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Biomedical subjects

Sumit R Majumdar

Publications and source records attributed to Sumit R Majumdar.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed2005

History of depression increases risk of type 2 diabetes in younger adults.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess the history of previous depression in people with incident diabetes compared with people without diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We conducted a population-based nested case-control study using the administrative databases of Saskatchewan Health to assess the study objective. We identified cases of type 2 diabetes based on diagnostics codes and prescription records for individuals over the age of 20 years. For each case subject, two control subjects were randomly selected from the nondiabetic population during the same index year. History of depression, based on diagnostic codes and antidepressant prescription, was ascertained up to 3 years before index date. Simple and multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% CIs, after adjusting for age, sex, and frequency of physician visits. RESULTS: Individuals with newly diagnosed diabetes (1,622 of 33,257; 4.9%) were 30% more likely to have had a previous history of depression compared with people without diabetes (2,279 of 59,420; 3.8%). This increased risk remained after controlling for sex and number of physician visits but was limited to subjects 20-50 years of age (adjusted OR 1.23 [95% CI 1.10-1.37]) and not in those aged > or =51 years (0.92 [0.84-1.00]). CONCLUSIONS: Depression appears to increase the risk of developing diabetes by approximately 23% in younger adults. This provides information regarding the temporality of the relationship between diabetes and depression.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

The effectiveness of beta-blockers after myocardial infarction in patients with type 2 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: Beta-blocker therapy has been proven to reduce mortality and reinfarction after myocardial infarction (MI), but the impact of beta-blockers on cardiac outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes in routine practice is not clear. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of beta-blockers after MI in patients with type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Using the Saskatchewan Health Databases, 12,272 patients with newly treated diabetes were identified between 1991 and 1996; 625 patients were subsequently admitted for MI. Beta-blocker exposure within 30 days of discharge was identified in 298 patients, and all were followed until death, coverage termination, or 31 December 1999. Multivariate proportional hazards models were used to assess differences in all-cause mortality, recurrent MI, and 30-day all-cause rehospitalization (the latter a proxy measure for drug safety). RESULTS: Patients were aged 69 +/- 11 years old, 66% were male, and mean follow-up was 2.7 +/- 2.1 years. Overall, beta-blockers were prescribed for 48% of patients. There were fewer deaths in the beta-blocker group versus control subjects (55 of 298 [18.5%] vs. 126 of 327 [38.5%], respectively, P < 0.001). However, beta-blockers were not associated with improved survival in multivariate analyses (hazard ratio [HR] 0.89 [95% CI 0.63-1.25]). There were no differences in rates of recurrent MI (adjusted HR 1.35 [0.93-1.95]) or rehospitalizations (adjusted odds ratio 1.40 [0.83-2.37]) between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Beta-blocker therapy post-MI was not associated with reduced mortality or fewer recurrent events in people with type 2 diabetes in routine practice, although these medications were safe in this population.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗
PubMed2004

Development and initial validation of a risk score for predicting in-hospital and 1-year mortality in patients with hip fractures.

UNLABELLED: Our objectives were to better define the rates and determinants of in-hospital and 1-year mortality after hip fracture. We studied a population-based cohort of 3981 hip fracture patients. Using multivariable regression methods, we identified risk factors for mortality (older age, male sex, long-term care residence, 10 prefracture co-morbidities) and calculated a hip fracture-specific score that could accurately predict or risk-adjust in-hospital and 1-year mortality. Our methods, after further validation, may be useful for comparing outcomes across hospitals or regions. INTRODUCTION: Hip fractures in the elderly are common and associated with significant mortality and variations in outcome. The rates and determinants of mortality after hip fracture are not well defined. Our objectives were (1) to define the rate of in-hospital and 1-year mortality in hip fracture patients, (2) to describe co-morbidities at the time of fracture, and (3) to develop and validate a multivariable risk-adjustment model for mortality. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied a population-based cohort of 3981 hip fracture patients > or =60 years of age admitted to hospitals in a large Canadian health region from 1994 to 2000. We collected sociodemographic and prefracture co-morbidity data. Main outcomes were in-hospital and 1-year mortality. We used multivariable regression methods to first derive a risk-adjustment model for mortality in 2187 patients treated at one hospital and then validated it in 1794 patients treated at another hospital. These models were used to calculate a score that could predict or risk-adjust in-hospital and 1-year mortality after hip fracture. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The median age of the cohort was 82 years, 71% were female, and 26% had more than four prefracture co-morbidities. In-hospital mortality was 6.3%; 10.2% for men and 4.7% for women (adjusted odds ratio, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.3-2.4). Mortality at 1 year was 30.8%; 37.5% for men and 28.2% for women (adjusted p < 0.001). Older age, male sex, long-term care residence, and 10 different co-morbidities were independently associated with mortality. Risk-adjustment models based on these variables had excellent accuracy for predicting mortality in-hospital (c-statistic = 0.82) and at 1 year (c-statistic = 0.74). We conclude that 1 in 15 elderly patients with hip fracture will die during hospitalization, and almost one-third of those who survive to discharge will die within the year. The determinants of mortality were primarily older age, male sex, and prefracture co-morbidities. Our hip fracture-specific risk-adjustment tool is pragmatic and reliable, and after further validation, may be useful for comparing outcomes across different hospitals or regions.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Evidence of suboptimal management of cardiovascular risk in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and symptomatic atherosclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Given that most deaths among patients with diabetes mellitus are due to cardiovascular disease, we sought to determine the extent to which medications proven to reduce cardiovascular mortality are prescribed for patients with type 2 diabetes who have symptomatic atherosclerosis (i.e., coronary artery disease [CAD], cerebrovascular disease [CBVD] or peripheral arterial disease [PAD]). METHODS: Administrative records from Saskatchewan Health were used to evaluate the use of antiplatelet agents, statins and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors by people with treated type 2 diabetes with and without symptomatic atherosclerosis. CAD and CBVD were defined by International Classification of Diseases (ninth revision) codes, and PAD was defined on the basis of pentoxifylline use or lower limb amputation. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to compare medication use in patients with and without PAD, with adjustments for differences in age, sex and comorbidity. RESULTS: In this cohort of 12,106 patients with type 2 diabetes (mean age 64 years, 55% male, mean follow-up 5 years), fewer than 25% received an antiplatelet agent or statin, and fewer than 50% received an ACE inhibitor. Although patients with CAD were more likely to receive antiplatelet agents, statins or ACE inhibitors than people without CAD (p < 0.001 for all), the overall use of these medications was suboptimal (37%, 29% and 60% respectively among patients with symptomatic CAD). Similar patterns of practice were found for patients with symptomatic CBVD and PAD. All 3 proven efficacious therapies were prescribed for only 11% of patients with CAD, 22% with CBVD and 12% with PAD. Patients with PAD who had undergone lower limb amputation were no more likely to subsequently receive antiplatelet agents or statins than those without an amputation. INTERPRETATION: Diabetic patients with symptomatic atherosclerotic disease are undertreated with medications known to reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, perhaps because of a "glucocentric" view of diabetes. Programs to improve the quality of cardiovascular risk reduction in these high-risk patients are needed.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Promotion and prescribing of hormone therapy after report of harm by the Women's Health Initiative.

CONTEXT: Little is known about how the pharmaceutical industry responds to evidence of harm associated with its products, such as the publication in July 2002 of the Women's Health Initiative Estrogen Plus Progestin Trial (WHI E+P) report demonstrating that standard-dose Prempro produced significant harm and lacked net benefits. OBJECTIVE: To examine pharmaceutical industry response to the WHI E+P results by analyzing promotional expenditures for hormone therapy before and after July 2002. DESIGN AND SETTING: Nationally representative and prospectively collected longitudinal data (January 2001 through December 2003) on prescribing and promotion of hormone therapies were obtained from IMS Health and Consumer Media Reports. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Trends in quarterly prescriptions for hormone therapy and expenditures on 5 modes of drug promotion: samples, office-based detailing, hospital-based promotion, journal advertisements, and direct-to-consumer advertising. RESULTS: Prior to the WHI E+P report, prescribing rates and promotional spending for hormone therapy were stable. In the quarter before the WHI E+P report (April-June 2002), 22.4 million prescriptions for hormone therapy were dispensed and 71 million dollars was spent on promotion (in annual terms, 350 dollars per year per US physician). Within 9 months of the report's publication (quarter 1 of 2003), there was a 32% decrease in hormone therapy prescriptions, and a nadir had been reached for promotional spending (37% decrease compared with pre-WHI E+P levels). Spending decreased for all promotional activities and most hormone therapies. Overall, the greatest declines were for samples (36% decrease as of quarter 1 of 2003) and direct-to-consumer advertising (100% decrease). The greatest declines in promotion occurred for standard-dose Prempro (61% decrease as of quarter 1 of 2003), the agent implicated by the WHI E+P report. More recently, promotional efforts have increased, particularly for lower-dose Prempro, a resurgence associated with modestly increased prescriptions for this newer agent. CONCLUSIONS: Concordant with its widespread use, hormone therapy was among the most heavily promoted medications prior to the WHI E+P report. Following reporting of the evidence of harm from this trial, there was a substantial decline in promotional spending for hormone therapy, particularly for the agents most directly implicated in the trial. Interrelated with the impact of the trial results themselves and the ensuing media coverage, reduced promotion may have contributed to a substantial decline in hormone therapy prescriptions.

Advertising↗
PubMed2004

A controlled trial to increase detection and treatment of osteoporosis in older patients with a wrist fracture.

BACKGROUND: Despite the high risk for future fractures and the availability of effective treatments, fewer than 10% to 20% of patients who sustain a fragility fracture are tested or treated for osteoporosis. OBJECTIVES: To improve rates of testing and treatment for osteoporosis in patients with wrist fractures who are seen in the emergency department. DESIGN: Nonrandomized, controlled trial with blinded ascertainment of outcomes. SETTING: Emergency departments in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. PATIENTS: Persons 50 years of age or older who were treated for a wrist fracture and their physicians. Patients admitted to the hospital or treated for osteoporosis were excluded. Overall, 572 consecutive patients with fractures were screened, and 102 patients (55 intervention, 47 control) and 101 physicians were studied. MEASUREMENTS: The primary end point was the prescription of osteoporosis treatment 6 months after fracture. Secondary end points included rates of testing for bone mineral density and patients' knowledge, satisfaction, and quality of life. INTERVENTION: Faxed physician reminders that contained osteoporosis treatment guidelines endorsed by local opinion leaders and patient education. Control patients received usual care and information about falls and home safety. RESULTS: The median patient age was 66 years. Most patients were female (78%) and white (79%); 70% of patients reported a previous fracture, and 22% had a fall with injury in the previous year. The intervention increased the rates of testing for bone mineral density to 62% (vs. 17% for controls; adjusted relative increase, 3.6 [P < 0.001]) and the rates of osteoporosis treatment to 40% (vs. 10% for controls; adjusted relative increase, 3.8 [P = 0.002]) within 6 months of fracture. Intervention patients were more likely to report a diagnosis of osteoporosis, but other patient-reported outcomes did not differ significantly between groups. LIMITATIONS: This was a small, nonrandomized, controlled study with process-based outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: In a multifaceted intervention directed at patients and their physicians, the rates of testing and treatment for osteoporosis after emergency department care for a fragility fracture were more than 3 times those of controls.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Patients admitted to hospital with suspected pneumonia and normal chest radiographs: epidemiology, microbiology, and outcomes.

PURPOSE: To describe the prevalence of patients admitted to hospital with a diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia who have normal chest radiographs; the extent to which patients actually had pneumonia on radiographs; and to compare presentation and outcomes in patients with a lower respiratory tract infection and those whose clinical diagnosis of pneumonia was confirmed by radiography. METHODS: We studied a population-based cohort of 2706 adults who were admitted with suspected pneumonia and managed using a clinical pathway. We stratified patients by presence or absence of radiograph-confirmed pneumonia, and compared their characteristics and in-hospital mortality. We also performed an independent review of a 10% sample of "normal" chest radiographs and classified them according to the presence or absence of pneumonia. RESULTS: One third (n=911) of patients admitted with pneumonia had their initial radiograph reported as "no pneumonia." Independent review found that only 7% (6/92) of radiographs developed an opacity that confirmed pneumonia. Characteristics were similar among admitted patients irrespective of radiographic findings, although patients without pneumonia on radiograph were older (mean [+/- SD] age, 73 +/- 15 years vs. 68 +/- 19 years, P <0.001) and had greater pneumonia-specific severity-of-illness scores (104 +/- 32 vs. 99 +/- 37, P=0.004). Patients without radiographic confirmation of pneumonia had similar rates of positive sputum cultures (32% [87/271] vs. 30% [208/706], P=0.42) and blood cultures (6% [35/576] vs. 8% [100/1241], P=0.13), but microbiology results differed, with a shift away from Streptococcus pneumoniae towards other streptococci species and gram-negative aerobic bacilli. In-hospital mortality was similar for both groups of patients (8% [64/911] in the unconfirmed pneumonia group vs. 10% [165/1795] in the confirmed group, adjusted P=0.09). CONCLUSION: One third of patients suspected of having pneumonia and admitted to hospital did not have pneumonia, but had serious lower respiratory tract infections with substantial rates of bacteremia and mortality. The absence of radiographic findings should not supercede clinical judgment and empiric treatments in these patients.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Lack of insurance coverage for testing supplies is associated with poorer glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Public insurance for testing supplies for self-monitoring of blood glucose is highly variable across Canada. We sought to determine if insured patients were more likely than uninsured patients to use self-monitoring and whether they had better glycemic control. METHODS: We used baseline survey and laboratory data from patients enrolled in a randomized controlled trial examining the effect of paying for testing supplies on glycemic control. We recruited patients through community pharmacies in Alberta and Saskatchewan from Nov. 2001 to June 2003. To avoid concerns regarding differences in provincial coverage of self-monitoring and medications, we report the analysis of Alberta patients only. RESULTS: Among our sample of 405 patients, 41% had private or public insurance coverage for self-monitoring testing supplies. Patients with insurance had significantly lower hemoglobin A(1c) concentrations than those without insurance coverage (7.1% v. 7.4%, p = 0.03). Patients with insurance were younger, had a higher income, were less likely to have a high school education and were less likely to be married or living with a partner. In multivariate analyses that controlled for these and other potential confounders, lack of insurance coverage for self-monitoring testing supplies was still significantly associated with higher hemoglobin A(1c) concentrations (adjusted difference 0.5%, p = 0.006). INTERPRETATION: Patients without insurance for self-monitoring test strips had poorer glycemic control.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

The Canadian Adverse Events Study: the incidence of adverse events among hospital patients in Canada.

BACKGROUND: Research into adverse events (AEs) has highlighted the need to improve patient safety. AEs are unintended injuries or complications resulting in death, disability or prolonged hospital stay that arise from health care management. We estimated the incidence of AEs among patients in Canadian acute care hospitals. METHODS: We randomly selected 1 teaching, 1 large community and 2 small community hospitals in each of 5 provinces (British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia) and reviewed a random sample of charts for nonpsychiatric, nonobstetric adult patients in each hospital for the fiscal year 2000. Trained reviewers screened all eligible charts, and physicians reviewed the positively screened charts to identify AEs and determine their preventability. RESULTS: At least 1 screening criterion was identified in 1527 (40.8%) of 3745 charts. The physician reviewers identified AEs in 255 of the charts. After adjustment for the sampling strategy, the AE rate was 7.5 per 100 hospital admissions (95% confidence interval [CI] 5.7- 9.3). Among the patients with AEs, events judged to be preventable occurred in 36.9% (95% CI 32.0%-41.8%) and death in 20.8% (95% CI 7.8%-33.8%). Physician reviewers estimated that 1521 additional hospital days were associated with AEs. Although men and women experienced equal rates of AEs, patients who had AEs were significantly older than those who did not (mean age [and standard deviation] 64.9 [16.7] v. 62.0 [18.4] years; p = 0.016). INTERPRETATION: The overall incidence rate of AEs of 7.5% in our study suggests that, of the almost 2.5 million annual hospital admissions in Canada similar to the type studied, about 185 000 are associated with an AE and close to 70 000 of these are potentially preventable.

Canada↗
PubMed2004

From knowledge to practice in chronic cardiovascular disease: a long and winding road.

Although clinical practices evolve over time, the translation of specific research evidence into clinical practice is unpredictable, inconsistent, and complex. In this paper, we use examples from chronic cardiovascular conditions to: 1). highlight two types of care gaps; 2). describe the most common potential barriers to the application of evidence into clinical care; and 3). outline which of the strategies for translating evidence into clinical care have been shown to be ineffective, which strategies have been shown to be effective and to describe some untested approaches that hold promise.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗
PubMed2004

Radiologic and patient-reported functional outcomes in an elderly cohort with conservatively treated distal radius fractures.

PURPOSE: There have been few prospective studies of elderly patients with conservatively treated distal radius fractures and little is known about the relationship between acceptable radiographic reduction and functional outcomes in this population. We hypothesized that acceptable fracture reduction (according to standard radiographic dorsal/volar tilt criteria) would be associated with better functional outcomes and greater satisfaction. METHODS: Seventy-four patients who were at least 50 years of age with conservatively managed distal radius fractures were recruited from 2 large urban emergency departments from January 2001 to December 2001. Patients with wrist fractures treated in the emergency department and discharged home were included; patients admitted to the hospital or who required surgical reduction were excluded. Standard lateral radiographs were taken after the final cast was removed. These were reviewed independently by a reference-standard musculoskeletal radiologist and the degree of dorsal/volar tilt was recorded. This value was dichotomized according to standard published dorsal/volar tilt criteria as acceptable (dorsal tilt <10 degrees or volar tilt <20 degrees ) or unacceptable (dorsal tilt >10 degrees or volar tilt >20 degrees ). The Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form 12 (SF-12); the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand questionnaire; and a patient satisfaction survey were used to assess patient-reported outcomes 6 months after the injury. RESULTS: The average dorsal/volar tilt measured by the reference standard radiologist was 3.4 degrees (SD=13.6) dorsal; overall 47 patients (64%) were considered to have an acceptable radiographic reduction. Acceptable radiographic reduction was not associated with better generic physical or mental health status, lesser degrees of upper-extremity disability, or greater satisfaction with outcomes than was unacceptable reduction. Overall 44 of 74 patients (59%) reported being satisfied or very satisfied with their functional status at 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: Contrary to our hypotheses we found that acceptable radiographic reduction (according to dorsal/volar tilt criteria) was not associated with better self-reported functional outcomes or increased satisfaction at 6 months in elderly patients with conservatively treated distal radius fractures.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Underuse of aspirin in type 2 diabetes mellitus: prevalence and correlates of therapy in rural Canada.

BACKGROUND: Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) have a markedly increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Guidelines of both the American and Canadian Diabetes Associations recommend the use of aspirin as antiplatelet therapy for all adults with type 2 DM. OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to assess the rate of adherence to guidelines for aspirin use in DM patients in rural Canadian communities and to describe the independent correlates of aspirin use in this population. METHODS: We collected information from a cohort of patients with type 2 DM living in 2 rural regions of northern Alberta, Canada, at the time of their enrollment in a multidisciplinary outreach program designed to improve their quality of care. Our primary outcome was self-reported use of antiplatelet therapy (aspirin or others). We use multivariate logistic regression analyses to examine the independent association between sociodemographic and clinical characteristics and self-reported use of antiplatelet agents. RESULTS: Among 342 patients included in the study (who were typical of rural Canadian patients with type 2 DM), the mean age was 62.9 years; 149 (44%) were men, 84 (25%) were of indigenous origin, and the median time since diagnosis of DM was 8 years. Despite guideline recommendations, only 23% of the cohort (78 patients) were regularly taking aspirin alone or in combination with a thienopyridine (n = 74 and n = 2, respectively) or a thienopyridine alone (n = 2). The results of them ultivariate analyses showed that the only factors independently associated with the use of antiplatelet therapy were symptomatic coronary artery disease (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 3.1; 95% CI, 1.1-8.7; P=0.033 ), older age (AOR, 2.0 per 10-year interval; 95% CI, 1.7-2.2; P<0.001 ); and male sex (AOR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.1-3.5; P=0.026 ). CONCLUSIONS: Aspirin is a safe, inexpensive, and readily available therapy that is effective for preventing cardiovascular disease, and patients with type 2 DM are particularly likely to benefit from such preventive therapy. However, we found significant underuse of aspirin therapy among our study population. Aspirin should be included and better promoted as a factor in high-quality, evidence-based DM management.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Treatment gaps for hypertension management in rural Canadian patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND: There were a reported 2.2 million Canadians living with diabetes mellitus (DM) in 2002, of whom 1.98 million (90.0%) had type 2 DM. In addition, there are approximately 60,000 new cases of type 2 DM diagnosed in Canada each year. However, the research shows that evidence and guidelines for management of hypertension in DM are not always translated into clinical practice. In rural areas, factors affecting implementation of recommendations and/or guidelines are less well understood, although some studies suggest that urban practices provide higher quality of care overall than rural areas. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to describe the patterns of medication use for hypertension for patients with type 2 DM in rural northern Alberta, Canada. We also tried to identify treatment gaps and opportunities for prescribing antihypertensives relative to the Canadian Diabetes Association's 1998 Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Diabetes in Canada and the Canadian Hypertension Society Recommendations Working Group's 2003 Canadian Recommendations for the Management of Hypertension: Therapy. METHODS: This study was conducted at the Institute of Health Economics and the University of Alberta (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada). We collected information from a cohort of patients aged >or =20 years with type 2 DM living in 2 adjacent rural regions of northern Alberta, Canada, at the time of enrollment in a diabetes care quality-improvement program as part of the Diabetes Outreach Van Enhancement (DOVE) study. Treatment gaps were determined by comparing antihypertensive pharmacotherapy with a blood pressure (BP) target of < or =130/< or =85 mm Hg. We used multivariate regression analyses to determine the associations between sociodemographic and clinical characteristics and treatment gaps. RESULTS: A total of 392 patients (229 women, 164 men; mean [SD] age, 62.3 [12.5] years) with type 2 DM were included in this analysis. Patients had a mean (SD) duration of diabetes of 8.3 (8.5) years. A total of 75.8% (297/392) of the study population had hypertension, and most (236/392[60.2%]) were receiving some pharmacotherapy. Treatment gaps were present; 42.7% (n = 67) of patients not receiving pharmacotherapy for hypertension were above the established BP targets. For patients receiving monotherapy, 70% were not at BP targets. For patients receiving dual, triple, and > or =4 medications, 65%, 66%, and 46%, respectively, were not at BP targets. After controlling for systolic blood pressure, male sex (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.17; 95% CI, 1.17-4.03), older age (aOR, 1.80 per decade; 95% CI, 1.51-2.09), lower self-reported physical health (aOR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.41-0.96), higher body mass index (aOR, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.01-1.10), and past/current smoking (aOR, 1.95; 95% CI, 1.01-3.76) were all significantly associated with a lack of treatment for hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment maps in the management of hypertension exist in these rural Canadian patients with type 2 DM. Cardiovascular risk may be underestimated in these patients, particularly among younger patients and women, and those with multiple non-DM risk factors. These are patient subgroups that should be targeted as opportunities to improve hypertension management at the population level.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Do evidence-based treatments provide incremental benefits to patients with congestive heart failure already receiving angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors? A secondary analysis of one-year outcomes from the Assessment of Treatment with Lisinopril and Survival (ATLAS) study.

BACKGROUND: In patients with congestive heart failure (CHF), use of submaximal doses of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors (ie, low-dose ACE inhibitors) represents usual care in routine clinical practice, whereas high-dose ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers, and digoxin have each been shown to improve outcomes. OBJECTIVE: We examined whether treatment with high dose-ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers, and digoxin would each provide incremental benefits over that achieved with usual care and whether concurrent use of high-dose ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers, and digoxin would provide maximal benefits. METHODS: We conducted a secondary analysis of a randomized, controlled, active-comparator trial. Specifically, we studied 1-year outcomes data from the Assessment of Treatment with Lisinopril and Survival trial (ATLAS), which assessed high-dose ACE inhibitors (mean dosage, 33.2 mg daily lisinopril) versus low-dose ACE inhibitors (mean dosage, 4.5 mg daily lisinopril) in patients of any age with advanced CHF in 287 centers in 19 countries in the 1990s. In our analysis, patients were classified by their use of low-dose or high-dose ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers, and/or digoxin at the time of randomization. The primary outcome of interest was the ATLAS composite end point of all-cause mortality or hospitalization for any reason at 1 year. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to adjust for baseline differences in patient characteristics. RESULTS: The 3164 patients in the ATLAS study had a mean (SD) age of 64 (10) years; 2516 patients (80%) were men and 648 (20%) were women; mean (SD) left-ventricular ejection fraction was 23% (6%); and 2671 patients (84%) had New York Heart Association class III or IV symptoms. At 1 year, the mortality rate was 13% (408 patients); 43% (1369 patients) had > or =1 hospitalization; and the composite end point of mortality or hospitalization was 47% (1489 patients). Most patients (2873; 91%) remained on their initial treatment regimen. Compared with low-dose ACE inhibitors (n = 471), the composite end point decreased incrementally with the use of high-dose ACE inhibitors (n = 475) (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.93; P = NS), high-dose ACE inhibitors plus beta-blockers (n = 72) (aOR, 0.89; P = NS), and high-dose ACE inhibitors plus beta-blockers plus digoxin (n = 77) (aOR, 0.47; P = 0.006). In absolute proportions, patients receiving high-dose ACE inhibitors plus beta-blockers plus digoxin for 1 year had 12% fewer deaths and hospitalizations than patients receiving low-dose ACE inhibitors alone. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with usual care for patients with CHF, in this analysis, an evidence-based strategy that incorporated high-dose ACE inhibitors plus beta-blockers plus digoxin was associated with incrementally greater reductions in morbidity and mortality. These findings support treatment guidelines that recommend the concurrent use of all available proven efficacious treatment in patients with advanced CHF.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗
PubMed2004

Physician-perceived barriers to adopting a critical pathway for unity-acquired pneumonia.

BACKGROUND: A proven efficacious and evidence-based critical pathway for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) was implemented in six hospitals across a health service region (Edmonton, Canada). After one year (November 2000-November 2001), the pathway had reduced average length of stay by 1 day (from 10.8 to 9.8 days, p < .001). However, great variation was observed in physician adherence to the pathway. METHODS: Physician-perceived barriers to adoption of the CAP pathway were identified through in-depth interviews. Data saturation was reached after 10 physicians, representing a convenience sample of those willing to participate, were interviewed. RESULTS: Self-reported adherence to the CAP pathway was 75% (range 50%-100%). Qualitative analysis of the interview data indicated that comments could be grouped into five themes: (1) limited applicability, (2) lack of flexibility to accommodate atypical clinical presentations, (3) perception of insufficient evidence to support recommendations, (4) local organizational barriers, and (5) need for local adaptation. For example, one physician remarked that his community hospital had insufficient staff to support collection of lab samples for all patients. DISCUSSION: Interventions to increase pathway adoption and further improve quality of CAP care should address the identified barriers. For example, local audit and feedback of outcomes data to persuade physicians of the benefits of CAP pathways will need to be instituted.

Alberta↗
PubMed2004

Improvements in patient-reported outcomes associated with an intervention to enhance quality of care for rural patients with type 2 diabetes: results of a controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine patient-reported outcomes in a controlled trial of a multifaceted provider-level intervention to improve quality of care for rural patients with type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We conducted a before/after intervention study with concurrent controls in two rural regions in Alberta, Canada. The intervention consisted of six monthly visits by a multidisciplinary health care team and was primarily directed at primary care providers. Clinical and patient-reported outcomes were assessed after 6 months. Patient-reported outcomes included changes in health-related quality of life (Health Utilities Index Mark 3 [HUI3]), satisfaction with care, lifestyle (Diabetes Lifestyle Form), and adherence to self-care activities. Analysis of covariance was used to assess differences over time between the control and intervention regions. RESULTS: A total of 200 intervention and 172 control subjects were included in this analysis. After adjusting for important clinical and demographic differences, a statistically significant and clinically important improvement in the overall HUI3 score was seen at the 6-month follow-up in the intervention region (0.06 [95% CI 0.02-0.10]) compared with the control region (0.01 [-0.04 to 0.04]) (P = 0.03 for the difference between groups). Satisfaction with general medical care (P < 0.001 between groups) and diabetes care (P < 0.001 between groups) increased among patients in the intervention region compared with the control region. Self-efficacy, attitudes, and beliefs about diabetes control all increased in the intervention region when compared with the control region, but adherence to self-care activities did not. CONCLUSIONS: A provider-level intervention directed at improving quality of clinical care for patients with type 2 diabetes also had a favorable impact on overall health-related quality of life, satisfaction with care, and other humanistic outcomes.

Alberta↗
PubMed2004

Reduced mortality associated with the use of ACE inhibitors in patients with type 2 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: ACE inhibitor therapy is widely used in lower-risk patients with type 2 diabetes to reduce mortality, despite limited evidence to support this clinical strategy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between ACE inhibitor use and mortality in patients with diabetes and no cardiovascular disease. RESEARCH DESIGN AND SETTINGS: Using the Saskatchewan health databases, 12,272 new users of oral hypoglycemic agents were identified between the years of 1991 and 1996. We excluded 3,202 subjects with previous cardiovascular disease. Of the remaining subjects, 1,187 "new users" of ACE inhibitors were identified (ACE inhibitor cohort). Subjects not receiving ACE inhibitor therapy throughout the follow-up period served as the control cohort (n = 4,989). Subjects were prospectively followed until death or the end of 1999. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess differences in all-cause and cardiovascular-related mortality between cohort groups. RESULTS: Subjects were 60.7 +/- 13.7 years old, 43.6% female, and were followed for an average of 5.3 +/- 2.1 years. Mean duration of ACE inhibitor therapy was 3.6 +/- 1.8 years. We observed significantly fewer deaths in the ACE inhibitor group (102 [8.6%]) compared with the control cohort (853 [17.1%]), with an adjusted hazard ratio (HR) and 95% CI of 0.49 (0.40-0.61) (P < 0.001). Cardiovascular-related mortality was also reduced (40 [3.4%] vs. 261 [5.2%], adjusted HR, 0.63 [0.44-0.90]; P = 0.012). CONCLUSIONS: The use of ACE inhibitors was associated with a significant reduction in all-cause and cardiovascular-related mortality in a broad spectrum of patients with type 2 diabetes and no cardiovascular disease.

Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors↗