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We performed this population-based study to investigate the effects of atorvastatin and rosuvastatin on renal function in patients with type 2 diabetes. From the Taiwan National Health Insurance Pay-for-Performance program for diabetes mellitus database, 2006 to 2009, type 2 diabetic patients aged 40 to 100 years with the first prescription of atorvastatin or rosuvastatin were identified. All the data were linked to the National Health Insurance claims database, 2000 to 2010, to construct longitudinal health care data. The Modification of Diet in Renal Disease equation was used to calculate the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and the eGFRs between baseline and the end of follow-up (maximum 2 years) were compared. Totally, 3,601 new users of atorvastatin and 1,968 new users of rosuvastatin were included. The median follow-up was 238 days in atorvastatin users and 210 days in rosuvastatin users. The eGFR at baseline was 72.3 ± 25.9 ml/min/1.73 m(2) in atorvastatin users and 73.7 ± 27.3 ml/min/1.73 m(2) in rosuvastatin users. In both statin groups, we found no significant change in eGFR (+0.1 ml/min/1.73 m(2), 95% confidence interval -0.4 to 0.7, p = 0.62 in atorvastatin users; -0.1 ml/min/1.73 m(2), 95% confidence interval -0.8 to 0.6, p = 0.77 in rosuvastatin users). In conclusion, neither treatment with atorvastatin nor rosuvastatin was associated with a significant change of renal function in type 2 diabetic patients., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Since a report of lenticular opacities in dogs treated with high dosages of statins, the debate on the relationship between statin therapy and cataracts has not reached a conclusion., Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between statin therapy and the risk of cataract surgery in an elderly ethnic Chinese population using time-dependent analysis to minimize immortal time bias., Methods: A retrospective cohort study using the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2005 randomly sampled from the National Health Insurance Research Database, Taiwan, was conducted. A total of 50,165 adults aged between 65 and 90 years in 1998 without records of statin therapy or diagnosis of cataracts between July 1997 and December 1997 were included in the analysis. The first record of lens extraction within the follow-up period (1998-2009) was set as the study endpoint. A propensity score was derived using a logistic regression model to model the receipt of statin therapy as a function of the baseline characteristics for every subject. We used the time-dependent Cox regression model to test the relative hazard of undergoing cataract surgery between statin users and non-users, while use of statins was treated as a time-dependent variable, controlling for baseline age and individual propensity score., Results: Of the 50,165 enrolled subjects, 17,670 individuals with an incident lens extraction were identified during a median follow-up of 10.7 years. The incidence of cataract surgery was 49.7/1,000 person-years in the statin-using period compared with 38.5/1,000 person-years in the statin-non-using period. The adjusted hazard ratio of cataract surgery was 1.20 (95 % CI 1.14-1.27; P < 0.001) in statin users compared with statin non-users., Conclusion: Statin therapy was associated with a modestly increased risk of cataract surgery. We suggest regular checks for lens opacity in statin users.

China, Mongolia, Korea and Japan constitute North-East Asia. For reasons of largely shared ethnicity and culture, with various degress of mixed Chinese and Altaic elements, as well as geographical contiguity, they can be usefully grouped together for studies of chronic disease prevalence and particularly cancer. The fact of problems shared in common, with increasing disease rates, underlines the necessity for a coordinated approach to research and development of control measures. To provide a knowledge base, the present review of cancer registration and epidemiology data was conducted. The most frequent cancers in males of North-East Asia are in the lung, liver and stomach, with considerable geographical and temporal variation in their respective prevalences. However, colorectal cancer is also of increasing importance. In females the breast, together with the lung in China, the liver in Mongolia and the stomach in Korea and Japan, are most frequent. Variation in risk factors depends to a large extent on the local level of economic development but overall the countries of the region face similar challenges in achieving effective cancer control.

Background: To study the performance of routine follow-up Pap smears after curative radiotherapy (RT) for Chinese cervical cancer (CC) patients., Methods: In 1996, 50 patients with non-metastatic CC received curative RT. Forty-six patients had routine follow-up Pap smears and constituted the study group. Details regarding clinical characteristics were retrospectively abstracted. Pap smear results were obtained via national Pap smear database linkage and chart review. The Pap smear results during recurrence-free survival (RFS) were analyzed and compared with clinical outcomes to study the performance characteristics., Results: After 34 (2 approximately 105) months' median follow-up, the clinical outcomes were isolated central recurrence (ICR), other recurrence (OR), and no evidence of disease (NED) for six, 20, and 20 patients, respectively. During 22 months' median RFS (range 2-105), 422 Pap smears (including missing data, n = 33) were performed. Most of the Pap smear results were within normal limits (65.8%) or benign (reactive changes or atrophy with inflammation) (25.2%). Atypical cells, low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL), high-grade intraepithelial lesion (HSIL), and carcinoma were found in ten (2.6%), 11 (2.8%), 11 (2.8%), and three (0.8%) specimens, respectively. Follow-up of the 21 atypical cells/LSIL smears among seven patients revealed five NED with normal/benign smears, one NED with HSIL and one OR with HSIL. Follow-up of the 11 HSIL smears among four patients revealed two ICR, one OR and one NED with HSIL. Follow-up of the three carcinoma smears revealed three ICR (one followed by HSIL in a repeat Pap smear before ICR). The sensitivity for the detection of ICR by carcinoma smears was 50%, with a specificity and positive predictive value (PPV) of 100%., Conclusion: Few (approximately 3%) of the routine follow-up Pap smears after CC patients receiving curative RT were HSIL/carcinoma, but most (4/6) of these patients turned out to be ICR.