Albuminuria: An Underappreciated Risk Factor for Cardiovascular Disease.

Albuminuria, an established biomarker of the progression of chronic kidney disease, is also recognized as a biomarker for the risk of cardiovascular disease. Elevated urinary albumin excretion indicates kidney damage and systemic vascular disease, including myocardial capillary disease and arterial stiffness. Albuminuria is associated with an increased risk of coronary artery disease, stroke, heart failure, arrhythmias, and microvascular disease.

Albuminuria Screening in People With Type 2 Diabetes in a Managed Care Organization.

Introduction: Albuminuria-an increased amount of urine albumin, in milligrams, adjusted for grams of urine creatinine-is an early marker of diabetic kidney disease. Several new classes of medications are now available that effectively lower albuminuria levels with the potential to delay or prevent the progression of diabetic kidney disease. However, screening for albuminuria in the U.

Pharmacist Interventions for Medication Adherence: Community Guide Economic Reviews for Cardiovascular Disease.

Introduction: Adherence to medications for cardiovascular disease and its risk factors is less than optimal, although greater adherence to medication has been shown to reduce the risk factors for cardiovascular disease. This paper examines the economics of tailored pharmacy interventions to improve medication adherence for cardiovascular disease prevention and management.

Methods: Literature from inception of databases to May 2019 was searched, yielding 29 studies for cardiovascular disease prevention and 9 studies for cardiovascular disease management.

Evaluation of a Pharmacists' Patient Care Process Approach for Hypertension.

Introduction: An estimated 116 million American adults (47.3%) have hypertension. Most adults with hypertension do not have it controlled-3 in 4 (92.

National Rates of Nonadherence to Antihypertensive Medications Among Insured Adults With Hypertension, 2015.

Despite the importance of antihypertensive medication therapy for blood pressure control, no single data system provides estimates of medication nonadherence rates across age groups and health insurance plans types. Using multiple administrative datasets and national survey data, we determined health insurance plan-specific and overall weighted national rates of nonadherence to antihypertensive medications among insured hypertensive US adults in 2015. We used 2015 prescription claims data from Medicare Part D and 3 IBM MarketScan databases (Commercial, Medicaid, Medicare Supplemental) to calculate medication nonadherence rates among hypertensive adults aged ≥18 years with public or private health insurance using the proportion of days covered algorithm.

The uses and expenses of antihypertensive medications among hypertensive adults.

Background: The literature lacks information about the use and cost of prescribed antihypertensive medications, especially by the type and class of medication prescribed.

Objective: This study investigated the uses and expenses of antihypertensive medications among hypertensive adults in the United States.

Methods: Using the 2014-2015 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data, adult men and nonpregnant women aged 18 or older who had a diagnosis code of hypertension and used any prescribed antihypertensive medication were included in the study (n = 10,971).

Use of strategies to improve antihypertensive medication adherence within United States outpatient health care practices, DocStyles 2015-2016.

Patients' adherence to antihypertensive medications is key to controlling high blood pressure. Evidence-based strategies to improve adherence exist, but their use, individually and in combination, has not been described. 2015-2016 DocStyles data were analyzed to describe health care professionals' and their practices' use of 10 strategies to improve antihypertensive medication adherence across 3 categories: prescribing, education, and tracking/encouragement.

Effect of lifestyle interventions on cardiovascular risk factors among adults without impaired glucose tolerance or diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Structured lifestyle interventions can reduce diabetes incidence and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk among persons with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), but it is unclear whether they should be implemented among persons without IGT. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analyses to assess the effectiveness of lifestyle interventions on CVD risk among adults without IGT or diabetes. We systematically searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, and PsychInfo databases, from inception to May 4, 2016.

Vital Signs: Disparities in Antihypertensive Medication Nonadherence Among Medicare Part D Beneficiaries - United States, 2014.

Introduction: Nonadherence to taking prescribed antihypertensive medication (antihypertensive) regimens has been identified as a leading cause of poor blood pressure control among persons with hypertension and an important risk factor for adverse cardiovascular disease outcomes. CDC and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services analyzed geographic, racial-ethnic, and other disparities in nonadherence to antihypertensives among Medicare Part D beneficiaries in 2014.

Methods: Antihypertensive nonadherence, defined as a proportion of days a beneficiary was covered with antihypertensives of <80%, was assessed using prescription drug claims data among Medicare Advantage or Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries aged ≥65 years with Medicare Part D coverage during 2014 (N = 18.

Managing severe sepsis: a national survey of current practices.

Purpose: Current practices for managing severe sepsis in U.S. hospitals were studied.

Hospital inpatient prospective payment system: incorporating new technology.

New technologies in the impatient prospective payment system are discussed. On December 21, 2000, Congress passed Public Law 106-554 that includes a requirement to establish a mechanism to more expeditiously incorporate the costs and establish qualifying criteria for payment of new services and technologies into the hospital inpatient prospective payment system. The final ruling of this law states that a new service or technology must demonstrate substantial improvement, be inadequately paid under the DRG system, and be "new.