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Background: Stopping or reducing risky or unneeded medications ("deprescribing") could improve older adults' health. Electronic health data can support observational and intervention studies of deprescribing, but there are no standardized measures for key variables, and healthcare systems have differing data types and availability. We developed definitions for chronic medication use and discontinuation based on electronic health data and applied them in a case study of benzodiazepines and Z-drugs in five diverse US healthcare systems., Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of adults age 65+ from 2017 to 2019 with chronic benzodiazepine or Z-drug use. We determined whether sites had access to medication orders and/or dispensings. We developed definitions for chronic use and discontinuation using both data types. Discontinuation definitions were based on (1) gaps in medication availability during follow-up or (2) not having medication available at a fixed time point. We examined the impact of varying the gap length and requiring a 30-day period without orders/dispensings ("halo") around the fixed time point. We compared results derived from orders versus dispensings at one site., Results: Approximately 1.6%-2.6% of older adults had chronic benzodiazepine/Z-drug use (total N = 6775, ranging from 431 to 2122 across sites). Depending on the definition and site, the proportion discontinuing use during 12 months ranged from 6% to 49%. Requiring a longer gap or a 30-day "halo" resulted in lower estimates. At one site, only 56% of those with chronic use defined from orders also qualified based on dispensings, and the discontinuation rate at 180 days was 20% from orders versus 32% from dispensings., Conclusions: Requiring a gap of ≥90 days or a "halo" around a time point may more accurately capture discontinuation than using a shorter gap or no halo. Orders data underestimate discontinuation compared to dispensings. Work is needed to adapt these definitions for other drug classes and settings., (© 2024 The American Geriatrics Society. This article has been contributed to by U.S. Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.)

The association between the presence of detectable antibodies to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and SARS-CoV-2 reinfection is not well established. The objective of this study was to determine the association between antibody seronegativity and reinfection., Methods: Participants in Colorado, USA, were recruited between June 15, 2020, and March 28, 2021, and encouraged to complete SARS-CoV-2 molecular ribonucleic acid (RNA) and serology testing for antibodies every 28 days for 10 months. Participants with reinfections (positive SARS-CoV-2 RNA test ≥ 90 days after the first positive RNA test) were matched to controls without reinfections by age, sex, date of the first positive RNA test, date of the last serology test, and serology test type. Using conditional logistic regression, case patients were compared to control patients on the last serologic test result, with adjustment for demographic and clinical confounders., Results: The cohort (n = 4,235) included 2,033 participants with ≥ 1 positive RNA test, of whom 120 had reinfection. Among the 80 case patients who could be matched, the last serologic test was negative in 12 of the cases (15.0 %) whereas the last serologic test was negative in 77 of 1,034 (7.5 %) controls. Seronegativity (adjusted OR [aOR] 2.24; 95 % CI 1.07, 4.68), Hispanic ethnicity (aOR 1.87; 95 % 1.10, 3.18), and larger household size (aOR 1.15; 95 % 1.01, 1.30 for each additional household member) were associated with reinfection., Conclusions: Seronegative status, Hispanic ethnicity, and increasing household size were associated with reinfection. Serologic testing could be considered to reduce vaccine hesitancy in higher risk populations., Competing Interests: The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Dr. Bechtel was employed at Kaiser Permanente Colorado at the time this study was conducted through November 2022 and is currently employed by Siemens Healthineers, USA, which had no role in the study design, analysis, manuscript preparation or review, or decision to submit for publication. All other authors declare that they do not have a conflict of interest., (© 2023 The Authors.)

Background: Body composition from computed tomography (CT) scans is associated with cancer outcomes including surgical complications, chemotoxicity, and survival. Most studies manually segment CT scans, but Automatic Body composition Analyser using Computed tomography image Segmentation (ABACS) software automatically segments muscle and adipose tissues to speed analysis. Here, we externally evaluate ABACS in an independent dataset., Methods: Among patients with non-metastatic colorectal (n = 3102) and breast (n = 2888) cancer diagnosed from 2005 to 2013 at Kaiser Permanente, expert raters annotated tissue areas at the third lumbar vertebra (L3). To compare ABACS segmentation results to manual analysis, we quantified the proportion of pixel-level image overlap using Jaccard scores and agreement between methods using intra-class correlation coefficients for continuous tissue areas. We examined performance overall and among subgroups defined by patient and imaging characteristics. To compare the strength of the mortality associations obtained from ABACS's segmentations to manual analysis, we computed Cox proportional hazards ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) by tertile of tissue area., Results: Mean ± SD age was 63 ± 11 years for colorectal cancer patients and 56 ± 12 for breast cancer patients. There was strong agreement between manual and automatic segmentations overall and within subgroups of age, sex, body mass index, and cancer stage: average Jaccard scores and intra-class correlation coefficients exceeded 90% for all tissues. ABACS underestimated muscle and visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue areas by 1-2% versus manual analysis: mean differences were small at -2.35, -1.97 and -2.38 cm 2 , respectively. ABACS's performance was lowest for the <2% of patients who were underweight or had anatomic abnormalities. ABACS and manual analysis produced similar associations with mortality; comparing the lowest to highest tertile of skeletal muscle from ABACS versus manual analysis, the HRs were 1.23 (95% CI: 1.00-1.52) versus 1.38 (95% CI: 1.11-1.70) for colorectal cancer patients and 1.30 (95% CI: 1.01-1.66) versus 1.29 (95% CI: 1.00-1.65) for breast cancer patients., Conclusions: In the first study to externally evaluate a commercially available software to assess body composition, automated segmentation of muscle and adipose tissues using ABACS was similar to manual analysis and associated with mortality after non-metastatic cancer. Automated methods will accelerate body composition research and, eventually, facilitate integration of body composition measures into clinical care., (© 2020 The Authors. Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society on Sarcopenia, Cachexia and Wasting Disorders.)

Disruption of systemic homeostasis by either chronic or acute stressors, such as obesity 1 or surgery 2 , alters cancer pathogenesis. Patients with cancer, particularly those with breast cancer, can be at increased risk of cardiovascular disease due to treatment toxicity and changes in lifestyle behaviors 3-5 . While elevated risk and incidence of cardiovascular events in breast cancer is well established, whether such events impact cancer pathogenesis is not known. Here we show that myocardial infarction (MI) accelerates breast cancer outgrowth and cancer-specific mortality in mice and humans. In mouse models of breast cancer, MI epigenetically reprogrammed Ly6C hi monocytes in the bone marrow reservoir to an immunosuppressive phenotype that was maintained at the transcriptional level in monocytes in both the circulation and tumor. In parallel, MI increased circulating Ly6C hi monocyte levels and recruitment to tumors and depletion of these cells abrogated MI-induced tumor growth. Furthermore, patients with early-stage breast cancer who experienced cardiovascular events after cancer diagnosis had increased risk of recurrence and cancer-specific death. These preclinical and clinical results demonstrate that MI induces alterations in systemic homeostasis, triggering cross-disease communication that accelerates breast cancer.

Objective: To determine whether women with multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosed according to current criteria are at an increased risk of postpartum relapses and to assess whether this risk is modified by breastfeeding or MS disease-modifying therapies (DMTs), we examined the electronic health records (EHRs) of 466 pregnancies among 375 women with MS and their infants., Methods: We used prospectively collected information from the EHR at Kaiser Permanente Southern and Northern California between 2008 and 2016 of the mother and infant to identify treatment history, breastfeeding, and relapses. Multivariable models accounting for measures of disease severity were used., Results: In the postpartum year, 26.4% relapsed, 87% breastfed, 36% breastfed exclusively for at least 2 months, and 58.8% did not use DMTs. At pregnancy onset, 67.2% had suboptimally controlled disease. Annualized relapse rates (ARRs) declined from 0.37 before pregnancy to 0.14-0.07 ( p < 0.0001) during pregnancy, but in the postpartum period, we did not observe any rebound disease activity. The ARR was 0.27 in the first 3 months postpartum, returning to prepregnancy rates at 4-6 months (0.37). Exclusive breastfeeding reduced the risk of early postpartum relapses (adjusted hazard ratio = 0.37, p = 0.009), measures of disease severity increased the risk, and resuming modestly effective DMTs had no effect (time-dependent covariate, p = 0.62)., Conclusion: Most women diagnosed with MS today can have children without incurring an increased risk of relapses. Women with suboptimal disease control before pregnancy may benefit from highly effective DMTs that are compatible with pregnancy and lactation. Women with MS should be encouraged to breastfeed exclusively., (© 2020 American Academy of Neurology.)

Importance: Although most chemotherapies are dosed on body surface area or weight, body composition (ie, the amount and distribution of muscle and adipose tissues) is thought to be associated with chemotherapy tolerance and adherence., Objectives: To evaluate whether body composition is associated with relative dose intensity (RDI) on anthracycline and taxane-based chemotherapy or hematologic toxic effects and whether lower RDI mediates the association of adiposity with mortality., Design, Setting, and Participants: An observational cohort study with prospectively collected electronic medical record data was conducted at Kaiser Permanente Northern California, a multicenter, community oncology setting within an integrated health care delivery system. Participants included 1395 patients with nonmetastatic breast cancer diagnosed between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2013, and treated with anthracycline and taxane-based chemotherapy. Data analysis was performed between February 25 and September 4, 2019., Exposures: Intramuscular, visceral, and subcutaneous adiposity as well as skeletal muscle were evaluated from clinically acquired computed tomographic scans at diagnosis., Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was low RDI (<0.85), which is the ratio of delivered to planned chemotherapy dose, derived from infusion records; in addition, hematologic toxic effects were defined based on laboratory test values. To evaluate associations with overall and breast cancer-specific mortality, logistic regression models adjusted for age and body surface area were fit as well as Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for age, race/ethnicity, adiposity, Charlson comorbidity index score, and tumor stage and subtype. The mediation proportion was computed using the difference method., Results: The mean (SD) age at diagnosis of the 1395 women included in the study was 52.8 (10.2) years. Greater visceral (odds ratio [OR], 1.19; 95% CI, 1.02-1.39 per SD) and intramuscular (OR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.01-1.34 per SD) adiposity were associated with increased odds of RDI less than 0.85. Greater muscle mass was associated with a decreased odds of hematologic toxic effects (OR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.71-0.98 per SD). Relative dose intensity less than 0.85 was associated with a 30% increased risk of death (hazard ratio, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.02-1.65). Lower RDI partially explained the association of adiposity with breast cancer-specific mortality (mediation proportion, 0.20; 95% CI, 0.05-0.55)., Conclusions and Relevance: Excess adiposity, presenting as larger visceral or intramuscular adiposity, was associated with lower RDI. Lower RDI partially mediated the association of adiposity with worse breast cancer-specific survival. Body composition may help to identify patients likely to experience toxic effects and subsequent dose delays or reductions, which could compromise chemotherapeutic efficacy.

Purpose: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major source of morbidity and mortality among breast cancer survivors. Although body mass index (BMI) is associated with CVD risk, adipose tissue distribution may better identify patients with a high risk of CVD after breast cancer., Methods: Among 2,943 patients with nonmetastatic breast cancer without prior CVD, we used International Classification of Diseases (9th and 10th revisions) codes to identify incidence of nonfatal stroke, myocardial infarction, heart failure, or CVD death. From clinically acquired computed tomography scans obtained near diagnosis, we measured visceral adiposity (centimeters squared), subcutaneous adiposity (centimeters squared), and intramuscular adiposity (fatty infiltration into muscle [Hounsfield Units, scored inversely]). We estimated hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs per SD increase in adiposity accounting for competing risks and adjusting for demographics, smoking, cancer treatment, and pre-existing CVD risk factors., Results: Mean (SD) age was 56 (12) years. Over a median follow-up of 6 years, 328 CVD events occurred. Each SD increase in visceral or intramuscular adiposity was associated with an increase in CVD risk (HR, 1.15 [95% CI, 1.03 to 1.29] and HR, 1.21 [95% CI, 1.06 to 1.37]), respectively). Excess visceral and intramuscular adiposity occurred across all BMI categories. Among normal-weight patients, each SD greater visceral adiposity increased CVD risk by 70% (HR, 1.70 [95% CI, 1.10 to 2.62])., Conclusion: Visceral and intramuscular adiposity were associated with increased CVD incidence after breast cancer diagnosis, independent of pre-existing CVD risk factors and cancer treatments. The increased CVD incidence among normal-weight patients with greater visceral adiposity would go undetected with BMI alone. Measures of adipose tissue distribution may help identify high-risk patients and tailor CVD prevention strategies.

Objective: Previous studies of breast cancer survival have not considered specific depots of adipose tissue such as subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT)., Methods: This study assessed these relationships among 3,235 women with stage II and III breast cancer diagnosed between 2005 and 2013 at Kaiser Permanente Northern California and between 2000 and 2012 at Dana Farber Cancer Institute. SAT and VAT areas (in centimeters squared) were calculated from routine computed tomography scans within 6 (median: 1.2) months of diagnosis, covariates were collected from electronic health records, and vital status was assessed by death records. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs were estimated using Cox regression., Results: SAT and VAT ranged from 19.0 to 891 cm 2 and from 0.484 to 454 cm 2 , respectively. SAT was related to increased risk of death (127-cm 2 increase; HR [95% CI]: 1.13 [1.02-1.26]), but no relationship was found with VAT (78.18-cm 2 increase; HR [95% CI]: 1.02 [0.91-1.14]). An association with VAT was noted among women with stage II cancer (stage II: HR: 1.17 [95% CI: 0.99-1.39]; stage III: HR: 0.90 [95% CI: 0.76-1.07]; P interaction < 0.01). Joint increases in SAT and VAT were associated with mortality above either alone (simultaneous 1-SD increase: HR 1.19 [95% CI: 1.05-1.34])., Conclusions: SAT may be an underappreciated risk factor for breast cancer-related death., (© 2019 The Obesity Society.)

Objectives: To examine the role of uniform access to care in reducing racial/ethnic disparities in receipt of resection for early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) by comparing integrated health system member patients to demographically similar non-member patients., Materials and Methods: Using data from the California Cancer Registry, we conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients from four racial/ethnic groups (White, Black, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander), aged 21-80, with a first primary diagnosis of stage I or II NSCLC between 2004 and 2011, in counties served by Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC) at diagnosis. Our cohort included 1565 KPNC member and 4221 non-member patients. To examine the relationship between race/ethnicity and receipt of surgery stratified by KPNC membership, we used modified Poisson regression to calculate risk ratios (RR) adjusted for patient demographic and tumor characteristics., Results: Black patients were least likely to receive surgery regardless of access to integrated care (64-65% in both groups). The magnitude of the black-white difference in the likelihood of surgery receipt was similar for members (RR: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.73-0.93) and non-members (RR: 0.86, 95% CI: 0.80-0.94). Among members, roughly equal proportions of Hispanic and White patients received surgery; however, among non-members, Hispanic patients were less likely to receive surgery (non-members, RR: 0.93, 95% CI: 0.86-1.00; members, RR: 0.98, 95% CI: 0.89-1.08)., Conclusion: Disparities in surgical treatment for NSCLC were not reduced through integrated health system membership, suggesting that factors other than access to care (e.g., patient-provider communication) may underlie disparities. Future research should focus on identifying such modifiable factors., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with an increased risk of dementia in male veterans, but little is known in females and civilians., Methods: PTSD and comorbidities were abstracted from medical records from 1/1/1996 to 12/31/2001. Dementia incidence from 1/1/2002 to 12/31/2014 in 499,844 health care members aged 60+ years over an average of 8.2 years. Cox proportional hazard models were adjusted for age, demographics, and comorbidities., Results: PTSD was associated with increased risk of dementia over an average of 8 years of follow-up (females: hazard ratio [HR] = 1.59, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.30-1.95; males: HR = 1.96, 95% CI = 1.51-2.55). There was a two-fold risk of dementia in those with both PTSD and depression (females: HR = 2.08; 95% CI = 1.66-2.59; males: HR = 2.06; 95% CI = 1.47-2.91) versus those without., Discussion: PTSD was a risk factor for dementia in both sexes, with a heightened risk in those with comorbid depression., (Copyright © 2017 the Alzheimer's Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Recent cross-sectional studies suggest that restless legs syndrome (RLS) may be associated with an increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) comorbidity or risk factors. We evaluated whether primary or secondary RLS was associated with an increased risk of incident cardiovascular disease in a retrospective cohort study within Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC)., Methods: We identified members of KPNC with primary RLS and secondary RLS between 1999 and 2008 by an algorithm that incorporated longitudinal clinical records related to the diagnosis and treatment of RLS and comorbidities. We then matched each RLS case with up to 50 individuals with no clinical records of RLS by age, sex, race/ethnicity, zip code, and membership duration. For the analyses we excluded any individual with coronary artery disease (CAD: angina, acute myocardial infarction, coronary revascularization procedure, CAD death), CVD (CAD plus stroke), and hypertension at baseline. New cardiovascular events were determined from clinical records. Follow-up ended at an outcome event, disenrollment from KPNC, or death, whichever occurred earliest. There were over 473,358 person-y of follow-up in this cohort analysis with a mean follow-up time of 3.91 y and range from 6 mo to 12 y. Survival analysis techniques, including survival curves and proportional hazard regression models, were used to assess the association between RLS status and CVD., Results: There were 7,621 primary RLS and 4,507 secondary RLS cases identified and included in the study. In general, primary RLS cases were younger and had less comorbidity than secondary RLS cases. During the follow-up period, CVD was diagnosed in 478 primary RLS cohort members, CAD was diagnosed in 310, and hypertension events were identified in 1,466. Diagnosis in secondary RLS cohort members was made during the follow-up period with 451, 338, and 598 CVD, CAD, and hypertension events, respectively. Subjects with primary RLS had a similar risk of incident CVD (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.95; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.86-1.04) and CAD (HR = 0.99; 95% CI = 0.89-1.13) to the comparison cohort, with a slight elevation in the risk of hypertension events (HR = 1.19; 95% CI = 1.12-1.25), after multivariable adjustment. Individuals classified as secondary RLS had a significant increased risk of CVD (HR = 1.33; 95% CI = 1.21-1.46), CAD (HR = 1.40; 95% CI = 1.25-1.56), and hypertension (HR = 1.28; 95% CI = 1.18-1.40)., Conclusion: Primary restless legs syndrome (RLS) was not associated with new-onset cardiovascular disease (CVD) or coronary artery disease (CAD) but was associated with a slight increased risk of hypertension. In contrast, secondary RLS was associated with an increased risk of CVD, CAD, and hypertension., (© 2015 Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC.)

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine whether the presence of symptoms would aid in the detection of valvular heart disease (VHD) in those exposed to pergolide., Methods: Utilizing a prospective, cross-sectional study design, patients with an exposure to pergolide were asked regarding the presence or absence of chest pain, shortness of breath or lower extremity edema through a questionnaire. Echocardiograms were obtained on the same day as the questionnaire and were blinded to all staff involved in the study. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value of the reported symptoms towards the outcome moderate or severe valvular regurgitation were obtained. Using the area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve, we also ascertained whether a relationship existed between symptoms, pergolide dose and presence of VHD. To understand the associations between symptoms and echocardiographic covariates, a logistic regression analysis was performed adjusted for age and gender., Results: The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value of symptom presentation and total dose was sufficiently low that it did not aid in the determination whether significant valvular regurgitation was present. Multivariable analysis noted a significant association with indexed left atrial volume (p = 0.011), estimated pulmonary artery pressure (p = 0.047) and shortness of breath., Conclusions: The presence or absence of symptoms does not help guide whether valvular regurgitation is present or absent in individuals exposed to pergolide. Therefore, echocardiography is needed to confirm or refute pergolide-associated VHD., (Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Objective: To determine whether low levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) contribute to the increased risk of postpartum multiple sclerosis (MS) relapses., Design: Prospective cohort study., Setting: Outpatients identified through membership records of Kaiser Permanente Northern California or Stanford University outpatient neurology clinics., Patients: Twenty-eight pregnant women with MS., Interventions: We prospectively followed up patients through the postpartum year and assessed exposures and symptoms through structured interviews. Total serum 25(OH)D levels were measured using the DiaSorin Liaison Assay during the third trimester and 2, 4, and 6 months after giving birth. The data were analyzed using longitudinal multivariable methods., Main Outcome Measures: Levels of 25(OH)D and relapse rate., Results: Fourteen (50%) women breastfed exclusively, and 12 women (43%) relapsed within 6 months after giving birth. During pregnancy, the average 25(OH)D levels were 25.4 ng/mL (range, 13.7-42.6) and were affected only by season (P=.009). In contrast, in the postpartum period, 25(OH)D levels were significantly affected by breastfeeding and relapse status. Levels of 25(OH)D remained low in the exclusive breastfeeding group, yet rose significantly in the nonexclusive breastfeeding group regardless of season (P=.007, unadjusted; P=.02, adjusted for season). By 4 and 6 months after childbirth, 25(OH)D levels were, on average, 5 ng/mL lower in the women who breastfed exclusively compared with the nonbreastfeeding group (P=.001)., Conclusions: Pregnancy and exclusive breastfeeding are strongly associated with low 25(OH)D levels in women with MS. However, these lower vitamin D levels were not associated with an increased risk of postpartum MS relapses. These data suggest that low vitamin D in isolation is not an important risk factor for postpartum MS relapses.

The aim of this article was to evaluate cancer occurrence before and after diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (PD). We investigated 692 patients newly diagnosed with PD and 761 age- and sex-matched control subjects identified during two periods (1994-1995 and 2000-2003) within Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program of Northern California. Primary cancers were searched and dated, and all participants were followed up until the end of membership, death, or December 31, 2008. We used unconditional logistic regression to evaluate the PD-cancer association before the date of PD diagnosis or the index date and Cox proportional hazards regression to evaluate the PD-cancer association after the index date. Nearly 20% (140 of 692) of the PD patients and 25% (188 of 761) of the non-PD controls had ever had a cancer diagnosis. Before the index date, the prevalence of cancer was not significantly lower in patients with PD (8.1% PD vs. 9.2% controls; OR = 0.83; 95% CI 0.54-1.3). After the index date, the risk of developing a cancer did not differ between PD cases and controls (relative risk [RR] = 0.94; 95% CI 0.70-1.3). Among specific cancers, melanoma was more common among PD cases (before PD, OR = 1.5; 95% CI 0.40-5.2; after PD, RR = 1.6; 95% CI 0.71-3.6), but independent of dopaminergic therapy. Cancer occurrence is not significantly lower among patients with PD. The positive association between PD and subsequent melanoma merits further investigation, as it does not seem to be attributable to dopaminergic therapy, pigmentation, or confounding by smoking., (© 2010 Movement Disorder Society.)

The objective of this study was to determine whether patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) are more likely to have other autoimmune disorders particularly prior to the diagnosis of MS. We conducted a population-based case-control study of patients enrolled in the Northern California Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program. Electronic clinical records through 2005 were used to ascertain incident and prevalent MS cases and identify the presence and timing of 44 other diagnoses. Controls were matched 5:1 for gender, age, and Kaiser membership characteristics. We identified 5296 MS cases (including 924 diagnosed between 2001 and 2004) and 26,478 matched controls. Prior to MS diagnosis, cases were more likely than controls to have uveitis (OR = 3.2, 95%; CI 1.7-5.7), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD, OR = 1.7; 95%CI 1.2-2.5), and Bell's palsy (OR = 3.2; 95%CI 1.2-8.3). Cases were also more likely to develop Guillain- Barré syndrome (GBS, OR = 5.0; 95%CI 1.6-15.4) and bullous pemphigoid (OR = 6.7; 95%CI 1.5-29.9). Cases were not more likely than controls to have or to develop rheumatoid arthritis, lupus or thyroiditis. MS may share environmental triggers, genetic susceptibilities and/or alterations in immune homeostasis with IBD and uveitis, but not with other autoimmune disorders.

Objective: To determine whether fluctuations in functional T-cell subsets can explain why multiple sclerosis (MS) relapses decline during pregnancy and increase in the postpartum period., Design: Case-control study., Setting: Kaiser Permanente Northern California and Stanford University., Participants: Twenty-six pregnant women with MS and 24 age-matched, pregnant controls. Intervention We prospectively followed up the pregnant women with MS and the age-matched, pregnant controls; conducted structured interviews; and collected peripheral blood mononuclear cells during each trimester and 2, 4, 6, 9, and 12 months post partum., Main Outcome Measures: Sixteen functional cell types, including interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma)- and tumor necrosis factor-producing T-cell subsets, were measured using multicolor flow cytometry. Since these cell types may also fluctuate with pregnancy, lactational amenorrhea, or MS treatment, the data were analyzed taking into account these factors., Results: Fifteen women with MS (58%) had relapses during the postpartum year. CD4(+)IFN-gamma-producing cells fluctuated with MS relapses, declining during pregnancy in women with MS (P < .001) and continuing to decline after parturition in women with relapses (P = .001), yet rising or remaining stable in women with nonrelapsing MS or healthy pregnant women. Lactational amenorrhea was associated with a rise in CD4(+)IFN-gamma-producing cells in women with MS (P = .009). In contrast, CD4(+) tumor necrosis factor-producing cells decreased during lactational amenorrhea in all groups of women and, once this was taken into account, obscured any relationship to MS relapses. CD8(+)IFN-gamma-producing cells were elevated in women with MS throughout the study (P < .001) but did not fluctuate with relapses., Conclusions: Our findings suggest that a decline in circulating CD4(+)IFN-gamma-producing cells leads to postpartum MS relapses. Our findings also suggest that the decline in these cells may begin during late pregnancy and that lactational amenorrhea induced by exclusive breastfeeding may be able to interrupt this process.

Objective: To examine the association between demographic and clinical features in early Parkinson disease (PD) and length of survival in a multiethnic population., Design: Clinical features within 2 years of diagnosis were determined for an inception cohort established during 1994-1995. Vital status was determined through December 31, 2005. Predictor variables included age at diagnosis, sex, race/ethnicity, as well as clinical subtype (modified tremor dominant, postural instability gait difficulty), symmetry, cognitive impairment, depression, dysphagia, and hallucinations. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with shorter survival., Setting: Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program, northern California., Patients: Five hundred seventy-three men and women with newly diagnosed PD., Results: Three hundred fifty-two participants in the PD cohort (61.4%) had died in the follow-up period. Older age at diagnosis (hazard ratio [HR], 1.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.09-1.12), modified postural instability gait difficulty subtype (HR, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.3-2.7), symmetry of motor signs (HR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.1-3.7), mild (HR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.3-2.2) and severe (HR, 2.7; 95% CI, 1.9-3.9) cognitive impairment, dysphagia (HR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.1-1.9), and hallucinations (HR, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.3-3.2) were associated with increased all-cause mortality, after adjusting for age, sex, and race/ethnicity. None of the other factors altered mortality risk. In an empirical predictive analysis, most previous significant predictors remained associated with shorter survival., Conclusions: Both motor and nonmotor features in early PD predict increased mortality risk, particularly postural instability gait difficulty, cognitive impairment, and hallucinations. These predictors may be useful in clinical practice and when designing clinical trials.

Objective: To determine if exclusive breastfeeding protects against postpartum relapses of multiple sclerosis (MS) and, if so, whether this protection is related to prolonged lactational amenorrhea., Design: We conducted structured interviews to assess clinical, menstrual, and breastfeeding history during each trimester and 2, 4, 6, 9, and 12 months postpartum and collected neurological examination findings from the treating physicians of women with MS. Hazards ratios (HRs) were adjusted for measures of disease severity and age., Setting: Kaiser Permanente Northern California and Stanford University., Participants: We prospectively enrolled 32 pregnant women with MS and 29 age-matched, pregnant controls. Main Outcome Measure Postpartum relapse., Results: Of the 52% of women with MS who did not breastfeed or began regular supplemental feedings within 2 months postpartum, 87% had a postpartum relapse, compared with 36% of the women with MS who breastfed exclusively for at least 2 months postpartum (unadjusted HR, 5.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.7-14.2; P = .003; adjusted HR, 7.1; 95% confidence interval, 2.1-24.3; P = .002). Sixty percent reported that the primary reason for foregoing exclusive breastfeeding was to resume MS therapies. Women who breastfed exclusively had a later return of menses (P = .001) than women who did not, and lactational amenorrhea was associated with a reduced risk of postpartum relapses (P = .01)., Conclusions: Our findings suggest that exclusive breastfeeding and concomitant suppression of menses significantly reduce the risk of postpartum relapses in MS. Our findings call into question the benefit of foregoing breastfeeding to start MS therapies and should be confirmed in a larger study.