Dataset Information

Points to consider in cardiovascular disease risk management among patients with rheumatoid arthritis living in South Africa, an unequal middle income country.

ABSTRACT:

Background

It is plausible that optimal cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk management differs in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) from low or middle income compared to high income populations. This study aimed at producing evidence-based points to consider for CVD prevention in South African RA patients.

Methods

Five rheumatologists, one cardiologist and one epidemiologist with experience in CVD risk management in RA patients, as well as two patient representatives, two health professionals and one radiologist, one rheumatology fellow and 11 rheumatologists that treat RA patients regularly contributed. Systematic literature searches were performed and the level of evidence was determined according to standard guidelines.

Results

Eighteen points to consider were formulated. These were grouped into 6 categories that comprised overall CVD risk assessment and management (n =?4), and specific interventions aimed at reducing CVD risk including RA control with disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, glucocorticoids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (n =?3), lipid lowering agents (n =?8), antihypertensive drugs (n =?1), low dose aspirin (n?=?1) and lifestyle modification (n?=?1). Each point to consider differs partially or completely from recommendations previously reported for CVD risk management in RA patients from high income populations. Currently recommended CVD risk calculators do not reliably identify South African black RA patients with very high-risk atherosclerosis as represented by carotid artery plaque presence on ultrasound.

Conclusions

Our findings indicate that optimal cardiovascular risk management likely differs substantially in RA patients from low or middle income compared to high income populations. There is an urgent need for future multicentre longitudinal studies on CVD risk in black African patients with RA.

SUBMITTER: Solomon A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7296622 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Points to consider in cardiovascular disease risk management among patients with rheumatoid arthritis living in South Africa, an unequal middle income country.

Solomon Ahmed A Stanwix Anne E AE Castañeda Santos S Llorca Javier J Gonzalez-Juanatey Carlos C Hodkinson Bridget B Romela Benitha B Ally Mahmood M T M MMTM Maharaj Ajesh B AB Van Duuren Elsa M EM Ziki Joyce J JJ Seboka Mpoti M Mohapi Makgotso M Jansen Van Rensburg Barend J BJ Tarr Gareth S GS Makan Kavita K Balton Charlene C Gogakis Aphrodite A González-Gay Miguel A MA Dessein Patrick H PH

BMC rheumatology 20200616

<h4>Background</h4>It is plausible that optimal cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk management differs in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) from low or middle income compared to high income populations. This study aimed at producing evidence-based points to consider for CVD prevention in South African RA patients.<h4>Methods</h4>Five rheumatologists, one cardiologist and one epidemiologist with experience in CVD risk management in RA patients, as well as two patient representatives, two heal ...[more]

PMID: 32550295

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Project description:BackgroundRheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disorder that affects the small joints of the body. It is one of the leading causes of chronic morbidity in high-income countries, but little is known about the burden of this disease in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC).MethodsThe aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of RA in six of the World Health Organization's (WHO) regions that harbour LMIC by identifying all relevant studies in those regions. To accomplish this aim various bibliographic databases were searched: PubMed, EMBASE, Global Health, LILACS and the Chinese databases CNKI and WanFang. Studies were selected based on pre-defined inclusion criteria, including a definition of RA based on the 1987 revision of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) definition.ResultsMeta-estimates of regional RA prevalence rates for countries of low or middle income were 0.40% (95% CI: 0.23-0.57%) for Southeast Asian, 0.37% (95% CI: 0.23-0.51%) for Eastern Mediterranean, 0.62% (95% CI: 0.47-0.77%) for European, 1.25% (95% CI: 0.64-1.86%) for American and 0.42% (95% CI: 0.30-0.53%) for Western Pacific regions. A formal meta-analysis could not be performed for the sub-Saharan African region due to limited data. Male prevalence of RA in LMIC was 0.16% (95% CI: 0.11-0.20%) while the prevalence in women reached 0.75% (95% CI: 0.60-0.90%). This difference between males and females was statistically significant (P?<?0.0001). The prevalence of RA did not differ significantly between urban and rural settings (P?=?0.353). These prevalence estimates represent 2.60 (95% CI: 1.85-3.34%) million male sufferers and 12.21 (95% CI: 9.78-14.67%) million female sufferers in LMIC in the year 2000, and 3.16 (95% CI: 2.25-4.05%) million affected males and 14.87 (95% CI: 11.91-17.86%) million affected females in LMIC in the year 2010.ConclusionGiven that majority of the world's population resides in LMIC, the number of affected people is substantial, with a projection to increase in the coming years. Therefore, policy makers and health-care providers need to plan to address a significant disease burden both socially and economically.

Project description:Background:A significant number of cardiovascular disease (CVD)-related deaths occur in developing countries. An increasing prevalence of CVD is associated with a change in the macro-economy of these countries. In this post hoc analysis, CVD risk factor (CVDRF) prevalence is evaluated across countries based on national income in the Africa and Middle East Region (AfME). Methods:Data from the Africa Middle East Cardiovascular Epidemiological (ACE) study were used; a cross-sectional study in 14 AfME countries (94 clinics) from July 2011-April 2012, which evaluated CVDRF prevalence in stable adult outpatients. World Bank definitions were used to classify countries as low-income (LI), lower-middle-income (LMI), upper-middle-income (UMI) or high-income (HI) countries. Four thousand three hundred seventy-eight subjects were recruited where 260 (6%), 1324 (30%), 1509 (35%) and 1285 (29%) were from LI, LMI, UMI, and HI countries, respectively. Results:Of all the CVDRFs evaluated, almost two-thirds of the study population across the national income groups had abdominal obesity and dyslipidemia. Countries in the HI category were associated with a higher prevalence of diabetes (32%), obesity (44%) and smoking (16%). UMI and HI countries were associated with higher clustering of CVDRFs where at least one-third of subjects having four or more CVDRFs. Lower income countries had lower blood pressure control rates and lower percentages of outpatients achieving LDL-cholesterol targets. Conclusion:The burden of CVDRFs in stable outpatients is high across the national income categories in the AfME region, with HI countries showing a higher prevalence of CVDRFs. The high burden in lower income countries is associated with sub-optimal control of dyslipidemia and hypertension. Lowering the CVDRF burden would need specific public health actions in line with positive changes in the macro-economy of these countries. Trial registration:The ACE trial is registered under NCT01243138.

Project description:BACKGROUND:Obstetric guidelines are useful to improve the quality of care. Availability of international guidelines has rapidly increased, however the contextualization to enhance feasibility of implementation in health facilities in low and middle-income settings has only been described in literature in a few instances. This study describes the approach and lessons learned from the 'bottom-up' development process of context-tailored national obstetric guidelines in middle-income country Suriname. METHODS:Local obstetric health care providers initiated the guideline development process in Suriname in August 2016 for two common obstetric conditions: hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) and post partum haemorrhage (PPH). RESULTS:The process consisted of six steps: (1) determination of how and why women died, (2) interviews and observations of local clinical practice, (3) review of international guidelines, (4) development of a primary set of guidelines, (5) initiation of a national discussion on the guidelines content and (6) establishment of the final guidelines based on consensus. Maternal enquiry of HDP- and PPH-related maternal deaths revealed substandard care in 90 and 95% of cases, respectively. An assessment of the management through interviews and labour observations identified gaps in quality of the provided care and large discrepancies in the management of HDP and PPH between the hospitals. International recommendations were considered unfeasible and were inconsistent when compared to each other. Local health care providers and stakeholders convened to create national context-tailored guidelines based on adapted international recommendations. The guidelines were developed within four months and locally implemented. CONCLUSION:Development of national context-tailored guidelines is achievable in a middle-income country when using a 'bottom-up' approach that involves all obstetric health care providers and stakeholders in the earliest phase. We hope the descriptive process of guideline development is helpful for other countries in need of nationwide guidelines.

Project description:Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most common paediatric rheumatic disease. It represents a group of heterogenous inflammatory disorders with unknown origin and is a diagnosis of exclusion in which imaging plays an important role. JIA is defined as arthritis of one or more joints that begins before the age of 16 years, persists for more than 6 weeks and is of unknown aetiology and pathophysiology. The clinical goal is early suppression of inflammation to prevent irreversible joint damage which has shifted the emphasis from detecting established joint damage to proactively detecting inflammatory change. This drives the need for imaging techniques that are more sensitive than conventional radiography in the evaluation of inflammatory processes as well as early osteochondral change. Physical examination has limited reliability, even if performed by an experienced clinician, emphasising the importance of imaging to aid in clinical decision-making. On behalf of the European Society of Musculoskeletal Radiology (ESSR) arthritis subcommittee and the European Society of Paediatric Radiology (ESPR) musculoskeletal imaging taskforce, based on literature review and/or expert opinion, we discuss paediatric-specific imaging characteristics of the most commonly involved, in literature best documented and clinically important joints in JIA, namely the temporomandibular joints (TMJs), spine, sacroiliac (SI) joints, wrists, hips and knees, followed by a clinically applicable point to consider for each joint. We will also touch upon controversies in the current literature that remain to be resolved with ongoing research. KEY POINTS: • Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most common chronic paediatric rheumatic disease and, in JIA imaging, is increasingly important to aid in clinical decision-making. • Conventional radiographs have a lower sensitivity and specificity for detection of disease activity and early destructive change, as compared to MRI or ultrasound. Nonetheless, radiography remains important, particularly in narrowing the differential diagnosis and evaluating growth disturbances. • Mainly in peripheral joints, ultrasound can be helpful for assessment of inflammation and guiding joint injections. In JIA, MRI is the most validated technique. MRI should be considered as the modality of choice to assess the axial skeleton or where the clinical presentation overlaps with JIA.

Project description:BackgroundGlobalization of clinical trials fosters inclusion of higher and lower income countries, but the influence of enrolling country income level on heart failure trial performance is unclear. This study sought to evaluate associations between enrolling country income level, acute heart failure patient profile, protocol completion, and trial end points.Methods and resultsThe ASCEND-HF (Acute Study of Clinical Effectiveness of Nesiritide in Decompensated Heart Failure) trial included 7141 patients with acute heart failure from 30 countries. Country income data in gross national income per capita in current US dollars from the year 2007 (ie, the year trial enrollment began) were abstracted from the World Bank. Patients were grouped by enrolling country income level (ie, high [>$11 455], upper middle [$3706-$11 455], lower middle [$936-$3705], and low [<$936]). Income data were available for 29 (97%) countries (N=7064). There were 3996 (57%), 1518 (21%), and 1550 (22%) patients from high-income, upper-middle-income, and lower-middle-income countries, respectively. There were no patients from low-income countries. Patients from lower-middle-income countries tended to be younger with fewer comorbidities and lower utilization of guideline-directed therapies. Rates of adverse events (13.8%) and protocol noncompletion (4.9%) during 180-day follow-up were highest among high-income countries (all P <0.01). After adjustment for race, geographic region, and clinical characteristics, compared with lower-middle-income countries, enrollment from higher income countries was associated with increased 30-day mortality or rehospitalization (high income: odds ratio, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.02-2.85; upper-middle-income: odds ratio, 2.16; 95% CI, 1.23-3.81), driven by higher rates of rehospitalization. Mortality was similar at 30 and 180 days. The association between higher country income and the 30-day composite end point was similar across geographic regions, with exception of Latin America ( P for interaction, 0.03).ConclusionsIn this global acute heart failure trial, patients from higher income countries had lower rates of protocol completion, higher rates of adverse events, and similar mortality rates. After adjustment for race, geographic region, and clinical factors, enrollment from a higher income country was associated with worse clinical outcomes, driven by higher rates of rehospitalization. Variation in enrolling country income level may influence study end points and trial performance independent of geographic region.Clinical trial registrationURL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier: NCT00475852.

Dataset Information

Points to consider in cardiovascular disease risk management among patients with rheumatoid arthritis living in South Africa, an unequal middle income country.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Points to consider in cardiovascular disease risk management among patients with rheumatoid arthritis living in South Africa, an unequal middle income country.

Similar Datasets

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