Type 1 diabetes in 2017: global estimates of incident and prevalent cases in children and adults.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Data on type 1 diabetes incidence and prevalence are limited, particularly for adults. This study aims to estimate global numbers of incident and prevalent cases of type 1 diabetes in 2017 for all age groups, by country and areas defined by income and region. METHODS: Incidence rates of type 1 diabetes in children (available from 94 countries) from the IDF Atlas were used and extrapolated to countries without data. Age-specific incidence rates in adults (only known across full age range for fewer than ten countries) were obtained by applying scaling ratios for each adult age group relative to the incidence rate in children. Age-specific incidence rates were applied to population estimates to obtain incident case numbers. Duration of diabetes was estimated from available data and adjusted using differences in childhood mortality rate between countries from United Nations demographic data. Prevalent case numbers were derived by modelling the relationship between prevalence, incidence and disease duration. Sensitivity analyses were performed to quantify the impact of alternative assumptions and model inputs. RESULTS: Global numbers of incident and prevalent cases of type 1 diabetes were estimated to be 234,710 and 9,004,610, respectively, in 2017. High-income countries, with 17% of the global population, accounted for 49% of global incident cases and 52% of prevalent cases. Asia, which has the largest proportion of the world's population (60%), had the largest number of incident (32%) and prevalent (31%) cases of type 1 diabetes. Globally, 6%, 35%, 43% and 16% of prevalent cases were in the age groups 0-14, 15-39, 40-64 and 65+ years, respectively. Based on sensitivity analyses, the estimates could deviate by ±15%. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Globally, type 1 diabetes represents about 2% of the estimated total cases of diabetes, ranging from less than 1% in certain Pacific countries to more than 15% in Northern European populations in 2017. This study provides information for the development of healthcare and policy approaches to manage type 1 diabetes. The estimates need further validation due to limitations and assumptions related to data availability and estimation methods.

Forecasting lung cancer incidence, mortality, and prevalence to year 2030.

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer incidence and prevalence is increasing worldwide and there is a focus on prevention, early detection, and development of new treatments which will impact the epidemiological patterns of lung cancer. The clinical characteristics and the trends in incidence, mortality, and prevalence of lung cancer in Denmark from 2006 through 2015 are described and a model for predicting the future epidemiological profile of lung cancer through 2030 is introduced. METHODS: The study population comprised all cases of lung cancer, registered in the Danish Cancer Registry, who were alive on January 1, 2006 or had a first-time ever diagnosis of lung cancer during 2006 through 2015. Information on morphology, stage of the disease, comorbidity and survival was obtained from other Danish health registers. Based on NORDCAN data and estimated patient mortality rates as well as prevalence proportions for the period 2006 through 2015, future case numbers of annual incidence, deaths, and resulting prevalence were projected. RESULTS: A total of 44.291 patients were included in the study. A shift towards more patients diagnosed with lower stages and with adenocarcinoma was observed. The incidence increased and the patient mortality rate decreased significantly, with a doubling of the prevalence during the observation period. We project that the numbers of prevalent cases of lung cancer in Denmark most likely will increase from about 10,000 at the end of 2015 to about 23,000 at the end of 2030. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support that lung cancer is being diagnosed at an earlier stage, that incidence will stop increasing, that mortality will decrease further, and that the prevalence will continue to increase substantially. Projections of cancer incidence, mortality, and prevalence are important for planning health services and should be updated at regular intervals.

End-of-life anticancer treatment - a nationwide registry-based study of trends in the use of chemo-, endocrine, immune-, and targeted therapies.

BACKGROUND: Anticancer treatments near the end of a patient's life should generally be avoided, as it leaves the patient with no significant anticancer effect but increases the risk of severe side effects. We described the pattern of all end-of-life anticancer treatment in a population of Danish cancer patients. METHODS: Using the Danish national health registries, we identified all patients deceased due to cancer 2010-2015. Anticancer treatment registered in the last 30 days of life was categorized as end-of-life treatment. Predictors of such treatment were investigated using logistic regression models. RESULTS: We identified 42,277 patients (median age 70 years) of whom 16% received end-of-life anticancer treatment. This proportion did not change during the study period (p = .09). Chemotherapy alone was the most frequent treatment, accounting for 78% of all end-of-life treatment in 2010, decreasing to 71% in 2015. In contrast, end-of-life use of immunotherapy, targeted therapy and endocrine therapy increased during the study period. Breast cancer as index cancer was associated with the highest frequency of end-of-life treatment (23%), followed by malignant melanoma (21%), and prostate cancer (18%). Factors associated with lower odds for end-of-life treatment were female sex, older age, high burden of comorbidity, and being diagnosed >6 months prior to death. CONCLUSIONS: We found a stable overall rate at 16% of patients receiving anticancer treatment within one month prior to death in this nationwide sample of cancer deaths. Further research is needed to assess whether this level of end-of-life treatment is justified or reflects inappropriate use.

Lipid-lowering therapy and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol goal attainment after acute coronary syndrome: a Danish population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) are at high risk of recurrent cardiovascular (CV) event. The European guidelines recommend low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels < 1.8 mmol/L and early initiation of intensive lipid-lowering therapy (LLT) to reduce CV risk. In order to reduce the risk of further cardiac events, the study aimed to evaluate LDL-C goal attainment and LLT intensity in an incident ACS population. METHODS: A cohort study of patients with residency at Funen in Denmark at a first-ever ACS event registered within the period 2010-2015. Information on LLT use and LDL-C levels was extracted from national population registers and a Laboratory database at Odense University Hospital. Treatments and lipid patterns were evaluated during index hospitalization, at 6-month and 12-month follow-up. RESULTS: Among 3040 patients with an LDL-C measurement during index hospitalization, 40.7 and 39.0% attained the recommended LDL-C target value (< 1.8 mmol/L) within 6- and 12-month follow-up, respectively. During 6- and 12-month follow-up, a total of 89.2% (20.2%) and 88.4% (29.7%) used LLT (intensive LLT). Of the intensive LLT users, 43.4 and 47.7% reached the LDL-C target value at 6- and 12-month follow-up. The frequency of lipid monitoring was low: 69.5, 77.7 and 53.6% in patients with a first-ever ACS during index hospitalization, 6- and 12-month follow-up, respectively. CONCLUSION: Using national health registers and laboratory data, a considerably gap was observed between treatment guidelines and clinical practice in the management of dyslipidemia leaving very high-risk patients without adequate lipid management strategy. Therefore, improved lipid management strategies aimed at reaching treatment targets are warranted.

Characteristics of finasteride users in comparison with nonusers: A Nordic nationwide study based on individual-level data from Denmark, Finland, and Sweden.

PURPOSE: Published epidemiological studies on the association between finasteride use and the risk of male breast cancer have been inconclusive due to methodological limitations including a few male breast cancer cases included. Determinants of male breast cancer have been studied, but it remains unexplored whether these are also related to finasteride use and thereby constitute potential confounders. This study aimed to assess whether there are differences between finasteride users and nonusers with regard to numerous potential confounders. METHODS: In total, 246 508 finasteride users (≥35 years) were identified in the prescription registries of Denmark (1995-2014), Finland (1997-2013), and Sweden (2005-2014). An equal number of nonusers were sampled. The directed acyclic graph (DAG) methodology was used to identify potential confounders for the association between finasteride and male breast cancer. A logistic regression model compared finasteride users and nonusers with regard to potential confounders that were measurable in registries and population surveys. RESULTS: Finasteride users had higher odds of testicular abnormalities (odds ratio [OR] 1.40; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.36-1.44), obesity (1.31; 1.23-1.39), exogenous testosterone (1.61; 1.48-1.74), radiation exposure (1.22; 1.18-1.27), and diabetes (1.07; 1.04-1.10) and lower odds of occupational exposure in perfume industry or in high temperature environments (0.93; 0.87-0.99), living alone (0.89; 0.88-0.91), living in urban/suburban areas (0.97; 0.95-0.99), and physical inactivity (0.70; 0.50-0.99) compared to nonusers. CONCLUSIONS: Systematic differences between finasteride users and nonusers were found emphasizing the importance of confounder adjustment of associations between finasteride and male breast cancer.

Primary care visits can reduce the risk of potentially avoidable hospitalizations among persons with diabetes in France.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes is a frequent chronic condition, which can lead to costly complications if not managed well in the primary care setting. Potentially avoidable hospitalizations (PAH) are considered as an indirect measure of primary care. However, the association between primary care use and PAH in diabetic patients has not been investigated in France. METHODS: We investigate the association between primary care indicators and PAH at an individual level among persons with diabetes in a population-based cohort study on the French national health insurance database (EGB sample). PAH occurrence in 2013 was modeled as a function of primary care use and access, health status and socio-economic indicators over the exposure period 2011-12 using a cause-specific hazards model with death as a competing event. RESULTS: We included 25 293 diabetics in our cohort, among which 385 (1.5%) experienced at least 1 PAH in 2013. After adjustment on health status indicators, primary care use had a protective effect against PAH. Diabetic patients who had seen a general practitioner (GP) 10-14 times had a reduced hazard of PAH compared to less frequent encounters (HR=0.49, P<0.001). The effect size decreased when the number of encounters increased, suggesting a remaining confounding effect of health status. CONCLUSIONS: For the first time in France, this study shows a protective effect of the number of GP encounters against PAH at an individual level and highlights the importance of a frequent monitoring of diabetic patients in the primary care setting to prevent PAH occurrence.

Long-Term Outcome of Patients Operated with Pars Plana Vitrectomy for Primary Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment.

PURPOSE: To determine the long-term outcome of patients operated with pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) for primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) and to identify potential predictors for poor visual outcome. METHODS: Prospective, observational 30-month study of patients operated for primary RRD with PPV. Examinations were performed preoperatively and after months 2, 6, and 30. RESULTS: Eighty-four patients (84 eyes) were included and 73 (86.9%) participated at month 30. The macula was attached in 30 (35.7%) patients at primary operation. The majority of patients (n = 59, 80.8%) achieved a good final best corrected visual acuity (BCVA ≤0.3 logMAR, ≥0.5 Snellen) with a better outcome in patients with the macula attached than detached (0.02 vs. 0.17 logMAR, p = 0.007). Variables associated with poor visual outcome were baseline BCVA >0.3 logMAR (p = 0.03), female gender (p = 0.02), silicone oil (p = 0.03), and larger areas of retinal detachment (p = 0.01). In multivariable regression analysis, female gender (OR = 8.5 [95% CI 1.8-39.8]) was the strongest risk factor for poor visual outcome. CONCLUSION: The majority of patients operated for primary RRD achieved a reasonable long-term visual outcome. Notably, female gender was associated with poor visual outcome, indicating a need for closer follow-up.

Trends and cyclical variation in the incidence of childhood type 1 diabetes in 26 European centres in the 25 year period 1989-2013: a multicentre prospective registration study.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Against a background of a near-universally increasing incidence of childhood type 1 diabetes, recent reports from some countries suggest a slowing in this increase. Occasional reports also describe cyclical variations in incidence, with periodicities of between 4 and 6 years. METHODS: Age/sex-standardised incidence rates for the 0- to 14-year-old age group are reported for 26 European centres (representing 22 countries) that have registered newly diagnosed individuals in geographically defined regions for up to 25 years during the period 1989-2013. Poisson regression was used to estimate rates of increase and test for cyclical patterns. Joinpoint regression software was used to fit segmented log-linear relationships to incidence trends. RESULTS: Significant increases in incidence were noted in all but two small centres, with a maximum rate of increase of 6.6% per annum in a Polish centre. Several centres in high-incidence countries showed reducing rates of increase in more recent years. Despite this, a pooled analysis across all centres revealed a 3.4% (95% CI 2.8%, 3.9%) per annum increase in incidence rate, although there was some suggestion of a reduced rate of increase in the 2004-2008 period. Rates of increase were similar in boys and girls in the 0- to 4-year-old age group (3.7% and 3.7% per annum, respectively) and in the 5- to 9-year-old age group (3.4% and 3.7% per annum, respectively), but were higher in boys than girls in the 10- to 14-year-old age group (3.3% and 2.6% per annum, respectively). Significant 4 year periodicity was detected in four centres, with three centres showing that the most recent peak in fitted rates occurred in 2012. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Despite reductions in the rate of increase in some high-risk countries, the pooled estimate across centres continues to show a 3.4% increase per annum in incidence rate, suggesting a doubling in incidence rate within approximately 20 years in Europe. Although four centres showed support for a cyclical pattern of incidence with a 4 year periodicity, no plausible explanation for this can be given.

Social inequality in diabetes patients' morbidity patterns from diagnosis to death - A Danish register-based investigation.

AIM: Measuring socioeconomic inequalities in health and health care, and understanding determinants of such inequalities, are critical for achieving higher equity in health. Equity in health is a prerequisite for public health and welfare. The aim of the paper is (1) to quantify inequality in diabetes morbidity patterns over patients' entire life span, and (2) to compare levels of inequality measured through income and educational level, respectively, as proxies for socioeconomic status (SES). METHOD: Historic individual register data on the entire Danish diabetes population alive in 2011 were gathered. Cox survival analysis and a concentration index decomposition approach were applied to analyse relevant morbidity indicators reflecting patients' health state at diagnosis and throughout their lives with diabetes. RESULTS: Patients with high education have approximately 26% lower mortality hazard when diagnosed with diabetes and 10-15% lower hazard of developing complications as compared with patients with short education. The outcome variables: 'severe complications at diagnosis' and 'years with severe complications' inhibit the highest negative concentration index value, indicating that morbidity is concentrated among the lower SES groups, whereas the outcome variables 'years without complications' and 'duration of diabetes' concentrate among the socioeconomically better-off patients. CONCLUSIONS: Significant differences in diabetes patients' morbidity patterns and survival indicate that diabetes impacts harder on patients of lower SES; these patients experience more severe complications and die earlier. Hence to reduce inequality in health, it is important to invest in efforts targeted towards socially vulnerable groups.

Physical Health, Medication, and Healthcare Utilization among 70-Year-Old People with Schizophrenia: A Nationwide Danish Register Study.

OBJECTIVES: In light of the excess early mortality in schizophrenia, mainly due to physical illnesses, we investigated medical comorbidity, use of medication, and healthcare utilization among individuals with schizophrenia who survived into older ages to uncover potential factors contributing to their longevity. DESIGN: A nationwide register-based case-control study comparing 70-year-olds with and without schizophrenia. SETTING: Cases were drawn from the Danish Psychiatric Central Register. Age- and sex-matched controls were drawn from the general population via the Civil Registration System. PARTICIPANTS: All Danish inhabitants who were diagnosed and registered with early onset schizophrenia in 1970-1979 and still alive at age 70 years. Controls alive at age 70 years. MEASUREMENTS: Chronic medical comorbidity, medications, and inpatient and outpatient healthcare utilization extracted from Danish healthcare registers. RESULTS: Older adults with schizophrenia did not differ from controls with regard to registered chronic medical illnesses, but were significantly less likely to receive medication for cardiovascular diseases (OR: 0.65; 99.29% CI: 0.50, 0.83) and more likely to be treated with analgesics (OR: 1.46; 99.29% CI: 1.04, 2.05). Overall, hospital admissions and number of days hospitalized were equal to controls, but with significantly fewer general medical outpatient contacts (RR: 0.37; 98.75% CI: 0.24, 0.55). CONCLUSIONS: Because the literature suggests that excess mortality continues into old age, it is possible that medical diseases were under-registered and/or under-treated. Focus on adequate medical treatment, in particular for cardiovascular disease, is needed. Future integration of psychiatric and general medical healthcare, especially outpatient care, might further optimize health outcomes for older adults with schizophrenia.

Uterine fibroid embolization with acrylamido polyvinyl microspheres: prospective 12-month clinical and MRI follow-up study.

Background Uterine fibroid embolization (UFE) is an effective minimally invasive treatment aimed to obtain complete fibroid infarction. Purpose To evaluate the degree of fibroid infarction after embolization with acrylamido polyvinyl alcohol microspheres (Bead Block). Material and Methods This prospective study included 26 pre-menopausal women in the period October 2013 to January 2015. UFE with the use of Bead Block microspheres 700-900 µm was obtained until flow stasis was achieved. Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to define residual contrast enhancement in the total fibroid burden and enhancement >10% was defined as insufficient embolization. The dominant fibroid volume and total uterine volume changes were assessed. Clinical outcome was analyzed using the quality of life questionnaire (UFS-QOL). Results Twenty-four of the 26 patients (92%) had a technically successful UFE with complete flow-stop in both uterine arteries. Twenty-two of the 26 patients (85%) completed 3 months of MRI control and 20 patients (77%) completed 12 months of MRI control. There were 16 of 22 patients (73%) with complete fibroid burden infarction and/or without residual contrast enhancement of the fibroids of more than 10% at 3 months of control. Six of 22 patients (27%) had insufficient fibroid burden infarction with residual contrast enhancement of more than 10%. Twenty-two and 18 of 26 patients completed the 3-month and 12-month questionnaire, respectively. UFS-QOL analyses showed that 91% of the patients had significant clinical improvement. Conclusion Sixteen of the 22 patients had complete fibroid burden infarction using Bead Block microspheres (700-900 µm); however, unacceptably high insufficient fibroid burden infarction in almost one-fourth of the patients were recorded.

Transfer between hospitals as a predictor of delay in diagnosis and treatment of patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer - a register based cohort-study.

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer is the second most frequent cancer diagnosis in Denmark. Although improved during the last decade, the prognosis of lung cancer is still poor with an overall 5-year survival rate of approximately 12%. Delay in diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer has been suggested as a potential cause of the poor prognosis and as consequence, fast track cancer care pathways were implemented describing maximum acceptable time thresholds from referral to treatment. In Denmark, patients with lung cancer are often transferred between hospitals with diagnostic facilities to hospitals with treatment facilities during the care pathway. We wanted to investigate whether this organizational set-up influenced the time that patients wait for the diagnosis and treatment. Therefore, the objective of this study was to uncover the impact of transfer between hospitals on the delay in the diagnosis and treatment of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: We performed a historical prospective cohort study using data from the Danish Lung Cancer Registry (DLCR). All patients diagnosed with primary NSCLC from January 1st 2008 to December 31st 2012 were included. Patients with unresolved pathology and incomplete data on the dates of referral, diagnosis and treatment were excluded. RESULTS: A total of 11 273 patients were included for further analyses. Transfer patients waited longer for treatment after the diagnosis, (Hazard ratio (HR) 0.81 (0.68-0.96)) and in total time from referral to treatment (HR 0.84 (0.77-0.92)), than no-transfer patients. Transfer patients had lower odds of being diagnosed (Odds Ratio (OR) 0.82 (0.74-0.94) and treated (OR 0.66 (0.61-0.72) within the acceptable time thresholds described in the care pathway. CONCLUSION: Fast track cancer care pathways were implemented to unify and accelerate the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. We found that the transfer between hospitals during the care pathway might cause delay from diagnosis to treatment as well as in the total time from referral to treatment in patients with Non Small-Cell Lung Cancer. The difference between no-transfer and transfer patients persists after adjusting for known predictors of delay.

Cancer risk and mortality after kidney transplantation: a population-based study on differences between Danish centres using standard immunosuppression with and without glucocorticoids.

BACKGROUND: Kidney recipients receive immunosuppression to prevent graft rejection, and long-term outcomes such as post-transplant cancer and mortality may vary according to the different protocols of immunosuppression. METHODS: A national register-based historical cohort study was conducted to examine whether post-transplant cancer and all-cause mortality differed between Danish renal transplantation centres using standard immunosuppressive protocols including steroids (Centres 2, 3, 4) or a steroid-free protocol (Centre 1). The Danish Nephrology Registry, the Danish Civil Registration System, the Danish National Cancer Registry and the Danish National Patient Register were used. A historical cohort of 1450 kidney recipients transplanted in 1995-2005 was followed up with respect to post-transplant cancer and death until 31 December 2011. RESULTS: Compared with Center 1 the adjusted post-transplant cancer risk was 6-39% lower in Centre 3 [hazard ratio (HR) 0.94, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.67-1.32], in Centre 2 (HR 0.72, 95% CI 0.52-0.98) and in Centre 4 (HR 0.61, 95% CI 0.44-0.83). Compared with Center 1, the adjusted post-transplant mortality was 21-55% higher in Centre 4 (HR 1.21, 95% CI 0.91-1.61), in Centre 3 (HR 1.35, 95% CI 0.98-1.86) and in Centre 2 (HR 1.55, 95% CI 1.17-2.05). On average, post-transplant cancer was associated with a 4-fold increase in the risk of death (HR 4.25, 95% CI 3.36-5.38). CONCLUSIONS: There was a tendency of a higher post-transplant cancer occurrence, but lower all-cause mortality, in the Danish transplantation centre that adhered to a standard steroid-free immunosuppressive protocol.

Mortality and survival of lung cancer in Denmark: Results from the Danish Lung Cancer Group 2000-2012.

Background In the 1990s outcomes in Danish lung cancer patients were poor compared with the other Nordic countries. The five-year survival was only about 5%, only 10% of patients were operated on and less than 60% received active surgical or oncologic treatment. This paper describes trends in mortality and survival of lung cancer in Denmark from 2000 to 2012. Methods The study population comprised 52 435 patients with a diagnosis of cancer of the trachea and the lung, primarily ascertained from the Danish Lung Cancer Register and grouped into three cohorts by year of diagnosis. The outcome measures covered the first year as well as the first full five-year period after diagnosis and comprised absolute mortality rate (per 100 patient years), absolute survival, and the relative survival. All outcomes were estimated for the overall patient population as well as after stratification by covariates. Results Overall, the mortality rates have declined significantly over time from 117 per 100 patient years to 88 for the one-year mortality and from 75 to 65 for the five-year mortality rates, respectively. With the exception of patients with advanced stage, declining mortality was observed for all strata by gender, comorbidity, stage and surgery status and was accompanied by corresponding improvements in both absolute and relative survival. Conclusions The mortality has been significantly declining and the prognosis correspondingly improving in lung cancer in Denmark since the turn of the millennium. As of today, survival after lung cancer in Denmark is probably in line with the international standard. Based on our results we recommend introducing mortality indicators based on all-cause mortality within the patient population in international benchmarking studies as comparisons based on cancer-specific mortality relative to the total general population may be misleading when interpreted in the context of outcomes and quality of care.

Improved survival of colorectal cancer in Denmark during 2001-2012 - The efforts of several national initiatives.

Background The Danish Colorectal Cancer Group (DCCG) established a national clinical database in 2001 with the aim to monitor and improve outcome of colorectal cancer patients. Since 2000 several national initiatives have been taken to improve cancer outcome. In the present study we used DCCG data to evaluate mortality and survival of CRC patients with focus on comorbidity, stage, and perioperative treatment. Material and methods Patients notified to the DCCG database from 2001 to 2012 were included. Patients with primary cancer of the colon and rectum were analyzed separately. Analyses were stratified according to gender, comorbidity, Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) stage, and operative priority (elective/emergency/no surgery). Data were stratified into three time periods (2001-2004, 2005-2008, 2009-2012). Mortality and survival were age adjusted. Results In total 29 385 patients with colon cancer and 15 213 patients with rectal cancer were included. The stage distribution was almost stable over time. The mortality rate per 100 patient year within one year decreased from 32 to 26 in colon cancer and from 26 to 19 in rectal cancer with associated improvements in absolute survival from 73% to 78% in colon cancer and from 78% to 83% in rectal cancer. The five-year relative survival of colon cancer improved from 58% to 63% and in rectal cancer from 59% to 65%. Comorbidity had major negative impact on outcome. Irrespective of tumor location, outcome improved relatively more in patients with stage III and IV disease. The proportion of patients who were spared surgery increased from 8% to 15% in colon cancer and from 13% to 19% in rectal cancer, and these changes were associated with improved outcome for rectal cancer patients, whereas outcome worsened for colon cancer patients. Conclusion The Danish efforts to improve outcome of cancer have succeeded with improved outcomes in patients with colorectal cancer.

The effect of different comorbidities on survival of non-small cells lung cancer patients.

PURPOSE: Primary lung cancer is one of the most common types of cancers. Comorbidity has been shown to be a negative prognostic factor in the overall lung cancer population. The significance of the individual comorbidities is less well known. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of each comorbid disease groups on survival. METHODS: The analysis is based on all patients with NSCLC who were registered in 2009-2011, in total 10,378 patients. To estimate the effect of each comorbidity group on the survival, we fitted a Cox regression model for each comorbidity group adjusting for age, sex, resection, and stage. RESULTS: Patients with cardiovascular comorbidity have a 30% higher death rate [HR 1.30 with 95% CI (1.13; 1.49)] than patients without comorbidity. Patients with diabetes and patients with cerebrovascular disorders and COPD have a 20% excess mortality than patients without comorbidity: [HR 1.19 with CI (1.02; 1.39) for diabetes, HR 1.18 with CI (1.05; 1.33) for cerebrovascular disorders, and HR 1.20 with CI (1.10; 1.39 for COPD)]. CONCLUSION: Our study shows the importance of cardiovascular disease in lung cancer. Diabetes, cerebrovascular disorders, and COPD also have a significant impact on survival of NSCLC patients.

Changing from glucose to HbA1c for diabetes diagnosis: predictive values of one test and importance of analytical bias and imprecision.

BACKGROUND: In Denmark, the use of HbA1c in the diagnosis of diabetes was adopted from March 2012. We evaluated the change in the number of diabetes cases diagnosed by haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) versus fasting venous plasma glucose (FPG), and estimated the influence of analytical variation and bias on the HbA1c-based prevalence of diabetes. METHODS: The study population constituted 4239 individuals not known to have diabetes randomly selected from all inhabitants aged 25-75 years in the former County of Vejle, Denmark. The number of undiagnosed patients with diabetes in the study population using FPG or HbA1c as the diagnostic criterion was estimated. Furthermore, changes in the analytical bias and coefficient of variation (CV) for HbA1c analysis were simulated and the effect on the number of diabetes cases was observed. RESULTS: Changing the diagnostic test from FPG to HbA1c reduced the number of patients with diabetes by approximately 46% based on one measurement. The predictive value of one test of HbA1c was 91% versus only 66% for one test of FPG. Analytical variation had a much greater impact on the number of patients with diabetes than bias. At a bias of 0%, an increase of CVanalytical from 2.7% to 3.7% increased the number of diabetes cases by 90%. CONCLUSIONS: In the study population, the percentage of undiagnosed patients with diabetes aged 25-75 years was reduced from 3.6% (95% CI 3.0%-4.2%) based on one FPG measurement (FPG ≥7.0 mmol/L) to only 1.9% (95% CI 1.5%-2.3%) if the diagnosis of diabetes was based on the criterion of HbA1c ≥48 mmol/mol (6.5% DCCT).

Impact of sex and socioeconomic status on the likelihood of surgery, hospitalization, and use of medications in inflammatory bowel disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) are associated with high healthcare utilization. This systematic review aimed to summarize what is known about the impact of sex, income, and education on the likelihood of bowel surgery, hospitalization, and use of corticosteroids and biologics among patients with IBD. METHODS: We used EMBASE, MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Web of Science to perform a systematic literature search. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using random effects meta-analysis for the impact of sex on the likelihood of surgery and hospitalization. In addition, we performed subgroup analyses of the effect of IBD type (Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis) and age. Finally, meta-regression was undertaken for the year of publication. RESULTS: In total, 67 studies were included, of which 23 studies were eligible for meta-analysis. In the main meta-analysis, male sex was associated with an increased likelihood of bowel surgery (HR 1.42 (95% CI 1.13;1.78), which was consistent with the subgroup analysis for UC only (HR 1.78, 95% CI 1.16; 2.72). Sex did not impact the likelihood of hospitalization (OR 1.05 (95% CI 0.86;1.30), although the subgroup analysis revealed an increased likelihood of hospitalization in CD patients (OR 1.42, 95% CI 1.28;1.58). In 9 of 10 studies, no significant sex-based differences in the use of biologics were reported, although in 6 of 6 studies, female patients had lower adherence to biologics. In 11 of 13 studies, no significant sex-based difference in the use of corticosteroids was reported. The evidence of the impact of income and education on healthcare utilization was sparse and pointed in different directions. The substantial heterogeneity between studies was explained, in part, by differences in IBD type and age. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this systematic review indicate that male patients with IBD are significantly more likely to have surgery than female patients with IBD but are not, overall, more likely to be hospitalized, whereas female patients appear to have statistically significantly lower adherence to biologics compared to male patients. Thus, clinicians should not underestimate the impact of sex on healthcare utilization. Evidence for income- and education-based differences remains sparse. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42022315788.

Is smoking a risk factor for proliferative diabetic retinopathy in type 1 diabetes?

AIM: The aim was to evaluate if smoking was a risk factor for proliferative retinopathy (PDR) in a 25-year follow-up study. METHODS: 201 persons from a population-based cohort of Danish type 1 diabetic patients were examined at baseline and again 25 years later. At both examinations the patients were asked about their smoking habits. The level of retinopathy was evaluated by ophthalmoscopy at baseline and by nine 45-degree colour field fundus photos at the follow-up. RESULTS: In multivariate analyses there was a trend that current smokers at baseline were more likely to develop PDR at the follow-up (odds ratio 1.90, 95% confidence interval 0.88-4.11, p = 0.10). Neither smoking status at the follow-up nor pack-years of smoking were associated with PDR. CONCLUSIONS: We found neither a beneficial nor a harmful effect of smoking on long-term incidence. Selective mortality among smokers and patients with PDR at baseline might provide at least part of the explanation for this.

Trends in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol goal achievement and changes in lipid-lowering therapy after incident atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease: Danish cohort study.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to investigate trends in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) goal achievement (LDL-C<1.8 mmol/L, equivalent to 70 mg/dL), initiation of lipid-lowering therapy (LLT) and changes in LLT intensity in individuals with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) at very high risk of recurrent cardiovascular disease. METHODS: A cohort study design was used including individuals with incident ASCVD and LDL-C≥1.8 mmol/L in 2010-2015. Data were obtained from national, population-based registers (patient, prescription, income, and laboratory). RESULTS: We included 11,997 individuals. Acute myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke and stable angina pectoris accounted for 79.6% of the qualifying ASCVD events. At inclusion, 37.2% were in LLT. Mean LDL-C before or during ASCVD hospitalization was 3.1 mmol/L (120 mg/dL). LDL-C goal achievement increased within the first two years after inclusion from 40.5% to 50.6%. LLT initiation within the first 90 days increased from 48.6% to 56.0%. Initiation of intensive LLT increased from 9.6% to 32.8%. The largest change in LLT intensity was seen in the period 180 days before to 90 days after discharge with 2.2% in 2010 to 12.1% in 2015. CONCLUSION: LDL-C goal achievement within the first 2 years after inclusion increased from 40.5% in 2010 to 50.6% in 2015. LLT initiation within the first year after inclusion increased, especially for intensive LLT, although only one third initiated intensive LLT in 2015. Despite trends show improvements in LDL-C goal achievement, 49.4% of individuals at very high risk of a CV event did not achieve the LDL-C goal within 2 years after ASCVD hospitalization.