Kinship analysis of type 2 diabetes mellitus familial aggregation in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: Family disease history plays a vital role in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) risk. However, the familial aggregation of T2DM among different kinship relatives warrants further investigation. METHODS: This nationwide kinship relationship study collected 2000-2016 data of two to five generations of the Taiwanese population from the National Health Insurance Research Database. Approximately 4 million family trees were constructed from the records of 20, 890, 264 Taiwanese residents during the study period. T2DM was diagnosed on the basis of ICD-9-CM codes 250.x0 or 250.x2, with three consecutive related prescriptions. The Cox proportional hazard model was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Compared with their counterparts, individuals who had first-degree relatives with T2DM were more likely to develop T2DM during the follow-up period (hazard ratio [HR], 2.37-27.75), followed by individuals who had second-degree relatives with T2DM (HR, 1.29-1.88). T2DM relative risk was higher in those with an affected mother than in those with affected father. The HR for T2DM was 20.32 (95%CI = 15.64-26.42) among male individuals with an affected twin brother, whereas among female individuals with an affected twin sister, it was 60.07 (95%CI = 40.83-88.36). The HRs presented a dose-response relationship with the number of affected family members. CONCLUSION: The study suggests a significant familial aggregation of T2DM occurrence; these findings could aid in identifying the high-risk group for T2DM and designing early intervention strategies and treatment plans.

TEN-YEAR EPIDEMIOLOGY OF RETINOPATHY OF PREMATURITY TREATMENT IN TAIWAN.

PURPOSE: To understand the epidemiology of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) requiring treatment in Taiwan from 2002 to 2011. METHODS: This retrospective cross-sectional study enrolled 11,180 premature patients with a length of stay >28 days who survived during hospitalization. The incidence of the first ROP treatment was analyzed. RESULTS: Among ROP patients (n = 4,096), 6.5% (n = 265) received treatment. The most frequently performed treatment was laser administration (n = 199), followed by intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) injection (n = 38), scleral buckle or pars plana vitrectomy (n = 14), and cryotherapy (n = 14). The incidence of ROP requiring treatment increased during the study period, as did the use of intravitreal anti-VEGF injection. Shifts in the treatment modality from cryotherapy and scleral buckle/pars plana vitrectomy to laser treatment after 2003 and from laser treatment to intravitreal anti-VEGF injection after 2010 were observed. CONCLUSION: In Taiwan, the incidence of the use of intravitreal anti-VEGF injection for treating ROP increased between 2002 and 2011. Laser treatment was less frequently used than intravitreal anti-VEGF injection in 2011.

Retinopathy of Prematurity Trends in Taiwan: A 10-Year Nationwide Population Study.

Purpose: To investigate the 10-year epidemiology and risk factors of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in Taiwan using the National Health Insurance Research Database. Methods: All premature infants (n = 34,192) from 2002 to 2011 were screened, and those with length of stay (LOS) longer than 28 days who survived after the initial discharge were enrolled (n = 11,180). The annual incidence of ROP and the risk factors associated with it were analyzed. Results: A total of 4096 ROP infants, 36.6% of premature babies with LOS longer than 28 days, were identified. The numbers of newborns, premature infants, and cases with ROP decreased over time, but the proportion of extremely low birth weight infants increased over time (P < 0.01 for test of trend in number). Also, the proportion of ROP infants receiving treatment increased over time (P < 0.01 for test of trend in number). However, the incidence of ROP was steady throughout the study period. Multivariable analysis revealed that low birth weight, male sex (odds ratio [OR] = 1.12, P = 0.007), and multiparity (OR = 1.17, P = 0.002) were positively associated with ROP, whereas necrotizing enterocolitis (OR = 0.72, P = 0.002) had a negative association with ROP. Conclusions: The average incidence of ROP from 2002 to 2011 in Taiwan showed no significant change over the 10-year period. Proportion of treatment-requiring ROP increased. Low birth weight, multiparity, and male sex were independent risk factors of ROP.