Clinically apparent Helicobacter pylori infection and the risk of incident Alzheimer's disease: A population-based nested case-control study.

INTRODUCTION: Our population-based study assessed whether clinically apparent Helicobacter pylori infection (CAHPI) is associated with the risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS: We assembled a population-based cohort of all dementia-free subjects in the United Kingdom's Clinical Practice Research Datalink (UK CPRD), aged ≥50 years (1988-2017). Using a nested case-control approach, we matched each newly developed case of AD with 40 controls. Conditional logistic regression estimated odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of AD associated with CAHPI compared with no CAHPI during ≥2 years before the index date. We also used salmonellosis as a negative control exposure. RESULTS: Among 4,262,092 dementia-free subjects, 40,455 developed AD after a mean 11 years of follow-up. CAHPI was associated with an increased risk of AD (OR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.01-1.21) compared with no CAHPI. Salmonellosis was not associated with the risk of AD (OR, 1.03; 95% CI, 0.82-1.29). DISCUSSION: CAHPI was associated with a moderately increased risk of AD. HIGHLIGHTS: CAHPI was associated with an 11% increased risk of AD in subjects aged ≥50 years. The increase in the risk of AD reached a peak of 24% a decade after CAHPI onset. There was no major effect modification by age or sex. Sensitivity analyses addressing several potential biases led to consistent results.

Common Vaccines and the Risk of Incident Dementia: A Population-based Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Observational studies suggesting that immunizations strongly decrease the risk of dementia had several methodological limitations. We assessed whether common vaccines are associated with the risk of dementia. METHODS: We assembled a population-based cohort of dementia-free individuals aged ≥50 years in the United Kingdom's Clinical Practice Research Datalink between 1988 and 2018. Using a nested case-control approach, we matched each patient with dementia with 4 controls. Conditional logistic regression yielded confounder-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of dementia associated with common vaccines >2 years before the index date compared with no exposure during the study period. Moreover, we applied a 10-year lag period and used active comparators (participation in breast or prostate cancer screening) to account for detection bias. RESULTS: Common vaccines were associated with an increased risk of dementia (OR, 1.38 [95% CI, 1.36-1.40]), compared with no exposure. Applying a 10-year lag period (OR, 1.20 [95% CI, 1.18-1.23]) and comparing versus prostate cancer screening (1.19 [ 1.11-1.27]) but not breast cancer screening (1.37 [1.30-1.45]) attenuated the risk increase. CONCLUSIONS: Common vaccines were not associated with a decreased risk of dementia. Unmeasured confounding and detection bias likely accounted for the observed increased risk.

Incidence and Factors Associated With Mental Health Disorders in Patients With Rectal Cancer Post-Restorative Proctectomy.

BACKGROUND: Most patients with rectal cancer experience bowel symptoms post-restorative proctectomy. The incidence of mental health disorders post-restorative proctectomy and its association with bowel symptoms are unknown. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed 1) to describe the incidence of mental health disorders in patients who underwent restorative proctectomy for rectal cancer and 2) to study the association between incident mental health disorders and bowel dysfunction after surgery. DESIGN: This retrospective cohort study used the Clinical Practice Research Datalink and Hospital Episode Statistics databases. SETTINGS: The databases were based in the United Kingdom. PATIENTS: All adult patients who underwent restorative proctectomy for a rectal neoplasm between 1998 and 2018 were included. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was an incident mental health disorder. The associations between bowel, sexual, and urinary dysfunctions and incident mental health disorders were studied using Cox proportional hazard regression models. RESULTS: In total, 2197 patients who underwent restorative proctectomy were identified. Of 1858 patients without preoperative bowel, sexual, or urinary dysfunction, 1455 had no preoperative mental health disorders. In this cohort, 466 patients (32.0%) developed incident mental health disorders following restorative proctectomy during 6333 person-years of follow-up. On multivariate Cox regression, female sex (adjusted HR 1.30; 95% CI, 1.06-1.56), metastatic disease (adjusted HR 1.57; 95% CI, 1.14-2.15), incident bowel dysfunction (adjusted HR 1.41, 95% CI, 1.13-1.77), and urinary dysfunction (adjusted HR 1.57; 95% CI, 1.16-2.14) were found to be associated with developing incident mental health disorders post-restorative proctectomy. LIMITATIONS: This study was limited by its observational study design and residual confounding. CONCLUSIONS: Incident mental health disorders after restorative proctectomy for rectal cancer are common. The presence of bowel and urinary functional impairment significantly increases the risk of poor psychological outcomes among rectal cancer survivors. CON LOS TRASTORNOS DE SALUD MENTAL EN PACIENTES CON CNCER DE RECTO POSTERIOR A PROCTECTOMA RESTAURADORA: ANTECEDENTES: La mayoría de los pacientes con cáncer de recto experimentan síntomas intestinales después de la proctectomía restauradora. Se desconoce la incidencia de trastornos de salud mental posteriores a la proctectomía restauradora y su asociación con síntomas intestinales.OBJETIVOS: Los objetivos de nuestro estudio son: a) describir la incidencia de trastornos de salud mental en pacientes sometidos a proctectomía restauradora por cáncer de recto; b) estudiar la asociación entre los trastornos de salud mental incidentes y la disfunción intestinal después de la cirugía.DISEÑO: Este fue un estudio de cohorte retrospectivo que utilizó las bases de datos Clinical Practice Research Datalink y Hospital Episode Statistics.ENTORNO CLÍNICO: Las bases de datos se basaron en el Reino Unido.PACIENTES: Se incluyeron todos los pacientes adultos que se sometieron a una proctectomía restauradora por una neoplasia rectal entre 1998 y 2018.PRINCIPALES MEDIDAS DE VALORACIÓN: El resultado primario fue un trastorno de salud mental incidente. Las asociaciones entre la disfunción intestinal, sexual y urinaria y los trastornos de salud mental incidentes se estudiaron utilizando modelos de regresión de riesgos proporcionales de Cox.RESULTADOS: En total, se identificaron 2.197 pacientes que se sometieron a proctectomía restauradora. De 1.858 pacientes sin disfunción intestinal, sexual o urinaria preoperatoria, 1.455 personas tampoco tenían trastornos de salud mental preoperatorios. En esta cohorte, 466 (32,0 %) pacientes desarrollaron trastornos de salud mental incidentes después de la PR durante 6333 años-persona de seguimiento. En la regresión multivariada de Cox, sexo femenino (HRa 1,30, IC 95% 1,06-1,56), enfermedad metastásica (HRa 1,57, IC 95% 1,14-2,15) e incidencia intestinal (HRa 1,41, IC del 95 %: 1,13 a 1,77) y la disfunción urinaria (aHR 1,57, IC del 95 %: 1,16 a 2,14) se asociaron con el desarrollo de trastornos de salud mental incidentes después de la proctectomía restauradora.LIMITACIONES: Este estudio estuvo limitado por el diseño del estudio observacional y la confusión residual.CONCLUSIÓN: Los trastornos de salud mental incidentes después de la proctectomía restauradora para el cáncer de recto son comunes. La presencia de deterioro funcional intestinal y urinario aumenta significativamente el riesgo de malos resultados psicológicos entre los sobrevivientes de cáncer de recto. (Traducción- Dr. Ingrid Melo ).

Impact of Endoscopic and Histologic Activity on Disease Relapse in Ulcerative Colitis.

INTRODUCTION: Endoscopic healing is currently considered the main target in the management of ulcerative colitis (UC). There are conflicting data about the role of histology as a stricter treatment objective. We aim at evaluating the additional benefit of histologic remission over endoscopic remission. METHODS: We performed a prospective observational study at the McGill University Health Center. We enrolled adult patients with UC in clinical remission for at least 3 months undergoing a colonoscopy. Endoscopic disease activity was based on the Mayo endoscopic score. Rectal biopsies were obtained, and the histologic activity was evaluated using the Geboes score (active disease defined as Geboes score ≥ 3.1) with the addition of assessing the presence of basal plasmacytosis. Patients were followed up for 12 months for disease relapse defined as a partial Mayo score of > 2. At the time of relapse or end of follow-up, all patients underwent repeat endoscopic evaluation. The primary end point was clinical relapse. RESULTS: Two hundred fifty-three patients were included. The presence of basal plasmacytosis was associated with relapse (adjusted odd ratio = 2.07, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.06-4.18, P = 0.042). Time to clinical relapse was significantly higher for patients with Mayo endoscopic score > 0 with adjusted hazard ratio = 2.65, 95% CI 1.31-5.39, and P = 0.007. Time to clinical relapse was not significantly higher for Geboes score ≥ 3.1 with adjusted hazard ratio = 1.29, 95% CI 0.67-2.49, and P = 0.45. DISCUSSION: Active histologic disease did not affect time to clinical relapse in patients with UC who achieved endoscopic remission while the presence of basal plasmacytosis is associated with relapse.

Risk factors for placental human papillomavirus infection.

OBJECTIVE: Human papillomavirus (HPV) has been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes but placental HPV infection has been rarely studied. The objective was to determine the proportion of HPV-positive placentas and the associated risk factors among HPV-positive women during pregnancy. METHODS: We analysed data from pregnant women enrolled in HERITAGE cohort study between 2010 and 2016 with positive vaginal HPV infection during the first trimester of pregnancy (n=354). Placental swabs and biopsies were collected. HPV genotyping was performed using Linear Array. The predictors of placental HPV detection were identified by generalised estimating equations models. RESULTS: HPV was detected in 78 placentas (22.0%) (one among 96 caesarean sections and 77 among 258 vaginal deliveries). Overall, 91% of HPV-positive placentas were positive for a genotype that was detected in vaginal samples during pregnancy. Among women who delivered vaginally, abnormal cytology (adjusted OR (aOR) 1.78 (95% CI 1.02 to 3.10)), other genitourinary infection (aOR 2.41 (95% CI 1.31 to 4.44)), presence of multiple HPV genotypes in the first trimester (aOR 2.69 (95% CI 1.76 to 4.12)) and persistence of high-risk HPV infections during pregnancy (HPV-16/18: aOR 3.94 (95% CI 2.06 to 7.55) and other than HPV-16/18: aOR 2.06 (95% CI 1.05 to 4.02)) were independently associated with placental HPV. CONCLUSIONS: HPV was frequently detected in the placenta of women who delivered vaginally and may be associated with host immune response characteristics.

Perceptions of Inuit Women and Non-Inuit Healthcare Providers on the Implementation of Human Papillomavirus Self-Sampling as an Alternative Cervical Cancer Screening Method in Nunavik, Northern Quebec.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) self-sampling offers a cervical cancer (CC) screening alternative that can address certain barriers to the Papanicolaou test. As part of a larger community-based participatory project in Nunavik, Northern Québec, we travelled to two communities to gather perspectives from Inuit women and healthcare professionals (HCPs) on CC screening services and the possible implementation of HPV self-sampling. We held 10 group discussions with 28 Inuit women and 10 semi-structured interviews with 20 HCPs. The thematic analysis extracted themes reflecting one barrier and seven facilitators to accessing CC screening and the implementation of HPV self-sampling in Nunavik. Themes included, though not limited to, language and communication in health settings, access to culturally responsive educational resources on CC, and the noninvasive nature of HPV self-sampling. This study may serve to contribute to the co-development of a strategy for implementation that is designed according to the needs and priorities of the communities.

The Mediating Role of Depressive Symptoms in the Association Between Food Insecurity and HIV Related Health Outcomes Among HIV-HCV Co-Infected People.

Food insecurity may lead to depressive symptoms, which are known to be associated with poor HIV related health outcomes. However, it is unclear to what extent food insecurity 'directly' affects these outcomes. We used data from the Food Security & HIV-HCV Sub-Study of the Canadian Co-Infection Cohort to assess the controlled direct effect. People experiencing severe food insecurity had 1.47 (95% CI 1.04-2.09) times the risk of having detectable HIV viral load and 0.94 (95% CI 0.87-1.02) fold change in CD4 count. After holding depressive symptoms constant, the association between severe food insecurity and HIV viral load was attenuated to a statistically non-significant level (RR 1.36, 95% CI: 0.95-1.96), whereas the association between severe food insecurity and CD4 count was unchanged. Depressive symptoms partially mediate the effect of severe food insecurity on HIV viral suppression; interventions focused on depressive symptoms alone may not be sufficient, however, to eliminate this effect.

Fuzzy cognitive mapping with Inuit women: what needs to change to improve cervical cancer screening in Nunavik, northern Quebec?

BACKGROUND: Among Canadian Inuit, cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates are up to three times higher than the Canadian average. Cervical cancer is preventable through regular screening which, in Quebec, is opportunistic and requires physical examination and Papanicolaou ("Pap") smears. Since Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the necessary cause of cervical cancer, HPV testing is a plausible screening alternative. HPV testing by self-sampling also addresses several barriers associated with physical examination and access to healthcare. In a participatory research paradigm, we worked with two communities of Nunavik to explore the possible implementation of HPV self-sampling. METHOD: Key community stakeholders formed an Advisory Committee to guide direct discussions with Inuit women. We presented available facts around cervical cancer, HPV and the female anatomy, and used Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping to collate women's views. A thematic analysis summarized data, adding links and weights to represent the relationship of each factor on the outcome: screening for cervical cancer. RESULTS: According to the 27 Inuit women who participated, the most influential factor in using health services was the cultural awareness of the healthcare provider. A significant barrier to screening was patient lack of information. The principal vector of change - the factor most likely to influence other factors - was the means of communication between the healthcare provider and the patient: visual communication was told to be the most effective. CONCLUSION: Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping is a practical tool for discussing possible health actions with stakeholders and to inform future research. The tool offers a visual aid for discussion across cultural and educational differences. It can help to build the partnerships that incorporate community voices into co-design of interventions that are relevant to and aligned with the needs of those who use them.

Clostridium difficile: Investigating Transmission Patterns Between Infected and Colonized Patients Using Whole Genome Sequencing.

Background: Whole genome sequencing (WGS) studies can enhance our understanding of the role of patients with asymptomatic Clostridium difficile colonization in transmission. Methods: Isolates obtained from patients with Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) and colonization identified in a study conducted during 2006-2007 at 6 Canadian hospitals underwent typing by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, multilocus sequence typing, and WGS. Isolates from incident CDI cases not in the initial study were also sequenced where possible. Ward movement and typing data were combined to identify plausible donors for each CDI case, as defined by shared time and space within predefined limits. Proportions of plausible donors for CDI cases that were colonized, infected, or both were examined. Results: Five hundred fifty-four isolates were sequenced successfully, 353 from colonized patients and 201 from CDI cases. The NAP1/027/ST1 strain was the most common strain, found in 124 (62%) of infected and 92 (26%) of colonized patients. A donor with a plausible ward link was found for 81 CDI cases (40%) using WGS with a threshold of ≤2 single nucleotide polymorphisms to determine relatedness. Sixty-five (32%) CDI cases could be linked to both infected and colonized donors. Exclusive linkages to infected and colonized donors were found for 28 (14%) and 12 (6%) CDI cases, respectively. Conclusions: Colonized patients contribute to transmission, but CDI cases are more likely linked to other infected patients than colonized patients in this cohort with high rates of the NAP1/027/ST1 strain, highlighting the importance of local prevalence of virulent strains in determining transmission dynamics.

Sex-Based Differences in Incidence of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases-Pooled Analysis of Population-Based Studies From Western Countries.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Although the incidence of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) varies with age, few studies have examined variations between the sexes. We therefore used population data from established cohorts to analyze sex differences in IBD incidence according to age at diagnosis. METHODS: We identified population-based cohorts of patients with IBD for which incidence and age data were available (17 distinct cohorts from 16 regions of Europe, North America, Australia, and New Zealand). We collected data through December 2016 on 95,605 incident cases of Crohn's disease (CD) (42,831 male and 52,774 female) and 112,004 incident cases of ulcerative colitis (UC) (61,672 male and 50,332 female). We pooled incidence rate ratios of CD and UC for the combined cohort and compared differences according to sex using random effects meta-analysis. RESULTS: Female patients had a lower risk of CD during childhood, until the age range of 10-14 years (incidence rate ratio, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.53-0.93), but they had a higher risk of CD thereafter, which was statistically significant for the age groups of 25-29 years and older than 35 years. The incidence of UC did not differ significantly for female vs male patients (except for the age group of 5-9 years) until age 45 years; thereafter, men had a significantly higher incidence of ulcerative colitis than women. CONCLUSIONS: In a pooled analysis of population-based studies, we found age at IBD onset to vary with sex. Further studies are needed to investigate mechanisms of sex differences in IBD incidence.

The early impact of human papillomavirus vaccination on anogenital warts in Québec, Canada.

In Québec province in Canada, a public school-based and catch-up HPV vaccination programs with the quadrivalent vaccine have been introduced in September 2008 for girls aged 9-17 years. We assessed the early impact of the HPV vaccination program on the incidence of anogenital warts (AGW) in the Quebec general population. We used the provincial health administrative data of the Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ). AGW were identified either through a prescription of podofilox, or a medical procedure code specific to AGW, or a diagnostic code for viral warts followed by a prescription of imiquimod or fluorouracil. Sex- and age-specific incidence rates were calculated for pre-vaccination (2004-2007) and vaccination (2009-2012) periods. We found a significant decline of 45% and 19% in the incidence of AGWs among females aged 15-19 and 20-24 years, respectively. A decline of 21% was also seen among males aged 15-19 years. The median age at an episode of AGW increased from 27 years in 2004 to 31 years in 2012 among females and remained stable in males. Our findings indicate that the HPV public vaccination program is associated with an important reduction in the incidence of AGW among young females and males. The benefit is more pronounced among females 15-19 years of age, who were eligible for the public vaccination program. The observed decline among young males could be due to herd immunity and/or privately paid vaccination.

Association between depressive symptoms, CD4 count and HIV viral suppression among HIV-HCV co-infected people.

Depressive symptoms are associated with poor HIV viral control and immune recovery among people living with HIV. However, no prior studies assessed this association exclusively among people co-infected with HIV-hepatitis C virus (HCV). While people with HIV only and those with HIV-HCV co-infection share many characteristics, co-infected people may become more susceptible to the effects of depressive symptoms on health outcomes. We assessed this association exclusively among people co-infected with HIV-HCV in Canada using data from the Food Security & HIV-HCV Sub-Study (FS Sub-Study) of the Canadian Co-Infection Cohort (CCC). Stabilized inverse probability weighted marginal structural model was used to account for potential time-varying confounders. A total of 725 participants were enrolled between 2012 and 2015. At baseline, 52% of participants reported depressive symptoms, 75% had undetectable HIV viral load, and median CD4 count was 466 (IQR 300-665). People experiencing depressive symptoms had 1.32 times (95% CI: 1.07, 1.63) the risk of having detectable HIV viral load, but had comparable CD4 count to people who did not experience depressive symptoms (fold change of CD4 = 0.96, 95% CI: 0.91, 1.03). Presence of depressive symptoms is a risk factor for incomplete short-term HIV viral suppression among people co-infected with HIV-HCV. Therefore, depressive symptoms screening and related counseling may improve HIV related health outcomes and reduce HIV transmission.

Metformin and the incidence of viral associated cancers in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Limited studies have associated metformin with a reduced risk of viral associated cancers, however these had a number of methodological shortcomings. This study investigated whether the use of metformin is associated with a reduced risk of viral associated cancers in patients with type 2 diabetes. A cohort of 137,754 patients newly-prescribed non-insulin antidiabetic drugs between January 1, 1988 and March 31, 2016 was identified from the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink and followed until a first-ever diagnosis of a viral associated cancer, death from any cause, end of registration with the practice, or March 31, 2016. Time-varying use of metformin was compared with use of other antidiabetic drugs, with exposures lagged by one year for latency purposes. Time-dependent Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of incident viral associated cancer with use of metformin overall, by cumulative duration of use and viral etiology. Overall, there were 424 viral associated cancers during 759,810 person-years of follow-up (crude rate of 5.6 per 10,000 person-years). Metformin was not associated with a decreased rate of viral associated cancer (HR: 0.93, 95% CI: 0.65-1.32). There was no evidence of a duration-response relationship in terms of cumulative duration of use (p trend = 0.69), including with use of metformin for more than 10 years (HR 1.02, 95% CI: 0.52-1.99), or by viral etiology. In this large population-based cohort study, the use of metformin was not associated with a reduced risk of viral associated cancer.

Association Between Food Insecurity and HIV Viral Suppression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Although an increasing number of HIV infected people are accessing antiretroviral treatment, many do not achieve complete HIV viral suppression and remain at risk for AIDS and capable of HIV transmission. Food insecurity has been identified as a potential risk factor for poor virologic response, but the association between these factors has been inconsistently documented in the literature. We systematically searched five electronic databases and bibliographies of relevant studies through April 2015 and retrieved 11 studies that met our inclusion criteria, of which nine studies were conducted in North America and the remaining two studies were in Brazil and Uganda respectively. Meta-analyzed results indicated that experiencing food insecurity resulted in 29% lower odds of achieving complete HIV viral suppression (OR = 0.71, 95% CI 0.61-0.82) and this significant inverse association was consistently found regardless of study design, exposure measurement, and confounder adjustment methods. These findings suggest that food insecurity is a potential risk factor for incomplete HIV viral suppression in people living with HIV.

Impact of Food Insecurity on Depressive Symptoms Among HIV-HCV Co-infected People.

Food insecurity (FI) is associated with depressive symptoms among HIV mono-infected people. Our objective was to examine to what extent this association holds among HIV-hepatitis C virus (HCV) co-infected people. We used data from a prospective cohort study of HIV-HCV co-infected people in Canada. FI was measured using the ten-item adult scale of Health Canada's Household Food Security Survey Module and was classified into three categories: food secure, moderate FI, and severe FI. Depressive symptoms were measured using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D-10) and was classified into absence or presence of depressive symptoms. FI, depressive symptoms, and other covariates were updated every 6 months. The association between FI and depressive symptoms was assessed using a stabilized inverse probability weighted marginal structural model. The study sample included 725 HIV-HCV co-infected people with 1973 person-visits over 3 years of follow up. At baseline, 23% of participants experienced moderate food insecurity, 34% experienced severe food insecurity and 52% had depressive symptoms. People experiencing moderate FI had 1.63 times (95% CI 1.44-1.86) the risk of having depressive symptoms and people experiencing severe FI had 2.01 times (95% CI 1.79-2.25) the risk of having depressive symptoms compared to people who were food secure. FI is a risk factor for developing depressive symptoms among HIV-HCV co-infected people. Food supplementation, psychosocial support and counseling may improve patient health outcomes.

The effect of statins on influenza-like illness morbidity and mortality.

PURPOSE: The effect of statins on cytokine-mediated inflammatory responses may impact on the prognosis of influenza. We assessed whether statin use decreases the incidence of adverse influenza-related outcomes. Additionally, we used a new-user study design to minimize healthy user bias. We further examined the possibility of non-causal associations by using unrelated outcomes. METHODS: We used the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink to identify all patients aged 30 or older diagnosed with influenza-like illness during 1997-2010. Statin users were compared with propensity score-matched patients not receiving statins. The outcome was hospitalization for influenza or pneumonia or death in the 30 days following influenza diagnosis. Logistic regression estimated cumulative incidence ratios. RESULTS: The study cohort included 5181 statin users matched to 5181 non-users. The 30-day incidence of hospitalization or death was 3.5% in statin users and 5.2% in non-users, resulting in a 27% lower incidence with statin use (cumulative incidence ratio: 0.73, 95%CI: 0.59-0.89). New statin users were less protected against our composite outcome. The effect of statins was less pronounced among those with respiratory and cardiac disease. Statin use was shown to be associated with a non-statistically significant risk reduction of motor vehicle accident and burns. CONCLUSION: The attenuation of the effect of statins with the new-user design, supporting evidence from the assessment of effect modification, and additional sub-analyses evaluating the effect of statins on non-related outcomes suggest that the beneficial effect of statins on influenza-related adverse outcomes may be explained by a healthy user bias. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The Risk of Sepsis with Inhaled and Oral Corticosteroids in Patients with COPD.

The use of oral and inhaled corticosteroids is associated with increases in the risk of infection, especially pneumonia. The risk of sepsis with corticosteroid treatment in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has been little studied, however. We assessed whether the use of inhaled and oral corticosteroids in COPD is associated with an increase in the risk of sepsis. We carried out a retrospective cohort study using the administrative health databases of the province of Quebec, Canada, over the period 1990-2007. The cohort of patients with COPD included patients aged 55 years or older who used respiratory medications. A quasi-cohort analysis was used to estimate the rate ratio (RR) of sepsis in current users of inhaled corticosteroids and oral corticosteroids separately, after adjusting for differences in COPD disease severity and co-morbid conditions. The cohort included 163,514 patients treated for COPD, including 1,704 who were hospitalized for or died with sepsis during follow-up (incidence rate 1.94 per 1000 per year). The RR of sepsis associated with current use of inhaled corticosteroids was 0.98 (95%confidence interval [CI] 0.84-1.14). Current oral corticosteroid use was associated with a 66% increase in the risk of sepsis (RR 1.66; 95% CI: 1.35-2.05). The increase in risk remains for around 5 months after the oral corticosteroid exposure. Among patients treated for COPD, the risk of sepsis is not increased with inhaled corticosteroids, even at high doses, while the risk is increased with oral corticosteroids. This risk should be considered when treating exacerbations of COPD.

Inflammatory bowel disease and risk of mortality in COPD.

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have higher incidence and prevalence of other chronic inflammatory diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We assessed whether IBD onset increases mortality risk in patients with COPD or asthma-associated COPD.Two population-based cohorts of COPD and asthma-COPD subjects were identified using the administrative health databases in Québec, Canada, 1990-2007. Death records were retrieved from the death certificate registry. Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the impact of newly developed IBD on mortality risk.The COPD and asthma-COPD cohorts included 273 208 and 26 575 patients, respectively, of which 697 and 119 developed IBD. IBD increased the risk of all-cause mortality in both COPD (hazard ratio 1.23, 95% CI 1.09-1.4) and asthma-COPD (hazard ratio 1.65, 95% CI 1.23-2.22). In asthma-COPD patients, IBD increased the risk of mortality from respiratory conditions (hazard ratio 2.18, 95% CI 1.31-3.64); in COPD patients, IBD increased the risk of death from digestive conditions (hazard ratio 4.45, 95% CI 2.39-8.30).IBD is a risk factor for mortality in patients with pre-existing COPD or asthma-COPD. IBD increased mortality by respiratory and digestive conditions in patients with asthma-COPD and COPD, respectively.

Food insecurity and low CD4 count among HIV-infected people: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Food insecurity is defined as a limited or uncertain ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways, or limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods. While effective antiretroviral treatment can significantly increase CD4 counts in the majority of patients, there are certain populations who remain at relatively low CD4 count levels. Factors possibly associated with poor CD4 recovery have been extensively studied, but the association between food insecurity and low CD4 count is inconsistent in the literature. The objective is to systematically review published literature to determine the association between food insecurity and CD4 count among HIV-infected people. PubMed, Web of Science, ProQuest ABI/INFORM Complete, Ovid Medline and EMBASE Classic, plus bibliographies of relevant studies were systematically searched up to May 2015, where the earliest database coverage started from 1900. Studies that quantitatively assessed the association between food insecurity and CD4 count among HIV-infected people were eligible for inclusion. Study results were summarized using random effects model. A total of 2093 articles were identified through electronic database search and manual bibliographic search, of which 8 studies included in this meta-analysis. Food insecure people had 1.32 times greater odds of having lower CD4 counts compared to food secure people (OR = 1.32, 95% CI: 1.15-1.53) and food insecure people had on average 91 fewer CD4 cells/µl compared to their food secure counterparts (mean difference = -91.09, 95% CI: -156.16, -26.02). Food insecurity could be a potential barrier to immune recovery as measured by CD4 counts among HIV-infected people.

Increased incidence of inflammatory bowel disease in Québec residents with airway diseases.

The objective of the study was to assess whether the incidences of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are increased in patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) compared to the general population. A population-based retrospective cohort study was conducted using the administrative health databases of Québec, Canada. Incidences of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis among patients with asthma and COPD were assessed for the 2001-2006 period. In total, 136 178 subjects with asthma and 143 904 subjects with COPD were identified. The average incidence of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis was 23.1 and 8.8 per 100 000 person-years among asthmatic patients; in the COPD cohort there were 26.2 Crohn's disease cases and 17 ulcerative colitis cases per 100 000 person-years. The incidence of Crohn's disease in asthma and COPD patients was 27% and 55% higher than in the general population of Québec; the incidence of ulcerative colitis was 30% higher among COPD patients compared to the general population. Incidence of inflammatory bowel disease was significantly increased in asthma and COPD patients compared to the general population of Québec. Incidence rates were particularly high in patients with COPD. Awareness of an association between airway diseases and inflammatory bowel disease in older age groups may play an important role in earlier detection of bowel disease and in the therapeutic management of such patients.