Patients with liver cirrhosis have been excluded from randomized clinical trials of oral anticoagulation therapy for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation. We hypothesized that patients with liver ...cirrhosis would have a positive net clinical benefit for oral anticoagulation when used for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation.
This study used the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan. Among 289 559 atrial fibrillation patients aged ≥20 years, there were 10 336 with liver cirrhosis, and 9056 of them having a CHA
DS
-VASc score ≥2 were divided into 3 groups, that is, no treatment, antiplatelet therapy, and warfarin. Patients with liver cirrhosis had a higher risk of ischemic stroke (hazard ratio=1.10,
=0.046) and intracranial hemorrhage (hazard ratio=1.20,
=0.043) compared with those without. Among patients with liver cirrhosis, patients taking antiplatelet therapy had a similar risk of ischemic stroke (hazard ratio=1.02, 95%CI=0.88-1.18) compared to those without antithrombotic therapies, but the risk was significantly lowered among warfarin users (hazard ratio=0.76, 95%CI=0.58-0.99). For intracranial hemorrhage, there were no significant differences between those untreated and those taking antiplatelet therapy or warfarin. The use of warfarin was associated with a positive net clinical benefit compared with being untreated or receiving only antiplatelet therapy.
For atrial fibrillation patients with liver cirrhosis in the current analysis of an observational study, warfarin use was associated with a lower risk of ischemic stroke and a positive net clinical benefit compared with nontreatment, and thus, thromboprophylaxis should be considered for such patients.
Proton pump inhibitors (PPI) are commonly used drugs. However, little is known about the association between PPI use and rosacea. This study aimed to investigate the association between PPI use and ...rosacea risk. Patients with prior PPI therapy, including 1067 rosacea cases and 4268 matched controls, were identified from the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan. The cumulative defined daily dose (cDDD) was used to quantify the PPI use. Logistic regression was used for the analyses. After adjustment for potential confounders, PPI use with cDDD of more than 365 was significantly associated with an increased risk of rosacea (odds ratio OR, 1.54; 95% confidence interval CI, 1.10–2.15). Rosacea risk was significantly associated with PPI use of cDDD of more than 365 in women (OR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.08–2.46) but not in men. Stratified by PPI indications, risk of rosacea was significantly associated with PPI use of cDDD of more than 365 for peptic ulcer (OR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.12–2.21). In conclusion, prolonged PPI use was associated with an increased risk of rosacea, particularly in women and patients with peptic ulcers.
Most data on the clinical epidemiology of atrial fibrillation (AF) come from Western populations, and data for Asians are limited. We investigated the lifetime risk and projected number of AF among ...Asians. The annual risks of adverse events among patients with AF, time trends, and the risks compared with patients without AF were analyzed.
Between 2000 and 2011, 289,559 patients aged ≥ 20 years experienced new-onset AF in Taiwan. The incidence, prevalence, and lifetime risk of AF were calculated. The risk of adverse events among patients with AF were analyzed and compared with that of age- and sex-matched patients without AF.
The incidence of AF in year 2011 was 1.51 per 1,000 person-years, with a lifetime risk of AF being appropriately 1 in 7 for subjects aged > 20 years. The prevalence of AF is estimated to be 4.01% in 2050. Compared with patients without AF, AF was associated with an increased risk of mortality (adjusted hazard ratio aHR, 2.61), heart failure (aHR, 3.31), ischemic stroke (aHR, 3.34), dementia (aHR, 1.56), sudden cardiac death (aHR, 1.83), and myocardial infarction (aHR, 1.62); all P < .01. The risks of ischemic stroke, heart failure, and mortality were especially higher compared with patients without AF in the initial period (approximately 6 months) after AF was first diagnosed.
The burden of AF among Asian patients is increasing, with a lifetime risk of AF being 1 in 7. Optimized management of any associated comorbidities should be part of the holistic management approach for AF.
Evidence suggests a familial coaggregation of major psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression (MDD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit ...hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Those disorders are further related to suicide and accidental death. However, whether death by suicide may coaggregate with accidental death and major psychiatric disorders within families remains unclear.
To clarify the familial coaggregation of deaths by suicide with accidental death and five major psychiatric disorders.
Using a database linked to the entire Taiwanese population, 68 214 first-degree relatives of individuals who died by suicide between 2003 and 2017 and 272 856 age- and gender-matched controls were assessed for the risks of death by suicide, accidental death and major psychiatric disorders.
A Poisson regression model showed that the first-degree relatives of individuals who died by suicide were more likely to die by suicide (relative risk RR = 4.61, 95% CI 4.02-5.29) or accident (RR = 1.62, 95% CI 1.43-1.84) or to be diagnosed with schizophrenia (RR = 1.53, 95% CI 1.40-1.66), bipolar disorder (RR = 1.99, 95% CI 1.83-2.16), MDD (RR = 1.98, 95% CI 1.89-2.08) or ADHD (RR = 1.34, 95% CI 1.24-1.44).
Our findings identified a familial coaggregation of death by suicide with accidental death, schizophrenia, major affective disorders and ADHD. Further studies would be required to elucidate the pathological mechanisms underlying this coaggregation.
Background Although several risk schemes have been proposed to predict new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF), clinical prediction models specific for Asian patients were limited. In the present study, ...we aimed to develop a clinical risk score (Taiwan AF score) for AF prediction using the whole Taiwan population database with a long-term follow-up. Methods and Results Among 7 220 654 individuals aged ≥40 years without a past history of cardiac arrhythmia identified from the Taiwan Health Insurance Research Database, 438 930 incident AFs occurred after a 16-year follow-up. Clinical risk factors of AF were identified using Cox regression analysis and then combined into a clinical risk score (Taiwan AF score). The Taiwan AF score included age, male sex, and important comorbidities (hypertension, heart failure, coronary artery disease, end-stage renal disease, and alcoholism) and ranged from -2 to 15. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the Taiwan AF scores in the predictions of AF are 0.857 for the 1-year follow-up, 0.825 for the 5-year follow-up, 0.797 for the 10-year follow-up, and 0.756 for the 16-year follow-up. The annual risks of incident AF were 0.21%/year, 1.31%/year, and 3.37%/year for the low-risk (score -2 to 3), intermediate-risk (score 4 to 9), and high-risk (score ≥10) groups, respectively. Compared with low-risk patients, the hazard ratios of incident AF were 5.78 (95% CI, 3.76-7.75) for the intermediate-risk group and 8.94 (95% CI, 6.47-10.80) for the high-risk group. Conclusions We developed a clinical AF prediction model, the Taiwan AF score, among a large-scale Asian cohort. The new score could help physicians to identify Asian patients at high risk of AF in whom more aggressive and frequent detections and screenings may be considered.
Background
The effect of relative age on the diagnoses of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), disruptive behavior disorder (DD), anxiety disorder, and depressive disorder and the ...prescription for ADHD and antidepressant medications remains unclear.
Aim
To clarify the impact of relative age in a school year with the diagnoses of ADHD, DD, anxiety disorder, and depressive disorder and the prescription for ADHD and antidepressant medications.
Methods
The annual cutoff birthdate for entry to school in Taiwan is August 31. The Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database was used to enroll 9,548,393 children and adolescents aged 3–17 years during the study period (September 1, 2001, to August 31, 2011). The Poisson regression model was performed to examine the likelihood of receiving diagnoses of ADHD, DD, anxiety disorder, and depressive disorder, as well as the prescription of ADHD and antidepressant medications among children born in August (the youngest) and September (the oldest).
Results
Both boys and girls born in August had a higher risk of being diagnosed as having ADHD (odds ratio OR = boys: 1.65, girls: 1.80), DD (1.29, 1.45), anxiety disorder (1.49, 1.33), and depressive disorder (1.10, 1.10). Furthermore, children born in August were more likely to be prescribed ADHD medication (1.71, 1.72) and antidepressants (1.18, 1.09) compared with those born in September.
Discussion
Relative age, as an indicator of neurocognitive maturity, is a critical factor for the likelihood of being diagnosed as having ADHD, DD, anxiety disorder, and depressive disorder among children and adolescents.
An increased risk of adverse cardiovascular events was reported for concomitant use of proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) in patients taking antiplatelet agents. The present study aimed at determining ...whether PPI use alone could be associated with first-time ischemic stroke.
This was a retrospective nationwide study using database from Taiwan National Health Insurance and involved subjects aged ≥20 years. In propensity score-matched analysis, patients with current PPI use were compared with propensity score-matched PPI non-use controls at a 1:1 ratio. Patients with prior stroke or hospitalization before the index date were excluded. The primary outcome measure was hospitalization with a primary diagnosis of ischemic stroke during 120-day follow-up. A parallel analysis adopting a nested case-control design was carried out. Patients hospitalized for a first-time ischemic stroke were identified and were compared with matched controls using conditional logistic regression analyses focusing on PPI use before the index date.
The propensity score-matched analysis included 198,148 PPI treatment courses and control periods without PPI use. PPI use was associated with a higher risk of hospitalization due to ischemic stroke with a hazard ratio of 1.36 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.14-1.620, P=0.001). Based on subgroup analysis, patients aged <60 years were more susceptible (P=0.043 for interaction), whereas gender, history myocardial infarction, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, use of antiplatelet agents of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or type of PPIs had no effect on the risk. In the nested case-control analysis, 15,378 patients hospitalized owing to ischemic stroke were identified and were compared with 15,378 matched controls. An association between PPI use and increased cerebrovascular risks was identified, and the adjusted odds ratios for PPI use were 1.77 (95% CI 1.45-2.18, P<0.001) within 30 days, 1.65 (95% CI 1.31-2.08, P<0.001) between 31 and 90 days, and 1.28 (95% CI 1.03-1.59, P=0.025) between 91 and 180 days before the onset of first-time ischemic stroke.
PPI use is associated with an increased risk of first-time ischemic stroke in the general population, and the risk is independent of antiplatelet agents. However, caution should be exercised when considering its clinical relevance as the magnitude of association was modest and a cause-and-effect relationship remained to be established.
Background
Previous cross‐sectional studies have suggested an association between asthma and attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but the temporal relationship was not determined. Using a ...nationwide population‐based prospective case–control cohort study (1:4, age‐/gender‐matched), we hypothesized that asthma in infanthood or early childhood would increase the risk of ADHD in later life.
Methods
In all, 2,294 children with asthma and 9,176 controls aged between 0 and 3 years in 2000 were included in our study. Cases of ADHD that occurred to the end of follow‐up (31 December 2010) were identified.
Results
Children with asthma had a higher incidence of developing ADHD (7% vs. 4.6%, p < .001) than control cohort during the follow‐up period. After adjusting for age at enrollment, gender, level of urbanization, and comorbid allergic diseases (allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis), children with asthma had an elevated risk (HR: 1.31, 95% CI: 1.07–1.59) of developing ADHD compared with control group.
Discussion
Our prospective study supported a temporal relationship between asthma and ADHD. Asthma in very early life increased the risk of developing ADHD during the school years. Further studies are required to investigate whether the prompt treatment of asthma and comorbid allergic diseases could prevent the development of ADHD or decrease ADHD symptoms.
This study evaluated the risk of cancer among patients with iron deficiency anemia (IDA) by using a nationwide population-based data set.
Patients newly diagnosed with IDA and without antecedent ...cancer between 2000 and 2010 were recruited from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. The standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) of cancer types among patients with IDA were calculated.
Patients with IDA exhibited an increased overall cancer risk (SIR: 2.15). Subgroup analysis showed that patients of both sexes and in all age groups had an increased SIR. After we excluded patients diagnosed with cancer within the first and first 5 years of IDA diagnosis, the SIRs remained significantly elevated at 1.43 and 1.30, respectively. In addition, the risks of pancreatic (SIR: 2.31), kidney (SIR: 2.23), liver (SIR: 1.94), and bladder cancers (SIR: 1.74) remained significantly increased after exclusion of patients diagnosed with cancer within 5 years after IDA diagnosis.
The overall cancer risk was significantly elevated among patients with IDA. After we excluded patients diagnosed with IDA and cancer within 1 and 5 years, the SIRs remained significantly elevated compared with those of the general population. The increased risk of cancer was not confined to gastrointestinal cancer when the SIRs of pancreatic, kidney, liver, and bladder cancers significantly increased after exclusion of patients diagnosed with IDA and cancer within the first 5 years. This finding may be caused by immune activities altered by IDA. Further study is necessary to determine the association between IDA and cancer risk.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Although the CHA2DS2-VASc (congestive heart failure, hypertension, age 75 years or older, diabetes mellitus, previous stroke or transient ischemic attack, vascular disease, age 65 to 74 years, ...female) score is recommended by both American and European guidelines for stroke risk stratification in atrial fibrillation (AF), the treatment recommendations for a CHA2DS2-VASc score of 1 are less clear.
This study aimed to investigate the risk of ischemic stroke in patients with a single additional stroke risk factor (i.e., CHA2DS2-VASc score = 1 males or 2 females) and the impact of different component risk factors.
We used the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan. Among 186,570 AF patients not on antiplatelet or anticoagulant therapy, we evaluated males with a CHA2DS2-VASc score of 1 and females with a CHA2DS2-VASc score of 2. The clinical endpoint was the occurrence of ischemic stroke.
Among 12,935 male AF patients with a CHA2DS2-VASc score of 1, 1,858 patients (14.4%) experienced ischemic stroke during follow-up (5.2 ± 4.3 years), with an annual stroke rate of 2.75%. Ischemic stroke risk ranged from 1.96%/year for men with vascular disease to 3.50%/year for those 65 to 74 years of age. For 7,900 females with AF and a CHA2DS2-VASc score of 2, 14.9% experienced ischemic stroke for an annual stroke rate of 2.55%. Ischemic stroke risk increased from 1.91%/year for women with hypertension to 3.34%/year for those 65 to 74 years of age.
Not all risk factors in CHA2DS2-VASc score carry an equal risk, with age 65 to 74 years associated with the highest stroke rate. Oral anticoagulation should be considered for AF patients with 1 additional stroke risk factor given their high risk of ischemic stroke.
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