The American journal of the medical sciences
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Readmission following Heart failure (HF) hospitalization is common: 25% are readmitted within a month of discharge and ≈50% within 6 months. A small proportion of these patients can have multiple readmissions within this period, adding disproportionately to the health care costs. In this study, we assessed the trends, predictors and costs associated with multiple readmissions using National readmissions database (NRD). ⋯ Multiple readmissions in HF are common (16%), have remained unchanged between 2010 and 2018 and impose a significant health care cost burden. Future research should focus on identifying these patients for targeted intervention that may minimize excessive readmissions particularly in those patients who are in the palliation phase of HF.
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Ankle brachial index (ABI) as a risk-enhancing factor in addition to the pooled cohort equation (PCE) in assessing cardiovascular risk for primary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is uncertain. ⋯ Using the PCE, two-third of the participants with low ABI were classified as having a low, borderline or intermediate risk of ASCVD. Low ABI was associated with an increased all-cause mortality in the overall cohort and specifically among those with a borderline/intermediate or high risk of ASCVD but not in those with a low risk of ASCVD. Our study supports consideration of ABI as a risk enhancer for primary prevention among patients classified as borderline or intermediate risk of ASCVD.