Postacute myocardial infarction (AMI) readmissions are common among Medicare beneficiaries (≥65 years) and are associated with significant resource utilization. However, patterns of AMI readmissions for younger age groups in the United States are not known. In the Nationwide Readmissions Database, a nationally representative all-payer database of in-patient hospitalizations, we identified 212,171 index AMI hospitalizations in January to November 2013, weighted to represent 478,247 hospitalizations nationally (mean age 66.9 years, 38% women, 29% low income). This included 26,516 cases in the 18 to 44 age group, 183,703 in the 45 to 64 age group, and 268,027 in the ≥65 age group. The overall 30-day readmission rate was 14.5% and varied across age groups (9.7% [18 to 44], 11.2% [45 to 64], and 17.3% [≥65]). The cumulative cost of 30-day readmissions was $1.1 billion, of which $365 million was spent on those <65 years of age. In multivariable hierarchical models, the risk of readmission was higher in women and in low-income patients, but the effect varied by age (p value for age-gender and age-income interactions <0.05) and was more prominent in the younger age groups. Further, patients in all age groups continue to have a high hospitalization burden beyond the typical 30-day readmission period, with an overall 24% post-AMI 90-day readmission rate. In conclusion, readmissions in young and middle-aged AMI survivors pose a substantial burden on patients and on U.S. health-care resources. Women and low-income patients with AMI, particularly those in younger age groups, are more frequently readmitted, and readmissions continue to burden the health-care system beyond the typical 30-day window. Future investigations would need to be targeted toward a better understanding and improvement of the rehospitalization burden for vulnerable patient groups.

Background To assess the current landscape of the heart failure (HF) epidemic and provide targets for future health policy interventions in Medicare, a contemporary appraisal of its epidemiology across inpatient and outpatient care settings is needed. Methods and Results In a national 5% sample of Medicare beneficiaries from 2002-2013, we identified a cohort of 2,331,939 unique fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries ≥65-years-old followed for all inpatient and outpatient encounters over a 10-year period (2004-2013). Pre-existing HF was defined by any HF encounter during the first year, and incident HF with either one inpatient or two outpatient HF encounters. Mean age of the cohort was 72 years; 57% were women, and 86% and 8% were white and black, respectively. Within this cohort, 518,223 patients had pre-existing HF, and 349,826 had a new diagnosis of HF during the study-period. During 2004-2013, the rates of incident HF declined 32%, from 38.7 per 1000 (2004) to 26.2 per 1000 beneficiaries (2013). In contrast, prevalent HF increased during our study period from 162 per 1000 (2004) to 172 per 1000 beneficiaries (2013) (Ptrend<0.001 for both). Finally, the overall 1-year mortality among patients with incident HF is high (24.7%) with a 0.4% absolute decline annually during the study period, with a more pronounced decrease among those diagnosed in an inpatient vs outpatient setting (Pinteraction<.001) Conclusions In recent years, there have been substantial changes in the epidemiology of HF in Medicare beneficiaries, with a decline in incident HF and a decrease in 1-year HF mortality, while the overall burden of HF continues to increase.

Background Physical inactivity and low cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) are associated with higher risk of heart failure. However, the independent contributions of objectively measured sedentary time, physical activity, and CRF toward left ventricular (LV) structure and function are not well established. Methods and Results We included 1368 participants from the DHS (Dallas Heart Study) (age, 49 years; 40% men) free of cardiovascular disease who had physical activity and sedentary time measured by accelerometer, CRF estimated from submaximal treadmill test, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging performed using 3‐T magnetic resonance imaging. A series of linear regression models were constructed to evaluate the associations of sedentary time, moderate physical activity, vigorous physical activity, and CRF with LV parameters after adjustment for established cardiovascular risk factors. We observed a modest correlation between CRF levels and objectively measured moderate (correlation coefficient, 0.17; P <0.001) and vigorous physical activity (correlation coefficient, 0.25; P <0.001) levels. In contrast, sedentary time was not associated with CRF. In adjusted analysis, both vigorous physical activity and higher CRF were significantly associated with greater stroke volume, LV mass, LV end‐diastolic volume, and lower arterial elastance, independent of other confounders. Sedentary time and moderate physical activity levels were not associated with LV parameters. Conclusions Vigorous physical activity and CRF are significantly associated with cardiac structure and function parameters. Future studies are needed to determine if interventions aimed at improving CRF levels may favorably modify cardiac structure and function.

IMPORTANCE Self-identified Black race is associated with higher hypertension prevalence and worse blood pressure (BP) control compared with other race/ethnic groups. The contribution of genetic West African ancestry to these racial disparities appears not to have been completely determined.OBJECTIVE To determine the association between the proportion of West African ancestry with the response to antihypertensive medication, BP control, kidney function, and risk of adverse cardiovascular (CV) events among self-identified Black individuals in the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT). DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTSThis post hoc analysis of the SPRINT trial incorporated data from a multicenter study of self-identified Black participants with available West African ancestry proportion, estimated using 106 biallelic autosomal ancestry informative genetic markers.

BackgroundSubstantial heterogeneity exists in the cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) change in response to exercise training, and its long‐term prognostic implication is not well understood. We evaluated the association between the short‐term supervised training‐related changes in CRF and CRF levels 10 years later.Methods and ResultsSTRRIDE (Studies of a Targeted Risk Reduction Intervention Through Defined Exercise) trial participants who were originally randomized to exercise training for 8 months and participated in the 10‐year follow‐up visit were included. CRF levels were measured at baseline, after training (8 months), and at 10‐year follow‐up as peak oxygen uptake (vo 2, mL/kg per min) using the maximal treadmill test. Participants were stratified into low, moderate, and high CRF response groups according to the training regimen–specific tertiles of CRF change. The study included 80 participants (age: 52 years; 35% female). At 10‐year follow‐up, the high‐response CRF group had the least decline in CRF compared with the moderate‐ and low‐response CRF groups (−0.35 versus −2.20 and −4.25 mL/kg per minute, respectively; P=0.02). This result was largely related to the differential age‐related changes in peak oxygen pulse across the 3 groups (0.58, −0.23, and −0.86 mL/beat, respectively; P=0.03) with no difference in the peak heart rate change. In adjusted linear regression analysis, high response was significantly associated with greater CRF at follow‐up independent of other baseline characteristics (high versus low [reference] CRF response: standard β=0.25; P=0.004).ConclusionsGreater CRF improvement in response to short‐term training is associated with higher CRF levels 10 years later. Lack of CRF improvements in response to short‐term training may identify individuals at risk for exaggerated CRF decline with aging.

ObjectiveIt is well known that parent/patient education helps to reduce the burden of asthma in urban areas, but data are scarce for rural areas. This study explored the impact of asthma education in Ector County, a rural part of Health Services Region 9 in Texas, which has one of the highest prevalence rates of asthma in the state.MethodsThis prospective study investigated an interactive asthma education intervention in pediatric patients aged 2–18 years and their caregivers. Change in parental/caregiver knowledge about their child’s asthma along with frequency of missed school days, emergency department (ED) visits and hospital admissions was obtained via telephone surveys before and after the educational intervention was delivered.ResultsThe study enrolled 102 pediatric patients and their parents/caregivers. Asthma education was associated with significantly fewer school absences, ED visits and hospitalizations. Parents/caregivers reported feeling better educated, knowing what triggers an asthma exacerbation, identifying the signs of a severe asthma attack in their child, feeling confident about managing asthma and feeling that the asthma was under control.ConclusionAsthma education of caregivers and children was associated with better symptom management and fewer acute exacerbations, pointing to the relevance and importance of asthma education among pediatric patients in rural areas.

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