JACC This Week March 24, 2026: Cardiometabolic Health, COVID Impact & Prevention Science | JACC This Week
Mar 24, 2026
Discussion of how COVID changed cardiovascular care, hospitalization patterns, and mortality. Examination of widening health disparities during the pandemic. Evaluation of PREVENT risk equations in young adults and limits of 10-year risk estimates. Exploration of low lipid testing and striking gaps in statin initiation among younger people. Conversation about prevention priorities and shared decision making.
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Pandemic Changed Care Patterns And Raised Mortality
- Medicare beneficiaries had fewer hospitalizations but higher outpatient visits and substantially higher all-cause mortality in the late pandemic period.
- Mortality tracked with COVID waves, suggesting infection-driven risk and/or system adaptations like telehealth that may not have met patient needs.
Pandemic Widened Cardiovascular Disparities
- The pandemic widened disparities with the most vulnerable groups experiencing worse outcomes.
- System adaptations may have failed to align with patient needs, disproportionately affecting racial and socioeconomically disadvantaged populations.
PREVENT Equations Underestimate Risk In Young Black Adults
- PREVENT risk equations showed reasonable discrimination but poor calibration in 30–39-year-olds, underestimating absolute risk in non-Hispanic Black individuals.
- Low event rates in this age group reduce absolute risks, complicating 10-year risk use for young adults.