Ismayl, Mahmoud

ABSTRACT Background Concomitant atrial fibrillation (AF) and gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding present a clinical challenge due to recurrent bleeding risk associated with anticoagulation for AF‐associated stroke prevention. Left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) offers an alternative stroke prevention strategy, but its impact on recurrent GI bleeding remains unknown. Methods This retrospective, multicenter cohort study used the TriNetX database to identify adults with AF on oral anticoagulation and a history of GI bleeding. Patients were stratified by treatment with or without LAAO. 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) was employed. The primary outcome was recurrent GI bleeding. Cox regression analysis was used to generate hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Odds ratios (ORs) were used to evaluate effect sizes between groups. Kaplan–Meier curves were used for time‐to‐event analyses. Results After PSM, 9259 patients were compared in each group. Odds of recurrent GI bleeding were consistently lower in patients undergoing LAAO than without LAAO across all follow‐up intervals: at 3 months (OR 0.84; 95% CI 0.78–0.91), 6 months, 1 year, 3 years, and 5 years (OR 0.87; 95% CI 0.82–0.92). Kaplan–Meier analysis demonstrated significantly lower risk of recurrent GI bleeding with LAAO (HR 0.80; 95% CI 0.76–0.84; p < 0.01). Conclusion In patients with AF and prior GI bleeding, LAAO was associated with a significantly lower risk of recurrent GI bleeding at short‐term and long‐term time intervals.

Abstract Aims Heart failure (HF) continues to portend significant morbidity and mortality within the USA. Data regarding the efficacy of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs) in HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) remains unclear. Finerenone, a non-steroidal MRA, has demonstrated reduction in hospitalizations in this population. However, the comparative efficacy of different MRA classes in these patients remains elusive. Methods and results We conducted a retrospective observational cohort study using the TriNetX research network. We applied 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) to compare patients with HFpEF initiated on finerenone vs. spironolactone. We examined 1-year risks of HF exacerbation, acute kidney injury (AKI), electrolyte derangements, and cardiovascular outcomes. We identified 254,417 patients with HFpEF and MRA use. After PSM, each cohort contained 491 patients. Analysis revealed that finerenone use was associated with a significantly lower risk of HF exacerbation (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.63 [95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.54, 0.74], P &lt; 0.001), all-cause mortality (HR = 0.38 [95% CI: 0.23, 0.64], P &lt; 0.001), and hypokalaemia (HR = 0.58 [95% CI: 0.40, 0.85], P = 0.001). The aforementioned results, along with a reduction in AKI risk, were statistically significant after stratified subgroup analysis by diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease. Conclusion In this large real-world HFpEF cohort, finerenone use was associated with lower risks of HF exacerbation and all-cause mortality compared with spironolactone. These observational findings are hypothesis-generating and warrant confirmation in randomized trials.

Abstract Aims Heart failure (HF) continues to be a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, placing a significant burden on healthcare systems. Differences in the outcomes of HF hospitalizations for adults in teaching vs. non-teaching hospitals in urban settings are uncertain. We evaluated outcomes of HF hospitalizations in patients hospitalized in urban teaching vs. non-teaching hospitals in the United States. Methods and results HF hospitalizations were abstracted from the 2016 through 2022 Nationwide Readmissions Database and stratified into urban teaching vs. urban non-teaching hospital settings. Propensity-score matching was used to control for baseline differences between teaching and non-teaching hospital cohorts. Logistic regression and lognormal models were estimated to assess differences in inpatient mortality, length of stay (LOS), total costs, complications, and 30-day and 90-day all-cause readmissions. A total of 7 558 299 weighted HF hospitalizations were included in the analysis, of which 76.3% involved urban teaching hospitalizations. Compared to urban non-teaching, HF hospitalizations in urban teaching hospitals were associated with significantly higher odds of inpatient mortality (OR 1.19, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.16–1.22), complications including cardiogenic shock, cardiac arrest, Intra-aortic balloon pump, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and mechanical ventilation use as well as more extended hospital LOS, higher total costs, palliative care consultation and readmissions rates (all P &lt; 0.001). 30-day and 90-day all-cause readmission rates were also statistically higher in teaching hospitals, though the difference was clinically non-significant. Conclusion HF hospitalizations in urban teaching hospitals were associated with higher inpatient mortality, complication rates, resource utilization, and palliative care consult rates than urban non-teaching hospitals.