Maternal anemia and the risk of childhood cancer: A population-based cohort study in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: Childhood cancer may be related to maternal health in pregnancy. Maternal anemia is a common condition in pregnancy, especially in low-income countries, but the association between maternal anemia and childhood cancer has not been widely studied. OBJECTIVE: To examine the potential relation between maternal anemia during pregnancy and childhood cancers in a population-based cohort study in Taiwan. METHODS: We examined the relationship between maternal anemia and childhood cancer in Taiwan (N = 2160 cancer cases, 2,076,877 noncases). Cases were taken from the National Cancer Registry, and noncases were selected from birth records. Using national health registries, we obtained maternal anemia diagnoses. We estimated the risks for childhood cancers using Cox proportional hazard analysis. RESULTS: There was an increased risk of cancers in children born to mothers with nutritional anemia (hazard ratio (HR): 1.32, 95% CI 0.99, 1.76). Iron deficiency anemia (HR: 1.30, 95% CI 0.97-1.75) carried an increased risk, while non-nutritional anemias were not associated with childhood cancer risk. CONCLUSION: Our results provide additional support for screening for anemia during pregnancy. Adequate nutrition and vitamin supplementation may help to prevent some childhood cancer.

Hepatic and cardiovascular safety of acarbose among type 2 diabetes patients with end-stage renal disease: A nationwide population-based longitudinal study.

AIM: To assess the relationship between acarbose and hepatotoxicity, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and mortality among type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). METHODS: 32,531 T2D patients with ESRD were identified from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database in 2000~∼2012 and followed up until 2013. 19.3% of subjects were newly initiated with acarbose during the follow-up. The use of acarbose was quantified as the numbers of the 30-day drug's supplies and dosages (measured by defined daily doses; DDDs), respectively. Time-varying Cox models were applied to evaluate the association of acarbose use with hepatic, cardiovascular and mortality outcomes, with adjustment for patients' demographics, comorbidities, diabetes severity, and co-medications. RESULTS: For each 30-day supply increase in acarbose exposure, the risks of hepatic injury, composite CVD events, and all-cause mortality were significantly lowered by 9% (95% confidence interval: 6-12%), 7% (6-7%) and 7% (7-8%), respectively, while for each 30-day DDD increase in acarbose exposure, the risks for three aforementioned outcomes were significantly reduced by 45% (33-54%), 33% (29-36%) and 35% (32-39%), respectively. In subgroup analyses, the favorable study outcomes of acarbose use were more apparent among patients with more severe diabetes, a longer diabetes duration, or absence of established CVD at baseline. CONCLUSION: Acarbose used in real-world T2D patients with ESRD may have hepatic and cardiovascular safety.

A population-based case-control study on the association of Angelica sinensis exposure with risk of breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Due to a lack of evidence from large-scale epidemiological studies by far on this issue, whether there is a link between Angelica sinensis exposure and breast cancer risk remained inconclusive. METHODS: We conducted a population-based case-control study using Taiwan's National Health Insurance claim data, in which all breast cancer patients newly diagnosed between 2005 and 2008 were employed as the case group (n = 34,262) and a random sample of non-breast cancer individuals selected from 1-million beneficiaries registered in 2005 was served as the control group. For fair comparability, we employed the time density sampling method to select controls who were matched to case on date of breast cancer diagnosis and age with a case/control ratio of 1/3 (n = 102,786). RESULTS: We found that the use of Angelica sinensis presents a weakly but significantly protective effect on breast cancer (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 0.95, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.93-0.98), with a significant dose-gradient relationship. We also noted a stronger association with breast cancer with initial use of Angelica sinensis at a longer time before breast cancer diagnosis, and found that the seemingly protective effect of Angelica sinensis was more obvious among women who had initial use at 47-55 years (aOR 0.93, 95% CI 0.88-0.98). CONCLUSION: This population-based case-control study revealed that exposure to Angelica sinensis showed a weakly but significantly protective effect on breast cancer risk, which could ease people's concern over the potential carcinogenic effect from exposure to Angelica sinensis.

A cohort study of age and sex specific risk of pyogenic liver abscess incidence in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

To investigate the age-sex-specific incidence and relative risk of pyogenic liver abscess (PLA) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and to assess the joint effects of T2DM and other clinical risk factors for PLA on PLA incidence. We used a population-based cohort design with Taiwan's National Health Insurance claim data. Study subjects included 613,921 T2DM patients and 614,613 controls identified in 2000 and were followed to the end of 2010. Cox regression model was employed to calculate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of PLA in relation to T2DM. Over an 11-year follow-up, 5336 T2DM and 1850 controls were admitted for PLA, representing a cumulative incidence of 0.87% and 0.30%, respectively. T2DM was significantly associated with increased hazard of PLA (HR, 2.88; 95% CI, 2.73-3.04). We also found that age and gender may significantly modify the relationship between T2DM and PLA, with a higher HR noted in males patients and those aged <45 years. Biliary tract diseases (HR, 8.60; 95% CI, 7.87-9.40) and liver cirrhosis (HR, 7.52; 95% CI, 6.58-8.59) may add substantially additional risk to the incidence of PLA in T2DM patients. The increased risk of PLA in T2DM was greater in male and younger patients. Careful management of biliary tract diseases and liver cirrhosis may also help reduce the incidence of PLA in T2DM patients.

Risk of dementia after Parkinson's disease in Taiwan: a population-based retrospective cohort study using National Health Insurance claims.

OBJECTIVES: A nationwide cohort study on the risk of dementia onset after first diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (PD) is lacking. This study aims to assess 11 years of incidence and the HRs for developing dementia in patients with PD compared with matched controls. DESIGN: A population-based cohort study. SETTING: National Health Insurance database in Taiwan. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 5932 patients with PD were identified, and 29 645 age-matched, sex-matched and index year-matched PD-free individuals were randomly selected. OUTCOME MEASURES: All subjects were linked to the claim data to identify the first diagnosis of dementia. The Poisson assumption was used to estimate the incidence rate. Cause-specific hazards models with a partitioning of time at 1 year to account for proportionality were used to estimate the risk of dementia onset. RESULTS: The median duration from the first diagnosis of PD to the development of dementia was 9.02 years. In the first partition (≦ 1 year), the incidence of dementia in the PD and control groups was 114.49 and 9.76 per 1000 person-years, respectively, with an adjusted HR of 6.43 (95% CI 5.46 to 7.57). In the second partition (>1 year), the incidence of dementia in the PD and control groups was 30.99 and 10.83 per 1000 person-years, with an adjusted HR of 2.42 (95% CI 2.23 to 2.61). Notably, in the second partition, both men and women aged <70 years had the highest HR (3.82, 95% CI 2.79 to 5.22 and 4.27, 95% CI 3.25 to 5.63, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: This study noted an increased risk of dementia after a diagnosis of PD. The magnitude of effect estimation was higher in men in the first partition but was similar in both genders in the second partition. PD patients aged <70 years have the highest risk of dementia in any given partition time.

Factors Influencing Family Surrogates' Intention with Regard to Do-Not-Resuscitate Directive for Patients with Dementia.

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of family surrogates' do-not-resuscitate (DNR) intention for patients with dementia (PwD), and factors influencing family surrogates' decisions. Methods: This is a descriptive and cross-sectional study. Patients with dementia and their family surrogates from Dementia Outpatient Clinic of a teaching hospital in southern Taiwan were included. Data were collected using chart review and questionnaire survey. Influential factors were analyzed using multiple logistic regression. Results: One hundred and forty of the 223 participants (62.8%) have intention to sign DNR consents for their dementia relatives. Factors influencing the intention were: (1) Comorbid with musculoskeletal diseases or diabetes (p < .05); (2) psychological symptoms of repetitive wording and behavior (p < .05); (3) spouse (p < .05) and lineal relatives (p < .01); (4) previous discussion between families and patient about DNR directive (p = .001); (5) believers of Taiwan folk belief (Buddhism or Taoism) (p < .05). Conclusions: Advanced dementia patients cannot express intention about their end-of-life care and depend on family surrogates to decide for them. Our study showed that spouse and direct relatives, comorbidities of musculoskeletal disease or diabetes, psychological symptoms of repetitive wording and behavior, previous discussion about patients' intention, and believers of Taiwan folk belief are all positive influencing factors for surrogates to consent DNR directive for patients. Our findings are important in promoting DNR directive for PwD. Clinical implications: Our results may help to promote DNR decisions for dementia patients, especially in Chinese populations.

Assessing the effect of oral activated vitamin D on overall survival in hemodialysis patients: a landmark analysis.

BACKGROUND: Patients with end stage renal disease have a high all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Secondary hyperparathyroidism and vitamin D deficiency are considered part of the mechanism for the excess mortality observed. We aimed to evaluate the relationship between vitamin D use and all-cause mortality. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, we included all incident patients who started hemodialysis in Taiwan between 2001 and 2009. Patients were followed from landmark time, i.e., the 360th day from hemodialysis initiation, through the end of 2010 or death. We evaluated the association between activated vitamin D use or not before landmark time and all-cause mortality using conditional landmark analysis with Cox regression. We used group-based trajectory model to categorize high-dose versus average-dose users to evaluate dose-response relationships. RESULTS: During the median follow-up of 1019 days from landmark time, vitamin D users had a lower crude mortality rate than non-users (8.98 versus 12.93 per 100 person-years). Compared with non-users, vitamin D users was associated with a lower risk of death in multivariate Cox model (HR 0.91 [95% CI, 0.87-0.95]) and after propensity score matching (HR 0.94 [95% CI, 0.90-0.98]). High-dose vitamin D users had a lower risk of death than conventional-dose users, HR 0.75 [95% CI, 0.63-0.89]. The association of vitamin D treatment with reduced mortality did not alter when we re-defined landmark time as the 180th day or repeated analyses in patients who underwent hemodialysis in the hospital setting. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings supported the survival benefits of activated vitamin D among incident hemodialysis patients.

Preoperative treatment with 5α-reductase inhibitors and the risk of hemorrhagic events in patients undergoing transurethral resection of the prostate - A population-based cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the associations between preoperative treatment with 5-alpha reductase inhibitors and the risks of blood transfusion during transurethral resection of the prostate and blood clot evacuation or emergency department visits for hematuria within 1 month after surgery. METHODS: We used data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database in this population-based cohort study. A total of 3,126 patients who underwent first-time transurethral resection of the prostate from 2004 to 2013 were identified. Adjusted odds ratios estimated by multiple logistic regression models were used to assess the independent effects of the preoperative use of 5-alpha reductase inhibitors on the risks of perioperative hemorrhagic events after adjustment for potential confounders. RESULTS: Two hundred and ninety-seven (9.4%) patients were treated with 5-alpha reductase inhibitors for <3 months, and 65 (2.1%) patients were treated for ≥3 months prior to undergoing transurethral resection of the prostate. The blood transfusion rates for patients who were not treated with 5-alpha reductase inhibitors (controls), patients who were treated with 5-alpha reductase inhibitors for <3 months, and patients who were treated with 5-alpha reductase inhibitors ≥3 months were 9.5%, 8.8%, and 3.1%, respectively. 5-alpha reductase inhibitors tended to decrease the risk of blood transfusion; however, this association was not statistically significant (adjusted odds ratio=0.14, 95% confidence interval: 0.02-1.01). Age ≥80 years, coagulopathy, and a resected prostate tissue weight >50 g were associated with significantly higher risks of blood transfusion than other parameters. CONCLUSIONS: This nationwide study did not show that significant associations exist between 5-alpha reductase inhibitor use before transurethral resection of the prostate and the risks of blood transfusion and blood clot evacuation or emergency visits for hematuria.

Demographic and Urbanization Disparities of Liver Transplantation in Taiwan.

Limited access to or receipt of liver transplantation (LT) may jeopardize survival of patients with end-stage liver diseases. Taiwan launched its National Health Insurance (NHI) program in 1995, which essentially removes financial barriers to health care. This study aims to investigate where there are still demographic and urbanization disparities of LT after 15 years of NHI program implementation. Data analyzed in this study were retrieved from Taiwan's NHI inpatient claims. A total of 3020 people aged ≥18 years received LT between 2000 and 2013. We calculated crude and adjusted prevalence rate of LT according to secular year, age, sex, and urbanization. The multiple Poisson regression model was further employed to assess the independent effects of demographics and urbanization on prevalence of LT. The biennial number of people receiving LT substantially increased from 56 in 2000-2001 to 880 in 2012-2013, representing a prevalence rate of 1.63 and 18.58 per 106, respectively. Such increasing secular trend was independent of sex. The prevalence was consistently higher in men than in women. The prevalence also increased with age in people <65 years, but dropped sharply in the elderly (≥65 years) people. We noted a significant disparity of LT in areas with different levels of urbanization. Compared to urban areas, satellite (prevalence rate ratio (PRR), 0.63, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.57-0.69) and rural (PRR, 0.76, 95% CI, 0.69-0.83) areas were both associated with a significantly lower prevalence of LT. There are still significant demographic and urbanization disparities in LT after 15 years of NHI program implementation. Given the predominance of living donor liver transplantation in Taiwan, further studies should be conducted to investigate factors associated with having a potential living donor for LT.

Preoperative treatment with 5α-reductase inhibitors and the risk of hemorrhagic events in patients undergoing transurethral resection of the prostate - A population-based cohort study

OBJECTIVES: To assess the associations between preoperative treatment with 5-alpha reductase inhibitors and the risks of blood transfusion during transurethral resection of the prostate and blood clot evacuation or emergency department visits for hematuria within 1 month after surgery. METHODS: We used data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database in this population-based cohort study. A total of 3,126 patients who underwent first-time transurethral resection of the prostate from 2004 to 2013 were identified. Adjusted odds ratios estimated by multiple logistic regression models were used to assess the independent effects of the preoperative use of 5-alpha reductase inhibitors on the risks of perioperative hemorrhagic events after adjustment for potential confounders. RESULTS: Two hundred and ninety-seven (9.4%) patients were treated with 5-alpha reductase inhibitors for <3 months, and 65 (2.1%) patients were treated for ≥3 months prior to undergoing transurethral resection of the prostate. The blood transfusion rates for patients who were not treated with 5-alpha reductase inhibitors (controls), patients who were treated with 5-alpha reductase inhibitors for <3 months, and patients who were treated with 5-alpha reductase inhibitors ≥3 months were 9.5%, 8.8%, and 3.1%, respectively. 5-alpha reductase inhibitors tended to decrease the risk of blood transfusion; however, this association was not statistically significant (adjusted odds ratio=0.14, 95% confidence interval: 0.02-1.01). Age ≥80 years, coagulopathy, and a resected prostate tissue weight >50 g were associated with significantly higher risks of blood transfusion than other parameters. CONCLUSIONS: This nationwide study did not show that significant associations exist between 5-alpha reductase inhibitor use before transurethral resection of the prostate and the risks of blood transfusion and blood clot evacuation or emergency visits for hematuria.

Decreased risk of stroke in patients receiving traditional Chinese medicine for vertigo: A population-based cohort study.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Patients with vertigo are reported to exhibit a higher risk of subsequent stroke. However, it remains unclear if Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the most common form of complementary and alternative medicine, can help lower the risk of stroke for these patients. So the aim of the study was to investigate the effects of TCM on stroke risk among patients with vertigo. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This longitudinal cohort study used the Taiwanese National Health Insurance Research Database to identify 112,458 newly diagnosed vertigo patients aged ≥20 years who received treatment between 1998 and 2007. Among these patients, 53,203 (47.31%) received TCM after vertigo onset (TCM users), and the remaining 59,201 patients were designated as a control group (non-TCM users). All enrollees received follow-up until the end of 2012 to measure stroke incidence. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to compute the hazard ratio (HR) of stroke in recipients of TCM services. RESULTS: During 15-year follow-up, 5532 TCM users and 12,295 non-TCM users developed stroke, representing an incidence rate of 13.10% and 25.71% per 1000 person-years. TCM users had a significantly reduced risk of stroke compared to non-TCM users (adjusted HR=0.64; 95% confidence interval CI=0.59-0.74). The predominant effect was observed for those receiving TCM for more than 180 days (adjusted HR=0.52; 95% CI=0.49-0.56). Commonly used TCM formulae, including Ban-Xia-Bai-Zhu-Tian-Ma-Tang, Ling-Gui-Zhu-Gan-Tang, Bai Zhi (Angelica dahurica (Hoffm.) Benth. & Hook.f. ex Franch. & Sav., root), Ge Gen (Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi, root) and Hai Piao Xiao (Endoconcha Sepiae, Cuttlefish Bone) were significantly associated with lower risk of stroke. CONCLUSIONS: Results of this population-based study support the effects of TCM on reducing stroke risk, and may provide a reference for stroke prevention strategies. The study results may also help to integrate TCM into clinical intervention programs that provide a favorable prognosis for vertigo patients.

Risk of Developing Coronary Artery Disease in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Receiving Traditional Chinese Medicine Therapy.

OBJECTIVES: To compare risk of developing coronary artery disease (CAD) between diabetic patients receiving Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) therapy and those treated by Western medicine (WM). METHODS: This prospective cohort study included 13,655 diabetic patients receiving solely TCM and 435,165 patients treated exclusively by WM. Study patients were identified from Taiwan's National Health Insurance (NHI) ambulatory claims in 2000-2001. These patients were then linked to the 2000-2008 NHI inpatient claims, searching for possible new onset of hospitalization for CAD. A Cox proportional hazard model and logistic regression model were used to assess the hazard ratio of CAD admission and odds ratio (OR) of higher rates of admission for CAD in relation to TCM. RESULTS: During 9 years of follow-up, 2607 diabetic patients with TCM were hospitalized for CAD, representing a cumulative incidence rate of 19.1% and an incidence density of 50.5 per 1000 person-years. The corresponding figures for patients treated by WM were 24.1% and 72.7 per 1000 person-years. Compared with the patients treated by WM, those treated by TCM were associated with a slightly reduced, but insignificantly, adjusted OR of CAD admission (0.96; 95% confidence interval, 0.92-1.01). Moreover, the adjusted OR for a higher rate (≥0.212 admission per person-year) of CAD admission for the patients with TCM was also insignificantly decreased at 0.97. CONCLUSIONS: After adjustment for prior co-morbidity score, risk or rate of CAD admission did not significantly differ between diabetic patients receiving TCM therapy and those treated by WM, suggesting that TCM is as efficacious as WM in preventing diabetes from being complicated with CAD.

Levels of Urbanization and Parental Education in Relation to the Mortality Risk of Young Children.

BACKGROUND: The establishment of the National Health Insurance program in Taiwan in 1995 effectively removed the financial barrier to access health care services of Taiwanese people. This population-based cohort study aimed to determine the independent and joint effects of parental education and area urbanization on the mortality risk among children under the universal health insurance coverage in Taiwan since 1995. METHODS: We linked 1,501,620 births from 1996 to 2000 to the Taiwan Death Registry to estimate the neonatal, infant, and under-five mortality rates, according to the levels of parental education and urbanization of residential areas. We used a logistic regression model that considers data clustering to estimate the independent and joint effects. RESULTS: Lower levels of parental education and area urbanization exerted an independent effect of mortality on young children, with a stronger magnitude noted for areas with lower levels of urbanization. Children whose parents had lower levels of education and who were born in areas with lower levels of urbanization experienced the highest risk for neonatal (odds ratio (OR) = 1.60, 95% CI = 1.46-1.76), infant (OR = 1.58, 95% CI = 1.48-1.70), and under-five (OR = 1.71, 95% CI = 1.61-1.82) mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Even with universal health insurance coverage, lower levels of area urbanization and parental education still exerted independent and joint effects on mortality in young children. This finding implies the inadequate accessibility to health care resources for children from socially disadvantaged families and less urbanized areas.

Mortality of patients with type 2 diabetes in Taiwan: a 10-year nationwide follow-up study.

AIMS: This study aims to investigate the distribution of underlying-causes-of-death (UCOD) among deceased patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) in Taiwan and assess the influence of socio-demographic characteristics on mortality in type 2 DM patients. METHODS: A cohort study on patients who sought medical care for type 2 DM from 2000 to 2008 was conducted on 65,599 type 2 DM patients retrieved from the 1-million beneficiaries randomly selected from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Database. The study cohort was then linked to Taiwan's Mortality Registry to ascertain the patients who died between 2000 and 2009. We examined the distribution of UCOD in the deceased subjects. The hazard ratios of mortality in relation to socio-demographic characteristics were estimated from Cox proportional hazard model. RESULTS: The leading causes of death in type 2 DM included neoplasm (22.68%), cardiovascular diseases (21.46%), and endocrine diseases (20.78%). Male gender and older ages were associated with significantly increased risk of mortality. In addition, lower urbanization and greater co-morbidity score were also significantly associated with an increased risk of mortality with a dose-gradient pattern. CONCLUSIONS: Neoplasm accounts for the largest portion (22.68%) of deaths in type 2 DM patients closely followed by with cardiovascular diseases (21.46%). An increased risk of mortality in type 2 DM patients in lower urbanized areas may reflect poor diabetes care in these areas.

Validating the diagnosis of acute ischemic stroke in a National Health Insurance claims database.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: The National Health Insurance Research Database, which uses claims data from hospitals contracted with the National Health Insurance (NHI) program in Taiwan, has been widely used for stroke research. The diagnostic accuracy of the NHI claims data with regard to acute ischemic stroke (AIS) has rarely been validated. The aim of this study was to validate the diagnosis of AIS in NHI claims data using the Taiwan Stroke Registry (TSR) as a reference. METHODS: We retrieved patients' data with a discharge diagnosis of AIS [five-digit International Classification of Diseases Code, 9(th) version (ICD-9 code): 433xx or 434xx] in a single medical center from August 2006 to December 2008. We then linked these patients to the TSR to validate their AIS diagnosis in the claims data. The positive predictive value (PPV) and sensitivity were determined. RESULTS: We reviewed the claims data of 1736 consecutive AIS patients, of whom 1299 (74.8%) were linked successfully to the stroke registry database. After reviewing the medical records and imaging results of other patients not linked to the registry database (n = 437), 235 patients were found to have had an AIS. The PPV was 88.4% [95% confidence interval (CI): 86.8-89.8%] and sensitivity was 97.3% (95% CI: 96.4-98.1%). Forty-four (21.8%) of the false-positive cases (n = 202) were coded as 433x0 or 434x0. CONCLUSION: The PPV of a diagnosis of AIS in the NHI claims data was high. Using five-digit ICD-9 codes to identify AIS cases will markedly decrease the false-positive rate compared with using the commonly used three-digit method.

Health-seeking behavior, alternative medicine, and quality of life in Taiwanese panic disorder patients.

OBJECTIVE: Panic disorder (PD) is an anxiety disorder characterized by spontaneous and unexpected panic attacks of varying frequency. Clinically manifest PD is widespread among the general population in developed countries worldwide. This study is aimed to identify factors influencing Taiwanese patients' decision to seek psychiatric help and to assess relationships between patients' health-seeking behaviors and quality of life (QOL). METHODS: One hundred patients from the outpatient psychiatric clinic of a university hospital in Taiwan were evaluated for PD. RESULTS: Delayed diagnosis of panic disorder, high comorbidity with other mental and physical disorders, and high utilization of health care services were identified. Thirty-three percent of PD patients sought alternative therapies, delaying their seeking psychiatric care. CONCLUSIONS: More PD patients in Taiwan seek care from family practitioners and alternative and complementary medicine than from psychiatrists. Taiwanese patients with PD who seek psychiatric consultation more than one year after disease onset have lower QOL and lower physical health scores.

Trends and characteristics of pethidine use in Taiwan: a six-year-long survey.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the trends and characteristics of pethidine prescriptions and users in Taiwan from 2002 to 2007. METHOD: All pethidine users (n = 3,301,136) in Taiwan from 2002 to 2007 were linked to National Health Insurance claims to identify pethidine prescriptions. We examined the trends in pethidine user prevalence and the proportion of pethidine prescriptions according to health care characteristics. A logistic regression model was used to compare patient demographics and health care characteristics associated with pethidine prescriptions between 2002 and 2007. RESULTS: Despite the decline in the number of pethidine users and prescriptions over the six-year period, more than half a million people were prescribed pethidine annually. In fact, an increasing proportion of pethidine prescriptions were observed in clinics, outpatient settings, and patients who had both operations and cancer diagnoses. Pethidine prescriptions were mostly associated with a non-operation status without a cancer diagnosis (>60%). However, approximately 10% of the total pethidine prescriptions were found in patients with a cancer diagnosis but no operation. Compared to those in 2002, pethidine prescriptions in 2007 were more likely to be found in people 80 years or older, rural residents, patients from clinics, outpatient settings and operation patients with cancer diagnoses. CONCLUSIONS: A population-based survey in Taiwan demonstrated decreasing consumption of pethidine from 2002 to 2007; however, an increased proportion of prescriptions in certain health care settings was observed. In addition, 10% of the pethidine prescriptions were for cancer patients without operations. These cases need further evaluation for the determination of appropriate pethidine use.

Trends and characteristics of pethidine use in Taiwan: a six-year-long survey

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the trends and characteristics of pethidine prescriptions and users in Taiwan from 2002 to 2007. METHOD: All pethidine users (n = 3,301,136) in Taiwan from 2002 to 2007 were linked to National Health Insurance claims to identify pethidine prescriptions. We examined the trends in pethidine user prevalence and the proportion of pethidine prescriptions according to health care characteristics. A logistic regression model was used to compare patient demographics and health care characteristics associated with pethidine prescriptions between 2002 and 2007. RESULTS: Despite the decline in the number of pethidine users and prescriptions over the six-year period, more than half a million people were prescribed pethidine annually. In fact, an increasing proportion of pethidine prescriptions were observed in clinics, outpatient settings, and patients who had both operations and cancer diagnoses. Pethidine prescriptions were mostly associated with a non-operation status without a cancer diagnosis (>60%). However, approximately 10% of the total pethidine prescriptions were found in patients with a cancer diagnosis but no operation. Compared to those in 2002, pethidine prescriptions in 2007 were more likely to be found in people 80 years or older, rural residents, patients from clinics, outpatient settings and operation patients with cancer diagnoses. CONCLUSIONS: A population-based survey in Taiwan demonstrated decreasing consumption of pethidine from 2002 to 2007; however, an increased proportion of prescriptions in certain health care settings was observed. In addition, 10% of the pethidine prescriptions were for cancer patients without operations. These cases need further evaluation for the determination of appropriate pethidine use.

Age- and sex-specific risks of colorectal cancers in diabetic patients.

Diabetes has been reported to increase the risk of colorectal neoplasm in most but not all studies. However, the data on age- and sex-specific incidence rates and relative risks associated with diabetes are limited. We carried out this population-based cohort study to investigate the overall sex- and age-specific risks of colorectal cancer in association with diabetes. Diabetic patients (n = 615,532) and age- and sex-matched control individuals (n = 614,871), selected from the claim datasets, were followed up from 2000 to 2006. The rates of admission due to colon and rectum cancers were estimated using the person-years approach, and the age- and sex-specific hazard ratio (HR) for both the malignancies were determined using the Cox regression model. The overall incidence rate of colon cancer was 9.94 per 10,000 patient-years for the diabetic patients, as opposed to 7.84 per 10,000 patient-years for the control-group patients. The corresponding observation for rectal cancer was 7.16 and 6.28 per 10,000 patient-years. Diabetic patients aged ≥ 45 years had significantly high HRs for developing colon cancer (1.20-1.45-fold). We also noted a significantly high HR of rectal cancer in diabetic men (1.18-fold) aged ≥ 45 years, but not in diabetic women. In conclusion, diabetes may significantly increase the risk of colorectal cancer, especially in patients aged 45-64 years. Diabetologists should keep this relationship in mind while treating middle-aged diabetic men and should also advise these patients to undergo regular screening tests for colorectal cancer.