Researchers at University of Pennsylvania Target Thrombosis (Prevalent Pharmacotherapy of Us Fontan Survivors: a Study Utilizing Data From the Marketscan Commercial and Medicaid Claims Databases): Cardiovascular Diseases and Conditions – Thrombosis

2021 DEC 30 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- Researchers detail new data in Cardiovascular Diseases and Conditions - Thrombosis. According to news originating from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by NewsRx correspondents, research stated, “Survivors of Fontan palliation are at life-long risk of thrombosis, arrhythmia, and circulatory failure. To our knowledge, no studies have evaluated current United States pharmaceutical prescription practice in this population.”

Financial support for this research came from NIH National Heart Lung & Blood Institute (NHLBI).

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from the University of Pennsylvania, “A retrospective observational study evaluating the prevalent use of prescription medications in children and adolescents with hypoplastic left heart syndrome or tricuspid atresia after Fontan completion (identified using ICD9/10 codes) was performed using data contained in the MarketScan Commercial and Medicaid databases for the years 2013 through 2018. Cardiac pharmaceuticals were divided by class. Anticoagulant agents other than platelet inhibitors, which are not uniformly a prescription medication, were also studied. Associations between increasing age and the likelihood of a filled prescription for each class of drug were evaluated. Annualized retail costs of pharmaceutical regimens were calculated. A cohort of 4,056 subjects (median age 12 years [interquartile range: 8-16], 61% male, 60% commercial insurance) was identified. Of the cohort, 50% received no prescription medications. Angiotensin converting enzyme in-hibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers (ACEi/ARB) (38%), diuretics (15%), and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (8%) were prescribed with the highest frequency. Pulmonary vasodilators were received by 6% of subjects. Older age was associated with increased likelihood of filled prescriptions for anticoagulants (P =.008), antiarrhythmic agents, digoxin, ACEi/ARB, and beta blockers (each P<.0001), but also lower likelihood of filled prescriptions for pulmonary vasodilators, conventional diuretics (both P<.0001), and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (P =.02). Pharmaceuticals typically used to treat heart failure and pulmonary hypertension are the most commonly prescribed medications following Fontan palliation.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “While the likelihood of treatment with a particular class of medication is associated with the age of the patient, determining the optimal regimen for individual patients and the population at large is an important knowledge gap for future research.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Prevalent Pharmacotherapy of Us Fontan Survivors: a Study Utilizing Data From the Marketscan Commercial and Medicaid Claims Databases. American Heart Journal, 2022;243:158-166. American Heart Journal can be contacted at: Mosby-elsevier, 360 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10010-1710, USA. (Elsevier - www.elsevier.com; American Heart Journal - http://www.journals.elsevier.com/american-heart-journal/)

The news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained from Michael L. O’Byrne, University of Pennsylvania, Children’s Hospital, Perelman School of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Dept. of Pediatrics, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States. Additional authors for this research include Jing Huang, Jonathan B. Edelson, David M. Finkelstein, Bethan A. Lemley, Christopher M. Janson, Catherine M. Avitabile, Andrew C. Glatz, David J. Goldberg, Jennifer A. Faerber and Hannah Katcoff.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ahj.2021.09.012. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

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