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Introduction Insomnia is common among adults with chronic heart failure (HF), often not explained by sleep apnea (SA), and associated with daytime symptoms and poor daytime function. The purpose of this randomized controlled trial was to evaluate the sustained effects of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) on insomnia severity and sleep characteristics over 6 months among adults with stable chronic HF. Methods We included adults with HF who had at least mild insomnia [Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) > 8] and no more than mild SA or SA treated with continuous positive airway pressure. We randomized in groups to 8 weeks of group CBT-I (Healthy Sleep: HS) [4 group sessions + calls on alternate weeks] or attention control (Healthy Hearts: HH) [HF self-management education + brief sleep hygiene] in the same format. We administered the ISI, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Dysfunctional Beliefs & Attitudes about Sleep Scale (DBAS), and the Sleep Disturbance Questionnaire (SDQ) at baseline (T0), 2 weeks after treatment ended (T1) and at 6 months (T2). Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics and mixed effects models with random intercepts and slopes. Results The sample include 175 participants (HS: N = 91; 62 + 13 years; 58% Male; 15% Black; 68% NY Heart Class II-III) (HH: N = 84; 64 + 12.5 years; 56% Male; 17% Black; 70% NY Heart Class II-III). There was no significant difference at baseline in demographic characteristics or the mean ISI [HS: 15.3 (4.5); HH: 14.4 (4.5)], but a greater percentage in the HS group had clinical/moderate-severe insomnia (ISI > 15) (HS: 60.4% vs. HH: 47%). The CBT-I intervention (HS) was associated with significant improvement in insomnia severity (ISI: p = .001), sleep quality (PSQI: p = .002), and sleep-related cognitions (DBAS: p = .0006; SDQ: p = .0138), and a modest effect on self-reported sleep duration (46 vs. 20 mins, p = .054), but no effect on sleep efficiency. At 6 months, 12.9% of the HS group, compared with 24.9% of the HH group had clinical insomnia. Conclusion CBT-I has sustained effects on insomnia, sleep-quality, and sleep-related cognitions in people with HF. Support (if any) R01NR01691 (NSR, PI)

ObjectiveData from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results Medicare-linked database were used to estimate the incidence of and risk factors associated with recurrent thyroid cancer, and to assess the impact of recurrence on mortality following diagnosis, controlling for mortality as a competing risk.DesignWe identified 2883 patients over 65 years of age diagnosed with a single, primary well-differentiated thyroid cancer between 1995 and 2007. A recurrence was considered if the patient had evidence of I-131 therapy, imaging for metastatic thyroid carcinoma, or complete thyroidectomy beyond 6 months of diagnosis. Competing risk regressions were performed using Cox proportional hazards models with 1- and 2-year landmarks.ResultsRecurrence was observed in 1117 (39%) of the 2883 patients in the cohort. Age, stage, and treatment status were significant risk factors for developing recurrent disease (PP=0.03) than patients with no recurrence.ConclusionsThe rate of recurrence of well-differentiated thyroid carcinomas in this sample of elderly patients was 39%. Extent of disease and older age negatively impacted the risk of recurrence from differentiated thyroid cancer. In these data, patients with follicular histology and a recurrence were less likely to die, suggesting that mortality and recurrence are competing risks. These data should be taken into account with individualized treatment strategies for elderly patients with recurrent malignant thyroid disease.