Samson Alliu

Cannabis use is associated with reduced prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A cross-sectional study

Cannabis use is associated with reduced prevalence of obesity and diabetes mellitus (DM) in humans and mouse disease models. Obesity and DM are a well-established independent risk factor for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the most prevalent liver disease globally. The effects of cannabis use on NAFLD prevalence in humans remains ill-defined. Our objective is to determine the relationship between cannabis use and the prevalence of NAFLD in humans. We conducted a population-based case-control study of 5,950,391 patients using the 2014 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Nationwide Inpatient Survey (NIS) discharge records of patients 18 years and older. After identifying patients with NAFLD (1% of all patients), we next identified three exposure groups: non-cannabis users (98.04%), non-dependent cannabis users (1.74%), and dependent cannabis users (0.22%). We adjusted for potential demographics and patient related confounders and used multivariate logistic regression (SAS 9.4) to determine the odds of developing NAFLD with respects to cannabis use. Our findings revealed that cannabis users (dependent and non-dependent) showed significantly lower NAFLD prevalence compared to non-users (AOR: 0.82[0.76–0.88]; p<0.0001). The prevalence of NAFLD was 15% lower in non-dependent users (AOR: 0.85[0.79–0.92]; p<0.0001) and 52% lower in dependent users (AOR: 0.49[0.36–0.65]; p<0.0001). Among cannabis users, dependent patients had 43% significantly lower prevalence of NAFLD compared to non-dependent patients (AOR: 0.57[0.42–0.77]; p<0.0001). Our observations suggest that cannabis use is associated with lower prevalence of NAFLD in patients. These novel findings suggest additional molecular mechanistic studies to explore the potential role of cannabis use in NAFLD development.

Regional Variation in Mortality, Length of Stay, Cost, and Discharge Disposition Among Patients Admitted for Heart Failure in the United States

The objective of the study was to provide contemporary evidence on regional variation in hospitalization outcomes in patients with heart failure (HF) in the United States. Using the National Inpatient Sample, we compared hospitalization outcomes among primary HF admissions (2013 to 2014) among the 4 Census regions of the United States. Overall, an estimated 1.9 million HF hospitalizations occurred in the United States over the study period. Mortality rate was 3%, the mean length of stay was 5.3 days, the median cost of hospitalization was US

Effect of Hospital Ownership on Outcomes of Heart Failure Hospitalization

7,248, and the rate of routine home discharge was 51%. There was a significant regional variation for all end points (p <0.001); for example, compared with other regions of the country, the risk-adjusted rate of in-hospital mortality was highest in the Northeast (3.2%) and lowest in the Midwest (2.7%); and within each region, these mortalities were higher in the rural locations (range: 3.0% to 3.8%) than in the urban locations (range: 2.7% to 3.1%). In addition, the Northeast region had the longest length of stay (mean: 5.9 days) and the lowest risk-adjusted rate of routine home discharge (42%). However, the cost of hospitalization was highest in the West (median: US

Cannabis use is associated with reduced prevalence of progressive stages of alcoholic liver disease.

8,898) and lowest in the South (US

Relation of Cannabis Use and Atrial Fibrillation among Patients Hospitalized for Heart Failure

6,366). A similar pattern of variation was found in subgroup analysis except that the risk-adjusted rate of in-hospital mortality was highest in the West among patients <65 years (1.7% vs 1.2% [lowest] in the Midwest), male gender (3.2% vs 2.8% in the Midwest), and rural location (3.8% vs 3% in the Midwest). In conclusion, HF hospitalization outcomes tend to be worse in the Northeast compared with other regions of the country. In addition, the in-hospital mortality rate was higher in rural locations than in urban locations.

Seasonal variation in hospitalization outcomes in patients admitted for heart failure in the United States

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of hospital ownership on heart failure (HF) hospitalization outcomes in the United States using data from the National Inpatient Sample of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Hospital ownership was classified into three, namely, nonfederal government, not-for-profit, and for-profit hospitals. Participants were adults hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of HF (2013 to 2014). End points included inpatient mortality, length-of-stay, cost and charge of hospitalization, and disposition at discharge. Of the estimated 1.9 million HF hospitalizations in the United States between 2013 and 2014, 73% were in not-for-profit hospitals, 15% were in for-profit hospitals, and 12% were in nonfederal government hospitals. Overall, mortality rate was 3%, mean length of stay was 5.3 days, median cost of hospitalization was USD 7,248, and median charge was USD 25,229, and among those who survived to hospital discharge, 51% had routine home discharge. There was no significant difference in inpatient mortality between hospital ownership among male patients, but there was a significant difference for female patients. Compared with government hospitals, mortality in female patients was lower in not-for-profit (odds ratio: 0.85 [95% confidence interval: 0.77 to 0.94]) and for-profit hospitals (odds ratio: 0.77 [0.68 to 0.87]). In addition, mean length of stay was highest in not-for-profit hospitals (5.4 days) and lowest in for-profit hospitals (5 days). Although cost of hospitalization was highest in not-for-profit hospitals (USD 7462) and lowest in for-profit hospitals (USD 6,290), total charge billed was highest in for-profit hospitals (USD 35,576) and lowest in government hospitals (USD 19,652). The average charge-to-cost ratio was 3:1 for government hospitals, 3.5:1 for not-for-profit hospitals, and 5.9:1 for for-profit hospitals. In conclusion, there exist significant disparities in HF hospitalization outcomes between hospital ownerships. Outcomes were generally better in for-profit hospitals than other tiers of hospital and, notably, there was a significant difference in inpatient mortality for female patients (but not for male patients).

Hereditary angioedema (HAE): a cause for recurrent abdominal pain

Abusive alcohol use has well‐established health risks including causing liver disease (ALD) characterized by alcoholic steatosis (AS), steatohepatitis (AH), fibrosis, cirrhosis (AC) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Strikingly, a significant number of individuals who abuse alcohol also use Cannabis, which has seen increased legalization globally. While cannabis has demonstrated anti‐inflammatory properties, its combined use with alcohol and the development of liver disease remain unclear.

DEVELOPING A TARGETED APPROACH TO 30-DAY CHF READMISSIONS

Left ventricular dysfunction triggers the activation of the sympathetic nervous system, providing inotropic support to the failing heart and concomitantly increasing the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF). The cardiovascular effects of cannabis have been characterized as biphasic on the autonomic nervous system with an increased sympathetic effect at low doses and an inhibitory sympathetic activity at higher doses. It is unknown if the autonomic effect of cannabis impacts the occurrence of AF in patients with heart failure (HF). We used data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project-National Inpatient Sample for patients admitted with a diagnosis of HF in 2014. The outcome variable was the diagnosis of AF, with the main exposure being cannabis use. We identified a cannabis user group and a 1:1 propensity-matched non-cannabis user group, each having 3,548 patients. We then estimated the odds of AF diagnosis in cannabis users. An estimated 3,950,392 patients were admitted with a diagnosis of HF in the United States in 2014. Among these, there were 17,755 (0.45%) cannabis users. In the matched cohort, cannabis users were less likely to have AF (19.08% vs 21.39%; AOR 0.87 [0.77 to 0.98]). In conclusion, cannabis users have lower odds of AF when compared with nonusers, which was not explained by co-morbid conditions, age, insurance type, and socioeconomic status.

Frequent Cannabis Users Have Reduced Odds for Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

There is lack of evidence of the impact of varying season on heart failure (HF) hospitalization outcomes in the U.S.

Abstract 065: Hospital Teaching Status and TAVR Outcomes in the United States - Analysis of the National Inpatient Sample (NIS)

A 44-year-old Hispanic woman presented to the emergency room with a 2-day history of sudden onset of severe cramping left lower quadrant abdominal pain associated with ∼20 episodes diarrhoea. Abdominal CT scan exhibited bowel wall oedema and acute extensive colitis. On the basis of the preliminary diagnosis of acute abdomen, the patient was admitted under the surgical team and treated for acute colitis. Since her family history was significant for hereditary angioedema (HAE), complement studies were performed which revealed low complement C4 levels and abnormally low values of C1q esterase inhibitor. Thus, the diagnosis of HAE type I was established. This case report summarises that the symptoms of HAE are often non-specific, hence making the underlying cause difficult to diagnose.