Risk factors for 'microsize' vs. usual myocardial infarctions in the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study

Synchronous recording of magnetocardiographic and electrocardiographic signals

We present a system for simultaneous recording of the electrocardiogram and the magnetocardiogram. The measurement system contained of printed carbon electrodes and SERF magnetometer. The use of this system confirms that the position of the end of the magnetic T wave extends further than the electric T wave, which is an important indicator for the diagnosis of cardiological patients and for drug arrhythmogenicity. We analyze this phenomenon in depth, and demonstrate, that it originates from the fundamental difference between electric and magnetic measurements. The measured value is always bipolar since the electric measurements require two electrodes. We demonstrate how the dual electric and magnetic measuring system adds a new information to the commonly used electrocardiographic diagnosis. The ECG should be interpreted as the spatial asymmetry of the electric cardiac potential, and not as the potential itself. The results seem to prove, that the relation between the magnetic and the electric imaging of neural activities may be broadly applied for the benefit of medical diagnosis in cardiology and many other fields, where the neural activity is measured. This is a pilot study which requires further confirmation at the clinical level.

Implications of Under-Reporting Medication Side Effects: Beta-Blockers in Heart Failure as a Case Example

INTRODUCTION

Perceiving medication side effects but not reporting them to a clinician is common. Patterns of "under-reporting" and their implications are not well described. We aimed to address this gap by examining patterns of under-reporting perceived side effects of beta-blockers among patients with heart failure.

METHODS

In 2016, a survey that evaluated medication-taking behavior was administered to 1114 participants (46.5% response rate) from The Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) cohort with prior adjudicated heart failure hospitalization or a heart failure Medicare claim. We examined the results of survey respondents who reported taking a beta-blocker to understand patterns of under-reporting perceived beta-blocker side effects. We defined an under-reporter as a participant who perceived experiencing a side effect from their beta-blocker but did not share it with their clinician (according to survey responses). We conducted a multivariable logistic regression analysis to identify determinants of being an under-reporter. Co-variates included age, sex, race, income, level of education, geographical location, and pill burden. We also examined whether under-reporters differed in self-reported medication adherence and willingness to take additional medication to prevent a future healthcare encounter compared to participants who reported perceived side effects to their clinicians and those who did not experience side effects.

RESULTS

Among 310 respondents, 28% (n = 87) were under-reporters. Black race (odds ratio 2.11, confidence interval 1.21-3.67) and education less than college (odds ratio 2.00, confidence interval 1.09-3.67) were associated with being an under-reporter. Self-reported medication adherence was similar between groups (under-reporters: 46.3%; those who reported perceived side effects: 49.4%; those who did not experience side effects: 45.0%); under-reporters were more frequently unwilling to take additional medication to prevent a doctor's visit (18.9% vs 12.1% vs 10.8%), emergency room visit (21.6% vs 13.3% vs 9.9%), and hospitalization (17.6% vs 10.8% vs 9.0%) compared with the other groups.

CONCLUSION

We conclude that under-reporting perceived side effects of beta-blockers among adults with heart failure is common, is associated with Black race and low education, and may contribute to patient willingness to take additional medication to prevent future medical encounters.

Injectable Cryogels Associate with Adipose-Derived Stem Cells for Cardiac Healing After Acute Myocardial Infarctions

Treatment of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) provides support for novel methods of conveying baseline cell protein endothelial cells to promote acute myocardial infarction in gelatin sericin (GS) lamin-coated antioxidant systems (GS@L). The ratio of fixity modules, pores, absorption, and inflammation in the range of ka (65 ka), 149 ±39.8 μm, 92.2%, 42 ± 1.38, and 29 ± 1.9 were observed in the synthesized frames for GS. Herein, ADSC-GS@L was prepared, and the relevant substance for the development of cardiac regenerative applications was stable and physically chemical. In vitro assessments of ADSC-GS@L injectable cryogels established the enhanced survival rates of the cell and improved pro- angiogenic factors as well as pro-inflammatory expression, confirming the favorable outcomes of fractional ejections, fibro-areas, and vessel densities with reduced infraction dimensions. The novel ADSC-injecting cryogel method could be useful for successful heart injury therapies during acute myocardial infarction. Additionally, the method could be useful for successful heart injury therapies during coronary heart disease.

Cardiovascular Disease Events and Mortality After Myocardial Infarction Among Black and White Adults: REGARDS Study

BACKGROUND

Despite improvements in prognosis following myocardial infarction (MI), racial disparities persist. The objective of this study was to examine disparities between Black and White adults in cardiovascular disease (CVD), coronary heart disease, stroke, heart failure (HF), and mortality after MI and characteristics that may explain the disparities.

METHODS

This prospective cohort study included 1122 REGARDS (Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke) study participants with incident MI between 2003 and 2016. We followed participants for subsequent CVD events (MI, stroke, HF hospitalization, or death from CVD; n=431), coronary heart disease events (MI or death from coronary heart disease; (n=277), stroke (n=68), HF events (HF hospitalization or death from HF; n=191), and all-cause mortality (n=527; 3-year median follow-up after MI).

RESULTS

Among 1122 participants with incident MI, 37.5% were Black participants, 45.4% were women, and mean age was 73.2 (SD, 9.5) years. The unadjusted hazard ratio for CVD events comparing Black to White participants was 1.42 (95% CI, 1.17-1.71). Adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics did not attenuate the association (1.41 [95% CI, 1.14-1.73]), but further adjusting for pre-MI health status (1.25 [95% CI, 1.00-1.56]) and characteristics of the MI (1.01 [95% CI, 0.80-1.27]) resulted in substantial attenuation. Similar patterns were observed for the other outcomes, although the number of strokes was small.

CONCLUSIONS

Black individuals had a higher risk of CVD events and mortality after MI than White individuals. The disparities were explained by health status before MI and characteristics of the MI. These findings suggest that both primordial prevention of risk factors and improved acute treatment strategies are needed to reduce disparities in post-MI outcomes.

Risk for cardiovascular events following 'microsize' versus usual myocardial infarctions

BACKGROUND

Microsize myocardial infarction (MI) is a recently described phenomenon that meets rigorous criteria for MI with very low peak troponin elevations. We aim to compare the risk for cardiovascular events and mortality following microsize versus usual MIs.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Prospective cohort analysis of REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study participants without a history of coronary heart disease (CHD) who had an incident MI between 2003 and 2015. Incident MIs were classified as microsize MI (peak troponin <0.5 ng/mL) or usual MI (peak troponin ≥0.5 ng/mL). Participants were followed for a composite of cardiovascular events that included recurrent MI, coronary revascularisation, fatal CHD and heart failure, and all-cause mortality. Overall, 1024 participants with an incident MI were included in the analysis (328 with microsize MI and 696 with usual MI). Participants with microsize MI were more likely to be older and black. The multivariable-adjusted adjustment HR for cardiovascular events among participants with microsize versus usual MI after a median follow-up of 1.7 years was 1.11 (95% CI 0.86 to 1.44). The multivariable-adjusted HR for all-cause mortality after 28 days from incident MI among participants with microsize versus usual MI after a median follow-up of 3.6 years was 1.09 (95% CI 0.81 to 1.45).

CONCLUSION

Microsize MIs have a prognostic value for future cardiovascular events and mortality comparable to usual MIs. These findings should encourage clinicians to initiate secondary prevention strategies in patients with microsize MI until this emerging clinical entity is better understood.