Evolution of healthcare costs for lower urinary tract symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia.

PURPOSE: With the ubiquity of lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (LUTS/BPH) in older men, costs related to this highly prevalent disease are likely significant but not well defined. With this study, we hoped to define costs related to LUTS/BPH care. METHODS: We utilized the Optum© de-identified Clinformatics® Data Mart Database (CDM) for privately insured male enrollees aged 40-64 years with LUTS/BPH (N ≈ 100,300 annually) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Medicare 5% Sample for male beneficiaries aged 65 + years with LUTS/BPH (N ≈ 147,800 annually). Annual LUTS/BPH-related expenditures from 2004 to 2013 were age standardized and calculated overall and by age and service location. RESULTS: The Medicare cohort demonstrated a 23% increase in total costs over the study period with a 28% decrease in CDM costs. Decreases in inpatient hospital charges (45% for Medicare, 55% for CDM) were offset by increasing hospital-based outpatient fees (120% for Medicare, 87% for CDM). Overall, we estimated a total cost of at least $1.9 billion for treatment of men with LUTS/BPH for 2013. Per person expenditures increased with age within cohorts with an average per-person cost of $269 (CDM) and $248 (Medicare) in 2013. CONCLUSION: The distribution of healthcare expenditures for LUTS/BPH shifted across practice settings from 2004 to 2013, with increasing outpatient relative to inpatient expenditures. Total direct costs for LUTS/BPH in 2013 were at least $1.9 billion, not accounting for indirect costs or certain unmeasured populations.

Poor clinical guideline adherence and inappropriate testing for incident lower urinary tract symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia.

BACKGROUND: The American Urological Association makes recommendations for evaluation and testing for lower urinary tract symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (LUTS/BPH) to help primary care providers and specialists identify LUTS/BPH and harmful related conditions including urinary retention and prostate or bladder cancer. Our understanding of provider adherence to these Guidelines is limited to single-site or nonrepresentative settings. METHODS: We analyzed two insurance claims databases: the Optum® de-identified Clinformatics® Data Mart database for privately insured males aged 40-64 years (N ≈ 1,650,900 annually) and the Medicare 5% Sample for males aged ≥65 years (N ≈ 546,000 annually). We calculated the annual prevalence of LUTS/BPH and comorbid bladder cancer and bladder stones from 2004 to 2013. We additionally examined LUTS/BPH incidence and adherence to testing guidelines in a cohort of men newly diagnosed with LUTS/BPH in 2009. RESULTS: While LUTS/BPH prevalence and incidence increased with increasing age, evaluation testing became less common. Urinalysis was the most common testing type but was performed in <60% of incident patients. Serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) was the second most common test across age groups (range: 15-34%). Prevalence of comorbid bladder cancer (range: 0-4%), but not bladder stones (range: 1-2%), increased with increasing age. CONCLUSIONS: Although older men were at greater risk of LUTS/BPH than younger men, they were less likely to undergo testing at diagnosis. Recommended testing with urinalysis was poor despite higher prevalence of bladder cancer in older men and a standard recommendation for urinalysis since 1994. Providers should be more cognizant of AUA Guidelines when assessing LUTS/BPH patients.

National Trends in Neuromodulation for Urinary Incontinence Among Insured Adult Women and Men, 2004-2013: The Urologic Diseases in America Project.

OBJECTIVE: To examine US trends in neuromodulation for urinary incontinence (UI) treatment from 2004 to 2013. METHODS: This study utilized 2 data sources: the Optum© de-identified Clinformatics® Data Mart Database for privately insured adults aged 18-64 years with a UI diagnosis (N≈40,000 women and men annually) and the Medicare 5% Sample for beneficiaries aged ≥65 years with a UI diagnosis (N≈65,000 women and men annually). We created annual cross-sectional cohorts and assessed prevalence of UI-related neuromodulation procedures among men and women separately from 2004 to 2013. Analyses were conducted overall and stratified by age, race/ethnicity, and geographic region. RESULTS: Nearly all neuromodulation procedures occurred in outpatient settings. Sacral neuromodulation (SNM) procedures for UI in both women and men grew steadily from 2004 to 2013, with more procedures performed in women than men. Among women with UI, SNM prevalence grew from 0.1%-0.2% in 2004 to 0.5%-0.6% in 2013. Posterior tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) experienced growth from 2011 to 2013. Chemodenervation of the bladder with onabotulinumtoxinA (BTX) combined with other injectable procedures (including urethral bulking) remained stable over time. CONCLUSIONS: From 2004 to 2013, SNM procedures remained relatively uncommon but increased consistently. PTNS experienced growth starting in 2011 when PTNS-specific insurance claims became available. BTX trends remain unclear; future studies should assess it separately from other injectable procedures. Neuromodulation has a growing role in UI treatment, and ongoing trends will be important to examine.

Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Atrial Fibrillation Treatment and Outcomes among Dialysis Patients in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Because stroke prevention is a major goal in the management of ESKD hemodialysis patients with atrial fibrillation, investigating racial/ethnic disparities in stroke among such patients is important to those who could benefit from strategies to maximize preventive measures. METHODS: We used the United States Renal Data System to identify ESKD patients who initiated hemodialysis from 2006 to 2013 and then identified those with a subsequent atrial fibrillation diagnosis and Medicare Part A/B/D. Patients were followed for 1 year for all-cause stroke, mortality, prescription medications, and cardiovascular disease procedures. The survival mediational g-formula quantified the percentage of excess strokes attributable to lower use of atrial fibrillation treatments by race/ethnicity. RESULTS: The study included 56,587 ESKD hemodialysis patients with atrial fibrillation. Black, white, Hispanic, and Asian patients accounted for 19%, 69%, 8%, and 3% of the population, respectively. Compared with white patients, black, Hispanic, or Asian patients were more likely to experience stroke (13%, 15%, and 16%, respectively) but less likely to fill a warfarin prescription (10%, 17%, and 28%, respectively). Warfarin prescription was associated with decreased stroke rates. Analyses suggested that equalizing the warfarin distribution to that in the white population would prevent 7%, 10%, and 12% of excess strokes among black, Hispanic, and Asian patients, respectively. We found no racial/ethnic disparities in all-cause mortality or use of cardiovascular disease procedures. CONCLUSIONS: Racial/ethnic disparities in all-cause stroke among hemodialysis patients with atrial fibrillation are partially mediated by lower use of anticoagulants among black, Hispanic, and Asian patients. The reasons for these disparities are unknown, but strategies to maximize stroke prevention in minority hemodialysis populations should be further investigated.

National Trends in the Surgical Management of Urinary Incontinence among Insured Women, 2004 to 2013: The Urologic Diseases in America Project.

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to examine national trends in the surgical management of urinary incontinence in women in the United States from 2004 to 2013. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed the CDM (Optum® de-identified Clinformatics® Data Mart) for women 18 to 64 years old and the CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) Medicare 5% Sample for women 65 years old or older. We created annual cross-sectional cohorts and assessed trends in the annual prevalence of urinary incontinence related surgical procedures overall and by age, race/ethnicity and geographic region. RESULTS: We observed a decline in the percent of women with urinary incontinence who underwent surgical treatment according to the CMS (from 4.7% in 2004 to 2.7% in 2013) and the CDM (from 12.5% in 2004 to 9.1% in 2013). This trend persisted independently of age, race/ethnicity and geographic region. Slings were the most common procedure but started to decline in 2011, ultimately decreasing by about 50% during the study period. Compared to other groups the prevalence of urinary incontinence related surgical procedures, including slings, was highest among women 35 to 54 years old and White women, and lowest among women residing in the Northeast. These sociodemographic patterns persisted with time. During the study period injection procedures remained stable, sacral neuromodulation increased slightly but remained uncommon and suspension decreased to nearly 0% of all anti-incontinence procedures. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical management of female urinary incontinence experienced several shifts from 2004 to 2013, including a decline in sling procedures. Age, racial/ethnic and regional differences in treatment persisted with time. Improved understanding of the drivers of these trends may help direct future development of treatments of pelvic floor disorders.

Trends in Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Associated with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia, 2004 to 2013: the Urologic Diseases in America Project.

PURPOSE: Our current understanding of recent trends in the management of lower urinary tract symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia is incomplete, particularly in younger men. The 2018 Urologic Diseases in America Project attempted to fill this gap by analyzing multiple large administrative claims databases which include men of all ages and permit longitudinal followup. To our knowledge we report these findings for the first time in the scientific literature. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The 2 data sources used in this study included the de-identified Optum® Clinformatics® Data Mart database for men 40 to 64 years old and the Medicare 5% Sample for men 65 years old or older. To assess trends in lower urinary tract symptoms/benign prostatic hyperplasia related medication prescriptions and surgical procedures from 2004 to 2013 we created annual cross-sectional cohorts and a longitudinal cohort of patients with incident lower urinary tract symptoms/benign prostatic hyperplasia and 5 years of followup. RESULTS: The use of medications related to lower urinary tract symptoms/benign prostatic hyperplasia increased with age, particularly among men 40 to 60 years old. While medication use increased with time, surgical procedures decreased. Increasing age correlated with a higher rate of surgical procedures in the longitudinal cohort. Younger men were more likely to elect treatments of lower urinary tract symptoms/benign prostatic hyperplasia which reportedly optimize sexual function. CONCLUSIONS: Medication use increased and surgery decreased during the study period. Treatment approaches to lower urinary tract symptoms/benign prostatic hyperplasia varied greatly by patient age. While the minority of men in the fifth and sixth decades of life required treatment, a sharp increase in treatment use was seen between these decades. Younger men were more likely to elect less invasive surgical options. Future studies of lower urinary tract symptoms/benign prostatic hyperplasia should focus on age specific treatment selection.

Perceived discrimination and depressive symptoms among US Latinos: the modifying role of educational attainment.

OBJECTIVE: Despite growing evidence that discrimination may contribute to poor mental health, few studies have assessed this association among US Latinos. Furthermore, the interaction between discrimination and educational attainment in shaping Latino mental health is virtually unexplored. This study aims to examine the association between perceived discrimination and depressive symptoms and the modifying role of education among a population of Mexican-origin adults. DESIGN: We utilized population-based data from 629 Mexican-origin adults (mean age = 52.8 years) participating the Niños Lifestyle and Diabetes Study (2013-2014). Perceived discrimination was defined as responding 'sometimes' or 'often' to at least one item on the 9-item Everyday Discrimination Scale. High depressive symptoms were defined as scoring ≥10 on the CESD-10. We used log-binomial and linear-binomial models to estimate prevalence ratios (PR) and prevalence differences (PD), respectively, of high depressive symptoms for levels of perceived discrimination. Final models were adjusted for age, sex, education, cultural orientation, and nativity. General estimating equations were employed to account for within-family clustering. RESULTS: Prevalence of perceived discrimination and high depressive symptoms were 49.5% and 29.2%, respectively. Participants experiencing discrimination had higher depressive symptom prevalence than those never or rarely experiencing discrimination [PR = 1.94, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.46-2.58; PD = 0.19, 95% CI: 0.12-0.27]. The strength of this association varied by education level. The association between discrimination and depressive symptoms was stronger among those with >12 years of education (PR = 2.69; PD = 0.24) compared to those with ≤12 years of education (PR = 1.36; PD = 0.09). CONCLUSION: US Latinos suffer a high burden of depressive symptoms, and discrimination may be an important driver of this burden. Our results suggest that effortful coping strategies, such as achieving high education despite high perceived discrimination, may magnify discrimination's adverse effect on Latino mental health.

How do we assess a racial disparity in health? Distribution, interaction, and interpretation in epidemiological studies.

Identifying the exposures or interventions that exacerbate or ameliorate racial health disparities is one of the fundamental goals of social epidemiology. Introducing an interaction term between race and an exposure into a statistical model is commonly used in the epidemiologic literature to assess racial health disparities and the potential viability of a targeted health intervention. However, researchers may attribute too much authority to the interaction term and inadvertently ignore other salient information regarding the health disparity. In this article, we highlight empirical examples from the literature demonstrating limitations of overreliance on interaction terms in health disparities research; we further suggest approaches for moving beyond interaction terms when assessing these disparities. We promote a comprehensive framework of three guiding questions for disparity investigation, suggesting examination of the group-specific differences in (1) outcome prevalence, (2) exposure prevalence, and (3) effect size. Our framework allows for better assessment of meaningful differences in population health and the resulting implications for interventions, demonstrating that interaction terms alone do not provide sufficient means for determining how disparities arise. The widespread adoption of this more comprehensive approach has the potential to dramatically enhance understanding of the patterning of health and disease and the drivers of health disparities.

Neighborhood language isolation and depressive symptoms among elderly U.S. Latinos.

PURPOSE: Neighborhood segregation related to cultural factors, such as language use, may influence elderly Latino depression. We examined the association between neighborhood-level Spanish language segregation and individual depressive symptoms among elderly Latinos. METHODS: We linked U.S. Census language use data with geocoded population-based data from 1789 elderly Latinos (mean age = 70.6 years) participating in the Sacramento Area Latino Study on Aging (1998-2008). Neighborhood language segregation was measured with the Index of Concentration at the Extremes, which demonstrates the extent to which residents are concentrated at extremes of deprivation and privilege. We fit two-level generalized linear-mixed models with random intercepts for census tracts to quantify the association between neighborhood-level language segregation and depressive symptoms, adjusting for identified confounders. RESULTS: After adjusting for age, sex, and nativity, residents of highly segregated Spanish-speaking neighborhoods had more depressive symptoms than those in highly segregated English-only-speaking neighborhoods (ß = -4.410; 95% confidence interval [CI] = -6.851 to -1.970). This association was largely attenuated upon adjustment for individual-level education (ß = -2.119; 95% CI = -4.650 to 0.413). CONCLUSIONS: Linguistically segregated communities may benefit from targeted outreach given the high depression prevalence in these neighborhoods. Furthermore, our findings suggest that limited access to fundamental social protections, such as education, may drive the segregation-depression association among U.S. Latinos.

Educational Mobility Across Generations and Depressive Symptoms Over 10 Years Among US Latinos.

Few studies have collected intergenerational data to assess the association between educational mobility across multiple generations and offspring depression. Using data from the Sacramento Area Latino Study on Aging (1998-2008), we assessed the influence of intergenerational education on depressive symptoms over 10 years among 1,786 Latino individuals (mean age = 70.6 years). Educational mobility was classified as stable-low (low parental/low offspring education), upwardly mobile (low parental/high offspring education), stable-high (high parental/high offspring education), or downwardly mobile (high parental/low offspring education). Depressive symptoms were measured with the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D); higher scores indicated more depressive symptoms. To quantify the association between educational mobility and CES-D scores over follow-up, we used generalized estimating equations to account for repeated CES-D measurements and adjusted for identified confounders. Within individuals, depressive symptoms remained relatively stable over follow-up. Compared with stable-low education, stable-high education and upward mobility were associated with significantly lower CES-D scores (ß = -2.75 and -2.18, respectively). Downwardly mobile participants had slightly lower CES-D scores than stable-low participants (ß = -0.77). Our results suggest that sustained, low educational attainment across generations may have adverse mental health consequences, and improved educational opportunities in underresourced communities may counteract the adverse influence of low parental education on Latino depression.

Intergenerational education mobility and depressive symptoms in a population of Mexican origin.

PURPOSE: Low educational attainment has been associated with depression among Latinos. However, few studies have collected intergenerational data to assess mental health effects of educational mobility across generations. METHODS: Using data from the Niños Lifestyle and Diabetes Study, we assessed the influence of intergenerational education on depressive symptoms among 603 Mexican-origin individuals. Intergenerational educational mobility was classified: stable-low (low parent and/or low offspring education), upwardly mobile (low parent and/or high offspring education), stable-high (high parent and/or high offspring education), or downwardly mobile (high parent and/or low offspring education). High depressive symptoms were defined as scoring ≥10 on the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale-10 (CESD-10). We examined prevalence ratios (PRs) for depressive symptoms with levels of educational mobility. We used general estimating equations with log-binomial models to account for within-family clustering, adjusting for age, gender, and offspring and parent nativity. RESULTS: Compared with stable-low participants, the lowest prevalence of CESD-10 score ≥10 occurred in upwardly mobile (PR = 0.55; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.39-0.78) and stable-high (PR = 0.62; 95% CI = 0.44-0.87) participants. Downwardly mobile participants were also less likely to have a CESD-10 score ≥10 compared with stable-low participants (PR = 0.65; 95% CI = 0.38-1.11), although the estimate was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Sustained stress from low intergenerational education may adversely affect depression. Latinos with stable-low or downwardly mobile intergenerational educational attainment may need closer monitoring for depressive symptoms.

Vitamin B12 serostatus in Colombian children and adult women: results from a nationally representative survey.

OBJECTIVE: Vitamin B12 deficiency is associated with many adverse health outcomes and is highly prevalent worldwide. The present study assesses the prevalence of vitamin B12 deficiency and marginal deficiency in Colombian children and women and examines the sociodemographic correlates of serum vitamin B12 concentrations in these groups. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, nationally representative survey. SETTING: Colombia. SUBJECTS: Children <18 years old (n 7243), pregnant women (n 1781), and non-pregnant women 18-49 years old (n 499). RESULTS: The overall prevalence of vitamin B12 deficiency (serum vitamin B12<148 pmol/l) and marginal deficiency (serum vitamin B12=148-221 pmol/l) was, respectively, 6.6 % (95 % CI 5.2%, 8.3%) and 22.5% (95% CI 21.1%, 23.9%). Pregnant women had the highest prevalence of deficiency (18.9 %; 95 % CI 16.6 %, 21.5 %) compared with non-pregnant adult women (18.5%; 95% CI 4.4%, 53.1%) and children (2.8 %; 95 % CI 2.3 % %, 3.3 %). In multivariable analyses among children, mean serum vitamin B12 was positively associated with female sex (12 pmol/l higher compared with males; P=0.004), secondary or higher education of the household head (12 pmol/l higher compared with primary or less; P=0.009) and food security (21 pmol/l higher compared with severe food insecurity; P=0.003). In multivariable analyses among pregnant women, mean serum vitamin B12 was positively associated with education of the household head and inversely associated with living in the National territories, Eastern or Pacific regions. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of vitamin B12 deficiency and marginal deficiency in Colombian women and children is substantial. The burden falls largely on adult women, those with lowest education and those living in the poorest, most rural regions of the country.