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Discrepancies between clinic and research blood pressure (BP) measurements lead to uncertainties in translating hypertension management guidelines into practice. We assessed the concordance between standardized automated clinic BP, from a primary care clinic, and research BP, from a randomized trial conducted at the same site. Mean single-visit clinic BP was higher by 4.4/3.8 mm Hg (P = 0.007/<0.001). Concordance in systolic BP (SBP) improved with closer proximity of measurements (difference = 2.5 mm Hg, P = 0.21 for visits within 7 days), but not averaging across multiple visits (difference =5.1(9.2) mm Hg; P < 0.001). This discrepancy was greater among female participants. Clinic-based difference in SBP between two visits was more variable than research-based change (SD = 19.6 vs 14.0; P = 0.002); a 2-arm trial using clinic measurements would need 95% more participants to achieve comparable power. Implementation of a bundled standardization intervention decreased discrepancies between clinic and research BP, compared to prior reports. However, clinic measurements remained higher and more variable, suggesting treatment to research-based targets may lead to overtreatment and using clinic BP approximately halves power in trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Disparities in health and healthcare are extensively documented across clinical conditions, settings, and dimensions of healthcare quality. In particular, studies show that ethnic minorities and persons with low socioeconomic status receive poorer quality of interpersonal or patient-centered care than whites and persons with higher socioeconomic status. Strong evidence links patient-centered care to improvements in patient adherence and health outcomes; therefore, interventions that enhance this dimension of care are promising strategies to improve adherence and overcome disparities in outcomes for ethnic minorities and poor persons. Objective This paper describes the design of the Patient-Physician Partnership (Triple P) Study. The goal of the study is to compare the relative effectiveness of the patient and physician intensive interventions, separately, and in combination with one another, with the effectiveness of minimal interventions. The main hypothesis is that patients in the intensive intervention groups will have better adherence to appointments, medication, and lifestyle recommendations at three and twelve months than patients in minimal intervention groups. The study also examines other process and outcome measures, including patient-physician communication behaviors, patient ratings of care, health service utilization, and blood pressure control. Methods A total of 50 primary care physicians and 279 of their ethnic minority or poor patients with hypertension were recruited into a randomized controlled trial with a two by two factorial design. The study used a patient-centered, culturally tailored, education and activation intervention for patients with active follow-up delivered by a community health worker in the clinic. It also included a computerized, self-study communication skills training program for physicians, delivered via an interactive CD-ROM, with tailored feedback to address their individual communication skills needs. Conclusion The Triple P study will provide new knowledge about how to improve patient adherence, quality of care, and cardiovascular outcomes, as well as how to reduce disparities in care and outcomes of ethnic minority and poor persons with hypertension.

Background The clinical relevance of arachidonic acid (AA) metabolites in chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression is poorly understood. We aimed to compare the concentrations of 85 enzymatic pathway products of AA metabolism in patients with CKD who progressed to end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) versus patients who did not in a subcohort of Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort (CRIC) and to estimate the risk of CKD progression and major cardiovascular events by levels of AA metabolites and their link to enzymatic metabolic pathways. Methods A total 123 patients in the CRIC study who progressed to ESKD were frequency matched with 177 nonprogressors and serum eicosanoids were quantified by mass spectrometry. We applied serum collected at patients' Year 1 visit and outcome of progression to ESKD was ascertained over the next 10 years. We used logistic regression models for risk estimation. Results Baseline 15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoate (HETE) and 20-HETE levels were significantly elevated in progressors (false discovery rate Q  ≤ 0.026). The median 20-HETE level was 7.6 pmol/mL [interquartile range (IQR) 4.2–14.5] in progressors and 5.4 pmol/mL (IQR 2.8–9.4) in nonprogressors (P < 0.001). In an adjusted model, only 20-HETE independently predicted CKD progression. Each 1 standard deviation increase in 20-HETE was independently associated with 1.45-fold higher odds of progression (95% confidence interval 1.07–1.95; P = 0.017). Principal components of lipoxygenase (LOX) and cytochrome P450 (CYP450) pathways were independently associated with CKD progression. Conclusions We found higher odds of CKD progression associated with higher 20-HETE, LOX and CYP450 metabolic pathways. These alterations precede CKD progression and may serve as targets for interventions aimed at halting progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity presents an important public health problem that affects more than a third of the U.S. adult population and that is associated with increased morbidity, mortality, and costs. Previously, we documented that two primary care-based weight loss interventions were clinically effective. To encourage the implementation of and reimbursement for these interventions, we evaluated their relative cost-effectiveness. We performed a cost analysis of the Practice-based Opportunities for Weight Reduction (POWER) trial, a three-arm trial that enrolled 415 patients with obesity from six primary care practices. Trial participants were randomized to a control arm, an in-person support intervention, or a remote support intervention; in the two intervention arms, behavioral interventions were delivered over 24 months, in two phases. Weight loss was measured at 6, 12, and 24 months. Using timesheets and empirical data, we evaluated the cost of the in-person and remote support interventions from the perspective of a health care system delivering the interventions. A univariate sensitivity analysis was conducted to evaluate uncertainty around model assumptions. All comparisons were tested using independent t -tests. Cost of the in-person intervention was higher at 6 months ($113 per participant per month and $117 per kg lost) than the remote support intervention ($101 per participant per month and $99 per kg lost; p <.001). Costs were also higher for the in-person support intervention at 24 months ($73 per participant per month and $342 per kg lost) than for the remote support intervention ($53 per participant per month and $275 per kg lost; p <.001). In the sensitivity analyses, cost ranged from $274/kg lost to $456/kg lost for the in-person support intervention and from $218/kg to $367/kg lost for the remote support intervention. A primary care weight loss intervention administered remotely was relatively more cost-effective than an in-person intervention. Expanding the scope of reimbursable programs to include other cost-effective interventions could help ensure that a broader range of patients receive the type of support needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluated use of a program to improve blood pressure measurement at 6 primary care clinics over a 6-month period. The program consisted of automated devices, clinical training, and support for systems change. Unannounced audits and electronic medical records provided evaluation data. Clinics used devices in 81.0% of encounters and used them as intended in 71.6% of encounters, but implementation fidelity varied. Intervention site systolic and diastolic blood pressure with terminal digit "0" decreased from 32.1% and 33.7% to 11.1% and 11.3%, respectively. Improvement occurred uniformly, regardless of sites' adherence to the measurement protocol. Providers rechecked blood pressure measurements less often post-intervention (from 23.5% to 8.1% of visits overall). Providers at sites with high protocol adherence were less likely to recheck measurements than those at low adherence sites. Comparison sites exhibited no change in terminal digit preference or repeat measurements. This study demonstrates that clinics can apply a pragmatic intervention to improve blood pressure measurement. Additional refinement may improve implementation fidelity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apparent treatment-resistant hypertension (ATRH) is highly prevalent and associated with cardiovascular disease risk in patients with chronic kidney disease. We analyzed the association of inflammatory biomarkers with ATRH and its complications in patients with chronic kidney disease. ATRH was defined as blood pressure ≥140/90 mm Hg while taking ≥3 antihypertensive medications or blood pressure <140/90 mm Hg while taking ≥4 medications. Analyses included 1359 CRIC study (Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort) participants with ATRH and 2008 hypertensive participants without. Logistic regression was used to examine cross-sectional associations of inflammatory biomarkers and ATRH adjusting for demographic, lifestyle, and clinical risk factors and treatments. Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the impact of inflammatory biomarkers on associations of ATRH with composite cardiovascular disease and mortality beyond conventional risk factors. Multivariable-adjusted odds ratio (95% CI) of ATRH for the highest tertile versus the lowest tertile of inflammatory biomarker levels was 1.29 (95% CI, 1.05-1.59) for IL (interleukin)-6, 1.49 (95% CI, 1.20-1.85) for TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor-α), and 0.77 (95% CI, 0.63-0.95) for TGF-β (transforming growth factor-β). High-sensitivity CRP (C-reactive protein), fibrinogen, IL-1β, and IL-1 receptor antagonist were not significantly associated with ATRH. Adding inflammatory biomarkers to Cox models did not attenuate the significant association of ATRH with cardiovascular disease and mortality. Our findings show higher levels of IL-6 and TNF-α and lower levels of TGF-β were independently associated with odds of ATRH. Targeting specific inflammatory pathways may improve blood pressure control in patients with chronic kidney disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Uromodulin modulates the sodium-potassium-two-chloride transporter in the thick ascending limb of the loop of Henle, and its overexpression in murine models leads to salt-induced hypertension. We hypothesized that individuals with higher baseline levels of urine uromodulin would have a greater increase in systolic blood pressure (SBP) for the same increase in sodium compared with those with lower uromodulin levels. METHODS We used data from 157 subjects randomized to the control diet of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH)-Sodium trial who were assigned to 30 days of low (1,500 mg/d), medium (2,400 mg/d), and high salt (3,300 mg/d) diets in random order. Blood pressure was measured prerandomization and then weekly during each feeding period. We evaluated the association of prerandomization urine uromodulin with change in SBP between diets, as measured at the end of each feeding period, using multivariable linear regression. RESULTS Baseline urine uromodulin stratified by tertiles was ≤17.64, 17.65–31.97, and ≥31.98 µg/ml. Across the tertiles, there were no significant differences in SBP at baseline, nor was there a differential effect of sodium diet on SBP across tertiles (low to high, P = 0.81). After adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, and race, uromodulin levels were not significantly associated with SBP change from low to high sodium diet (P = 0.42). CONCLUSIONS In a randomized trial of different levels of salt intake, higher urine uromodulin levels were not associated with a greater increase in blood pressure in response to high salt intake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]