ORCID Profile
0000-0002-4807-4610
Current Organisation
University of Oxford
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Publisher: BMJ
Date: 20-01-2022
DOI: 10.1136/HEARTJNL-2021-320171
Abstract: Evidence from randomised trials of pharmacological treatments on long-term blood pressure (BP) reduction is limited. We investigated the antihypertensive drug effects on BP over time and across different participant characteristics. We conducted an in idual patient-level data meta-analysis of 52 large-scale randomised clinical trials in the Blood Pressure Lowering Treatment Trialists’ Collaboration using mixed models to examine treatment effects on BP over 4 years of mean follow-up. There were 363 684 participants (42% women), with baseline mean age=65 years and mean systolic/diastolic BP=152/87 mm Hg, and among whom 19% were current smokers, 49% had cardiovascular disease, 28% had diabetes and 69% were taking antihypertensive treatment at baseline. Drugs were effective in lowering BP showing maximal effect after 12 months and gradually attenuating towards later years. Based on measures taken ≥12 months postrandomisation, mean systolic/diastolic BP difference (95% CI) between more and less intense BP-lowering treatment was −11.1 (−11.3 to −10.8)/−5.6 (−5.7 to −5.4) mm Hg between active treatment and placebo was −5.1 (−5.3 to −5.0)/−2.3 (−2.4 to −2.2) mm Hg and between active and control arms for drug comparison trials was −1.4 (−1.5 to −1.3)/−0.6 (−0.7 to −0.6) mm Hg. BP reductions were observed across different baseline BP values and ages, and by sex, history of cardiovascular disease and diabetes and prior antihypertensive treatment use. These findings suggest that BP-lowering pharmacotherapy is effective in lowering BP, up to 4 years on average, in people with different characteristics. Appropriate treatment strategies are needed to sustain substantive long-term BP reductions.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2014
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2018
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 05-2019
DOI: 10.1136/BMJOPEN-2018-028698
Abstract: Previous research from the Blood Pressure Lowering Treatment Trialists’ Collaboration (BPLTTC) and others has shown that pharmacological blood pressure (BP)- lowering substantially reduces the risk of major cardiovascular events, including ischaemic heart disease, heart failure and stroke. In this new phase, the aim is to conduct in idual patient-level data (IPD) meta-analyses involving eligible BP-lowering randomised controlled trials (RCTs) to address uncertainties relating to efficacy and safety of BP-lowering treatment. RCTs investigating the effect of pharmacological BP-lowering, with a minimum of 1000 patient-years of follow-up in each trial arm, are eligible. Our systematic review identified 100 potentially eligible trials. We requested their investigators/sponsors to contribute baseline, follow-up and outcomes data. As of June 2018, the collaboration has obtained data from 49 trials (n=315 046 participants), with additional data currently in the process of being transferred from four RCTs (n=34 642 participants). In addition, data harmonisation has commenced. Scientific activities of the collaboration are overseen by the Steering Committee with input from all collaborators. Detailed protocols for in idual meta-analyses will be developed and registered on public platforms. Ethics approval has been obtained for this new and extended phase of the BPLTTC, the largest collaboration of de-identified IPD from RCTs. It offers an efficient and ethical manner of re-purposing existing data to answer clinically important questions relating to BP treatment as well as methodological questions relating to IPD meta-analyses. Among the immediate impacts will include reliable quantification of effects of treatment modifiers, such as baseline BP, age and prior disease, on both vascular and non-vascular outcomes. Analyses will further assess the impact of BP-lowering on important, but less well understood, outcomes, such as new-onset diabetes and renal disease. Findings will be published in peer-reviewed medical journals on behalf of the collaboration.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2015
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 03-05-2014
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2021
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 29-11-2012
Abstract: Setting priorities for the prevention and management of heart failure requires an empirical understanding of the pattern of disease burden. We aim to describe the methods for a systematic review of the literature on burden of heart failure in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) and how this information will be synthesized to produce useful estimates that can inform policy and practice. We will conduct a comprehensive search strategy for articles published between 1995 and April 2012 related to incidence, prevalence and treatment of heart failure in LMIC. Populations will be coded as urban, rural, or combined and studies classified as national, sub-national, healthcare system-based, or community level. Details from eligible studies will be extracted independently by two reviewers using a pre-designed data extraction form that will cover information on demographics, diagnostic criteria including disease incidence and prevalence, medical history, medication history, and hospital- or community-based management and outcomes. We will assess the reporting and methodological quality of the included studies and conduct a quantitative summary of reported outcomes where appropriate. Currently, there are important gaps in our knowledge on the burden of heart failure in LMIC and this systematic review aims to provide useful information that improves our knowledge in this field. Results are expected to be publicly available in early 2013.
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 2017
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 17-10-2017
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2013
DOI: 10.1016/J.EJVS.2013.07.020
Abstract: ACST-2 is currently the largest trial ever conducted to compare carotid artery stenting (CAS) with carotid endarterectomy (CEA) in patients with severe asymptomatic carotid stenosis requiring revascularization. Patients are entered into ACST-2 when revascularization is felt to be clearly indicated, when CEA and CAS are both possible, but where there is substantial uncertainty as to which is most appropriate. Trial surgeons and interventionalists are expected to use their usual techniques and CE-approved devices. We report baseline characteristics and blinded combined interim results for 30-day mortality and major morbidity for 986 patients in the ongoing trial up to September 2012. A total of 986 patients (687 men, 299 women), mean age 68.7 years (SD ± 8.1) were randomized equally to CEA or CAS. Most (96%) had ipsilateral stenosis of 70-99% (median 80%) with contralateral stenoses of 50-99% in 30% and contralateral occlusion in 8%. Patients were on appropriate medical treatment. For 691 patients undergoing intervention with at least 1-month follow-up and Rankin scoring at 6 months for any stroke, the overall serious cardiovascular event rate of periprocedural (within 30 days) disabling stroke, fatal myocardial infarction, and death at 30 days was 1.0%. Early ACST-2 results suggest contemporary carotid intervention for asymptomatic stenosis has a low risk of serious morbidity and mortality, on par with other recent trials. The trial continues to recruit, to monitor periprocedural events and all types of stroke, aiming to randomize up to 5,000 patients to determine any differential outcomes between interventions. ISRCTN21144362.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2016
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 2019
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2015
Publisher: American Medical Association (AMA)
Date: 23-06-2010
Abstract: Blood homocysteine levels are positively associated with cardiovascular disease, but it is uncertain whether the association is causal. To assess the effects of reducing homocysteine levels with folic acid and vitamin B(12) on vascular and nonvascular outcomes. Double-blind randomized controlled trial of 12,064 survivors of myocardial infarction in secondary care hospitals in the United Kingdom between 1998 and 2008. 2 mg folic acid plus 1 mg vitamin B(12) daily vs matching placebo. First major vascular event, defined as major coronary event (coronary death, myocardial infarction, or coronary revascularization), fatal or nonfatal stroke, or noncoronary revascularization. Allocation to the study vitamins reduced homocysteine by a mean of 3.8 micromol/L (28%). During 6.7 years of follow-up, major vascular events occurred in 1537 of 6033 participants (25.5%) allocated folic acid plus vitamin B(12) vs 1493 of 6031 participants (24.8%) allocated placebo (risk ratio [RR], 1.04 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.97-1.12 P = .28). There were no apparent effects on major coronary events (vitamins, 1229 [20.4%], vs placebo, 1185 [19.6%] RR, 1.05 95% CI, 0.97-1.13), stroke (vitamins, 269 [4.5%], vs placebo, 265 [4.4%] RR, 1.02 95% CI, 0.86-1.21), or noncoronary revascularizations (vitamins, 178 [3.0%], vs placebo, 152 [2.5%] RR, 1.18 95% CI, 0.95-1.46). Nor were there significant differences in the numbers of deaths attributed to vascular causes (vitamins, 578 [9.6%], vs placebo, 559 [9.3%]) or nonvascular causes (vitamins, 405 [6.7%], vs placebo, 392 [6.5%]) or in the incidence of any cancer (vitamins, 678 [11.2%], vs placebo, 639 [10.6%]). Substantial long-term reductions in blood homocysteine levels with folic acid and vitamin B(12) supplementation did not have beneficial effects on vascular outcomes but were also not associated with adverse effects on cancer incidence. isrctn.org Identifier: ISRCTN74348595.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2010
DOI: 10.1016/J.AHJ.2010.08.012
Abstract: Lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol with statin therapy has been shown to reduce the incidence of atherosclerotic events in many types of patient, but it remains uncertain whether it is of net benefit among people with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Patients with advanced CKD (blood creatinine ≥ 1.7 mg/dL [≥ 150 μmol/L] in men or ≥ 1.5 mg/dL [ ≥ 130 μmol/L] in women) with no known history of myocardial infarction or coronary revascularization were randomized in a ratio of 4:4:1 to ezetimibe 10 mg plus simvastatin 20 mg daily versus matching placebo versus simvastatin 20 mg daily (with the latter arm rerandomized at 1 year to ezetimibe 10 mg plus simvastatin 20 mg daily vs placebo). The key outcome will be major atherosclerotic events, defined as the combination of myocardial infarction, coronary death, ischemic stroke, or any revascularization procedure. A total of 9,438 CKD patients were randomized, of whom 3,056 were on dialysis. Mean age was 61 years, two thirds were male, one fifth had diabetes mellitus, and one sixth had vascular disease. Compared with either placebo or simvastatin alone, allocation to ezetimibe plus simvastatin was not associated with any excess of myopathy, hepatic toxicity, or biliary complications during the first year of follow-up. Compared with placebo, allocation to ezetimibe 10 mg plus simvastatin 20 mg daily yielded average LDL cholesterol differences of 43 mg/dL (1.10 mmol/L) at 1 year and 33 mg/dL (0.85 mmol/L) at 2.5 years. Follow-up is scheduled to continue until August 2010, when all patients will have been followed for at least 4 years. SHARP should provide evidence about the efficacy and safety of lowering LDL cholesterol with the combination of ezetimibe and simvastatin among a wide range of patients with CKD.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 06-2021
DOI: 10.1371/JOURNAL.PMED.1003599
Abstract: Randomised evidence on the efficacy of blood pressure (BP)-lowering treatment to reduce cardiovascular risk in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) is limited. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the effects of BP-lowering drugs in patients with and without AF at baseline. The study was based on the resource provided by the Blood Pressure Lowering Treatment Trialists’ Collaboration (BPLTTC), in which in idual participant data (IPD) were extracted from trials with over 1,000 patient-years of follow-up in each arm, and that had randomly assigned patients to different classes of BP-lowering drugs, BP-lowering drugs versus placebo, or more versus less intensive BP-lowering regimens. For this study, only trials that had collected information on AF status at baseline were included. The effects of BP-lowering treatment on a composite endpoint of major cardiovascular events (stroke, ischaemic heart disease or heart failure) according to AF status at baseline were estimated using fixed-effect one-stage IPD meta-analyses based on Cox proportional hazards models stratified by trial. Furthermore, to assess whether the associations between the intensity of BP reduction and cardiovascular outcomes are similar in those with and without AF at baseline, we used a meta-regression. From the full BPLTTC database, 28 trials (145,653 participants) were excluded because AF status at baseline was uncertain or unavailable. A total of 22 trials were included with 188,570 patients, of whom 13,266 (7%) had AF at baseline. Risk of bias assessment showed that 20 trials were at low risk of bias and 2 trials at moderate risk. Meta-regression showed that relative risk reductions were proportional to trial-level intensity of BP lowering in patients with and without AF at baseline. Over 4.5 years of median follow-up, a 5-mm Hg systolic BP (SBP) reduction lowered the risk of major cardiovascular events both in patients with AF (hazard ratio [HR] 0.91, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.83 to 1.00) and in patients without AF at baseline (HR 0.91, 95% CI 0.88 to 0.93), with no difference between subgroups. There was no evidence for heterogeneity of treatment effects by baseline SBP or drug class in patients with AF at baseline. The findings of this study need to be interpreted in light of its potential limitations, such as the limited number of trials, limitation in ascertaining AF cases due to the nature of the arrhythmia and measuring BP in patients with AF. In this meta-analysis, we found that BP-lowering treatment reduces the risk of major cardiovascular events similarly in in iduals with and without AF. Pharmacological BP lowering for prevention of cardiovascular events should be recommended in patients with AF.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 12-08-2014
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 06-09-2021
DOI: 10.1136/BJSPORTS-2021-104050
Abstract: To improve classification of movement behaviours in free-living accelerometer data using machine-learning methods, and to investigate the association between machine-learned movement behaviours and risk of incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) in adults. Using free-living data from 152 participants, we developed a machine-learning model to classify movement behaviours (moderate-to-vigorous physical activity behaviours (MVPA), light physical activity behaviours, sedentary behaviour, sleep) in wrist-worn accelerometer data. Participants in UK Biobank, a prospective cohort, were asked to wear an accelerometer for 7 days, and we applied our machine-learning model to classify their movement behaviours. Using compositional data analysis Cox regression, we investigated how reallocating time between movement behaviours was associated with CVD incidence. In leave-one-participant-out analysis, our machine-learning method classified free-living movement behaviours with mean accuracy 88% (95% CI 87% to 89%) and Cohen’s kappa 0.80 (95% CI 0.79 to 0.82). Among 87 498 UK Biobank participants, there were 4105 incident CVD events. Reallocating time from any behaviour to MVPA, or reallocating time from sedentary behaviour to any behaviour, was associated with lower CVD risk. For an average in idual, reallocating 20 min/day to MVPA from all other behaviours proportionally was associated with 9% (95% CI 7% to 10%) lower risk, while reallocating 1 hour/day to sedentary behaviour from all other behaviours proportionally was associated with 5% (95% CI 3% to 7%) higher risk. Machine-learning methods classified movement behaviours accurately in free-living accelerometer data. Reallocating time from other behaviours to MVPA, and from sedentary behaviour to other behaviours, was associated with lower risk of incident CVD, and should be promoted by interventions and guidelines.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2019
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 26-02-2013
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2015
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 11-2023
DOI: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.123.21496
Abstract: Whether the relative effects of blood pressure (BP)–lowering treatment on cardiovascular outcomes differ by sex, particularly when BP is not substantially elevated, has been uncertain. We conducted an in idual participant-level data meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of pharmacological BP lowering. We pooled the data and categorized participants by sex, systolic BP categories in 10-mm Hg increments from to ≥170 mm Hg, and age categories spanning from to ≥85 years. We used fixed-effect 1-stage in idual participant-level data meta-analyses and applied Cox proportional hazard models, stratified by trial, to analyze the data. We included data from 51 randomized controlled trials involving 358 635 (42% women) participants. Over 4.2 years of median follow-up, a 5-mm Hg reduction in systolic BP decreased the risk of major cardiovascular events both in women and men (hazard ratio [95% CI], 0.92 [0.89–0.95] for women and 0.90 [0.88–0.93] for men P for interaction, 1). There was no evidence for heterogeneity of relative treatment effects by sex for the major cardiovascular disease, its components, or across the different baseline BP categories (all P for interaction, ≥0.57). The effects in women and men were consistent across age categories and the types of antihypertensive medications (all P for interaction, ≥0.14). The effects of BP reduction were similar in women and men across all BP and age categories at randomization and with no evidence to suggest that drug classes had differing effects by sex. This study does not substantiate sex-based differences in BP-lowering treatment.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2014
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 29-09-2015
DOI: 10.1136/BMJ.H4865
Abstract: To determine the subgroup specific associations between usual blood pressure and risk of peripheral arterial disease, and to examine the relation between peripheral arterial disease and a range of other types of vascular disease in a large contemporary cohort. Cohort study. Linked electronic health records from 1990 to 2013 in the United Kingdom. 4,222,459 people aged 30-90 years, registered at a primary care practice for at least one year and with a blood pressure measurement. Time to first diagnosis of new onset peripheral arterial disease and time to first diagnosis of 12 different vascular events. A 20 mm Hg higher than usual systolic blood pressure was associated with a 63% higher risk of peripheral arterial disease (hazard ratio 1.63, 95% confidence interval 1.59 to 1.66). The strength of the association declined with increasing age and body mass index (P<0.001 for interaction) but was not modified by sex or smoking status. Peripheral arterial disease was associated with an increased risk of 11 different vascular events, including ischaemic heart disease (1.68, 1.58 to 1.79), heart failure (1.63, 1.52 to 1.75), aortic aneurysm (2.10, 1.79 to 2.45), and chronic kidney disease (1.31, 1.25 to 1.38), but not haemorrhagic stroke. The most common initial vascular event among those with peripheral arterial disease was chronic kidney disease (24.4% of initial events), followed by ischaemic heart disease (18.5% of initial events), heart failure (14.7%), and atrial fibrillation (13.2%). Overall estimates from this cohort were consistent with those derived from traditional studies when we pooled the findings in two meta-analyses. Raised blood pressure is a strong risk factor for peripheral arterial disease in a range of patient subgroups. Furthermore, clinicians should be aware that those with established peripheral arterial disease are at an increased risk of a range of other vascular events, including chronic kidney disease, ischaemic heart disease, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and stroke.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.SURG.2015.01.002
Abstract: Information on the use of major surgery in India is scarce. In this study we aimed to bridge this gap by auditing hospital claims from Rajiv Aarogyasri Community Health Insurance Scheme, which provides access to free hospital care through state-funded insurance to 68 million beneficiaries, an estimated 81% of population in the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Publicly available deidentified hospital claim data for all surgery procedures conducted between mid-2008 and mid-2012 were compiled across all 23 districts in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. A total of 677,332 operative admissions (80% at private hospitals) were recorded at an annual rate of 259 per 100,000 beneficiaries, with male subjects accounting for 56% of admissions. Injury was the most common cause for operative admission (27%) with operative correction of long bone fractures being the most common procedure (20%) identified in the audit. Diseases of the digestive (16%), genitourinary (12%), and musculoskeletal (10%) systems were other leading causes for operative admissions. Most hospital bed-days were used by admissions for injuries (31%) and diseases of the digestive (17%) and musculoskeletal system (11%) costing 19%, 13%, and 11% of reimbursement. Operations on the circulatory system (8%) accounted for 21% of reimbursements. Annual per capita cost of operative claims was US$1.48. The use of surgery by an insured population in India continued to be low despite access to financing comparable with greater spending countries, highlighting need for strategies, beyond traditional health financing, that prioritize improvement in access, delivery, and use of operative care.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 20-03-2018
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 03-05-2016
DOI: 10.1093/IJE/DYW053
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2023
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 12-01-2021
DOI: 10.1371/JOURNAL.PMED.1003487
Abstract: Higher levels of physical activity (PA) are associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, uncertainty exists on whether the inverse relationship between PA and incidence of CVD is greater at the highest levels of PA. Past studies have mostly relied on self-reported evidence from questionnaire-based PA, which is crude and cannot capture all PA undertaken. We investigated the association between accelerometer-measured moderate, vigorous, and total PA and incident CVD. We obtained accelerometer-measured moderate-intensity and vigorous-intensity physical activities and total volume of PA, over a 7-day period in 2013–2015, for 90,211 participants without prior or concurrent CVD in the UK Biobank cohort. Participants in the lowest category of total PA smoked more, had higher body mass index and C-reactive protein, and were diagnosed with hypertension. PA was associated with 3,617 incident CVD cases during 440,004 person-years of follow-up (median (interquartile range [IQR]): 5.2 (1.2) years) using Cox regression models. We found a linear dose–response relationship for PA, whether measured as moderate-intensity, vigorous-intensity, or as total volume, with risk of incident of CVD. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals for increasing quarters of the PA distribution relative to the lowest fourth were for moderate-intensity PA: 0.71 (0.65, 0.77), 0.59 (0.54, 0.65), and 0.46 (0.41, 0.51) for vigorous-intensity PA: 0.70 (0.64, 0.77), 0.54 (0.49,0.59), and 0.41 (0.37,0.46) and for total volume of PA: 0.73 (0.67, 0.79), 0.63 (0.57, 0.69), and 0.47 (0.43, 0.52). We took account of potential confounders but unmeasured confounding remains a possibility, and while removal of early deaths did not affect the estimated HRs, we cannot completely dismiss the likelihood that reverse causality has contributed to the findings. Another possible limitation of this work is the quantification of PA intensity-levels based on methods validated in relatively small studies. In this study, we found no evidence of a threshold for the inverse association between objectively measured moderate, vigorous, and total PA with CVD. Our findings suggest that PA is not only associated with lower risk for of CVD, but the greatest benefit is seen for those who are active at the highest level.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 05-07-2019
DOI: 10.1093/IJE/DYZ148
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2010
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2015
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 21-03-2018
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 13-03-2015
DOI: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.116.304723
Abstract: Despite the vast amount of evidence on the benefits of blood pressure lowering accumulated to date, elevated blood pressure is still the leading risk factor for disease and disability worldwide. The purpose of this review is to summarize the epidemiological evidence underpinning the association between blood pressure and a range of conditions. This review focuses on the association between systolic and diastolic blood pressures and the risk of cardiovascular and renal disease. Evidence for and against the existence of a J-shaped curve association between blood pressure and cardiovascular risk, and differences in the predictive power of systolic, diastolic, and pulse pressure, are described. In addition, global and regional trends in blood pressure levels and management of hypertension are reviewed.
Publisher: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
Date: 2022
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 27-10-2021
DOI: 10.1093/IJE/DYAB228
Publisher: American Medical Association (AMA)
Date: 10-02-2015
Abstract: Lowering blood pressure (BP) is widely used to reduce vascular risk in in iduals with diabetes. To determine the associations between BP-lowering treatment and vascular disease in type 2 diabetes. We searched MEDLINE for large-scale randomized controlled trials of BP-lowering treatment including patients with diabetes, published between January 1966 and October 2014. Two reviewers independently extracted study characteristics and vascular outcome data. Estimates were stratified by baseline BP and achieved BP, and pooled using fixed-effects meta-analysis. All-cause mortality, cardiovascular events, coronary heart disease events, stroke, heart failure, retinopathy, new or worsening albuminuria, and renal failure. Forty trials judged to be of low risk of bias (100,354 participants) were included. Each 10-mm Hg lower systolic BP was associated with a significantly lower risk of mortality (relative risk [RR], 0.87 95% CI, 0.78-0.96) absolute risk reduction (ARR) in events per 1000 patient-years (3.16 95% CI, 0.90-5.22), cardiovascular events (RR, 0.89 [95% CI, 0.83-0.95] ARR, 3.90 [95% CI, 1.57-6.06]), coronary heart disease (RR, 0.88 [95% CI, 0.80-0.98] ARR, 1.81 [95% CI, 0.35-3.11]), stroke (RR, 0.73 [95% CI, 0.64-0.83] ARR, 4.06 [95% CI, 2.53-5.40]), albuminuria (RR, 0.83 [95% CI, 0.79-0.87] ARR, 9.33 [95% CI, 7.13-11.37]), and retinopathy (RR, 0.87 [95% CI, 0.76-0.99] ARR, 2.23 [95% CI, 0.15-4.04]). When trials were stratified by mean baseline systolic BP at greater than or less than 140 mm Hg, RRs for outcomes other than stroke, retinopathy, and renal failure were lower in studies with greater baseline systolic BP (P interaction <0.1). The associations between BP-lowering treatments and outcomes were not significantly different, irrespective of drug class, except for stroke and heart failure. Estimates were similar when all trials, regardless of risk of bias, were included. Among patients with type 2 diabetes, BP lowering was associated with improved mortality and other clinical outcomes with lower RRs observed among those with baseline BP of 140 mm Hg and greater. These findings support the use of medications for BP lowering in these patients.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.IJMEDINF.2015.05.003
Abstract: Despite their potential for improving health outcomes, mobile-based home monitoring systems for heart failure have not yet been taken up widely by the patients and providers. To design and iteratively move towards a personalised mobile health monitoring system for patients living with heart failure, according to their health care and usability needs. We present an iterative approach to refining a remote health monitoring system that is based on interactions between different actors (patients, clinicians, social scientists and engineers) and supports the collection of quantitative and qualitative information about user experience and engagement. Patients were provided with tablet computers and commercially available sensing devices (a blood pressure monitor, a set of weighing scales, and a pulse oximeter) in order to complete physiological measurements at home, answer symptom-specific questionnaires, review their personal readings, view educational material on heart failure self-management, and communicate with their health professionals. The system supported unobtrusive remote software upgrades via an application distribution channel and the activation or deactivation of functional components by health professionals during run-time operation. We report early findings from the application of this approach in a cohort of 26 heart failure patients (mean age 72±15 years), their caregivers and healthcare professionals who participated in the SUPPORT-HF (Seamless User-centred Proactive Provision Of Risk-stratified Treatment for Heart Failure) study over a one-year study period (mean patient follow-up duration=270±62 days). The approach employed in this study led to several system upgrades dealing in particular with patient requirements for better communication with the development team and personalised self-monitoring interfaces. Engagement with the system was constantly high throughout the study and during the last week of the evaluation, 23 patients (88%) used the system at least once and 16 patients (62%) at least three times. Designers of future mobile-based home monitoring systems for heart failure and other chronic conditions could leverage the described approach as a means of meeting patients' needs during system use within the home environment and facilitating successful uptake.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2021
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 19-11-2013
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2017
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 26-07-2016
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 09-07-2015
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 16-08-2016
DOI: 10.1136/HEARTJNL-2016-309706
Abstract: Investigation of variations in provider performance and its determinants may help inform strategies for improving patient outcomes. We used the National Heart Failure Audit comprising 68 772 patients with heart failure with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (HFREF), admitted to 185 hospitals in England and Wales (2007-2013). We investigated hospital adherence to three recommended key performance measures (KPMs) for inhospital care (ACE inhibitors (ACE-Is) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) on discharge, β-blockers on discharge and referral to specialist follow-up) in idually and as a composite performance score. Hierarchical regression models were used to investigate hospital-level variation. Hospital-level variation in adherence to composite KPM ranged from 50% to 97% (median 79%), but after adjustments for patient characteristics and year of admission, only 8% (95% CI 7% to 10%) of this variation was attributable to variations in hospital features. Similarly, hospital prescription rates for ACE-I/ARB and β-blocker showed low adjusted hospital-attributable variations (7% CI 6% to 9% and 6% CI 5% to 8%, for ACE-I/ARB and β-blocker, respectively). Referral to specialist follow-up, however, showed larger variations (median 81% range 20%, 100%) with 26% of this being attributable to hospital-level differences (CI 22% to 31%). Only a small proportion of hospital variation in medication prescription after discharge was attributable to hospital-level features. This suggests that differences in hospital practices are not a major determinant of observed variations in prescription of investigated medications and outcomes. Future healthcare delivery efforts should consider evaluation and improvement of more ambitious KPMs.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2014
DOI: 10.1016/J.JCHF.2014.04.008
Abstract: This study sought to review the literature for risk prediction models in patients with heart failure and to identify the most consistently reported independent predictors of risk across models. Risk assessment provides information about patient prognosis, guides decision making about the type and intensity of care, and enables better understanding of provider performance. MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched from January 1995 to March 2013, followed by hand searches of the retrieved reference lists. Studies were eligible if they reported at least 1 multivariable model for risk prediction of death, hospitalization, or both in patients with heart failure and reported model performance. We ranked reported in idual risk predictors by their strength of association with the outcome and assessed the association of model performance with study characteristics. Sixty-four main models and 50 modifications from 48 studies met the inclusion criteria. Of the 64 main models, 43 models predicted death, 10 hospitalization, and 11 death or hospitalization. The discriminatory ability of the models for prediction of death appeared to be higher than that for prediction of death or hospitalization or prediction of hospitalization alone (p = 0.0003). A wide variation between studies in clinical settings, population characteristics, s le size, and variables used for model development was observed, but these features were not significantly associated with the discriminatory performance of the models. A few strong predictors emerged for prediction of death the most consistently reported predictors were age, renal function, blood pressure, blood sodium level, left ventricular ejection fraction, sex, brain natriuretic peptide level, New York Heart Association functional class, diabetes, weight or body mass index, and exercise capacity. There are several clinically useful and well-validated death prediction models in patients with heart failure. Although the studies differed in many respects, the models largely included a few common markers of risk.
Publisher: American College of Physicians
Date: 03-02-2015
DOI: 10.7326/M14-0773
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 12-09-2018
Publisher: American Diabetes Association
Date: 06-07-2017
DOI: 10.2337/DC17-0509
Abstract: This study examined the in idual and combined effect of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and hs-CRP on the prediction of heart failure incidence or progression in patients with type 2 diabetes. A nested case-cohort study was conducted in 3,098 participants with type 2 diabetes in the Action in Diabetes and Vascular Disease: Preterax and Diamicron Modified Release Controlled Evaluation (ADVANCE) trial. A higher value of each biomarker was significantly associated with a higher risk of heart failure incidence or progression, after adjustment for major risk factors. The hazard ratios per 1-SD increase were 3.06 (95% CI 2.37, 3.96) for NT-proBNP, 1.50 (1.27, 1.77) for hs-cTnT, 1.48 (1.27, 1.72) for IL-6, and 1.32 (1.12, 1.55) for hs-CRP. The addition of NT-proBNP to the model including conventional risk factors meaningfully improved 5-year risk-predictive performance (C statistic 0.8162 to 0.8800 continuous net reclassification improvement [NRI] 73.1% categorical NRI [& %, 5–10%, & % 5-year risk] 24.2%). In contrast, the addition of hs-cTnT, IL-6, or hs-CRP did not improve the prediction metrics consistently in combination or when added to NT-proBNP. Only NT-proBNP strongly and consistently improved the prediction of heart failure in patients with type 2 diabetes beyond a wide range of clinical risk factors and biomarkers.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2019
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.JACC.2015.05.052
Abstract: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is increasingly being performed at centers with offsite surgical support. Strong guideline endorsement of this practice has been lacking, in part because outcome data are limited to modest-size populations with short-term follow-up. The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes of PCI performed at centers with and without surgical support in the United Kingdom between 2006 and 2012. A retrospective analysis was performed of centrally tracked outcomes from index PCI procedures entered in the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society database between 2006 and 2012, stratified according to whether procedures were performed at centers with onsite or offsite surgical support. The primary endpoint was 30-day all-cause mortality, with secondary endpoints of mortality at 1 and 5 years. Outcomes at a median of 3.4 years follow-up were available for 384,013 patients, of whom 31% (n = 119,096) were treated at offsite surgical centers. In an unadjusted analysis, crude mortality rates were lower in patients treated at centers with offsite versus onsite surgical coverage (2.0% vs. 2.2% p < 0.001). On multivariate adjustment, there were no between-group differences in survival between the naive and imputed populations at 30 days (naive population hazard ratio [HR]: 0.87 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.71 to 1.06 p = 0.16 imputed population HR: 0.99 95% CI: 0.89 to 1.09 p = 0.82), 1 year (naive population HR: 0.92 95% CI: 0.79 to 1.07 p = 0.26 imputed population HR: 0.99 95% CI: 0.92 to 1.06 p = 0.78), or 5 years (naive population HR: 0.92 95% CI: 0.84 to 1.01 p = 0.10 imputed population HR: 0.97 95% CI: 0.92 to 1.03 p = 0.29). Results were consistent irrespective of procedural indication. No differences in mortality were seen in sensitivity analyses performed using a propensity-matched population of 74,001 patients. PCI performed at centers without onsite surgical backup is not associated with any mortality hazard.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 29-09-2021
Publisher: Massachusetts Medical Society
Date: 21-08-2008
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2016
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 14-09-2021
DOI: 10.1093/IJE/DYAB199
Abstract: Previous epidemiological studies have found positive associations between maternal infections and childhood leukaemia however, evidence from prospective cohort studies is scarce. We aimed to examine the associations using large-scale prospective data. Data were pooled from six population-based birth cohorts in Australia, Denmark, Israel, Norway, the UK and the USA (recruitment 1950s-2000s). Primary outcomes were any childhood leukaemia and acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) secondary outcomes were acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) and any childhood cancer. Exposures included maternal self-reported infections [influenza-like illness, common cold, any respiratory tract infection, vaginal thrush, vaginal infections and urinary tract infection (including cystitis)] and infection-associated symptoms (fever and diarrhoea) during pregnancy. Covariate-adjusted hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were estimated using multilevel Cox models. Among 312 879 children with a median follow-up of 13.6 years, 167 leukaemias, including 129 ALL and 33 AML, were identified. Maternal urinary tract infection was associated with increased risk of any leukaemia [HR (95% CI) 1.68 (1.10–2.58)] and subtypes ALL [1.49 (0.87–2.56)] and AML [2.70 ([0.93–7.86)], but not with any cancer [1.13 (0.85–1.51)]. Respiratory tract infection was associated with increased risk of any leukaemia [1.57 (1.06–2.34)], ALL [1.43 (0.94–2.19)], AML [2.37 (1.10–5.12)] and any cancer [1.33 (1.09–1.63)] influenza-like illness showed a similar pattern but with less precise estimates. There was no evidence of a link between other infections and any outcomes. Urinary tract and respiratory tract infections during pregnancy may be associated with childhood leukaemia, but the absolute risk is small given the rarity of the outcome.
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 09-2019
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2017
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 06-2016
DOI: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.116.012658
Abstract: Vascular dementia is the second most common form of dementia but reliable evidence on age-specific associations between blood pressure (BP) and risk of vascular dementia is limited and some studies have reported negative associations at older ages. In a cohort of 4.28 million in iduals, free of known vascular disease and dementia and identified from linked electronic primary care health records in the United Kingdom (Clinical Practice Research Datalink), we related BP to time to physician-diagnosed vascular dementia. We further determined associations between BP and dementia in a prospective population-based cohort of incident transient ischemic attack and stroke (Oxford Vascular Study). For a median follow-up of 7.0 years, 11 114 initial presentations of vascular dementia were observed in the primary care cohort after exclusion of the first 4 years of follow-up. The association between usual systolic BP and risk of vascular dementia decreased with age (hazard ratio per 20 mm Hg higher systolic BP, 1.62 95% confidence interval, 1.13–2.35 at 30–50 years 1.26, 1.18–1.35 at 51–70 years 0.97, 0.92–1.03 at 71–90 years P trend=0.006). Usual systolic BP remained predictive of vascular dementia after accounting for effect mediation by stroke and transient ischemic attack. In the population-based cohort, prior systolic BP was predictive of 5-year risk of dementia with no evidence of negative association at older ages. BP is positively associated with risk of vascular dementia, irrespective of preceding transient ischemic attack or stroke. Previous reports of inverse associations in old age could not be confirmed.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 05-02-2019
DOI: 10.1093/IJE/DYY294
Abstract: Physical inactivity is associated with an increased risk of major chronic diseases, although uncertainty exists about which chronic diseases, themselves, might contribute to physical inactivity. The objective of this study was to compare the physical activity of those with chronic diseases to healthy in iduals using an objective measure of physical activity. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of data from 96 706 participants aged 40 years or older from the UK Biobank prospective cohort study (2006–10). Diagnoses were identified through ICD 9 and 10 coding within hospital admission records and a cancer registry linked to UK Biobank participants. We extracted summary physical activity information from participants who wore a wrist-worn triaxial accelerometer for 7 days. Statistical analyses included computation of adjusted geometric means and means using general linear models. Participants with chronic disease undertook 9% or 61 minutes (95% confidence interval: 57.8–64.8) less moderate activity and 11% or 3 minutes (95% confidence interval: 2.7–3.3) less vigorous activity per week than in iduals without chronic disease. Participants in every chronic-disease subgroup undertook less physical activity than those without chronic disease. Sixty-seven diagnoses within these subgroups were associated with lower moderate activity. The cross-sectional association of physical activity with chronic disease is broad. Given the substantial health benefits of being physically active, clinicians and policymakers should be aware that their patients with any chronic disease are at greater health risk from other diseases than anticipated because of their physical inactivity.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2017
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
No related grants have been discovered for Kazem Rahimi.