Blood Pressure on Ambulatory Monitoring and Risk for Cardiovascular Disease and All-cause Mortality: Ecological Validity or Measurement Reliability?

Background: The association with cardiovascular disease (CVD) is stronger for mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) estimated using ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) versus office measurements. Determining whether this is due to ABPM providing more measurement reliability or greater ecological validity can inform its use.

Methods: We estimated the association of mean SBP based on 2 office measurements and 2, 5, 10, and 20 measurements on ABPM with incident CVD in the Jackson Heart Study (n=773).

Use of Different Blood Pressure Thresholds to Reduce the Number of Home Blood Pressure Monitoring Days Needed for Detecting Hypertension.

Background: Home blood pressure (BP) monitoring over a 7-day period is recommended to confirm the diagnosis of hypertension.

Methods: We determined upper and lower home BP thresholds with >90% positive predictive value and >90% negative predictive value using 1 to 6 days of monitoring to identify high home BP (systolic BP ≥130 mm Hg or diastolic BP ≥80 mm Hg) based on 7 days of home BP monitoring. The sample included 361 adults from the Improving the Detection of Hypertension Study who were not taking antihypertensive medication.

SAMSON and the Nocebo Effect: Management of Statin Intolerance.

Purpose Of Review: Statins are essential medications in the treatment of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease; however, remain widely underutilized in large part due to concerns regarding adverse side effects. We describe the role of the nocebo effect in the perception of statin intolerance and provide management recommendations utilizing both statin and non-statin lipid-lowering therapies.

Recent Findings: The recent Self-Assessment Method for Statin side-effects Or Nocebo (SAMSON) trial demonstrated that 90% of adverse symptoms related to statins were also elicited by placebo, a powerful demonstration of the nocebo effect.

Cuffless Blood Pressure Devices.

Hypertension is associated with more end-organ damage, cardiovascular events, and disability-adjusted life years lost in the United States compared with all other modifiable risk factors. Several guidelines and scientific statements now endorse the use of out-of-office blood pressure (BP) monitoring with ambulatory BP monitoring or home BP monitoring to confirm or exclude hypertension status based on office BP measurement. Current ambulatory or home BP monitoring devices have been reliant on the placement of a BP cuff, typically on the upper arm, to measure BP.

Gaps and Disparities in Primary Prevention Statin Prescription During Outpatient Care.

The 2018 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Guideline on the Management of Blood Cholesterol recommends statin therapy for eligible patients to reduce the risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). We extracted electronic health record data for patients with at least one primary care or cardiology visit between October 2018 and January 2020 at an urban, academic medical center in New York City. Clinical and demographic data were used to identify patients eligible for primary prevention statin therapy.

The patient journey with proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitors in community practice.

Background: Trials have demonstrated that proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors are effective as an adjunct to statin therapy, but access and cost issues have limited their use in community practice.

Objective: The aim of the study was to better understand patients' experiences when trying to obtain, fill, and use PCSK9 inhibitor therapy in community practice.

Methods: We conducted a patient survey to evaluate patient experiences with PCSK9 inhibitors including medication initiation, indication for treatment, insurance approval status, medication persistence, and reason for discontinuation.

Patient-Reported Reasons for Declining or Discontinuing Statin Therapy: Insights From the PALM Registry.

Background Many adults eligible for statin therapy for cardiovascular disease prevention are untreated. Our objective was to investigate patient-reported reasons for statin underutilization, including noninitiation, refusal, and discontinuation. Methods and Results This study included the 5693 adults recommended for statin therapy in the PALM (Patient and Provider Assessment of Lipid Management) registry.

Use of Mobile Devices to Measure Outcomes in Clinical Research, 2010-2016: A Systematic Literature Review.

Background: The use of mobile devices in clinical research has advanced substantially in recent years due to the rapid pace of technology development. With an overall aim of informing the future use of mobile devices in interventional clinical research to measure primary outcomes, we conducted a systematic review of the use of and clinical outcomes measured by mobile devices (mobile outcomes) in observational and interventional clinical research.

Method: We conducted a PubMed search using a range of search terms to retrieve peer-reviewed articles on clinical research published between January 2010 and May 2016 in which mobile devices were used to measure study outcomes.

Trends in medical error education: are we failing our residents?

Background: The Institute of Medicine has called for physician education as a key step in medical error prevention. In our 2002 national survey, pediatric resident education about medical error prevention was sporadic. We sought to describe the amount and type of pediatric resident training about medical errors and to assess the change in training since 2002.