Pulse pressure is associated with decline in physical function in older adults.

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the associations between pulse pressure, hypertension, and the decline in physical function in a prospective framework. STUDY DESIGN: The Healthy Aging Longitudinal Study tracked a group of Taiwanese adults aged 55 or more over an average of 6.19 years to assess pulse pressure and decline in physical function, including in handgrip strength, gait speed, and 6-min walking distance, at baseline (2009-2013) and in the second phase of assessments (2013-2020). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Pulse pressure was calculated as the difference between systolic and diastolic blood pressure values. Weakness, slowness, and low endurance were defined as decreases of ≥0.23 m/s (one standard deviation) in gait speed, ≥5.08 kg in handgrip strength, and ≥ 57.73 m in a 6-min walk, as determined from baseline to the second phase of assessment. Linear and logistic regressions were employed to evaluate the associations between pulse pressure, hypertension, and decline in physical function. RESULTS: Baseline pulse pressure was associated with future handgrip strength (beta = -0.017, p = 0.0362), gait speed (beta = -0.001, p < 0.0001), and 6-min walking distance (beta = -0.470, p < 0001). In multivariable models, only handgrip strength (beta = -0.016, p = 0.0135) and walking speed (beta = -0.001, p = 0.0042) remained significantly associated with future pulse pressure. Older adults with high systolic blood pressure (≥140 mmHg) and elevated pulse pressure (≥60 mmHg) exhibited a significantly increased risk of weakness (odds ratio: 1.30, 95 % confidence interval: 1.08-1.58), slowness (1.29, 1.04-1.59), and diminished endurance (1.25, 1.04-1.50) compared with the reference group, who exhibited systolic blood pressure of <140 mmHg and pulse pressure of <60 mmHg. CONCLUSIONS: Among older adults, pulse pressure is associated with a decline in physical function, especially in terms of strength and locomotion.

Develop and Validate a Prognostic Index With Laboratory Tests to Predict Mortality in Middle-Aged and Older Adults Using Machine Learning Models: A Prospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Prognostic indices can enhance personalized predictions of health burdens. However, a simple, practical, and reproducible tool is lacking for clinical use. This study aimed to develop a machine learning-based prognostic index for predicting all-cause mortality in community-dwelling older individuals. METHODS: We utilized the Healthy Aging Longitudinal Study in Taiwan (HALST) cohort, encompassing data from 5 663 participants. Over the 5-year follow-up, 447 deaths were confirmed. A machine learning-based routine blood examination prognostic index (MARBE-PI) was developed using common laboratory tests based on machine learning techniques. Participants were grouped into multiple risk categories by stratum-specific likelihood ratio analysis based on their MARBE-PI scores. The MARBE-PI was subsequently externally validated with an independent population-based cohort from Japan. RESULTS: Beyond age, sex, education level, and BMI, 6 laboratory tests (low-density lipoprotein, albumin, aspartate aminotransferase, lymphocyte count, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and creatinine) emerged as pivotal predictors via stepwise logistic regression (LR) for 5-year mortality. The area under curves of MARBE-PI constructed by LR were 0.799 (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 0.778-0.819) and 0.756 (95% CI: 0.694-0.814) for the internal and external validation data sets, and were 0.801 (95% CI: 0.790-0.811) and 0.809 (95% CI: 0.774-0.845) for the extended 10-year mortality in both data sets, respectively. Risk categories stratified by MARBE-PI showed a consistent dose-response association with mortality. The MARBE-PI also performed comparably with indices constructed with clinical health deficits and/or laboratory results. CONCLUSIONS: The MARBE-PI is considered the most applicable measure for risk stratification in busy clinical settings. It holds potential to pinpoint older individuals at elevated mortality risk, thereby aiding clinical decision-making.

Age at lung cancer diagnosis in females versus males who never smoke by race and ethnicity.

BACKGROUND: We characterized age at diagnosis and estimated sex differences for lung cancer and its histological subtypes among individuals who never smoke. METHODS: We analyzed the distribution of age at lung cancer diagnosis in 33,793 individuals across 8 cohort studies and two national registries from East Asia, the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK). Student's t-tests were used to assess the study population differences (Δ years) in age at diagnosis comparing females and males who never smoke across subgroups defined by race/ethnicity, geographic location, and histological subtypes. RESULTS: We found that among Chinese individuals diagnosed with lung cancer who never smoke, females were diagnosed with lung cancer younger than males in the Taiwan Cancer Registry (n = 29,832) (Δ years = -2.2 (95% confidence interval (CI):-2.5, -1.9), in Shanghai (n = 1049) (Δ years = -1.6 (95% CI:-2.9, -0.3), and in Sutter Health and Kaiser Permanente Hawai'i in the US (n = 82) (Δ years = -11.3 (95% CI: -17.7, -4.9). While there was a suggestion of similar patterns in African American and non-Hispanic White individuals. the estimated differences were not consistent across studies and were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: We found evidence of sex differences for age at lung cancer diagnosis among individuals who never smoke.

Impact of physical activity on disability-free and disabled life expectancies in middle-aged and older adults: Data from the healthy aging longitudinal study in Taiwan.

AIM: Leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) promotes healthy aging; however, data on work-related physical activity (WPA) are inconsistent. This study was conducted to examine the disability-free life expectancy (DFLE) and disabled life expectancy (DLE) across physical activity levels, with a focus on WPA, in middle-aged and older adults. METHODS: Data from 5663 community-dwelling participants aged ≥55 years and enrolled in the Healthy Aging Longitudinal Study in Taiwan were evaluated. Energy expenditures from LTPA and WPA were calculated from baseline questionnaires and categorized into sex-specific cutoffs. Disability was based on repeat measures of participants' activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living. Mortality was confirmed via data linkage with the Death Certificate database. DFLE and DLE were estimated from discrete-time multistate life-table models. RESULTS: At age 65, women with low WPA had a DLE of 2.88 years (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.67-4.08), which was shorter than that of women without WPA (DLE, 5.24 years; 95% CI, 4.65-5.83) and with high WPA (DLE, 4.01 years; 95% CI, 2.69-5.34). DFLE and DLE were similar across WPA levels in men. DFLE tended to increase as the LTPA increased in men and women. CONCLUSION: Women with low WPA had shorter DLE than did those with no or high WPA. To reduce the risks of disability associated with physical activity, public policy should advocate for older people to watch the type, amount, and intensity of their activities as these may go ignored during WPA. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2024; 24: 229-239.

Examining the role of living alone and loneliness in predicting health-related quality of life: results from the Healthy Aging Longitudinal Study in Taiwan (HALST).

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the distinct yet interconnected aspects of social isolation, namely living alone and loneliness, and their individual and combined effects on predicting health-related quality of life (HRQoL). METHODS: A comprehensive analysis, encompassing both cross-sectional and longitudinal approaches, was conducted using a nationally representative sample of 5644 community-dwelling adults aged 55 and older from the Healthy Aging Longitudinal Study in Taiwan (HALST). RESULTS: Baseline data revealed that 9% of the sample reported living alone, while 10.3% reported experiencing loneliness, with 2.5% reporting both living alone and feeling lonely. Regression analyses consistently demonstrated that loneliness was significantly associated with concurrent and subsequent lower physical (PCS) and mental (MCS) component of HRQoL. Conversely, additional analyses indicated that living alone could indirectly exacerbate the adverse effects of loneliness or contribute to prolonged feelings of loneliness, subsequently predicting lower HRQoL after 3.2 year. CONCLUSION: In terms of practical implications, interventions and policies aiming to enhance HRQoL in older adults should give particular attention to those who report feelings of loneliness, especially individuals living alone.

Low-dose CT screening among never-smokers with or without a family history of lung cancer in Taiwan: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: In Taiwan, lung cancers occur predominantly in never-smokers, of whom nearly 60% have stage IV disease at diagnosis. We aimed to assess the efficacy of low-dose CT (LDCT) screening among never-smokers, who had other risk factors for lung cancer. METHODS: The Taiwan Lung Cancer Screening in Never-Smoker Trial (TALENT) was a nationwide, multicentre, prospective cohort study done at 17 tertiary medical centres in Taiwan. Eligible individuals had negative chest radiography, were aged 55-75 years, had never smoked or had smoked fewer than 10 pack-years and stopped smoking for more than 15 years (self-report), and had one of the following risk factors: a family history of lung cancer; passive smoke exposure; a history of pulmonary tuberculosis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disorders; a cooking index of 110 or higher; or cooking without using ventilation. Eligible participants underwent LDCT at baseline, then annually for 2 years, and then every 2 years up to 6 years thereafter, with follow-up assessments at each LDCT scan (ie, total follow-up of 8 years). A positive scan was defined as a solid or part-solid nodule larger than 6 mm in mean diameter or a pure ground-glass nodule larger than 5 mm in mean diameter. Lung cancer was diagnosed through invasive procedures, such as image-guided aspiration or biopsy or surgery. Here, we report the results of 1-year follow-up after LDCT screening at baseline. The primary outcome was lung cancer detection rate. The p value for detection rates was estimated by the χ2 test. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to assess the association between lung cancer incidence and each risk factor. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of LDCT screening were also assessed. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02611570, and is ongoing. FINDINGS: Between Dec 1, 2015, and July 31, 2019, 12 011 participants (8868 females) were enrolled, of whom 6009 had a family history of lung cancer. Among 12 011 LDCT scans done at baseline, 2094 (17·4%) were positive. Lung cancer was diagnosed in 318 (2·6%) of 12 011 participants (257 [2·1%] participants had invasive lung cancer and 61 [0·5%] had adenocarcinomas in situ). 317 of 318 participants had adenocarcinoma and 246 (77·4%) of 318 had stage I disease. The prevalence of invasive lung cancer was higher among participants with a family history of lung cancer (161 [2·7%] of 6009 participants) than in those without (96 [1·6%] of 6002 participants). In participants with a family history of lung cancer, the detection rate of invasive lung cancer increased significantly with age, whereas the detection rate of adenocarcinoma in situ remained stable. In multivariable analysis, female sex, a family history of lung cancer, and age older than 60 years were associated with an increased risk of lung cancer and invasive lung cancer; passive smoke exposure, cumulative exposure to cooking, cooking without ventilation, and a previous history of chronic lung diseases were not associated with lung cancer, even after stratification by family history of lung cancer. In participants with a family history of lung cancer, the higher the number of first-degree relatives affected, the higher the risk of lung cancer; participants whose mother or sibling had lung cancer were also at an increased risk. A positive LDCT scan had 92·1% sensitivity, 84·6% specificity, a PPV of 14·0%, and a NPV of 99·7% for lung cancer diagnosis. INTERPRETATION: TALENT had a high invasive lung cancer detection rate at 1 year after baseline LDCT scan. Overdiagnosis could have occurred, especially in participants diagnosed with adenocarcinoma in situ. In individuals who do not smoke, our findings suggest that a family history of lung cancer among first-degree relatives significantly increases the risk of lung cancer as well as the rate of invasive lung cancer with increasing age. Further research on risk factors for lung cancer in this population is needed, particularly for those without a family history of lung cancer. FUNDING: Ministry of Health and Welfare of Taiwan.

Polygenic Risk Score, Environmental Tobacco Smoke, and Risk of Lung Adenocarcinoma in Never-Smoking Women in Taiwan.

Importance: Estimating absolute risk of lung cancer for never-smoking individuals is important to inform lung cancer screening programs. Objectives: To integrate data on environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), a known lung cancer risk factor, with a polygenic risk score (PRS) that captures overall genetic susceptibility, to estimate the absolute risk of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) among never-smokers in Taiwan. Design, Setting, and Participants: The analyses were conducted in never-smoking women in the Taiwan Genetic Epidemiology Study of Lung Adenocarcinoma, a case-control study. Participants were recruited between September 17, 2002, and March 30, 2011. Data analysis was performed from January 17 to July 15, 2022. Exposures: A PRS was derived using 25 genetic variants that achieved genome-wide significance (P < 5 × 10-8) in a recent genome-wide association study, and ETS was defined as never exposed, exposed at home or at work, and exposed at home and at work. Main Outcomes and Measures: The Individualized Coherent Absolute Risk Estimator software was used to estimate the lifetime absolute risk of LUAD in never-smoking women aged 40 years over a projected 40-year span among the controls by using the relative risk estimates for the PRS and ETS exposures, as well as age-specific lung cancer incidence rates for never-smokers in Taiwan. Likelihood ratio tests were conducted to assess an additive interaction between the PRS and ETS exposure. Results: Data were obtained on 1024 women with LUAD (mean [SD] age, 59.6 [11.4] years, 47.9% ever exposed to ETS at home, and 19.5% ever exposed to ETS at work) and 1024 controls (mean [SD] age, 58.9 [11.0] years, 37.0% ever exposed to ETS at home, and 14.3% ever exposed to ETS at work). The overall average lifetime 40-year absolute risk of LUAD estimated using PRS alone was 2.5% (range, 0.6%-10.3%) among women never exposed to ETS. When integrating both ETS and PRS data, the estimated absolute risk was 3.7% (range, 0.6%-14.5%) for women exposed to ETS at home or work and 5.3% (range, 1.2%-12.1%) for women exposed to ETS at home and work. A super-additive interaction between ETS and the PRS (P = 6.5 × 10-4 for interaction) was identified. Conclusions and Relevance: This study found differences in absolute risk of LUAD attributed to genetic susceptibility according to levels of ETS exposure in never-smoking women. Future studies are warranted to integrate these findings in expanded risk models for LUAD.

Mortality rate and its determinants among people with dementia receiving home healthcare: a nationwide cohort study.

People with dementia (PwD) who receive home healthcare (HHC) may have distressing symptoms, complex care needs and high mortality rates. However, there are few studies investigating the determinants of mortality in HHC recipients. To identify end-of-life care needs and tailor individualized care goals, we aim to explore the mortality rate and its determinants among PwD receiving HHC. We conducted a retrospective cohort study using a Taiwanese national population database. People with new dementia diagnosis in 2007-2016 who received HHC were included. We calculated the accumulative mortality rate and applied Poisson regression model to estimate the risk of mortality for each variable (adjusted risk ratios, aRR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). We included 95,831 PwD and 57,036 (59.5%) of them died during the follow-up period (30.5% died in the first-year). Among comorbidities, cirrhosis was associated with the highest mortality risks (aRR 1.65, 95% CI 1.49-1.83). Among HHC-related factors, higher visit frequency of HHC (> 2 versus ≦1 times/month, aRR 3.52, 95% CI 3.39-3.66) and higher level of resource utilization group (RUG, RUG 4 versus 1, aRR = 1.38, 95% CI 1.25-1.51) were risk factor of mortality risk. Meanwhile, HHC provided by physician and nurse was related to reduced mortality risk (aRR 0.79, 95% CI 0.77-0.81) compared to those provided by nurse only. Anticipatory care planning and timely end-of life care should be integrated in light of the high mortality rate among PwD receiving HHC. Determinants associated with increased mortality risk facilitate the identification of high risk group and tailoring the appropriate care goals. Trial registration number: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier is NCT04250103 which has been registered on 31st January 2020.

Dietary Inflammatory Patterns Are Associated With Serum TGs and Insulin in Adults: A Community-Based Study in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: Dietary patterns related to inflammation have become a focus of disease prevention but the patterns may vary among populations. OBJECTIVES: The study was conducted to determine Taiwanese dietary inflammatory patterns and evaluate their associations with biomarkers of lipid and glucose. METHODS: Data were taken from 5664 community-dwelling individuals aged ≥55 y recruited in 2009-2013 in the Healthy Aging Longitudinal Study in Taiwan (HALST). Dietary data were obtained from an FFQ. An empirical dietary inflammatory pattern (EDIP) was derived from reduced rank regression models that explained the serum high-sensitivity CRP, plasma IL-6, and TNF receptor 1. Cross-sectional associations between dietary scores and biomarkers of total cholesterol (TC); HDL cholesterol; LDL cholesterol; TG; and ratios of TG/HDL cholesterol, TG/TC, fasting glucose, insulin, and HbA1c were analyzed via multiple linear regression and adjusted for major confounders. The false-discovery rate (FDR)-adjusted P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Abdominal obesity was defined as a waist circumference of ≥90 cm for men and ≥80 cm for women. RESULTS: Higher EDIP-HALST scores were associated with higher TG (per score increment: 1.62%, 95% CI: 0.58%, 2.76%; PFDR = 0.01), TG/HDL cholesterol (2.01%, 95% CI: 0.67%, 3.37%; PFDR = 0.01), and TG/TC (1.42%, 95% CI: 0.41%, 2.43%; PFDR = 0.01) and nonlinearly associated with insulin, with those in the middle tertile had the highest serum insulin concentrations (means: 5.12 µIU/mL, 95% CI: 4.78, 5.78; PFDR = 0.04) in men, but not in women. No heterogeneity was detected between sexes. The associations with TG (1.23%, 95% CI: 0.19, 2.23%; Ptrend = 0.02), TG/HDL cholesterol (1.62%, 95% CI: 0.30%, 2.96%; Ptrend = 0.02), and TG/TC (1.11%, 95% CI: 0.11%, 2.13%; Ptrend = 0.03) were stronger in participants with abdominal obesity, but were borderline associated in participants with normal abdominal circumferences (all Ptrend = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Inflammatory diets, as measured via EDIP-HALST, are associated with serum TG concentration, particularly in participants with abdominal obesity. These findings may suggest that developing disease prevention strategies using dietary inflammatory patterns may be different by populations. J Nutr 20xx;x:xx.

Interactions of Insomnia and Sedative-Hypnotic Drug Use Associated with Frailty Over Time Among Older Adults.

BACKGROUND: Insomnia and frailty are prevalent in older adults. This study aimed to elucidate the impact of insomnia and sedative-hypnotic use on the frailty rate over time. METHODS: We used data from community-dwelling older adults (mean ± SD age = 69.4 ± 8.2 years) from the Healthy Aging Longitudinal Study in Taiwan (HALST). A total of 4,744 participants were included in the study and were followed up for an average of 3.2 years. Frailty was assessed using the Fried criteria. Self-reported sleep problems, sedative-hypnotic use, and claims records from the National Health Insurance database were used. The generalized equation estimation (GEE) approach was applied to account for correlations between repeated measures. The average impact of insomnia and drug use on frailty over time was estimated by adjusting for potential confounding factors using the logic link in the GEE approach. RESULTS: The adjusted odds ratio (OR) of frailty was 1.41 (95% CI: [1.16, 1.72], Z-test statistics Z = 3.39, p <0.001) for insomnia and 1.52 ([1.16, 2.00], Z = 3.00, p = 0.0027) for sedative-hypnotic use. Interactions between insomnia and sedative-hypnotic use with frailty were not statistically significant. Long sleep duration > 8 hours, daytime sleepiness, and sleep apnea was also associated with an increased likelihood of developing frailty. Notably, a dose-response relationship between sedative-hypnotic drug use and frailty was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Insomnia and sedative-hypnotic use were independently associated with increased frailty. The implementation of nonpharmacological treatments to attenuate insomnia may reduce frailty rates.

Sleep habits are associated with cognition decline in physically robust, but not in frail participants: a longitudinal observational study.

Frail older adults are vulnerable to stressors; thus, sleep related cognition impairment might more greatly affect frail than healthy older adults. In the present study, we investigated whether the association between sleep problems and cognition varies with physical frailty status (modified from Fried et al.). Participants 55 years and older who completed a baseline and follow-up questionnaire (median follow-up: 5.5 years), were included in the analysis. Sleep parameters were evaluated in an interview at the baseline. Cognitive decline was defined as a loss of 3 or more points on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) at follow-up. Associations between sleep problems and cognitive decline were examined using logistic regression and were stratified by baseline physical frailty status, adjusted for potential confounders. A short total sleep duration (< 5 vs. 7-9 h, odds ratio (OR) = 1.88, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.18-3.00), excessive daytime sleepiness (OR = 1.49, 95% CI 1.04-2.13), low sleep efficiency (< 65% vs. ≥ 85%, OR = 1.62, 95% CI 1.07-2.46), and insomnia complaints (OR = 2.34, 95% CI 1.23-4.43) were associated with MMSE decline in physically robust. The association was stronger for the sleep summary score, which summarized abnormal sleep duration, excessive daytime sleepiness, and insomnia complaints ([Formula: see text] 2 vs. 0, OR = 3.79, 95% CI 2.10-6.85, p < 0.0001). Due to the low prevalence of frailty in this community-dwelling population, the statistical power to detect an association was low. More evidence is needed to clarify the role of sleep in the progression of cognitive decline in frail individuals.

Metformin and the Risk of Anemia of Advanced Chronic Kidney Disease in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

This retrospective cohort study determines whether metformin monotherapy or combination therapies can decrease anemia risk in the progress of advanced chronic kidney disease for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The data set was obtained from the National Health Insurance Research Database, containing 1 million randomly selected beneficiaries. After matching, 9303 pairs (1:1) of metformin users and nonusers were acquired. Every patient was individually recorded from 1997 to 2012 to identify anemia incidence (hemoglobin <9 gm/dL). Cox regression models were used to compute hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). There were 305 (0.7%) and 76 (0.8%) erythropoietin-stimulating agent cases in the metformin and non-metformin cohorts over a mean follow-up period of 6.8 and 5.6 years. After matching, the use of metformin decreased the risk of usage of erythropoietin-stimulating agents with an adjusted hazard ratio of 0.76 (95%CI, 0.45-1.29) for dosage of <357 g to 0.30 (95%CI, 0.17-0.56) for >1368 g. The combination of metformin and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors decreased with a hazard ratio of 0.42 (95%CI, 0.18-0.99), compared to metformin alone. Metformin combined with dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors is superior to metformin monotherapy or non-metformin antidiabetic therapies for reducing the risk of anemia in the progress of advanced chronic kidney disease among patients with type 2 diabetes.

Reliability and Validity of the Traditional Chinese Version of the Advance Care Planning Engagement Survey: A Pilot Evaluation in Taiwanese Outpatients.

Objective: The Advance Care Planning Engagement Survey (ACP-ES) has proven effective in evaluating individuals' engagement in advance care planning (ACP). However, a Traditional Chinese version of ACP-ES (ACPES-TC) has not yet been developed. Therefore, this study aimed to translate and preliminarily validate the ACPES-TC in the Taiwanese context. Material and Methods: A forward and backward translation process was conducted. The translated questionnaire was confirmed by clinical and academic experts. The ACPES-TC was then evaluated for its reliability and validity with participants in the community and from an outpatient clinic in a medical center in Northern Taiwan. The participants comprised healthy people aged 20 to 30 years and patients ≥55 years old, recruited from September 17 to October 28, 2019. Results: Seventy people were recruited, including 20 people aged 20 to 30 years in the community and 50 patients ≥ 55 years old from clinics. The ACPES-TC scores are significantly higher among those of older age, having financial independence, and under long-term medication (p < .05). The patients' preference for health-related decision-making is significantly correlated with the ACPES-TC score; the point-biserial correlation coefficient is 0.46 (p < .001). The discriminant and criterion-related validities are verified. The ACPES-TC demonstrated a good internal consistency (Cronbach's α .97), acceptable one-week test-retest reliability (overall intraclass correlation coefficient 0.86), and low practice effect between the test and retest (Cohen's d .43). Conclusion: The overall reliability and validity of the ACPES-TC are fair, which could be used to evaluate the patients' engagement in ACP in Taiwan. However, further studies with a full-scale psychometric evaluation are needed.

Impact of rotavirus vaccination on rotavirus hospitalizations in Taiwanese children.

In 2006, two rotavirus vaccines were licensed in Taiwan but were not added to the national immunization schedule. National Health Insurance data from 2003 through 2017 were used to compare rotavirus-associated pediatric hospitalizations before and after vaccine introduction. Rotavirus hospitalization rates among children < 5 years of age significantly declined by 24% (95% confidence interval [CI] 23 - 25%) in post-vaccine compared to pre-vaccine rotavirus seasons. Rotavirus hospitalization rates declined by 42% (95% CI 39 - 44%) among infants < 12 months of age, and by 38% (95% CI 36 - 40%) among children 12 - 23 months of age. These findings suggest that, despite not being included in the national immunization schedule, rotavirus vaccines had a measurable impact on reducing rotavirus hospitalization burden among Taiwanese children.

Develop and Apply Electrocardiography-Based Risk Score to Identify Community-Based Elderly Individuals at High-Risk of Mortality.

With an aging world population, risk stratification of community-based, elderly population is required for primary prevention. This study proposes a combined score developed using electrocardiographic (ECG) parameters and determines its long-term prognostic value for predicting risk of cardiovascular mortality. A cohort-study, conducted from December 2008 to April 2019, enrolled 5,380 subjects in Taiwan, who were examined, using three-serial-12-lead ECGs, and their health/demographic information were recorded. To understand the predictive effects of ECG parameters on overall-survival, Cox hazard regression analysis were performed. The mean age at enrollment was 69.04 ± 8.14 years, and 47.4% were males. ECG abnormalities, LVH [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.39, 95% confidence intervals (CI) = (1.16-1.67), P = 0.0003], QTc [HR = 1.31, CI = (1.07-1.61), P = 0.007] and PR interval [HR = 1.40, CI = (1.01-1.95), P = 0.04], were significantly associated with primary outcome all-cause death. Furthermore, LVH [HR = 2.37, CI = (1.48-3.79), P = 0.0003] was significantly associated with cardiovascular death, while PR interval [HR = 2.63, CI = (1.24- 5.57), P = 0.01] with unexplained death. ECG abnormality (EA) score was defined based on the number of abnormal ECG parameters for each patient, which was used to divide all patients into sub-groups. Competing risk survival analysis using EA score were performed by using the Gray's test, which reported that high-risk EA groups showed significantly higher cumulative incidence for all three outcomes. Prognostic models using the EA score as predictor were developed and a 10-fold cross validation design was adopted to conduct calibration and discrimination analysis, to establish the efficacy of the proposed models. Overall, ECG model could successfully predict people, susceptible to all three death outcomes (P < 0.05), with high efficacy. Statistically significant (P < 0.001) improvement of the c-indices further demonstrated the robustness of the prediction model with ECG parameters, as opposed to a traditional model with no EA predictor. The EA score is highly associated with increased risk of mortality in elderly population and may be successfully used in clinical practice.

Clinical and economic impact of intensive care unit-acquired bloodstream infections in Taiwan: a nationwide population-based retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the clinical and economic impact of intensive care unit-acquired bloodstream infections in Taiwan. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Nationwide Taiwanese population in the National Health Insurance Research Database and the Taiwan Nosocomial Infections Surveillance (2007-2015) dataset. PARTICIPANTS: The first episodes of intensive care unit-acquired bloodstream infections in patients ≥20 years of age in the datasets. Propensity score-matching (1:2) of demographic data, comorbidities and disease severity was performed to select a comparison cohort from a pool of intensive care unit patients without intensive care unit-acquired infections from the same datasets. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The mortality rate, length of hospitalisation and healthcare cost. RESULTS: After matching, the in-hospital mortality of 14 234 patients with intensive care unit-acquired bloodstream infections was 44.23%, compared with 33.48% for 28 468 intensive care unit patients without infections. The 14-day mortality rate was also higher in the bloodstream infections cohort (4323, 30.37% vs 6766 deaths, 23.77%, respectively; p<0.001). Furthermore, the patients with intensive care unit-acquired bloodstream infections had a prolonged length of hospitalisation after their index date (18 days (IQR 7-39) vs 10 days (IQR 4-21), respectively; p<0.001) and a higher healthcare cost (US$16 038 (IQR 9667-25 946) vs US$10 372 (IQR 6289-16 932), respectively; p<0.001). The excessive hospital stay and healthcare cost per case were 12.69 days and US$7669, respectively. Similar results were observed in subgroup analyses of various WHO's priority pathogens and Candida spp. CONCLUSIONS: Intensive care unit-acquired bloodstream infections in critically ill patients were associated with increased mortality, longer hospital stays and higher healthcare costs.

Prognostic value and prevalence of complete right bundle branch block in an elderly population: a community-based 10-year prospective study.

Complete right bundle branch block (CRBBB) occurs in 0.2% to 1.3% of the general population, but its prognostic significance in the geriatric population is unknown. We prospectively investigated the prevalence and prognostic value of CRBBB in individuals aged ≥65 years in a community-based population in Taiwan. A total of 5,830 community-dwelling individuals were prospectively recruited from 7 regions across Taiwan starting in December 2008 through March 2013. Those aged ≥65 years were included in the analysis (N=3,383). All subjects underwent a home visit and standardized medical exams and were followed up annually until the end of April 2019; cause of death was documented by citizen death records. The mean age of the study cohort was 73.5±5.9 years (65-104), and 47.21% were men. Among these individuals, 171 (5.05%) had CRBBB; the prevalence was higher in men (7.08%) than in women (3.25%). Subjects with CRBBB were older than those without CRBBB (75.4±6.5 vs. 73.4±5.9), and the frequency of CRBBB increased with age. Survival analysis revealed that all-cause mortality and cardiac mortality were similar in individuals with and without CRBBB during a mean follow-up of 92.6±23.6 months. CRBBB is not associated with increased risk of mortality in the geriatric population.

The 10-Year Prognosis and Prevalence of Brugada-Type Electrocardiograms in Elderly Women: A Longitudinal Nationwide Community-Based Prospective Study.

BACKGROUND: Brugada syndrome is a disorder associated with sudden cardiac death and characterized by an abnormal electrocardiogram (ECG). Previous studies were predominantly conducted in men, and the data on long-term prognosis are limited. Information about women, especially elderly women, is lacking. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the long-term prognosis of the Brugada ECG pattern in elderly women. METHOD: We investigated the 10-year prognosis of the Brugada ECG pattern in elderly women in a nationwide community-based population in Taiwan. Community-dwelling women older than 55 years were prospectively recruited from December 2008 to March 2013 by a stratified random sampling method. All enrolled individuals were followed up annually until April 2019, and the cause of death was documented by citizen death records. RESULTS: Among 2597 women, 60 (2.31%) had a Brugada-type ECG, and this prevalence was higher than the mean global prevalence of 0.23%. One woman had a type 1 ECG (0.04%), whereas 15 (0.58%) and 44 (1.70%) women had type 2 and type 3 ECG patterns, respectively. Cox survival analysis revealed that all-cause mortality and cardiac mortality were similar in the individuals with and without a Brugada-type ECG during a mean follow-up of 96.1 ± 20.5 months. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that Brugada ECG patterns are not infrequent in elderly women but are not associated with increased risk of mortality in long-term follow-up; these findings may help reduce unnecessary anxiety for physicians, nurses, allied health caregivers, and patients.

The sex-specific association of phthalate exposure with DNA methylation and characteristics of body fat in children.

The present study assessed the association between phthalate exposure and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) polymerase γ (POLG) methylation along with the potential effect on the characteristics of body fat in children. A total of 152 children were enrolled. The urinary concentrations of phthalate metabolites were measured using ultraperformance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Genomic DNA was extracted from the buffy coat, and bisulfite-treated DNA was subjected to a pyrosequencing assay. In total, 17 CpG sites in the exon 2 region of POLG were included in the analysis. A multivariable regression model was applied to determine whether characteristics of body fat were associated with phthalate exposure and methylation of POLG. After adjustment for covariates, male children with a ten-fold increase in mono-methyl phthalate (MMP) or mono-benzyl phthalate (MBzP) concentrations had significantly higher measurements for total body fat (MMP: ß = 6.47%; MBzP: ß = 3.54%), and trunk fat (MMP: ß = 6.67%; MBzP: ß = 3.90%). Male children who had hypermethylation at the 2nd CpG site in exon 2 of POLG also had high measurements for BMI (ß = 1.66 kg/m2), waist (ß = 4.49 cm) and hip (ß = 4.81 cm) circumference, total body fat (ß = 5.48%), and trunk fat (ß = 6.21%). A dose-response relationship existed between methylation at the 2nd CpG site in exon 2 of POLG and characteristics of body fat (p for trend<0.01). This study suggested that male children who are exposed to phthalic acid esters have high body weight, BMI, and body and trunk fat percentages. Methylation of the exon 2 region of POLG is a possible mechanism behind the causal effect of endocrine-disrupting substances.

The paradox of aging and health-related quality of life in Asian Chinese: results from the Healthy Aging Longitudinal Study in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: Declines in health, physical, cognitive, and mental function with age suggest a lower level of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in late life; however, previous studies found that the associations were weak and varied, depending on the study designs and cohort characteristics. METHODS: The present study examined the paradox of aging in an East Asian context by regressing the age patterns of objective health indicators (physical, cognitive, and mental function), and subjective HRQoL (12-item Short Form, SF-12), on the independent and interactive effects of age and physical function in a cohort study of 5022 community-dwelling adults aged 55 and older in Taiwan. RESULTS: Age patterns differed across measures. The SF-12 mental health score (MCS) showed a slight positive association with age and this effect remained stable after controlling for various age-related covariates. The SF-12 physical health score (PCS), in turn, was negatively associated with age. Age differences in PCS were fully explained by age decrements in objective physical health. However, consistent with the so-called paradox of aging, the association between objective and subjective physical health weakened with age. CONCLUSION: These findings add to prior evidence indicating that - in spite of objective health decrements - subjective HRQoL is maintained in later life among Asian Chinese. Also, these paradoxical patterns appear to vary for mental and physical components of HRQoL, and future research is needed to explore the underlying mechanism. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Healthy Aging Longitudinal Study in Taiwan (HALST) is retrospectively registered at ClinicalTrials.gov on January 24, 2016 with trial registration number NCT02677831.