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We aim to evaluate breast cancer risk relating to PPIs usage in women with peptic ulcer. From 2000 to 2013, incidence rates of breast cancer were compared between the two cohorts (with or without PPIs). Each study cohort consisted of 4838 women. The incidence density rate of breast cancer in the PPI cohort was 0.29 that in the comparison cohort (10.0 vs 31.6 per 10 000 person-years), with an adjusted HR (hazard ratio) of 0.32 (95% CI = 0.20-0.49) for the PPI cohort. In conclusion, the medication of PPIs is associated with reduced breast cancer risk for women with gastric ulcer.

Objective. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) been cited as one of the major causes of atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease which are possible agents inducing DNA damage. Manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase-1 (GPx1) have evolved to address primary defense against free radical mediated damage in mitochondria. The aim of this study was to delineate the association ofMnSOD,CAT, andGPx1polymorphisms and risk of CAD in Taiwan.Methods. We conducted a case-control study with 657 participants recruited at a medical center. All subjects were evaluated by noninvasive stress test and then quantitative coronary angiography to confirm the diagnosis of CAD. 447 CAD cases were defined as >50% stenosis of coronary artery and 210 controls were stenosed below 50%. Polymorphisms ofMnSOD(Val16Ala),CAT(C-262T), andGPx1(Pro198Leu) genes were determined by polymerase chain reaction methods. Multivariate logistic regression model was used to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).Results. TheMnSODVal/Ala+Ala/Ala genotype was significantly associated with an increased risk of CAD compared to the Val/Val genotype (OR = 1.86, 95% CI = 1.15-3.01). This polymorphism was also associated with the severity of CAD of single and two vessel diseases. The corresponding ORs were 2.31 (95% CI = 1.32-4.03) and 1.92 (95% CI = 1.02-3.61), respectively. Among cigarette smokers, the harmful genetic effect ofMnSODAla allele on CAD risk was much higher (OR = 2.23, 95% CI = 1.02-4.88). However, the interaction betweenMnSODgenotype and cigarette smoking on CAD risk was not significant. No significant association betweenCATandGPx1polymorphisms and CAD risk was observed.Conclusion. Our results suggest thatMnSODpolymorphism is an independent risk factor for susceptibility to CAD in the Chinese population.

Background. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) share many risk factors. Evidence suggests that metabolic risk factors are important to AD; however, their association with DLB is unclear. The risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) associated with AD and DLB is also uncertain. Thus, this nationwide, population-based study was designed to evaluate the metabolic and CVD risks in AD and DLB. Materials and Methods. Data were obtained from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. AD patients, DLB patients, and normal control (NC) individuals from 1996 to 2013 were enrolled for risk assessment. Results. In total, 7544 NC individuals, 1324 AD patients, and 562 DLB patients were enrolled. Participants with one or more metabolic risk factors had significantly higher odds of AD or DLB. No significant differences in metabolic risk factors were observed between DLB and AD patients. AD patients had a lower risk of CVD (aHR = 0.67, 95% CI = 0.59–0.76, p value p value p value Conclusion. Metabolic risk factors are important in AD and DLB. Patients with AD might have a lower risk of CAD and ischemic strokes. Patients with DLB might have a higher risk of ischemic stroke.

This study examined and analysed the relationship between the cost-effectiveness and outcome of radiotherapy for oesophageal cancer among hospitals with varying accreditation levels. We selected 428 oesophageal cancer patients from medical and non-medical centres using the National Health Insurance Research Database, which is maintained by the Taiwanese National Health Research Institutes, and compared their medical expenditure and the outcome of their radiotherapy treatment. In this study cohort of patients with oesophageal cancer, 278 patients were treated in medical centres (mean age: 60.1 years) and 150 patients were treated in non-medical centres (mean age: 62.0 years, P = 0.16). The medical centre group exhibited significantly lower medical expenses, mortality and risk of death compared with the non-medical centre group (adjusted hazard ratio = 1.38, 95% confidence interval = 1.11-1.71). Our study determined that radiotherapy for oesophageal cancer costs significantly less, and medical centres had lower mortality rates than non-medical centres. These findings could provide professional organisations and healthcare policy makers with essential information for allocation of resources.

SummaryBackground The objective of this study was to determine the association between statin use and female lung cancer in Taiwan. Methods In this case–control study, we used information from the Taiwan National Health Institute Research Database on 17,329 patients (cases) aged 20 years or older recently diagnosed with lung cancer between 2005 and 2010 and 17,329 patients without lung cancer to assess the association between female lung cancer and statin use, even adjustment for its comorbidities. Results After adjusting for age and associated risk factors, we determined that women who engaged in long-term use of simvastatin at a defined daily dose (DDD) of over 150 have a reduced risk of lung cancer compared with those who did not use statins (odds ratio: 0.77, 95% confidence interval: 0.62–0.97) in women. However, lovastatin was not significantly associated with lung cancer in women. Among female patients with pre-existing comorbidities of respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypertension, stroke and pulmonary tuberculosis, statins reduced the risk of lung cancer. Conclusions Simvastatin use at a DDD of more than 150 is correlated with an approximately 20% reduction in the risk of lung cancer in women.

Objective.To investigate if different treatment strategy of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) was associated glaucoma risk in Taiwanese population.Methods.Population-based retrospective cohort study was conducted using data sourced from the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000. We included 2528 OSA patients and randomly selected and matched 10112 subjects without OSA as the control cohort. The risk of glaucoma in OSA patients was investigated based on the managements of OSA (without treatment, with surgery, with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment, and with multiple modalities). The multivariable Cox regression was used to estimate hazard ratio (HR) after adjusting for sex, age, hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and coronary artery disease.Results.The adjusted HR of glaucoma for OSA patients was 1.88 (95% CI: 1.46–2.42), compared with controls. For patients without treatment, the adjusted HR was 2.15 (95% CI: 1.60–2.88). For patients with treatments, the adjusted HRs of glaucoma were not significantly different from controls, except for those with CPAP (adjusted HR = 1.65, 95% CI = 1.09–2.49).Conclusions.OSA is associated with an increased risk of glaucoma. However, surgery reduces slightly the glaucoma hazard for OSA patients.

Aim. Autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARD) are characterized by systemic inflammation and may affect multiple organs and cause vascular events such as ischemic stroke and acute myocardial infarction. However, the association between ARD and increased risk of dementia is uncertain. This is a retrospective cohort study to investigate and compare the risk of dementia between patients clinically diagnosed with ARD and non-ARD patients during a 5-year follow-up period.Methods. Data were obtained from the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000 (LHID2000). We included 1221 patients receiving ambulatory or hospitalization care and 6105 non-ARD patients; patients were matched by sex, age, and the year of index use of health care. Each patient was studied for 5 years to identify the subsequent manifestation of dementia. The data obtained were analyzed by Cox proportional hazard regression.Results. During the 5-year follow-up period, 30 ARD (2.48%) and 141 non-ARD patients (2.31%) developed dementia. During the 5-year follow-up period, there were no significant differences in the risks of any type of dementia (adjusted hazard ratio (HR), 1.18; 95% CI, 0.79–1.76) in the ARD group after adjusting for demographics and comorbidities.Conclusions. Within the 5-year period, patients with and without ARD were found to have similar risks of developing dementia.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies inferring that theNOS3gene was associated with the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome (MetS) had inconsistent findings. We investigated the role of threeNOS3polymorphisms (T-786C, intron 4b/a, and G894T) in the risk of MetS using a hospital-based case-control study.METHODS: We recruited 339 MetS cases and 783 non-MetS controls at a central Taiwanese hospital. Information on sociodemographic and lifestyle factors was obtained using a self-administered questionnaire. Genotypes ofNOS3polymorphisms were compared between cases and controls. Effects of interactions between gene polymorphisms and smoking and between gene polymorphisms and drinking on the risk of MetS were also determined.RESULTS: The T-786C TC+CC genotype was significantly associated with a decreased risk of MetS (odds ratio (OR), 0.63; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.43–0.91), compared to the T-786C TT genotype, according to a logistic regression analysis. This beneficial effect was much greater for those who had ever smoked cigarettes (OR, 0.47; 95% CI, 0.26–0.87) or those who had not consumed alcohol (OR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.26–0.77). In addition, the intron 4b/a variant genotype was marginally associated with a reduced risk of MetS (OR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.47–1.00), compared to the intron 4b/a bb genotype, particularly for never alcohol consumers (OR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.33–0.95). In the haplotype analysis, there was a 53% decrease in the MetS risk among C4bG haplotype carriers (OR, 0.47; 95% CI, 0.25–0.90), compared to those with the most common T4bG haplotype.CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that theNOS3T-786C and intron 4b/a polymorphisms may contribute to the risk of MetS. Further studies are needed to confirm the findings.

Objectives To investigate the relationship among obesity, cardiovascular disease risk factors (CVDRFs), and plasma complement C3 concentration in children and adolescents. Methods In a nationwide survey conducted between 1992 and 2000, all school children aged 6–18 yr with abnormal results in repeated urine samples, including hematuria, proteinuria, and glucosuria (n = 97 312; 36 557 boys and 60 755 girls), were investigated for their body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, total cholesterol, and plasma complement C3 concentrations. Results Children in the higher percentile groups for BMI or having more CVDRFs, namely, hypertension, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia, had higher plasma C3 concentrations independently (p for both trends

Background. The use of complementary and alternative medicine in critical illness is increasing worldwide. This study investigates how traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is used in stroke patients.Methods. Using Taiwan National Health Insurance reimbursement claims, we compared the annual use of TCM between stroke patients and general population, identifying 15,330 patients with a new onset of stroke in 2000–2009. The sociodemographic status and medical comorbidities between stroke patients receiving TCM services and those without using the service were compared.Results. The use of TCM was higher in stroke patients than in the general population, 27.9% versus 25.4% in 2000 and 32.7% versus 27.8% in 2009, respectively, and grew consistently from 2000 to 2009. Among stroke patients, women, younger patients, white-collar employees, higher-income residents, and those living in areas with more TCM physicians were more likely to use TCM. Stroke patients using rehabilitation services were more likely to have more TCM visits (OR = 2.28, 95% CI = 1.96–2.66) and higher expenditure on TCM (OR = 2.67, 95% CI = 2.29–3.12) compared with stroke patients without rehabilitation.Conclusion. TCM is popular and well accepted in Taiwan. Patients with stroke have a higher TCM utilization rate than people without stroke.

Wei J-N, Li H-Y, Wang Y-C, Chuang L-M, Lin M-S, Lin C-H, Sung F-C. Detailed family history of diabetes identified children at risk of type 2 diabetes: a population-based case-control study. Objectives: Recently, the incidence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in children has increased dramatically. Mass screening is suffering and costly. It remains unknown if a detailed family diabetes mellitus history (FDMH) can identify children with different risks of T2D. This study investigated how FDMH was associated with childhood T2D. Methods: From 1992 to 1997, a nationwide survey conducted in Taiwan for all 3 000 000 school children aged between 6 and 18 yr identified 1966 children with diabetes. For comparison, 1780 children were randomly selected as the control group from all students with normal fasting glycemia (NFG). Telephonic Interviews were conducted using questionnaire for detailed FDMH. In the present analysis, 505 children with T2D and 619 children with NFG were enrolled. Results: Children with more family members having diabetes were more likely to have T2D. Children with the parental FDMH had a higher risk for T2D than children with the grandparental FDMH; the odds ratios (ORs) were 2.61 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.25–5.48, p < 0.05) for boys and 6.47 (95% CI 2.69–15.6, p < 0.05) for girls, adjusting for age, birth weight, gestational age and body mass index (BMI) z-score. Children with maternal FDMH had a higher risk for T2D than children with paternal FDMH, and much greater in boys (OR = 29.5, 95% CI 3.67–237, p < 0.05) than in girls (OR = 7.63, 95% CI 2.05–28.4, p < 0.05), adjusted for age, birth weight, gestational age, BMI z-score, and FDMH in grandparents. Conclusions: Children with parental FDMH, especially the maternal FDMH, have an elevated risk for T2D. Detailed FDMH is a convenient alternative to identify children with different risks of T2D.

To investigate the role of E23K polymorphism of theKCNJ11gene on early onset of type 2 diabetes in school-aged children/adolescents in Taiwan, we recruited 38 subjects with type 2 diabetes (ages 18.6 ± 6.6 years; body mass index percentiles 83.3 ± 15.4) and 69 normal controls (ages 17.3 ± 3.8 years; body mass index percentiles 56.7 ± 29.0) from a national surveillance for childhood/adolescent diabetes in Taiwan. We searched for the E23K polymorphism of theKCNJ11gene. We found that type 2 diabetic subjects had higher carrier rate of E23K polymorphism ofKCNJ11gene than control subjects (P= 0.044). After adjusting for age, gender, body mass index percentiles, and fasting plasma insulin, the E23K polymorphism contributed to an increased risk for type 2 diabetes (P= 0.047). K23-allele-containing genotypes conferring increased plasma insulin level during OGTT in normal subjects. However, the diabetic subjects with the K23-allele-containing genotypes had lower fasting plasma insulin levels after adjustment of age and BMI percentiles. In conclusion, the E23K variant of theKCNJ11gene conferred higher susceptibility to type 2 diabetes in children/adolescents. Furthermore, in normal glucose-tolerant children/adolescents, K23 allele carriers had a higher insulin response to oral glucose loading.