Citations

Background and Objectives: Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) have significantly influenced medical practice worldwide. Nevertheless, the authorship of CPGs produced by several medical societies has not been representative of the field and population they address, as women and individuals from racial and ethnic minority groups have been underrepresented as authors. We hypothesized that women and individuals from minoritized racial and ethnic groups would also be underrepresented as authors of CPGs produced by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the gender, race, and ethnic composition of authors and subcommittee participants of AAP-produced CPGs published from January 2010 through May 2023 were analyzed and compared to the 2010 and 2021 U.S. population and 2010 and 2022 U.S. medical school pediatric faculty. Results: Women (39.7%, 127/320 of all positions, and 42.5%, 85/200 of named author positions) and women physicians (35.2%, 101/287 of all positions, and 36.4%, 64/176 of named author positions) were significantly underrepresented—while men and men physicians were significantly overrepresented—from their respective composition in the U.S. Census and pediatric faculty. Women and women physicians from all racial and ethnic groups and men and men physicians from minority racial and ethnic groups were significantly underrepresented—from their respective composition in the U.S. Census and pediatric faculty. No Black man was identified as an author. Conclusions: Medical societies that produce CPGs should be cognizant of these inequities and ensure appropriate authorship diversity.

BACKGROUND: A hypothetical concern has been raised that sacubitril/valsartan might cause cognitive impairment because neprilysin is one of several enzymes degrading amyloid-β peptides in the brain, some of which are neurotoxic and linked to Alzheimer-type dementia. To address this, we examined the effect of sacubitril/valsartan compared with valsartan on cognitive function in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction in a prespecified substudy of PARAGON-HF (Prospective Comparison of Angiotensin Receptor Neprilysin Inhibitor With Angiotensin Receptor Blocker Global Outcomes in Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction). METHODS: In PARAGON-HF, serial assessment of cognitive function was conducted in a subset of patients with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE; score range, 0–30, with lower scores reflecting worse cognitive function). The prespecified primary analysis of this substudy was the change from baseline in MMSE score at 96 weeks. Other post hoc analyses included cognitive decline (fall in MMSE score of ≥3 points), cognitive impairment (MMSE score <24), or the occurrence of dementia-related adverse events. RESULTS: Among 2895 patients included in the MMSE substudy with baseline MMSE score measured, 1453 patients were assigned to sacubitril/valsartan and 1442 to valsartan. Their mean age was 73 years, and the median follow-up was 32 months. The mean±SD MMSE score at randomization was 27.4±3.0 in the sacubitril/valsartan group, with 10% having an MMSE score <24; the corresponding numbers were nearly identical in the valsartan group. The mean change from baseline to 96 weeks in the sacubitril/valsartan group was −0.05 (SE, 0.07); the corresponding change in the valsartan group was −0.04 (0.07). The mean between-treatment difference at week 96 was −0.01 (95% CI, −0.20 to 0.19; P =0.95). Analyses of a ≥3-point decline in MMSE, decrease to a score <24, dementia-related adverse events, and combinations of these showed no difference between sacubitril/valsartan and valsartan. No difference was found in the subgroup of patients tested for apolipoprotein E ε4 allele genotype. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction in PARAGON-HF had relatively low baseline MMSE scores. Cognitive change, measured by MMSE, did not differ between treatment with sacubitril/valsartan and treatment with valsartan in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov ; Unique identifier: NCT01920711.

LBA7005 Background: Despite recent advances, there remains a need for novel therapies for pts with R/R DLBCL. BV, an anti-CD30 antibody-drug conjugate, has shown efficacy and safety when combined with lenalidomide (len) and with rituximab (R) in heavily pretreated populations (Bartlett 2022; Ward 2022). The double-blind, global phase 3 ECHELON-3 study (NCT04404283) compared BV with R+len (R2) vs R2 in pts with R/R DLBCL who are ineligible for HSCT or CAR T-cell therapy. Here, we present results from the interim analysis (IA) for overall survival (OS). Methods: Pts with R/R DLBCL received BV+R2 or placebo+R2 (randomized 1:1). Pts received BV (1.2 mg/kg) or placebo q3w, R (375 mg/m2) q3w, and len (20 mg) qd. The primary endpoint was OS in the intent-to-treat population. Secondary endpoints were investigator-assessed progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR), and complete response (CR) rate. The preplanned IA was performed at 134 OS events with a prespecified efficacy boundary of 2-sided P=0.0232. Results: 230 pts were randomized: 112 to BV+R2 and 118 to R2; all but 2 pts (both in R2 arm) received ≥1 dose of study drug. Median age was 71 yrs (range, 21-89), 56.5% were male, and 10.9% had an ECOG of 2. Median prior lines of therapy was 3 (range, 2-8); 29% had prior CAR T-cell therapy and 68% were CD30- (<1% CD30 tumor expression). At median follow-up of 16.4 months (mos) (range, 0.1-31.5) (cut-off: January 22, 2024), median OS was 13.8 mos (95% CI: 10.3-18.8) with BV+R2 vs 8.5 mos (95% CI: 5.4-11.7) with R2 (HR 0.629; 95% CI: 0.445-0.891; P=0.0085); OS benefit was consistent across key subgroups. Median PFS was 4.2 mos (95% CI: 2.9-7.1) with BV+R2 vs 2.6 mos (95% CI: 1.4-3.1) with R2 (HR 0.527; 95% CI: 0.380-0.729; P<0.0001). ORR was 64.3% (95% CI: 54.7-73.1) with BV+R2 vs 41.5% with R2 (95% CI: 32.5-51.0; P=0.0006); CR rate was 40.2% vs 18.6%, respectively. In CD30+ vs CD30- subgroups, ORR/CR was 72.2%/38.9% vs 60.5%/40.8% with BV+R2, respectively, and 50.0%/26.3% vs 37.5%/15.0% with R2, respectively. Efficacy analysis including cell of origin will be presented. The safety profile of BV+R2 was tolerable vs R2: Grade (Gr) ≥3 treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were 88% vs 77%, serious TEAEs were 60% vs 50%, and Gr 5 TEAEs were 12% vs 8%, respectively. Most common TEAEs were neutropenia (46% vs 32%), anemia (29% vs 27%), and diarrhea (31% vs 23%). Rates of peripheral neuropathy for BV+R2 vs R2 were 31% vs 24% (all Gr) and 6% vs 2% (Gr 3). Median treatment duration was 3.6 mos with BV+R2 vs 2.0 mos with R2. Conclusions: Treatment with BV+R2 triplet, compared to R2, demonstrated statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in all key efficacy outcomes including OS in high-risk subgroups, with manageable safety. This triplet regimen represents a novel treatment option for pts with heavily pretreated R/R DLBCL. Clinical trial information: NCT04404283 .

Abstract Although initial therapy of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is not standardized, bendamustine plus rituximab (BR) is commonly used in older patients. Rituximab (R) maintenance after induction is often used. Thus, the open-label, randomized phase 2 ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group E1411 trial was designed to test 2 questions: (1) does addition of bortezomib to BR induction (BVR) and/or (2) addition of lenalidomide to rituximab (LR) maintenance improve progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with treatment-naïve MCL? From 2012 to 2016, 373 previously untreated patients, 87% aged ≥60 years, were enrolled in this trial. At a median follow-up of 7.5 years, there is no difference in the median PFS of BR compared with BVR (5.5 vs 6.4 years; hazard ratio [HR], 0.90; 90% confidence interval [CI], 0.70-1.16). There were no unexpected additional toxicities with BVR treatment compared with BR, with no impact on total dose/duration of treatment received. Independent of the induction treatment, addition of lenalidomide did not significantly improve PFS, with median PFS in R vs LR (5.9 vs 7.2 years; HR, 0.84; 90% CI, 0.62-1.15). Most patients completed the planned 24 cycles of LR at the scheduled dose. In summary, adding bortezomib to BR induction does not prolong PFS in treatment-naïve MCL, and LR maintenance was not associated with longer PFS compared with R alone after BR. Nonetheless, the &gt;5-year median PFS outcomes in this prospective cooperative group trial indicate the efficacy of BR followed by R maintenance as highly effective initial therapy for older patients with MCL. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT01415752.

Abstract Background Heart failure (HF) has a high mortality risk in older adults. Individual symptoms as predictors of mortality in HF patients; however, symptoms often manifest in clusters, which may be more predictive of future risks than isolated symptoms. However, research on symptom clusters in older adults who have HF is limited. To explore the extent to which symptom cluster profiles predict all-cause mortality among older adults with HF, while adjusting for demographic and clinical factors. Methods A secondary study was conducted using the data from the Health and Retirement Study. We measured six symptoms (fatigue, shortness of breath, pain, swelling, depressive symptoms, and dizziness), and used latent class analysis to identify baseline symptom cluster profile. We performed survival analysis for time to death with Kaplan Meier survival analyses and Cox Proportional Hazard models. Results The sample included 684 participants (mean age = 74.9 (SD = 10.0) years) who demonstrated three symptom cluster profiles (high-burden, low-burden, and cardiopulmonary-depressive). The estimated median time-to-death was 71 (95% CI= [64, 79]) months. Participants in the high symptom burden and respiratory-depressive distress profiles had adjusted hazard ratios of 1.48 (95% CI = 1.15, 1.94) and 1.44 (95% CI = 1.14, 1.80) for time to death compared to those in the low burden profile. Conclusion Symptom profiles can assist in identifying older adults with HF who are at risk for earlier mortality. Further research is needed to determine whether alleviating these symptom clusters decreases the risk of mortality.

505 Background: SWOG S1007 was a phase 3 randomized trial to evaluate the benefit of endocrine therapy alone (ET) or with chemotherapy (CET) in pts with HR+/HER2- invasive breast cancer with recurrence score (RS) ≤ 25. There was no invasive disease-free survival (IDFS) benefit for CET compared to ET in postmenopausal women However, in premenopausal women CET had an IDFS improvement compared to ET (HR=0.60; 95% 0.43-0.83). The objective was to further refine patient subgroups who benefit from CET, we measured baseline hormone levels in S1007 pts to quantify their menstrual status by serum hormone levels and associated clinical outcomes. Methods: Serum estradiol (E), progesterone (P), follicular stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), and inhibin B (IB) were assessed on baseline serum samples from 1,015 pts who self-reported being premenopausal and age < 55. Magnetic fluorescent bead-based immunoassays ( i.e., Luminex assays) or colorimetric ELISAs were performed at the Biomarker Discovery Laboratory at the University of Kansas Medical Center to measure hormone levels. Associations of the markers (both continuous and dichotomized) with IDFS and distant relapse-free survival (DRFS) were tested for prognosis and prediction of CET benefit using Cox regression. Results: Single baseline measurement of IB, P, E, LH, FSH, or combination of E/LH/FSH, was not prognostic for IDFS or predictive for chemotherapy benefit. However, AMH levels (≥10 pg/mL) showed significant interaction with chemotherapy benefit (p=0.019), and risk increased with continuous AMH with ET alone, but not CET (p=0.03). Compared to ET alone, CET was beneficial in the 79% of premenopausal patients with AMH levels ≥10 pg/mL, a standard cutoff to define normal ovarian reserve (HR=0.48; 95% 0.33-0.69, adjusting for RS). CET was not beneficial in the 21% with AMH < 10 (HR=1.21; 95% 0.60-2.43). Absolute 5-year IDFS benefit of CET for RS ≤ 25 was 7.8% (95.2%-87.4%) for AMH ≥ 10 vs. -1.7% (89.1%-90.8%) for AMH < 10. DRFS showed a similar pattern with CET benefit in AMH ≥10 pg/mL (5-year DRFS benefit: 4.4%; HR=0.41; 95% 0.25-0.68, adjusting for RS) and no benefit in AMH < 10 (5-year DRFS benefit: -0.9%, HR=1.50; 95% 0.62-3.63). Conclusions: Among self-reported premenopausal patients < age 55, pts with baseline serum AMH levels ≥10 pg/mL showed significant benefit from CET compared to patients with AMH levels <10 pg/mL. AMH levels were a better indicator of CET benefit than self-reported menopause status, age, or E/LH/FSH levels. Use of AMH-based selection of patients may inform who most benefits from the addition of adjuvant chemotherapy to ET. Clinical trial information: NCT01272037 .

Abstract Background and Aims Biological sex has been associated to a more rapid rate of chronic kidney disease progression (ie, speed of kidney function loss) in male than female [1]. Testosterone can increase oxidative stress, activate the renin angiotensin system, and aggravate renal fibrosis, whereas estrogens inhibit these pathological processes in the diseased kidney [2]. Several factors such as lower disease awareness and surveillance rates as well as disparities in health-care access result in late initiation or lack of kidney replacement therapy among females [3-5]. The impact of sex in the clinical presentation and outcomes of patients with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) associated vasculitis (AAV) with glomerulonephritis (AAV-GN) has not been studied, particularly in patients with severe kidney involvement at presentation (eGFR&lt;15 mL/min/1.73 m2). Method A retrospective cohort study on MPO- or PR3-ANCA positive patients with AAV (MPA or GPA) and eGFR&lt;15 ml/min/1.73 m2 or ESKD at presentation. Clinical presentation and outcomes (renal recovery, dialysis at presentation, and ESKD) were analyzed according with sex. Results We analyzed 166 patients with biopsy proven active AAV-GN and eGFR &lt;15 mL/min/1.73 m2 at the time of diagnosis (Fig. 1): 78 (47%) were females and 88 (53%) were males. Arterial hypertension was more frequently present in males (85.2% vs. 70.5%, p = 0.022). Median serum creatinine (SCr) was higher in males when compared with females (5.2 [IQR 4.2-7.4] vs. 3.6 [IQR 2.8-5.1] mg/dL, p &lt; 0.001) but there were no differences in eGFR at presentation. When analyzing only the 71 (24 females and 47 males) patients that started dialysis within 4 weeks, infections at 12 months were more common in females (75.0% vs. 36.2%, p = 0.017). The rate of dialysis initiation or progression to ESKD was not different between males (15, 62.5%) versus females (29, 61.7%) being on dialysis at 12 months. By multivariable logistic regression, factors related with dialysis initiation within 4 weeks in our cohort were SCr (OR1.478, [95% CI 1.231-1.776], p &lt; 0.001), alveolar hemorrhage (OR 2.726, [95% CI 1.099-6.763], p = 0.031) and PR3-ANCA (OR3.155, [95% CI 1.485-6.702], p = 0.003) adjusted to sex). Patients who remained on dialysis at 12 months more often had higher SCr at diagnosis (IRR 1.098 [95% CI, 1.026–1.175], p = 0.007), severe chronicity changes on kidney biopsies (IRR 2.469 [95% CI,1.205–5.061], p = 0.014), higher chronicity score (IRR 1.178 [95%CI, 1.062-1.308], p = 0.002) and lower hemoglobin (IRR 0.824 [95%CI, 0.683-0.994], p = 0.043). Minimal chronicity changes were protective for the achievement of this endpoint (IRR 0.228 [95% CI, 0.070-0.741], p = 0.014). Multivariable Cox regression showed that patients with higher SCr at diagnosis and moderate/severe chronicity changes on biopsy were at higher risk to evolve to ESKD at 12 months compared to patients with lower chronicity grades, even when adjusted to sex. Conclusion In our cohort, male patients presented with higher SCr, and dialysis was started within 4 weeks more frequently. However, this did not result in different outcomes in terms of kidney recovery, overall dialysis rates, and progression to ESKD in patients with AAV-GN and eGFR&lt;15 mL/min/1.73 m2 between groups.

Abstract Background: Stroke remains a major health concern globally, with oral anticoagulants widely prescribed for stroke prevention. The efficacy and safety of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) in anticoagulated patients with distal medium vessel occlusions (DMVO) are not well understood. Methods: This retrospective analysis involved 1282 acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients who underwent MT in 37 centers across North America, Asia, and Europe from September 2017 to July 2023. Data on demographics, clinical presentation, treatment specifics, and outcomes were collected. The primary outcomes were functional outcomes at 90 days post-MT, measured by modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores. Secondary outcomes included reperfusion rates, mortality, and hemorrhagic complications. Results: Of the patients, 223 (34%) were on anticoagulation therapy. Anticoagulated patients were older (median age 78 vs 74 years; p &lt; 0.001) and had a higher prevalence of atrial fibrillation (77% vs 26%; p &lt; 0.001). Their baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores were also higher (median 12 vs 9; p = 0.002). Before propensity score matching (PSM), anticoagulated patients had similar rates of favorable 90-day outcomes (mRS 0–1: 30% vs 37%, p = 0.1; mRS 0–2: 47% vs 50%, p = 0.41) but higher mortality (26% vs 17%, p = 0.008). After PSM, there were no significant differences in outcomes between the two groups. Conclusion: Anticoagulated patients undergoing MT for AIS due to DMVO did not show significant differences in 90-day mRS outcomes, reperfusion, or hemorrhage compared to non-anticoagulated patients after adjustment for covariates.