scispace - formally typeset
Search or ask a question
Author

Andrew Kennedy

Bio: Andrew Kennedy is an academic researcher from University of Oxford. The author has contributed to research in topics: valvular heart disease & Internal medicine. The author has an hindex of 3, co-authored 4 publications receiving 263 citations. Previous affiliations of Andrew Kennedy include National Institute for Health Research.

Papers
More filters
Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A cross-sectional analysis of the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of VHD identified at recruitment of a large cohort of older people confirms the scale of the emerging epidemic of V HD, with widespread implications for clinicians and healthcare resources.
Abstract: Background Valvular heart disease (VHD) is expected to become more common as the population ages. However, current estimates of its natural history and prevalence are based on historical studies with potential sources of bias. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of VHD identified at recruitment of a large cohort of older people. Methods and results We enrolled 2500 individuals aged ≥65 years from a primary care population and screened for undiagnosed VHD using transthoracic echocardiography. Newly identified (predominantly mild) VHD was detected in 51% of participants. The most common abnormalities were aortic sclerosis (34%), mitral regurgitation (22%), and aortic regurgitation (15%). Aortic stenosis was present in 1.3%. The likelihood of undiagnosed VHD was two-fold higher in the two most deprived socioeconomic quintiles than in the most affluent quintile, and three-fold higher in individuals with atrial fibrillation. Clinically significant (moderate or severe) undiagnosed VHD was identified in 6.4%. In addition, 4.9% of the cohort had pre-existing VHD (a total prevalence of 11.3%). Projecting these findings using population data, we estimate that the prevalence of clinically significant VHD will double before 2050. Conclusions Previously undetected VHD affects 1 in 2 of the elderly population and is more common in lower socioeconomic classes. These unique data demonstrate the contemporary clinical and epidemiological characteristics of VHD in a large population-based cohort of older people and confirm the scale of the emerging epidemic of VHD, with widespread implications for clinicians and healthcare resources.

347 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
24 May 2018-Heart
TL;DR: Cardiac auscultation has limited accuracy for the detection of VHD in asymptomatic patients and is a poor diagnostic screening tool in primary care, particularly for overweight subjects.
Abstract: Objective Cardiac auscultation is a key clinical skill, particularly for the diagnosis of valvular heart disease (VHD). However, its utility has declined due to the widespread availability of echocardiography and diminishing emphasis on the importance of clinical examination. We aim to determine the contemporary accuracy of auscultation for diagnosing VHD in primary care. Methods Cardiac auscultation was undertaken by one of two experienced general practitioners (primary care/family doctors) in a subset of 251 asymptomatic participants aged >65 years undergoing echocardiography within a large community-based screening study of subjects with no known VHD. Investigators were blinded to the echocardiographic findings. Newly detected VHD was classified as mild (mild regurgitation of any valve or aortic sclerosis) or significant (at least moderate regurgitation or mild stenosis of any valve). Results Newly identified VHD was common, with mild disease in 170/251 participants (68%) and significant disease in 36/251 (14%). The sensitivity of auscultation was low for the diagnosis of mild VHD (32%) but slightly higher for significant VHD (44%), with specificities of 67% and 69%, respectively. Likelihood ratios were not statistically significant for the diagnosis of either mild or significant VHD in the overall cohort, but showed possible value for auscultation in non-overweight subjects (body mass index 2 ). Conclusion Cardiac auscultation has limited accuracy for the detection of VHD in asymptomatic patients and is a poor diagnostic screening tool in primary care, particularly for overweight subjects. Ensuring easy access to echocardiography in patients with symptoms suggesting VHD is likely to represent a better diagnostic strategy.

63 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
04 Mar 2021-Heart
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors identify the community prevalence of moderate or greater mitral or tricuspid regurgitation (MR/TR), and compare subjects identified by population screening with those with known valvular heart disease (VHD), to understand the mechanisms of MR/TR and to assess the rate of valve intervention and long-term outcome.
Abstract: Objective The study aims were (1) to identify the community prevalence of moderate or greater mitral or tricuspid regurgitation (MR/TR), (2) to compare subjects identified by population screening with those with known valvular heart disease (VHD), (3) to understand the mechanisms of MR/TR and (4) to assess the rate of valve intervention and long-term outcome. Methods Adults aged ≥65 years registered at seven family medicine practices in Oxfordshire, UK were screened for inclusion (n=9504). Subjects with known VHD were identified from hospital records and those without VHD invited to undergo transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) within the Oxford Valvular Heart Disease Population Study (OxVALVE). The study population ultimately comprised 4755 subjects. The severity and aetiology of MR and TR were assessed by integrated comprehensive TTE assessment. Results The prevalence of moderate or greater MR and TR was 3.5% (95% CI 3.1 to 3.8) and 2.6% (95% CI 2.3 to 2.9), respectively. Primary MR was the most common aetiology (124/203, 61.1%). Almost half of cases were newly diagnosed by screening: MR 98/203 (48.3%), TR 69/155 (44.5%). Subjects diagnosed by screening were less symptomatic, more likely to have primary MR and had a lower incidence of aortic valve disease. Surgical intervention was undertaken in six subjects (2.4%) over a median follow-up of 64 months. Five-year survival was 79.8% in subjects with isolated MR, 84.8% in those with isolated TR, and 59.4% in those with combined MR and TR (p=0.0005). Conclusions Moderate or greater MR/TR is common, age-dependent and is underdiagnosed. Current rates of valve intervention are extremely low.

33 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
01 Jun 2017-Heart
TL;DR: GP auscultation has only moderate accuracy for diagnosing valvular heart disease in an unselected population, and the presence of an isolated murmur would not be a reliable indicator of valve disease.
Abstract: Introduction Cardiac auscultation is an important clinical skill used by physicians in assessing and diagnosing valvular heart disease (VHD). The widespread use of echocardiography in the last three decades has coincided with a perceived decline in the utility of auscultation, particularly by general physicians. The ability of generalists to identify VHD in an unselected population has not been well characterised, so we aimed to determine the accuracy of auscultation in primary care for diagnosing VHD. Methods 251 participants aged 65 and over who were participating in the OxValve population cohort study were included. They were recruited from two participating GP surgeries and had no previous diagnosis of VHD. The participants underwent cardiac auscultation during the OxValve study visit by two experienced General Practitioners (GPs), neither of whom had a specialist interest in cardiology. A 5-point Likert scale was used to rate the ability to hear heart sounds (1=not at all; 5=perfectly) in addition to the presence or absence of a murmur, type of murmur and the ability to make a diagnosis based upon the auscultation findings. This was compared to transthoracic echocardiography performed at the same visit, but GPs were blind to the echocardiogram result, which was performed after auscultation. VHD was categorised as mild (either mild regurgitation [excluding trace/physiological] or aortic sclerosis) or significant (moderate/severe regurgitation or at least mild stenosis). Standard measures of diagnostic accuracy were calculated. Results 82 murmurs were heard by the GPs (80 systolic; 2 diastolic). Echocardiography identified mild VHD in 174 (69%) of the 251 participants, with more significant VHD present in 37 (15%). The ability to hear a murmur on auscultation was not related to age, BMI or heart rate (table 1). Auscultation had a sensitivity of 32% and specificity of 67% for diagnosing mild VHD, which improved slightly for significant VHD to a sensitivity of 43%, and specificity of 69% (table 2). The area under the curve on receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis was 0.50 for mild VHD and 0.56 for significant VHD (Figure-1) suggesting limited discriminatory ability. Conclusion GP auscultation has only moderate accuracy for diagnosing valvular heart disease in an unselected population, and the presence of an isolated murmur would not be a reliable indicator of valve disease. This study did not include patients with cardiovascular symptoms however, in whom the presence of a murmur may be more significant, and for whom echocardiography might be more appropriate.

4 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This analysis provides disease progression insights in T2D patients who developed HF in Germany by measuring how many T2DM patients acquire HF over two years and understanding the progression of HF in these patients in a five-year follow-up.
Abstract: Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) show two- to four-fold increased risk of Heart failure (HF). Given the increasing T2D prevalence in Germany, researching the interaction of T2DM and HF is of high importance. HF still progresses rapidly. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) plays an important role in understanding disease progression. Commonly, LVEF is being distinguished into three categories: HF with preserved LVEF (HFpEF), HF with moderate reduced LVEF (HFmEF) and HF with reduced LVEF (HFrEF). In Germany there are no recent data on disease progression in HF especially according to LVEF categories. Purpose of this study is to a) measure how many T2DM patients acquire HF over two years; b) understand the progression of HF in these patients in a five-year follow-up; and c) visualize disease progression with Sankey plots. We used insurance claims data from German Statutory Health Insurances (SHI). As LVEF category is not included in these data, a model was used to classify patients into HFrEF or HFpEF (with omitting the HFmEF category due to better statistical performance of a binary model). The model was derived from a set of 34 proxy variables (disease coding, interventions, drug prescriptions). Selection period for T2D patients is 2013. Inclusion period was 2014–2015, follow-up 2016–2020. Baseline characteristics include demographic data, disease stage, comorbidities, and risk factors. Follow-up criteria were MACE (including hospital admission) changes in LVEF category and mortality. 173,195 individuals with T2D were identified in 2013, median age 66 yrs. 6,725 (3.88% of the overall sample) developed HF in 2014 or 2015, median age 74 yrs. As Sankey plot visualizations show, 34.4% of the patients had MACE over the course of five years; 24.5% were still alive and 9.9% died from CV-death. Further 33% died of other causes. Myocardial infarct was the most common MACE, followed by stroke (32%), hospital admission for HF (28%) and CV death (7%). 40% of patients were never admitted to a hospital over the study period. Exploratory analyses identified 5,282 HFpEF patients (78.54%) and 1,443 HFrEF patients (21.46%). Survival after 5 years in HFpEF patients was 71%, in HFrEF patients 29%. After five years 3,430 (90%) surviving patients were still in HFpEF and 399 (10%) in HFrEF. This analysis provides disease progression insights in T2D patients who developed HF in Germany. The sample is representative for the country and numbers can be extrapolated to the overall German SHI population. A significant number of patients die within 5 years of initial diagnosis. As echo diagrams are not available in German insurance claims, validity of the predicted LVEF cannot be assessed. Further research featuring real world LVEF score validation would be highly desirable. Beyond therapeutic care, digital solutions for closer monitoring of these patients may improve the outcome of these patients. Type of funding sources: Private company. Main funding source(s): Sanofi

Cited by
More filters
Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: March 5, 2019 e1 WRITING GROUP MEMBERS Emelia J. Virani, MD, PhD, FAHA, Chair Elect On behalf of the American Heart Association Council on Epidemiology and Prevention Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Subcommittee.
Abstract: March 5, 2019 e1 WRITING GROUP MEMBERS Emelia J. Benjamin, MD, ScM, FAHA, Chair Paul Muntner, PhD, MHS, FAHA, Vice Chair Alvaro Alonso, MD, PhD, FAHA Marcio S. Bittencourt, MD, PhD, MPH Clifton W. Callaway, MD, FAHA April P. Carson, PhD, MSPH, FAHA Alanna M. Chamberlain, PhD Alexander R. Chang, MD, MS Susan Cheng, MD, MMSc, MPH, FAHA Sandeep R. Das, MD, MPH, MBA, FAHA Francesca N. Delling, MD, MPH Luc Djousse, MD, ScD, MPH Mitchell S.V. Elkind, MD, MS, FAHA Jane F. Ferguson, PhD, FAHA Myriam Fornage, PhD, FAHA Lori Chaffin Jordan, MD, PhD, FAHA Sadiya S. Khan, MD, MSc Brett M. Kissela, MD, MS Kristen L. Knutson, PhD Tak W. Kwan, MD, FAHA Daniel T. Lackland, DrPH, FAHA Tené T. Lewis, PhD Judith H. Lichtman, PhD, MPH, FAHA Chris T. Longenecker, MD Matthew Shane Loop, PhD Pamela L. Lutsey, PhD, MPH, FAHA Seth S. Martin, MD, MHS, FAHA Kunihiro Matsushita, MD, PhD, FAHA Andrew E. Moran, MD, MPH, FAHA Michael E. Mussolino, PhD, FAHA Martin O’Flaherty, MD, MSc, PhD Ambarish Pandey, MD, MSCS Amanda M. Perak, MD, MS Wayne D. Rosamond, PhD, MS, FAHA Gregory A. Roth, MD, MPH, FAHA Uchechukwu K.A. Sampson, MD, MBA, MPH, FAHA Gary M. Satou, MD, FAHA Emily B. Schroeder, MD, PhD, FAHA Svati H. Shah, MD, MHS, FAHA Nicole L. Spartano, PhD Andrew Stokes, PhD David L. Tirschwell, MD, MS, MSc, FAHA Connie W. Tsao, MD, MPH, Vice Chair Elect Mintu P. Turakhia, MD, MAS, FAHA Lisa B. VanWagner, MD, MSc, FAST John T. Wilkins, MD, MS, FAHA Sally S. Wong, PhD, RD, CDN, FAHA Salim S. Virani, MD, PhD, FAHA, Chair Elect On behalf of the American Heart Association Council on Epidemiology and Prevention Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Subcommittee

5,739 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This year's edition of the Statistical Update includes data on the monitoring and benefits of cardiovascular health in the population, metrics to assess and monitor healthy diets, an enhanced focus on social determinants of health, a focus on the global burden of cardiovascular disease, and further evidence-based approaches to changing behaviors, implementation strategies, and implications of the American Heart Association’s 2020 Impact Goals.
Abstract: Background: The American Heart Association, in conjunction with the National Institutes of Health, annually reports on the most up-to-date statistics related to heart disease, stroke, and cardiovas...

5,078 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The American Heart Association, in conjunction with the National Institutes of Health, annually reports the most up-to-date statistics related to heart disease, stroke, and cardiovascul...
Abstract: Background: The American Heart Association, in conjunction with the National Institutes of Health, annually reports the most up-to-date statistics related to heart disease, stroke, and cardiovascul...

3,034 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The American Heart Association, through its Statistics Committee, continuously monitors and evaluates sources of data on heart disease and stroke in the United States to provide the most current information available in the annual Statistical Update as discussed by the authors .
Abstract: The American Heart Association, in conjunction with the National Institutes of Health, annually reports the most up-to-date statistics related to heart disease, stroke, and cardiovascular risk factors, including core health behaviors (smoking, physical activity, diet, and weight) and health factors (cholesterol, blood pressure, and glucose control) that contribute to cardiovascular health. The Statistical Update presents the latest data on a range of major clinical heart and circulatory disease conditions (including stroke, congenital heart disease, rhythm disorders, subclinical atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, heart failure, valvular disease, venous disease, and peripheral artery disease) and the associated outcomes (including quality of care, procedures, and economic costs).The American Heart Association, through its Statistics Committee, continuously monitors and evaluates sources of data on heart disease and stroke in the United States to provide the most current information available in the annual Statistical Update. The 2022 Statistical Update is the product of a full year's worth of effort by dedicated volunteer clinicians and scientists, committed government professionals, and American Heart Association staff members. This year's edition includes data on the monitoring and benefits of cardiovascular health in the population and an enhanced focus on social determinants of health, adverse pregnancy outcomes, vascular contributions to brain health, and the global burden of cardiovascular disease and healthy life expectancy.Each of the chapters in the Statistical Update focuses on a different topic related to heart disease and stroke statistics.The Statistical Update represents a critical resource for the lay public, policymakers, media professionals, clinicians, health care administrators, researchers, health advocates, and others seeking the best available data on these factors and conditions.

1,483 citations