Young-il Kim

β-Blockers are associated with a reduction in COPD exacerbations

Background While some retrospective studies have suggested that β-blocker use in patients with COPD is associated with a reduction in the frequency of acute exacerbations and lower mortality, there is concern that their use in patients with severe COPD on home oxygen may be harmful. Methods Subjects with Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) stage 2–4 COPD participating in a prospective follow-up of the COPDGene cohort, a multicentre observational cohort of current and former smokers were recruited. Total and severe exacerbation rates were compared between groups categorised by β-blocker use on longitudinal follow-up using negative binomial regression analyses, after adjustment for demographics, airflow obstruction, %emphysema on CT, respiratory medications, presence of coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure and coronary artery calcification, and after adjustment for propensity to prescribe β-blockers. Results 3464 subjects were included. During a median of 2.1 years of follow-up, β-blocker use was associated with a significantly lower rate of total (incidence risk ratio (IRR) 0.73, 95% CI 0.60 to 0.90; p=0.003) and severe exacerbations (IRR 0.67, 95% CI 0.48 to 0.93; p=0.016). In those with GOLD stage 3 and 4 and on home oxygen, use of β-blockers was again associated with a reduction in the rate of total (IRR 0.33, 95% CI 0.19 to 0.58; p<0.001) and severe exacerbations (IRR 0.35, 95% CI 0.16 to 0.76; p=0.008). Exacerbation reduction was greatest in GOLD stage B. There was no difference in all-cause mortality with β-blocker use. Conclusions β-Blockers are associated with a significant reduction in COPD exacerbations regardless of severity of airflow obstruction. The findings of this study should be tested in a randomised, placebo-controlled trial. Trial registration number (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00608764).

Alcohol Consumption in Young Adults and Incident Hypertension: 20-Year Follow-up From the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study

The relation between alcohol consumption and incident hypertension is unclear, and most observational studies have not accounted for socioeconomic factors. This study examined the association between alcohol consumption in a diverse group of young adults and incident hypertension over 20 years. Participants (n = 4,711) were from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study cohort, recruited in 1985 (aged 18-30 years) from Birmingham, Alabama; Chicago, Illinois; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Oakland, California. The 20-year incidence of hypertension for never, former, light, moderate, and at-risk drinkers was 25.1%, 31.8%, 20.9%, 22.2%, and 18.8%, respectively (P < 0.001). Race, gender, age, family history of hypertension, body mass index, income, education, and difficulty paying for basics and medical care were associated with hypertension. Adjustment using Cox proportional hazard models revealed no association between baseline alcohol consumption and incident hypertension, except among European-American women in whom any current alcohol consumption was associated with lower risk of incident hypertension. The lack of association between alcohol and hypertension in the majority of this socioeconomically diverse cohort is not definitive. Future studies should include social factors, such as income and education, and consider additional characteristics that may modify or confound associations between alcohol and blood pressure.

Electronic Cigarette Awareness, Use History, and Expected Future Use Among Hospitalized Cigarette Smokers

INTRODUCTION E-cigarette use has surged during the past few years while the debate about the products safety and efficacy for smoking cessation continues. Little is known about the characteristics that distinguish users from nonusers; in this study, we aimed to elucidate these characteristics among hospitalized smokers, a heretofore unstudied population. METHODS Cross-sectional data were collected from cigarette smokers via hospital bedside interviews. Participants reported e-cigarette use status, reasons for use (if used), e-cigarette advertising exposure, expected likelihood of future e-cigarette use, desire to quit smoking, and demographic characteristics. RESULTS Of the 657 English-speaking hospitalized smokers who provided data, 97% reported awareness of e-cigarettes and 46.4% reported e-cigarette use, with 20% reporting use in the previous 30 days. Previous e-cigarette use was significantly more likely among those who were White (odds ratio [OR] = 4.7; confidence interval [CI] = 3.2-6.7), were married/had a domestic partner (OR = 1.5; CI = 1.0-2.2), had more than a high school education (OR = 1.7; CI = 1.1-2.7), had e-cigarette advertising exposure (OR = 1.6; CI = 1.1-2.4), and were younger (OR = 1.3; CI = 1.1-1.5). Expected likelihood of future e-cigarette use was high and positively correlated with desire to quit smoking (Spearmans ρ = .18, p < .0001). CONCLUSIONS Rates of awareness and use of e-cigarettes may be elevated among hospitalized smokers, with more use reported among those who were White, younger, more educated, in a relationship, and exposed to e-cigarette advertising. The association between desire to quit smoking and expected likelihood of future e-cigarette use suggests that cigarette smokers may perceive e-cigarettes as a useful cessation aid.

Medication adherence among rural, low-income hypertensive adults: a randomized trial of a multimedia community-based intervention.

Purpose. Examine the effectiveness of a community-based, multimedia intervention on medication adherence among hypertensive adults. Design. Randomized controlled trial. Setting. Rural south Alabama. Subjects. Low-income adults (N = 434) receiving medication at no charge from a public health department or a Federally Qualified Health Center. Intervention. Both interventions were home-based and delivered via computer by a community health advisor. The adherence promotion (AP) intervention focused on theoretical variables related to adherence (e.g., barriers, decisional balance, and role models). The cancer control condition received general cancer information. Measures. Adherence was assessed by pill count. Other adherence-related variables, including barriers, self-efficacy, depression, and sociodemographic variables, were collected via a telephone survey. Analysis. Chi-square analysis tested the hypothesis that a greater proportion of participants in the AP intervention are ≥80% adherent compared to the control group. General linear modeling examined adherence as a continuous variable. Results. Participants receiving the intervention did not differ from individuals in the control group (51% vs. 49% adherent, respectively; p = .67). Clinic type predicted adherence (p < .0001), as did forgetting to take medications (p = .01) and difficulty getting to the clinic to obtain medications (p < .001). Conclusions. Multilevel interventions that focus on individual behavior and community-level targets (e.g., how health care is accessed and delivered) may be needed to improve medication adherence among low-income rural residents.

Taking Less Than Prescribed: Medication Nonadherence and Provider-Patient Relationships in Lower-Income, Rural Minority Adults With Hypertension

J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2010;12:706–713. ©2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The relationship between computerized physician order entry and pediatric adverse drug events: a nested matched case-control study.

This study assesses the impact of computerized physician order entry (CPOE) implementation in pediatric hospitals on reported adverse drug events. Using a nested matched case‐control design; we linked CPOE implementation information from the health information management systems society analytics database with reported adverse drug event (ADE) from the national association of childrens hospitals and related institutions case mix comparative data program. Differences were examined using univariate and multivariate conditional logistic regression analyses. Patients from CPOE hospitals were more frequently seen in larger hospitals have more co‐morbidities than those from non‐CPOE hospitals. When matched by admitting diagnosis, age, gender and race, ADE cases were associated with more reported co‐morbidities, and were reported less frequently in hospitals with CPOE. Patients from hospitals without CPOE were 42% more likely to experience reportable ADE after adjusting for the presence of co‐morbidities. In conclusion, we found significant beneficial associations between reportable ADE and CPOE adoption in a representative sample of pediatric hospitals. Copyright

FEV(1)/FEV(6) to diagnose airflow obstruction. Comparisons with computed tomography and morbidity indices.

RATIONALE FVC is a difficult maneuver for many patients, and forced expiratory volume in 6 seconds (FEV6) has been proposed as a surrogate for FVC for the diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Previous studies have performed head-to-head comparisons of these thresholds but did not examine their relationships with structural lung disease, symptoms, or exacerbations. OBJECTIVES To compare FEV1/FEV6 with FEV1/FVC in the diagnosis of COPD-related morbidity and structural lung disease as assessed by CT. METHODS We analyzed data from a large multicenter cohort study (COPDGene) that included current and former smokers (age 45-80 yr). Accuracy and concordance between the two ratios in diagnosing structural COPD was compared using CT measures of emphysema and airway disease and COPD-related morbidity to assess how the two ratios compare in defining disease. RESULTS A total of 10,018 subjects were included. FEV1/FEV6 showed excellent accuracy in diagnosing airflow obstruction using FEV1/FVC < 0.70 as a reference (area under curve, 0.99; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.989-0.992; P < 0.001). FEV1/FEV6 < 0.73 had the best sum of sensitivity (92.1%; 95% CI, 90.8-92.4) and specificity (97.3%; 95% CI, 97.3-98.1). There was excellent agreement between the two diagnostic cutoffs (κ = 0.90; 95% CI, 0.80-0.91; P < 0.001). In comparison with control subjects and those positive by FEV1/FVC alone, subjects positive by FEV1/FEV6 alone had greater gas trapping and airway wall thickness, worse functional capacity, and a greater number of exacerbations on follow-up. These relationships held true when disease definitions were made using the lower limits of normal. CONCLUSIONS FEV1/FEV6 can be substituted for FEV1/FVC in diagnosing airflow obstruction and may better predict COPD-related pathology and morbidity.

Treatment for older prostate cancer patients: disparities in a southern state.

Background:Black prostate cancer patients are less likely to receive aggressive therapy (AT) than Whites: reported rates for patients ≥65 years old are about 55% versus 65%. Little is known about treatment rates in socioeconomically deprived states with large Black populations like Alabama. Study Design:Medicare claims and Alabama Statewide Cancer Registry records were linked for Alabamian men in Medicare fee-for-service diagnosed with loco-regional prostate cancer in 2000–2002. The association between race and likelihood of: (1) AT (prostatectomy or external beam radiation therapy [EBRT] or brachytherapy); (2) hormone therapy (primary androgen deprivation therapy [ADT] or orchiectomy); (3) <30 days of EBRT; and (4) <6 months of ADT, was investigated adjusting for age, clinical tumor stage, grade, Comorbidity Index, and census tract proportion of Black residents, of persons living below poverty and with ≤ high school. Results:Of 3561 patients, 71.2% received AT and 38.3% hormone therapy. Blacks were less likely to receive AT (64.3% vs. 73.0%, adjusted [adj.] OR: 0.80, CI: 0.67–0.96). There was no difference between Blacks and Whites in the likelihood of receiving hormone therapy (40.8% vs. 37.7%, adj. OR: 1.10, CI: 0.91–1.34), <30 days of EBRT (30.5% vs. 31.5%, adj. OR: 0.98, CI: 0.72–1.32) or <6 months of ADT (50.7% vs. 54.0%, adj. OR: 0.84, CI: 0.63–1.12). Conclusions:In Alabama, there were racial differences in utilization of aggressive treatment for locoregional prostate cancer. Research should investigate factors associated with prostate cancer treatment among older men, such as patient behavior and access to care.

Web-Based Intervention for Transitioning Smokers From Inpatient to Outpatient Care: An RCT.

INTRODUCTION Smoking-cessation follow-up care after hospitalization is known to be effective. Cost-effective and disseminable interventions adoptable by hospitals are needed. DESIGN RCT. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS Fourteen hundred eighty-eight current smokers recruited during a tertiary care hospital stay were randomly assigned to Usual Care (UC) or Usual Care plus Web-Based Intervention (WI). Data were collected in 2011-2013 and analyzed in 2014-2015. INTERVENTION UC provided brief bedside advice to quit, a quit plan template, and quitline contact information. WI included access to a website with asynchronous e-message communication with a tobacco counselor, use of interactive self-assessments, helpful cessation information, and access to additional web resources, as well as automated e-mail messages tailored for health concern and readiness to quit. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Self-reported 30-day abstinence at 6 months was the primary outcome; a subset was verified by saliva cotinine. RESULTS Six-month follow-up was completed by 83% of participants. No difference was found between study arms for self-reported abstinence rates in intent-to-treat (25.4% WI vs 26.8% UC) and complete case (31.3% WI vs 31.4% UC) analyses. Reduced smoking was reported by 45.5% (WI, n=276) and 47% (UC, n=296) of non-abstinent responders (p=0.59). Using a 10-ng/mL cotinine cut off, abstinence was verified in 52.1% of WI and 62.5% of UC (p=0.11). Significant covariates associated with abstinence at 6 months were being male, not smoking during hospitalization, being very confident in quitting, planning to quit/stay quit, smoking fewer days in the past 30 days, fewer years of smoking, and having cerebrovascular or connective tissue rheumatic disease as primary hospital diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS Lack of difference between treatment arms suggests a strong effect for UC, WI was not effective, or both. Low intervention engagement may be partially responsible. Self-reported abstinence rates were relatively high in both arms, although the biochemically verified rates indicate over-reporting of abstinence. These findings suggest brief bedside counseling for all hospitalized smokers is beneficial. TRIAL REGISTRATION This study is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov NCT01277250.

Radiological correlates and clinical implications of the paradoxical lung function response to β2 agonists: an observational study

BACKGROUND Bronchodilator response has been noted in a significant proportion of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, there are also reports of a paradoxical response to β₂ agonists resulting in bronchoconstriction. Asymptomatic bronchoconstriction is likely to be far more common than is symptomatic bronchoconstriction with β₂ agonists, but no systematic studies have been done. We assessed the prevalence of paradoxical response in current and former smokers with and without COPD, and its radiological correlates and clinical implications. METHODS Non-Hispanic white and African-American patients (aged 45-80 years) from a large multicentre study COPDGene were classified into two groups on the basis of a paradoxical response, defined as at least a 12% and 200 mL reduction in forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV₁) or forced vital capacity (FVC), or both, after administration of a shortacting β₂ agonist (180 μg salbutamol). FINDINGS Patients were recruited from January, 2008, to June, 2011. 9986 (96%) of 10,364 patients enrolled in the COPDGene study were included in the analysis population (mean age 59·6 years [SD 9·0]). Paradoxical response was noted in 453 (5%) of 9986 patients and the frequency was similar in patients with COPD (198 [4%] of 4439) and smokers without airflow obstruction (255 [5%] of 5547). Compared with white patients, a paradoxical response was twice as common in African-American patients (227 [7%] of 3282 vs 226 [3%] of 6704; p<0·0001). In the multivariate analyses, African-American ethnic origin (adjusted odds ratio 1·89, 95% CI 1·50-2·39; p<0·0001), less emphysema (0·96, 0·92-0·99; p=0·023), and increased wall-area percentage of the segmental airways (1·04, 1·01-1·08; p=0·023) were independently associated with a paradoxical response. A paradoxical response was independently associated with worse dyspnoea (adjusted β for Modified Medical Research Council Dyspnoea Scale 0·12 [95% CI 0·00 to 0·24]; p=0·05), lower 6 min walk distance (-45·8 [-78·5 to -13·2]; p=0·006), higher Body Mass Index, Airflow Obstruction, Dyspnea, and Exercise Capacity (BODE) index (0·31 [0·19 to 0·43]; p<0·0001), and a greater frequency of severe exacerbations (increased by a factor of 1·35, 1·00-1·81; p=0·048). INTERPRETATION Paradoxical response to β₂ agonists is associated with respiratory morbidity and is more common in African-Americans. These findings might have implications for the use of β2agonists in some patients. FUNDING National Institutes of Health.