scholarly journals Association Between Testosterone Treatment and Risk of Incident Cardiovascular Events Among US Male Veterans With Low Testosterone Levels and Multiple Medical Comorbidities

Author(s):  
Molly M. Shores ◽  
Thomas J. Walsh ◽  
Anna Korpak ◽  
Chloe Krakauer ◽  
Christopher W. Forsberg ◽  
...  

Background Testosterone treatment is common in men, although risks for major cardiovascular events are unclear. Methods and Results A study was conducted in US male veterans, aged ≥40 years, with low serum testosterone and multiple medical comorbidities and without history of myocardial infarction, stroke, venous thromboembolism, prostate cancer, or testosterone treatment in the prior year. For the primary outcome, we examined if testosterone treatment was associated with a composite cardiovascular outcome (incident myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, or venous thromboembolism). Testosterone use was modeled as intramuscular or transdermal and as current use, former use, and no use. Current testosterone users were compared with former users to reduce confounding by indication. The cohort consisted of 204 857 men with a mean (SD) age of 60.9 (9.9) years and 4.7 (3.5) chronic medical conditions. During follow‐up of 4.3 (2.8) years, 12 645 composite cardiovascular events occurred. In adjusted Cox regression analyses, current use of transdermal testosterone was not associated with risk for the composite cardiovascular outcome (hazard ratio [HR], 0.89; 95% CI, 0.76–1.05) in those without prevalent cardiovascular disease, and in those with prevalent cardiovascular disease was associated with lower risk (HR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.70–0.91). In similar analyses, current use of intramuscular testosterone was not associated with risk for the composite cardiovascular outcome in men without or with prevalent cardiovascular disease (HR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.80–1.04; HR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.89–1.09, respectively). Conclusions In a large cohort of men without a history of myocardial infarction, stroke, or venous thromboembolism, testosterone treatment was not associated with increased risk for incident composite cardiovascular events.

Circulation ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 143 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yejin Mok ◽  
Lena Mathews ◽  
Ron C Hoogeveen ◽  
Michael J Blaha ◽  
Christie M Ballantyne ◽  
...  

Background: In the 2018 AHA/ACC Cholesterol guideline, risk stratification is an essential element. The use of a Pooled Cohort Equation (PCE) is recommended for individuals without atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), and the new dichotomous classification of very high-risk vs. high-risk has been introduced for patients with ASCVD. These distinct risk stratification systems mainly rely on traditional risk factors, raising the possibility that a single model can predict major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) in persons with and without ASCVD. Methods: We studied 11,335 ARIC participants with (n=885) and without (n=10,450) a history of ASCVD (myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, and symptomatic peripheral artery disease) at baseline (1996-98). We modeled factors in the PCE and the new classification for ASCVD patients (Figure legend) in a single CVD prediction model. We examined their associations with MACEs (myocardial infarction, stroke, and heart failure) using Cox models and evaluated the discrimination and calibration for a single model including those factors. Results: During a median follow-up of 18.4 years, there were 3,658 MACEs (3,105 in participants without ASCVD). In general, the factors in the PCE and the risk classification system for ASCVD patients were associated similarly with MACEs regardless of baseline ASCVD status, although age and systolic blood pressure showed significant interactions. A single model with these predictors and the relevant interaction terms showed good calibration and discrimination for those with and without ASCVD (c-statistic=0.729 and 0.704, respectively) (Figure). Conclusion: A single CVD prediction model performed well in persons with and without ASCVD. This approach will provide a specific predicted risk to ASCVD patients (instead of dichotomy of very high vs. high risk) and eliminate a practice gap between primary vs. secondary prevention due to different risk prediction tools.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ha Young Jang ◽  
Jae Hyun Kim ◽  
Yun-Kyoung Song ◽  
Ju-Young Shin ◽  
Hae-Young Lee ◽  
...  

Aims: Conflicting data exist on whether an association exists between antidepressants and the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) in patients with depression. This may be due to the use of various study designs and residual or unmeasured confounding. We aimed to assess the association between antidepressant use and the risk of MACEs while considering various covariates, including severity of depression and the cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk score.Methods: Patients newly diagnosed with depression with no history of ischemic heart disease and stroke were followed-up from 2009 to 2015. We conducted Cox proportional hazard regression analysis to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for each antidepressant for MACE risk.Result: We followed-up (median, 4.4 years) 31,830 matched patients with depression (15,915 antidepressant users and 15,915 non-users). In most patients (98.7%), low-dose tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) were related with a significantly increased risk of MACEs [adjusted HR = 1.20, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.03–1.40]. Duration response relationship showed a gradually increasing HR from 1.15 (95% CI = 0.98–1.33; <30 days of use) to 1.84 (95% CI = 1.35–2.51; ≥365 days of use) (p for trend <0.01). High Korean atherosclerotic CVD risk score (≥7.5%) or unfavorable lifestyle factors (smoking, alcohol intake, and exercise) were significantly associated with MACEs.Conclusion: Even at low doses, TCA use was associated with MACEs during primary prevention. Longer duration of TCA use correlated with higher HR. Careful monitoring is needed with TCA use in patients with no known CVD history.


2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Brandon Shokoples ◽  
Nathanne S. Ferreira ◽  
Kevin Comeau

Introduction: The emergence of the global COVID-19 pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, has created a substantial burden on healthcare systems worldwide. The systemic impacts of COVID-19 infection are severe and broad in their implications, and the cardiovascular system is no exception. Discussion: Patients with a history of cardiovascular disease are at an increased risk for hospitalization and mortality, and COVID-19 infection has now been demonstrated to initiate acute, but serious, episodes of cardiovascular events such as stroke. Considering the rapid spread of COVID-19 across the globe and the inability of healthcare systems to address and adequately respond to the pandemic, therein lies an increased need for understanding the interplay between COVID-19 infection and cardiovascular disease. SARS-CoV-2 relies on binding the angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) receptor to infect host cells, with ACE2 representing a critical regulator of blood pressure homeostasis and proper cardiovascular functioning. Conclusion: Identifying the exact role of ACE2 in COVID-19 infection will have major implications for understanding the disease; therefore, here we have reviewed ACE2’s involvement in the pathogenesis of COVID-19 infection and the resulting end-organ damage. In addition, we have summarized how COVID-19 affects cardiovascular physiology, and how COVID-19 infection can manifest in acute cardiovascular events. Finally, we examine why patients with cardiovascular disease are at an increased risk of succumbing to COVID-19 and what the long-term cardiovascular implications of COVID-19 infection could mean. Relevance: This paper discusses the cardiovascular consequences of the global COVID-19 pandemic.


Author(s):  
Abigail Fraser ◽  
Amanda R. Markovitz ◽  
Eirin B. Haug ◽  
Julie Horn ◽  
Pål Richard Romundstad ◽  
...  

Background Women with a history of obstetric complications are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease, but whether they should be specifically targeted for cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk screening is unknown. Methods and Results We used linked data from the Norwegian HUNT (Trøndelag Health) Study and the Medical Birth Registry of Norway to create a population‐based, prospective cohort of parous women. Using an established CVD risk prediction model (A Norwegian risk model for cardiovascular disease), we predicted 10‐year risk of CVD (nonfatal myocardial infarction, fatal coronary heart disease, and nonfatal or fatal stroke) based on established risk factors (age, systolic blood pressure, total and high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, smoking, antihypertensive use, and family history of myocardial infarction). Predicted 10‐year CVD risk scores in women aged between 40 and 60 years were consistently higher in those with a history of obstetric complications. For example, when aged 40 years, women with a history of preeclampsia had a 0.06 percentage point higher mean risk score than women with all normotensive deliveries, and when aged 60 years this difference was 0.86. However, the differences in the proportion of women crossing established clinical thresholds for counseling and treatment in women with and without a complication were modest. Conclusions Findings do not support targeting parous women with a history of pregnancy complications for CVD screening. However, pregnancy complications identify women who would benefit from primordial and primary prevention efforts such as encouraging and supporting behavioral changes to reduce CVD risk in later life.


Circulation ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (Suppl_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chinedu C Ochin ◽  
Joseph Salami ◽  
Emir Veledar ◽  
Mahdi O Garelnabi ◽  
Katherine L Tucker

Background: FGF-23 is an endocrine regulator of phosphate metabolism as well as also a potent biomarker that mediates cardiovascular remodeling, with markedly elevated plasma concentration associated with the occurrence of morbid cardiovascular events such as myocardial infarction. This association usually indicates risk of developing further adverse cardiovascular events in individuals that are already susceptible to repeat morbid cardiovascular outcomes. This cross-sectional epidemiological study aims at investigating the risk association between FGF-23 and individuals in the 8 th year cohort of the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study (BPRHS) that have self-reported clinical cardiovascular disease in the form of myocardial infarction. Methods: FGF-23 plasma concentration was measured by ELISA in 496 participants of the fourth wave of the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study (BPRHS). Multivariate logistic regressions were used to analyze the cross-sectional association of plasma FGF-23 quartile distribution with self-reported clinical diagnosis of myocardial infarction (MI). Results: The crude model for the association between FGF-23 and MI showed increased risk across the 2 nd , 3 rd and 4 th quartiles, OR (95% CI); 1.27 (0.48-3.34), 1.13 (0.42-3.04), and 3.13 (1.33-7.33), respectively. The relationship with the highest vs lowest quartile remained significant after adjusting for age, sex and BMI, OR (95% CI); 2.91 (1.15-7.36). With further adjustment for diabetes, smoking, plasma total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and triglycerides, results were attenuated, and the latter comparison was no longer statistically significant, OR (95% CI); 2.15 (0.79-5.79). The test for trend across the quartiles yielded a p value of 0.03. Conclusion: Within this population of older Puerto Rican adults, FGF-23 was not significantly associated with increased likelihood of self-reported history of myocardial infarction. Longitudinal studies, using clinical parameters that objectively measure the progression of cardiovascular disease are needed to assess the prognostic value of FGF-23 for future cardiovascular outcomes.


2013 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stacy L. Haber ◽  
Virginia Boomershine ◽  
Erin Raney

Smoking cessation lowers the risk of death substantially in patients with cardiovascular disease. Although varenicline is an effective medication for smoking cessation, its safety in this population has been questioned and evaluated in several studies. In 2 randomized controlled trials of patients with cardiovascular disease, the rates of serious cardiovascular events were up to 2% higher in patients receiving varenicline than placebo, though the differences were not statistically significant. In the first meta-analysis of mostly trials involving patients with a history of cardiovascular disease, varenicline was found to significantly increase the risk of cardiovascular events by 72%; however, a second meta-analysis did not find a significant increased risk. In an observational study, varenicline was not associated with an increased risk of events when compared to bupropion in a subgroup analysis of patients with a history of cardiovascular disease. Because the evidence on the safety of varenicline in this population is limited and conflicting, additional data are needed to formulate stronger conclusions. In the meantime, health care professionals should consider individual smoking patterns, concomitant medical conditions, and cost when recommending smoking cessation pharmacotherapy for patients with cardiovascular disease.


2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean P. Nassoiy ◽  
Robert H. Blackwell ◽  
McKenzie Brown ◽  
Anai N. Kothari ◽  
Timothy P. Plackett ◽  
...  

Abstract Context New onset atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with poor outcomes in several different patient populations. Objectives To assess the effect of developing AF on cardiovascular events such as myocardial infarction (MI) and cerebrovascular accident (CVA) during the acute index hospitalization for trauma patients. Methods The Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Inpatient Databases for California and Florida were used to identify adult trauma patients (18 years of age or older) who were admitted between 2007 and 2010. After excluding patients with a history of AF and prior history of cardiovascular events, patients were evaluated for MI, CVA, and death during the index hospitalization. A secondary analysis was performed using matched propensity scoring based on age, race, and preexisting comorbidities. Results During the study period, 1,224,828 trauma patients were admitted. A total of 195,715 patients were excluded for a prior history of AF, MI, or CVA. Of the remaining patients, 15,424 (1.5%) met inclusion criteria and had new onset AF after trauma. There was an associated increase in incidence of MI (2.9 vs. 0.7%; p<0.001), CVA (2.6 vs. 0.4%; p<0.001), and inpatient mortality (8.5 vs. 2.1%; p<0.001) during the index hospitalization in patients who developed new onset AF compared with those who did not. Cox proportional hazards regression demonstrated an increased risk of MI (odds ratio [OR], 2.35 [2.13–2.60]), CVA (OR, 3.90 [3.49–4.35]), and inpatient mortality (OR, 2.83 [2.66–3.00]) for patients with new onset AF after controlling for all other potential risk factors. Conclusions New onset AF in trauma patients was associated with increased incidence of myocardial infarction (MI), cerebral vascular accident (CVA), and mortality during index hospitalization in this study.


2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
D Patoulias ◽  
A Boulmpou ◽  
A Tranidou ◽  
A Nikolaidis ◽  
C E Papadopoulos ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Gout, the most common inflammatory arthritis in the USA, represents an established risk factor for cardiovascular disease and coronary artery disease mortality. In addition, patients with gout experience an increased risk for non-fatal myocardial infarction, while they might also feature increased risk for stroke. Recent real-world data also highlight the association between gout and atrial fibrillation, which inevitably augments cardiovascular burden. Allopurinol, a xanthine oxidase inhibitor, remains the uric acid-lowering treatment option of first choice, while febuxostat is prescribed, when allopurinol is contraindicated or not tolerated. Unfortunately, medication adherence among gout patients is poor, associated with age and related co-morbidities. Purpose We sought to determine the comparative efficacy of febuxostat versus allopurinol across surrogate cardiovascular outcomes of interest, by pooling data from the 2 dedicated cardiovascular outcome trials available so far. The motive for this analysis was the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warning raised after the publication of the CARES trial, regarding the increased risk for cardiovascular and all-cause death with febuxostat compared to allopurinol. Methods We pooled data from the 2 dedicated cardiovascular outcome trials (CARES and FAST) and we assessed the following cardiovascular outcomes of interest: cardiovascular death, all-cause death, non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI), non-fatal stroke, fatal MI, fatal stroke, transient ischemic attack, hospitalization for heart failure, coronary revascularization, cerebrovascular revascularization and atrial fibrillation. Risk of bias was low across the included studies. Results Our analysis in a total of 12,318 patients with gout showed that febuxostat compared to allopurinol treatment does not confer significant risk reduction for any of the assessed, prespecified surrogate outcomes in a study population with significant cardiovascular co-morbidities (Figure 1). One third of patients enrolled in the FAST trial and 40% of the patients enrolled in the CARES trial had pre-existing cardiovascular disease, as depicted in Figure 2. Heterogeneity was low for the vast majority of the assessed outcomes, except for cardiovascular and all-cause death and fatal MI. Conclusions There is no significant difference across surrogate cardiovascular outcomes of interest between febuxostat and allopurinol in patients with gout and cardiovascular co-morbidities. Febuxostat seems to be a safe treatment alternative to allopurinol, despite initial concerns in terms of its cardiovascular safety. FUNDunding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None. Figure 1 Figure 2


2021 ◽  
Vol 80 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 844.2-845
Author(s):  
P. Cox ◽  
S. Gupta ◽  
S. S. Zhao ◽  
D. Hughes

Background:Gout is an inflammatory crystal arthropathy characterised by hyperuricaemia and sodium urate crystal deposition. Both gout and subclinical hyperuricaemia are associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Several studies have found gout to cause an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, but the evidence is not unanimous. The conflicting evidence has made it difficult to establish the extent of the cardiovascular risk to patients with gout.Objectives:To describe the incidence and prevalence of cardiovascular disease in gout, compare these results with non-gout controls.Methods:PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science were systematically searched in January 2021 for studies reporting prevalence of any cardiovascular disease in a gout population. Studies with non-representative sampling, where a cohort had been used in another study, small sample size (< 100) and where gout could not be distinguished from other rheumatic conditions were excluded. Sample size, prevalence of the investigated cardiovascular disease, definition of gout and cardiovascular disease, demographic data, data source and any comparisons with non-gout controls were extracted from each study. Where prevalence data was reported in ≥3 cohorts meta-analysis was performed using random-effect models.Results:Of the 6164 titles identified, 105 full texts were assessed for eligibility with 30 included in the review, producing a gout population of 1,125,988. Pooled prevalence estimates were calculated for six cardiovascular diseases: heart failure (8.73%; 95% confidence interval (CI), 2.85 – 23.76), cerebrovascular accident (4.27%; 95% CI, 1.83 – 9.67), myocardial infarction (2.82%; 95% CI, 1.58 – 5.01), venous thromboembolism (2.05%; 95% CI, 1.22 – 3.43), hypertension (63.94%; 95% CI, 24.51 – 90.64) and cardiovascular mortality (4.75%; 95% CI, 3.56 – 6.31). Twenty studies reported comparisons with non-gout controls, illustrating an increased risk in the gout group across all cardiovascular diseases, particularly for myocardial infarction.Conclusion:Cardiovascular diseases are more prevalent in patients with gout and should prompt vigilance from clinicians to the need to assess and stratify cardiovascular risk. These results are in line with other studies which have shown an increased cardiovascular risk for sufferers of hyperuricaemia, highlighting the need for future research to explain this finding. There are limited studies in the literature investigating less common cardiovascular conditions, illustrating the need for future work if a more thorough picture of prevalence is to be established.Figure 1.Forest plots of pooled prevalence of: (A) 8.73% for heart failure, (B) 4.27% for cerebrovascular accident, (C) 2.82% for myocardial infarction, (D) 2.05% for venous thromboembolism, (E) 63.94% for hypertension and (F) 4.75% for cardiovascular mortality.Disclosure of Interests:None declared.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document