Comparison of Budesonide/formoterol versus Fluticasone furoate/vilanterol as maintenance and reliever therapy for asthma control: a real-world observational study.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have reported reduced acute exacerbation rates and improved symptom control in asthma patients treated using inhaled corticosteroids plus formoterol maintenance and reliever therapy (MART). Fluticasone furoate (FF) and vilanterol (VIL) also provide rapid bronchodilation and sustained anti-inflammatory effects, however no studies have investigated FF/VIL as MART for asthma control. METHODS: From October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2023, this retrospective study included asthma patients classified as step 3 or 4 according to the Global Initiative for Asthma guidelines, who were then divided into two groups. One group received BUD/FOR as MART, while the other received FF/VIL as MART. Pulmonary function tests, exacerbation rates, Asthma Control Test (ACT), fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) levels, and blood eosinophil counts were measured before and after 12 months of treatment. RESULTS: A total of 161 patients were included, of whom 36 received BUD/FOR twice daily as MART, and 125 received FF/VIL once daily as MART. After 12 months of treatment, the FF/VIL group showed a significant increase in ACT scores by 1.57 (p < 0.001), while the BUD/FOR group had an increase of 0.88 (p = 0.11). In terms of FeNO levels, the BUD/FOR group experienced a decline of -0.2 ppb (p = 0.98), whereas the FF/VIL group had a mild increase of + 0.8 ppb (p = 0.7). Notably, there was a significant difference in the change of FeNO between the two groups (∆ FeNO: -0.2 ppb in BUD/FOR; + 0.8 ppb in FF/VIL, p < 0.001). There were no significant alterations observed in FEV1, blood eosinophil count, or acute exacerbation decline in either group. CONCLUSIONS: In the current study, patients treated with FF/VIL as MART showed improvements in ACT scores, while those treated with BUD/FOR as MART exhibited a reduction in FeNO levels. However, the difference between the two treatment groups did not reach clinical significance. Thus, FF/VIL as MART showed similar effectiveness to BUD/FOR as MART.

Application of impulse oscillometry to detect interstitial lung disease and airway disease in adults with rheumatoid arthritis.

BACKGROUND: We conducted a retrospective observational study to explore the potential application of impulse oscillometry (IOS) as an alternative to high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) for detecting pulmonary involvement in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) because clinically evident interstitial lung disease (ILD) and airway involvement are common in this population. METHODS: We enrolled 72 patients with RA who underwent pulmonary function tests (PFTs) and IOS between September 2021 and September 2022. We aimed to identify the PFT and IOS variables associated with lung diseases shown on HRCT images. RESULTS: In our cohort of 72 patients, 48 underwent HRCT; of these, 35 had airway disease or ILD and 13 showed no obvious abnormalities on HRCT. Abnormal IOS and PFT parameters were observed in 34 and 23 patients, respectively, with abnormal HRCT images. The predicted percentages for forced vital capacity, the ratio of forced expiratory volume in the first one second to forced vital capacity, and forced mid-expiratory flow value were significantly lower in patients with abnormal HRCT. Lung resistance at 5 Hz, difference in resistance between 5 and 20 Hz, resonant frequency (Fres), and reactance area were higher in these patients and reactance at 5 Hz was lower. Compared to other parameters, Fres > 14.14 was significantly associated with alterations in HRCT and may be used as an indicator for monitoring disease. CONCLUSION: Fres > 14.14 is significantly associated with lung involvement in RA patients. Performance of spirometry with IOS is more beneficial than spirometry alone for evaluating lung involvement in RA patients.

Using real-time visualization system for data-driven decision support to achieve lung protective strategy: a retrospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: Although lung protective strategy and adjunctive intervention are associated with improved survival in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), the implementation of effective therapies remains low. This study aimed to evaluate whether the use of business intelligence (BI) for real-time data visualization is associated with an improvement in lung protective strategy and adjunctive therapy. METHODS: A retrospective observational cohort study was conducted on patients with ARDS admitted between September 2020 and June 2021 at two intensive care units (ICUs) of a tertiary referral hospital in Taiwan. BI was imported for data visualization and integration to assist in clinical decision in one of the ICUs. The primary outcomes were the implementation of low tidal volume ventilation (defined as tidal volume/predicted body weight ≤ 8 mL/kg) within 24 h from ARDS onset. The secondary outcomes included ICU and hospital mortality rates. RESULTS: Among the 1201 patients admitted to the ICUs during the study period, 148 (12.3%) fulfilled the ARDS criteria, with 86 patients in the BI-assisted group and 62 patients in the standard-of-care (SOC) group. Disease severity was similar between the two groups. The application of low tidal volume ventilation strategy was significantly improved in the BI-assisted group compared with that in the SOC group (79.1% vs. 61.3%, p = 0.018). Despite their ARDS and disease severity, the BI-assisted group tended to achieve low tidal volume ventilation. The ICU and hospital mortality were lower in the BI-assisted group. CONCLUSIONS: The use of real-time visualization system for data-driven decision support was associated with significantly improved compliance to low tidal volume ventilation strategy, which enhanced the outcomes of patients with ARDS in the ICU.

Association between Hydroxychloroquine and bacterial pneumonia in rheumatic patients: A population-based propensity score matching cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Whether hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) use could reduce lesser risk of bacterial infections is unknown. We aimed to conduct a retrospective cohort propensity-matching study to investigate the association between HCQ use and the incidence of bacterial pneumonia in rheumatic patients. METHODS: The Longitudinal Health Insurance Database (LHID) from Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) of 23 million Taiwanese populations was used. We included patients who were newly diagnosed with rheumatic and immune disease (ICD-9-CM codes 696.0, 710, 714) within 2000-2012. HCQ users and non-users were then matched according to age, sex, urbanisation level, monthly income, comorbidities and medications in the ratio of 1:1 by the propensity score matching. Cox proportional hazard model was used to evaluate the risk of bacterial pneumonia in rheumatic patients who used HCQ and who did not use HCQ. RESULTS: There were total 3285 patients with rheumatic and immune disease enrolled. The cumulative incidence curve of patients with the use of HCQ sulphate had no difference to that of patient without the use of HCQ sulphate in propensity score-matched cohort, (Log-rank test: P = .5). However, patients who used HCQ sulphate for more than 1400 average use days had a lesser risk of bacterial pneumonia (adjusted HR = 0.55, 95% CI = 0.35, 0.89) in the cohort matched, with regarding HCQ non-users as a reference. CONCLUSION: Rheumatic patients taking HCQ had no overall significant differences of bacterial pneumonia incidences compared with rheumatic patients not taking HCQ. HCQ used more than >1400 days or lupus patients using HCQ was associated with lower risk of bacterial pneumonia.

Risk of diabetes mellitus in patients with prostate cancer receiving injection therapy: A nationwide population-based propensity score-matched study.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to investigate whether the risk of diabetes mellitus (DM) is heightened in patients with prostate cancer receiving injection therapy. METHODS: Men diagnosed with prostate cancer between 2000 and 2012 were included in the case cohort, and men without prostate cancer were included as controls. Each patient with prostate cancer was matched with a control patient with the same index year, demographic variables and comorbidities, and comparisons were made using propensity score matching. The hazard ratio of DM was estimated using the Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: This cohort study consisted of 1213 patients with prostate cancer and 1213 control patients. The risk of DM in patients with prostate cancer was 1.60 times (95% CI = 1.12, 2.27) that of patients without prostate cancer. Compared with the controls, the hazard ratios of DM for patients with prostate cancer not receiving oral hormone therapy, patients with prostate cancer receiving oral hormone therapy, and patients with prostate cancer not receiving injection hormone therapy were 1.65 (95% CI = 1.01, 2.70), 1.57 (95% CI = 1.07, 2.70), and 1.94 (95% CI = 1.34, 2.81), respectively. The risk of DM in patients who received injection hormone therapy was 0.45 times (95% CI = 0.25, 0.82) that of patients who did not receive injection hormone therapy. CONCLUSION: Patients with prostate cancer had an increased risk of DM compared with patients without prostate cancer. Patients with prostate cancer who received injection therapy had a lower risk of DM compared with those who did not.

Risk of idiopathic peripheral neuropathy in end-stage renal disease: A population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Whether patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) have a higher risk of idiopathic polyneuropathy (IPN) than those without ESRD remains unclear. We hypothesised that carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a prodrome of IPN in patients with ESRD. METHODS: Data were collected from the Taiwan National Health Insurance research database (NHIRD) for the 2000-2011 period. Two matching strategies, age- and sex-matching and propensity matching, were used, which yielded 2596 age- and sex-matched patients with ESRD and 2210 propensity-matched patients with ESRD. The comparison cohort was chosen in a 1:4 ratio for the age- and sex-matched method and in a 1:1 ratio for the propensity-matching method. The primary outcome was the incidence of IPN. Cox proportional hazards modelling was used. RESULTS: In the age- and sex-matched cohort, the IPN incidence was 7.64 and 2.88 per 1000 person-years for the ESRD and controls cohorts, respectively. After we adjusted for age, sex, comorbidities and medications relative to controls, having ESRD was significantly associated with increased risk of IPN (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.45, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.76-3.41). Competing risk of death as sensitivity analysis revealed that having ESRD with CTS was still associated with higher risk of IPN than having CTS without ESRD (HR = 2.85, 95% CI = 1.87-4.34). CONCLUSION: Patients with ESRD with CTS had higher incidences of idiopathic peripheral neuropathy than those without ESRD with CTS.

Association of antihypertensives during hospitalisation with acute respiratory failure in patients with viral pneumonia: A population-based case-control study.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to identify associations between the risk of acute respiratory failure (ARF) and types of antihypertensive agents in patients with viral pneumonia. METHODS: In this case-control study, data extracted from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database were analysed. The base population comprised patients with viral pneumonia treated from 2000 to 2013. The case group comprised patients with ARF and the control group comprised participants without ARF. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were calculated using a multivariable logistic regression model. RESULTS: In total, 4427 viral pneumonia patients with ARF and 4427 matched control participants without ARF were recruited. Patients with diabetes, alcohol-related disease, asthma, chronic kidney disease or end-stage renal disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cancer, congestive heart failure, stroke, acute pulmonary oedema and shock had increased odds of developing ARF, especially shock (adjusted OR = 49.3; 95% CI = 27.4, 88.7), cancer (12.6; 8.67, 18.2) and stroke (7.51; 5.32, 10.6). Increasing odds of developing ARF were noted in patients using potassium-sparing diuretics (2.95; 1.54, 5.64), loop diuretics (68.2; 48.1, 96.6), calcium channel blockers (1.64; 1.26, 2.13) and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (1.70; 1.15, 2.53). Patients with prescriptions of α-blockers (0.44; 0.26, 0.74), ß-blockers (0.37; 0.26, 0.52), thiazides (0.38; 0.25, 0.59) and angiotensin receptor blockers (0.65; 0.51, 0.83) had lower odds of having ARF. CONCLUSION: Patients with viral pneumonia who received α-blockers, ß-blockers, thiazides or angiotensin receptor blockers during hospitalisation had a lower risk of developing ARF.

Association between angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers and community-acquired pneumonia: A nationwide population propensity-score matching study.

BACKGROUND: Few large-scale cohort studies have investigated the association between community-acquired pneumonia and the use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) or angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs). We aimed to study whether using ACEIs or ARBs had protective effects for community-acquired pneumonia. METHODS: This database cohort study was conducted retrospectively in Taiwan. The hypertensive patients were the target population of this study. Patients with ARB use were defined as our first study cohort. The second study cohort comprised patients who used ACEI. Propensity-score matching at 1:1 was used between ARB users and non-ARB users. We recruited 67 944 participants for the ARB study and 58 062 participants for the ACEI study. The same matching was also performed between ACEI users and non-ACEI users. Cox proportional hazard regression was used to analyse the risk of the outcome of viral pneumonia. RESULTS: The hazard ratio of community-acquired pneumonia for ARB users relative to non-ARB users was 0.33. The hazard ratio of community-acquired pneumonia was 0.71 times in ACEI users compared with ACEI nonusers. In stratification analysis, both ARB and ACEI both exhibited a protective effect for community-acquired pneumonia in each age and sex group. In the analysis of the effects of therapy duration, patients using ARB for fewer than 100 days exhibited a greater reduction in the risk of community-acquired pneumonia (adjusted HR = 0.58) compared with the non-ARB cohort. For the ACEI study, patients who used ACEI for 121-450 days were more likely to exhibit reduced risks of community-acquired pneumonia (adjusted HR = 0.5). CONCLUSION: Both ACEI and ARB uses were associated with decreased risk of community-acquired pneumonia infection.

Risk of Viral Infection in Patients Using Either Angiotensin-converting Enzyme Inhibitors or Angiotensin Receptor Blockers: A Nationwide Population-based Propensity Score Matching Study.

BACKGROUND: We hypothesized that renin-angiotensin system (RAS) blockers have systemic protective effects beyond the respiratory tract and could reduce the risk of viral infections. METHODS: We used the National Health Insurance Research Database and identified 2 study cohorts: the angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) cohort and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) cohort. Propensity score matching was applied at a 1:1 ratio by all associated variables to select 2 independent control cohorts for the ARB and ACEI cohorts. A Cox proportional hazards model was applied to assess the end outcome of viral infection. RESULTS: The number of ARB and ACEI users was 20 207 and 18 029, respectively. The median age of ARB users and nonusers was 53.7 and 53.8 years, respectively. The median follow-up duration of ARB users and nonusers was 7.96 and 7.08 years; the median follow-up duration of ACEI users and nonusers was 8.70 and 8.98 years, respectively. The incidence rates of viral infections in ARB users and nonusers were 4.95 and 8.59 per 1000 person-years, respectively, and ARB users had a lower risk of viral infection than nonusers (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 0.53 [95% confidence interval {CI}, .48-.58]). The incidence rates of viral infections in ACEI users and nonusers were 6.10 per 1000 person-years and 7.72 per 1000 person-years, respectively, and ACEI users had a lower risk of viral infection than nonusers (aHR, 0.81 [95% CI, .74-.88]). CONCLUSIONS: Hypertensive patients using either ARBs or ACEIs exhibit a lower risk of viral infection than nonusers.

Association of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder with recurrent hypoglycemia in type 1 diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVE: Data regarding the association between hypoglycemia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) are limited. This study investigated whether hypoglycemia was associated with the risk of ADHD in young people with T1DM. METHODS: Children and adolescents with a diagnosis of T1DM were identified from the Longitudinal National Health Insurance Database in Taiwan from 1998 to 2011. Among them who were newly diagnosed with hypoglycemia during 2000 to 2007 were selected for the hypoglycemia cohort. The hypoglycemia diagnosis date was defined as the index date. Those who were diagnosed with ADHD before the index date were excluded. The main outcome was the development of ADHD. In total, 726 participants with hypoglycemia and 2852 participants without hypoglycemia were included in this study. RESULTS: The overall incidence density of ADHD was markedly increased among cohort with hypoglycemia compared with cohort without hypoglycemia (4.74 vs 1.65 per 1000 person-years), with an adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) of 2.73 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.50-4.98). Cohort with hypoglycemia who had experienced a hypoglycemic coma had a significantly higher risk of ADHD (aHR = 6.54, 95% CI = 1.89-22.7) compared with cohort without hypoglycemia. CONCLUSIONS: Hypoglycemia, especially hypoglycemic coma, is significantly associated with a subsequent risk of ADHD in young people with T1DM.

Association Between Alcoholic Cirrhosis and Hemorrhagic Stroke: A Nationwide Population-based Study.

AIMS: This study investigated whether patients with alcoholic cirrhosis have a high risk of hemorrhagic stroke. METHODS: In this study, 17,094 patients diagnosed with cirrhosis between 2000 and 2010 were identified using the Taiwan National Health Insurance claims data. Identified patients were randomly selected and propensity score matched with individuals without cirrhosis according to age, sex, comorbidities and index year. RESULTS: The overall incidence rate of stroke was 4.41 and 12.1 per 1000 person-years in the chronic liver disease and cirrhosis (CLDC) with hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) cohort and the alcoholic CLDC cohort, respectively. The alcoholic CLDC cohort exhibited a 4.53-fold higher risk of hemorrhagic stroke (adjusted subhazard ratio [aSHR] = 4.53, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.05-6.71) than did the non-CLDC cohort, and the CLDC with HBV or HCV cohort exhibited a 1.40-fold higher risk of hemorrhagic stroke (aSHR = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.10-1.78) than did the non-CLDC cohort. The alcoholic CLDC cohort and the CLDC with HBV or HCV cohort showed an aSHR of 1.80 (95% CI = 1.36-2.40) and 0.95 (95% CI = 0.83-1.07) for ischemic stroke, respectively, compared with the non-CLDC cohort. CONCLUSION: Alcoholic patients with CLDC had a higher risk of hemorrhagic stroke compared with non-alcoholic patients with CLDC and patients without CLDC.

Effect of enterovirus infections on asthma in young children: A national cohort study.

BACKGROUND: We conducted a cohort study to determine the relationship between enterovirus (EV) infection and asthma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan, we identified patients who received a new diagnosis of asthma and concurrent treatment between January 2000 and December 2011 (EV cohort: n = 208 213; non-EV cohort: n = 208 213). Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was performed to determine and compare the adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) of asthma between these 2 cohorts. Kaplan-Meier analysis was conducted to assess the differences in the cumulative incidence curves of asthma between the 2 cohorts. RESULTS: The overall aHR of asthma was 1.48-fold higher in the EV cohort than in the non-EV cohort (95% confidence interval = 1.45-1.50). The aHR of asthma was higher in the EV cohort than in the non-EV cohort, comprising children aged ≤5 years, regardless of sex, sociodemographic factors (urbanization level and parental occupation) or comorbidities. The risk of asthma was higher in 1-3, 4-6, 7-9 and 10-12 months (all P < .001), particularly in those with a higher frequency of admission (>5 per year). CONCLUSION: The incidence of asthma was higher in the EV cohort than in the non-EV cohort, comprising children aged ≤5 years, regardless of sex, urbanization level, parental occupation or season. In particular, the risk of asthma was higher in children with a higher frequency of admission, even in the absence of atopy or other respiratory infections.

Risk of empyema in patients with chronic liver disease and cirrhosis: A nationwide, population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Empyema is an important complication for patients with chronic liver disease and cirrhosis (CLDC). However, no study has investigated this relationship by using a population-based cohort study. METHODS: We used the National Health Insurance Research Data of Taiwan to identify a cohort of 76 027 CLDC patients newly diagnosed in 2000-2010 and a comparison cohort without CLDC of same size matched by age, gender and the year of diagnosis. The occurrence of empyema was monitored until the end of 2011. The hazard ratios (HRs) of empyema were estimated using the Cox model. RESULTS: The overall incidence of empyema was 66% greater in the CLDC group than in the non-CLDC group (3.85 vs 2.32/10 000 person-years, P<.001), with an adjusted HR of 1.54 (95% confidence interval [CI]=1.24-1.90). Compared with those without CLDC, adjusted HRs of empyema were 4.96 (95% CI=3.40-7.24) for patients with cirrhosis and 4.75 (95% CI=3.11-7.24) for patients with alcoholic CLDC. Further analyses revealed significant adjusted HRs of empyema among CLDC patients with ascites (5.76, 95% CI=4.13-8.04) and with gastrointestinal haemorrhage (1.60, 95% CI=1.03-2.48), compared to those without the respective disorders. Analyses using propensity score matched CLDC and non-CLDC cohorts revealed similar results. CONCLUSION: The present study shows that CLDC patients have an increased risk of empyema. These patients need timely monitor for the risk of empyema, particularly for those with comorbid cirrhosis, alcoholic disorder, gastrointestinal haemorrhage and ascites.

Bufalin induces apoptosis in vitro and has Antitumor activity against human lung cancer xenografts in vivo.

Bufalin has been shown to be effective against a variety of cancer cells, but its role in lung cancer has never been studied in an animal model. In this study, we evaluated bufalin effects in a human lung cancer cell line NCI-H460 both in vitro and in vivo. Bufalin caused significant cytotoxicity in NCI-H460 cells at a concentration as low as 1 µM. DNA condensation was observed in bufalin-treated cells in a dose-dependent manner. Mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm ) was reduced and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were increased in bufalin-treated NCI-H460 cells. Levels of several proapoptotic proteins such as Fas, Fas-ligand, cytochrome c, apoptosis protease activating factor-1, endonuclease G, caspase-3 and caspase-9 were increased after bufalin treatment. At the same time, anti-apoptotic B-cell lymphoma 2 protein levels were reduced. Bufalin decreased glucose regulated protein-78 gene expression but increased growth arrest- and DNA damage-inducible 153 gene expression. Bufalin injected intraperitoneally in a dose-dependent manner reduced tumor size in BALB/C nu/nu mice implanted with NCI-H460 cells. Bufalin injection did not produce significant drug-related toxicity in experimental animals except at a high dose (0.4 mg kg-1 ). In conclusion, low concentrations of bufalin can induce apoptosis in the human lung cancer cell line NCI-H460 in vitro. Bufalin also reduced tumor size in mice injected with NCI-H460 cells without significant drug-related toxicity. These results indicate that bufalin may have potential to be developed as an agent for treating human non-small cell lung cancer. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 32: 1305-1317, 2017.

Incident asthma and Mycoplasma pneumoniae: A nationwide cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies investigating the relationship between Mycoplasma pneumoniae and incident asthma in the general population have been inconclusive. OBJECTIVE: We conducted a nationwide cohort study to clarify this relationship. METHODS: Using the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan, we identified 1591 patients with M pneumoniae infection (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification code 4830) given diagnoses between 2000 and 2008. We then frequency matched 6364 patients without M pneumoniae infection from the general population according to age, sex, and index year. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was performed to determine the adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) of the occurrence of asthma in the M pneumoniae cohort compared with that in the non-M pneumoniae cohort. RESULTS: Regardless of comorbidities and the use of antibiotic or steroid therapies, patients with M pneumonia infection had a higher risk of incident asthma than those without it. The aHR of asthma was 3.35 (95% CI, 2.71-4.15) for the M pneumoniae cohort, with a significantly higher risk when patients were stratified by age, sex, follow-up time, and comorbidities, including allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, or allergic conjunctivitis. Patients with M pneumoniae infection had a higher risk of having early-onset (age, <12 years; aHR, 2.87) and late-onset (age, ≥12 years; aHR, 3.95) asthma. The aHR was also higher within the less than 2-year follow-up in the M pneumoniae cohort (aHR, 4.41; 95% CI, 3.40-5.74) than in the cohort without the infection. CONCLUSION: This study found that incident cases of early-onset and late-onset asthma are closely related to M pneumoniae infection, even in nonatopic patients.

Risk of asthma in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Sjögren's syndrome (SS) has been associated with bronchial hyperresponsiveness and asthma; however, no population-based cohort study has been performed. We evaluated the risk of asthma in patients with primary SS in a nationwide population. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using data from the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan. The primary SS group included 4725 adult patients diagnosed between 2000 and 2006. Each patient was frequency-matched with four people without SS by sex, age and year of diagnosis. The occurrence and hazard ratio (HR) of asthma was monitored by the end of 2011. RESULTS: The overall incidence density of asthma was 1.62-fold higher in the primary SS group than in the non-SS group (9.86 vs. 6.10 per 1000 person-years), with a multivariable Cox proportional hazards model measured adjusted HR of 1.38 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.21-1.58]. Stratified analyses by sex, age group, and presence of comorbidity revealed that asthma incidences were all higher in the primary SS group than in the non-SS group, and the relative HRs of asthma associated with primary SS were significant in all subgroups. CONCLUSION: Patients with primary SS are associated with an increased risk of developing asthma. We should pay more attention to this group of individuals and provide them with appropriate support.

Lung cancer screening with low-dose computed tomography: Experiences from a tertiary hospital in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Lung cancer screening using low-dose computed tomography (CT) has been reported to reduce lung cancer-specific mortality for smokers at high risk. However, despite different characteristics of lung cancer in Asia, there are few data concerning this specific population for screening. We aim to analyze the performance of lung cancer screening with low-dose CT concurrent with chest radiography in Taiwan, with reference to international experience. METHODS: During the 1-year period from January 2012 to December 2012, we conducted a retrospective, single-center population-based screening program for lung cancer in the setting of annual medical examinations. Participants were asymptomatic adults without prior history of any cancer. Low-dose CT and chest radiography were offered to all individuals. Baseline CT evaluations were defined as positive if any noncalcified nodule≥4 mm in diameter, which were then classified as solid, pure ground-glass or partial ground-glass opacity. RESULTS: Of 3339 individuals, we detected 34 cancers, yielding an overall cancer detection rate of 1.02%. There was a particularly high cancer detection rate of 6.2% (8/129) in the high-risk group aged younger than 50 years with a positive family history of all types of cancers in first-degree relatives. Adenocarcinomas accounted for 88% (30/34) of cancers and 99% of them were early-stage (including carcinoma in situ and Stage I). The probability of cancers was significant higher in nodules with interval growth (odds ratio 257.89, p = 0.0002). There was no significant difference in the probability of cancers between ground glass opacity nodules and solid nodules (odds ratio 1.16, p=0.72). Of all screen-detected cancers, 61.76% (21/34) were chest radiographically occult. CONCLUSION: Low-dose CT is effective to detect early lung cancers. Further establishment of selection criteria for lung cancer screening, specifically for Asian individuals, is definitely warranted.

Multiple sclerosis increases the risk of venous thromboembolism: a nationwide cohort analysis.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of multiple sclerosis (MS) on the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) development. METHODS: We identified patients diagnosed with MS in Taiwan between 1998 and 2010 using the National Health Insurance Research Database and the Catastrophic Illness Patient Database (RCIPD). Each MS patient was frequency matched to 4 controls according to age, sex and the year of MS registration to the RCIPD. Patients with a history of VTE and incomplete information of age and sex were excluded. All patients were followed up from the index year until VTE diagnosis, loss to follow-up or the end of 2010. We calculated the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of VTE in the MS and comparison cohorts using Cox proportional hazards regression models. RESULTS: We followed up 1238 MS patients and 4952 comparison patients for approximately 6437 and 27 595 person-years, respectively. After adjusting for age, sex and comorbidities, the MS patients exhibited a 6·87-fold increased risk of VTE compared with the control patients. Women with MS were associated with an 11·1-fold increased risk of VTE development compared with the non-MS women (95% CI: 2·70-45·5). The MS patients aged < 50 years exhibited a 14·8-fold increased risk of developing VTE compared with age-matched patients in the comparison cohort (95% CI: 2·99-73·4). The risk of VTE development increased with the duration of hospitalization stay. CONCLUSION: MS patients are associated with significantly greater risk of developing VTE compared with non-MS patients.

Systemic sclerosis increases the risks of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary thromboembolism: a nationwide cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: Few Asian studies have evaluated the risks of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) in patients with SSc. We conducted a nationwide population-based cohort study to evaluate how SSc affected the incidence of DVT and PTE in Taiwan. METHODS: We identified patients with an SSc diagnosis in Taiwan between 1998 and 2010 using the Catastrophic Illness Patient Database and the National Health Insurance Research Database. Each SSc patient was frequency matched to four control patients based on age, sex and index year and all patients were observed from the index date until the appearance of a DVT or PTE event or 31 December 2010. We calculated the hazard ratios and 95% CIs of DVT and PTE in the SSc and comparison cohorts using the Cox proportional hazards regression model. RESULTS: We observed 1895 SSc patients and 7580 control patients for ∼10,128 and 46,488 person-years, respectively. The mean ages of the SSc and comparison cohorts were 50.3 and 49.9 years, respectively. After adjusting for age, sex and co-morbidities, the risks of DVT and PTE among the SSc patients were 10.5- and 7.00-fold higher than those of the control patients. The probability of developing DVT and PTE increased in the years following the SSc diagnosis. CONCLUSION: SSc patients exhibited a significantly higher risk of developing DVT and PTE compared with the general population. Thus multidisciplinary teams should guide the assessment, treatment and holistic care of SSc patients.

Increased stroke risk among adult asthmatic patients.

BACKGROUND: We conducted a nationwide population-based cohort study to investigate the effects of asthma on the risk of stroke development in an Asian population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Newly diagnosed asthmatic patients aged ≥ 18 years were identified, and asthma-free controls were randomly selected from the general population and frequency matched according to age, sex and index year using records obtained from the National Health Insurance Research Database between 2000 and 2010. Both cohorts were followed up until the end of 2011 to measure the incidence of stroke. The risk of stroke was analysed using Cox proportional hazard regression models, including factors such as sex, age and comorbidities. RESULTS: We followed the asthmatic patients for 104 697 person-years and followed the nonasthmatic people for 426 729 person-years. The incidence density rate of stroke increased in all of the groups of asthmatic patients compared with that of the controls when stratified according to sex, age and comorbidities. The hazard ratio (HR) of stroke was 1·37-fold greater for the asthmatic cohort, compared with that for the nonasthmatic cohort, after adjusting for sex, age and comorbidities. The adjusted HR of developing stroke substantially increased with older age and the increased frequency of asthmatic exacerbation and hospitalization. The patients receiving beta-2 agonists as a treatment exhibited a significantly greater risk of stroke compared with the patients receiving only inhaled corticosteroids, after adjusting for covariates. CONCLUSION: Asthma may be an independent risk factor for stroke, and its severity exhibits a dose response of stroke development.