Prostate cancer incidence and mortality among men using statins and non-statin lipid-lowering medications.

BACKGROUND: Statins have demonstrated protection against aggressive/late-stage and/or lethal prostate cancer (PC), but prior studies are limited by small populations, short follow-up and unequal health-care access. Research has not demonstrated that non-statin lipid-lowering medications (NSLLMs) provide a similar benefit, which would support a cholesterol-based mechanism. We sought to rigorously test the hypothesis that cholesterol-lowering drugs affect PC incidence and severity. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted by abstracting prescription and health service records for 249,986 Saskatchewan men aged ≥40 years between January 1, 1990 and December 31, 2014 and comparing first-time statin and NSLLM users with age-matched non-users and glaucoma medication (GM) users for PC incidence, metastases at diagnosis and PC mortality using Cox proportional hazards regression. RESULTS: In comparing statin users to non-users, a weak association was detected with increased PC incidence (hazard ratio [HR] 1.07, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02-1.12) that disappeared when compared with GM users. Substantial protective associations were observed between statin use and metastatic PC and PC mortality (HRs 0.69, 95% CI: 0.61-0.79 and 0.73, 95% CI: 0.66-0.81, respectively), which were stronger when compared with GM use (HRs 0.52, 95% CI: 0.40-0.68 and 0.51, 95% CI: 0.41-0.63, respectively). Similar associations were found for NSLLM versus GM for metastatic PC (HR 0.57, 95% CI: 0.41-0.79) and PC mortality (HR 0.66, 95% CI: 0.51-0.85). CONCLUSIONS: Our analyses provide one of the more comprehensive findings to date that statins may reduce risk of metastatic PC and PC mortality, and the first to demonstrate that NSLLM have similar effects, supporting a cholesterol-based mechanism.

Impact of 5α-reductase inhibitor and α-blocker therapy for benign prostatic hyperplasia on prostate cancer incidence and mortality.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the use of 5α-reductase inhibitors (5ARIs) and α-blockers among men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in relation to prostate cancer (PCa) incidence, severity and mortality. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective 20-year cohort study in men residing in Saskatchewan, aged 40-89 years, with a BPH-coded medical claim between 1995 and 2014, was conducted. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to compare incidence of PCa diagnosis, metastatic PCa, Gleason score 8-10 PCa, and PCa mortality among 5ARI users (n = 4 571), α-blocker users (n = 7 764) and non-users (n = 11 677). RESULTS: In comparison with both non-users and α-blocker users, 5ARI users had a ~40% lower risk of a PCa diagnosis (11.0% and 11.4% vs 5.8%, respectively), and α-blocker users had an 11% lower risk of a PCa diagnosis compared with non-users. Overall, the incidence of metastatic PCa and PCa mortality was not significantly different among 5ARI or α-blocker users compared with non-users (adjusted hazard ratios [HR] of metastatic PCa: 1.12 and 1.13, respectively, and PCa mortality: 1.11 and 1.18, respectively, P > 0.05 for both drugs), but both 5ARI and a-blocker users had ~30% higher risk of Gleason score 8-10 cancer, adjusted HR 1.37, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03-1.82, P = 0.03, and adjusted HR 1.28, 95% CI 1.03-1.59, P = 0.02, respectively compared with non-users. CONCLUSION: The use of 5ARIs was associated with lower risk of PCa diagnosis, regardless of comparison group. Risk of high grade PCa was higher among both 5ARI users and α-blocker users compared with non-users; however, this did not translate into higher risk of PCa mortality.

Physician assessments of drug seeking behavior: A mixed methods study.

BACKGROUND: Pain complaints are common, but clinicians are increasingly concerned about overuse of opioid pain medications. This may lead patients with actual pain to be stigmatized as "drug-seeking," or attempting to obtain medications they do not require medically. We assessed whether patient requests for specific opioid pain medication would lead physicians to classify them as drug-seeking and change management decisions. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Mixed-methods analysis of interviews with 192 office-based primary care physicians after viewing video vignettes depicting patients presenting with back pain. For each presentation physicians were randomly assigned to see either an active request for a specific medication or a more general request for help with pain. The main outcome was assignment by the physician of "drug-seeking" as a potential diagnosis among patients presenting with back pain. Additional outcomes included other actions the physician would take and whether the physician would prescribe the medication requested. A potential diagnosis of drug-seeking behavior was included by 21% of physicians seeing a specific request for oxycodone vs. 3% for a general request for help with back pain(p<0.001). In multivariable models an active request was most strongly associated with a physician-assigned diagnosis of drug-seeking behavior(OR 8.10; 95% CI 2.11-31.15;p = 0.002); other major patient and physician characteristics, including gender and race, did not have strong associations with drug-seeking diagnosis. Physicians described short courses of opioid medications as a strategy for managing patients with pain while avoiding opioid overuse. CONCLUSIONS: When patients make a specific request for opioid pain medication, physicians are far more likely to suspect that they are drug-seeking. Physician suspicion of drug-seeking behavior did not vary by patient characteristics, including gender and race. The strategies used to assess patients further varied widely. These findings indicate a need for the development of better clinical tools to support the evaluation and management of patients presenting with pain.

Relative Contributions of Socioeconomic, Local Environmental, Psychosocial, Lifestyle/Behavioral, Biophysiological, and Ancestral Factors to Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Type 2 Diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: Racial/ethnic minorities in the U.S. have a higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) than white adults. While many independent risk factors for T2DM have been identified, these determinants are often viewed in isolation without considering the joint contributions of competing risk factors. The objective of this study was to assess the relative contributions of six domains of influence to racial/ethnic disparities in T2DM. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Cross-sectional analyses were conducted using the Boston Area Community Health III Survey (2010-2012), the third wave of a population-based sample of men and women from three racial/ethnic groups (black, Hispanic, white) living in Boston, Massachusetts (N = 2,764). Prevalent diabetes was defined by self-report of T2DM, fasting glucose >125 mg/dL, or HbA1c ≥6.5%. Structural equation models were constructed to evaluate the direct effects of each conceptual domain of influence on T2DM prevalence, as well as their indirect effects on the race/ethnicity-T2DM relationship. All direct and indirect pathways were included. RESULTS: The final model indicated that 38.9% and 21.8% of the total effect of black race and Hispanic ethnicity, respectively, on T2DM prevalence was mediated by the socioeconomic, environmental, psychosocial, and lifestyle/behavioral risk scores. The largest mediating influence was the socioeconomic risk score, which explained 21.8% and 26.2% of the total effect of black race and Hispanic ethnicity, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our study found that socioeconomic factors had the greatest impact on explaining the excess prevalence of T2DM among racial/ethnic minorities.

Association of Acculturation and Health Literacy with Prevalent Dysglycemia and Diabetes Control Among Latinos in the Boston Area Community Health (BACH) Survey.

This study assessed the effect of acculturation on type 2 diabetes and whether health literacy may mediate this association. The Boston Area Community Health cohort is a multi-stage stratified random sample of adults from Boston including 744 Latinos. We defined dysglycemia as a HbA1c ≥5.7 %. Multivariable analyses examined the associations between acculturation and health literacy adjusting for demographic and clinical variables. Similar analyses were performed among participants with HbA1c ≥7.0 % to assess the association between acculturation and diabetes control. Among an insured primarily foreign born Spanish speaking Latino population, with a long residence period in the US and good healthcare utilization, higher levels of acculturation were not associated with dysglycemia. Lower levels of acculturation were associated with worse diabetes control. Health literacy level did not modify these associations. Elucidating the components of heterogeneity among Latinos will be essential for understanding the influence of acculturation on diabetes.

Do Behavioral Risk Factors for Prediabetes and Insulin Resistance Differ across the Socioeconomic Gradient? Results from a Community-Based Epidemiologic Survey.

To examine whether behavioral risk factors associated with diabetes (diet, BMI, waist circumference, physical activity, and sleep duration) are also related to both prediabetes and insulin resistance (IR), we used data from Boston Area Community Health (BACH) Survey (2010-2012, n = 3155). Logistic and linear regression models were used to test the association of lifestyle factors with prediabetes status, insulin resistance, and prediabetes or insulin resistance. All regression models were stratified by education and income levels (to examine whether risk factors had differential effects across socioeconomic factors) and adjusted for age, gender, race/ethnicity, family history of diabetes, and smoking status. We found that large waist circumference was consistently associated with higher levels of insulin resistance (IR) and increased odds of prediabetes. While the association between large waist circumference and IR was consistent across all levels of SES (P < 0.001), the association between large waist circumference and prediabetes was only statistically significant in the highest socioeconomic strata with odds ratios of 1.68 (95% CI 1.07-2.62) and 1.88 (95% CI 1.22-2.92) for postgraduate degree and income strata, respectively. There was no association between diet, physical activity, sleep duration, and the presence of multiple risk factors and prediabetes or IR within SES strata.

Racial ethnic differences in type 2 diabetes treatment patterns and glycaemic control in the Boston Area Community Health Survey.

OBJECTIVES: Numerous studies continue to report poorer glycaemic control, and a higher incidence of diabetes-related complications among African-Americans and Hispanic-Americans as compared with non-Hispanic Caucasians with type 2 diabetes. We examined racial/ethnic differences in receipt of hypoglycaemic medications and glycaemic control in a highly insured Massachusetts community sample of individuals with type 2 diabetes. SETTING: Community-based sample from Boston, Massachusetts, USA. PARTICIPANTS: 682 patients with physician-diagnosed diabetes from the third wave of the Boston Area Community Health Survey (2010-2012). The study included approximately equal proportions of African-Americans, Hispanics and Caucasians. METHODS: We examined racial/ethnic disparities in diabetes treatment by comparing proportions of individuals on mutually exclusive diabetes treatment regimens across racial/ethnic subgroups. Using multivariable linear and logistic regression, we also examined associations between race/ethnicity and glycaemic control in the overall population, and within treatment regimens, adjusting for age, gender, income, education, health insurance, health literacy, disease duration, diet and physical activity. RESULTS: Among those treated (82%), the most commonly prescribed antidiabetic regimens were biguanides only (31%), insulin only (23%), and biguanides and insulin (16%). No overall racial/ethnic differences in treatment or glycaemic control (per cent difference for African-Americans: 6.18, 95% CI -1.00 to 13.88; for Hispanic-Americans: 1.01, 95% CI -10.42 to 12.75) were observed. Within regimens, we did not observe poorer glycaemic control for African-Americans prescribed biguanides only, insulin only or biguanides combined with insulin/sulfonylureas. However, African-Americans prescribed miscellaneous regimens had higher risk of poorer glycaemic control (per cent difference=23.37, 95% CI 7.25 to 43.33). There were no associations between glycaemic levels and Hispanic ethnicity overall, or within treatment regimens. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest a lack of racial/ethnic disparities in diabetes treatment patterns and glycaemic control in this highly insured Massachusetts study population. Future studies are needed to understand impacts of increasing insurance coverage on racial/ethnic disparities in treatment patterns and related outcomes.

Biogeographic ancestry is associated with higher total body adiposity among African-American females: the Boston Area Community Health Survey.

OBJECTIVES: The prevalence of obesity is disproportionately higher among African-Americans and Hispanics as compared to whites. We investigated the role of biogeographic ancestry (BGA) on adiposity and changes in adiposity in the Boston Area Community Health Survey. METHODS: We evaluated associations between BGA, assessed via Ancestry Informative Markers, and adiposity (body mass index (BMI), percent body fat (PBF), and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR)) and changes in adiposity over 7 years for BMI and WHR and 2.5 years for PBF, per 10% greater proportion of BGA using multivariable linear regression. We also examined effect-modification by demographic and socio-behavioral variables. RESULTS: We observed positive associations between West-African ancestry and cross-sectional BMI (percent difference=0.62%; 95% CI: 0.04%, 1.20%), and PBF (ß=0.35; 95% CI: 0.11, 0.58). We also observed significant effect-modification of the association between West-African ancestry and BMI by gender (p-interaction: <0.002) with a substantially greater association in women. We observed no main associations between Native-American ancestry and adiposity but observed significant effect-modification of the association with BMI by diet (p-interaction: <0.003) with inverse associations among participants with higher Healthy Eating Scores. No associations were observed between BGA and changes in adiposity over time. CONCLUSION: Findings support that West-African ancestry may contribute to high prevalence of total body adiposity among African-Americans, particularly African-American women.

The role of neighborhood characteristics in racial/ethnic disparities in type 2 diabetes: results from the Boston Area Community Health (BACH) Survey.

Racial/ethnic disparities in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are well documented and until recently, research has focused almost exclusively on individual-based determinants as potential contributors to these disparities (health behaviors, biological/genetic factors, and individual-level socio-demographics). Research on the role of neighborhood characteristics in relation to racial/ethnic disparities in T2DM is very limited. Therefore, the aim of this research is to identify and estimate the contribution of specific aspects of neighborhoods that may be associated with racial/ethnic disparities in T2DM. Data from the Boston Area Community Health III Survey (N = 2764) was used in this study, which is a community-based random-sample survey of adults in Boston, Massachusetts from three racial/ethnic groups (Black, Hispanic, and White). We applied two-level random intercepts logistic regression to assess the associations between race/ethnicity, neighborhood characteristics (census tract socioeconomic status, racial composition, property and violent crime, open space, geographic proximity to grocery stores, convenience stores, and fast food, and neighborhood disorder) and prevalent T2DM (fasting glucose > 125 mg/dL, HbA1c ≥ 6.5%, or self-report of a T2DM diagnosis). Black and Hispanic participants had 2.89 times and 1.48 times the odds of T2DM as White participants, respectively. Multilevel models indicated a significant between-neighborhood variance estimate of 0.943, providing evidence of neighborhood variation. Individual demographics (race/ethnicity, age and gender) explained 22.3% of the neighborhood variability in T2DM. The addition of neighborhood-level variables to the model had very little effect on the magnitude of the racial/ethnic disparities and on the between-neighborhood variability. For example, census tract poverty explained less than 1% and 6% of the excess odds of T2DM among Blacks and Hispanics and only 1.8% of the neighborhood variance in T2DM. While the findings of this study overall suggest that neighborhood factors are not a major contributor to racial/ethnic disparities in T2DM, further research is needed including data from other geographic locations.

Association of moderate to severe lower urinary tract symptoms with incident type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

PURPOSE: Increasing evidence suggests a possible link between lower urinary tract symptoms and chronic illnesses. We determined whether lower urinary tract symptoms are associated with incident type 2 diabetes and heart disease in a population based study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: BACH is a population based epidemiological survey of urological symptoms. A multistage, stratified, cluster sample design was used to obtain a random sample of 4,144 men and women 30 to 79 years old at baseline. Median followup was 4.8 years between baseline (2002 to 2005) and followup (2006 to 2010). Type 2 diabetes and heart disease were assessed by self-report. Lower urinary tract symptoms were assessed by the AUA-SI, and voiding and storage subscores. Logistic regression was used to estimate the OR and 95% CI, and adjust for potential confounders. RESULTS: In participants with a body mass index of 30 kg/m(2) or greater the adjusted ORs for incident heart disease were 1.89 (95% CI 1.05, 3.39) for AUA-SI 8 or greater and 2.32 (95% CI 1.33, 4.05) for a storage score of 4 or greater. In participants with abdominal obesity the adjusted ORs for incident type 2 diabetes were 2.06 (95% CI 1.19, 3.55) for AUA-SI 8 or greater and 1.81 (95% CI 1.04, 3.15) for a storage score of 4 or greater. Lower urinary tract symptoms (AUA-SI 8 or greater) were also predictive of type 2 diabetes in men and women younger than 50 years (adjusted OR 2.37, 95% CI 1.18, 4.80). CONCLUSIONS: Longitudinal results of BACH suggest that lower urinary tract symptoms are a marker of increased risk for type 2 diabetes and heart disease in obese men and women. The increased risk in younger men and women suggests that lower urinary tract symptoms may be an indicator of impending disease.

Associations between supplemental or dietary intake of vitamin C and severity of lower urinary tract symptoms.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between long-term dietary vitamin C intake and recent use of vitamin C supplements with the progression and severity of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: Baseline and 5-year follow-up interviews were completed by 2825 black, Hispanic or white men and women aged 30-79 years in the Boston Area Community Health survey. Dietary and supplemental vitamin C intake was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire. LUTS were assessed using the validated American Urological Association Symptom Index. Multivariable models were used to test the associations between baseline vitamin C and progression of LUTS over the follow-up period, and between recent vitamin C intake and LUTS severity. RESULTS: In multivariable models, baseline dietary vitamin C was associated with lower odds of progression of daytime storage symptoms in men (e.g. quartile 4 vs 1, odds ratio [OR] = 0.63, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.41-0.97), or urgency symptoms in women (P trend = 0.02). Recent vitamin C intake at follow-up was also associated with better symptom scores among men. In contrast, among women, vitamin C supplement intake was associated with worse symptom scores, particularly daytime storage problems (500 mg/day vs none, OR = 1.66, 95% CI: 1.18-2.35, P trend = 0.01). Recent dietary vitamin C was not associated with LUTS in women. CONCLUSION: Vitamin C intake from foods and beverages was inversely associated with progression of daytime urinary storage symptoms in men or urgency symptoms in women at 5-year follow-up, therefore, the present results do not support a widespread avoidance for patients with LUTS of foods and beverages naturally rich in vitamin C. Supplemental vitamin C use above recommended daily intake levels was associated with higher odds of daytime urinary storage symptoms in women, and this finding is worthy of further attention and confirmation in future clinical trials.

The contribution of biogeographical ancestry and socioeconomic status to racial/ethnic disparities in type 2 diabetes mellitus: results from the Boston Area Community Health Survey.

PURPOSE: Racial/ethnic disparities in the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are well documented, and many researchers have proposed that biogeographical ancestry (BGA) may play a role in these disparities. However, studies examining the role of BGA on T2DM have produced mixed results to date. Therefore, the objective of this research was to quantify the contribution of BGA to racial/ethnic disparities in T2DM incidence controlling for the mediating influences of socioeconomic factors. METHODS: We analyzed data from the Boston Area Community Health Survey, a prospective cohort with approximately equal numbers of black, Hispanic, and white participants. We used 63 ancestry-informative markers to calculate the percentages of participants with West African and Native American ancestry. We used logistic regression with G-computation to analyze the contribution of BGA and socioeconomic factors to racial/ethnic disparities in T2DM incidence. RESULTS: We found that socioeconomic factors accounted for 44.7% of the total effect of T2DM attributed to black race and 54.9% of the effect attributed to Hispanic ethnicity. We found that BGA had almost no direct association with T2DM and was almost entirely mediated by self-identified race/ethnicity and socioeconomic factors. CONCLUSIONS: It is likely that nongenetic factors, specifically socioeconomic factors, account for much of the reported racial/ethnic disparities in T2DM incidence.

Association of African genetic ancestry with fasting glucose and HbA1c levels in non-diabetic individuals: the Boston Area Community Health (BACH) Prediabetes Study.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: To test among diabetes-free urban community-dwelling adults the hypothesis that the proportion of African genetic ancestry is positively associated with glycaemia, after accounting for other continental ancestry proportions, BMI and socioeconomic status (SES). METHODS: The Boston Area Community Health cohort is a multi-stage 1:1:1 stratified random sample of self-identified African-American, Hispanic and white adults from three Boston inner city areas. We measured 62 ancestry informative markers, fasting glucose (FG), HbA1c, BMI and SES (income, education, occupation and insurance status) and analysed 1,387 eligible individuals (379 African-American, 411 Hispanic, 597 white) without clinical or biochemical evidence of diabetes. We used three-heritage multinomial linear regression models to test the association of FG or HbA1c with genetic ancestry proportion adjusted for: (1) age and sex; (2) age, sex and BMI; and (3) age, sex, BMI and SES. RESULTS: Mean age- and sex-adjusted FG levels were 5.73 and 5.54 mmol/l among those with 100% African or European ancestry, respectively. Using per cent European ancestry as the referent, each 1% increase in African ancestry proportion was associated with an age- and sex-adjusted FG increase of 0.0019 mmol/l (p = 0.01). In the BMI- and SES-adjusted model the slope was 0.0019 (p = 0.02). Analysis of HbA1c gave similar results. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: A greater proportion of African genetic ancestry is independently associated with higher FG levels in a non-diabetic community-based cohort, even accounting for other ancestry proportions, obesity and SES. The results suggest that differences between African-Americans and whites in type 2 diabetes risk may include genetically mediated differences in glucose homeostasis.

Effects of patient medication requests on physician prescribing behavior: results of a factorial experiment.

BACKGROUND: Because of internet searches, advice from friends, and pharmaceutical advertising, especially direct-to-consumer advertising, patients are increasingly activated to request medications during a physician encounter. OBJECTIVES: To estimate the effect of patient requests for medications on physician-prescribing behavior, unconfounded by patient, physician, and practice-setting factors. RESEARCH DESIGN: Two experiments were conducted among 192 primary care physicians, each using different video-based scenarios: an undiagnosed "patient" with symptoms strongly suggesting sciatica, and a "patient" with already diagnosed chronic knee osteoarthritis. Half of patients with sciatica symptoms requested oxycodone, whereas the other half requested something to help with pain. Similarly, half of knee osteoarthritis patients specifically requested celebrex and half requested something to help with pain. SUBJECTS: To increase generalizability and ensure sufficient numbers were available, we recruited 192 primary care physicians from 6 US states. MEASURES: The primary outcome was whether physicians would accede to a patient's request for a medication. Alternative pain medications prescribed were secondary outcomes. RESULTS: 19.8% of sciatica patients requesting oxycodone would receive a prescription for oxycodone, compared with 1% of those making no specific request (P = 0.001). Fifty-three percent of knee osteoarthritis patients requesting celebrex would receive it, compared with 24% of patients making no request (P = 0.001). Patients requesting oxycodone were more likely to receive a strong narcotic (P = 0.001) and less likely to receive a weak narcotic (P = 0.01). Patients requesting celebrex were much less likely to receive a nonselective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (P = 0.008). No patient attributes, physician, or organizational factors influenced a physician's willingness to accede to a patient's medication request. CONCLUSIONS: In both scenarios, activated patient requests for a medication substantially affected physician-prescribing decisions, despite the drawbacks of the requested medications.

Reproductive history and progression of lower urinary tract symptoms in women: results from a population-based cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether reproductive history and related conditions are associated with the development and persistence of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) other than urinary incontinence in a racially and/or ethnically diverse population-based sample of women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Boston Area Community Health Survey enrolled 3201 women aged 30-79 years of black, Hispanic, or white race and/or ethnicity. Baseline and 5-year follow-up interviews were completed by 2534 women (conditional response rate, 83.4%). The association between reproductive history factors and population-weighted estimates of LUTS progression and persistence was tested using multivariable logistic regression models. RESULTS: Between baseline and 5-year follow-up, 23.9% women had LUTS progression. In age-adjusted models, women who had delivered ≥2 childbirths had higher odds of LUTS progression, but the association was completely accounted for by vaginal child delivery (eg, 2 vaginal childbirths vs none, multivariable-adjusted odds ratio = 2.21; 95% CI, 1.46-3.35; P <.001). No increased odds of LUTS progression were found for women with only 1 vaginal delivery or who only had cesarean section(s). Uterine prolapse was associated with higher odds of LUTS progression (multivariable-adjusted odds ratio = 3.05; 95% CI, 1.43-6.50; P = .004). Gestational diabetes was associated with approximately twice the odds of LUTS progression, but only among younger women (interaction P = .003). CONCLUSION: In this cohort study, ≥2 vaginal child deliveries, uterine prolapse, and among younger women, gestational diabetes were robust predictors of LUTS progression. Clinicians should assess the presence of bothersome urinary frequency, urgency, and voiding symptoms among women who have had multiple vaginal childbirths or gestational diabetes.

Has Massachusetts health care reform worked for the working poor? Results from an analysis of opportunity.

PURPOSE: Health care reform was introduced in Massachusetts (MA) in 2006 and serves as a model for what was subsequently introduced nationally as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The Boston Area Community Health survey collected data before (2002-2005) and after (2006-2010) introduction of the MA health insurance mandate, providing a unique opportunity to assess its effects in a large, epidemiologic cohort. METHODS: We report on the apparent effects of the mandate on the same participants over time, focusing specifically on the vulnerable working poor (WP). We evaluated differences in subpopulations of interest at pre- and post-reform periods to explore whether MA health care reform resulted in an overall gain in insurance coverage. RESULTS: MA health care reform was associated with net gains in health insurance coverage overall and among the subgroups studied. Our findings suggest that despite being targeted by health care reform legislation, the WP in MA continue to report lower rates of insurance coverage compared with both the nonworking poor and the not poor. CONCLUSIONS: MA health care reform legislation, including the expansion of Medicaid, resulted in substantial overall gains in coverage. Disparities in insurance coverage persist among some subgroups following health care reform implementation in MA. These results have important implications for health services researchers and policy makers, particularly in light of the ongoing implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Treatment status and risk factors for incidence and persistence of urinary incontinence in women.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: The objective of this analysis was to describe urinary incontinence (UI) incidence and persistence over 5 years in association with treatment status, sociodemographic, medical, and lifestyle factors, in a racially/ethnically diverse population-based female sample. METHODS: The Boston Area Community Health Survey enrolled 3,201 women aged 30-79 years of black, Hispanic, and white race/ethnicity. Five-year follow-up was completed by 2,534 women (conditional response rate 83.4 %), allowing population-weighted estimates of UI incidence and persistence rates. Predictors of UI were determined using multivariate logistic regression models. RESULTS: Incidence of UI at least monthly was 14.1 % and weekly 8.9 %. Waist circumference at baseline and increasing waist circumference over 5-year follow-up were the most robust predictors of UI incidence in multivariate models (P ≤ 0.01). Among 475 women with UI at baseline, persistence was associated with depression symptoms [monthly UI, odds ratio (OR) = 2.39, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.14-5.02] and alcohol consumption (weekly UI, OR = 3.51, 95 % CI 1.11-11.1). Among women with weekly UI at baseline, 41.7 % continued to report weekly UI at follow-up, 14.1 % reported monthly UI, and 44.2 % had complete remission. Persistence of UI was not significantly higher (58.2 % vs. 48.0 %, chi-square P = 0.3) among untreated women. Surgical or drug treatment for UI had little impact on estimates for other risk factors or for overall population rates of persistence or remission. CONCLUSIONS: Women with higher gains in waist circumference over time were more likely to develop UI, but waist circumference was not predictive of UI persistence. UI treatments did not affect associations for other risk factors. Additional research on the role of alcohol intake in UI persistence is warranted.

Cohort profile: the Boston Area Community Health (BACH) survey.

The Boston Area Community Health (BACH) Survey is a community-based, random sample, epidemiologic cohort of n = 5502 Boston (MA) residents. The baseline BACH Survey (2002-05) was designed to explore the mechanisms conferring increased health risks on minority populations with a particular focus on urologic signs/symptoms and type 2 diabetes. To this end, the cohort was designed to include adequate numbers of US racial/ethnic minorities (Black, Hispanic, White), both men and women, across a broad age of distribution. Follow-up surveys were conducted ∼5 (BACH II, 2008) and 7 (BACH III, 2010) years later, which allows for both within- and between-person comparisons over time. The BACH Survey's measures were designed to cover the following seven broad categories: socio-demographics, health care access/utilization, lifestyles, psychosocial factors, health status, physical measures and biochemical parameters. The breadth of measures has allowed BACH researchers to identify disparities and quantify contributions to social disparities in a number of health conditions including urologic conditions (e.g. nocturia, lower urinary tract symptoms, prostatitis), type 2 diabetes, obesity, bone mineral content and density, and physical function. BACH I data are available through the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) Central Repositories (www.niddkrepository.org). Further inquiries can be made through the New England Research Institutes Inc. website (www.neriscience.com/epidemiology).

Treatment status and progression or regression of lower urinary tract symptoms in a general adult population sample.

PURPOSE: We report progression and regression of lower urinary tract symptoms in a population based cohort by race/ethnicity, gender, age and lower urinary tract symptom medication use. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The BACH (Boston Area Community Health) Survey enrolled 5,502 participants 30 to 79 years old of black, Hispanic or white race/ethnicity. The 5-year followup interviews were completed by 1,610 men and 2,534 women for a conditional response rate of 80%. Population weighted estimates of lower urinary tract symptoms severity were assessed using the AUASI (American Urological Association symptom index) and analyzed using multivariate models. RESULTS: Symptom progression (increase in AUASI score of 3 or more points) was reported by 21% to 33% of participants and regression (decrease 3 or greater) by 30% to 44% of participants, most commonly women and Hispanic participants. Age and higher body mass index were associated with progression (p <0.01), but not with regression. Lower urinary tract symptom medication use at baseline only was associated with improved symptoms scores 5 years later (multivariate adjusted OR 3.10, 95% CI 1.28-7.51, compared to nonusers), whereas using medication at baseline and followup was associated with similar rates of progression and regression as observed among participants not using lower urinary tract symptom medication at either point. CONCLUSIONS: Lower urinary tract symptoms persisted at followup for approximately half of the population experiencing symptoms at baseline, including many men and women using lower urinary tract symptom medications. However, overall lower urinary tract symptom medication use and surgical treatment appeared beneficial for symptom control at 5-year followup. Age and body mass index were associated with symptom worsening, and Hispanic ethnicity was associated with greater symptom fluctuation. Clinicians should consider the higher likelihood of lower urinary tract symptom progression for older or heavier patients, and monitor responsiveness to lower urinary tract symptom medication.

Physician styles of decision-making for a complex condition: Type 2 diabetes with co-morbid mental illness.

RATIONALE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: Variation in physician decisions may reflect personal styles of decision-making, as opposed to singular clinical actions and these styles may be applied differently depending on patient complexity. The objective of this study is to examine clusters of physician decision-making for type 2 diabetes, overall and in the presence of a mental health co-morbidity. METHOD: This randomized balanced factorial experiment presented video vignettes of a "patient" with diagnosed, but uncontrolled type 2 diabetes. "Patients" were systematically varied by age, sex, race and co-morbidity (depression, schizophrenia with normal or bizarre affect, eczema as control). Two hundred and fifty-six primary care physicians, balanced by gender and experience level, completed a structured interview about clinical management. RESULTS: Cluster analysis identified 3 styles of diabetes management. "Minimalists" (n=84) performed fewer exams or tests compared to "middle of the road" physicians (n=84). "Interventionists" (n=88) suggested more medications and referrals. A second cluster analysis, without control for co-morbidities, identified an additional cluster of "information seekers" (n=15) who requested more additional information and referrals. Physicians ranking schizophrenia higher than diabetes on their problem list were more likely "minimalists" and none were "interventionists" or "information seekers". CONCLUSIONS: Variations in clinical management encompass multiple clinical actions and physicians subtly shift these decision-making styles depending on patient co-morbidities. Physicians' practice styles may help explain persistent differences in patient care. Training and continuing education efforts to encourage physicians to implement evidence-based clinical practice should account for general styles of decision-making and for how physicians process complicating comorbidities.