Trends in Antiseizure Medication Initiation, Switch, or Termination in Patients With Newly Diagnosed Epilepsy: A Nationwide Study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Few studies evaluate physicians' choice of antiseizure medication (ASM) to treat patients with newly diagnosed epilepsy. The objective of this study was to analyze the choice of ASM and its use by age, sex, psychiatric comorbidities, and concurrent treatment with other drugs (antidepressant medications and contraceptives) in patients who initiated epilepsy treatment using monotherapy. METHODS: Included in this study were persons (any age) with an incident hospital diagnosis of epilepsy during 2010-2022 in the Swedish Patient Register (SPR), preceding a first dispensing of any ASM (as reported in the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register, SPDR) for the period 2010-2022. Incident patients were identified using retrospective information during 2000-2009 in the SPR. Primary outcome was first dispensed ASM by age, sex, comorbidity, and comedication with antidepressants or contraceptives (SPDR). Secondary outcomes were time to ASM switch or termination assessed by survival analyses. RESULTS: Of 67,984 patients included (mean age 46; 46% female), 66,441 initiated ASM treatment using monotherapy. Relative risk (RR) for initiating treatment using monotherapy did not differ between age groups, sex, or patients with concurrent treatment with antidepressants, contraceptives, or psychiatric illness (RR and 95% CI did include 1.0). The share initiating treatment using levetiracetam increased from 10% in 2010 to 55% in 2022; valproic acid: 10%-5%. The likelihood of initiating treatment using 1 of the 5 most frequent ASMs differed between all compared groups (0.3 < RR < 1; 95% CI < 1; 1 < RR < 15; 1 <95% CI). Seven percent of female patients of childbearing age initiated treatment with valproic acid, levetiracetam was the most frequent initial ASM in patients with psychiatric comorbidity (40.2%), and lamotrigine the most prescribed initial ASM to women on contraceptives (50.4%). Highest likelihoods of treatment termination were found among children (1.72 < RR < 3.07; 1 <95% CI) and among patients with psychiatric comorbidity (initiated on carbamazepine, RR 1.38; 1 <95% CI or lamotrigine, RR 1.31; 1 <95% CI). Thirty-one percent to 47% of patients switched from an initial monotherapy to a new monotherapy within 5 years. Twenty percent to 42% terminated ASM treatment within 5 years. DISCUSSION: Levetiracetam and lamotrigine were the most frequently dispensed initial ASMs, also among patients with comorbidities or comedications complicating the use of these ASMs, highlighting the need for improved education of prescribers concerning ASM selection in relation to individual patient characteristics. Use of ASMs in hospital is not captured in the SPDR.

Rationale and design of switch Swedeheart: A registry-based, stepped-wedge, cluster-randomized, open-label multicenter trial to compare prasugrel and ticagrelor for treatment of patients with acute coronary syndrome.

BACKGROUND: European treatment guidelines recommend prasugrel over ticagrelor for treating patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (ACS), prompting several Swedish administrative regions to transition from ticagrelor to prasugrel as the preferred treatment for patients with ACS. We aim to systematically evaluate this transition to determine the relative efficacy of prasugrel versus ticagrelor in a real-world cohort of patients with ACS. STUDY DESIGN AND OBJECTIVES: The SWITCH SWEDEHEART trial is a prospective, multicenter, open-label, cross-sectional, stepped-wedge cluster-randomized clinical trial, in which administrative regions in Sweden will constitute the clusters. At the start of the study, all clusters will use ticagrelor as the P2Y12 inhibitor drug of choice for ACS. The order in which the clusters will implement the transition from ticagrelor to prasugrel will be randomly assigned. Every 9 months, 1 cluster will switch from ticagrelor to prasugrel as the P2Y12 inhibitor of choice for patients with ACS. The primary endpoint is the composite 1-year rate of the death, stroke, or myocardial infarction. CONCLUSIONS: The SWITCH SWEDEHEART study will provide an extensive randomized comparison between ticagrelor and prasugrel. Novel therapies are frequently costly and supported by evidence from few or small studies, and systematic evaluation after the introduction is rare. This study will establish an important standard for introducing and evaluating the effects of health care changes within our societies.

Desloratadine Exposure and Incidence of Seizure: A Nordic Post-authorization Safety Study Using a New-User Cohort Study Design, 2001-2015.

INTRODUCTION: A small number of adverse events of seizure in patients using desloratadine (DL) have been reported. The European Medicines Agency requested a post-authorization safety study to investigate whether there is an association between DL exposure and seizure. OBJECTIVE: The aim was to study the association between DL exposure and incidence of first seizure. METHODS: A new-user cohort study of individuals redeeming a first-ever prescription of DL in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden in 2001-2015 was conducted. DL exposure was defined as days' supply plus a 4-week grace period. DL unexposed periods were initiated 27 weeks after DL prescription redemption. Poisson regression was used to estimate the adjusted incidence rate and adjusted incidence rate ratio (aIRR) of incident seizure. RESULTS: A total of 1,807,347 first-ever DL users were included in the study, with 49.3% male and a mean age of 29.5 years at inclusion; 20.3% were children aged 0-5 years. The adjusted incidence rates of seizure were 21.7 and 31.6 per 100,000 person-years during DL unexposed and exposed periods, respectively. A 46% increased incidence rate of seizure was found during DL exposed periods (aIRR = 1.46, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.34-1.59). The aIRR ranged from 1.85 (95% CI 1.65-2.08) in children aged 0-5 years to 1.01 in adults aged 20 years or more (95% CI 0.85-1.19). CONCLUSION: This study found an increased incidence rate of seizure during DL exposed periods as compared to unexposed periods among individuals younger than 20 years. No difference in incidence rate of seizure was observed in adults between DL exposed and unexposed.

Non-life-threatening ailments and rational patience when expected treatment outcomes are continuously improving.

The time at which a rational patient chooses to undergo an elective medical procedure for a non-life-threatening ailment is contemplated. The resulting model is purposely uncomplicated but general, and accounts for several basic factors that might affect such a decision. One such factor is that a patient cannot know with certainty the degree to which the medical procedure will be successful. Even so, patients have information about the expected outcome of the procedure and its risk, and about how the expected outcome and risk are affected by medical technological progress and surgeon experience. The effect of changes in exogenous variables on the timing of the medical procedure and on patient expected lifetime utility are investigated. It is shown that risk averse and prudent patients behave in an unambiguous manner in response to changes in all of the exogenous variables.

Valproic acid and socioeconomic associations in Swedish women with epilepsy 2010-2015.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the correlation between socioeconomic status and the prescription of Valproic acid (VPA) in women of fertile age in Sweden. METHODS: This is a registered-based cohort study including all women living in Sweden aged 18-45 years in the years 2010-2015, with a diagnosis of epilepsy and no intellectual disability (n = 9143). Data were collected from the National Patient Register, the Drug Prescription Register, and the Longitudinal integration database for health insurance and labor market studies (LISA). RESULTS: Women with only 9 years of school were more often prescribed VPA than women with a University degree (12.9% compared to 10.7% in 2015 [p = 0.015]). Similar differences were seen between the lowest and highest income group (16.6% compared to 12.7% in 2015 [p < 0.001]). The odds of having a VPA prescription in 2015 was 1.59 (p < 0.001) in women with 9 years of school compared to women with a University degree, and 1.60 (p < 0.001) in the lowest income group relative to the highest income group after adjusting for age. From 2010 to 2015, the proportion with VPA prescription in the whole cohort diminished with an absolute reduction of -2.2% (p < 0.001). The decrease was similar among the different education and income groups (p = 0.919 and p = 0.280). SIGNIFICANCE: The results indicate that the increased knowledge on VPA teratogenicity was implemented across socioeconomic strata in the Swedish healthcare system. Women with lower income or education level remained more frequent VPA users. Whether this difference reflects epilepsy type or severity, or socioeconomic disparities, merit further study.

Modelling the cost-effectiveness of person-centred care for patients with acute coronary syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Person-centred care has been shown to be cost-effective compared to usual care for several diseases, including acute coronary syndrome, in a short-term time perspective (< 2 years). The cost-effectiveness of person-centred care in a longer time perspective is largely unknown. OBJECTIVES: To estimate the mid-term cost-effectiveness of person-centred care compared to usual care for patients (< 65) with acute coronary syndrome, using a 2-year and a 5-year time perspective. METHODS: The mid-term cost-effectiveness of person-centred care compared to usual care was estimated by projecting the outcomes observed in a randomized-controlled trial together with data from health registers and data from the scientific literature, 3 years beyond the 2-year follow-up, using the developed simulation model. Probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed using Monte Carlo simulation. RESULTS: Person-centred care entails lower costs and improved effectiveness as compared to usual care, for a 2-year time and a 5-year perspective. Monte Carlo simulations suggest that the likelihoods of the person-centred care being cost-effective compared to usual care were between 80 and 99% and between 75 and 90% for a 2-year and a 5-year time perspective (using a 500,000 SEK/QALY willingness-to-pay threshold). CONCLUSIONS: Person-centred care was less costly and more effective compared to usual care in a 2-year and a 5-year time perspective for patients with acute coronary syndrome under the age of 65.

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.

Healthcare costs and productivity losses associated with county-based home-care service for sick children in Sweden.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to estimate the healthcare costs and productivity losses associated with county-based home-care services (HCS) for sick children. METHODS: In this observational follow-up study, a combination of hospital care and HCS was compared to estimated alternative care solely at the hospital. Data on one year of healthcare utilisation for 32 children, supplied by the hospital and HCS, were collected from administrative systems. Corresponding healthcare unit prices were collected from healthcare pricelists. The human-capital approach was applied to estimate productivity losses and the value of productivity losses for 25 parents. Family characteristics, including parental work absenteeism and income, were collected by a questionnaire distributed to parents at five time points during a year. Descriptive and comparative statistics were used for analysis and carried out with ethical approval. RESULTS: Healthcare costs for children receiving a combination of hospital care and HCS varied among children with estimated average healthcare cost savings of SEK 50 101 per child compared to the alternative of care provided only in the hospital. The reduced costs were related to children receiving nonpalliative HCS care tasks. Average annual productivity losses due to parental work absenteeism were estimated at 348 hours with an associated monetary value estimated at SEK 137 524 per parent. CONCLUSION: County-based HCS, provided as complement to and substitute for hospital care for ill children, does not increase healthcare cost and should be a prioritized area when organising paediatric health care. Productivity losses vary greatly among parents and are pronounced also when children receive HCS with signs of gender-related differences.

The cost-effectiveness of person-centred care provided to patients with chronic heart failure and/or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: Efforts have been made to implement a more person-centred healthcare approach in several countries. The cost-effectiveness of person-centred care is to a large extent unknown, even though it has been demonstrated to decrease total healthcare costs and to be cost-effective in some settings and conditions. The objective of this study is to estimate costs, effects and the overall cost-effectiveness, of person-centred care compared to usual care, for patients with chronic heart failure and/or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Methods: A randomized controlled trial including patients with chronic heart failure and/or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was conducted at Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg, Sweden. Person-centred care was given as an add-on to usual care for 103 patients, while a control group of 118 patients received usual care. The cost-effectiveness analysis was performed from a healthcare perspective, comparing health-related quality of life to healthcare costs, over a 6-month time horizon. Results: Person-centred care was found to be more effective, i.e. improve health-related quality of life, and to result in lower healthcare costs compared to usual care. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis showed that the likelihood of person-centred care being cost effective compared to usual care is 93%, for a SEK 500,000 willingness-to-pay threshold per quality adjusted life year. Conclusion: Person-centred care dominated usual care for patients with chronic heart failure and/or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease from a healthcare perspective.

Socioeconomic outcome and access to care in adults with epilepsy in Sweden: A nationwide cohort study.

PURPOSE: Epilepsy has well-documented associations with low income and low education levels, but the impact of a patient's socioeconomic standing (SES) on the effects of epilepsy have been less studied. METHOD: We performed a register-based cross-sectional study and asked if SES was associated with more severe epilepsy or limited access to care in Sweden, where health care is universal, and if socioeconomic outcomes (employment and income) differed for persons with epilepsy (PWE) with different levels of educational attainment. The study cohort consisted of all adult patients with an epilepsy diagnosis in the Swedish patient register in 2000-2015 (n = 126,406) and controls (n = 379,131) matched for age, gender, and place of birth. RESULTS: Somatic and psychiatric comorbidities were more common in PWE, while education and income levels were lower. Among PWE, hospitalizations were more common in persons with lower income or education. Having at least one prescription written by a neurologist in the study period was more common in the high-income and high-education groups. Finally, although low educational attainment was associated with low levels of income and inversely associated with employment in both persons with epilepsy and controls, regression analyses demonstrated that these associations were much more noticeable in cases than controls. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that both the severity and consequences of epilepsy are greater in persons of low SES, even in a country with universal health care. This indicates that universal access may not be sufficient to mitigate socioeconomic inequity in epilepsy.

The cost utility of pitolisant as narcolepsy treatment.

OBJECTIVES: The cost-effectiveness of available pharmacological treatments for narcolepsy is largely unknown. Available pharmacological treatments are associated with tolerability, abuse, and adherence issues. Pitolisant is the first inverse agonist of the histamine H3 receptor to be prescribed for the treatment of narcolepsy with and without cataplexy. Studies suggest that pitolisant is both as effective as previously introduced drugs and is associated with fewer adverse effects. The objective in this study was to estimate the cost-effectiveness of pitolisant as monotherapy, and pitolisant as an adjunctive treatment to modafinil, compared with standard treatment. MATERIALS & METHODS: Calculations were performed using a Markov model with a 50-year time horizon. Healthcare utilization and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) for each treatment alternative were calculated assuming no treatment effect on survival. Probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed for treatment effectiveness and healthcare cost parameters. RESULTS: The cost per additional quality-adjusted life year was estimated at SEK 356 337 (10 SEK ≈ 1 Euro) for pitolisant monotherapy, and at SEK 491 128 for pitolisant as an adjunctive treatment, as compared to standard treatment. The cost-effectiveness measure was demonstrated to be particularly sensitive to the assumptions made concerning indirect effects on total healthcare utilization and the pitolisant treatment cost. CONCLUSIONS: The incremental cost-effectiveness ratios were below the unofficial willingness-to-pay threshold at SEK 500 000. The estimated costs per additional QALY obtained here are likely to overestimate the true cost-effectiveness ratio since significant potential indirect effects-pertaining both to labor-market and household-related productivity-of treatment are not taken into account.

Utilization of etoricoxib in dental patients in the Nordic countries: a population-based register study.

Background: Etoricoxib is a second-generation cyclooxygenase-2-inhibitor approved in 2012 for short-term treatment of pain associated with dental surgery. Objectives: To evaluate etoricoxib utilization in dental patients in the Nordic countries, including its off-label use. Methods: The entire populations of Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Norway with etoricoxib prescriptions written by dentists and dispensed in 2012-2014 were evaluated using national register data. Nationwide estimates of etoricoxib utilization were generated according to year, gender, age, dose and package size. Off-label use in paediatric patients, prescribed doses >90 mg/day or for dental contacts not associated with surgical procedures, and concomitant administration with anticoagulants were evaluated. Results: Utilization of etoricoxib for dental pain was low (1615 prescriptions: Finland, 907; Sweden, 359; Norway, 337; Denmark, 12). Overall, 70% of the prescriptions were without an associated dental procedure. Moreover, 58%, 55%, 10% and 58% of the prescriptions in Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Norway, respectively, were for >90 mg/day doses. Few paediatric prescriptions were dispensed (n < 10), and only a small overlap (n = 21) was observed between etoricoxib and anticoagulant prescriptions. Conclusions: Given the low overall number of prescriptions, it is unlikely that off-label use of etoricoxib within dentistry in the Nordic countries is an important public health concern.

Finasteride Use and Risk of Male Breast Cancer: A Case-Control Study Using Individual-Level Registry Data from Denmark, Finland, and Sweden.

BACKGROUND: In case reports, concerns have been raised as to whether finasteride use increases the risk of male breast cancer. Previous epidemiologic evidence on the potential link is conflicting. This study aimed to assess whether an association between finasteride use and male breast cancer exists after accounting for potential confounders. METHODS: The source population consisted of all men (≥35 years) from Denmark (1995-2014), Finland (1997-2013), and Sweden (2005-2014). Cases with incident male breast cancer were identified in the cancer registries and matched with 50 density-sampled, age, and country-matched male population controls per case. Exposure information on finasteride use was derived from the prescription registries. Potential confounders were identified using the directed acyclic graph methodology and measured by use of information from nation-wide registries. RESULTS: The study population comprised 1,005 male breast cancer cases and 43,058 controls. Confounder-adjusted odds of finasteride exposure were not statistically significantly increased [OR, 1.09; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.77-1.54] in breast cancer cases relative to controls. There was no evidence of a dose-response relationship, as the group with greatest exposure to finasteride was associated with lowest OR of male breast cancer [OR, 0.72 (95% CI, 0.40-1.30)]. Sensitivity analyses did not reveal marked changes in results with different exposure definitions or for specific subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: Results from this study provided no evidence that finasteride use was associated with male breast cancer. IMPACT: This large confounder-adjusted study supports the view that exposure to finasteride is not associated materially with male breast cancer risk.

The Cost-effectiveness of Biological Therapy Cycles in the Management of Crohn's Disease.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the cost-effectiveness of continued treatment for patients with moderate-severe Crohn's disease in clinical remission, with a combination of anti-tumour necrosis factor alpha [anti-TNFα] [infliximab] and immunomodulator therapy compared with two different withdrawal strategies: [1] withdrawal of the anti-TNFα therapy; and [2] withdrawal of the immunomodulator therapy, respectively. METHODS: A decision-tree model was constructed mimicking three treatment arms: [1] continued combination therapy with infliximab and immunomodulator; [2] withdrawal of infliximab; or [3] withdrawal of the immunomodulator. Relapses in each arm are managed with treatment intensification and re-institution of the de-escalated drug according to a prespecified algorithm. State-dependent relapse risks, remission probabilities, and quality of life weights were collected from previous published studies. RESULTS: Combination therapy was less costly and more efficient than the withdrawal of the immunomodulator, and more costly and more efficient than withdrawal of infliximab. Whether or not combination therapy is cost-effective, compared with the alternatives, depends primarily on current pharmaceutical prices and the willingness-to-pay per additional quality-adjusted life-year [QALY]. CONCLUSIONS: Combination therapy using a combination of anti-TNFα [infliximab] and an immunomodulator is cost-effective in the treatment of Crohn's disease compared with treatment cycles in which the immunomodulator is withdrawn. Combination treatment is cost-effective compared with treatment cycles in which infliximab is withdrawn, at prices of infliximab below€192/100 mg, given a willingness-to-pay threshold at€49 020 [Sweden] per additional QALY.

Person-Centred Care in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome: Cost-Effectiveness Analysis Alongside a Randomised Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Costs associated with an ACS incident are most pronounced in the acute phase but are also considerably long after the initial hospitalisation, partly due to considerable productivity losses, which constitute a substantial part of the economic burden of the disease. Studies suggest that person-centred care may improve health-related quality of life and reduce the costs associated with the disease. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to calculate the cost-effectiveness of a person-centred care intervention compared with usual care in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), in a Swedish setting. METHODS: Primary data from a randomised controlled trial of a person-centred intervention in patients with ACS was used. The person-centred intervention involved co-creation of a health plan between the patient and healthcare professionals, based on the patient's narrative. Thereafter, goals for the recovery period were set and followed-up continuously throughout the intervention. The clinical data, collected during the randomised controlled trial, was complemented with data from national health registers and the Swedish Social Insurance Agency. The study was conducted at two hospitals situated in a Swedish municipality. Patients were enrolled between June 2011 and February 2014 (192 patients were included in this study; 89 in the intervention group and 103 in the control group). Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios were calculated separately for the age groups < 65 years and ≥ 65 years in order to account for the age of retirement in Sweden. The cost-effectiveness ratios were calculated using health-related quality of life (EQ-5D) and costs associated with healthcare and pharmaceutical utilisation, and productivity losses. RESULTS: Treatment effects and costs differed between those below and those above the age of 65 years. The base-case calculations showed that person-centred care was more effective and less costly compared with usual care for patients under 65 years of age, while usual care was more effective and less costly in the older age group. Probabilistic sensitivity analyses resulted in a 90% likelihood that person-centred care is cost-effective compared with usual care for patients with ACS under the age of 65 years. CONCLUSIONS: Person-centred care was found to be cost-effective compared with usual care for patients with acute coronary syndrome under the age of 65 years. This clinical trial is registered at Researchweb (ID 65791).

Invisible Scars or Open Wounds? The Role of Mid-career Income for the Gender Pension Gap in Sweden.

This study investigates the importance of mid-career income for the gender pension gap and psychological scarring effects of low income earlier in life. More specifically we analyse whether women's typically less stable mid-life careers also affect outcomes in late careers and in retirement. Swedish income register data from 1990, 2009, and 2015 was linked to the "HEalth, Ageing, and Retirement Transitions in Sweden" survey. The gender pension gap of 966 retirees and worries about pension income of 2,723 older workers between the age of 60 and 66 years were investigated. Blinder-Oaxaca decompositions were applied to analyse the gender pension gap and linear regressions were used for the analysis of financial worries. Results show that gender differences in mid-career income play a stronger role for the gender pension gap than late career income. Mid-career income is furthermore related to higher worries about pension income and accounts for observed gender differences. Our findings demonstrate that gender gaps in mid-career income can be regarded as an open wound with visible negative effects in older ages. The reformed pension system in Sweden may potentially contribute to an even greater gender gap in pensions.

Physical inactivity: productivity losses and healthcare costs 2002 and 2016 in Sweden.

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the costs associated with physical inactivity in Sweden for the year 2016. METHODS: The costs associated with insufficient physical activity was calculated employing population attributable fractions (PAFs) and register information on healthcare utilisation, mortality and disability pensions. The PAFs were calculated using information on exercise habits and morbidity-specific relative risks. The healthcare cost components were calculated based on registry data on inpatient-care, outpatient-care and primary care utilisation. Registry data on cause-specific mortality and granted disability pensions were used to calculate the productivity loss components. Costs associated with pharmaceutical utilisation were not included due lack of data. RESULTS: Physical exercise habits improved somewhat between 2002 and 2016. Thus, the associated morbidity-specific PAFs decreased over the same time period. CONCLUSIONS: The economic costs attributable to insufficient physical activity decrease between the year 2002 and 2016. Healthcare costs attributable to insufficient physical activity as share of total healthcare expenses increased from 0.86 % in 2002 to 0.91 % in 2016.

Finasteride treatment and male breast cancer: a register-based cohort study in four Nordic countries.

A potential link has been suggested between dispensed finasteride and increased risk of male breast cancer (MBC). Due to the rare occurrence of MBC, it remains to be established if such a relationship exists. The purpose of this study was to combine nationwide registers in four countries to assess the potential association between dispensed finasteride and MBC. A cohort of all males with dispensed finasteride in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden (1,365,088 person years) was followed up for up to 15 years for breast cancer, and compared to a cohort of males unexposed to finasteride. Individual-level register data included country, dates of dispensed finasteride, MBC diagnosis, and death. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were estimated using a generalized linear model with a Poisson distribution. An increased risk of MBC was found among finasteride users (IRR = 1.44, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = 1.11-1.88) compared to nonusers. The IRR increased to 1.60 (95% CI = 1.20-2.13) when users in Norway and Sweden with short follow-up time were excluded. The highest IRR was seen among men with medium duration of dispensed finasteride, medium accumulated consumption of finasteride, and among men with first dispensed finasteride prescription 1-3 years prior to diagnosis. The analyses suggested possible ascertainment bias and did not support a clear relationship between dispensed finasteride and MBC. In conclusion, a significant association between dispensed finasteride and MBC was identified. However, due to limited data for adjustment of potential confounding and surveillance bias in the present study, further research is needed to confirm these results.

Effects of person-centred care on health outcomes-A randomized controlled trial in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: To study the effects of person-centred care provided to patients with acute coronary syndrome, using four different health-related outcome measures. Also, to examine the performance of these outcomes when measuring person-centred care. DATA AND METHOD: The data used in this study consists of primary data from a multicentre randomized parallel group, controlled intervention study for patients with acute coronary syndrome at Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg, Sweden. The intervention and control group consisted of 94 and 105 patients, respectively. The effect of the intervention on health-related outcomes was estimated, controlling for socio-economic and disease-related variables. RESULTS: Patients in the intervention group reported significantly higher general self-efficacy than those in the control group six months after intervention start-up. Moreover, the intervention group returned to work in a greater extent than controls; their physical activity level had increased more and they had a higher EQ-5D score, meaning higher health-related quality of life. These latter effects are not significant but are all pointing towards the beneficial effects of person-centred care. All the effects were estimated while controlling for important socio-economic and disease-related variables. CONCLUSION: The effectiveness of person-centred care varies between different outcomes considered. A statistically significant beneficial effect was found for one of the four outcome measures (self-efficacy). The other measures all captured beneficial, but not significant, effects.

Non-monotonic health behaviours - implications for individual health-related behaviour in a demand-for-health framework.

A number of behaviours influence health in a non-monotonic way. Physical activity and alcohol consumption, for instance, may be beneficial to one's health in moderate but detrimental in large quantities. We develop a demand-for-health framework that incorporates the feature of a physiologically optimal level. An individual may still choose a physiologically non-optimal level, because of the trade-off in his or her preferences for health versus other utility-affecting commodities. However, any deviation above or below the physiologically optimal level will be punished with respect to health. Distinguishing between two individual types we study (a) the qualitative properties of optimal time-paths of health capital and health-related behaviour, (b) the perturbations of the optimal time-paths that result from changes in exogenous parameters, and (c) steady state properties. Predictions of the model and the implications for empirical analysis are discussed at length. Some comments on potential future extensions conclude the paper.