Background: Women continue to be underrepresented in cardiology and even more so in leadership positions. We evaluated the trends and gender differences in the guideline writing groups of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA), Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS), and European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines from 2006 to 2020. Methods and Results: We extracted all guidelines authors from 2006 to 2020, assessed their gender from publicly available profiles, and compared differences based on subspecialties and specific societies. Stratified and trend analyses were performed using χ ² and average annual percentage change/average 5 year percentage change. A total of 80 ACC/AHA (1288 authors [28% women]), 64 CCS (988 authors [26% women]), and 59 ESC (1157 authors [16% women]) guidelines were analyzed. A significant increase in inclusion of women was seen in ACC/AHA (12.6% [2006] to 42.6% [2020]; average annual percentage change, 6.6% [2.3% to 11.1%]; P =0.005) and ESC (7.1% [2006] to 25.8% [2020]; average annual percentage change, 6.6% [0.2% to 13.5%]; P =0.04), but the trend remained similar in CCS (20.6% [2006] to 36.3% [2020]; average annual percentage change, −0.1% (−3.7% to 3.5%); P =0.94), guideline authors. More women were coauthors in the ACC/AHA and ESC guidelines when women were chairs of guidelines. There was a persistent disparity of women among guideline authors for general cardiology and all subspecialties, except for pediatric cardiology and heart failure guidelines. The appointment of women authors as a chair was significantly low in all societies (22.4% [ACC/AHA], 16.9% [CCS], and 7.2% [ESC]; P =0.008). Conclusions: There is a significant disparity in the inclusion of women on all national guideline committees, in addition to serving as a chair of cardiology guidelines. Further advocacy is required to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion in our cardiology guidelines globally.

BACKGROUND: Data on trends, predictors, and outcomes of heart failure (HF) readmissions after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) remain limited. Moreover, the relationship between hospital TAVR discharge volume and HF readmission outcomes has not been established. METHODS AND RESULTS: The Nationwide Readmission Database was used to identify 30‐day readmissions for HF after TAVR from October 1, 2015, to November 30, 2018, using International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification ( ICD‐10‐CM ) codes. A total of 167 345 weighted discharges following TAVR were identified. The all‐cause readmission rate within 30 days of discharge was 11.4% (19 016). Of all the causes of 30‐day rehospitalizations, HF comprised 31.4% (5962) of all causes. The 30‐day readmission rate for HF did not show a significant decline during the study period ( P _trend =0.06); however, all‐cause readmission rates decreased significantly ( P _trend =0.03). HF readmissions were comparable between high‐ and low‐volume TAVR centers. Charlson Comorbidity Index >8, length of stay >4 days during the index hospitalization, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, atrial fibrillation, chronic HF, preexisting pacemaker, complete heart block during index hospitalization, paravalvular regurgitation, chronic kidney disease, and end‐stage renal disease were independent predictors of 30‐day HF readmission after TAVR. HF readmissions were associated with higher mortality rates when compared with non‐HF readmissions (4.9% versus 3.3%; P <0.01). Each HF readmission within 30 days was associated with an average increased cost of $13 000 more than for each non‐HF readmission. CONCLUSIONS: During the study period from 2015 to 2018, 30‐day HF readmissions after TAVR remained steady despite all‐cause readmissions decreasing significantly. All‐cause readmission mortality and HF readmission mortality also showed a nonsignificant downtrend. HF readmissions were comparable across low‐, medium‐, and high‐volume TAVR centers. HF readmission was associated with increased mortality and resource use attributed to the increased costs of care compared with non‐HF readmission. Further studies are needed to identify strategies to decrease the burden of HF readmissions and related mortality after TAVR.

Background: There is a paucity of data on the feasibility of same‐day discharge (SDD) following transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) at a national level. Methods and Results: This study used data from the Nationwide Readmission Database from the fourth quarter of 2015 through 2019 and identified patients undergoing TAVI using the claim code 02RF3. A total of 158 591 weighted hospitalizations for TAVI were included in the analysis. Of the patients undergoing TAVI, 961 (0.6%) experienced SDD. Non‐SDDs included 65 814 (41.5%) patients who underwent TAVI who were discharged the next day, and 91 816 (57.9%) discharged on the second or third day. The 30‐day readmission rate for SDD after TAVI was similar to non‐SDD TAVI (9.8% versus 8.9%, P =0.31). The cumulative incidence of 30‐day readmissions for SDD was higher compared with next‐day discharge (log‐rank P =0.01) but comparable to second‐ or third‐day discharge (log‐rank P =0.66). At 30 days, no differences were observed in major or minor vascular complications, heart failure, or ischemic stroke for SDD compared with non‐SDD. Acute kidney injury, pacemaker implantation, and bleeding complications were lower with SDD. Predictors associated with SDD included age <85 years, male sex, and prior pacemaker placement, whereas left bundle‐branch block, right bundle‐branch block, second‐degree heart block, heart failure, prior percutaneous coronary intervention, and atrial fibrillation were negatively associated with SDD. Conclusions: SDD following TAVI is associated with similar 30‐day readmission and complication rates compared with non‐SDD. Further prospective studies are needed to assess the safety and feasibility of SDD after TAVI.