Risk of developing age-related macular degeneration in patients with osteoporosis: a population-based, longitudinal follow-up study.

Osteoporosis was suggested to be associated with higher odds of age-related macular degeneration. However, the temporal relationship between osteoporosis and age-related macular degeneration has not been explored. This population-based longitudinal follow-up study showed an increased risk of age-related macular degeneration in both men and women with osteoporosis. PURPOSE: To investigate the long-term risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in patients with osteoporosis. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study using the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2005, a subset of Taiwan's National Health Insurance research database. A total of 23,611 individuals aged 50 to 79 who were diagnosed with osteoporosis between January 1, 2002 and December 31, 2006, were enrolled in the osteoporosis group. An exactly equal number of propensity score-matched individuals without osteoporosis comprised the comparison group. The variables used in propensity score matching included age, sex, comorbidities, and socioeconomic status. Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between osteoporosis and AMD. The main outcome measure is the occurrence of newly diagnosed AMD. RESULTS: The hazard ratio (HR) of AMD in the osteoporosis group was 1.34 times higher than in the comparison group (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.22-1.47, p < 0.05). The AMD-free survival rate of the osteoporosis group was significantly lower than that of the comparison group (p < 0.0001). Sex-stratified analysis revealed a significantly increased risk of AMD in both osteoporotic men (HR 1.45; 95% CI 1.20-1.76, p = 0.0002) and women (HR 1.31; 95% CI 1.17-1.46, p < 0.0001) compared with their non-osteoporotic counterparts. CONCLUSION: This longitudinal follow-up study revealed an increased risk of developing AMD in both men and women with osteoporosis.

Tea consumption and the risks of osteoporosis and hip fracture: a population-based longitudinal follow-up study.

This population-based longitudinal follow-up study showed a protective effect of tea consumption against osteoporosis, particularly among women and middle-aged people. High tea consumption was also associated with a reduced risk of hip fracture. INTRODUCTION: To investigate the association of tea consumption with the risks of osteoporosis and hip fracture. METHODS: This study used the Keelung Community-based Integrated Screening database and Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database. A total of 42,742 subjects aged 45 to 74 years were enrolled. Each was classified as no tea consumption, low tea consumption, and high tea consumption, according to the results of an eating habits questionnaire. The diagnosis of osteoporosis and hip fracture was based on BMD measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and the X-ray findings. The median follow-up time was 8.5 years. RESULTS: As compared with the no tea consumption group, the osteoporosis HRs for the low tea consumption and high tea consumption groups were 0.88 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.80-0.96) and 0.87 (95% CI 0.80-0.94), respectively. Among those participants aged 59 or below, the osteoporosis HRs for low tea consumption and high tea consumption (vs. no tea consumption) were 0.85 (95% CI 0.74-0.96) and 0.79 (95% CI 0.69-0.90). The HRs of hip fracture for the low tea consumption and high tea consumption groups (vs. no tea consumption) were 0.85 (95% CI 0.67-1.08) and 0.69 (95% CI 0.55-0.86), respectively. CONCLUSION: Tea consumption was linked to a lower risk of osteoporosis, particularly among women and middle-aged people. High tea consumption was also associated with a reduced risk of hip fracture.

Osteoporosis and the long-term risk of peripheral artery disease: a population-based longitudinal follow-up study in Taiwan.

INTRODUCTION: Osteoporosis has been linked to atherosclerotic diseases such as coronary heart disease and ischemic stroke. However, the relationship between osteoporosis and peripheral artery disease (PAD) has not been investigated. This study aims to evaluate the risk of PAD in patients with osteoporosis and the impact of sex on this association. METHODS: This population-based study used the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2005, a subset of Taiwan's National Health Insurance research database. A total of 54,324 individuals between 40 and 79 years old were included in this study. The osteoporosis group (n = 27,162) consisted of patients with a diagnosis of osteoporosis between January 1, 2002, and December 31, 2006, while the non-osteoporosis group were patients without osteoporosis selected by stratified random sampling (n = 27,162). The primary outcome was the occurrence of newly diagnosed PAD. Cox proportional hazard regression modeling was used to evaluate the association between osteoporosis and the risk of PAD, with adjustment for the baseline characteristics. RESULTS: The risk of PAD for the osteoporosis group was 28% higher than for the non-osteoporosis group (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 1.28, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.20-1.36, p < 0.001), and the PAD-free survival rate was lower in the osteoporosis group (p < 0.001). Sex-stratified analysis revealed a similar HR magnitude between osteoporotic men (HR 1.36; 95% CI 1.19-1.57) and women (HR 1.25; 95% CI 1.17-1.35), compared with their non-osteoporotic counterparts. CONCLUSION: This study found an increased long-term risk of PAD in both men and women with osteoporosis. Osteoporosis has been associated with increased risks of atherosclerotic diseases. However, the relationship between osteoporosis and peripheral artery disease remains uncertain. The present population-based longitudinal follow-up study showed that patients with osteoporosis are at an increased risk of developing peripheral artery disease.

Increased Risk of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in People With Spinal Cord Injury: A Nationwide Longitudinal Follow-Up Study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the long-term risk of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in people with spinal cord injury (SCI). DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Taiwan's Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2005, containing data about 1 million people randomly sampled from among those registered in the National Health Insurance Program as of 2005. PARTICIPANTS: The SCI group consisted of 1681 subjects with SCI, and the comparison group comprised 6724 propensity score-matched subjects without SCI (N=8405). The variables included in propensity-score matching were age, sex, comorbid conditions, and socioeconomic status. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The occurrence of newly diagnosed CTS, defined by at least 1 hospital discharge or 2 outpatient visits with a diagnosis of CTS. RESULTS: The incidence density of CTS in the SCI group was 7.55 per 1000 person-years (95% confidence interval [CI], 6.03-9.33), and in the comparison group, 4.61 per 1000 person-years (95% CI, 4.08-5.19). The hazard ratio (HR) of CTS for the SCI group was therefore 1.59 (95% CI, 1.24-2.03). Additionally, the HR of CTS for the cervical-SCI subgroup, 1.90 (95% CI, 1.21-2.97) was considerably higher than that of its noncervical counterpart, 1.47 (95% CI, 1.09-1.98). CONCLUSIONS: People with both cervical and noncervical SCI have an increased risk of developing CTS, as compared with those without SCI. Moreover, the CTS risk appears to be higher for individuals with cervical SCI than their noncervical SCI counterparts.

Increased risk of sensorineural hearing loss in patients with spinal cord injury: a nationwide longitudinal follow-up study.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study with 10 years follow-up. OBJECTIVE: To compare the risks of sensorineural hearing loss in patients with and without spinal cord injury, based on a nationally representative sample. SETTING: Taiwan's Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2005. METHOD: A total of 2006 participants who had been aged between 20 and 69 and who had spinal cord injury as of 2002-06 were enrolled in the spinal cord injury group. The non-spinal cord injury group consisted of 8024 sex- and age-matched, randomly sampled participants without spinal cord injury. Then, their sensorineural hearing loss -cumulative incidence curves were generated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Stratified Cox proportional-hazard regression was employed to estimate the effect of having spinal cord injury on patients' subsequent risk of sensorineural hearing loss. RESULTS: During the follow-up, 30 patients in the spinal cord injury group and 87 in the non-spinal cord injury group developed sensorineural hearing loss. As such, the cumulative incidence of sensorineural hearing loss was significantly higher in the spinal cord injury group than the non-spinal cord injury group (2.16 vs. 1.21 per 1000 person-years, p = 0.008). The adjusted hazard ratio of sensorineural hearing loss for the spinal cord injury group was 1.75 times that of the non-spinal cord injury group (95% CI, 1.14-2.68, p = 0.01). The patients with non-cervical SCI appeared to have a higher magnitude of SNHL risk than their cervical SCI counterparts. CONCLUSION: Our study showed that patients with spinal cord injury have an increased risk of developing sensorineural hearing loss.

Increased risk of acute pancreatitis in persons with spinal cord injury: a population-based, propensity score-matched longitudinal follow-up study.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the risk of acute pancreatitis (AP) in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) based on a nationally representative sample. SETTING: A retrospective cohort study using Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database. METHODS: Drawing on Taiwan's Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2005, the researchers created an SCI group consisting of 2280 persons with SCI aged 20-74 years. Propensity-score matching was then used to generate a non-SCI group of 9120 participants with similar baseline characteristics to the SCI group. These two groups' respective cumulative incidence of AP was compared, and the effect of SCI on AP risk was then assessed using stratified Cox proportional-hazards regression. RESULTS: For the SCI and non-SCI groups, the respective incidence rates of AP were 1.34 per 1000 person-years (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.83-2.05) and 0.79 per 1000 person-years (95% CI, 0.61-1.01). Compared with the non-SCI group, the hazard ratio of AP for the SCI group was 1.96 (95% CI 1.19-3.25, p = 0.0088); and the SCI group's cumulative incidence of AP was significantly higher than that of the non-SCI group (p = 0.0227). CONCLUSION: This population-based longitudinal follow-up study indicates that there is an increased long-term risk of AP in persons with SCI.

Spinal cord injury and Alzheimer's disease risk: a population-based, retrospective cohort study.

STUDY DESIGN: Propensity score-matched, retrospective cohort study. OBJECTIVES: To determine the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD) in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). SETTING: The present study used Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database. METHODS: A total of 9257 patients who had ⩾2 ambulatory visits with a diagnosis of SCI in 2001 were included in the SCI group. The non-SCI group consisted of 37,028 propensity score-matched patients without a diagnosis of SCI. The cumulative incidence of AD was estimated for each of the two patient groups using the Kaplan-Meier method. Stratified Cox proportional hazard regression was then employed to assess the influence of SCI on the risk of AD. RESULTS: During the follow-up period, 25 subjects in the SCI group and 57 in the non-SCI group developed AD. The cumulative incidence of AD in the SCI group was higher than in the non-SCI group (P = 0.0168); and the hazard ratio of AD for the SCI group, as compared to the non-SCI group, was 1.71 (95% CI 1.06-2.76, P = 0.0273). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that patients with SCI have an increased risk of developing AD.

Increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis in patients with migraine: a population-based, propensity score-matched cohort study.

Previous cross-sectional studies have suggested an association between migraine and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but no longitudinal study has been performed to evaluate the temporal relationship between the two conditions. The purpose of the present population-based, propensity score-matched cohort study was to investigate whether migraineurs are at a higher risk of developing RA. A total of 58,749 subjects aged between 20 and 90 years with at least two ambulatory visits with a diagnosis of migraine were recruited in the migraine group. We fit a logistic regression model that included age, sex, comorbid conditions, and socioeconomic status as covariates to compute the propensity score. The non-migraine group consisted of 58,749 propensity score-matched, randomly sampled subjects without migraine. The RA-free survival curves were generated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Stratified Cox proportional hazard regression was used to estimate the effect of migraine on the risk of RA. During follow-up, 461 subjects in the migraine group and 220 in the non-migraine group developed RA. The incidence rate of RA was 3.18 (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.90-3.49) per 1000 person-years in the migraine group and 1.54 (95% CI 1.34-1.76) per 1000 person-years in the non-migraine group. Compared to the non-migraine group, the crude hazard ratio of RA for the migraine group was 2.15 (95% CI 1.82-2.56, P < 0.0001), and the multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio was 1.91 (95% CI 1.58-2.31, P < 0.0001). This study showed that patients with migraine had an increased risk of developing RA.

Migraine is related to an increased risk of Parkinson's disease: A population-based, propensity score-matched, longitudinal follow-up study.

BACKGROUND: The association between migraine and Parkinson's disease (PD) remains controversial. The purpose of the present population-based, propensity score-matched follow-up study was to investigate whether migraineurs are at a higher risk of developing PD. METHODS: A total of 41,019 subjects aged between 40 and 90 years with at least two ambulatory visits with a diagnosis of migraine in 2001 were enrolled in the migraine group. A logistic regression model that included age, sex, pre-existing comorbidities and socioeconomic status as covariates was used to compute the propensity score. The non-migraine group consisted of 41,019 propensity score-matched, randomly sampled subjects without migraine. The PD-free survival rate were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Stratified Cox proportional hazard regression was used to estimate the effect of migraine on the risk of developing PD. RESULTS: During follow-up, 148 subjects in the migraine group and 101 in the non-migraine group developed PD. Compared to the non-migraine group, the hazard ratio of PD for the migraine group was 1.64 (95% confidence interval: 1.25-2.14, p = 0.0004). The PD-free survival rate for the migraine group was significantly lower than that for the non-migraine group (p = 0.0041). CONCLUSIONS: This study showed an increased risk of developing PD in patients with migraine.

Effectiveness of fecal immunochemical testing in reducing colorectal cancer mortality from the One Million Taiwanese Screening Program.

BACKGROUND: The effectiveness of fecal immunochemical testing (FIT) in reducing colorectal cancer (CRC) mortality has not yet been fully assessed in a large, population-based service screening program. METHODS: A prospective cohort study of the follow-up of approximately 5 million Taiwanese from 2004 to 2009 was conducted to compare CRC mortality for an exposed (screened) group and an unexposed (unscreened) group in a population-based CRC screening service targeting community residents of Taiwan who were 50 to 69 years old. Given clinical capacity, this nationwide screening program was first rolled out in 2004. In all, 1,160,895 eligible subjects who were 50 to 69 years old (ie, 21.4% of the 5,417,699 subjects of the underlying population) participated in the biennial nationwide screening program by 2009. RESULTS: The actual effectiveness in reducing CRC mortality attributed to the FIT screening was 62% (relative rate for the screened group vs the unscreened group, 0.38; 95% confidence interval, 0.35-0.42) with a maximum follow-up of 6 years. The 21.4% coverage of the population receiving FIT led to a significant 10% reduction in CRC mortality (relative rate, 0.90; 95% confidence interval, 0.84-0.95) after adjustments for a self-selection bias. CONCLUSIONS: This large, prospective Taiwanese cohort undergoing population-based FIT screening for CRC had the statistical power to demonstrate a significant CRC mortality reduction, although the follow-up time was short. Although such findings are informative for health decision makers, continued follow-up of this large cohort will be required to estimate the long-term impact of FIT screening if the covered population is expanded.

Parkinson disease and risk of acute myocardial infarction: A population-based, propensity score-matched, longitudinal follow-up study.

OBJECTIVES: Previous studies on the risk of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in patients with Parkinson disease (PD) have generated inconsistent results. The purpose of this population-based longitudinal follow-up study was to investigate whether incident PD is associated with an increased risk of AMI. METHODS: A total of 3,211 subjects with at least 2 ambulatory visits with the principal diagnosis of PD in 2001 were enrolled in the PD group. The non-PD group consisted of 3,211 propensity score-matched subjects without PD. The propensity scores were computed using a logistic regression model that included age, sex, preexisting comorbidities, and socioeconomic status. The 3-year AMI-free survival rates of the 2 groups were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Stratified Cox proportional hazard regression with patients matched by propensity score was used to estimate the effect of PD on subsequent occurrence of AMI. RESULTS: During the 3-year follow-up period, 83 subjects in the PD group and 53 in the non-PD group developed AMI (either fatal or nonfatal) events. The hazard ratio of AMI for the PD group compared with the non-PD group was 1.67 (95% CI 1.15-2.41, P = .0067). The AMI-free survival rate of the PD group was significantly lower than that of the non-PD group (P = .0032). The hazard ratios associated with PD for the combined end point 1 (AMI or cardiovascular death) and combined end point 2 (AMI or all-cause death) were 1.46 (95% CI 1.14-1.88, P = .0029) and 1.42 (95% CI 1.24-1.64, P < .0001), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that PD is related to an increased risk of AMI. Further studies are required to investigate the mechanism underlying this association.

Physical activity and the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A longitudinal follow-up study in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate whether physical activity (PA) is associated with a lower risk of subsequently developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). METHODS: We conducted this population-based longitudinal follow-up study in a community in Taiwan. This study recruited 61,446 subjects who had participated in the Keelung Community-based Integrated Screening Program (KCIS) between 2005 and 2012. During their participation in KCIS, they were provided with structured questionnaires to collect their baseline characteristics, including weekly PA time. After excluding subjects diagnosed with COPD before they joined KCIS and/or who provided incomplete lifestyle data, 59,457 subjects remained, and were classified into three groups based on their weekly PA time: i.e., as NPA (no regular PA), LPA (low PA, <90 min/week) and HPA (high PA, ≥90 min/week). The primary outcome was a new diagnosis of COPD, followed up until the end of 2015 or their death. Cox proportional-hazard regression was used to assess the impact of PA on the risk of COPD. RESULTS: The risk of COPD was more than 20% lower in the LPA and HPA groups than in the NPA group. Specifically, the adjusted hazard ratio for the risk of COPD was 0.72 in the LPA group (95% CI, 0.61-0.85, p < 0.001) and 0.79 in the HPA group (95% CI, 0.69-0.90, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our research uncovered an inverse relationship between PA and COPD. The findings suggest that PA might be useful as a strategy for the primary prevention of COPD.

Complications of different methods of urological management in people with neurogenic bladder secondary to spinal cord injury.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between multiple types of urological management and urological complications in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Single medical center. METHODS: Medical records of SCI patients with regular follow-up of more than two years were reviewed. Urological management was classified into five groups: indwelling urethral catheter (IUC), clean intermittent catheterization (CIC), reflex voiding, suprapubic catheter (SPC), and self-voiding. We analyzed the incidence of urinary tract infection (UTI), epididymitis, hydronephrosis, and renal stone across the different urological-management groups. RESULTS: Of 207 individuals with SCI, the most common management type was self-voiding (n = 65, 31%) followed by CIC (n = 47, 23%). The IUC and SPC groups included more people with complete SCI than the other management groups. Compared with the IUC group, the SPC and self-voiding groups had lower risks of developing UTI (relative risk [RR] = 0.76, 95% CI, 0.59-0.97 and RR = 0.39, 95% CI, 0.28-0.55, respectively). The SPC group tended to have a lower risk of epididymitis than the IUC group (RR = 0.55, 95% CI, 0.18-1.63). CONCLUSION: Long-term IUC use was associated with a higher incidence of UTI in people with SCI. As compared to those with IUC, a lower risk of UTI was found in persons with SPC. These findings may have implications for shared clinical decision-making.

Physical activity and the risk of ischemic stroke: A population-based longitudinal follow-up study in Taiwan (KCIS no. 43).

Lack of exercise is a leading risk factor for stroke, and it has been demonstrated that increasing physical activity (PA) can prevent ischemic stroke. However, there has been limited research on the relationship between ischemic stroke and PA, especially among Asian populations. This study therefore investigates whether the level of PA in the Taiwanese population affects its risk of first-ever ischemic stroke, utilizing screening data on 58,857 individuals collected by the Keelung Health Bureau between 2005 and 2012. These subjects were divided into three groups based on their weekly exercise frequency and duration, i.e., 1) a no PA (NPA) group, 2) a low PA (LPA) group (less than 90 min of exercise per week), and 3) a high PA (HPA) group (90 min or more of exercise per week). The results showed that, as compared to the NPA group, the adjusted hazard ratio for ischemic stroke in the LPA group was 0.86 (95 % CI, 0.78-0.95, p < 0.0001); and that in the HPA group, it was also 0.86 (95 % CI, 0.79-0.94, p < 0.0001). In other words, even engaging in PA for less than 90 min per week may lower the risk of first-ever ischemic stroke. Importantly, LPA is more accessible, more sustainable, and easier to promote for the general population than the 150 min per week recommended by the World Health Organization.

Adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder is associated with an increased risk for Parkinson's disease: a population-based longitudinal follow-up study.

INTRODUCTION: Previous studies have suggested a positive association between adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder (ACS) and Parkinson's disease (PD), but longitudinal data were lacking. The present population-based longitudinal follow-up study therefore investigated the risk of developing PD in patients with ACS. METHODS: This study utilized data from Taiwan's Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2005 (LHID 2005). We defined our ACS group as the 19,920 patients aged between 40 and 79 who had been diagnosed with ACS between 2002 and 2006. The non-ACS group consisted of an age- and sex-matched but otherwise random selection of 19,920 patients without a diagnosis of ACS. The Kaplan-Meier method was then used to examine inter-group differences in PD-free survival rates, and Cox proportional-hazard regression modeling was used to evaluate the impact of ACS on PD risk. RESULTS: During a median follow-up period of 105 months, 242 subjects in the ACS group and 208 subjects in the non-ACS group developed PD. The adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of 1.53 (1.26-1.86) indicated that ACS patients had a significantly higher risk of developing PD than their non-ACS counterparts, regardless of sex and age. Landmark analysis that excluded PD cases detected within the first 2 years after an ACS diagnosis showed that the HR was almost unchanged, at 1.56 (1.26-1.95). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with ACS are at a high risk of developing PD. KEY POINTS: • This population-based study showed that adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder (ACS) is associated with a higher risk of Parkinson's disease (PD). • This study broke new ground by using a longitudinal follow-up design and a nationally representative sample. • Our findings suggest that clinicians who care for ACS patients need to be aware of this increased risk of developing PD.

Are higher total serum cholesterol levels associated with better long-term motor function after ischemic stroke?

OBJECTIVES: The objective of the study was to investigate the prognostic role of total cholesterol (TC) level on the long-term motor function after ischemic stroke. METHODS: One hundred and fourteen patients with ischemic stroke were included and divided into high total cholesterol (HTC; TC ≧5.18 mmol/l or ≧200 mg/dl) and low total cholesterol (LTC; TC <5.18 mmol/l or <200 mg/dl) groups. The motor outcome was evaluated using the motor score of the Fugl-Meyer assessment (MFMA) at 2 weeks (baseline), 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after stroke. Prognostic factors on the repeated measurements of the MFMA were investigated using the linear mixed regression model. RESULTS: The TC, basal ganglion lesion, baseline MFMA, first-time stroke, and follow-up time were identified as significant predictors for serial MFMA scores. The HTC group had higher MFMA scores than the LTC group by 2.72 units (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.17, 5.27, P = 0.037). An elevation of one unit of baseline MFMA led to a 0.86 increase (95% CI: 0.82, 0.90, P < 0.001) of subsequent MFMA scores. Subjects with basal ganglion lesions had lower MFMA scores by -3.55 (95% CI: -5.97, -1.14, P = 0.004). DISCUSSION: Higher total cholesterol at the acute phase of ischemic stroke is a favorable prognostic factor for long-term motor function.

Effect of functional status on survival in patients with stroke: is independent ambulation a key determinant?

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of functional status, measured using the Modified Rankin Scale (MRS), at 3 months after stroke on survival in patients with stroke. DESIGN: Cohort study. SETTING: Referral medical center. PARTICIPANTS: Patients with stroke (N=1032). INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Survival after stroke. RESULTS: The Kaplan-Meier survival curves stratified by the 3-month MRS score showed 2 clear groups of patients with 3-month MRS scores of 0 to 3 (able to walk without assistance) and 4 or 5 (unable to walk without assistance). Accordingly, we grouped the patients into a high function (HF) group (3-month MRS≦3) and a low function (LF) group (3-month MRS≧4). Multiple Cox regression analysis showed that the LF group had significantly poorer survival (adjusted hazard ratio=4.69; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.89-7.60; P<.001) than the HF group. Other significant risk factors of higher mortality were older age, history of diabetes mellitus, and heart disease. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed a significant influence of the 3-month MRS score on stroke survival. Moreover, independent ambulation may be a major determinant of a favorable survival prognosis. This finding suggests a potential role of rehabilitation in promoting stroke survival by maximizing ambulation function.

Osteoarthritis Is Associated With an Increased Risk of Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A Population-Based Longitudinal Follow-Up Study.

Aims: To investigate the long-term risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in persons with osteoarthritis (OA). Methods: This retrospective cohort study first enrolled 71,609 subjects diagnosed with OA, and 236,169 without such a diagnosis between January 1, 2002 and December 31, 2005, from the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2005. All were aged 40-69. After excluding subjects who had pre-existing AMD and/or who had missing socioeconomic data, frequency matching by sex and age was performed. This resulted in there being 60,274 subjects in each of the final matched OA and non-OA groups. The study participants were followed up to the occurrence of AMD, death, or the end of 2011. We used Cox proportional-hazards regression to estimate the impact of OA on the risk of developing AMD, and performed subgroup analyses stratified by sex and age. Results: The median follow-up time was 8.9 years, with an interquartile range of 1.4 years. The incidence rate of AMD in the OA group was 2.77 per 1,000 person-years [95% confidence interval (CI), 2.62-2.92], and in the non-OA group, 2.06 per 1,000 person-years (95% CI, 1.94-2.19). The adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of AMD for the OA group was therefore 1.30 (95% CI, 1.20-1.41). In the subgroup analysis stratified by sex for the OA group, the adjusted HRs of AMD were 1.29 in the women's stratum and 1.31 in the men's. When stratified by age, the adjusted HRs of AMD for the younger (40-54 years) and older (55-69 years) strata were 1.28 and 1.31, respectively. Conclusions: Persons with OA have an increased risk of developing AMD, regardless of age and sex.

Association of Osteoarthritis With Increased Risk of Parkinson's Disease: A Population-Based, Longitudinal Follow-Up Study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether patients with osteoarthritis (OA) are at a higher risk of developing Parkinson's disease (PD). METHODS: This retrospective cohort study was conducted using Taiwan's Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2005. We enrolled 33,360 patients who were 50-64 years old and had OA in 2002-2005 to form the OA group. The comparison group consisted of 33,360 age- and sex-matched, randomly sampled subjects without OA. Then, their PD-free survival curves were generated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was employed to estimate the effect of having OA on patients' subsequent risk of PD. RESULTS: Of the 2 groups, the OA group had a significantly higher risk of developing PD (adjusted hazard ratio [HRadj ] 1.41 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.16-1.70], P = 0.0003). The PD-free survival rate of the OA group was also significantly lower than that of the comparison group (P = 0.0004). The subgroup analysis showed that patients with knee or hip OA appeared to have a higher magnitude of PD risk (HRadj 1.55 [95% CI 1.14-2.11]) than patients with non-knee and non-hip OA (HRadj 1.42 [95% CI 1.06-1.89]) or with uncategorized OA (HRadj 1.32 [95% CI 1.05-1.64]). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that OA is linked to an increased risk of developing PD.

Evaluating the effectiveness of population-based breast cancer service screening: an analysis of parsimonious patient survival information with the time-varying Cox model.

BACKGROUND: This study is aimed at estimating the unbiased effectiveness of population-based breast cancer service screening based on case survival information alone rather than large-scale individual screening data pursuant to the intention-to-treat principle of a randomized-controlled trial. METHODS: A novel time-dependent switched design with two modalities of cancer detection (screen-detected vs clinically detected) was proposed to evaluate the effectiveness of breast cancer screening. We used data on 767 patients from Kopparberg in the Swedish Two-County trial and on 78 587 patients in the Taiwan population-based service screening. We estimated the relative rate of the screen-detected vs the clinically detected with adjustment for both truncation and lead-time biases. The absolute effectiveness in terms of the number needed to screen (NNS) for averting one death from breast cancer was estimated. RESULTS: The relative rate of effectiveness was estimated as 33%, which was consistent with the 37% reported from the original Swedish randomized-controlled trial. The corresponding estimate for the Taiwan screening programme was 42%, which was also very close to that estimated using individual screening history data (41%). Both relative estimates were further applied to yield 446 and 806 of NNS for averting one death from breast cancer for the corresponding two data sets. CONCLUSION: The proposed time-dependent switched design and analysis with two modalities of case survival information provides a very efficient means for estimating the unbiased estimates of relative and absolute effectiveness of population-based breast cancer service screening dispensing with a large amount of individual screening history data.