Citations

Background: Life's Simple 7 (LS7) have been identified as key health factors aimed at achieving ideal cardiovascular health (CVH) and improving healthy life expectancy; however, it is unclear if different patient populations respond similarly to optimization of health behaviors. We sought to quantify the contribution of sex and age differences to changes in LS7 components in patients participating in cardiac rehabilitation. Methods: We included 937 adult patients who participated in CR from January 2018 to September 2020. LS7 metrics at baseline (pre-CR) and completion of CR (post-CR) were collected and changes in LS7 components (body mass index (BMI), diet, smoking, physical activity (PA), blood pressure (PB), cholesterol, glucose) were assessed by sex and age groups (<65 vs ≥65 years old). Each LS7 component was assigned 0 (poor), 1 (intermediate), or 2 (ideal) points and a final score was computed to estimate an individual’s level of CVH (0-14 pts): 0-6 = poor, 7-8= intermediate, 9 -14= ideal. Results: The mean age was 64±13 years, and 34% were female. Patients attended a mean of 11.1±12.5 CR sessions. LS7 components with the highest proportion within the poor category were HbA1c (41%) and BMI (50%) at the time of CR enrollment; neither women nor men showed improvement on either component. The trend towards improvement from poor to intermediate range on cholesterol and BP metrics was seen only in older patients (Table 1). Mean LS7 score improvement was greater in the older group, P=.01 (Fig 1). Both women and men equally improved LS7 scores (Table 2, Fig 2). Conclusions: Patients participating in CR demonstrated improvement in overall LS7 scores regardless of sex and age. However, age disparities exist in LS7 metrics, with exacerbated differences noted by a lack of improvement in LS7 components such as BP and cholesterol in younger patients. Our insights provide opportunities to explore equitable CVH.

Introduction: Atherosclerotic peripheral artery disease (PAD) leads to a great burden of cardiovascular and limb-related morbidity and mortality in African Americans (AA) compared to White Americans. Medical center partnerships with churches may be an effective method to improve PAD awareness and detection in the AA community. Hypotheses: We hypothesized that implementing a medical educational program in partnership with churches would increase PAD familiarity and identify participants with undiagnosed PAD. Aims: To determine (1) PAD familiarity before and after a one-time educational intervention and (2) the prevalence of PAD in older, church-going Nashville residents. Methods: Using a community-engaged research (CER) model, we partnered with 5 churches to enroll participants ≥ 50 years of age. Participants were given a 16-point pre- and post-educational program assessment to determine baseline and post-intervention PAD knowledge. Pre- and post-intervention scores were compared using Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Ankle-brachial index (ABI) testing was used to screen for PAD (ABI < 0.9). Results: We enrolled 120 participants (mean age [SD]: 64.67 [8.33] years, 74% women, 80% AA). The prevalence of PAD was 10.83%. Pre-intervention PAD awareness was low (mean score (MS): 10.89 [4.24]) and improved significantly post-intervention in all participants (MS: 13.88 [2.76; p=2 x 10 -12 ). Participants without PAD (ABI ≥ 0.9-1.39) (MS: 10.81 [4.28] vs. 13.91 [2.79]; p= p=4 x 10 -11 ) and with indeterminate status (ABI>1.4) (MS [SD]: 10.00 [5.03] vs. 14.10 [1.73; p=0.01) showed significant improvement in PAD awareness pre vs post intervention. Participants with PAD (ABI <0.9) (MS: 12.15 [3.26] vs. 13.46 [3.26; p=0.40) did not have significant improvement in their awareness scores. Conclusions: The PRAISE study demonstrates an effective CER partnership with churches as a method to increase PAD awareness and early detection of PAD, specifically among AAs.

Background Cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) is a measure of arterial stiffness associated with cardiovascular (CV) events and mortality. African American (AA) adults have a higher prevalence of CV risk factors (RFs) and adverse social determinants of health (SDOH) leading to a higher CV mortality risk than White adults. These disparities may be associated with arterial stiffness, however limited research exists on the association of CV RFs, SDOH, and CAVI among AAs. Hypotheses We hypothesized that CV RFs (eg, diabetes) and SDOH (eg, income) would be associated with CAVI among AA adults. Our secondary hypothesis was that AA adults would have a higher prevalence of abnormal CAVI scores (≥8.0) than White adults. Methods In the FAITH! HH+ study, CAVI measurements, CV RFs, and SDOH surveys were obtained. We collected CAVI readings and CV RFs from a secondary cohort of White adults (n=600), referred for echocardiography and without structural cardiac disease. The association of CV RFs, SDOH and CAVI scores among AAs was assessed via ANOVA and univariable linear regression. We compared CV RFs among both cohorts using Chi-squared tests and ANOVA, followed by comparing CAVI scores between cohorts using a multivariable linear regression model. Results In total, 48 AAs were included from the FAITH! HH+ cohort (mean age [SD]: 54.2 [11.5] years, 67.4% women). There was no significant association between CV RFs or SDOH with CAVI scores. In the 600 White adults assessed, mean age was 59.5 [14.7] years and 45.7% were women. Compared to White adults, AA participants had a lower burden of hyperlipidemia (43.5% vs 61.4%; p=0.017), but a higher burden of hypertension (73.9% vs 57.7%; p=0.031), diabetes (28.3% vs 9.3%; p<0.001), and obesity (71.7% obese vs 36.0%; p<0.001). There was no significant difference in CAVI scores between groups when adjusted for age, sex, and CV RFs (AA cohort: mean: 8.0 [1.4] vs White cohort: 8.4 [1.5]; p=0.790). Conclusions In this pilot study, SDOH and CV RFs were not associated with CAVI scores among AAs. There was no significant difference in CAVI scores between AA and White adults, despite a significantly higher burden of CV RFs in the AA cohort. Further studies are warranted to identify factors linked with onset and progression of arterial stiffness among AAs.

Introduction: Tricuspid regurgitation is a common echocardiographic finding leading to excess morbidity and mortality in adult population. Hypothesis: Racial and ethnic disparities have been observed in various cardiovascular disorders’ prevalence and natural course, including valvular lesions. However, little is known about the epidemiology and clinical correlations of TR among non-Hispanic Black adults. Methods: To examine risk factors and clinical outcomes in non-Hispanic Black adults with moderate or more severe TR, 685 patients (7%) self-identified as non-Hispanic Black and 9127 (93%) self-identified as non-Hispanic White with a first echocardiographic report of moderate or more severe TR between 2005-2016 were studied. Results: Non-Hispanic Black patients had more severe TR when compared to white patients (25% vs. 20%, p<0.001). After adjusting for age and sex, non-Hispanic Black patients had significantly higher 10-year all-cause mortality (HR=1.34 (1.18, 1.52), p<0.001). Black race remained a risk factor for all-cause mortality even after adjustment for comorbidities like CHF, COPD, DM, CKD, hypertension, and ischemic heart disease (HR=1.23 (1.08, 1.40), p=0.002). Conclusions: Significant racial disparities exist in demographic, clinical and echocardiographic characteristics between non-Hispanic Black and White patients with moderate or more severe TR. Black race is a potential disease modifier leading to excess mortality.

Background Socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with cardiovascular health (CVH). Potential differences by sex in this association remain incompletely understood in Black Americans, where SES disparities are posited to be partially responsible for cardiovascular inequities. The association of SES measures (income, education, occupation, and insurance) with CVH scores was examined in the Jackson Heart Study. Methods and Results American Heart Association CVH components (non–high‐density‐lipoprotein cholesterol, blood pressure, diet, tobacco use, physical activity, sleep, glycemia, and body mass index) were scored cross‐sectionally at baseline (scale: 0–100). Differences in CVH and 95% CIs (Estimate, 95% CI) were calculated using linear regression, adjusting for age, sex, and discrimination. Heterogeneity by sex was assessed. Participants had a mean age of 54.8 years (SD 12.6 years), and 65% were women. Lower income, education, occupation (non‐management/professional versus management/professional occupations), and insurance status (uninsured, Medicaid, Veterans Affairs, or Medicare versus private insurance) were associated with lower CVH scores (all P <0.01). There was heterogeneity by sex, with greater magnitude of associations of SES measures with CVH in women versus men. The lowest education level (<high school) versus highest (>high school) was associated with 8.8‐point lower (95% CI: −10.2 to −7.3) and 5.4‐point lower (95% CI: −7.2 to −3.6) CVH scores in women and men, respectively (interaction P =0.003). The lowest (<25 000) versus highest level of income (≥$75 000) was associated with a greater reduction in CVH scores in women than men (interaction P =0.1142). Conclusions Among Black Americans, measures of SES were associated with CVH, with a greater magnitude in women compared with men for education and income. Interventions aimed to address CVH through SES should consider the role of sex.

Background Innovative restructuring of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) delivery remains critical to reduce barriers and improve access to diverse populations. Destination Cardiac Rehab is a novel virtual world technology‐based CR program delivered through the virtual world platform, Second Life, which previously demonstrated high acceptability as an extension of traditional center‐based CR. This study aims to evaluate efficacy and adherence of the virtual world–based CR program compared with center‐based CR within a community‐informed, implementation science framework. Methods Using a noninferiority, hybrid type 1 effectiveness‐implementation, randomized controlled trial, 150 patients with an eligible cardiovascular event will be recruited from 6 geographically diverse CR centers across the United States. Participants will be randomized 1:1 to either the 12‐week Destination Cardiac Rehab or the center‐based CR control groups. The primary efficacy outcome is a composite cardiovascular health score based on the American Heart Association Life's Essential 8 at 3 and 6 months. Adherence outcomes include CR session attendance and participation in exercise sessions. A diverse patient/caregiver/stakeholder advisory board was assembled to guide recruitment, implementation, and dissemination plans and to contextualize study findings. The institutional review board–approved randomized controlled trial will enroll and randomize patients to the intervention (or control group) in 3 consecutive waves/year over 3 years. The results will be published at data collection and analyses completion. Conclusions The Destination Cardiac Rehab randomized controlled trial tests an innovative and potentially scalable model to enhance CR participation and advance health equity. Our findings will inform the use of effective virtual CR programs to expand equitable access to diverse patient populations. Registration URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov ; Unique identifier: NCT05897710.

Background: African American men are disproportionately affected by hypertension compared to other racial/ethnic groups. Self-management practices such as following a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can lead to improved hypertension control. However, healthy options may be inaccessible for some African American men, Gardening may provide easy access to fruits and vegetables. Methods: We conducted a mixed-methods study exploring African American men’s experiences with hypertension from Tennessee who regularly engaged in personal or community gardening and their gardening benefits (diet, physical activity, stress management), preferred diets and food selection. Participants completed semi-structured interviews and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet questionnaire which was compared to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) MyPlate. Results: Participants (N=9, mean age 65 [SD 5.4] years) reported that gardening improved their regular physical activity, stress management, and satisfaction with providing for others. Several themes emerged including that participants preferred to manage their hypertension through diet modification by alternating traditional diets (high fat/sodium) with heart-healthy (low fat/sodium) meals and that they recognized the continuous nature of healthy food selection. Diet questionnaire responses revealed mean daily fruit (2.9 [SD 1.7]) and vegetable (2.8 [SD 1.1]) servings were below DASH diet recommendations but above MyPlate guidelines. Further, mean daily meat/protein (3.7[SD 1.1]) and fat/oil intake (6.4 [SD 7.2]) servings exceeded both recommendations. Conclusion: Our study suggests that personal and community gardening may provide a means for African American men to improve hypertension self-management practices through physical activity, stress relief, and healthy food access. Further studies of gardening interventions on blood pressure control among this group are warranted.

Background The American Heart Association's Life's Essential 8 (LE8) are 8 risk factors for cardiovascular disease, with poor attainment across all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups. Attainment is lowest among Americans of low socioeconomic status (SES). Evidence suggests the association of SES with LE8 may vary by race and ethnicity. Methods and Results The association of 4 SES categories (education, income‐to‐poverty line ratio, employment, insurance) with LE8 was computed in age‐adjusted linear regression models, with an interaction term for race and ethnicity, using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data, years 2011 to 2018. The sample (n=13 529) had a median age of 48 years (51% female) with weighting to be representative of the US population. The magnitude of positive association of college education (relative to ≤high school) with LE8 was greater among non‐Hispanic White Americans (NHWA) compared with non‐Hispanic Black Americans, Hispanic Americans, and non‐Hispanic Asian Americans (all interactions P <0.001). NHWA had a greater magnitude of positive association of income‐to‐poverty line ratio with LE8, compared with non‐Hispanic Black Americans, Hispanic Americans, and non‐Hispanic Asian Americans (all interactions P <0.001). NHWA with Medicaid compared with private insurance had a greater magnitude of negative association with LE8 compared with non‐Hispanic Black Americans, non‐Hispanic Asian Americans, or Hispanic Americans (all interactions P <0.01). NHWA unemployed due to disability or health condition (compared with employed) had a greater magnitude of negative association with LE8 than non‐Hispanic Black Americans, non‐Hispanic Asian Americans, or Hispanic Americans (all interactions P <0.05). Conclusions The magnitude of association of SES with LE8 is greatest among NHWA. More research is needed on SES's role in LE8 attainment in minority group populations.