% (95% CI 0.9-4.0), dissection 2.0% (95% CI 1.1-3.3), vasospasm 10.7% (95% CI 3.8-20.2), and access site complication 2.9% (95% CI 0.9-5.9). There were no differences in the subgroups of perforation, dissection, and vasospasm by procedural methods or year of publication, but the rates of access site complications from 2016-2018 was significant lower compared to 2010-2015 (0.6% vs 5.2%, p<0.001).

Conclusions: The risks of 3.5% rate of ENT and low rates of other complications might become relevant in treatment of mild stroke.

Effect of low-sodium salt substitutes on blood pressure, detected hypertension, stroke and mortality

OBJECTIVE

A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to assess the efficacy of low-sodium salt substitutes (LSSS) as a potential intervention to reduce cardiovascular (CV) diseases.

METHODS

Five engines and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched from inception to May 2018. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) enrolling adult hypertensive or general populations that compared detected hypertension, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), overall mortality, stroke and other CV risk factors in those receiving LSSS versus regular salt were included. Effects were expressed as risk ratios or mean differences (MD) and their 95% CIs. Quality of evidence assessment followed GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) methodology.

RESULTS

21 RCTs (15 in hypertensive (n=2016), 2 in normotensive (n=163) and 4 in mixed populations (n=5224)) were evaluated. LSSS formulations were heterogeneous. Effects were similar across hypertensive, normotensive and mixed populations. LSSS decreased SBP (MD -7.81 mm Hg, 95% CI -9.47 to -6.15, p<0.00001) and DBP (MD -3.96 mm Hg, 95% CI -5.17 to -2.74, p<0.00001) compared with control. Significant increases in urinary potassium (MD 11.46 mmol/day, 95% CI 8.36 to 14.55, p<0.00001) and calcium excretion (MD 2.39 mmol/day, 95% CI 0.52 to 4.26, p=0.01) and decreases in urinary sodium excretion (MD -35.82 mmol/day, 95% CI -57.35 to -14.29, p=0.001) were observed. Differences in detected hypertension, overall mortality, total cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose or BMI were not significant. Quality of evidence was low to very low for most of outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

LSSS significantly decreased SBP and DBP. There was no effect for detected hypertension, overall mortality and intermediate outcomes. Large, long-term RCTs are necessary to clarify salt substitute effects on clinical outcomes.

Sliding scale insulin for non-critically ill hospitalised adults with diabetes mellitus

BACKGROUND

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder resulting from a defect in insulin secretion, function, or both. Hyperglycaemia in non-critically ill hospitalised people is associated with poor clinical outcomes (infections, prolonged hospital stay, poor wound healing, higher morbidity and mortality). In the hospital setting people diagnosed with diabetes receive insulin therapy as part of their treatment in order to achieve metabolic control. However, insulin therapy can be provided by different strategies (sliding scale insulin (SSI), basal-bolus insulin, and other modalities). Sliding scale insulin is currently the most commonly used method, however there is uncertainty about which strategy provides the best patient outcomes.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effects of SSI for non-critically ill hospitalised adults with diabetes mellitus.

SEARCH METHODS

We identified eligible trials by searching MEDLINE, Embase, LILACS, and the Cochrane Library. We searched the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (WHO ICTRP) and ClinicalTrials.gov trial registers. The date of the last search for all databases was December 2017. We also examined reference lists of identified randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and systematic reviews, and contacted trial authors.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included RCTs comparing SSI with other strategies for glycaemic control in non-critically ill hospitalised adult participants of any sex with diabetes mellitus.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently extracted data, assessed trials for risk of bias, and evaluated the overall certainty of evidence utilising the GRADE instrument. We synthesised data using a random-effects model meta-analysis with 95% prediction intervals, if possible, or descriptive analysis, as appropriate.

MAIN RESULTS

Of 720 records screened, we included eight trials that randomised 1048 participants with type 2 diabetes (387 SSI participants and 615 participants in comparator groups were available for final analysis). We included non-critically ill medical and surgical adults with the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. The mean follow-up time was measured by the mean length of hospital stay and ranged between five and 24 days. The mean age of participants was 44.5 years to 71 years.Overall, we judged the risk of bias on the trial level as unclear for selection bias, high for outcome-related performance and detection bias with regard to hypoglycaemic episodes, other adverse events, and mean glucose levels, and low for all-cause mortality and length of hospital stay. Attrition bias was low for all outcome measures.Six trials compared SSI with a basal-bolus insulin scheme, three of which investigating 64% of all participants in this category also applying an SSI approach in the bolus comparator part. One trial had a basal insulin-only comparator arm, and the remaining trial used continuous insulin infusion as the comparator. For our main comparison of SSI versus basal-bolus insulin, the results were as follows. Four trials reported mortality data. One out of 268 participants in the SSI group (0.3%) compared with two out of 334 participants in the basal-bolus group (0.6%) died (low-certainty evidence). Severe hypoglycaemic episodes, defined as blood glucose levels below 40 mg/dL (2.2 mmol/L), showed a risk ratio (RR) of 0.22, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.05 to 1.00; P = 0.05; 5 trials; 667 participants; very low-certainty evidence. The 95% prediction interval ranged between 0.02 and 2.57. All nine severe hypoglycaemic episodes were observed among the 369 participants on basal-bolus insulin (2.4%). The mean length of hospital stay was 0.5 days longer for the SSI group, 95% CI -0.5 to 1.4; P = 0.32; 6 trials; 717 participants; very low-certainty evidence. The 95% prediction interval ranged between -1.7 days and 2.7 days. Adverse events other than hypoglycaemic episodes, such as postoperative infections, showed a RR of 1.16, 95% CI 0.25 to 5.37; P = 0.85; 3 trials; 481 participants; very low-certainty evidence. The mean blood glucose levels ranged across basal-bolus groups from 156 mg/dL (8.7 mmol/L) to 221 mg/dL (12.3 mmol/L). The mean blood glucose level in the SSI groups was 14.8 mg/dL (0.8 mmol/L) higher (95% CI 7.8 (0.4) to 21.8 (1.2); P < 0.001; 6 trials; 717 participants; low-certainty evidence). The 95% prediction interval ranged between -3.6 mg/dL (-0.2 mmol/L) and 33.2 mg/dL (1.8 mmol/L). No trial reported on diabetes-related mortality or socioeconomic effects.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

We are uncertain which insulin strategy (SSI or basal-bolus insulin) is best for non-critically hospitalised adults with diabetes mellitus. A basal-bolus insulin strategy in these patients might result in better short-term glycaemic control but could increase the risk for severe hypoglycaemic episodes. The certainty of the body of evidence comparing SSI with basal-bolus insulin was low to very low and needs to be improved by adequately performed, well-powered RCTs in different hospital environments with well-educated medical staff using identical short-acting insulins in both intervention and comparator arms to compare the rigid SSI approach with flexible insulin application strategies.

Causes and Predictors of 30-Day Readmission in Patients With Syncope/Collapse: A Nationwide Cohort Study

Background Syncope accounts for 0.6% to 1.5% of hospitalizations in the United States. We sought to determine the causes and predictors of 30-day readmission in patients with syncope. Methods and Results We identified 323 250 encounters with a primary diagnosis of syncope/collapse in the 2013-2014 Nationwide Readmissions Database. We excluded patients younger than 18 years, those discharged in December, those who died during hospitalization, hospital transfers, and those whose length of stay was missing. We used multivariable logistic regression analysis to evaluate the association between baseline characteristics and 30-day readmission. A total of 282 311 syncope admissions were included. The median age was 72 years (interquartile range, 58-83), 53.9% were women, and 9.3% had 30-day readmission. The most common cause of 30-day readmissions was syncope/collapse, followed by cardiac, neurological, and infectious causes. Characteristics associated with 30-day readmissions were age 65 years and older (odds ratio [OR], 0.7; 95% confidence interval [ CI ], 0.6-0.7), female sex (OR, 0.9; 95% CI, 0.8-0.9), congestive heart failure (OR, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.2-1.9), atrial fibrillation/flutter (OR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.3-1.4), diabetes mellitus (OR, 1.2; 95% CI, 1.2-1.3), coronary artery disease (OR, 1.2; 95% CI, 1.2-1.3), anemia (OR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.4-1.5), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (OR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.3-1.4), home with home healthcare disposition (OR, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.5-1.6), leaving against medical advice (OR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.6-1.9), length of stay of 3 to 5 days (OR, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.4-1.6) or >5 days (OR, 2; 95% CI, 1.8-2), and having private insurance (OR, 0.6; 95% CI, 0.6-0.7). Conclusions The 30-day readmission rate after syncope/collapse was 9.3%. We identified causes and risk factors associated with readmission. Future prospective studies are needed to derive risk-stratification models to reduce the high burden of readmissions.

Premature Clinical Trial Discontinuation in the Era of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

BACKGROUND

Clinical trial completion is critical for new cancer therapies. Premature trial termination or withdrawal is common and impairs progress. We assessed factors of early terminated/withdrawn oncology trials focusing on trials with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), hypothesizing that the latter may be associated with lower rates of premature discontinuation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We reviewed all adult, intervention, oncology trials registered in ClinicalTrials.gov (November 16, 2011, to April 16, 2015) to identify all terminated/withdrawn trials and reasons for termination. Logistics regression model was used to identify factors associated with early termination/withdrawal. Discontinuation rate was compared in trials with and without ICI.

RESULTS

We identified 12,875 trials (35% industry funded, 12% federal funded), of which 8.5% were prematurely terminated (5%) or withdrawn (3.5%); the main reasons were poor accrual (33%) and logistical (24%). ICI trials (n = 350) had a nonsignificant lower rate of termination or withdrawal compared with all other oncology trials (5.4% vs. 8.5%; p = .9) and were less likely to discontinue due to poor accrual (nonsignificant difference: 21% vs. 33%; p = .4). ICI trials were also less likely to discontinue compared with all other oncology drug trials (e.g., chemotherapy, targeted inhibitors, antiangiogenesis, biologics; 5.4% vs. 7.9%, respectively, nonsignificant difference). The 4-year cumulative incidence of failing to complete for reasons unrelated to toxicity or efficacy was 18% (95% confidence interval 16%-20%). There was no association between annual incidence across different tumor types or accrual goal and rate of trial termination.

CONCLUSION

Poor accrual represents the main cause of early cancer trial termination. Premature termination/withdrawal rate was not significantly lower in ICI compared with other trials. Clinical trial completion remains a high priority and can be influenced by provider and patient factors.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Clinical trial completion is critical for new cancer therapies. Premature trial termination or withdrawal is common and impairs progress. This study assessed factors of early terminated/withdrawn oncology trials, focusing on trials with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), and found that poor accrual represents the main cause of early cancer trial termination. Premature termination/withdrawal rate was not significantly lower in immune checkpoint inhibitor trials compared to other trials. The discussion herein is focused on measures taken by the National Cancer Institute and other institutions to improve clinical trial accrual and prevent premature clinical trial discontinuation.

The role of B-type natriuretic peptide in diagnosing acute decompensated heart failure in chronic kidney disease patients

INTRODUCTION

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and congestive heart failure (CHF) patients have higher serum B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), which alters the test interpretation. We aim to define BNP cutoff levels to diagnose acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) in CKD according to CHF subtype: heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We reviewed 1,437 charts of consecutive patients who were admitted for dyspnea. We excluded patients with normal kidney function, without measured BNP, echocardiography, or history of CHF. BNP cutoff values to diagnose ADHF for CKD stages according to CHF subtype were obtained for the highest pair of sensitivity (Sn) and specificity (Sp). We calculated positive and negative likelihood ratios (LR+ and LR-, respectively), and diagnostic odds ratios (DOR), as well as the area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC) for BNP.

RESULTS

We evaluated a cohort of 348 consecutive patients: 152 had ADHF, and 196 had stable CHF. In those with HFpEF with CKD stages 3-4, BNP < 155 pg/ml rules out ADHF (Sn90%, LR- = 0.26 and DOR = 5.75), and BNP > 670 pg/ml rules in ADHF (Sp90%, LR+ = 4 and DOR = 6), with an AUC = 0.79 (95% CI: 0.71-0.87). In contrast, in those with HFrEF with CKD stages 3-4, BNP < 412.5 pg/ml rules out ADHF (Sn90%, LR- = 0.19 and DOR = 9.37), and BNP > 1166.5 pg/ml rules in ADHF (Sp87%, LR+ = 3.9 and DOR = 6.97) with an AUC = 0.78 (95% CI: 0.69-0.86). All LRs and DOR were statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONS

BNP cutoff values for the diagnosis of ADHF in HFrEF were higher than those in HFpEF across CKD stages 3-4, with moderate discriminatory diagnostic ability.