Impact of type 2 diabetes mellitus in the utilization and in-hospital outcomes of surgical aortic valve replacement in Spain (2001-2015)

Diabetes and calcific aortic valve disease: implications of glucose-lowering medication as potential therapy

Calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD) is a progressive disease, of which the 2-year mortality is >50% for symptomatic disease. However, there are currently no pharmacotherapies to prevent the progression of CAVD unless transcatheter or surgical aortic valve replacement is performed. The prevalence of diabetes among CAVD has increased rapidly in recent decades, especially among those undergoing aortic valve replacement. Diabetes and its comorbidities, such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, chronic kidney disease and ageing, participated jointly in the initiation and progression of CAVD, which increased the management complexity in patients with CAVD. Except from hyperglycemia, the molecular links between diabetes and CAVD included inflammation, oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction. Traditional cardiovascular drugs like lipid-lowering agents and renin-angiotensin system blocking drugs have proven to be unsuccessful in retarding the progression of CAVD in clinical trials. In recent years, almost all kinds of glucose-lowering medications have been specifically assessed for decelerating the development of CAVD. Based on the efficacy for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and CAVD, this review summarized current knowledge about glucose-lowering medications as promising treatment options with the potential to retard CAVD.

The association between triglyceride to high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol ratio and calcific aortic valve disease: a retrospective study

BACKGROUND

The ratio of triglycerides to high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (TG/HDL-C) is increasingly recognized as a practical marker for insulin resistance and cardiovascular risk assessment. This retrospective study investigates the potential of the TG/HDL-C ratio to predict the development of calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD), thereby extending its applicability in cardiovascular diagnostics.

METHODS

Data from 400 individuals, comprising 200 patients with diagnosed CAVD and 200 matched healthy controls, were analyzed. Clinical parameters were compared between groups, and logistic regression was utilized to explore the association of the TG/HDL-C ratio with CAVD. The diagnostic performance of the TG/HDL-C ratio was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.

RESULTS

The TG/HDL-C ratio was notably higher in the CAVD group than in the controls (Z = -7.98, P < 0.001). Multivariable logistic regression analysis indicated that the TG/HDL-C ratio is an independent predictor of CAVD after adjusting for confounders including gender. The ROC curve analysis revealed that the TG/HDL-C ratio achieved a sensitivity of 80.5%, a specificity of 59.5%, and an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.731 (P < 0.001), confirming its efficacy in predicting CAVD.

CONCLUSIONS

High TG/HDL-C ratio was significantly associated with the occurrence of CAVD, and the TG/HDL-C ratio could be used as a potential diagnostic tool and risk assessment indicator for CAVD.

CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER

Not applicable.

Type 2 Diabetes, Circulating Metabolites, and Calcific Aortic Valve Stenosis: A Mendelian Randomization Study

Epidemiological studies have shown an association between type 2 diabetes (T2D) and calcific aortic valve stenosis (CAVS), but the potential causal relationship and underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Therefore, we conducted a two-sample and two-step Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to evaluate the association of T2D with CAVS and the mediating effects of circulating metabolites and blood pressure using genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics. The inverse variance weighted (IVW) method was used for the primary MR analysis, and comprehensive sensitivity analyses were performed to validate the robustness of the results. Our results showed that genetically predicted T2D was associated with increased CAVS risk (OR 1.153, 95% CI 1.096-1.214, p < 0.001), and this association persisted even after adjusting for adiposity traits in multivariable MR analysis. Furthermore, the two-step MR analysis identified 69 of 251 candidate mediators that partially mediated the effect of T2D on CAVS, including total branched-chain amino acids (proportion mediated: 23.29%), valine (17.78%), tyrosine (9.68%), systolic blood pressure (8.72%), the triglyceride group (6.07-11.99%), the fatty acid group (4.78-12.82%), and the cholesterol group (3.64-11.56%). This MR study elucidated the causal impact of T2D on CAVS risk independently of adiposity and identified potential mediators in this association pathways. Our findings shed light on the pathogenesis of CAVS and suggest additional targets for the prevention and intervention of CAVS attributed to T2D.

Impact of Procedure Volume on the Outcomes of Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement

BACKGROUND

 Literature demonstrated that procedure volumes affect outcomes of patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation. We evaluated the outcomes of surgical aortic valve replacement.

METHODS

 All isolated surgical aortic valve replacement procedures in Germany in 2017 were identified. Hospitals were divided into five groups from ≤25 (very low volume) until >100 (very high volume) annual procedures.

RESULTS

 In 2017, 5,533 patients underwent isolated surgical aortic valve replacement. All groups were of comparable risk (logistic EuroSCORE, 5.12-4.80%) and age (66.6-68.1 years). In-hospital mortality and complication rates were lowest in the very high-volume group. Multivariable logistic regression analyses showed no significant volume-outcome relationship for in-hospital mortality, stroke, postoperative delirium, and mechanical ventilation > 48 hours. Regarding acute kidney injury, patients in the very high-volume group were at lower risk than those in the very low volume group (odds ratio [OR] = 0.53, p = 0.04). Risk factors for in-hospital mortality were previous cardiac surgery (OR = 5.75, p < 0.001), high-grade renal disease (glomerular filtration rate < 15 mL/min, OR = 5.61, p = 0.002), surgery in emergency cases (OR = 2.71, p = 0.002), and higher grade heart failure (NYHA [New York Heart Association] III/IV; OR = 1.80, p = 0.02). Risk factors for all four complication rates were atrial fibrillation and diabetes mellitus.

CONCLUSION

 Patients treated in very low volume centers (≤25 operations/year) had a similar risk regarding in-hospital mortality and most complications compared with very high-volume centers (>100 operations/year). Only in the case of acute kidney injury, very high-volume centers showed better outcomes than very low volume centers. Therefore, surgical aortic valve replacement can be performed safely independent of case volume.

Influence of diabetes mellitus on the pathological profile of aortic stenosis: a sex-based approach

BACKGROUND

Diabetes mellitus (DM) accelerates the progression of aortic stenosis (AS), but how their underlying molecular mechanisms interact is not clear. Moreover, whether DM contributes to clinically relevant sex-differences in AS is unknown. In this work we aim to characterize the sex-specific profile of major pathological mechanisms fundamental to aortic valve (AV) degeneration in AS patients with or without concomitant DM.

METHODS

283 patients with severe AS undergoing surgical valve replacement (27.6% DM, 59.4% men) were recruited. Expression of pathological markers related to AS were thoroughly assessed in AVs and valve interstitial cells (VICs) according to sex and presence of DM. Complementary in vitro experiments in VICs in the presence of high-glucose levels (25 mM) for 24, 48 and 72 h were performed.

RESULTS

Oxidative stress and metabolic dysfunction markers were increased in AVs from diabetic AS patients compared to non-diabetic patients in both sexes. However, disbalanced oxidative stress and enhanced inflammation were more predominant in AVs from male AS diabetic patients. Osteogenic markers were exclusively increased in the AVs of diabetic women. Basal characterization of VICs confirmed that oxidative stress, inflammation, calcification, and metabolic alteration profiles were increased in diabetic VICs with sex-specific differences. VICs cultured in hyperglycemic-like conditions triggered inflammatory responses in men, whereas in women rapid and higher production of pro-osteogenic molecules.

CONCLUSIONS

DM produces sex-specific pathological phenotypes in AV of AS patients. Importantly, women with diabetes are more prone to develop AV calcification. DM should be considered as a risk factor in AS especially in women.

Association Between Type 2 Diabetes and Changes in Myocardial Structure, Contractile Function, Energetics, and Blood Flow Before and After Aortic Valve Replacement in Patients With Severe Aortic Stenosis

BACKGROUND

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is associated with an increased risk of left ventricular dysfunction after aortic valve replacement (AVR) in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS). Persistent impairments in myocardial energetics and myocardial blood flow (MBF) may underpin this observation. Using phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy and cardiovascular magnetic resonance, this study tested the hypothesis that patients with severe AS and T2D (AS-T2D) would have impaired myocardial energetics as reflected by the phosphocreatine to ATP ratio (PCr/ATP) and vasodilator stress MBF compared with patients with AS without T2D (AS-noT2D), and that these differences would persist after AVR.

METHODS

Ninety-five patients with severe AS without coronary artery disease awaiting AVR (30 AS-T2D and 65 AS-noT2D) were recruited (mean, 71 years of age [95% CI, 69, 73]; 34 [37%] women). Thirty demographically matched healthy volunteers (HVs) and 30 patients with T2D without AS (T2D controls) were controls. One month before and 6 months after AVR, cardiac PCr/ATP, adenosine stress MBF, global longitudinal strain, NT-proBNP (N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide), and 6-minute walk distance were assessed in patients with AS. T2D controls underwent identical assessments at baseline and 6-month follow-up. HVs were assessed once and did not undergo 6-minute walk testing.

RESULTS

Compared with HVs, patients with AS (AS-T2D and AS-noT2D combined) showed impairment in PCr/ATP (mean [95% CI]; HVs, 2.15 [1.89, 2.34]; AS, 1.66 [1.56, 1.75]; P<0.0001) and vasodilator stress MBF (HVs, 2.11 mL min g [1.89, 2.34]; AS, 1.54 mL min g [1.41, 1.66]; P<0.0001) before AVR. Before AVR, within the AS group, patients with AS-T2D had worse PCr/ATP (AS-noT2D, 1.74 [1.62, 1.86]; AS-T2D, 1.44 [1.32, 1.56]; P=0.002) and vasodilator stress MBF (AS-noT2D, 1.67 mL min g [1.5, 1.84]; AS-T2D, 1.25 mL min g [1.22, 1.38]; P=0.001) compared with patients with AS-noT2D. Before AVR, patients with AS-T2D also had worse PCr/ATP (AS-T2D, 1.44 [1.30, 1.60]; T2D controls, 1.66 [1.56, 1.75]; P=0.04) and vasodilator stress MBF (AS-T2D, 1.25 mL min g [1.10, 1.41]; T2D controls, 1.54 mL min g [1.41, 1.66]; P=0.001) compared with T2D controls at baseline. After AVR, PCr/ATP normalized in patients with AS-noT2D, whereas patients with AS-T2D showed no improvements (AS-noT2D, 2.11 [1.79, 2.43]; AS-T2D, 1.30 [1.07, 1.53]; P=0.0006). Vasodilator stress MBF improved in both AS groups after AVR, but this remained lower in patients with AS-T2D (AS-noT2D, 1.80 mL min g [1.59, 2.0]; AS-T2D, 1.48 mL min g [1.29, 1.66]; P=0.03). There were no longer differences in PCr/ATP (AS-T2D, 1.44 [1.30, 1.60]; T2D controls, 1.51 [1.34, 1.53]; P=0.12) or vasodilator stress MBF (AS-T2D, 1.48 mL min g [1.29, 1.66]; T2D controls, 1.60 mL min g [1.34, 1.86]; P=0.82) between patients with AS-T2D after AVR and T2D controls at follow-up. Whereas global longitudinal strain, 6-minute walk distance, and NT-proBNP all improved after AVR in patients with AS-noT2D, no improvement in these assessments was observed in patients with AS-T2D.

CONCLUSIONS

Among patients with severe AS, those with T2D demonstrate persistent abnormalities in myocardial PCr/ATP, vasodilator stress MBF, and cardiac contractile function after AVR; AVR effectively normalizes myocardial PCr/ATP, vasodilator stress MBF, and cardiac contractile function in patients without T2D.

Use of Cardiac Procedures in People with Diabetes during the COVID Pandemic in Spain: Effects on the In-Hospital Mortality

We aimed to assess the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain on people with diabetes undergoing cardiac procedures, such as coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), open surgical valve replacement (OSVR), and transcatheter valve implantation (TCVI). We compared the year 2019 with the year 2020. We conducted an observational study using data from the Spanish National Hospital Discharge Database from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2020. In 2020, a total of 21,067 cardiac procedures were performed on people with diabetes compared with 24,675 in the previous year. The use of CABG, PCI, OSVR and TCVI decreased from 2019 to 2020 by 13.9%, 14.8%, 21.4% and 2.9%, respectively. In 2020, patients had a significantly higher mean Charlson Comorbidity Index than in 2019 for all the cardiac procedures analyzed. In-hospital mortality (IHM) was higher (p > 0.05) for all the procedures in the year 2020. Over the entire period, female sex was a significant risk factor for IHM among those who underwent CABG, PCI and OSVR (OR 1.94, 95%CI 1.41-2.66; OR 1.19, 95%CI 1.05-1.35; and OR 1.79, 95%CI 1.38-2.32, respectively). The sensitivity analysis including two more years, 2017 and 2018, confirmed that female patients and comorbidity were risk factors for IHM in patients with diabetes regardless of whether it was during the pandemic era or before. We conclude that the frequency of cardiac procedures among people with diabetes declined in 2020. IHM did not change significantly in the COVID-19 era.

Diabetes mellitus in transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve implantation: a propensity matched analysis

BACKGROUND

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) affects a third of patients with symptomatic severe aortic valve stenosis undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). DM is a well-known risk factor for cardiac surgery, but its prognostic impact in TAVI patients remains controversial. This study aimed to evaluate outcomes in diabetic patients undergoing TAVI.

METHODS

This multicentre registry includes data of > 12,000 patients undergoing transfemoral TAVI. We assessed baseline patient characteristics and clinical outcomes in patients with DM and without DM. Clinical outcomes were defined by the second valve academic research consortium. Propensity score matching was applied to minimize potential confounding.

RESULTS

Of the 11,440 patients included, 31% (n = 3550) had DM and 69% (n = 7890) did not have DM. Diabetic patients were younger but had an overall worse cardiovascular risk profile than non-diabetic patients. All-cause mortality rates were comparable at 30 days (4.5% vs. 4.9%, RR 0.9, 95%CI 0.8-1.1, p = 0.43) and at one year (17.5% vs. 17.4%, RR 1.0, 95%CI 0.9-1.1, p = 0.86) in the unmatched population. Propensity score matching obtained 3281 patient-pairs. Also in the matched population, mortality rates were comparable at 30 days (4.7% vs. 4.3%, RR 1.1, 95%CI 0.9-1.4, p = 0.38) and one year (17.3% vs. 16.2%, RR 1.1, 95%CI 0.9-1.2, p = 0.37). Other clinical outcomes including stroke, major bleeding, myocardial infarction and permanent pacemaker implantation, were comparable between patients with DM and without DM. Insulin treated diabetics (n = 314) showed a trend to higher mortality compared with non-insulin treated diabetics (n = 701, Hazard Ratio 1.5, 95%CI 0.9-2.3, p = 0.08). EuroSCORE II was the most accurate risk score and underestimated 30-day mortality with an observed-expected ratio of 1.15 in DM patients, STS-PROM overestimated actual mortality with a ratio of 0.77 and Logistic EuroSCORE with 0.35.

CONCLUSION

DM was not associated with mortality during the first year after TAVI. DM patients undergoing TAVI had low rates of mortality and other adverse clinical outcomes, comparable to non-DM TAVI patients. Our results underscore the safety of TAVI treatment in DM patients.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The study is registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03588247).

Trends and Outcomes of Aortic Valve Replacement in Patients With Diabetes in the US

Aims

We aimed to assess the trend and outcome of aortic valve replacement in patients with diabetes.

Background

Diabetes is associated with higher cardiovascular events.

Methods

Data from the National Inpatient Sample was analyzed between 2012 and 2017. We compared hospitalizations and in-hospital cardiovascular outcomes in patients with diabetes to those without diabetes, hospitalized for aortic valve replacement.

Results

In diabetes patients undergoing TAVR, the mean age of participants decreased from 79.6 ± 8 to 67.8 ± 8, hospitalizations increased from 0.97 to 7.68/100,000 US adults (p &lt; 0.002 for both). There was a significant temporal decrease in mortality, acute renal failure (ARF), and stroke. Compared to non-diabetic patients, those with diabetes had a higher risk of stroke, ARF, and pacemaker requirement [adjusted OR = 1.174 (1.03–1.34), 1.294 (1.24–1.35), 1.153 (1.11–1.20), respectively], but a similar adjusted mortality risk. In diabetes patients undergoing sAVR, the mean age of participants decreased from 70.4 ± 10 to 68 ± 9 (p &lt; 0.001), hospitalizations dropped from 7.72 to 6.63/100,000 US adults (p = 0.025), so did mortality, bleeding, and ARF. When compared to non-diabetes patients, those with diabetes were older and had a higher adjusted risk of mortality, stroke, and ARF [adjusted OR= 1.115 (1.06–1.17), 1.140 (1.05–1.23), 1.217 (1.18–1.26); respectively].

Conclusion

The recent temporal trend of aortic valve replacement in patients with diabetes shows a significant increase in TAVR coupled with a decrease in sAVR. Mortality and other cardiovascular outcomes decreased in both techniques. sAVR, but not TAVR, was associated with higher in-hospital mortality risk.

Long-Term Impact of Diabetes Mellitus on Initially Conservatively Managed Patients With Severe Aortic Stenosis

BACKGROUND

Although diabetes mellitus (DM) is a common comorbidity of aortic stenosis (AS), clinical evidence about the long-term effect of DM on patients with AS is insufficient.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Data were acquired from CURRENT AS, a large Japanese multicenter registry that enrolled 3,815 patients with severe AS. Patients without initial valve replacement were defined as the conservative group; among them, 621 (23.4%) had DM, whereas 1997 did not. The DM group was further divided into 2 groups according to insulin treatment (insulin-treated DM, n=130; non-insulin treated DM, n=491). The primary outcome was a composite of aortic valve (AV)-related death and heart failure (HF) hospitalization. Secondary outcomes were AV-related death, HF hospitalization, all-cause death, cardiovascular death, sudden death, and surgical or transcatheter AV replacement during follow up. As a result, DM was associated with higher risk for the primary outcome (52.8% vs. 42.9%, P<0.001), with a statistically significant adjusted hazard ratio (HR 1.33, 95% confidence interval: 1.14-1.56, P<0.001). All secondary outcomes were not significantly different between DM and non-DM patients after adjusting for confounding factors, except for HF hospitalization. Insulin use was not associated with higher incidence of primary or secondary outcome.

CONCLUSIONS

In initially conservatively managed patients with AS, DM was independently associated with higher risk for a composite of AV-related death or HF hospitalization; however, insulin use was not associated with poor outcomes.

Diabetes Mellitus and Its Implications in Aortic Stenosis Patients

Aortic stenosis (AS) and diabetes mellitus (DM) are both progressive diseases that if left untreated, result in significant morbidity and mortality. Several studies revealed that the prevalence of DM is substantially higher in patients with AS and, thus, the progression from mild to severe AS is greater in those patients with DM. DM and common comorbidities associated with both diseases, DM and AS, increase patient management complexity and make aortic valve replacement the only effective treatment. For that reason, a better understanding of the pathogenesis underlying both these diseases and the relationships between them is necessary to design more appropriate preventive and therapeutic approaches. In this review, we provided an overview of the main aspects of the relationship between AS and DM, including common comorbidities and risk factors. We also discuss the established treatments/therapies in patients with AS and DM.

The Influence of Sex on Clinical Outcomes after Surgical Mitral Valve Replacement in Spain (2001-2015)

(1) Background: Mitral regurgitation (MR) is the second most prevalent valvular heart disease in developed countries. Mitral valve (MV) disease is a common cause of heart failure and a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the U.S.A. and Europe. (2) Methods: We performed a retrospective study using the Spanish National Hospital Discharge Database, 2001–2015. We included patients that had surgical mitral valve replacement (SMVR) listed as a procedure in their discharge report. We sought to (i) examine trends in incidence of SMVR among women and men in Spain, (ii) compare in-hospital outcomes for mechanical and bioprosthetic SMVR by sex, and (iii) identify factors associated with in-hospital mortality (IHM) after SMVR. (3) Results: We identified 44,340 hospitalizations for SMVR (84% mechanical, 16% bioprosthetic). The incidence of SMVR was higher in women (IRR 1.51; 95% CI 1.48–1.54). The use of mechanical SMVR decreased over time in both sexes and the use of bioprosthetic valves increased over time in both sexes. Men who underwent mechanical and bioprosthetic SMVR had higher comorbidity than women. IHM was significantly lower in women who underwent SMVR than in men (10% vs. 12% p < 0.001 for mechanical and 14% vs. 16% p = 0.025 for bioprosthetic valve, respectively). Major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) were also significantly lower in women who underwent mechanical and bioprosthetic SMVR. A significant reduction in both in-hospital MACCEs and IHM was observed over the study period regardless of sex. After multivariable logistic regression, male sex was associated with increased IHM only in bioprosthetic SMVR (OR 1.28; 95% CI 1.1–1.5). (4) Conclusions: This nationwide analysis over 15 years of sex-specific outcomes after SMVR showed that incidences are significantly higher in women than men for mechanical and bioprosthetic SMVR. IHM and MACCE have improved over time for SMVR in both sexes. Male sex was independently associated with higher mortality after bioprosthetic SMVR.

Incidence and costs of cardiovascular events in Spanish patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a comparison with general population, 2015

INTRODUCTION

Cardiovascular (CV) disease affects a high percentage of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), especially in the hospital setting, impacting on mortality, complications, quality of life and use of health resources. The aim of this study was to estimate the incidence, mean length of hospital stay (LOHS) and costs attributable to hospital admissions due to CV events in patients with T2DM versus patients without diabetes mellitus (non-DM) in Spain.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Retrospective observational study based on the Spanish National Hospital Discharge Database for 2015. Hospital admissions for patients aged ≥35 years with a diagnosis of CV death, non-fatal acute myocardial infarction (AMI), non-fatal stroke, unstable angina, heart failure and revascularization were evaluated. The International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (250.x0 or 250.x2) coding was used to classify records of patients with T2DM. For each CV complication, the hospital discharges of the two groups, T2DM and non-DM, were precisely matched and the number of hospital discharges, patients, LOHS and mean cost were quantified. Additional analyses assessed the robustness of the results.

RESULTS

Of the 276 925 hospital discharges analyzed, 34.71% corresponded to patients with T2DM. A higher incidence was observed in all the CV complications studied in the T2DM population, with a relative risk exceeding 2 in all cases. The mean LOHS (days) was longer in the T2DM versus the non-DM group for: non-fatal AMI (7.63 vs 7.02, p<0.001), unstable angina (5.11 vs 4.78, p=0.009) and revascularization (7.96 vs 7.57, p<0.001). The mean cost per hospital discharge was higher in the T2DM versus the non-DM group for non-fatal AMI (€6891 vs €6876, p=0.029) and unstable angina (€3386 vs €3304, p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with T2DM had a higher incidence and number of hospital admissions per patient due to CV events versus the non-DM population. This generates a significant clinical and economic burden given the longer admission stay and higher costs associated with some of these complications.

Time Trends in the Incidence of Long-Term Mortality in T2DM Patients Who Have Undergone a Lower Extremity Amputation. Results of a Descriptive and Retrospective Cohort Study

(1) Background: The aims of this study were to examine the incidence of lower extremity amputations (LEAs) among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and to compare the mortality risk of diabetic individuals who underwent LEA with age and sex-matched diabetic individuals without LEA. (2) Methods: We performed a descriptive observational study to assess the trend in the incidence of LEA and a retrospective cohort study to evaluate whether undergoing LEA is a risk factor for long-term mortality among T2DM patients. Data were obtained from the Hospital Discharge Database for the Autonomous Community of Madrid, Spain (2006–2015). (3) Results: The incidence rates of major below-knee and above-knee amputations decreased significantly from 24.9 to 17.1 and from 63.9 to 48.2 per 100000 T2DM individuals from 2006 to 2015, respectively. However, the incidence of minor LEAs increased over time. Mortality was significantly higher among T2DM patients who underwent LEA compared with those who did not undergo this procedure (HR 1.75; 95% CI 1.65–1.87). Male sex, older age, and comorbidity were independently associated with higher mortality after LEA. (4) Conclusions: Undergoing a LEA is a significant risk factor for long term mortality among T2DM patients, and those who underwent a major above-knee LEAs have the highest risk.

Aortic stenosis and diabetes mellitus: An ominous combination

Aortic stenosis and diabetes mellitus are both progressive diseases which, if left untreated, result in significant morbidity and mortality. There is evidence that the prevalence of diabetes is substantially increased in patients with aortic stenosis and those with diabetes have increased rates of progression from mild to severe aortic stenosis. There are good data supporting the hypothesis that aortic stenosis and diabetes mellitus are associated with diabetes mellitus being detrimental towards the quality of life and survival of patients. Thus, a thorough understanding of the pathogenesis of both of these disease processes and the relationship between them aids in designing appropriate preventive and therapeutic approaches. This review aims to give a comprehensive and up-to-date insight into the influence of diabetes mellitus on patients with degenerative aortic stenosis, as well as the prognosis and therapeutic approach to these patients.

The association of diabetes mellitus treated with oral antidiabetic drugs and insulin with mortality after transcatheter valve implantation: a 3-year follow-up of the TAVIK registry

BACKGROUND

Diabetes mellitus (DM) on insulin is a patient-related factor in the assessment of surgical risk based on the EuroSCORE II and, as such, it confers additional risk on outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of diabetes mellitus treated with insulin and oral antidiabetic drugs on clinical outcomes after TAVI.

METHODS

This study is an analysis of 2000 patients who underwent TAVI between 2008 and 2015. Patients were stratified post hoc into the following categories: without diabetes (n = 1337), with diabetes treated with oral antidiabetic drugs (OAD; n = 387) and with diabetes treated using insulin (n = 276).

RESULTS

There was no significant difference in device success (89.5% vs 89.4% vs 88.8%, adjusted odds ratio (adjOR) 1.10 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.64-1.91]) and VARC-2-defined major complications among the three groups of patients (without DM, OAD, and insulin, respectively). Minor but not major or disabling strokes (adjOR 2.19; 95% CI 1.11-4.3) and overall renal complications (but not stage 2/3 alone) (adjOR 1.46; 95% CI 1.18-1.81) were more common in patients with diabetes than in those without diabetes. Insulin-treated patients had a significantly lower survival rate than that of patients with orally treated diabetes and of those without diabetes at 1 year (75.7% vs. 84.5% vs 84.7%, pairwise p < 0.01) and 3 years (56.9% vs. 65.9% vs. 67.9%, adj. p < 0.05) after TAVI. However, insulin-treated diabetes was not identified as an independent risk factor for higher mortality in the first (HR 1.29; 95% CI 0.97-1.72, p = 0.084) and 3rd years (HR 1.21; 95% CI 0.98-1.49; p = 0.079) after multivariable adjustment.

CONCLUSIONS

Although insulin-dependent DM is an established component of surgical risk assessment, it was not identified as an independent factor associated with reduced survival in TAVI. DM treated with oral antidiabetic drugs or insulin may have less role in decision making of treatment in TAVI candidates.

Impact of type 2 diabetes mellitus in the utilization and in-hospital outcomes of surgical mitral valve replacement in Spain (2001-2015)

Background

The main aims of this study were to examine the incidence and in-hospital outcomes of mechanical and bioprosthetic surgical mitral valve replacement (SMVR) among patients with and without T2DM.

Methods

We performed a retrospective study using the Spanish National Hospital Discharge Database from 2001 to 2015. We included patients with SMVR codified in their discharge report. We grouped admissions by diabetes status. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to compare outcomes of isolated SMVR.

Results

We identified 42,937 patients (16.41% with T2DM). Incidence rates of mechanical and bioprosthetic SMVR were higher among T2DM patients than among non-T2DM patients. In both groups of patients, the use of bioprosthetic SMVR increased over time. The use of mechanical valves remained stable among T2DM patients. In T2DM and non-T2DM patients with mechanical SMVR, in hospital mortality (IHM) and MACCE decreased significantly (p < 0.001) from 2001 to 2015. T2DM patients had an overall 11.37% IHM, compared with 10.76% among non-T2DM patients (p = 0.176). Regarding MACCE figures were 14.72% vs. 14.22% (p = 0.320) after mechanical SMVR. Total crude IHM were 14.29% for T2DM patients and 15.13% for those without T2DM with bioprosthetic SMVR (p = 0.165) and 18.22 vs. 19.64%, for a MACCE (p = 0.185). Using PSM we found that the IHM and the MACCE of isolated SMVR did not differ significantly between patients with or without T2DM beside the type of valve replacement. Among T2DM patients, those who received bioprosthetic valves had higher IHM (14.29% vs. 11.37%; p = 0.003) and a higher rate of MACCE (18.22% vs. 14.72%; p = 0.001) than T2DM patients with mechanical SMVR.

Conclusions

In Spain from 2001 to 2015, the incidence rates of hospitalization to undergo mechanical or bioprosthetic SMVR were higher among the population suffering T2DM than among the non-T2DM population. In both groups of patients the use of bioprosthetic SMVR increased over time and the use of mechanical valves remained stable in T2DM. T2DM patients have IHM and MACCE after mechanical and bioprosthetic SMVR which are not significantly different to those found among non-diabetic patients. Among T2DM patients, the crude IHM was significantly higher in those who received a bioprosthetic SMVR than those with mechanical SMVR.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12933-019-0866-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus increases long-term mortality risk after isolated surgical aortic valve replacement

BACKGROUND

Diabetes mellitus (DM) adversely affects morbidity and mortality for major atherosclerosis-related cardiovascular diseases and is associated with increased risk for the development of aortic stenosis. Clinical data regarding the impact of DM on outcomes of patients undergoing aortic valve replacement (AVR) have revealed inconsistent results. The aim of the current study was to investigate and compare the impact of type 2 DM on short-, intermediate- and long-term mortality between DM and non-DM patients who undergo isolated AVR.

METHODS

We performed an observational study in a large tertiary medical center over a 14-year period (2004-2018), which included all patients who had undergone isolated AVR surgery for the first time. Of the 1053 study patients, 346 patients (33%) had type 2 DM (DM group) and were compared with non-DM (non-DM group) patients (67%). Short-term (in-hospital), intermediate (1- and 3-years), and late (5- and 10-years) mortality were evaluated. Mean follow-up of was 69 ± 43 months.

RESULTS

Short-term (in-hospital) mortality was similar between the DM compared with the non-DM group: 3.5% and 2.5% (p = 0.517). Intermediate-term mortality (1- and 3-year) was higher in the DM group compared with the non-DM group, but did not reach statistical significance: 8.1% vs. 5.7% (p = 0.169) and 12.1% vs. 8.3% (p = 0.064) respectively. Long-term (5- and 10-year) mortality was significantly higher in the DM group, compared to the non-DM group: 19.4% vs. 12.9% (p = 0.007) and 30.3% vs. 23.5% (p = 0.020) respectively. Among the 346 DM patients, 55 (16%) were treated with insulin and 291 (84%) with oral antiglycemic medication only. Overall in-hospital mortality among insulin-treated DM patients was 7.3% compared with 2.7% among non insulin-treated DM patients (p = 0.201). Long-term mortality was higher in the subgroup of insulin-treated DM patients compared with the subgroup of non-insulin treated DM patients with an overall mortality rate of 36.4% vs. 29.2% (p = 0.039). Furthermore, predictors for late mortality included DM (HR 1.39 CI 1.03-1.86, p = 0.031) and insulin treatment (HR 1.76 CI 1.05-2.94, p = 0.033), as demonstrated after adjustment for confounders by multivariable analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Type 2 DM is an independent predictor for long-term mortality after isolated AVR surgery.

Gender differences in incidence and in-hospital outcomes of surgical aortic valve replacement in Spain, 2001–15

Background

we aim to examine trends in the incidence of surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) among women and men in Spain from 2001 to 2015; compare in-hospital outcomes for mechanical and bioprosthetic SAVR by gender and; to identify factors associated with in-hospital mortality (IHM) after SAVR.

Methods

We performed a retrospective study using the Spanish National Hospital Discharge Database, 2001–15. We included patients that had SAVR as procedure in their discharge report. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to assess the impact of gender on the outcomes of mechanical and bioprosthetic SAVR.

Results

We identified 86 578 patients who underwent SAVR (40% women). Incidence of SVAR was higher in men (incidence rate ratio 1.57; 95%CI 1.55–1.59). In 2001, 73.36% of the men and 71.57% of women received a mechanical prosthesis; these proportions decreased to 43.04% in men and 35.89% in women in 2015, whereas bioprosthetic SAVR increased to 56.96% and 64.11%. After PSM we found that IHM was higher in women than in matched men for mechanical (8.94% vs. 6.79%; P < 0.001) and bioprosthetic (6.51 vs. 5.42%; P = 0.001) SAVR. The mean length of hospital stay was longer (19.54 vs. 18.74 days; P < 0.001) among females than males undergoing mechanical SAVR. Higher IHM after SAVR was associated with older age, comorbidities (except diabetes and atrial fibrillation), concomitant coronary artery bypass graft and emergency room admission.

Conclusions

This nation-wide analysis over 15 years of gender-specific outcomes after SAVR showed that, after PSM women have significantly higher IHM after mechanical and bioprosthetic SAVR than men.

Type 2 diabetes and postoperative pneumonia: An observational, population-based study using the Spanish Hospital Discharge Database, 2001-2015

Purpose

We analyzed temporal trends, demographic and clinical characteristics and hospital mortality rates of postoperative pneumonia among type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients in Spain from 2001 to 2015. We also compared the incidence, comorbidities and mortality between patients with and without T2DM suffering from postoperative pneumonia. Finally, we analyzed the factors involved in the prediction of in-hospital mortality among patients suffering postoperative pneumonia.

Methods

We used the Spanish National Hospital Discharge Database for the period 2001–2015. We analyzed patients aged 40 years or over who had been hospitalized for a surgical procedure and suffered pneumonia or ventilator-associated pneumonia during their hospital admission. We compared patients with and without T2DM. The main outcome measures were the type of surgical procedure, the presence of a comorbidity, the type of isolated pathogens, admission to the emergency room (ER) and in-hospital mortality (IHM).

Results

We selected 117,665 hospitalized patients who suffered postoperative pneumonia (16.9% with T2DM). After multivariable adjustment, T2DM patients had a 21% higher incidence of postoperative pneumonia than nondiabetic patients (IRR 1.21, 95% CI 1.03–1.42). The IHM was approximately 31% in both groups. Predictors of IHM included age, the presence of comorbidities, treatment with a pleural drainage tube, dialysis, blood transfusion, mechanical ventilation and admission to the ER. From 2001 to 2015, the IHM decreased significantly in both populations. Suffering from T2DM was not a predictor of IHM (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.96–1.03) in our investigation.

Conclusions

T2DM patients have a higher incidence of postoperative pneumonia than those without this disease. The IHM decreased from 2001 to 2015, regardless of T2DM status. T2DM did not predict a higher IHM after suffering from postoperative pneumonia.