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Studies on the thyroid disease risk in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) associated with comorbidities are limited. This population-based retrospective cohort study investigated the hypothyroidism risk in patients with RA and the role of comorbidities. We used Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database to identify 16,714 RA patients newly diagnosed in 2000 to 2008 and 66,856 control persons without RA, frequency matched by sex, age, and index year. Incidence and the RA group to controls hazard ratio of hypothyroidism were estimated. The hypothyroidism incidence was 1.74-fold higher in the RA group than in controls (16.6 vs 9.52 per 10,000 person–years), with the Cox method estimated adjusted hazard ratio of 1.67 (95% confidence interval = 1.39–2.00) after controlling for covariates. Near 75% of the study population were women, with the incidence 3.6-time higher than men in both groups. The hypothyroidism incidence increased with age, from 12.1 per 1000 person–years in 20 to 39 years to 20.0 per 1000 person–years in 60+ years in RA patients, higher than that in controls (7.17 vs 10.0 per 1000 person–years, respectively by age). Each comorbidity was related to an increased incidence and higher in the RA group than in controls. Among all comorbidities, stroke exerted the greatest impact in the RA group with an adjusted hazard ratio of 3.85 (95% confidence interval = 1.24–12.0). RA patients have an increased risk of developing hypothyroidism; this risk was pronounced in women and the elderly. RA patients should be closely monitored to prevent the development of hypothyroidism.

Few studies have investigated the risk of physiological sequelae in living kidney donors (KDs). We conducted a population-based cohort study using the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan, which covers more than 99% of citizens. We comprehensively investigated the risk of medical disorders after kidney donation in living KDs using a maximum follow-up of 13 years. From January 1997 to December 2010, 1081 living KDs and 1082 age- and sex-matched non-KDs were eligible. Primary outcomes comprised end-stage renal disease, chronic kidney disease, stroke, cancer, acute myocardial infarction, acute renal failure (ARF), and diabetes. The adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for developing ARF, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, cancer, end-stage renal disease, acute myocardial infarction, and stroke were similar between the KD and non-KD cohorts (P > .05). Although differences in the adjusted HRs of ARF were nonsignificant, the cumulative incidence rate of ARF 13 years after donation was 7.48 per 1000 person-years in the KD cohort compared with 3.46 in the matched non-KD cohort. The incidence rate ratio for ARF between donors and nondonors significantly increased to 2.16 (95% confidence interval, 1.61–2.71). Living KDs experienced no significant health disorders following kidney donation but should be alert to the higher incidence rate of ARF.

Aspirin (ASA) exerts an anti-tumor effect via the COX pathway. Clinical studies on the chemopreventive effects of ASA on uterine cancer (UC) remain inconsistent. We used population-based retrospective cohort study to evaluate the UC in ASA users in Taiwanese women. From insurance claims data, we identified 23,342 women received ASA treatment between 2000 and 2010 and a comparison group of same sample size randomly selected from the same database matched by the propensity score. The incidence of UC in the ASA cohort was 10% of that in the comparison group (0.28 vs 2.73 per 10,000 person-years). The Poisson regression analysis estimated adjusted incidence rate ratio (IRR) was 0.10 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.09–0.11) for ASA users relatives to comparisons after controlling for covariates. The UC incidence in ASA users decreased with age, from 0.61 per 10,000 person-years in the 20 to 39 years old (adjusted IRR = 0.21, 95% CI = 0.15–0.29) to 0.21 per 10,000 person-years in the 65 to 80 years old (adjusted IRR = 0.15, 95% CI = 0.12–0.16). The incidence was higher in longer term users. Hormone therapy of estradiol was associated with the increase of UC risk in both cohorts, but less in ASA users than comparisons (1.34 vs 4.75 per 10,000 person-years). This study suggests that ASA use was associated with a decreased risk of UC. Further prospective randomized clinical trials are warranted to confirm the association.

Studies on the relationship between gynecologic surgery and subsequent ovarian cancer have been carried out in limited Western ethnic groups. We aim to evaluate whether receiving hysterectomy and/or salpingectomy associated with ovarian cancer risk in Taiwan. From the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database, we identified a gynecologic surgery cohort consisting of women who had newly received hysterectomy (N = 181,151), salpingectomy (N = 45,410) or both hysterectomy and salpingectomy (N = 11,875) in 2000 to 2013. A comparison cohort of 953,744 women was randomly selected from women without the surgeries, frequency-matched by age and index date of the surgery case. They were followed up to identify subsequent ovarian cancer by the end of 2013. The overall ovarian cancer incidence was 4.4-fold greater in the gynecologic surgery cohort than in the comparison cohort (41.5 vs 9.43 per 106 person-years) with an adjusted hazard ratio of 3.86 (95% confidence interval = 2.56–5.84). Women with both hysterectomy and salpingectomy had the highest incidence and followed by women with hysterectomy or salpingectomy (52.5, 45.5, or 23.3 per 106 person-years, respectively). No ovarian cancer was noted in the subgroup with bilateral salpingectomies. We conclude that women with gynecologic surgery of hysterectomy and/or salpingectomy are at an increased risk of developing ovarian cancer, particularly among women who have had other gynecologic comorbidity. Women with gynecologic surgery and comorbidity deserve greater attention to prevent and screen for ovarian cancer.

The purpose of the study was to address the association between hemorrhoid and the subsequent risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) development. This retrospective cohort study used reimbursement claims data from the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000 in Taiwan. Thirty-three thousand thirty-four patients with hemorrhoids and 132,136 age-, gender-, and index year matched controls between 2000 and 2010 were identified. Cox model was performed to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of CHD development for the hemorrhoid cohort compared with the nonhemorrhoid cohort. During a follow-up period of 12 years, the overall incidence rate of CHD was 9.91 per 1000 person-years in the hemorrhoid patients and was 1.36-fold higher than in the nonhemorrhoid cohort (7.28 per 1000 person-years) with an adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) of 1.27 (95% CI = 1.21–1.34). Moreover, compared with the nonhemorrhoid patients without these comorbidities, among patients with hemorrhoids, those with any 2 comorbidities were at a significantly increased risk of CHD (HR = 7.12, 95% CI = 6.61–7.67; P

Introduction:The aim of this systematic review is to investigate the effects of perioperative intravenous administration of MgSO4 on postoperative pain, analgesic consumption and adverse effects in patients undergoing orthopedic surgery.Methods:Two investigators independently searched for ar

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text, Pulmonary tuberculosis (PTb) and pneumonia are diseases that may exist concomitantly. Population study investigating the subsequent pneumonia development in PTb patients is limited. This study compares the risk of pneumonia between cohorts with and without PTb. We used the claims data of the Taiwan National Health Insurance to identify a cohort with PTb (N = 3417) newly diagnosed in 2000–2006 without pneumonia history, and a randomly selected comparison cohort (N = 6834) free of PTb and pneumonia, frequency matched by propensity score. Incidence rates and hazard ratios of pneumonia were calculated by sex, age, and comorbidity starting in the 7th month after the cohorts being established until the end of 2011. We found the incidence of pneumonia to be 1.9-fold higher in the PTb cohort than in the PTb free cohort (51.6 vs 27.0 per 1000 person-years). The PTb cohort had a Cox method estimated adjusted hazard ratio of 2.14 (95% confidence interval = 1.96–2.32). We also found that the risk was greater for men than for women, but lower for young adults aged 20–39 years. Comorbidity interacted with PTb by aggravating the pneumonia risk, particularly for those with asthma. For PTb patients comorbid with asthma, the pneumonia incidence was 2.5-fold higher than for PTb patients free of comorbidities (75.9 vs 29.3 per 1000 person-years). Our results display that PTb patients have an elevated risk of developing pneumonia. Adequate follow-up should be provided to the PTb patients, especially those with comorbidity.

Studies comparing mortality for Asian populations with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) are limited. We compared mortality between patients treated with PD and HD in Taiwan, the population with the highest incidence of ESRD worldwide. Using the population-based insurance claims data of Taiwan from 1997 to 2006, we identified 4721 patients treated with PD and randomly selected 4721 patients treated with HD who were frequency-matched to the PD patients based on their propensity scores. In follow-up analyses we measured mortalities and hazard ratios associated with comorbidities in 2 different 5-year cohorts (1997-2001 and 2002-2006).In the 10-year period from 1997 to 2006, the overall mortality rates were similar in patients treated with PD and in patients treated with HD (12.0 vs. 11.7 per 100 person-years, respectively), with a PD-to-HD hazard ratio of 1.02 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.96-1.08). In the first 5-year period (1997-2001), the hazard ratio for mortality was higher for PD (1.33; 95% CI, 1.21-1.46), but there was no difference between PD and HD in the 2002-2006 cohort. Of note, younger patients who received PD had better survival than younger patients who received HD; this was especially true for patients aged younger than 40 years.In summary, in this Asian population, no significant survival differences were noted between propensity score-matched PD and HD patients. The selection of a dialysis modality must be tailored to the individual patient. Studies in which patients who are appropriate for either modality are randomly assigned to HD or PD may provide helpful information to clinicians and patients.

The risk of peptic ulcer disease (PUD) among patients with depression has raised concern. This study determined the association between depression and the subsequent development of PUD using claims data. Patients newly diagnosed with depression in 2000 to 2010 were identified as depression cohort from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. The comparison cohort was randomly selected from subjects without depression, frequency matched by age and gender and diagnosis date, with a size 2-fold of the size of the depression cohort. The incidence of PUD was evaluated for both cohorts by the end of 2011. We calculated the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of PUD using the Cox proportional hazards regression model. The depression cohort consisted of 23,536 subjects (129,751 person-years), and the comparison cohort consisted of 47,069 subjects (285,592 person-years). The incidence of PUD was 2-fold higher in the depression cohort than in the comparison cohort (33.2 vs 16.8 per 1000 person-years) with an age adjusted HR of 1.97 (95% CI = 1.89–2.06) or a multivariable adjusted HR of 1.35 (95% CI = 1.29–1.42). Depression might increase the risk of developing PUD. Prospective clinical studies of the relationship between depression and PUD are warranted.

No study has investigated the role of pancreatic cancer in the stroke risk using population data. We used claims data obtained from a universal health insurance program of Taiwan to evaluate the stroke risk in pancreatic cancer patients.From the catastrophic disease registry of the insurance, we identified 7479 patients with pancreatic malignancy without stroke history from 2000 to 2009. The comparison cohort consisted of 29,916 individuals identified from 1 million insured people without cancer and stroke history, matching with the cancer cohort by propensity score. We followed each selected individual until stroke was diagnosed or until being censored for death or withdrawal from insurance, or for a maximum of 3 follow-up years, or the end of 2011.The pancreatic cancer cohort had a 2.3-fold greater incident stroke than comparisons had (28.5 vs 12.3 per 1000 person-years), with an adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) of 2.74 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.31-3.24) after controlling for covariates, or a subdistribution hazard ratio (SHR) of 2.04 (95% CI = 1.74-2.40) accounting for the competing risk of deaths. During the follow-up period, stroke events occurred constantly in comparisons, but declined rapidly in the cancer cohort. The pancreatic cancer cohort had a stroke incidence of 46.6 per 1000 person-years within 6 months postdiagnosis, with an aHR of 4.37 (95% CI = 3.45-5.54) and a SHR of 3.87 (95% CI = 3.08-4.86), relative to comparisons.Our study suggests that patients with pancreatic cancer are at an elevated risk of stroke, patients deserve sufficient follow-up care, particularly in the first 6 months after the diagnosis of the cancer, and for those with comorbidities.

The studies on the risk of tuberculosis (TB) in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) alone are limited. We examined this relationship using a population-based retrospective cohort study. From claims data of the National Health Insurance system of Taiwan, we identified 5195 patients with T1DM newly diagnosed from 2002 to 2011 and 20,780 randomly selected controls without T1DM, frequency matched by age, sex, and year of diagnosis. Both cohorts were followed up until the end of 2011 to evaluate the risk of TB. The overall incidence of TB was 4.07-fold higher in the T1DM cohort than in the control cohort (1.18 vs 0.29 per 1000 person-years, P

Dermatologic diseases are not traditional risk factors of stroke, but recent studies show atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, and bullous skin disease may increase the risk of stroke and other cardiovascular diseases. No previous studies have focused on the association between contact dermatitis and stroke.We established a cohort comprised of 48,169 contact dermatitis patients newly diagnosed in 2000-2003 and 96,338 randomly selected subjects without the disorder, frequency matched by sex, age, and diagnosis year, as the comparison cohort. None of them had a history of stroke. Stroke incidence was assessed by the end of 2011 for both cohorts.The incidence stroke was 1.1-fold higher in the contact dermatitis cohort than in the comparison cohort (5.93 vs 5.37 per 1000 person-years, P < 0.01). The multivariable Cox method analyzed adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) were 1.12 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05-1.19) for all stroke types and 1.12 (95% CI, 1.05-1.20) for ischemic stroke and 1.11 (95% CI, 0.94-1.30) for hemorrhagic stroke. The age-specific aHR of stroke for contact dermatitis cohort increased with age, from 1.14 (95% CI, 1.03-1.27) for 65 to 74 years; to 1.27 (95% CI, 1.15-1.42) for 75 years and older. The aHR of stroke were 1.16 (95% CI, 1.07-1.27) and 1.09 (95% CI, 1.00-1.18) for men and women, respectively.This study suggests that patients with contact dermatitis were at a modestly increased risk of stroke, significant for ischemic stroke but not for hemorrhagic stroke. Comorbidity, particularly hypertension, increased the hazard of stroke further.

Vagus nerve may play a role in serum glucose modulation. The complicated peptic ulcer patients (with perforation or/and bleeding) who received surgical procedures with or without vagotomy provided 2 patient populations for studying the impact of vagus nerve integrity. We assessed the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in peptic ulcer patients without and with complications by surgical treatment received in a retrospective population study using the National Health Insurance database in Taiwan.A cohort of 163,385 patients with peptic ulcer and without Helicobacter pylori infection in 2000 to 2003 was established. A randomly selected cohort of 163,385 persons without peptic ulcer matched by age, sex, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, Charlson comorbidity index score, and index year was utilized for comparison. The risks of developing diabetes in both cohorts and in the complicated peptic ulcer patients who received truncal vagotomy or simple suture/hemostasis (SSH) were assessed at the end of 2011.The overall diabetes incidence was higher in patients with peptic ulcer than those without peptic ulcer (15.87 vs 12.60 per 1000 person-years) by an adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) of 1.43 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.40-1.47) based on the multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analysis (competing risk). Comparing ulcer patients with truncal vagotomy and SSH or those without surgical treatment, the aHR was the lowest in the vagotomy group (0.48, 95% CI = 0.41-0.56).Peptic ulcer patients have an elevated risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Moreover, there were associations of vagus nerve severance and decreased risk of subsequent type 2 diabetes in complicated peptic ulcer patients.

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text, The use of validated patient-reported outcome (PRO) instruments for the treatment outcome measure of laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) is crucial given the lack of objective markers. However, current symptom-based PRO instruments can only partially capture the impact of LPR. The GERD Analyzer (GERDyzer), an existing disease-specific PRO instrument, which measures multidimensional health-related quality of life (HRQL) affected by the illness rather than by any specific symptoms, has been validated in patients with erosive gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Following the U.S. Food and Drug Administration PRO guidance, we cross-culturally adapted the GERDyzer instrument into Chinese, and examined the qualitative and quantitative psychometric properties of the Chinese version GERDyzer in pH-test-proven LPR patients. The GERDyzer comprises 10 dimensions of HRQL, including general well-being, pain/discomfort, physical health, diet, energy, activities, leisure activities, social life, mood, and sleep. To examine the content validity, we recruited 26 pH-test-proven LPR participants to conduct 4 focus group meetings for direct patient input on clinical manifestations and HRQL impacts. We also tested the quantitative psychometric properties, including reliability, validity, and responsiveness in 100 pH-test-proven LPR patients. Saturation of concept elicitation was achieved from the 4 focus groups, and a strong conceptual match was evident between the GERDyzer contents and responses from the focus group participants. Cognitive debriefing assessment showed that the Chinese version GERDyzer was adequate for use by patients as it demonstrated linguistic validation and cultural harmonization. Quantitative psychometric properties showed evidence of high internal consistency (Cronbach α: 0.96), good to excellent test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient: 0.84–0.98). Confirmatory factor analysis supported a 2-factor structure. Convergent validity was confirmed by moderate correlation assessments referencing the Reflux Symptoms Index and the Reflux Questionnaire. The discriminant validity was supported by the ability to discriminate moderate-to-severe disease from mild disease. The responsiveness was also high in participants with and without typical GERD symptoms (effect sizes 1.20 and 1.21, respectively). In conclusion, the Chinese version GERDyzer instrument is a reliable, valid, and responsive instrument for assessing HRQL in Taiwanese patients with LPR.

Treatment of periodontal diseases has been associated with benefit outcomes for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, no population-based cohort study has been conducted. We evaluated this relationship by retrospective cohort study using a large population data. Using the National Health Insurance claims data of Taiwan, we identified 5562 COPD patients with periodontal diseases who had received periodontal treatment as the treatment group. The comparison group was selected at a 1:1 ratio matched by the propensity score estimated with age, sex, date of COPD diagnosis and periodontal treatment, and comorbidities. Both groups were followed up for 5 years to compare risks of acute exacerbation, pneumonia, and acute respiratory failure. The incidence rates of adverse respiratory events were significantly lower in the treatment group than in the comparison group: 3.79 versus 4.21 per 100 person-years for emergency room visits, 2.75 versus 3.65 per 100 person-years for hospitalizations, and 0.66 versus 0.75 per 100 person-years for intensive care unit admissions. The treatment group also had a 37% reduced risk of deaths (1.81 vs 2.87 per 100 person-years), with an adjusted hazard ratio of 0.57 (95% confidence interval 0.52–0.62). Periodontal treatment for COPD patients could reduce the risk of adverse respiratory events and mortality. The adequate periodontal health care is important for COPD patients with periodontal diseases.

No large-scale population-based cohort study has ever investigated the risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in patients with Sjogren syndrome (SS). This study evaluated the risk of COPD in women with primary SS (pSS) in a nationwide population. We used the data of the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan to establish a pSS group consisting of 3013 female adults diagnosed between 2000 and 2005, and a non-SS group consisting of 12,052 women without SS matched by a propensity score. Incident COPD cases were identified to the end of 2011. The pSS group to non-SS group adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) of COPD were estimated using multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. After a mean follow-up period of 7.99 years, the incidence of COPD was 1.4-fold greater in the pSS group than in the non-SS group (3.87 vs 2.77 per 1000 person-years) with an aHR of 1.39 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.10–1.75, P = 0.007). The COPD incidence was 7-fold greater for women aged 50 years and above than women aged 20 to 49, with the aHR of 4.24 (95% CI = 3.06–5.88, P

The present study evaluated the dementia risk after carbon monoxide poisoning (CO poisoning). Using the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan, a total of 9041 adults newly diagnosed with CO poisoning from 2000 to 2011 were identified as the CO poisoning cohort. Four-fold (N = 36,160) of non-CO poisoning insured people were randomly selected as controls, frequency-matched by age, sex, and hospitalization year. Incidence and hazard ratio (HR) of dementia were measured by the end 2011. The dementia incidence was 1.6-fold higher in the CO exposed cohort than in the non-exposed cohort (15.2 vs 9.76 per 10,000 person-years; n = 62 vs 174) with an adjusted HR of 1.50 (95% CI = 1.11-2.04). The sex- and age-specific hazards were higher in male patients (adjusted HR = 1.74, 95% CI = 1.20-2.54), and those aged

Asthma has been associated with the atherosclerosis risk, but not clear of peripheral artery disease (PAD). We attempted to examine the risk of PAD in patients with asthma. From the insurance claims data of Taiwan, we identified 28,158 newly diagnosed asthma patients in 2000 to 2005 and 56,316 persons without asthma randomly selected into the comparison cohort, frequency matched by sex, age, and the date of diagnosis. Both cohorts were followed up until the end of 2011 to estimate the incident PAD. Adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) of PAD were estimated using the Cox proportional hazards model after controlling for sex, age, and comorbidities. The incidence of PAD was 1.46 times higher in the asthma cohort than in the comparison cohort, with an aHR of 1.34 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.24–1.45]. Incidence of PAD was higher in men, the aged, and those with comorbidities in both cohorts. The aHRs of PAD remained significant for the asthma cohort in all subgroups of sex, age, and the presence of comorbidity. The aHRs of PAD were 14.1 (95% CI = 8.18–24.5) in asthma patients with multiple emergency visits and 22.3 (95% CI = 15.6–31.9) for those with multiple hospitalizations. Although smoking is a potential confounding factor, this study suggests patients with asthma have a significantly higher risk of developing PAD than the general population. The results also support the notion that poor control of asthma status is a key factor in subsequent PAD development.

Several studies have reported an association between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and periodontal diseases. However, a large-scale population-based cohort study was previously absent from the literature. Therefore, we evaluated the risk of periodontal diseases in patients with COPD in a nationwide population.From the National Health Insurance claims data of Taiwan, we identified 22,332 patients with COPD who were newly diagnosed during 2000 to 2010. For each case, two individuals without COPD were randomly selected and frequency matched by age, sex, and diagnosis year. Both groups were followed up till the end of 2011.The overall incidence of periodontal diseases was 1.19-fold greater in the COPD group than in the comparison group (32.2 vs 26.4 per 1000 person-years; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.15-1.24). Compared with non-COPD patients, the adjusted hazard ratios of patients with COPD increased with the number of emergency room visits (from 1.14 [95% CI 1.10-1.19] to 5.09 [95% CI 4.53-5.72]) and admissions (from 1.15 [95% CI 1.10-1.20] to 3.17 [95% CI 2.81-3.57]). In addition, the adjusted hazard ratios of patients with COPD treated with inhaled corticosteroids (1.22, 95% CI 1.11-1.34) and systemic corticosteroids (1.15, 95% CI 1.07-1.23) were significantly higher than those of patients not treated with corticosteroids.Patient with COPD are at a higher risk of developing periodontal diseases than the general population. Our results also support that the risk of periodontal diseases is proportional to COPD control. In addition, patients who receive corticosteroid treatment are at a higher risk of developing periodontal diseases.

The aim of the study was to investigate the association between statin use and open-angle glaucoma (OAG) risk in hyperlipidemia patients. We used the research database of the Taiwan National Health Insurance program to conduct a population-based case-control study. A total of 1276 patients with newly diagnosed OAG were identified from 2004 to 2011. Controls comprised of 12,760 patients without glaucoma and were frequency-matched for age, sex, history of diabetes mellitus, and year of hyperlipidemia diagnosis at a 1:10 ratio. Accumulated defined daily doses (DDDs) of statins prescribed during follow-up were calculated. Average statin use was calculated as the sum of DDDs divided by the duration from the initial statin prescription date to the index date (per year), and was subdivided into 3 levels

The purpose of this study was to examine the association of glucose variability using coefficient of variation of fasting plasma glucose (FPG-CV) and coefficient of variation of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c-CV) to end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in 31,841 Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes. Patients with type 2 diabetes enrolled in National Diabetes Care Management Program, aged ≧30 years, and free of ESRD (n = 31,841) in January 1, 2002 to December 31, 2004 were included. Extended Cox proportional hazards regression models with competing risk of all-cause mortality were used to evaluate risk factors on ESRD incidence. Patients were followed till 2012. After a median follow-up period of 8.23 years, 1642 patients developed ESRD, giving a crude incidence rate of 6.27/1000 person-years (6.36 for men, 6.19 for women). After the multivariate adjustment, both FPG-CV and HbA1c-CV were independent predictors of ESRD with corresponding hazard ratios of 1.20 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01, 1.41), 1.24 (95% CI 1.05, 1.46) in HbA1c-CV from fourth to fifth quintile and 1.23 (95% CI 1.03, 1.47) in FPG-CV from fifth quintile. One-year visit-to-visit glucose variability expressed by FPG-CV and HbA1c-CV predicted development of ESRD in patients with type 2 diabetes, suggesting therapeutic strategies toward a goal to minimize glucose fluctuation.

The aim of this study was to elucidate the relationship between spinal cord injury (SCI) and the risk of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in a cohort study with a large representative sample. The National Health Insurance Database was used to select patients who were diagnosed from 2000 to 2010. Patients with a history of PAD were excluded. The SCI group comprised 42,673 patients diagnosed with SCI, and we enrolled 170,389 matched controls (non-SCI group). We used a Cox proportional hazards regression model to analyze the adjusted risk of PAD between the case and control patients. Patients with SCI exhibited a significantly higher risk (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.37; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.22–1.53) of PAD than patients without SCI. Patients with diabetes were at the highest risk of developing PAD (adjusted HR = 3.11, 95% CI = 2.80–3.44). Among patients without comorbidity, SCI patients exhibited a significantly higher risk of PAD than non-SCI patients. Furthermore, lumbar, sacral, or coccygeal spine, and multiple spine SCI were significantly associated with an increased risk of PAD (HR = 1.56, 95% CI = 1.33–1.84, HR = 2.11, 95% CI = 1.59–2.79, respectively). SCI is associated with an increased risk of PAD. Future studies should focus on modifying risk factors to reduce PAD risk among patients with SCI.

Few studies have addressed the association between polypharmacy and hip fracture using population data. We conducted a population-based case-control study to investigate whether polypharmacy increases the risk for hip fracture in the elderly. We used insurance claims data from the Taiwan Bureau of National Health Insurance, a universal insurance program with a coverage rate of more than 98% of the population in Taiwan. We identified 2328 elderly patients with newly diagnosed hip fracture during the period 2005-2007. We randomly selected 9312 individuals without hip fracture to serve as the control group. Patient characteristics, drugs prescribed by physicians, and all types of hip fracture were ascertained. The odds ratio (OR) of hip fracture in association with the number of medications used per day in previous years was assessed.We found that patients were older than controls, predominantly female, and more likely to use 5 or more drugs (22.2% vs. 9.3%, p0.0001). The OR of hip fracture increased with the number of medications used per day and with age. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the overall OR for patients using 10 or more drugs was 8.42 (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.73-15.0) compared with patients who used 0-1 drug per day. However, age-specific analysis revealed that the risk for hip fracture was 23 times greater for patients agedor = 85 years who used 10 or more drugs than for those aged 65-74 years who used 0-1 drug after controlling for covariates (OR, 23.0; 95% CI, 3.77-140).We conclude that the risk of hip fracture in older people increases with the number of medications used, especially in women. Age interacts with the daily medications for the risk of hip fracture.

Little was known about the effects of acupuncture on stroke recurrence. The aim of this study is to investigate whether ischemic stroke patients receiving acupuncture treatment have a decreased risk of stroke recurrence. A retrospective cohort study of 30,058 newly diagnosed cases of ischemic stroke in 2000 to 2004 was conducted based on the claims of Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. The use of acupuncture treatment and stroke recurrence were identified during the follow-up period from 2000 to 2009. This study compared the risk of stroke recurrence between ischemic stroke cohorts with and without acupuncture treatment by calculating adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of acupuncture associated with stroke recurrence in the Cox proportional hazard model. The stroke recurrence rate per 1000 person-years decreased from 71.4 without to 69.9 with acupuncture treatment (P

End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is a well-known risk factor for septicemia. Renal transplantation (RTx) is the treatment of choice for ESRD. However, RTx recipients should undergo long-term immunosuppressive therapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk of septicemia in ESRD patients with and without RTx.This cohort study used the National Health Insurance (NHI) data of Taiwan from 2000 to 2010. The RTx group consisted of 3286 RTx recipients. The non-RTx comparison group also consisted of 3286 subjects with ESRD matched by propensity scores for age, sex, index date, comorbidities, and medications. The subjects were followed until the end of 2011 to evaluate the septicemia risk.The risk of septicemia was lower in the RTx group than the non-RTx group, with an adjusted hazard ratio of 0.73 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.64-0.84, P < 0.001]. In addition, we observed insignificantly lower intensive care unit (ICU) admission rate (35.8% vs. 39.8%) and lower 30-day all-cause mortality rate (17.2% vs. 18.5%) in the RTx group than the non-RTx group. However, the mean cost for septicemia in the RTx group was insignificantly higher than the non-RTx group (7175 vs. 6421 USD, P = 0.39).RTx recipients had a significantly reduced risk of developing septicemia compared to the propensity-matched non-RTx ESRD patients. The ICU admission and 30-day all-cause mortality rates also slightly decreased in RTx recipients but without statistical significance.

There are limited population-based studies on the progress of oseltamivir therapy for influenza infection. Using insurance claims data of 2005, 2009, and 2010, the authors established an “in-time” cohort and a “lag-time” cohort representing influenza patients taking the medicine within and not within 1 week to examine the treatment progress. Incident outpatient visit, emergency care and hospitalization, and fatality were compared between the 2 cohorts in the first week and the second week of follow-up periods, after the oseltamivir therapy. A total of 112,492 subjects diagnosed with influenza on oseltamivir therapy in 2005, 2009, and 2010 were identified. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the in-time treatment was superior to the lag-time treatment with less repeat outpatient visits, hospitalizations, and fatality. The overall corresponding in-time treatment to lag-time treatment odds ratios (OR) were 0.50, 0.54, and 0.71 (all P value

Previous studies have shown that metformin or statins may decrease hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in diabetic patients. Accordingly, this article evaluates whether combination therapy may further reduce HCC. Newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) patients, excluding those with history of malignancy prior to the date of DM diagnosis, were recruited to a DM cohort. DM patients developed HCC as the cancer cohort and the date for HCC diagnosis as index date. Non-cancer cohort was frequency matched with 4:1 according to age, sex, DM-year, and index date as case group from DM cohort. Patients who were treated with statins showed a 63% decreased risk of HCC (odds ratio [OR] = 0.37; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.27–0.49). Patients who consumed simvastatin, atorvastatin, or rosuvastatin significantly decreased risk for HCC (OR = 0.32, 0.31, and 0.22; 95% CI = 0.18–0.58, 0.19–0.52, and 0.08–0.61, respectively). Metformin combinations with simvastatin, atorvastatin, or rosuvastatin may decrease HCC (OR = 0.30, 0.30, and 0.24; 95% CI = 0.15–0.59, 0.16–0.54, and 0.08–0.70, respectively). The comorbidities for HCC were decreased by consuming simvastatin and atorvastatin (OR = 0.31 and 0.29; 95% CI = 0.14–0.67 and 0.15–0.57, respectively). Only combination therapy of metformin and simvastatin may significantly decreased HCC comorbidities (OR = 0.26; 95% CI = 0.11–0.60) in our study. In Asia, not all metformin combinations with statins may reduce the incidence of HCC and not all of this kind of combination therapy may decrease the HCC comorbidities.

The prevalence of erectile dysfunction (ED) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) seemed high; however, large scale of population-based study was absent.We conducted a retrospective cohort study using data from the National Health Insurance system of Taiwan. The cohor

The association between cholelithiasis and depression remains unclear. We examined the risk of depression in patients with cholelithiasis. From the National Health Insurance population claims data of Taiwan, we identified 14071 newly diagnosed cholelithiasis patients (4969 symptomatic and 9102 asymptomatic) from 2000 to 2010. For each cholelithiasis patient, 4 persons without cholelithiasis were randomly selected in the control cohort from the general population frequency matched by age, sex, and diagnosis year. Both cohorts were followed up until the end of 2011 to monitor the occurrence of depression. Adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) of depression were estimated using the Cox proportional hazards model after controlling for age, sex and comorbidities. The overall incidence rates of depression were 1.87- and 1.83-fold greater in the symptomatic and asymptomatic cholelithiasis subcohorts than in the control cohort (incidence, 10.1 and 9.96 vs 5.43 per 1000 person-years, respectively). The multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analysis revealed higher variable-specific aHRs in women than in men, in younger patients than in older patients, and in those without comorbidities than in those with any comorbidity. Cholecystectomy reduced the hazard of developing depression with aHRs of 0.79 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.62–0.99) for symptomatic cholelithiasis patients and 0.76 (95% CI 0.60–0.96) for asymptomatic patients. Patients with cholelithiasis are at a higher risk of developing depression than the general population. Patients could be benefited from cholecystectomy and have the hazard of developing depression significantly reduced.

Dementia is among various diseases affecting the elderly, who is also at a high risk for fractures. This study aimed to evaluate the association between fracture history and sequential risk of dementia in Taiwan. A retrospective cohort study was designed using the claims data of the entire insured residents covered by Taiwan's universal health insurance from 1998 to 2010. A total of 66,797 patients with fractures and 133,594 control subjects without fractures were matched in terms of age (±5 years), sex, and index year and then recruited. Fractures and dementia were defined in accordance with the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification. The influence of fractures on the risk of dementia was analyzed using a Cox proportional hazards model. After a 12-year follow-up period, 2775 and 3991 incident cases of dementia were reported in exposed and unexposed cohorts, respectively. The overall incidence rate of dementia in individuals with fractures was 41% higher than that in individuals without fractures (6.05 vs 4.30 per 1000 person-years) at an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.38 (95% confidence interval 1.32–1.45) after age, sex, urbanization, and individual disorders or comorbidities were adjusted. Considering fracture location, we found that patients with hip fractures were at a slightly high risk for dementia. The occurrence of multiple fractures at a single visit was also significantly associated with an increased risk of dementia. Fracture history is regarded as an independent risk factor of dementia in individuals aged ≥65 years, particularly those who suffered from multiple fractures and/or fractures located in the hip. Further studies are needed to support an independent role of fracture in dementia considering the clinical information and other comorbidities.