OBJECTIVE: Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] is an atherogenic and prothrombotic lipoprotein associated with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). We assessed the association between regular aspirin use and ASCVD mortality among individuals with versus without elevated Lp(a) in a nationally representative US cohort. METHODS: Eligible participants were aged 40-70 years without clinical ASCVD, reported on aspirin use, and had Lp(a) measurements from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III, 1988-1994), the only cycle of this nationally representative US cohort to measure Lp(a). Regular aspirin use was defined as taking aspirin ≥30 times in the previous month. Using NHANES III linked mortality records and weighted Cox proportional hazards regression, the association between regular aspirin use and ASCVD mortality was observed in those with and without elevated Lp(a) (≥50 versus <50 mg/dL) over a median 26-year follow-up. RESULTS: Among 2,990 persons meeting inclusion criteria (∼73 million US adults), the mean age was 50 years, 86% were non-Hispanic White, 9% were non-Hispanic Black, 53% were female, and 7% reported regular aspirin use. The median Lp(a) was 14 mg/dL and the proportion with elevated Lp(a) was similar among those with versus without regular aspirin use (15.1% versus 21.9%, p = 0.16). Among individuals with elevated Lp(a), the incidence of ASCVD mortality per 1,000 person-years was lower for those with versus without regular aspirin use (1.2, 95% CI: 0.1-2.3 versus 3.9, 95% CI: 2.8-4.9). In multivariable modeling, regular aspirin use was associated with a 52% lower risk of ASCVD mortality among individuals with elevated Lp(a) (HR=0.48, 95% CI: 0.28-0.83), but not for those without elevated Lp(a) (HR=1.01, 95% CI: 0.81-1.25; p-interaction=0.001). CONCLUSION: Regular aspirin use was associated with significantly lower ASCVD mortality in adults without clinical ASCVD who had elevated Lp(a). These findings may have clinical and public health implications for aspirin utilization in primary prevention.

IMPORTANCE: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection can cause severe respiratory illness in older adults. Less is known about the cardiac complications of RSV disease compared with those of influenza and SARS-CoV-2 infection. OBJECTIVE: To describe the prevalence and severity of acute cardiac events during hospitalizations among adults aged 50 years or older with RSV infection. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This cross-sectional study analyzed surveillance data from the RSV Hospitalization Surveillance Network, which conducts detailed medical record abstraction among hospitalized patients with RSV infection detected through clinician-directed laboratory testing. Cases of RSV infection in adults aged 50 years or older within 12 states over 5 RSV seasons (annually from 2014-2015 through 2017-2018 and 2022-2023) were examined to estimate the weighted period prevalence and 95% CIs of acute cardiac events. EXPOSURES: Acute cardiac events, identified by International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification or International Statistical Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification discharge codes, and discharge summary review. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Severe disease outcomes, including intensive care unit (ICU) admission, receipt of invasive mechanical ventilation, or in-hospital death. Adjusted risk ratios (ARR) were calculated to compare severe outcomes among patients with and without acute cardiac events. RESULTS: The study included 6248 hospitalized adults (median [IQR] age, 72.7 [63.0-82.3] years; 59.6% female; 56.4% with underlying cardiovascular disease) with laboratory-confirmed RSV infection. The weighted estimated prevalence of experiencing a cardiac event was 22.4% (95% CI, 21.0%-23.7%). The weighted estimated prevalence was 15.8% (95% CI, 14.6%-17.0%) for acute heart failure, 7.5% (95% CI, 6.8%-8.3%) for acute ischemic heart disease, 1.3% (95% CI, 1.0%-1.7%) for hypertensive crisis, 1.1% (95% CI, 0.8%-1.4%) for ventricular tachycardia, and 0.6% (95% CI, 0.4%-0.8%) for cardiogenic shock. Adults with underlying cardiovascular disease had a greater risk of experiencing an acute cardiac event relative to those who did not (33.0% vs 8.5%; ARR, 3.51; 95% CI, 2.85-4.32). Among all hospitalized adults with RSV infection, 18.6% required ICU admission and 4.9% died during hospitalization. Compared with patients without an acute cardiac event, those who experienced an acute cardiac event had a greater risk of ICU admission (25.8% vs 16.5%; ARR, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.23-1.93) and in-hospital death (8.1% vs 4.0%; ARR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.36-2.31). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this cross-sectional study over 5 RSV seasons, nearly one-quarter of hospitalized adults aged 50 years or older with RSV infection experienced an acute cardiac event (most frequently acute heart failure), including 1 in 12 adults (8.5%) with no documented underlying cardiovascular disease. The risk of severe outcomes was nearly twice as high in patients with acute cardiac events compared with patients who did not experience an acute cardiac event. These findings clarify the baseline epidemiology of potential cardiac complications of RSV infection prior to RSV vaccine availability.

Cardiovascular conditions are significant contributors to morbidity and mortality among pregnant and postpartum women.1 | | We used data from the MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters database to identify women 12 to 55 years of age who delivered from 2017 to 2019. Delivery hospitalizations and cardiovascular diagnoses and procedures (ie, conditions) were identified using International Classification of Diseases-10th Revision-Clinical Modification codes. Cardiovascular conditions included acute heart failure or pulmonary edema; acute myocardial infarction; arrhythmia; conduction disorders; cardiac arrest, ventricular fibrillation, or ventricular flutter; cardiomyopathy; congenital heart and great artery defects; conversion of cardiac rhythm; endocarditis, myocarditis, or pericarditis; hypertensive heart disease; ischemic heart disease; nonrheumatic valve disorders; pulmonary heart disease; rheumatic heart disease; and other heart diseases and complications. We calculated the prevalence of hospitalizations with any cardiovascular condition in the year postpartum. Among these patients, we calculated the prevalence of cardiovascular conditions at delivery hospitalization and the frequency of postpartum hospitalizations. For postpartum hospitalizations with cardiovascular conditions, we calculated timing relative to delivery hospitalization and the prevalence (95% CI) of specific cardiovascular conditions by timing since delivery hospitalization (early postpartum [1–42 days] vs late postpartum [43–365 days]), accounting for clustering at the patient level. The data were collected and statistically deidentified. The data are also compliant with the conditions set forth in sections 164.514(a) and 164.51(b)(1)(ii) of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 Privacy Rule; therefore, approval from an Institutional Review Board was not sought.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is an important risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Electronic health records (EHRs) may augment chronic disease surveillance. We aimed to develop an electronic phenotype (e-phenotype) for hypertension surveillance. METHODS: We included 11,031,368 eligible adults from the 2019 IQVIA Ambulatory Electronic Medical Records-US (AEMR-US) dataset. We identified hypertension using three criteria, alone or in combination: diagnosis codes, blood pressure (BP) measurements, and antihypertensive medications. We compared AEMR-US estimates of hypertension prevalence and control against those from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2017-18, which defined hypertension as BP ≥ 130/80mmHg or ≥ 1 antihypertensive medication. RESULTS: The study population had a mean (SD) age of 52.3 (6.7) years, and 56.7% were women. The selected three-criteria e-phenotype (≥1 diagnosis code, ≥2 BP measurements of ≥130/80mmHg, or ≥1 antihypertensive medication) yielded similar trends in hypertension prevalence as NHANES: 42.2% (AEMR-US) vs. 44.9% (NHANES) overall, 39.0% vs. 38.7% among women, and 46.5% vs. 50.9% among men. The pattern of age-related increase in hypertension prevalence was similar between AEMR-US and NHANES. The prevalence of hypertension control in AEMR-US was 31.5% using the three-criteria e-phenotype, which was higher than NHANES (14.5%). CONCLUSIONS: Using an EHR dataset of 11 million adults, we constructed a hypertension e-phenotype using three criteria, which can be used for surveillance of hypertension prevalence and control.

Million Hearts, a national initiative co-led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), was launched in 2012 to focus and drive improvement on a small set of high-impact strategies known to prevent heart attacks, strokes, and other acute cardiovascular events. Optimizing the “ABCS” of cardiovascular disease prevention (Aspirin when appropriate, Blood pressure control, Cholesterol management, and Smoking cessation) has been at the heart of the initiative. Internal analyses suggest that compared to improvements in aspirin use for secondary prevention, cholesterol management, and smoking cessation, achieving national BP control (>80%) will prevent the greatest number of cardiovascular events in a 5-year period.

Objective: Dysregulation of the immune system during pregnancy is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Recent studies report cytokine changes during the acute phase of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. We examine whether there is a lasting association between SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy and peripheral blood cytokine levels. Study design: We conducted a case-control study at the Mount Sinai health system in NYC including 100 SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody positive people matched to 100 SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody negative people on age, race/ethnicity, parity, and insurance status. Blood samples were collected at a median gestational age of 34 weeks. Levels of 14 cytokines were measured. Result(s): Individual cytokine levels and cytokine cluster Eigenvalues did not differ significantly between groups, indicating no persisting maternal cytokine changes after SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy. Conclusion(s): Our findings suggest that the acute inflammatory response after SARS-CoV-2 infection may be restored to normal values during pregnancy. Copyright The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. All rights reserved. No reuse allowed without permission.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted healthcare in the United States and raised concerns about certain antihypertensives, and may have impacted both prescribing practices and access to blood pressure (BP) medications. METHODS: We assessed trends in BP prescription fills before and during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, using cross-sectional data for BP fills and tablets in the IQVIA (IMS Health) National Prescription Audit® database. Drugs filled via retail (92% coverage), mail-order (78% coverage), and long-term care (72% coverage) channels from January 2018 through December 2020 were included. Data were projected nationally and by state. RESULTS: Between 2.9 to 3.4 billion BP tablets were dispensed monthly until February 2020, increasing sharply to 3.8 billion in March 2020 and declining to 3.4 billion in April, then increasing at three-month intervals until December 2020. The number of tablets per fill increased slightly over time, with the largest increase (from 66.7 to 68.6) during February-March, 2020. Tablets were dispensed through retail channels (99.7 billion), mail-order (14.7 billion), and long-term care (5.3 billion). Rates of patients initiating new medications decreased during 2020 compared to prior years. Fills did not vary significantly by drug class. CONCLUSIONS: A sharp increase in BP fills occurred with COVID-19 emergence, suggesting patients may have secured medications in preparation for potential access limitations. A decrease in new fills, indicating decreased initiation and/or modification of treatment regimens, suggests need for efforts to re-engage patients in the healthcare system and provide alternative ways to obtain medication refills and adjustments.

BACKGROUND: Estimates of cardiac arrest occurring during delivery guide evidence-based strategies to reduce pregnancy-related death. OBJECTIVE: To investigate rate of, maternal characteristics associated with, and survival after cardiac arrest during delivery hospitalization. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: U.S. acute care hospitals, 2017 to 2019. PARTICIPANTS: Delivery hospitalizations among women aged 12 to 55 years included in the National Inpatient Sample database. MEASUREMENTS: Delivery hospitalizations, cardiac arrest, underlying medical conditions, obstetric outcomes, and severe maternal complications were identified using codes from the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification. Survival to hospital discharge was based on discharge disposition. RESULTS: Among 10 921 784 U.S. delivery hospitalizations, the cardiac arrest rate was 13.4 per 100 000. Of the 1465 patients who had cardiac arrest, 68.6% (95% CI, 63.2% to 74.0%) survived to hospital discharge. Cardiac arrest was more common among patients who were older, were non-Hispanic Black, had Medicare or Medicaid, or had underlying medical conditions. Acute respiratory distress syndrome was the most common co-occurring diagnosis (56.0% [CI, 50.2% to 61.7%]). Among co-occurring procedures or interventions examined, mechanical ventilation was the most common (53.2% [CI, 47.5% to 59.0%]). The rate of survival to hospital discharge after cardiac arrest was lower with co-occurring disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) without or with transfusion (50.0% [CI, 35.8% to 64.2%] or 54.3% [CI, 39.2% to 69.5%], respectively). LIMITATIONS: Cardiac arrests occurring outside delivery hospitalizations were not included. The temporality of arrest relative to the delivery or other maternal complications is unknown. Data do not distinguish cause of cardiac arrest, such as pregnancy-related complications or other underlying causes among pregnant women. CONCLUSION: Cardiac arrest was observed in approximately 1 in 9000 delivery hospitalizations, among which nearly 7 in 10 women survived to hospital discharge. Survival was lowest during hospitalizations with co-occurring DIC. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE: None.

BACKGROUND: The American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Blood Cholesterol Guideline was published in 2013 (2013 Cholesterol Guideline) and the Multi-society Guideline on the Management of Blood Cholesterol in 2018 (2018 Cholesterol Guideline). OBJECTIVE: To compare differences in population level estimates for statin recommendations and use between guidelines. METHODS: Using four 2-year cycles from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2011-2018), we analyzed data from 8,642 non-pregnant adults aged ≥20 years with complete information for blood cholesterol measurements and other cardiovascular risk factors used to define treatment recommendations in the 2013 or 2018 Cholesterol Guidelines. We compared the prevalence of statin recommendations and use between the guidelines, overall and among patient management groups. RESULTS: Under the 2013 Cholesterol Guideline, an estimated 77.8 million (33.6%) adults would be recommended statins, compared to 46.1 million (19.9%) recommended and 50.1 million (21.6%) considered for statins by the 2018 Cholesterol Guideline. Statin use among those recommended treatment was similar utilizing the 2018 Cholesterol Guideline (47.4%) compared to the 2013 Cholesterol Guideline (47.0%). Differences were observed across demographic and patient management groups. CONCLUSION: Compared to the 2013 Cholesterol Guideline, the prevalence of statin recommendations decreased utilizing the 2018 Cholesterol Guideline algorithm, though additional persons would be considered for treatment after risk factor assessment and patient-clinician discussion under the 2018 Cholesterol Guideline. Statin use was suboptimal (<50%) for those recommended treatment under either guideline. Optimizing patient-clinician risk discussions and shared decision making may be needed to improve treatment rates.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 is associated with cardiac complications. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence, risk factors, and outcomes associated with acute cardiac events during COVID-19-associated hospitalizations among adults. METHODS: During January 2021 to November 2021, medical chart abstraction was conducted on a probability sample of adults hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection identified from 99 U.S. counties in 14 U.S. states in the COVID-19-Associated Hospitalization Surveillance Network. We calculated the prevalence of acute cardiac events (identified by International Classification of Diseases-10th Revision-Clinical Modification codes) by history of underlying cardiac disease and examined associated risk factors and disease outcomes. RESULTS: Among 8,460 adults, 11.4% (95% CI: 10.1%-12.9%) experienced an acute cardiac event during a COVID-19-associated hospitalization. Prevalence was higher among adults who had underlying cardiac disease (23.4%; 95% CI: 20.7%-26.3%) compared with those who did not (6.2%; 95% CI: 5.1%-7.6%). Acute ischemic heart disease (5.5%; 95% CI: 4.5%-6.5%) and acute heart failure (5.4%; 95% CI: 4.4%-6.6%) were the most prevalent events; 0.3% (95% CI: 0.1%-0.5%) experienced acute myocarditis or pericarditis. Risk factors varied by underlying cardiac disease status. Patients with ≥1 acute cardiac event had greater risk of intensive care unit admission (adjusted risk ratio: 1.9; 95% CI: 1.8-2.1) and in-hospital death (adjusted risk ratio: 1.7; 95% CI: 1.3-2.1) compared with those who did not. CONCLUSIONS: Acute cardiac events were common during COVID-19-associated hospitalizations, particularly among patients with underlying cardiac disease, and are associated with severe disease outcomes. Persons at greater risk for experiencing acute cardiac events during COVID-19-associated hospitalizations might benefit from more intensive clinical evaluation and monitoring during hospitalization.

Research suggest prenatal vaccination against coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) is safe. However, previous studies utilized retrospectively collected data or examined late pregnancy vaccinations. We investigated the associations of COVID-19 vaccination throughout pregnancy with delivery and neonatal outcomes. We included 1,794 mother-neonate dyads enrolled in the Generation C Study with known prenatal COVID-19 vaccination status and complete covariate and outcome data. We used multivariable quantile regressions to estimate the effect of prenatal COVID-19 vaccination on birthweight, delivery gestational age, and blood loss at delivery; and Poisson generalized linear models for Caesarean delivery (CD) and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) admission. Using the above methods, we estimated effects of trimester of vaccine initiation on these outcomes. In our sample, 13.7% (n = 250) received at least one prenatal dose of any COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccination was not associated with birthweight (β = 12.42 g [-90.5, 114.8]), gestational age (β = 0.2 days [-1.1, 1.5]), blood loss (β = -50.6 ml [-107.0, 5.8]), the risks of CD (RR = 0.8; [0.6, 1.1]) or NICU admission (RR = 0.9 [0.5, 1.7]). Trimester of vaccine initiation was also not associated with these outcomes. Our findings suggest that there is no associated risk between prenatal COVID-19 vaccination and adverse delivery and neonatal outcomes in a cohort sample from NYC.

INTRODUCTION: Almost one third of U.S. adults have elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, increasing their risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The 2018 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Multisociety Cholesterol Management Guideline recommends maximally tolerated statin for those at increased atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk and add-on therapies (ezetimibe and PCSK9 inhibitors) in those at very high risk and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ≥70 mg/dL. Prescription fill trends are unknown. METHODS: Using national outpatient retail prescription data from the first quarter of 2017 to the first quarter of 2022, authors determined counts of patients who filled low-, moderate-, or high-intensity statins alone and with add-on therapies. The overall percentage change and joinpoint regression were used to assess trends. Analyses were conducted in March 2022-May 2022. RESULTS: During the first quarter of 2017 to the first quarter of 2022, patients filling a statin increased by 25.0%, with the greatest increase in high-intensity statins (64.1%, range=6.6-10.9 million). Low-intensity statins decreased by 29.2% (range=3.3-2.4 million). Concurrent fills of high-intensity statin and ezetimibe rose by 210% to 579,012 patients by the first quarter of 2022, with an increase in slope by the first quarter of 2019 for all statin intensities (p<0.01). Concurrent fills of a statin and PCSK9 inhibitor increased to 2,629, 16,169, and 28,651 by the first quarter of 2022 for low-, moderate-, and high-intensity statins, respectively. For patients on all statin intensities and PCSK9 inhibitor, there were statistically significant increases in slope in the second quarter of 2019 and decreases in the first quarter of 2020. CONCLUSIONS: Patients filling moderate- and high-intensity statins and add-on ezetimibe and PCSK9 inhibitors have increased, indicating uptake of guideline-concordant lipid-lowering therapies. Improvements in the initiation and continuity of these therapies are important for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease prevention.

Introduction: Medication adherence is important for optimal management of chronic conditions, including hypertension and hypercholesterolemia. This study describes adherence to antihypertensive and statin medications, individually and collectively, and examines variation in adherence by demographic and geographic characteristics. Methods: The 2017 prescription drug event data for beneficiaries with Medicare Part D coverage were assessed. Beneficiaries with a proportion of days covered 80% were considered adherent. Adjusted prevalence ratios were estimated to quantify the associations between demographic and geographic characteristics and adherence. Adherence estimates were mapped by county of residence using a spatial empirical Bayesian smoothing technique to enhance stability. Analyses were conducted in 20192021. Results: Among the 22.5 million beneficiaries prescribed antihypertensive medications, 77.1% were adherent; among the 16.1 million prescribed statin medications, 81.9% were adherent; and among the 13.5 million prescribed antihypertensive and statin medications, 70.3% were adherent to both. Adherence varied by race/ethnicity: American Indian/Alaska Native (adjusted prevalence ratio=0.83, 95% confidence limit=0.82, 0.842), Hispanic (adjusted prevalence ratio=0.90, 95% confidence limit=0.90, 0.91), and non-Hispanic Black (adjusted prevalence ratio=0.87, 95% confidence limit=0.86, 0.87) beneficiaries were less likely to be adherent than non-Hispanic White beneficiaries. County-level adherence ranged across the U.S. from 25.7% to 88.5% for antihypertensive medications, from 36.0% to 93.8% for statin medications, and from 20.8% to 92.9% for both medications combined and tended to be the lowest in the southern U.S. Conclusions: This study highlights opportunities for efforts to remove barriers and support medication adherence, especially among racial/ethnic minority groups and within the regions at greatest risk for adverse cardiovascular outcomes. 2022

Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, but 3 of 4 US adults do not have their blood pressure adequately controlled. Million Hearts (US Department of Health and Human Services) is a national initiative that promotes a set of priorities and interventions to optimize delivery of evidence-based strategies to manage cardiovascular disease, including hypertension. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, has disrupted routine care and preventive service delivery. We identified examples of clinical and health organizations that adapted services and care processes to continue a focus on monitoring and controlling hypertension during the pandemic. Eight Hypertension Control Exemplars were identified and interviewed. They reported various adapted care strategies including telemedicine, engaging patients in self-measured blood pressure monitoring, adapting or implementing medication management services, activating partnerships to respond to patient needs or expand services, and implementing unique patient outreach approaches. Documenting these hypertension control strategies can help increase adoption of adaptive approaches during public health emergencies and routine care.

Recent reviews have emphasized the need for a health equity agenda in genomics research. To ensure that genomic discoveries can lead to improved health outcomes for all segments of the population, a health equity agenda needs to go beyond research studies. Advances in genomics and precision medicine have led to an increasing number of evidence-based applications that can reduce morbidity and mortality for millions of people (tier 1). Studies have shown lower implementation rates for selected diseases with tier 1 applications (familial hypercholesterolemia, Lynch syndrome, hereditary breast and ovarian cancer) among racial and ethnic minority groups, rural communities, uninsured or underinsured people, and those with lower education and income. We make the case that a public health agenda is needed to address disparities in implementation of genomics and precision medicine. Public health actions can be centered on population-specific needs and outcomes assessment, policy and evidence development, and assurance of delivery of effective and ethical interventions. Crucial public health activities also include engaging communities, building coalitions, improving genetic health literacy, and building a diverse workforce. Without concerted public health action, further advances in genomics with potentially broad applications could lead to further widening of health disparities in the next decade.

Hypertension treatment and control prevent more cardiovascular events than management of other modifiable risk factors. Although the age-adjusted proportion of US adults with controlled blood pressure (BP) defined as <140/90 mm Hg, improved from 31.8% in 1999-2000 to 48.5% in 2007-2008, it remained stable through 2013-2014 and declined to 43.7% in 2017-2018. To address the rapid decline in hypertension control, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention convened a virtual workshop with multidisciplinary national experts. Also, the group sought to identify opportunities to reverse the adverse trend and further improve hypertension control. The workshop immediately preceded the Surgeon General's Call to Action to Control Hypertension, which recognized a stagnation in progress with hypertension control. The presentations and discussions included potential reasons for the decline and challenges in hypertension control, possible "big ideas," and multisector approaches that could reverse the current trend while addressing knowledge gaps and research priorities. The broad set of "big ideas" was comprised of various activities that may improve hypertension control, including: interventions to engage patients, promotion of self-measured BP monitoring with clinical support, supporting team-based care, implementing telehealth, enhancing community-clinical linkages, advancing precision population health, developing tailored public health messaging, simplifying hypertension treatment, using process and outcomes quality metrics to foster accountability and efficiency, improving access to high-quality health care, addressing social determinants of health, supporting cardiovascular public health and research, and lowering financial barriers to hypertension control.

PURPOSE: This study updates cardiac rehabilitation (CR) utilization data in a cohort of Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized for CR-eligible events in 2017, including stratification by select patient demographics and state of residence. METHODS: We identified Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries who experienced a CR-eligible event and assessed their CR participation (≥1 CR sessions in 365 d), engagement, and completion (≥36 sessions) rates through September 7, 2019. Measures were assessed overall, by beneficiary characteristics and state of residence, and by primary (myocardial infarction; coronary artery bypass surgery; heart valve repair/replacement; percutaneous coronary intervention; or heart/heart-lung transplant) and secondary (angina; heart failure) qualifying event type. RESULTS: In 2017, 412 080 Medicare beneficiaries had a primary CR-eligible event and 28.6% completed ≥1 session of CR within 365 d after discharge from a qualifying event. Among beneficiaries who completed ≥1 CR session, the mean total number of sessions was 25 ± 12 and 27.6% completed ≥36 sessions. Nebraska had the highest enrollment rate (56.1%), with four other states also achieving an enrollment rate >50% and 23 states falling below the overall rate for the United States. CONCLUSIONS: The absolute enrollment, engagement, and program completion rates remain low among Medicare beneficiaries, indicating that many patients did not benefit or fully benefit from a class I guideline-recommended therapy. Additional research and continued widespread adoption of successful enrollment and engagement initiatives are needed, especially among identified populations.

IMPORTANCE: Vaccination against COVID-19 provides clear public health benefits, but vaccination also carries potential risks. The risks and outcomes of myocarditis after COVID-19 vaccination are unclear. OBJECTIVE: To describe reports of myocarditis and the reporting rates after mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccination in the US. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Descriptive study of reports of myocarditis to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) that occurred after mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine administration between December 2020 and August 2021 in 192 405 448 individuals older than 12 years of age in the US; data were processed by VAERS as of September 30, 2021. EXPOSURES: Vaccination with BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) or mRNA-1273 (Moderna). MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Reports of myocarditis to VAERS were adjudicated and summarized for all age groups. Crude reporting rates were calculated across age and sex strata. Expected rates of myocarditis by age and sex were calculated using 2017-2019 claims data. For persons younger than 30 years of age, medical record reviews and clinician interviews were conducted to describe clinical presentation, diagnostic test results, treatment, and early outcomes. RESULTS: Among 192 405 448 persons receiving a total of 354 100 845 mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines during the study period, there were 1991 reports of myocarditis to VAERS and 1626 of these reports met the case definition of myocarditis. Of those with myocarditis, the median age was 21 years (IQR, 16-31 years) and the median time to symptom onset was 2 days (IQR, 1-3 days). Males comprised 82% of the myocarditis cases for whom sex was reported. The crude reporting rates for cases of myocarditis within 7 days after COVID-19 vaccination exceeded the expected rates of myocarditis across multiple age and sex strata. The rates of myocarditis were highest after the second vaccination dose in adolescent males aged 12 to 15 years (70.7 per million doses of the BNT162b2 vaccine), in adolescent males aged 16 to 17 years (105.9 per million doses of the BNT162b2 vaccine), and in young men aged 18 to 24 years (52.4 and 56.3 per million doses of the BNT162b2 vaccine and the mRNA-1273 vaccine, respectively). There were 826 cases of myocarditis among those younger than 30 years of age who had detailed clinical information available; of these cases, 792 of 809 (98%) had elevated troponin levels, 569 of 794 (72%) had abnormal electrocardiogram results, and 223 of 312 (72%) had abnormal cardiac magnetic resonance imaging results. Approximately 96% of persons (784/813) were hospitalized and 87% (577/661) of these had resolution of presenting symptoms by hospital discharge. The most common treatment was nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (589/676; 87%). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Based on passive surveillance reporting in the US, the risk of myocarditis after receiving mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines was increased across multiple age and sex strata and was highest after the second vaccination dose in adolescent males and young men. This risk should be considered in the context of the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic is an ongoing global health threat, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Questions remain about how SARS-CoV-2 impacts pregnant individuals and their children. OBJECTIVE: To expand our understanding of the effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy on pregnancy outcomes, regardless of symptomatology, by using serological tests to measure IgG antibody levels. METHODS: The Generation C Study is an ongoing prospective cohort study conducted at the Mount Sinai Health System. All pregnant individuals receiving obstetrical care at the Mount Sinai Healthcare System from 20 April 2020 onwards are eligible for participation. For the current analysis, we included participants who had given birth to a liveborn singleton infant on or before 22 September 2020. For each woman, we tested the latest prenatal blood sample available to establish seropositivity using a SARS-CoV-2 serologic enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Additionally, RT-PCR testing was performed on a nasopharyngeal swab taken during labour. Pregnancy outcomes of interest (i.e., gestational age at delivery, preterm birth, small for gestational age, Apgar scores, maternal and neonatal intensive care unit admission, and length of neonatal hospital stay) and covariates were extracted from medical records. Excluding individuals who tested RT-PCR positive at delivery, we conducted crude and adjusted regression models to compare antibody positive with antibody negative individuals at delivery. We stratified analyses by race/ethnicity to examine potential effect modification. RESULTS: The SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence based on IgG measurement was 16.4% (95% confidence interval 13.7, 19.3; n=116). Twelve individuals (1.7%) were SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR positive at delivery. Seropositive individuals were generally younger, more often Black or Hispanic, and more often had public insurance and higher pre-pregnancy BMI compared with seronegative individuals. None of the examined pregnancy outcomes differed by seropositivity, overall or stratified by race/ethnicity. CONCLUSION: Seropositivity for SARS-CoV-2 without RT-PCR positivity at delivery (suggesting that infection occurred earlier during pregnancy) was not associated with selected adverse maternal or neonatal outcomes among live births in a cohort sample from New York City.

This article describes the October 2020 proceedings of the Million Hearts Cardiac Rehabilitation Think Tank: Accelerating New Care Models, convened with representatives from professional organizations, cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs, academic institutions, federal agencies, payers, and patient representative groups. As CR delivery evolves, terminology is evolving to reflect not where activities occur (eg, center, home) but how CR is delivered: in-person synchronous, synchronous with real-time audiovisual communication (virtual), or asynchronous (remote). Patients and CR staff may interact through ≥1 delivery modes. Though new models may change how CR is delivered and who can access CR, new models should not change what is delivered-a multidisciplinary program addressing CR core components. During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health emergency, Medicare issued waivers to allow virtual CR; it is unclear whether these waivers will become permanent policy post-public health emergency. Given CR underuse and disparities in delivery, new models must equitably address patient and health system contributors to disparities. Strategies for implementing new CR care models address safety, exercise prescription, monitoring, and education. The available evidence supports the efficacy and safety of new CR care models. Still, additional research should study diverse populations, impact on patient-centered outcomes, effect on long-term outcomes and health care utilization, and implementation in diverse settings. CR is evolving to include in-person synchronous, virtual, and remote modes of delivery; there is significant enthusiasm for implementing new care models and learning how new care models can broaden access to CR, improve patient outcomes, and address health inequities.

BACKGROUND: PCSK9 inhibitors were approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2015 to lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels. In the years following, additional research findings, changes in national guideline recommendations, and price reductions have occurred. OBJECTIVE: The goal of the study is to describe the characteristics and trends in PCSK9 inhibitor prescription fills and price, from initial FDA approval in Quarter 3 2015 through Quarter 4 2019, at the national and state levels. METHODS: Cross-sectional study of fills obtained using the IQVIA National Prescription Audit®, Extended Insights, New to Brand, and Regional databases. Prescription fills included injections that provided cholesterol-lowering therapy from 14 to 90 days for the two PCSK9 inhibitors: alirocumab (75 mg/mL and 150 mg/mL) or evolocumab (140 mg/mL and 420 mg/3.5 mL). Quarterly prescription fills obtained nationally for Quarter 3 2015 through Quarter 4 2019, by sex, age, and state during 2019. RESULTS: Over the time period examined, 2.75 million PCSK9 inhibitor prescriptions were filled nationally (alirocumab: 38%; evolocumab: 62%), and the average retail price per fill (unadjusted $US) from retail pharmacies decreased by 40% from $1502 to $896 per fill. Year-over-year percent change in new PCSK9 inhibitor users increased throughout the observation period, with 9611 new alirocumab users and 25,381 new evolocumab users in Q4 2019. PCSK9 inhibitor fill rates ranged from 5.6 per 1000 in the Northeast to 3.4 per 1000 in the West in 2019, with the highest rate per 1000 in Louisiana (9.1), and lowest in Wyoming (1.3). CONCLUSIONS: PCSK9 inhibitor prescriptions have increased nationally since 2015, coinciding with additional evidence supporting their use for LDL-C lowering and cardiovascular event reduction. Although the retail price has decreased since introduction, cost and delivery mode likely continue as barriers.

Twenty-five years after the influenza pandemic of 1918, the first inactivated influenza vaccine was produced by the US Army for use in US troops.1 Since 1960, the US Surgeon General and US Centers for Disease and Control Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices have recommended influenza vaccination for people living with chronic disease such as atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and heart failure.2 A scientific advisory from the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology supports influenza as a class I recommendation for secondary cardiovascular prevention (level of evidence, B).3 Despite compelling data regarding this safe and evidence-based preventive health measure, influenza vaccination rates remain suboptimal, even among those living with high-risk conditions and other vulnerable populations including marginalized racial/ethnic groups, persons without insurance, and individuals with lower socioeconomic status.4

Million Hearts and partners have been committed to raising national cardiac rehabilitation participation rates to a goal of 70%. Quality improvement tools, resources, and surveillance models have been developed in support. Efforts to enhance research programs and collaborative initiatives have created momentum to accelerate implementation of new care models.

Million Hearts is a national initiative co-led by CDC and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services that aims to prevent 1 million heart attacks, strokes, and other related acute cardiovascular events by 2022 (1,2). On November 19, 2019, the initiative recognized 17 Million Hearts Hypertension Control Champions for achieving ≥80% blood pressure control rates among their patients with hypertension. These Champions include clinicians, practices, health centers, and health systems from 15 states that provide care for 201,045 adult patients, approximately one third (68,019) of whom have hypertension. The Hypertension Control Challenge is held annually to identify new Champions, with a call for applications in the spring, review and vetting in the summer, and announcement of Champions in the late fall. Since 2012, Million Hearts has recognized 118 Champions from 36 states and the District of Columbia who care for more than 15 million adult patients, including 5 million with hypertension (Table).*

Incarceration history can affect sexual health behaviors. A randomized controlled trial of a prevention intervention tailored for post-incarcerated men was administered in a reentry setting. Men </=45 days post release were recruited into a five-session intervention study. Participants ( N = 255) were assessed and tested for three sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and HIV at baseline and 3 months post-intervention and followed up for 3 more months. The intervention group's STD risks knowledge ( p < .001), partner communication about condoms ( p < .001), and condom application skills ( p < .001) improved. Although fewer men tested positive for an STD at 3 months post-intervention (10% vs. 8%) and no new HIV cases were found, the finding was not significant. A tailored risk reduction intervention for men with incarceration histories can affect sexual risk behaviors.

OBJECTIVES: To examine whether access to housing assistance is associated with better health among low-income adults. METHODS: We used National Health Interview Survey data (1999-2012) linked to US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) administrative records (1999-2014) to examine differences in reported fair or poor health and psychological distress. We used multivariable models to compare those currently receiving HUD housing assistance (public housing, housing choice vouchers, and multifamily housing) with those who will receive housing assistance within 2 years (the average duration of HUD waitlists) to account for selection into HUD assistance. RESULTS: We found reduced odds of fair or poor health for current public housing (odds ratio [OR] = 0.77; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.57, 0.97) and multifamily housing (OR = 0.75; 95% CI = 0.60, 0.95) residents compared with future residents. Public housing residents also had reduced odds of psychological distress (OR = 0.59; 95% CI = 0.40, 0.86). These differences were not mediated by neighborhood-level characteristics, and we did not find any health benefits for current housing choice voucher recipients. CONCLUSIONS: Housing assistance is associated with improved health and psychological well-being for individuals entering public housing and multifamily housing programs. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print February 16, 2017: e1-e8. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2016.303649).

Among our cohort of adolescents and young adults with perinatally acquired human immunodeficiency virus, few (17.6%) had measles protective antibodies by plaque reduction neutralization (PRN). Agreement was demonstrated between the commercial enzyme immunoassay and the PRN assay (K = 0.59 [95% confidence interval: 0.23-0.95]). Further studies are needed to understand the determinants of immunity in this population.

OBJECTIVE: Stromal derived factor-1alpha/CXCL12 is a chemoattractant responsible for homing of progenitor cells to ischemic tissues. We aimed to investigate the association of plasma CXCL12 with long-term cardiovascular outcomes in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). METHODS: 785 patients aged: 63 +/- 12 undergoing coronary angiography were independently enrolled into discovery (N = 186) and replication (N = 599) cohorts. Baseline levels of plasma CXCL12 were measured using Quantikine CXCL12 ELISA assay (R&D systems). Patients were followed for cardiovascular death and/or myocardial infarction (MI) for a mean of 2.6 yrs. Cox proportional hazard was used to determine independent predictors of cardiovascular death/MI. RESULTS: The incidence of cardiovascular death/MI was 13% (N = 99). High CXCL12 level based on best discriminatory threshold derived from the ROC analysis predicted risk of cardiovascular death/MI (HR = 4.81, p = 1 x 10(-6)) independent of traditional risk factors in the pooled cohort. Addition of CXCL12 to a baseline model was associated with a significant improvement in c-statistic (AUC: 0.67-0.73, p = 0.03). Addition of CXCL12 was associated with correct risk reclassification of 40% of events and 10.5% of non-events. Similarly for the outcome of cardiovascular death, the addition of the CXCL12 to the baseline model was associated with correct reclassification of 20.7% of events and 9% of non-events. These results were replicated in two independent cohorts. CONCLUSION: Plasma CXCL12 level is a strong independent predictor of adverse cardiovascular outcomes in patients with CAD and improves risk reclassification.

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a genetic disease characterized by substantial elevations of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, unrelated to diet or lifestyle. Untreated FH patients have 20 times the risk of developing coronary artery disease, compared with the general population. Estimates indicate that as many as 1 in 500 people of all ethnicities and 1 in 250 people of Northern European descent may have FH; nevertheless, the condition remains largely undiagnosed. In the United States alone, perhaps as little as 1% of FH patients have been diagnosed. Consequently, there are potentially millions of children and adults worldwide who are unaware that they have a life-threatening condition. In countries like the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Spain, cascade screening programs have led to dramatic improvements in FH case identification. Given that there are currently no systematic approaches in the United States to identify FH patients or affected relatives, the patient-centric nonprofit FH Foundation convened a national FH Summit in 2013, where participants issued a "call to action" to health care providers, professional organizations, public health programs, patient advocacy groups, and FH experts, in order to bring greater attention to this potentially deadly, but (with proper diagnosis) eminently treatable, condition.

BACKGROUND: Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAT) with clopidogrel plus aspirin is a well-established antithrombotic strategy, with hemorrhage being the chief adverse event (AE) of concern. Outside of clinical trials, few published data describe the magnitude and nature of hemorrhage-related AEs from DAT. METHODS: To estimate the numbers and rates of emergency department (ED) visits for hemorrhage-related AEs (hemorrhage or evaluation for potential hemorrhage) from DAT in the United States and put them in the context of those from warfarin, we analyzed AEs from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System-Cooperative Adverse Drug Event Surveillance project, 2006-2008, and outpatient prescribing from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, 2006-2007. RESULTS: Based on 384 cases, there were an estimated 7654 (95% confidence interval [CI], 3325-11 983) ED visits annually for hemorrhage-related AEs from DAT compared with 2926 cases and an estimated 60,575 (36,117-85,033) ED visits from warfarin. Approximately 60% of ED visits for DAT consisted of epistaxis or other minor hemorrhages (eg, bleeding from small cuts). The risk of hospitalization for ED visits involving acute hemorrhages was not significantly different between DAT and warfarin (risk ratio, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.38-1.08). The estimated rate of ED visits involving acute hemorrhages from DAT was 1.2 per 1000 outpatient prescription visits vs 2.5 per 1000 outpatient prescription visits for warfarin (risk ratio, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.15-0.83). CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that the acute hemorrhagic risk with DAT is clinically significant and reinforce the importance of practitioners and patients recognizing and anticipating this risk.