Five-Year Clinical Trial of the Low-Concentration Atropine for Myopia Progression (LAMP) Study: Phase 4 Report.

PURPOSE: To evaluate (1) the long-term efficacy of low-concentration atropine over 5 years, (2) the proportion of children requiring re-treatment and associated factors, and (3) the efficacy of pro re nata (PRN) re-treatment using 0.05% atropine from years 3 to 5. DESIGN: Randomized, double-masked extended trial. PARTICIPANTS: Children 4 to 12 years of age originally from the Low-Concentration Atropine for Myopia Progression (LAMP) study. METHODS: Children 4 to 12 years of age originally from the LAMP study were followed up for 5 years. During the third year, children in each group originally receiving 0.05%, 0.025%, and 0.01% atropine were randomized to continued treatment and treatment cessation. During years 4 and 5, all continued treatment subgroups were switched to 0.05% atropine for continued treatment, whereas all treatment cessation subgroups followed a PRN re-treatment protocol to resume 0.05% atropine for children with myopic progressions of 0.5 diopter (D) or more over 1 year. Generalized estimating equations were used to compare the changes in spherical equivalent (SE) progression and axial length (AL) elongation among groups. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES: (1) Changes in SE and AL in different groups over 5 years, (2) the proportion of children who needed re-treatment, and (3) changes in SE and AL in the continued treatment and PRN re-treatment groups from years 3 to 5. RESULTS: Two hundred seventy (82.8%) of 326 children (82.5%) from the third year completed 5 years of follow-up. Over 5 years, the cumulative mean SE progressions were -1.34 ± 1.40 D, -1.97 ± 1.03 D, and -2.34 ± 1.71 D for the continued treatment groups with initial 0.05%, 0.025%, and 0.01% atropine, respectively (P = 0.02). Similar trends were observed in AL elongation (P = 0.01). Among the PRN re-treatment group, 87.9% of children (94/107) needed re-treatment. The proportion of re-treatment across all studied concentrations was similar (P = 0.76). The SE progressions for continued treatment and PRN re-treatment groups from years 3 to 5 were -0.97 ± 0.82 D and -1.00 ± 0.74 D (P = 0.55) and the AL elongations were 0.51 ± 0.34 mm and 0.49 ± 0.32 mm (P = 0.84), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Over 5 years, the continued 0.05% atropine treatment demonstrated good efficacy for myopia control. Most children needed to restart treatment after atropine cessation at year 3. Restarted treatment with 0.05% atropine achieved similar efficacy as continued treatment. Children should be considered for re-treatment if myopia progresses after treatment cessation. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S): The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.

Effect of Low-Concentration Atropine Eyedrops vs Placebo on Myopia Incidence in Children: The LAMP2 Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Early onset of myopia is associated with high myopia later in life, and myopia is irreversible once developed. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of low-concentration atropine eyedrops at 0.05% and 0.01% concentration for delaying the onset of myopia. Design, Setting, and Participants: This randomized, placebo-controlled, double-masked trial conducted at the Chinese University of Hong Kong Eye Centre enrolled 474 nonmyopic children aged 4 through 9 years with cycloplegic spherical equivalent between +1.00 D to 0.00 D and astigmatism less than -1.00 D. The first recruited participant started treatment on July 11, 2017, and the last participant was enrolled on June 4, 2020; the date of the final follow-up session was June 4, 2022. Interventions: Participants were assigned at random to the 0.05% atropine (n = 160), 0.01% atropine (n = 159), and placebo (n = 155) groups and had eyedrops applied once nightly in both eyes over 2 years. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcomes were the 2-year cumulative incidence rate of myopia (cycloplegic spherical equivalent of at least -0.50 D in either eye) and the percentage of participants with fast myopic shift (spherical equivalent myopic shift of at least 1.00 D). Results: Of the 474 randomized patients (mean age, 6.8 years; 50% female), 353 (74.5%) completed the trial. The 2-year cumulative incidence of myopia in the 0.05% atropine, 0.01% atropine, and placebo groups were 28.4% (33/116), 45.9% (56/122), and 53.0% (61/115), respectively, and the percentages of participants with fast myopic shift at 2 years were 25.0%, 45.1%, and 53.9%. Compared with the placebo group, the 0.05% atropine group had significantly lower 2-year cumulative myopia incidence (difference, 24.6% [95% CI, 12.0%-36.4%]) and percentage of patients with fast myopic shift (difference, 28.9% [95% CI, 16.5%-40.5%]). Compared with the 0.01% atropine group, the 0.05% atropine group had significantly lower 2-year cumulative myopia incidence (difference, 17.5% [95% CI, 5.2%-29.2%]) and percentage of patients with fast myopic shift (difference, 20.1% [95% CI, 8.0%-31.6%]). The 0.01% atropine and placebo groups were not significantly different in 2-year cumulative myopia incidence or percentage of patients with fast myopic shift. Photophobia was the most common adverse event and was reported by 12.9% of participants in the 0.05% atropine group, 18.9% in the 0.01% atropine group, and 12.2% in the placebo group in the second year. Conclusions and Relevance: Among children aged 4 to 9 years without myopia, nightly use of 0.05% atropine eyedrops compared with placebo resulted in a significantly lower incidence of myopia and lower percentage of participants with fast myopic shift at 2 years. There was no significant difference between 0.01% atropine and placebo. Further research is needed to replicate the findings, to understand whether this represents a delay or prevention of myopia, and to assess longer-term safety. Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry: ChiCTR-IPR-15006883.

Three-Year Clinical Trial of Low-Concentration Atropine for Myopia Progression (LAMP) Study: Continued Versus Washout: Phase 3 Report.

PURPOSE: (1) To compare the efficacy of continued and stopping treatment for 0.05%, 0.025%, and 0.01% atropine during the third year. (2) To evaluate the efficacy of continued treatment over 3 years. (3) To investigate the rebound phenomenon and its determinants after cessation of treatment. DESIGN: A randomized, double-masked extended trial. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 350 of 438 children aged 4 to 12 years originally recruited into the Low-Concentration Atropine for Myopia Progression (LAMP) study. METHODS: At the beginning of the third year, children in each group were randomized at a 1:1 ratio to continued treatment and washout subgroups. Cycloplegic spherical equivalent (SE) refraction and axial length (AL) were measured at 4-month intervals. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Changes in SE and AL between groups. RESULTS: A total of 326 children completed 3 years of follow-up. During the third year, SE progression and AL elongation were faster in the washout subgroups than in the continued treatment groups across all concentrations: -0.68 ± 0.49 diopters (D) versus -0.28 ± 0.42 D (P < 0.001) and 0.33 ± 0.17 mm versus 0.17 ± 0.14 mm (P < 0.001) for the 0.05%; -0.57 ± 0.38 D versus -0.35 ± 0.37 D (P = 0.004) and 0.29 ± 0.14 mm versus 0.20 ± 0.15 mm (P = 0.001) for the 0.025%; -0.56 ± 0.40 D versus -0.38 ± 0.49 D (P = 0.04) and 0.29 ± 0.15 mm versus 0.24 ± 0.18 mm (P = 0.13) for the 0.01%. Over the 3-year period, SE progressions were -0.73 ± 1.04 D, -1.31 ± 0.92 D, and -1.60 ± 1.32 D (P = 0.001) for the 0.05%, 0.025%, and 0.01% groups in the continued treatment subgroups, respectively, and -1.15 ± 1.13 D, -1.47 ± 0.77 D, and -1.81 ± 1.10 D (P = 0.03), respectively, in the washout subgroup. The respective AL elongations were 0.50 ± 0.40 mm, 0.74 ± 0.41 mm, and 0.89 ± 0.53 mm (P < 0.001) for the continued treatment subgroups and 0.70 ± 0.47 mm, 0.82 ± 0.37 mm, and 0.98 ± 0.48 mm (P = 0.04) for the washout subgroup. The rebound SE progressions during washout were concentration dependent, but their differences were clinically small (P = 0.15). Older age and lower concentration were associated with smaller rebound effects in both SE progression (P < 0.001) and AL elongation (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: During the third year, continued atropine treatment achieved a better effect across all concentrations compared with the washout regimen. 0.05% atropine remained the optimal concentration over 3 years in Chinese children. The differences in rebound effects were clinically small across all 3 studied atropine concentrations. Stopping treatment at an older age and lower concentration are associated with a smaller rebound.

Evaluation of Digital Drawing Tests and Paper-and-Pencil Drawing Tests for the Screening of Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Diagnostic Studies.

Digital drawing tests have been proposed for cognitive screening over the past decade. However, the diagnostic performance is still to clarify. The objective of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance among different types of digital and paper-and-pencil drawing tests in the screening of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. Diagnostic studies evaluating digital or paper-and-pencil drawing tests for the screening of MCI or dementia were identified from OVID databases, included Embase, MEDLINE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO. Studies evaluated any type of drawing tests for the screening of MCI or dementia and compared with healthy controls. This study was performed according to PRISMA and the guidelines proposed by the Cochrane Diagnostic Test Accuracy Working Group. A bivariate random-effects model was used to compare the diagnostic performance of these drawing tests and presented with a summary receiver-operating characteristic curve. The primary outcome was the diagnostic performance of clock drawing test (CDT). Other types of drawing tests were the secondary outcomes. A total of 90 studies with 22,567 participants were included. In the screening of MCI, the pooled sensitivity and specificity of the digital CDT was 0.86 (95% CI = 0.75 to 0.92) and 0.92 (95% CI = 0.69 to 0.98), respectively. For the paper-and-pencil CDT, the pooled sensitivity and specificity of brief scoring method was 0.63 (95% CI = 0.49 to 0.75) and 0.77 (95% CI = 0.68 to 0.84), and detailed scoring method was 0.63 (95% CI = 0.56 to 0.71) and 0.72 (95% CI = 0.65 to 0.78). In the screening of dementia, the pooled sensitivity and specificity of the digital CDT was 0.83 (95% CI = 0.72 to 0.90) and 0.87 (95% CI = 0.79 to 0.92). The performances of the digital and paper-and-pencil pentagon drawing tests were comparable in the screening of dementia. The digital CDT demonstrated better diagnostic performance than paper-and-pencil CDT for MCI. Other types of digital drawing tests showed comparable performance with paper-and-pencil formats. Therefore, digital drawing tests can be used as an alternative tool for the screening of MCI and dementia.

Sociodemographic moderation of the association between depression and stroke incidence in a retrospective cohort of 0.4 million primary care recipients with hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Previous research has suggested an association between depression and subsequent acute stroke incidence, but few studies have examined any effect modification by sociodemographic factors. In addition, no studies have investigated this association among primary care recipients with hypertension. METHODS: We examined the anonymized records of all public general outpatient visits by patients aged 45+ during January 2007-December 2010 in Hong Kong to extract primary care patients with hypertension for analysis. We took the last consultation date as the baseline and followed them up for 4 years (until 2011-2014) to observe any subsequent acute hospitalization due to stroke. Mixed-effects Cox models (random intercept across 74 included clinics) were implemented to examine the association between depression (ICPC diagnosis or anti-depressant prescription) at baseline and the hazard of acute stroke (ICD-9: 430-437.9). Effect modification by age, sex, and recipient status of social security assistance was examined in extended models with respective interaction terms specified. RESULTS: In total, 396 858 eligible patients were included, with 9099 (2.3%) having depression, and 10 851 (2.7%) eventually hospitalized for stroke. From the adjusted analysis, baseline depression was associated with a 17% increased hazard of acute stroke hospitalization [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03-1.32]. This association was suggested to be even stronger among men than among women (hazard ratio = 1.29, 95% CI 1.00-1.67). CONCLUSION: Depression is more strongly associated with acute stroke incidence among male than female primary care patients with hypertension. More integrated services are warranted to address their needs.

Cost-effectiveness of pharmacological therapies for people with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to synthesize the empirical economic evidence of pharmaceutical therapies for people with dementia. STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Literature evaluating the costs and effects of drug therapies for dementia was indexed until December 2021. Quality of study was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool and Consensus on Health Economic Criteria list. Cost data were standardized to 2020 US dollars and analyzed from healthcare service and societal perspectives. Random-effects models were used to synthesize economic and clinical data, based on mean differences (MDs) and standardized MDs. RESULTS: Ten unique studies were identified from 11,771 records. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) and memantine improved dementia-related symptoms, alongside nonsignificant savings in societal cost (AChEIs: MD-2002 [- 4944 ~ 939]; memantine: MD-6322 [- 14355 ~ 1711]). Despite decreases in cost, antidepressants of mirtazapine and sertraline and second-generation antipsychotics were limited by their significant side effects on patients' cognitive and activity functions. Subgroup analysis indicated that the impacts of AChEIs on cost were affected by different analytical perspectives, follow-up periods, and participant age. CONCLUSIONS: AChEIs and memantine are cost-effective with improvements in dementia-related symptoms and trends of cost-savings. More empirical evidence with non-industrial sponsorships and rigorous design in different settings is warranted.

Comparing drawing under instructions with image copying for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia screening: a meta-analysis of 92 diagnostic studies.

OBJECTIVES: Drawing is a major component of cognitive screening for dementia. It can be performed without language restriction. Drawing pictures under instructions and copying images are different screening approaches. The objective of this study was to compare the diagnostic performance between drawing under instructions and image copying for MCI and dementia screening. METHOD: A literature search was carried out in the OVID databases with keywords related to drawing for cognitive screening. Study quality and risk of bias were assessed by QUADAS-2. The level of diagnostic accuracy across different drawing tests was pooled by bivariate analysis in a random effects model. The area under the hierarchical summary receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC) was constructed to summarize the diagnostic performance. RESULTS: Ninety-two studies with sample size of 22,085 were included. The pooled results for drawing under instructions showed a sensitivity of 79% (95% CI: 76 - 83%) and a specificity of 80% (95% CI: 77 - 83%) with AUC of 0.87 (95% CI: 0.83 - 0.89). The pooled results for image copying showed a sensitivity of 71% (95% CI: 62 - 79%) and a specificity of 83% (95% CI: 72 - 90%) with AUC of 0.83 (95% CI: 0.80 - 0.86). Clock-drawing test was the screening test used in the majority of studies. CONCLUSION: Drawing under instructions showed a similar diagnostic performance when compared with image copying for cognitive screening and the administration of image copying is relatively simpler. Self-screening for dementia is feasible to be done at home in the near future.

Supporting Informal Caregivers of People With Dementia in Cost-Effective Ways: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Caring for persons with dementia is a heavy burden for informal caregivers. This study aimed to appraise the economic evidence of interventions supporting informal caregivers of people with dementia. METHODS: Literature was searched, and trial-based studies evaluating the costs and effects of interventions supporting informal caregivers of people with dementia were included. Cost data were analyzed from both healthcare and societal perspectives. Random-effects models were used to synthesize cost and effect data, based on mean differences (MDs) or standardized MDs. RESULTS: Of 33 eligible studies identified from 48 588 records, 14 (42.4%) showed net savings in total cost regardless of analytical perspectives. Among 22 studies included in meta-analyses, caregiver-focused psychosocial interventions showed improvements in caregivers' psychological health (n = 4; standardized MD 0.240; 95% confidence interval 0.094-0.387); nevertheless, the increases in societal cost were significant (n = 5; MD 3144; 95% confidence interval 922-5366). Psychological intervention and behavioral management engaging patient-caregiver dyads showed positive effects on caregivers' subjective burden, also with increases in total cost. Subgroup analyses indicated that the inclusion of different intervention components, the caregiver characteristics, and the follow-up periods could affect the costs and effects of interventions supporting informal caregivers. CONCLUSIONS: Psychosocial interventions directed at informal caregivers and dyad-based psychological and behavioral interventions are effective but also expensive. The use of these interventions depends on the society's willingness to pay. More comprehensive economic evidence of interventions supporting informal caregivers is required, and the design of intervention should focus more on different intervention components, characteristics of patients and caregivers, and healthcare systems.

Diagnostic accuracy of dementia screening tools in the Chinese population: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 167 diagnostic studies.

BACKGROUND: The rate of undetected dementia is high in China. However, the performance of dementia screening tools may differ in the Chinese population due to the lower education level and cultural diversity. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of dementia screening tools in the Chinese population. METHODS: Eleven electronic databases were searched for studies evaluating the diagnostic accuracy of dementia screening tools in older Chinese adults. The overall diagnostic accuracy was estimated using bivariate random-effects models, and the area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve was presented. RESULTS: One hundred sixty-seven studies including 81 screening tools were identified. Only 134 studies qualified for the meta-analysis. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was the most commonly studied tool, with a combined sensitivity (SENS) and specificity (SPEC) of 0.87 (95%CI 0.85-0.90) and 0.89 (95%CI 0.86-0.91), respectively. The Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination-Revised (ACE-R) (SENS: 0.96, 95%CI 0.89-0.99; SPEC: 0.96, 95%CI 0.89-0.98) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) (SENS: 0.93, 95%CI 0.88-0.96; SPEC: 0.90, 95%CI 0.86-0.93) showed the highest performance. The General Practitioner Assessment of Cognition (GPCOG), Hasegawa's Dementia Scale and Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument had performances comparable to that of the MMSE. The cut-off scores ranged widely across studies, especially for the MMSE (range: 15-27) and MoCA (range: 14-26). CONCLUSIONS: A number of dementia screening tools were validated in the Chinese population after cultural and linguistical adaptations. The ACE-R and MoCA had the best diagnostic accuracy, whereas the GPCOG, with an administration time < 5 minutes, could be considered as a rapid screening tool.

Comparison of adaptive versions of the Hong Kong-specific criteria and 2015 Beers criteria for assessing potentially inappropriate medication use in Hong Kong older patients.

BACKGROUND: The Hong Kong-specific criteria have been established in 2019 to assess potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) use in older adults and improve the local prescribing quality. The aim of this study was to compare the adaptive versions of the Hong Kong-specific criteria and 2015 Beers criteria for assessing the prevalence and correlates of PIM use in Hong Kong older patients. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2014 using the Hospital Authority (HA) database. A total of 489,301 older patients aged 65 years and older visiting general outpatient clinics (GOPCs) during the study period were included in the study. Two categories of PIM use included in the Hong Kong-specific criteria and 2015 Beers criteria, i.e. PIMs independent of diagnoses and PIMs considering specific medical conditions, were adapted to assess the prevalence of PIM use among the study sample. Characteristics of PIM users and the most frequently prescribed PIMs were investigated for each set of the criteria. Factors associated with PIM use were identified using the stepwise multivariable logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The adaptive Hong Kong-specific criteria could detect a higher prevalence of patients exposed to at least one PIM than that assessed by the adaptive Beers criteria (49.5% vs 47.5%). Meanwhile, the adaptive Hong Kong-specific criteria could identify a higher rate of patients exposed to PIMs independent of diagnoses (48.1% vs 46.8%) and PIMs considering specific medical conditions (7.3% vs 4.9%) compared with that of the adaptive Beers criteria. The most frequently prescribed PIMs detected by the adaptive Beers criteria were all included in the adaptive Hong Kong-specific criteria. The strongest factor associated with PIM use was number of different medications prescribed. Patients with female gender, aged 65 ~ 74 years, a larger number of GOPC visits, and more than six diagnoses were associated with greater risk of PIM use, whereas advancing age was associated with lower risk of PIM use. CONCLUSIONS: The adaptive Hong Kong-specific criteria could detect a higher prevalence of PIM use than the adaptive Beers criteria in older adults visiting GOPCs in Hong Kong. It is necessary to update the prevalence and correlates of PIM use regularly in older adults to monitor the burden of PIM use and identify vulnerable patients who need further interventions.

Association between antipsychotic use and acute ischemic heart disease in women but not in men: a retrospective cohort study of over one million primary care patients.

BACKGROUND: Research comparing sex differences in the effects of antipsychotic medications on acute ischemic heart disease (IHD) is limited and the findings ambiguous. This study aimed to investigate these associations within a primary care setting. METHODS: Hong Kong public general outpatient electronic records of patients aged 45+ during 2007-2010 were extracted, with the last consultation date as the baseline for a 4-year follow-up period to observe acute IHD hospitalizations (2011-2014). Antipsychotic use was defined as any prescription over the previous 12 months from a list of 16 antipsychotics, while acute IHD was defined by ICD-9: 410.00-411.89. Both sex-specific and sex-combined (both sexes) mixed-effects Cox models (random intercept across 74 clinics) were implemented to examine the association and test the interaction between antipsychotics and sex. RESULTS: Among 1,043,236 included patients, 17,780 (1.7%) were prescribed antipsychotics, and 8342 (0.8%) developed IHD. In sex-specific analyses, antipsychotic prescription was associated with a 32% increased hazard rate of acute IHD among women (95% CI 1.05-1.67) but not among men. A likelihood ratio test comparing sex-combined models with and without the interaction between antipsychotic use and sex suggested significant interaction (χ2 = 4.72, P = 0.030). The association between antipsychotic use and IHD among women attenuated and became non-significant when haloperidol was omitted from the operationalization of antipsychotic use (HR = 1.23, 95% CI 0.95-1.60). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that antipsychotic prescription is moderately associated with an increased risk of acute IHD among women in primary care and this relationship may be explained by specific antipsychotics. Further research should observe and capture the potential intermediary mechanisms and the dose-response relationship of this association to provide more rigorous evidence to establish causality and inform clinical practices.

Two-Year Clinical Trial of the Low-Concentration Atropine for Myopia Progression (LAMP) Study: Phase 2 Report.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of 0.05%, 0.025%, and 0.01% atropine eye drops over 2 years to determine which is the optimal concentration for longer-term myopia control. DESIGN: Randomized, double-masked trial extended from the Low-Concentration Atropine for Myopia Progression (LAMP) Study. PARTICIPANTS: Three hundred eighty-three of 438 children (87%) aged 4 to 12 years with myopia of at least -1.0 diopter (D) originally randomized to receive atropine 0.05%, 0.025%, 0.01%, or placebo once daily in both eyes in the LAMP phase 1 study were continued in this extended trial (phase 2). METHODS: Children in the placebo group (phase 1) were switched to receive 0.05% atropine from the beginning of the second-year follow-up, whereas those in the 0.05%, 0.025%, and 0.01% atropine groups continued with the same regimen. Cycloplegic refraction, axial length (AL), accommodation amplitude, photopic and mesopic pupil diameter, and best-corrected visual acuity were measured at 4-month intervals. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Changes in spherical equivalent (SE) and AL and their differences between groups. RESULTS: Over the 2-year period, the mean SE progression was 0.55±0.86 D, 0.85±0.73 D, and 1.12±0.85 D in the 0.05%, 0.025%, and 0.01% atropine groups, respectively (P = 0.015, P < 0.001, and P = 0.02, respectively, for pairwise comparisons), with mean AL changes over 2 years of 0.39±0.35 mm, 0.50±0.33 mm, and 0.59±0.38 mm (P = 0.04, P < 0.001, and P = 0.10, respectively). Compared with the first year, the second-year efficacy of 0.05% and 0.025% atropine remained similar (P >0.1), but improved mildly in the 0.01% atropine group (P = 0.04). For the phase 1 placebo group, the myopia progression was reduced significantly after switching to 0.05% atropine (SE change, 0.18 D in second year vs. 0.82 D in first year [P < 0.001]; AL elongated 0.15 mm in second year vs. 0.43 mm in first year [P < 0.001]). Accommodation loss and change in pupil size in all concentrations remained similar to the first-year results and were well tolerated. Visual acuity and vision-related quality of life remained unaffected. CONCLUSIONS: Over 2 years, the efficacy of 0.05% atropine observed was double that observed with 0.01% atropine, and it remained the optimal concentration among the studied atropine concentrations in slowing myopia progression.

Can voucher scheme enhance primary care provision for older adults: cross-sectional study in Hong Kong.

BACKGROUND: The Hong Kong government has launched the Elderly Health Care Voucher (EHCV) scheme to facilitate primary care in the private sector for older adults. This study aimed to examine whether voucher use was associated with a shift of healthcare burden from the public to the private sector, vaccine uptake and continuity of care. METHODS: This cross-sectional survey recruited older adults with ≥3 chronic diseases through convenience sampling from seven general outpatient clinics, seven geriatric day hospitals, and five specialist outpatient clinics of the public healthcare sector in Hong Kong. We used multiple logistic regression to address the study objective. RESULTS: A total of 1032 patients participated in the survey. We included 714 participants aged 70 or above in the analysis. EHCV use was associated with higher utilization of private primary care services, including general practitioner and family doctor (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) 2.67, 95% Confidence Interval (95%CI) 1.51-4.72) and Chinese medicine clinic (AOR 3.53, 95%CI 1.47-8.49). There were no significant associations of EHCV use with public general outpatient clinic attendance, Accident & Emergency attendance, and hospitalization. Furthermore, EHCV users were more likely to receive pneumococcal vaccination (AOR 2.17, 95%CI 1.22-3.85) and were less likely to visit the same doctors for chronic disease management (AOR 0.10, 95%CI 0.01-0.73). CONCLUSIONS: While the EHCV may promote private primary care utilization and preventive care, older patients continue to rely on public services and the EHCV may worsen continuity of care. Policy-makers should designate voucher usage for chronic disease management and continuity of care.

Combined nicotine patch with gum versus nicotine patch alone in smoking cessation in Hong Kong primary care clinics: a randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of daily cigarette smoking has dropped to 10% in Hong Kong (HK) in 2017, however, smoking still kills 5700 persons per year. Studies suggest that abstinence rates are higher with combined NRT than single NRT, although local data on safety and benefits of combined NRT are lacking. The aim of this study is to compare the effectiveness of combined NRT with single NRT among HK Chinese. METHODS: This is a one-year, two-arm, parallel randomised trial. Five hundred sixty smokers, who smoked ≥10 cigarettes/day for ≥1 year, were randomized to combined and single NRT. Combined NRT group received counseling and nicotine patch & gum. Single NRT group received counselling and nicotine patch. Primary outcome was abstinence rate measured as self-reported 7-day point prevalence with CO validated at 52 weeks. Secondary outcomes included smoking abstinence rates at 4, 12, & 26 weeks. Crude odds ratio and p-value were reported from logistic regression without adjustment; for trend analysis, adjusted odds ratio (AOR) and p-value were reported from Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) (controlling for time). All AORs were adjusted for age, sex, baseline CO and clusters. RESULTS: Abstinence rates at 4, 12, 26 and 52 weeks were all higher in the combined NRT group (35.8, 21.9, 16.8, 20.1%) compared with the single NRT group (28, 16.8, 11.2, 14.3%). At 4 weeks, combined NRT group was more likely to quit smoking (OR 1.43, 95% CI, 1.00 to 2.05) than the single NRT group. From GEE analysis, combined NRT group had a significantly higher abstinence rate (23.6%) than the single NRT group (17.6%) across repeated measures at all-time points. Combined NRT group was more likely to quit smoking (OR 1.43, 95% CI, 1.15 to 1.77). No significant difference in the side effect profile was detected between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Smokers given 8 weeks of combined NRT were more likely to quit smoking at 4, 12, 26 and 52 weeks compared with single NRT. Combined NRT was as well tolerated as single NRT and it should be further promoted in our community. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT03836560 from ClinicalTrial.gov , 9 Feb 2019.

Treating Subthreshold Depression in Primary Care: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Behavioral Activation With Mindfulness.

PURPOSE: We undertook a randomized controlled trial to assess the efficacy of group-based behavioral activation with mindfulness (BAM) for treating subthreshold depression in primary care in Hong Kong. METHODS: We recruited adult patients aged 18 years or older with subthreshold depression from public primary care clinics and randomly assigned them to a BAM intervention group or a usual care group. The BAM group was provided with eight 2-hour weekly BAM sessions by trained allied health care workers. Patients in the usual care group received usual medical care with no additional psychological interventions. The primary outcome was depressive symptoms measured by the Beck Depression Inventory-II at 12 months. Secondary outcomes included incidence of major depressive disorder at 12 months. We assessed quality of life, activity and circumstances change, functional impairment, and anxiety at baseline, end of intervention, 5 months, and 12 months. RESULTS: We randomly allocated 115 patients to the BAM intervention and 116 patients to usual care. At 12 months, compared with usual care peers, BAM patients had a slightly more favorable change in levels of depressive symptoms on the Beck Depression Inventory-II (between-group mean difference in score = -3.85; 95% CI, -6.36 to -1.34; Cohen d = -0.46, 95% CI, -0.76 to -0.16). Incidence of major depressive disorder was lower with BAM (10.8% vs 26.8%, P = .01), whereas groups did not differ significantly on other secondary outcomes at 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: Group BAM appears to be efficacious for decreasing depressive symptoms and reducing the incidence of major depression among patients with subthreshold depression in primary care, although generalizability of our findings may be limited.

Utilization of psychiatric care and antidepressants among people with different severity of depression: a population-based cohort study in Stockholm, Sweden.

PURPOSE: To identify how severity of depression predicts future utilization of psychiatric care and antidepressants. METHODS: Data derived from a longitudinal population-based study in Stockholm, Sweden, include 10443 participants aged 20-64 years. Depression was assessed by Major Depression Inventory and divided into subsyndromal, mild, moderate and severe depression. Outcomes were the first time of hospitalization, specialized outpatient care and prescribed drugs obtained from national register records. The association between severity of depression and outcomes was tested by Cox regression analysis, after adjusting for gender, psychiatric treatment history and socio-environmental factors. RESULTS: The cumulative incidences of hospitalizations, outpatient care and antidepressants were 4.0, 11.2, and 21.9% respectively. Compared to the non-depressed group, people with different severity of depression (subsyndromal, mild, moderate and severe depression) all had significantly higher risk of all three psychiatric services (all log-rank test P < 0.001). Use of psychiatric care and antidepressants increased by rising severity of depression. Although the associations between severity of depression and psychiatric services were significant, the dose relationship was not present in people with previous psychiatric history or after adjusting for gender and other factors. CONCLUSIONS: People with subsyndromal to severe depression all have increased future psychiatric service utilization compared to non-depressed people.

Electroacupuncture and splinting versus splinting alone to treat carpal tunnel syndrome: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The effectiveness of acupuncture for managing carpal tunnel syndrome is uncertain, particularly in patients already receiving conventional treatments (e.g., splinting). We aimed to assess the effects of electroacupuncture combined with splinting. METHODS: We conducted a randomized parallel-group assessor-blinded 2-arm trial on patients with clinically diagnosed primary carpal tunnel syndrome. The treatment group was offered 13 sessions of electroacupuncture over 17 weeks. The treatment and control groups both received continuous nocturnal wrist splinting. RESULTS: Of 181 participants randomly assigned to electroacupuncture combined with splinting (n = 90) or splinting alone (n = 91), 174 (96.1%) completed all follow-up. The electroacupuncture group showed greater improvements at 17 weeks in symptoms (primary outcome of Symptom Severity Scale score mean difference [MD] -0.20, 95% confidence interval [CI] -0.36 to -0.03), disability (Disability of Arm, Shoulder and Hand Questionnaire score MD -6.72, 95% CI -10.9 to -2.57), function (Functional Status Scale score MD -0.22, 95% CI -0.38 to -0.05), dexterity (time to complete blinded pick-up test MD -6.13 seconds, 95% CI -10.6 to -1.63) and maximal tip pinch strength (MD 1.17 lb, 95% CI 0.48 to 1.86). Differences between groups were small and clinically unimportant for reduction in pain (numerical rating scale -0.70, 95% CI -1.34 to -0.06), and not significant for sensation (first finger monofilament test -0.08 mm, 95% CI -0.22 to 0.06). INTERPRETATION: For patients with primary carpal tunnel syndrome, chronic mild to moderate symptoms and no indication for surgery, electroacupuncture produces small changes in symptoms, disability, function, dexterity and pinch strength when added to nocturnal splinting. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Register no. ChiCTR-TRC-11001655 (www.chictr.org.cn/showprojen.aspx?proj=7890); subsequently deposited in the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (apps.who.int/trialsearch/Trial2.aspx?TrialID=ChiCTR-TRC-11001655).

COHORT EFFECTS OF SUICIDE MORTALITY ARE SEX SPECIFIC IN THE RAPIDLY DEVELOPED HONG KONG CHINESE POPULATION, 1976-2010.

BACKGROUND: To examine temporal variations of age, period, and cohort on suicide mortality rate in Hong Kong (HK) from 1976 to 2010, and speculate the macroenvironmental mechanisms of the observed trends. METHODS: Poisson age-period-cohort modeling was used to delineate the effects of age, period, and cohort on suicide mortality. Analysis by sex was also conducted to examine if gender difference exists for suicidal behaviours. RESULTS: Age-cohort model provides the best fit to the mortality data, implying that the cohort effect is likely to explain more of the contributions to HK's suicide mortality pattern than the period effect. Risk of suicide mortality increases nonlinearly with age and accelerates after age 65-69 for both sexes. Moreover, the cohort effects differ between the sexes-risk of mortality increases continually for men born after 1961, but no change is observed for women since the 1941 cohort. CONCLUSIONS: With increased risk of suicide mortality in younger cohorts and the age effect of suicide mortality, we may see future increase in suicide mortality as these younger cohorts age. Further studies are needed to clarify plausible associations between broader sociohistorical changes in the population impacting psychological risk factors and suicidal behaviour to better inform suicide prevention strategies.