Evaluating sources of bias in observational studies of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin II receptor blocker use during COVID-19: beyond confounding

Disordered eating among military adolescents presenting for annual health visits at a naval clinic

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this study was to estimate disordered eating behavior (DEB) prevalence in military dependent adolescents, compare it to previous reports in the general adolescent population, and investigate whether obesity, sex and gender, or key military-specific demographics (parent in the military, parental active duty [AD] status, military branch, number of lifetime moves, number of parental deployments) are associated with higher DEB risk.

METHODS

Retrospective cross-sectional study of military dependents aged 11-19 years seen in an adolescent clinic at a naval medical center for annual health maintenance visits. We manually abstracted body mass index, gender, sex, military demographics, and ChEAT-26 eating disorder screening results from electronic health records. We compared DEB prevalence to established estimates from the general adolescent population (p0 = 0.1) and estimated DEB risk by obesity, gender, sex, and military demographics.

RESULTS

Of 92 participants, 49 % identified as male; 9 % had obesity, 63 % had an AD parent, and 81 % were Navy families. DEB prevalence was 13 %, no different from the general population. Obesity and having a parent in the Air Force were associated with higher ChEAT-26 score. There was no significant difference in DEB risk by gender or sex.

CONCLUSIONS

DEB prevalence in military-dependent adolescents is estimated at 13 %, similar to previous reports in the general population, and obesity is associated with higher DEB risk. Military dependent males may have comparable DEB risk to females, reinforcing the importance of universal DEB screening in adolescents, and of changing the narrative of who is at risk for DEB.

The Study of the Epidemiology of Pediatric Hypertension Registry (SUPERHERO): rationale and methods

Despite increasing prevalence of hypertension in youth and high adult cardiovascular mortality rates, the long-term consequences of youth-onset hypertension remain unknown. This is due to limitations of prior research, such as small sample sizes, reliance on manual record review, and limited analytic methods, that did not address major biases. The Study of the Epidemiology of Pediatric Hypertension (SUPERHERO) is a multisite, retrospective registry of youth evaluated by subspecialists for hypertension disorders. Sites obtain harmonized electronic health record data using standardized biomedical informatics scripts validated with randomized manual record review. Inclusion criteria are index visit for International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10) code-defined hypertension disorder on or after January 1, 2015, and age < 19 years. We exclude patients with ICD-10 code-defined pregnancy, kidney failure on dialysis, or kidney transplantation. Data include demographics, anthropomorphics, US Census Bureau tract, histories, blood pressure, ICD-10 codes, medications, laboratory and imaging results, and ambulatory blood pressure. SUPERHERO leverages expertise in epidemiology, statistics, clinical care, and biomedical informatics to create the largest and most diverse registry of youth with newly diagnosed hypertension disorders. SUPERHERO's goals are to reduce CVD burden across the life course and establish gold-standard biomedical informatics methods for youth with hypertension disorders.

Risk of Obesity and Unhealthy Central Adiposity in Adolescents Born Preterm With Very Low Birthweight Compared to Term-Born Peers

Background: Early-life factors such as preterm birth or very low birthweight (VLBW) are associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk. However, it remains unknown whether this is due to an increased risk of obesity (unhealthy central adiposity) because studies have predominantly defined obesity based on BMI, an imprecise adiposity measure. Objective: Investigate if adolescents born preterm with VLBW have a higher risk of unhealthy central adiposity compared to term-born peers. Study Design: Cross-sectional analysis of data from a prospective cohort study of 177 individuals born preterm with VLBW (<1500 g) and 51 term-born peers (birthweight ≥2500 g). Individuals with congenital anomalies, genetic syndromes, or major health conditions were excluded. Height, weight, waist circumference, skin fold thickness, and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry body composition were measured at age 14 years. We calculated BMI percentiles and defined overweight/obesity as BMI ≥85th percentile for age and sex. We estimated the preterm-term differences in overweight/obesity prevalence and adiposity distribution with multivariable generalized linear models. Results: There was no difference in small for gestational age status or overweight/obesity prevalence. Compared to term, youth born preterm with VLBW had lower BMI z-score [β -0.38, 95% confidence limits (CL) -0.75 to -0.02] but no differences in adiposity apart from subscapular-to-triceps ratio (STR; β 0.18, 95% CL 0.08 to 0.28). Conclusions: Adolescents born preterm with VLBW had smaller body size than their term-born peers and had no differences in central adiposity except greater STR.

Human immune and metabolic biomarker levels, and stress-biomarker associations, differ by season: Implications for biomedical health research

Although seasonal changes in physiology are well documented, little is known about how human immune and metabolic markers vary across seasons, and no studies have examined how stress → health biomarker associations differ across the year. To investigate these issues, we analyzed data from 2118 participants of the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study to determine whether there were differences in (a) levels of 19 immune and metabolic markers, and (b) the association between perceived stress and each biomarker across the year. Results of component-wide boosted generalized additive models revealed seasonal patterning for most biomarkers, with immune proteins generally peaking when days were shorter. Moreover, whereas levels of hemoglobin A1C rose from late fall to spring, triglycerides were elevated in the summer and fall, and high-density lipoprotein decreased steadily from January to December. Urinary cortisol and cortisone exhibited opposite patterns, peaking at the beginning and end of the year, respectively. Most critically, we found that the effects of perceived stress on 18 of the 19 health biomarkers assessed varied by month of measurement. In some cases, these differences involved the magnitude of the stress → biomarker association but, in other cases, it was the direction of the effect that changed. Studies that do not account for month of biomarker assessment may thus yield misleading or unreproducible results.

The role of preterm birth in stress-induced sodium excretion in young adults

BACKGROUND

Early-life programming due to prematurity and very low birth weight (VLBW, <1500 g) is believed to contribute to development of hypertension, but the mechanisms remain unclear. Experimental data suggest that altered pressure natriuresis (increased renal perfusion pressure promoting sodium excretion) may be a contributing mechanism. We hypothesize that young adults born preterm will have a blunted pressure natriuresis response to mental stress compared with those born term.

METHODS

In this prospective cohort study of 190 individuals aged 18-23 years, 156 born preterm with VLBW and 34 controls born term with birth weight at least 2500 g, we measured urine sodium/creatinine before and after a mental stress test and continuous blood pressure before and during the stress test. Participants were stratified into groups by the trajectory at which mean arterial pressure (MAP) increased following the test. The group with the lowest MAP trajectory was the reference group. We used generalized linear models to assess poststress urine sodium/creatinine relative to the change in MAP trajectory and assessed the difference between groups by preterm birth status.

RESULTS

Participants' mean age was 19.8 years and 57% were women. Change in urine sodium/creatinine per unit increase in MAP when comparing middle trajectory group against the reference group was greater in those born preterm [β 5.4%, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) -11.4 to 5.3] than those born term (β 38.5%, 95% CI -0.04 to 92.0), interaction term P = 0.002.

CONCLUSION

We observed that, as blood pressure increased following mental stress, young adults born preterm exhibited decreased sodium excretion relative to term-born individuals.

Methodological biases in observational hospital studies of COVID-19 treatment effectiveness: pitfalls and potential

Introduction

This study aims to discuss and assess the impact of three prevalent methodological biases: competing risks, immortal-time bias, and confounding bias in real-world observational studies evaluating treatment effectiveness. We use a demonstrative observational data example of COVID-19 patients to assess the impact of these biases and propose potential solutions.

Methods

We describe competing risks, immortal-time bias, and time-fixed confounding bias by evaluating treatment effectiveness in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. For our demonstrative analysis, we use observational data from the registry of patients with COVID-19 who were admitted to the Bellvitge University Hospital in Spain from March 2020 to February 2021 and met our predefined inclusion criteria. We compare estimates of a single-dose, time-dependent treatment with the standard of care. We analyze the treatment effectiveness using common statistical approaches, either by ignoring or only partially accounting for the methodological biases. To address these challenges, we emulate a target trial through the clone-censor-weight approach.

Results

Overlooking competing risk bias and employing the naïve Kaplan-Meier estimator led to increased in-hospital death probabilities in patients with COVID-19. Specifically, in the treatment effectiveness analysis, the Kaplan-Meier estimator resulted in an in-hospital mortality of 45.6% for treated patients and 59.0% for untreated patients. In contrast, employing an emulated trial framework with the weighted Aalen-Johansen estimator, we observed that in-hospital death probabilities were reduced to 27.9% in the "X"-treated arm and 40.1% in the non-"X"-treated arm. Immortal-time bias led to an underestimated hazard ratio of treatment.

Conclusion

Overlooking competing risks, immortal-time bias, and confounding bias leads to shifted estimates of treatment effects. Applying the naïve Kaplan-Meier method resulted in the most biased results and overestimated probabilities for the primary outcome in analyses of hospital data from COVID-19 patients. This overestimation could mislead clinical decision-making. Both immortal-time bias and confounding bias must be addressed in assessments of treatment effectiveness. The trial emulation framework offers a potential solution to address all three methodological biases.

Uric Acid Is Not Associated With Cardiovascular Health in Youth With Type 1 Diabetes: SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study

CONTEXT

Uric acid's role in cardiovascular health in youth with type 1 diabetes is unknown.

OBJECTIVE

Investigate whether higher uric acid is associated with increased blood pressure (BP) and arterial stiffness over time in adolescents and young adults with type 1 diabetes and if overweight/obesity modifies this relationship.

METHODS

Longitudinal analysis of data from adolescents and young adults with type 1 diabetes from 2 visits (mean follow up 4.6 years) in the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth multicenter prospective cohort study from 2007 to 2018. Our exposure was uric acid at the first visit and our outcome measures were the change in BP, pulse wave velocity (PWV), and augmentation index between visits. We used multivariable linear mixed-effects models and assessed for effect modification by overweight/obesity.

RESULTS

Of 1744 participants, mean age was 17.6 years, 49.4% were female, 75.9% non-Hispanic White, and 45.4% had a follow-up visit. Mean uric acid was 3.7 mg/dL (SD 1.0). Uric acid was not associated with increased BP, PWV-trunk, or augmentation index over time. Uric acid was marginally associated with PWV-upper extremity (β = .02 m/s/year, 95% CI 0.002 to 0.04). The magnitude of this association did not differ by overweight/obesity status.

CONCLUSION

Among adolescents and young adults with type 1 diabetes, uric acid was not consistently associated with increased BP or arterial stiffness over time. These results support findings from clinical trials in older adults with diabetes showing that lowering uric acid levels does not improve cardiovascular outcomes.

Duration of Simultaneous Exposure to High-Risk and Lower-Risk Nephrotoxic Antimicrobials in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Future Adolescent Kidney Health

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether greater duration of simultaneous exposure to antimicrobials with high nephrotoxicity risk combined with lower-risk antimicrobials (simultaneous exposure) in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is associated with worse later kidney health in adolescents born preterm with very low birth weight (VLBW).

STUDY DESIGN

Prospective cohort study of participants born preterm with VLBW (<1500 g) as singletons between January 1, 1992, and June 30, 1996. We defined simultaneous exposure as a high-risk antimicrobial, such as vancomycin, administered with a lower-risk antimicrobial on the same date in the NICU. Outcomes were serum creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and first-morning urine albumin-creatinine ratio (ACR) at age 14 years. We fit multivariable linear regression models with days of simultaneous exposure and days of nonsimultaneous exposure as main effects, adjusting for gestational age, birth weight, and birth weight z-score.

RESULTS

Of the 147 out of 177 participants who had exposure data, 97% received simultaneous antimicrobials for mean duration 7.2 days (SD 5.6). No participant had eGFR <90 ml/min/1.73 m2. The mean ACR was 15.2 mg/g (SD 38.7) and 7% had albuminuria (ACR >30 mg/g). Each day of simultaneous exposure was associated only with a 1.04-mg/g higher ACR (95% CI 1.01 to 1.06).

CONCLUSIONS

Despite frequent simultaneous exposure to high-risk combined with lower-risk nephrotoxic antimicrobials in the NICU, there were no clinically relevant associations with worse kidney health identified in adolescence. Although future studies are needed, these findings may provide reassurance in a population thought to be at increased risk of chronic kidney disease.

Prevalence and risk factors of disordered eating behavior in youth with hypertension disorders

BACKGROUND

Adolescents with certain health conditions requiring lifestyle management, such as diabetes mellitus, have higher disordered eating behavior (DEB) risk than the general adolescent population, but DEB is underdiagnosed and can lead to adverse health consequences. In youth with other conditions requiring lifestyle counseling such as hypertension (HTN), DEB prevalence and associated risk factors are unknown. We hypothesized that youth with HTN disorders would have higher DEB prevalence than the general adolescent population, and that obesity, chronic kidney disease (CKD), and less specialized lifestyle counseling would be associated with higher DEB risk.

METHODS

Prospective cross-sectional study of youth aged 11-18 years with HTN disorders. We excluded patients with diabetes mellitus, kidney failure or transplantation, or gastrostomy tube dependence. We collected data via surveys and electronic health record abstraction. We administered the validated SCOFF DEB screening questionnaire. We compared DEB prevalence using a one-sample z-test of proportions (p0 = 0.1) and estimated DEB risk by obesity, CKD, and lifestyle counseling source using multivariable generalized linear models.

RESULTS

Of 74 participants, 59% identified as male, 22% as Black or African American, and 36% as Hispanic or Latino; 58% had obesity and 26% had CKD. DEB prevalence was 28% (95% CI 18-39%, p < 0.001). CKD was associated with higher DEB prevalence (adjusted RR 2.17, 95% CL 1.09 to 4.32), but obesity and lifestyle counseling source were not.

CONCLUSIONS

DEB prevalence is higher in youth with HTN disorders and comparable to other conditions requiring lifestyle counseling. Youth with HTN disorders may benefit from DEB screening. A higher resolution version of the Graphical abstract is available as Supplementary information.

Association of antenatal corticosteroids with kidney function in adolescents born preterm with very low birth weight

OBJECTIVE

Investigate if antenatal corticosteroids (ANCS) are associated with worse kidney function in adolescence and if greater adiposity magnifies this association.

STUDY DESIGN

Prospective cohort of 162 14-year-olds born preterm with very low birth weight (<1500 g). Outcomes were estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and first-morning urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR). We used adjusted generalized linear models, stratified by waist-to-height ratio (WHR) ≥ 0.5.

RESULTS

Fifty-five percent had ANCS exposure and 31.3% had WHR ≥ 0.5. In adjusted analyses of the entire cohort, ANCS was not significantly associated with eGFR or UACR. However, the ANCS-eGFR association was greater in those with WHR ≥ 0.5 (β -16.8 ml/min/1.73 m2, 95% CL -31.5 to -2.1) vs. WHR < 0.5: (β 13.9 ml/min/1.73 m2, 95% CL -0.4 to 28.1), interaction term p = 0.02.

CONCLUSION

ANCS exposure was not associated with worse kidney function in adolescence, though ANCS may be associated with lower eGFR if children develop obesity by adolescence.

The Influence of COVID-19 in Endocrine Research: Critical Overview, Methodological Implications and a Guideline for Future Designs

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed many aspects of people's lives, including not only individual social behavior, healthcare procedures, and altered physiological and pathophysiological responses. As a result, some medical studies may be influenced by one or more hidden factors brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Using the literature review method, we are briefly discussing the studies that are confounded by COVID-19 and facemask-induced partiality and how these factors can be further complicated with other confounding variables. Facemask wearing has been reported to produce partiality in studies of ophthalmology (particularly dry eye and related ocular diseases), sleep studies, cognitive studies (such as emotion-recognition accuracy research, etc.), and gender-influenced studies, to mention a few. There is a possibility that some other COVID-19 related influences remain unrecognized in medical research. To account for heterogeneity, current and future studies need to consider the severity of the initial illness (such as diabetes, other endocrine disorders), and COVID-19 infection, the timing of analysis, or the presence of a control group. Face mask-induced influences may confound the results of diabetes studies in many ways.

Appraising the Preclinical Evidence of the Role of the Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System in Antenatal Programming of Maternal and Offspring Cardiovascular Health Across the Life Course: Moving the Field Forward: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association

There is increasing interest in the long-term cardiovascular health of women with complicated pregnancies and their affected offspring. Emerging antenatal risk factors such as preeclampsia appear to increase the risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease across the life course in both the offspring and women after pregnancy. However, the antenatal programming mechanisms responsible are complex and incompletely understood, with roots in alterations in the development, structure, and function of the kidney, heart, vasculature, and brain. The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system is a major regulator of maternal-fetal health through the placental interface, as well as kidney and cardiovascular tissue development and function. Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system dysregulation plays a critical role in the development of pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia and programming of long-term adverse cardiovascular health in both the mother and the offspring. An improved understanding of antenatal renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system programming is crucial to identify at-risk individuals and to facilitate development of novel therapies to prevent and treat disease across the life course. Given the inherent complexities of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, it is imperative that preclinical and translational research studies adhere to best practices to accurately and rigorously measure components of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. This comprehensive synthesis of preclinical and translational scientific evidence of the mechanistic role of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system in antenatal programming of hypertension and cardiovascular disease will help (1) to ensure that future research uses best research practices, (2) to identify pressing needs, and (3) to guide future investigations to maximize potential outcomes. This will facilitate more rapid and efficient translation to clinical care and improve health outcomes.

Management of acute severe hypertension in youth: from the philosophical to the practical

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Acute severe hypertension remains an uncommon but important source of morbidity and mortality in youth. However, there has been very little progress made in our understanding of how to best manage youth with acute severe hypertension to improve patient outcomes.

RECENT FINDINGS

Our understanding of what is acute severe hypertension is undergoing a philosophical change. Management of patients with acute severe hypertension is evolving towards more of a risk and outcomes-based approach.

SUMMARY

We should be intentional when we consider whether a patient has acute severe hypertension and if they are truly at an increased risk for life-threatening target organ injury. We should consider their specific risk factors to best interpret the risks and benefits of how best to treat a patient with acute severe hypertension, rather than relying on traditional approaches and conventional wisdom. We should always ask 'why' when we are pursuing a given management course. Future studies should clearly define the research questions they are investigating to best advance the field to ultimately improve patient outcomes.

Target Trial Emulation Using Hospital-Based Observational Data: Demonstration and Application in COVID-19

Methodological biases are common in observational studies evaluating treatment effectiveness. The objective of this study is to emulate a target trial in a competing risks setting using hospital-based observational data. We extend established methodology accounting for immortal time bias and time-fixed confounding biases to a setting where no survival information beyond hospital discharge is available: a condition common to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) research data. This exemplary study includes a cohort of 618 hospitalized patients with COVID-19. We describe methodological opportunities and challenges that cannot be overcome applying traditional statistical methods. We demonstrate the practical implementation of this trial emulation approach via clone-censor-weight techniques. We undertake a competing risk analysis, reporting the cause-specific cumulative hazards and cumulative incidence probabilities. Our analysis demonstrates that a target trial emulation framework can be extended to account for competing risks in COVID-19 hospital studies. In our analysis, we avoid immortal time bias, time-fixed confounding bias, and competing risks bias simultaneously. Choosing the length of the grace period is justified from a clinical perspective and has an important advantage in ensuring reliable results. This extended trial emulation with the competing risk analysis enables an unbiased estimation of treatment effects, along with the ability to interpret the effectiveness of treatment on all clinically important outcomes.

Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers and outcomes in hospitalized patients with COVID-19: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials

BACKGROUND

Our prior analysis demonstrated no significant difference in risk of mortality or disease progression among patients with COVID-19. With the availability of findings from randomized controlled trials (RCTs), we provide an updated review of RCTs which explored the outcomes among hospitalized patients with COVID-19 treated with Angiotensin Converting Enzyme inhibitor (ACEis)/Angiotensin Receptor Blockers (ARBs) versus control.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

This systematic review and meta-analysis covers RCTs exploring mortality, intensive care unit admission, and mechanical ventilation outcomes among hospitalized COVID-19 patients treated with ACEi/ARBs.

RESULTS

Ten studies were included in this meta-analysis. For mortality with ACEi/ARB utilization among hospitalized COVID-19 patients, the pooled risk ratio (RR) was 0.97 (95% CI 0.64-1.47, p = 0.89) with heterogeneity of 26%. Further, the pooled RR for ACEi/ARB use on ICU admission and mechanical ventilation were 0.55 (0.55-1.08, p = 0.13) with a heterogeneity of 0% and 1.02 (0.78-1.32, p = 0.91) with a heterogeneity of 0%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Among hospitalized patients with COVID-19, the use of ACEi/ARB was not associated with increased risk of mortality, ICU admission, or mechanical ventilation compared to control. These findings support continuation of ACEi/ARB for whom baseline clinical indications for these agents exist.

Long-term kidney function recovery and mortality after COVID-19-associated acute kidney injury: An international multi-centre observational cohort study

Background

While acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication in COVID-19, data on post-AKI kidney function recovery and the clinical factors associated with poor kidney function recovery is lacking.

Methods

A retrospective multi-centre observational cohort study comprising 12,891 hospitalized patients aged 18 years or older with a diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed by polymerase chain reaction from 1 January 2020 to 10 September 2020, and with at least one serum creatinine value 1-365 days prior to admission. Mortality and serum creatinine values were obtained up to 10 September 2021.

Findings

Advanced age (HR 2.77, 95%CI 2.53-3.04, p < 0.0001), severe COVID-19 (HR 2.91, 95%CI 2.03-4.17, p < 0.0001), severe AKI (KDIGO stage 3: HR 4.22, 95%CI 3.55-5.00, p < 0.0001), and ischemic heart disease (HR 1.26, 95%CI 1.14-1.39, p < 0.0001) were associated with worse mortality outcomes. AKI severity (KDIGO stage 3: HR 0.41, 95%CI 0.37-0.46, p < 0.0001) was associated with worse kidney function recovery, whereas remdesivir use (HR 1.34, 95%CI 1.17-1.54, p < 0.0001) was associated with better kidney function recovery. In a subset of patients without chronic kidney disease, advanced age (HR 1.38, 95%CI 1.20-1.58, p < 0.0001), male sex (HR 1.67, 95%CI 1.45-1.93, p < 0.0001), severe AKI (KDIGO stage 3: HR 11.68, 95%CI 9.80-13.91, p < 0.0001), and hypertension (HR 1.22, 95%CI 1.10-1.36, p = 0.0002) were associated with post-AKI kidney function impairment. Furthermore, patients with COVID-19-associated AKI had significant and persistent elevations of baseline serum creatinine 125% or more at 180 days (RR 1.49, 95%CI 1.32-1.67) and 365 days (RR 1.54, 95%CI 1.21-1.96) compared to COVID-19 patients with no AKI.

Interpretation

COVID-19-associated AKI was associated with higher mortality, and severe COVID-19-associated AKI was associated with worse long-term post-AKI kidney function recovery.

Funding

Authors are supported by various funders, with full details stated in the acknowledgement section.

Growth During Infancy After Extremely Preterm Birth: Associations with Later Neurodevelopmental and Health Outcomes

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate associations between changes in weight, length, and weight/length ratio during infancy and outcomes later in life among individuals born extremely preterm.

STUDY DESIGN

Among participants in the Extremely Low Gestational Age Newborn (ELGAN) study, we measured weight and length at discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and at age 2 years and evaluated neurocognitive, psychiatric, and health outcomes at age 10 years and 15 years. Using multivariable logistic regression, we estimated associations between gains in weight, length, and weight/length ratio z-scores between discharge and 2 years and outcomes at 10 and 15 years. High gain was defined as the top quintile of change; low gain, as the bottom quintile of change.

RESULTS

High gains in weight and weight/length were associated with greater odds of obesity at 10 years, but not at 15 years. These associations were found only for females. High gain in length z-score was associated with lower odds of obesity at 15 years. The only association found between high gains in growth measures and more favorable neurocognitive or psychiatric outcomes was between high gain in weight/length and lower odds of cognitive impairment at age 10 years.

CONCLUSIONS

During the 2 years after NICU discharge, females born extremely preterm with high gains in weight/length or weight have greater odds of obesity at 10 years, but not at 15 years. Infants with high growth gains in the 2 years after NICU discharge have neurocognitive and psychiatric outcomes in middle childhood and adolescence similar to those of infants with lower gains in weight and weight/length.

Antenatal Programming of Hypertension: Paradigms, Paradoxes, and How We Move Forward

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Synthesize the clinical, epidemiological, and preclinical evidence for antenatal programming of hypertension and critically appraise paradigms and paradoxes to improve translation.

RECENT FINDINGS

Clinical and epidemiological studies persistently demonstrate that antenatal factors contribute to programmed hypertension under the developmental origins of health and disease framework, including lower birth weight, preterm birth, and fetal growth restriction. Preclinical mechanisms include preeclampsia, maternal diabetes, maternal undernutrition, and antenatal corticosteroid exposure. However, clinical and epidemiological studies to date have largely failed to adequately identify, discuss, and mitigate many sources and types of bias in part due to heterogeneous study designs and incomplete adherence to scientific rigor. These limitations have led to incomplete and biased paradigms as well as persistent paradoxes that have significantly limited translation into clinical and population health interventions. Improved understanding of these paradigms and paradoxes will allow us to substantially move the field forward.

Challenges in evaluating treatments for COVID-19: The case of in-hospital anticoagulant use and the risk of adverse outcomes

Anticoagulants are a potential treatment for the thrombotic complications resulting from COVID-19. We aimed to determine the association between anticoagulant use and adverse outcomes among hospitalized patients with COVID-19. We used data from the COVID-19 International Collaborative Research Project in South Korea from January to June 2020. We defined exposure using an intention-to-treat approach, with person-time classified as use or non-use of anticoagulants at cohort entry, and a time-varying approach. The primary outcome was all-cause, in-hospital mortality; the secondary outcome was a composite including respiratory outcomes, cardiovascular outcomes, venous thromboembolism, major bleeding, and intensive care unit admission. Cox proportional hazards models estimated adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) of the outcomes comparing use versus non-use of anticoagulants. Our cohort included 2,677 hospitalized COVID-19 patients, of whom 24 received anticoagulants at cohort entry. Users were older and had more comorbidities. The crude incidence rate (per 1,000 person-days) of mortality was 5.83 (95% CI: 2.80, 10.72) among anticoagulant users and 1.36 (95% CI: 1.14, 1.59) for non-users. Crude rates of the composite outcome were 3.20 (95% CI: 1.04, 7.47) and 1.80 (95% CI: 1.54, 2.08), respectively. Adjusted HRs for mortality (HR: 1.12, 95% CI: 0.48, 2.64) and the composite outcome (HR: 0.79, 95% CI: 0.28, 2.18) were inconclusive. Although our study was not able to draw conclusions on anticoagulant effectiveness for COVID-19 outcomes, these results can contribute to future knowledge syntheses of this important question. Our study demonstrated that the dynamic pandemic environment may have important implications for observational studies of COVID-19 treatment effectiveness.

Documentation of acute kidney injury at discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit and role of nephrology consultation

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether NICU discharge summaries documented neonatal AKI and estimate if nephrology consultation mediated this association.

STUDY DESIGN

Secondary analysis of AWAKEN multicenter retrospective cohort.

EXPOSURES

AKI severity and diagnostic criteria.

OUTCOME

AKI documentation on NICU discharge summaries using multivariable logistic regression to estimate associations and test for causal mediation.

RESULTS

Among 605 neonates with AKI, 13% had documented AKI. Those with documented AKI were more likely to have severe AKI (70.5% vs. 51%, p < 0.001) and SCr-only AKI (76.9% vs. 50.1%, p = 0.04). Nephrology consultation mediated 78.0% (95% CL 46.5-109.4%) of the total effect of AKI severity and 82.8% (95% CL 70.3-95.3%) of the total effect of AKI diagnostic criteria on documentation.

CONCLUSION

We report a low prevalence of AKI documentation at NICU discharge. AKI severity and SCr-only AKI increased odds of AKI documentation. Nephrology consultation mediated the associations of AKI severity and diagnostic criteria with documentation.

Changes in laboratory value improvement and mortality rates over the course of the pandemic: an international retrospective cohort study of hospitalised patients infected with SARS-CoV-2

OBJECTIVE

To assess changes in international mortality rates and laboratory recovery rates during hospitalisation for patients hospitalised with SARS-CoV-2 between the first wave (1 March to 30 June 2020) and the second wave (1 July 2020 to 31 January 2021) of the COVID-19 pandemic.

DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

This is a retrospective cohort study of 83 178 hospitalised patients admitted between 7 days before or 14 days after PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection within the Consortium for Clinical Characterization of COVID-19 by Electronic Health Record, an international multihealthcare system collaborative of 288 hospitals in the USA and Europe. The laboratory recovery rates and mortality rates over time were compared between the two waves of the pandemic.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES

The primary outcome was all-cause mortality rate within 28 days after hospitalisation stratified by predicted low, medium and high mortality risk at baseline. The secondary outcome was the average rate of change in laboratory values during the first week of hospitalisation.

RESULTS

Baseline Charlson Comorbidity Index and laboratory values at admission were not significantly different between the first and second waves. The improvement in laboratory values over time was faster in the second wave compared with the first. The average C reactive protein rate of change was -4.72 mg/dL vs -4.14 mg/dL per day (p=0.05). The mortality rates within each risk category significantly decreased over time, with the most substantial decrease in the high-risk group (42.3% in March-April 2020 vs 30.8% in November 2020 to January 2021, p<0.001) and a moderate decrease in the intermediate-risk group (21.5% in March-April 2020 vs 14.3% in November 2020 to January 2021, p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Admission profiles of patients hospitalised with SARS-CoV-2 infection did not differ greatly between the first and second waves of the pandemic, but there were notable differences in laboratory improvement rates during hospitalisation. Mortality risks among patients with similar risk profiles decreased over the course of the pandemic. The improvement in laboratory values and mortality risk was consistent across multiple countries.

Distinguishing Admissions Specifically for COVID-19 From Incidental SARS-CoV-2 Admissions: National Retrospective Electronic Health Record Study

BACKGROUND

Admissions are generally classified as COVID-19 hospitalizations if the patient has a positive SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. However, because 35% of SARS-CoV-2 infections are asymptomatic, patients admitted for unrelated indications with an incidentally positive test could be misclassified as a COVID-19 hospitalization. Electronic health record (EHR)-based studies have been unable to distinguish between a hospitalization specifically for COVID-19 versus an incidental SARS-CoV-2 hospitalization. Although the need to improve classification of COVID-19 versus incidental SARS-CoV-2 is well understood, the magnitude of the problems has only been characterized in small, single-center studies. Furthermore, there have been no peer-reviewed studies evaluating methods for improving classification.

OBJECTIVE

The aims of this study are to, first, quantify the frequency of incidental hospitalizations over the first 15 months of the pandemic in multiple hospital systems in the United States and, second, to apply electronic phenotyping techniques to automatically improve COVID-19 hospitalization classification.

METHODS

From a retrospective EHR-based cohort in 4 US health care systems in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Illinois, a random sample of 1123 SARS-CoV-2 PCR-positive patients hospitalized from March 2020 to August 2021 was manually chart-reviewed and classified as "admitted with COVID-19" (incidental) versus specifically admitted for COVID-19 ("for COVID-19"). EHR-based phenotyping was used to find feature sets to filter out incidental admissions.

RESULTS

EHR-based phenotyped feature sets filtered out incidental admissions, which occurred in an average of 26% of hospitalizations (although this varied widely over time, from 0% to 75%). The top site-specific feature sets had 79%-99% specificity with 62%-75% sensitivity, while the best-performing across-site feature sets had 71%-94% specificity with 69%-81% sensitivity.

CONCLUSIONS

A large proportion of SARS-CoV-2 PCR-positive admissions were incidental. Straightforward EHR-based phenotypes differentiated admissions, which is important to assure accurate public health reporting and research.

Correlation between kidney sodium and potassium handling and the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system in children with hypertensive disorders

BACKGROUND

Urine sodium and potassium are used as surrogate markers for dietary consumption in adults with hypertension, but their role in youth with hypertension and their association with components of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) are incompletely characterized. Some individuals with hypertension may have an abnormal RAAS response to dietary sodium and potassium intake, though this is incompletely described. Our objective was to investigate if plasma renin activity and serum aldosterone are associated with urine sodium and potassium in youth referred for hypertensive disorders.

METHODS

This pilot study was a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from 44 youth evaluated for hypertensive disorders in a Hypertension Clinic. We recorded urine sodium and potassium concentrations normalized to urine creatinine, plasma renin activity, and serum aldosterone and calculated the sodium/potassium (UNaK) and aldosterone/renin ratios. We used multivariable generalized linear models to estimate the associations of renin and aldosterone with urine sodium and potassium.

RESULTS

Our cohort was diverse (37% non-Hispanic Black, 14% Hispanic), 66% were male, and median age was 15.3 years; 77% had obesity and 9% had a secondary etiology. Aldosterone was associated inversely with urine sodium/creatinine (β: -0.34, 95% CI -0.62 to -0.06) and UNaK (β: -0.09, 95% CI -0.16 to -0.03), and adjusted for estimated glomerular filtration rate and serum potassium.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher serum aldosterone levels, but not plasma renin activity, were associated with lower urine sodium/creatinine and UNaK at baseline in youth referred for hypertensive disorders. Further characterization of the RAAS could help define hypertension phenotypes and guide management. A higher resolution version of the Graphical abstract is available as supplementary information.

Efficacy of Losartan in Hospitalized Patients With COVID-19-Induced Lung Injury: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance

SARS-CoV-2 viral entry may disrupt angiotensin II (AII) homeostasis, contributing to COVID-19 induced lung injury. AII type 1 receptor blockade mitigates lung injury in preclinical models, although data in humans with COVID-19 remain mixed.

Objective

To test the efficacy of losartan to reduce lung injury in hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This blinded, placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial was conducted in 13 hospitals in the United States from April 2020 to February 2021. Hospitalized patients with COVID-19 and a respiratory sequential organ failure assessment score of at least 1 and not already using a renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) inhibitor were eligible for participation. Data were analyzed from April 19 to August 24, 2021.

Interventions

Losartan 50 mg orally twice daily vs equivalent placebo for 10 days or until hospital discharge.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcome was the imputed arterial partial pressure of oxygen to fraction of inspired oxygen (Pao2:Fio2) ratio at 7 days. Secondary outcomes included ordinal COVID-19 severity; days without supplemental o2, ventilation, or vasopressors; and mortality. Losartan pharmacokinetics and RAAS components (AII, angiotensin-[1-7] and angiotensin-converting enzymes 1 and 2)] were measured in a subgroup of participants.

Results

A total of 205 participants (mean [SD] age, 55.2 [15.7] years; 123 [60.0%] men) were randomized, with 101 participants assigned to losartan and 104 participants assigned to placebo. Compared with placebo, losartan did not significantly affect Pao2:Fio2 ratio at 7 days (difference, -24.8 [95%, -55.6 to 6.1]; P = .12). Compared with placebo, losartan did not improve any secondary clinical outcomes and led to fewer vasopressor-free days than placebo (median [IQR], 9.4 [9.1-9.8] vasopressor-free days vs 8.7 [8.2-9.3] vasopressor-free days).

Conclusions and Relevance

This randomized clinical trial found that initiation of orally administered losartan to hospitalized patients with COVID-19 and acute lung injury did not improve Pao2:Fio2 ratio at 7 days. These data may have implications for ongoing clinical trials.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04312009.

Drugs Modulating Renin-Angiotensin System in COVID-19 Treatment

A massive worldwide vaccination campaign constitutes the main tool against the COVID-19 pandemic. However, drug treatments are also necessary. Antivirals are the most frequently considered treatments. However, strategies targeting mechanisms involved in disease aggravation may also be effective. A major role of the tissue renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in the pathophysiology and severity of COVID-19 has been suggested. The main link between RAS and COVID-19 is angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), a central RAS component and the primary binding site for SARS-CoV-2 that facilitates the virus entry into host cells. An initial suggestion that the susceptibility to infection and disease severity may be enhanced by angiotensin type-1 receptor blockers (ARBs) and ACE inhibitors (ACEIs) because they increase ACE2 levels, led to the consideration of discontinuing treatments in thousands of patients. More recent experimental and clinical data indicate that ACEIs and, particularly, ARBs can be beneficial for COVID-19 outcome, both by reducing inflammatory responses and by triggering mechanisms (such as ADAM17 inhibition) counteracting viral entry. Strategies directly activating RAS anti-inflammatory components such as soluble ACE2, Angiotensin 1-7 analogues, and Mas or AT2 receptor agonists may also be beneficial. However, while ACEIs and ARBs are cheap and widely used, the second type of strategies are currently under study.

Distinguishing Admissions Specifically for COVID-19 from Incidental SARS-CoV-2 Admissions: A National EHR Research Consortium Study

Admissions are generally classified as COVID-19 hospitalizations if the patient has a positive SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. However, because 35% of SARS-CoV-2 infections are asymptomatic, patients admitted for unrelated indications with an incidentally positive test could be misclassified as a COVID-19 hospitalization. EHR-based studies have been unable to distinguish between a hospitalization specifically for COVID-19 versus an incidental SARS-CoV-2 hospitalization. From a retrospective EHR-based cohort in four US healthcare systems, a random sample of 1,123 SARS-CoV-2 PCR-positive patients hospitalized between 3/2020â€"8/2021 was manually chart-reviewed and classified as admitted-with-COVID-19 (incidental) vs. specifically admitted for COVID-19 (for-COVID-19). EHR-based phenotyped feature sets filtered out incidental admissions, which occurred in 26%. The top site-specific feature sets had 79-99% specificity with 62-75% sensitivity, while the best performing across-site feature set had 71-94% specificity with 69-81% sensitivity. A large proportion of SARS-CoV-2 PCR-positive admissions were incidental. Straightforward EHR-based phenotypes differentiated admissions, which is important to assure accurate public health reporting and research.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, and COVID-19-related outcomes: A patient-level analysis of the PCORnet blood pressure control lab

SARS-CoV-2 accesses host cells via angiotensin-converting enzyme-2, which is also affected by commonly used angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), raising concerns that ACEI or ARB exposure may portend differential COVID-19 outcomes. In parallel cohort studies of outpatient and inpatient COVID-19-diagnosed adults with hypertension, we assessed associations between antihypertensive exposure (ACEI/ARB vs. non-ACEI/ARB antihypertensives, as well as between ACEI- vs. ARB) at the time of COVID-19 diagnosis, using electronic health record data from PCORnet health systems. The primary outcomes were all-cause hospitalization or death (outpatient cohort) or all-cause death (inpatient), analyzed via Cox regression weighted by inverse probability of treatment weights. From February 2020 through December 9, 2020, 11,246 patients (3477 person-years) and 2200 patients (777 person-years) were included from 17 health systems in outpatient and inpatient cohorts, respectively. There were 1015 all-cause hospitalization or deaths in the outpatient cohort (incidence, 29.2 events per 100 person-years), with no significant difference by ACEI/ARB use (adjusted HR 1.01; 95% CI 0.88, 1.15). In the inpatient cohort, there were 218 all-cause deaths (incidence, 28.1 per 100 person-years) and ACEI/ARB exposure was associated with reduced death (adjusted HR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.57, 0.99). ACEI, versus ARB exposure, was associated with higher risk of hospitalization in the outpatient cohort, but no difference in all-cause death in either cohort. There was no evidence of effect modification across pre-specified baseline characteristics. Our results suggest ACEI and ARB exposure have no detrimental effect on hospitalizations and may reduce death among hypertensive patients diagnosed with COVID-19.

International Changes in COVID-19 Clinical Trajectories Across 315 Hospitals and 6 Countries: Retrospective Cohort Study

Background

Many countries have experienced 2 predominant waves of COVID-19–related hospitalizations. Comparing the clinical trajectories of patients hospitalized in separate waves of the pandemic enables further understanding of the evolving epidemiology, pathophysiology, and health care dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective

In this retrospective cohort study, we analyzed electronic health record (EHR) data from patients with SARS-CoV-2 infections hospitalized in participating health care systems representing 315 hospitals across 6 countries. We compared hospitalization rates, severe COVID-19 risk, and mean laboratory values between patients hospitalized during the first and second waves of the pandemic.

Methods

Using a federated approach, each participating health care system extracted patient-level clinical data on their first and second wave cohorts and submitted aggregated data to the central site. Data quality control steps were adopted at the central site to correct for implausible values and harmonize units. Statistical analyses were performed by computing individual health care system effect sizes and synthesizing these using random effect meta-analyses to account for heterogeneity. We focused the laboratory analysis on C-reactive protein (CRP), ferritin, fibrinogen, procalcitonin, D-dimer, and creatinine based on their reported associations with severe COVID-19.

Results

Data were available for 79,613 patients, of which 32,467 were hospitalized in the first wave and 47,146 in the second wave. The prevalence of male patients and patients aged 50 to 69 years decreased significantly between the first and second waves. Patients hospitalized in the second wave had a 9.9% reduction in the risk of severe COVID-19 compared to patients hospitalized in the first wave (95% CI 8.5%-11.3%). Demographic subgroup analyses indicated that patients aged 26 to 49 years and 50 to 69 years; male and female patients; and black patients had significantly lower risk for severe disease in the second wave than in the first wave. At admission, the mean values of CRP were significantly lower in the second wave than in the first wave. On the seventh hospital day, the mean values of CRP, ferritin, fibrinogen, and procalcitonin were significantly lower in the second wave than in the first wave. In general, countries exhibited variable changes in laboratory testing rates from the first to the second wave. At admission, there was a significantly higher testing rate for D-dimer in France, Germany, and Spain.

Conclusions

Patients hospitalized in the second wave were at significantly lower risk for severe COVID-19. This corresponded to mean laboratory values in the second wave that were more likely to be in typical physiological ranges on the seventh hospital day compared to the first wave. Our federated approach demonstrated the feasibility and power of harmonizing heterogeneous EHR data from multiple international health care systems to rapidly conduct large-scale studies to characterize how COVID-19 clinical trajectories evolve.

Insights into the association of ACEIs/ARBs use and COVID-19 prognosis: a multistate modelling study of nationwide hospital surveillance data from Belgium

OBJECTIVES

The widespread use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) by patients with chronic conditions raised early concerns on the potential exacerbation of COVID-19 severity and fatality. Previous studies addressing this question have used standard methods that may lead to biased estimates when analysing hospital data because of the presence of competing events and event-related dependency. We investigated the association of ACEIs/ARBs' use with COVID-19 disease outcomes using time-to-event data in a multistate setting to account for competing events and minimise bias.

SETTING

Nationwide surveillance data from 119 Belgian hospitals.

PARTICIPANTS

Medical records of 10 866 patients hospitalised from 14 March 2020to 14 June 2020 with a confirmed SARS-CoV-19 infection and information about ACEIs/ARBs' use.

PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE

Multistate, multivariate Cox-Markov models were used to estimate the hazards of patients transitioning through health states from admission to discharge or death, along with transition probabilities calculated by combining the baseline cumulative hazard and regression coefficients.

RESULTS

After accounting for potential confounders, there was no discernable association between ACEIs/ARBs' use and transfer to intensive care unit (ICU). Contrastingly, for patients without ICU transfer, ACEIs/ARBs' use was associated with a modest increase in recovery (HR 1.07, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.13, p=0.027) and reduction in fatality (HR 0.83, 95% CI 0.75 to 0.93, p=0.001) transitions. For patients transferred to ICU admission, no evidence of an association between ACEIs/ARBs' use and recovery (HR 1.16, 95% CI 0.97 to 1.38, p=0.098) or in-hospital death (HR 0.91, 95% CI 0.73 to 1.12, p=0.381) was observed. Male gender and older age were significantly associated with higher risk of ICU admission or death. Chronic cardiometabolic comorbidities were also associated with less recovery.

CONCLUSIONS

For the first time, a multistate model was used to address magnitude and direction of the association of ACEIs/ARBs' use on COVID-19 progression. By minimising bias, this study provided a robust indication of a protective, although modest, association with recovery and survival.

Association of renin–angiotensin system blockers with COVID-19 diagnosis and prognosis in patients with hypertension: a population-based study

Background

The effect of renin–angiotensin system (RAS) blockade either by angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEis) or angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs) on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) susceptibility, mortality and severity is inadequately described. We examined the association between RAS blockade and COVID-19 diagnosis and prognosis in a large population-based cohort of patients with hypertension (HTN).

Methods

This is a cohort study using regional health records. We identified all individuals aged 18–95 years from 87 healthcare reference areas of the main health provider in Catalonia (Spain), with a history of HTN from primary care records. Data were linked to COVID-19 test results, hospital, pharmacy and mortality records from 1 March 2020 to 14 August 2020. We defined exposure to RAS blockers as the dispensation of ACEi/ARBs during the 3 months before COVID-19 diagnosis or 1 March 2020. Primary outcomes were: COVID-19 infection and severe progression in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 (the composite of need for invasive respiratory support or death). For both outcomes and for each exposure of interest (RAS blockade, ACEi or ARB) we estimated associations in age-, sex-, healthcare area- and propensity score-matched samples.

Results

From a cohort of 1 365 215 inhabitants we identified 305 972 patients with HTN history. Recent use of ACEi/ARBs in patients with HTN was associated with a lower 6-month cumulative incidence of COVID-19 diagnosis {3.78% [95% confidence interval (CI) 3.69–3.86%] versus 4.53% (95% CI 4.40–4.65%); P &lt; 0.001}. In the 12 344 patients with COVID-19 infection, the use of ACEi/ARBs was not associated with a higher risk of hospitalization with need for invasive respiratory support or death [OR = 0.91 (0.71–1.15); P = 0.426].

Conclusions

RAS blockade in patients with HTN is not associated with higher risk of COVID-19 infection or with a worse progression of the disease.

Comparison of Medication Prescribing Before and After the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Nursing Home Residents in Ontario, Canada

Importance

COVID-19 has had devastating effects on the health and well-being of older adult residents and health care professionals in nursing homes. Uncertainty about the associated consequences of these adverse effects on the use of medications common to this care setting remains.

Objective

To examine the association between the COVID-19 pandemic and prescription medication changes among nursing home residents.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This population-based cohort study with an interrupted time-series analysis used linked health administrative data bases for residents of all nursing homes (N = 630) in Ontario, Canada. During the observation period, residents were divided into consecutive weekly cohorts. The first observation week was March 5 to 11, 2017; the last observation week was September 20 to 26, 2020.

Exposures

Onset of the COVID-19 pandemic on March 1, 2020.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Weekly proportion of residents dispensed antipsychotics, benzodiazepines, antidepressants, anticonvulsants, opioids, antibiotics, angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. Autoregressive integrated moving average models with step and ramp intervention functions tested for level and slope changes in weekly medication use after the onset of the pandemic and were fit on prepandemic data for projected trends.

Results

Across study years, the annual cohort size ranged from 75 850 to 76 549 residents (mean [SD] age, 83.4 [10.8] years; mean proportion of women, 68.9%). A significant increased slope change in the weekly proportion of residents who were dispensed antipsychotics (parameter estimate [β] = 0.051; standard error [SE] = 0.010; P < .001), benzodiazepines (β = 0.026; SE = 0.003; P < .001), antidepressants (β = 0.046; SE = 0.013; P < .001), trazodone hydrochloride (β = 0.033; SE = 0.010; P < .001), anticonvulsants (β = 0.014; SE = 0.006; P = .03), and opioids (β = 0.038; SE = 0.007; P < .001) was observed. The absolute difference in observed vs estimated use in the last week of the pandemic period ranged from 0.48% (for anticonvulsants) to 1.52% (for antipsychotics). No significant level or slope changes were found for antibiotics, ARBs, or ACE inhibitors.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this population-based cohort study, statistically significant increases in the use of antipsychotics, benzodiazepines, antidepressants, anticonvulsants, and opioids followed the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, although absolute differences were small. There were no significant changes for antibiotics, ARBs, or ACE inhibitors. Studies are needed to monitor whether changes in pharmacotherapy persist, regress, or accelerate during the course of the pandemic and how these changes affect resident-level outcomes.

Coronavirus disease 2019 and cardiovascular complications: focused clinical review

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may cause not only an acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) but also multiple organ damage and failure requiring intensive care and leading to death. Male sex, advanced age, chronic lung disease, chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular disease, such as hypertension, diabetes and obesity have been identified as risk factors for the COVID-19 severity. Presumably, as these three cardiovascular risk factors are associated with a high prevalence of multiorgan damage. In the present focused clinical review, we will discuss the cardiovascular complications of COVID-19 including acute cardiovascular syndrome (acute cardiac injury/COVID cardiomyopathy, thromboembolic complications and arrhythmias) and post-COVID-19 sequelae. Preliminary data shows that the cause of acute cardiovascular syndrome may be multifactorial and involve direct viral invasion of the heart and vascular system, as well as through the immune and inflammation-mediated systemic cytokine storm. COVID-19 survivors may also show persistently elevated blood pressure and sinus tachycardia at rest. Furthermore, poor diabetic control, persistent renal damage and cerebral sequelae, such as persistent cognitive and neuropsychiatric alterations are also frequently reported. A particular attention should be paid towards cardiovascular protection in COVID-19 patients who develop acute cardiovascular syndromes during hospitalization, and/or permanent/semipermanent sequelae after recovery from COVID-19. These conditions may require careful clinical assessment, treatment and close follow-up to avoid short-term and long-term complications.

Pulmonary adverse drug event data in hypertension with implications on COVID-19 morbidity

Hypertension is a recognized comorbidity for COVID-19. The association of antihypertensive medications with outcomes in patients with hypertension is not fully described. However, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), responsible for host entry of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) leading to COVID-19, is postulated to be upregulated in patients taking angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs). Here, we evaluated the occurrence of pulmonary adverse drug events (ADEs) in patients with hypertension receiving ACEIs/ARBs to determine if disparities exist between individual drugs within the respective classes using data from the FDA Spontaneous Reporting Systems. For this purpose, we proposed the proportional reporting ratio to provide a statistical summary for the commonality of an ADE for a specific drug as compared to the entire database for drugs in the same or other classes. In addition, a statistical procedure, multiple logistic regression analysis, was employed to correct hidden confounders when causative covariates are underreported or untrusted to correct analyses of drug-ADE combinations. To date, analyses have been focused on drug classes rather than individual drugs which may have different ADE profiles depending on the underlying diseases present. A retrospective analysis of thirteen pulmonary ADEs showed significant differences associated with quinapril and trandolapril, compared to other ACEIs and ARBs. Specifically, quinapril and trandolapril were found to have a statistically significantly higher incidence of pulmonary ADEs compared with other ACEIs as well as ARBs (P < 0.0001) for group comparison (i.e., ACEIs vs. ARBs vs. quinapril vs. trandolapril) and (P ≤ 0.0007) for pairwise comparison (i.e., ACEIs vs. quinapril, ACEIs vs. trandolapril, ARBs vs. quinapril, or ARBs vs. trandolapril). This study suggests that specific members of the ACEI antihypertensive class (quinapril and trandolapril) have a significantly higher cluster of pulmonary ADEs.

International Analysis of Electronic Health Records of Children and Youth Hospitalized With COVID-19 Infection in 6 Countries

IMPORTANCE

Additional sources of pediatric epidemiological and clinical data are needed to efficiently study COVID-19 in children and youth and inform infection prevention and clinical treatment of pediatric patients.

OBJECTIVE

To describe international hospitalization trends and key epidemiological and clinical features of children and youth with COVID-19.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This retrospective cohort study included pediatric patients hospitalized between February 2 and October 10, 2020. Patient-level electronic health record (EHR) data were collected across 27 hospitals in France, Germany, Spain, Singapore, the UK, and the US. Patients younger than 21 years who tested positive for COVID-19 and were hospitalized at an institution participating in the Consortium for Clinical Characterization of COVID-19 by EHR were included in the study.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Patient characteristics, clinical features, and medication use.

RESULTS

There were 347 males (52%; 95% CI, 48.5-55.3) and 324 females (48%; 95% CI, 44.4-51.3) in this study's cohort. There was a bimodal age distribution, with the greatest proportion of patients in the 0- to 2-year (199 patients [30%]) and 12- to 17-year (170 patients [25%]) age range. Trends in hospitalizations for 671 children and youth found discrete surges with variable timing across 6 countries. Data from this cohort mirrored national-level pediatric hospitalization trends for most countries with available data, with peaks in hospitalizations during the initial spring surge occurring within 23 days in the national-level and 4CE data. A total of 27 364 laboratory values for 16 laboratory tests were analyzed, with mean values indicating elevations in markers of inflammation (C-reactive protein, 83 mg/L; 95% CI, 53-112 mg/L; ferritin, 417 ng/mL; 95% CI, 228-607 ng/mL; and procalcitonin, 1.45 ng/mL; 95% CI, 0.13-2.77 ng/mL). Abnormalities in coagulation were also evident (D-dimer, 0.78 ug/mL; 95% CI, 0.35-1.21 ug/mL; and fibrinogen, 477 mg/dL; 95% CI, 385-569 mg/dL). Cardiac troponin, when checked (n = 59), was elevated (0.032 ng/mL; 95% CI, 0.000-0.080 ng/mL). Common complications included cardiac arrhythmias (15.0%; 95% CI, 8.1%-21.7%), viral pneumonia (13.3%; 95% CI, 6.5%-20.1%), and respiratory failure (10.5%; 95% CI, 5.8%-15.3%). Few children were treated with COVID-19-directed medications.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

This study of EHRs of children and youth hospitalized for COVID-19 in 6 countries demonstrated variability in hospitalization trends across countries and identified common complications and laboratory abnormalities in children and youth with COVID-19 infection. Large-scale informatics-based approaches to integrate and analyze data across health care systems complement methods of disease surveillance and advance understanding of epidemiological and clinical features associated with COVID-19 in children and youth.

Angiotensin II receptor blocker or angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor use and COVID-19-related outcomes among US Veterans

BACKGROUND

Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) may positively or negatively impact outcomes in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. We investigated the association of ARB or ACEI use with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related outcomes in US Veterans with treated hypertension using an active comparator design, appropriate covariate adjustment, and negative control analyses.

METHODS AND FINDINGS

In this retrospective cohort study of Veterans with treated hypertension in the Veterans Health Administration (01/19/2020-08/28/2020), we compared users of (A) ARB/ACEI vs. non-ARB/ACEI (excluding Veterans with compelling indications to reduce confounding by indication) and (B) ARB vs. ACEI among (1) SARS-CoV-2+ outpatients and (2) COVID-19 hospitalized inpatients. The primary outcome was all-cause hospitalization or mortality (outpatients) and all-cause mortality (inpatients). We estimated hazard ratios (HR) using propensity score-weighted Cox regression. Baseline characteristics were well-balanced between exposure groups after weighting. Among outpatients, there were 5.0 and 6.0 primary outcomes per 100 person-months for ARB/ACEI (n = 2,482) vs. non-ARB/ACEI (n = 2,487) users (HR 0.85, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.73-0.99, median follow-up 87 days). Among outpatients who were ARB (n = 4,877) vs. ACEI (n = 8,704) users, there were 13.2 and 14.8 primary outcomes per 100 person-months (HR 0.91, 95%CI 0.86-0.97, median follow-up 85 days). Among inpatients who were ARB/ACEI (n = 210) vs. non-ARB/ACEI (n = 275) users, there were 3.4 and 2.0 all-cause deaths per 100 person months (HR 1.25, 95%CI 0.30-5.13, median follow-up 30 days). Among inpatients, ARB (n = 1,164) and ACEI (n = 2,014) users had 21.0 vs. 17.7 all-cause deaths, per 100 person-months (HR 1.13, 95%CI 0.93-1.38, median follow-up 30 days).

CONCLUSIONS

This observational analysis supports continued ARB or ACEI use for patients already using these medications before SARS-CoV-2 infection. The novel beneficial association observed among outpatients between users of ARBs vs. ACEIs on hospitalization or mortality should be confirmed with randomized trials.

Chronic use of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system blockers and mortality in COVID-19: A multicenter prospective cohort and literature review

Aims

The role of renin‐angiotensin‐aldosterone system (RAAS) blockers on the course of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) is debated. We assessed the association between chronic use of RAAS blockers and mortality among inpatients with COVID‐19 and explored reasons for discrepancies in the literature.

Methods and results

We included adult hypertensive patients from a prospective nationwide cohort of 3512 inpatients with COVID‐19 up to June 30, 2020. Cox proportional hazard models with various adjustment or propensity weighting methods were used to estimate the hazard ratios (HR) of 30‐day mortality for chronic users versus non‐users of RAAS blockers. We analyzed data of 1160 hypertensive patients: 719 (62%) were male and 777 (67%) were older than 65 years. The main comorbidities were diabetes (n = 416, 36%), chronic cardiac disease (n = 401, 35%), and obesity (n = 340, 29%); 705 (61%) received oxygen therapy. We recorded 135 (11.6%) deaths within 30 days of diagnosis. We found no association between chronic use of RAAS blockers and mortality (unadjusted HR = 1.13, 95% CI [0.8–1.6]; propensity inverse probability treatment weighted HR = 1.09 [0.86‐1.39]; propensity standardized mortality ratio weighted HR = 1.08 [0.79–1.47]). Our comprehensive review of previous studies highlighted that significant associations were mostly found in unrestricted populations with inappropriate adjustment, or with biased in‐hospital exposure measurement.

Conclusion

Our results do not support previous concerns regarding these drugs, nor a potential protective effect as reported in previous poorly designed studies and meta‐analyses. RAAS blockers should not be discontinued during the pandemic, while in‐hospital management of these drugs will be clarified by randomized trials. NCT04262921.

Controversial Roles of the Renin Angiotensin System and Its Modulators During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Since December 2019, the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has rapidly spread and overwhelmed healthcare systems worldwide, urging physicians to understand how to manage this novel infection. Early in the pandemic, more severe forms of COVID-19 have been observed in patients with cardiovascular comorbidities, who are often treated with renin-angiotensin aldosterone system (RAAS)-blockers, such as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), but whether these are indeed independent risk factors is unknown. The cellular receptor for the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the membrane-bound angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), as for SARS-CoV(-1). Experimental data suggest that expression of ACE2 may be increased by RAAS-blockers, raising concerns that these drugs may facilitate viral cell entry. On the other hand, ACE2 is a key counter-regulator of the RAAS, by degrading angiotensin II into angiotensin (1-7), and may thereby mediate beneficial effects in COVID-19. These considerations have raised concerns about the management of these drugs, and early comments shed vivid controversy among physicians. This review will describe the homeostatic balance between ACE-angiotensin II and ACE2-angiotensin (1-7) and summarize the pathophysiological rationale underlying the debated role of the RAAS and its modulators in the context of the pandemic. In addition, we will review available evidence investigating the impact of RAAS blockers on the course and prognosis of COVID-19 and discuss why retrospective observational studies should be interpreted with caution. These considerations highlight the importance of solid evidence-based data in order to guide physicians in the management of RAAS-interfering drugs in the general population as well as in patients with more or less severe forms of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Renin-angiotensin system blockade in the COVID-19 pandemic

In the early months of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a hypothesis emerged suggesting that pharmacologic inhibitors of the renin–angiotensin system (RAS) may increase COVID-19 severity. This hypothesis was based on the role of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), a counterregulatory component of the RAS, as the binding site for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), allowing viral entry into host cells. Extrapolations from prior evidence led to speculation that upregulation of ACE2 by RAS blockade may increase the risk of adverse outcomes from COVID-19. However, counterarguments pointed to evidence of potential protective effects of ACE2 and RAS blockade with regard to acute lung injury, as well as substantial risks from discontinuing these commonly used and important medications. Here we provide an overview of classic RAS physiology and the crucial role of ACE2 in systemic pathways affected by COVID-19. Additionally, we critically review the physiologic and epidemiologic evidence surrounding the interactions between RAS blockade and COVID-19. We review recently published trial evidence and propose important future directions to improve upon our understanding of these relationships.