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BACKGROUND: Older patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) are highly susceptible to adverse drug reactions due to age-related physiological changes and the presence of multiple comorbidities, polypharmacy, and potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs). OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to develop a predictive model to identify the use of PIMs in older patients with CVD. METHODS: Data from 2012 to 2021 from the Changhua Christian Hospital Clinical Research Database (CCHRD) and the Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital Research Database (KMUHRD) were analyzed. Participants over the age of 65 years with CVD diagnoses were included. The CCHRD data were randomly divided into a training set (80% of the database) and an internal validation set (20% of the database), while the KMUHRD data served as an external validation set. The training set was used to construct the prediction models, and both validation sets were used to validate the proposed models. RESULTS: A total of 48,569 patients were included. Comprehensive data analysis revealed significant associations between the use of PIMs and clinical factors such as total cholesterol, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), creatinine, and uric acid levels, as well as the presence of diabetes, hypertension, and cerebrovascular accidents. The predictive models demonstrated moderate power, indicating the importance of these factors in assessing the risk of PIMs. CONCLUSIONS: This study developed predictive models that improve understanding of the use of PIMs in older patients with CVD. These models may assist clinicians in making informed decisions regarding medication safety.
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Doenças Cardiovasculares , Lista de Medicamentos Potencialmente Inapropriados , Humanos , Idoso , Feminino , Masculino , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Prescrição Inadequada/estatística & dados numéricos , Bases de Dados Factuais , PolimedicaçãoRESUMO
Taiwan has implemented a Medical Home Healthcare (MHHC) policy to provide home healthcare services to residents in need. First was the Ordinary Medical Home Healthcare (OMHHC) program in 1997 and then expanded to Integrated Medical Home Healthcare (IMHHC) in 2016. The OMHHC is provided care for residents with tubes at home or in institutions by physicians and nurses, and the IMHHC include additional professions, such as pharmacists and dentists. This study analyzed the longitudinal data from 2013 to 2020 with respect to overall home health services utilizations, and the type of services, and compared the differences between areas with and without healthcare shortages. Our results showed that the IMHHC program enhanced the accessibility of home healthcare to those in needs, especially those in healthcare shortage areas. However, some services in the IMHHC program may still have low utilization rates. It is necessary to investigate the potential barriers for residents to access those services.
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Indonesia implemented a National Social Security System (Jaminan Kesehatan Nasional, JKN) in 2014. To examine the changes in the magnitude of socioeconomic inequity in women's health insurance coverage among those of reproductive age, we conducted a repeated cross-sectional study design using data from the Indonesia Demographic and Health Surveys conducted in 2012 and 2017, before and after the implementation of JKN. Results showed that while the JKN program helped to increase health insurance coverage among Indonesian women of childbearing age, low education level and household wealth status were associated with an increase in inequalities in health insurance coverage. The findings highlight the need to sustain coverage for citizens and to extend the JKN program to informal workers to reduce health coverage disparities. Further research is required to explore the mechanisms responsible for health coverage inequality based on socioeconomic indicators.
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Disparidades em Assistência à Saúde , Cobertura Universal do Seguro de Saúde , Humanos , Indonésia , Feminino , Adulto , Estudos Transversais , Cobertura Universal do Seguro de Saúde/estatística & dados numéricos , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Disparidades em Assistência à Saúde/estatística & dados numéricos , Fatores Socioeconômicos , Cobertura do Seguro/estatística & dados numéricos , Adolescente , Adulto Jovem , Seguro Saúde/estatística & dados numéricos , Saúde da MulherRESUMO
Introduction: The Indonesian government introduced universal health insurance through the National Social Security System (JKN) in 2014 to enhance overall healthcare. This study compares maternal health care (MHC) service utilization before and after JKN implementation in Indonesia. Method: Using 2012 and 2017 data from Indonesia Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), we conducted a two-period cross-sectional design study following the Anderson model. We assessed how the JKN policy and population characteristics influenced healthcare utilization for women aged 15-49 who had given birth in the last 5 years. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to assess the impact of the JKN policy and related factors. Result: In two waves of Indonesia DHS with 14,782 and 15,021 subjects, this study observed a significant increase in maternal healthcare service utilization post-JKN implementation. Women were more likely to have at least four antenatal care visits (adjusted odds ratio, AOR = 1.17), receive skilled antenatal care (AOR = 1.49), obtain skilled birth assistance (AOR = 1.96), and access facility-based delivery (AOR = 2.45) compared with pre-JKN implementation. Conclusion: This study revealed a significant positive impact of JKN on enhancing MHS utilization. The introduction of universal health insurance coverage likely reduced financial barriers for specific demographics, resulting in increased service utilization. Our study may offer valuable insights for Asian countries with similar demographics and health insurance implementations.
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Serviços de Saúde Materna , Feminino , Humanos , Gravidez , Cobertura Universal do Seguro de Saúde , Indonésia , Estudos Transversais , Aceitação pelo Paciente de Cuidados de SaúdeRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Acute bronchiolitis and air pollution are both risk factor of pediatric asthma. This study aimed to assess subsequent exposure to air pollutants related to the inception of preschool asthma in infants with acute bronchiolitis. This study aimed to assess subsequent exposure to air pollutants related to the inception of preschool asthma in infants with acute bronchiolitis. METHODS: A nested case-control retrospective study was performed at the Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital systems between 2009 and 2019. The average concentration of PM10, PM2.5, SO2, NO, NO2, and NOX was collected for three, six, and twelve months after the first infected episode. Adjusted regression models were employed to evaluate the association between asthma and air pollution exposure after bronchiolitis. RESULTS: Two thousand six hundred thirty-seven children with acute bronchiolitis were included. Exposure to PM10, PM2.5, SO2, NO, NO2, and NOX in the three, six, and twelve months following an episode of bronchiolitis was found to significantly increase the risk of preschool asthma in infants with a history of bronchiolitis.(OR, 95%CI: PM10 = 1.517-1.559, 1.354-1.744; PM2.5 = 2.510-2.603, 2.148-3.061; SO2 = 1.970-2.040, 1.724-2.342; ; NO = 1.915-1.950, 1.647-2.272; NO2 = 1.915-1.950, 1.647-2.272; NOX = 1.752-1.970, 1.508-2.252) In a sensitive analysis of hospitalized infants, only PM10, PM2.5, SO2, and NO were found to have significant effects during all time periods. (OR, 95%CI: PM10 = 1.613-1.650, 1.240-2.140; PM2.5 = 2.208-2.286, 1.568-3.061; SO2 = 1.679-1.622, 1.197-2.292; NO = 1.525-1.557, 1.094-2.181) CONCLUSION: The presence of ambient PM10, PM2.5, SO2 and NO in the three, six, and twelve months following an episode of acute bronchiolitis has been linked to the development of preschool asthma in infants with a history of acute bronchiolitis.
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Poluentes Atmosféricos , Poluição do Ar , Asma , Bronquiolite , Lactente , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Humanos , Estudos de Casos e Controles , Estudos Retrospectivos , Poluição do Ar/efeitos adversos , Poluição do Ar/análise , Poluentes Atmosféricos/efeitos adversos , Poluentes Atmosféricos/análise , Asma/epidemiologia , Fatores de Risco , Bronquiolite/induzido quimicamente , Bronquiolite/epidemiologia , Material Particulado/efeitos adversos , Material Particulado/análise , Exposição Ambiental/efeitos adversos , Exposição Ambiental/análise , Dióxido de Nitrogênio/efeitos adversos , Dióxido de Nitrogênio/análiseRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Although combining a low-protein diet (LPD) with oral nutritional supplements increases treatment adherence and nutritional status in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), the effect of this combination approach in older adults remains unclear. This study examined the impact of a 6% low-protein formula (6% LPF) with diet counseling in older adults with stage 3-5 CKD. METHODS: In this three-month randomized controlled study, 66 patients (eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2, non-dialysis, over 65 years of age) were randomly assigned to an intervention group (LPD plus a 6% LPF) or control group (LPD alone). The 6% LPF comprised 400 kcal, 6 g of protein, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and various micronutrients. All data were collected at baseline and after three months, including physical performance based on hand grip strength (HGS) and gait speed, nutritional status using Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form (MNA-SF) scores, body composition through bioelectrical impedance analysis, and dietary intake from 24-h dietary records. RESULTS: This study incorporated 47 participants (median age, 73; median eGFR, 36 ml/min/1.73 m2; intervention group: 24; control group: 23). The intervention group exhibited significant differences in HGS and gait speed, and micronutrient analysis revealed significantly higher monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), EPA, DHA, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, B6, B12, and folic acid intake than the control group. MNA-SF scores, macronutrient intake, and body composition did not differ significantly between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to LPD counseling alone, an LPD prescription with 6% LPF in older adults with CKD stages 3-5 helped relieve physical deterioration and increased micronutrient intake after three months. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05318014 (retrospectively registered on 08/04/2022).
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Falência Renal Crônica , Insuficiência Renal Crônica , Humanos , Idoso , Dieta com Restrição de Proteínas , Força da Mão , Estado Nutricional , Insuficiência Renal Crônica/terapia , Aconselhamento , Suplementos NutricionaisRESUMO
High-energy, low-protein formulas (HE-LPFs) are commonly used as oral nutritional supplements (ONSs) to help provide extra calories to patients who are adhering to a low-protein diet (LPD) after diagnosis with chronic kidney disease (CKD). This randomized controlled trial aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of an HE-LPF as either a partial or a total replacement for one meal in pre-dialysis CKD patients. Stage 4-5 CKD patients received either a once-daily HE-LPF (HE-LPF group) or normal food (control group) for a period of 4 weeks while following an LPD. Overall, 73 patients who completed the study were included in the intention-to-treat population. After analyzing the 3-day food records, the HE-LPF group experienced a significant decrease in the percentage of energy derived from protein (p < 0.05) and an increase in the percentage of energy derived from fat (p < 0.05) compared to the control group. The two groups had no significant differences in body weight, body composition, grip strength, renal function, electrolytes, or metabolic markers. The HE-LPF group had a high adherence (94.9% at week 4), and no adverse effects were observed. HE-LPFs are safe to employ as meal replacements for pre-dialysis CKD patients adhering to an LPD.
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Falência Renal Crônica , Insuficiência Renal Crônica , Humanos , Dieta com Restrição de Proteínas/efeitos adversos , Diálise , Ingestão de EnergiaRESUMO
Introduction: This cohort study aimed to explore the potential association between ambient air pollution and dementia incidence in adults who have experienced a stroke. Additionally, the study aimed to determine dysphagia as a predictive factor for the subsequent development of dementia in patients with stroke. Materials and methods: This retrospective nested case-control study used data from the Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital Database in Taiwan. Data collected include average ambient air pollution concentrations within 3 months and 1 year after the index dysphagia date. The primary outcome includes incident dementia in patients with or without dysphagia. Logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the association between significant air pollution exposure and the risk of dementia while controlling for baseline demographic characteristics (age and sex), and comorbidities. Results: The univariable regression models revealed a higher likelihood of dementia diagnosis in patients with dysphagia (odds ratio = 1.493, 95% confidence interval = 1.000-2.228). The raw odds ratios indicated a potential link between air pollution exposure and elevated dementia risks in the overall study population and patients with stroke without dysphagia, except for O3. Particulate matter (PM)2.5 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) exhibited significant effects on the risk of dementia in the stepwise logistic regression models. Conclusion: The presence of dysphagia following a stroke may pose a risk of developing dementia. Additionally, PM2.5 and NOx exposure appears to elevate the risk of dementia in patients with stroke.
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This retrospective case-control study aimed to investigate associations between disease severity of Alzheimer's dementia (AD) and macular thickness. Data of patients with AD who were under medication (n = 192) between 2013 and 2020, as well as an age- and sex-matched control group (n = 200) with normal cognitive function, were included. AD patients were divided into subgroups according to scores of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR). Macular thickness was analyzed via the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) grid map. AD patients had significant reductions in full macula layers, including inner circle, outer inferior area, and outer nasal area of the macula. Similar retinal thinning was noted in ganglion cells and inner plexiform layers. Advanced AD patients (MMSE score < 18 or CDR ≥ 1) showed more advanced reduction of macular thickness than the AD group (CDR = 0.5 or MMSE ≥ 18), indicating that severe cognitive impairment was associated with thinner macular thickness. Advanced AD is associated with significant macula thinning in full retina and inner plexiform layers, especially at the inner circle of the macula. Macular thickness may be a useful biomarker of AD disease severity. Retinal imaging may be a non-invasive, low-cost surrogate for AD.
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BACKGROUND: Taiwan's National Health Insurance has covered targeted therapy, namely cetuximab, for locally advanced head and neck cancers (LAHNC) since July 2009. This study examines treatment trends and survival effects of locally advanced head and neck cancer patients before and after Taiwan's National Health Insurance covered cetuximab. METHODS: We examined treatment trends and survival effects for patients with LAHNC using Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database. Patients who received treatment within 6 months were categorized as either nontargeted or targeted therapy groups. We analyzed treatment trends with the Cochran-Armitage trend test and explored factors associated with treatment selection and survival effects using multivariable logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS: Of the 20,900 LAHNC patients included in the study, 19,696 received nontargeted therapy, while 1,204 received targeted therapy. Older patients with more comorbid conditions, advanced stages and patients with hypopharynx and oropharynx cancers were more likely to receive targeted therapy with concomitant cetuximab treatment. Patients who received targeted therapy in addition to other treatment modalities had a greater risk of one-year and long-term all-cause mortality or cancer-specific mortality than those without receiving targeted therapy (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our study found an increasing trend in cetuximab utilization among LAHNC after reimbursement in Taiwan, but overall usage rates were low. LAHNC patients receiving cetuximab with other treatments had higher mortality risk than those receiving cisplatin, suggesting cisplatin may be preferred. Further research is needed to identify subgroups that could benefit from concomitant cetuximab treatment.
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Antineoplásicos , Neoplasias de Cabeça e Pescoço , Humanos , Cetuximab , Cisplatino , Antineoplásicos/uso terapêutico , Taiwan/epidemiologia , Quimiorradioterapia/efeitos adversos , Neoplasias de Cabeça e Pescoço/etiologiaRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: Oral and esophageal cancer are the fourth and fifth leading causes of cancer deaths among men in Taiwan. Despite a good prognosis for oral cavity cancer patients, survival is worse for those who develop second primary esophageal cancer. There remains no consensus regarding early prevention of potential second primary esophageal cancer in patients with oral cavity cancer. Our study aimed to compare 5-year mortality between endoscopically screened and non-screened patients with oral cavity cancer and second primary esophageal cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study identified patients with incident oral cavity cancer and second primary esophageal cancer during 2004 and 2013 using the Taiwan Cancer Registry and National Health Insurance Research Database. We compared 5-year mortality from the second primary esophageal cancer diagnosis date between screened and non-screened groups of patients with oral cavity cancer and second primary esophageal cancer. RESULTS: A total of 217 screened and 305 non-screened oral cavity cancer patients with second primary esophageal cancer were studied. Endoscopic screening significantly improved early detection of second primary esophageal cancer (adjusted odds ratio: 0.34, 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 0.23-0.49) and reduced all-cause mortality (adjusted hazard ratio: 0.80; 95 % CI: 0.66-0.98). CONCLUSIONS: Oral cavity cancer patients with second primary esophageal cancer may have worse overall survival than those without. Early detection of second primary esophageal cancer is a crucial mediator between endoscopic screening and mortality. Endoscopic screening after the diagnosis of incident oral cavity cancer significantly increased early detection and reduced all-cause mortality.
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Neoplasias Esofágicas , Neoplasias Bucais , Segunda Neoplasia Primária , Masculino , Humanos , Taiwan/epidemiologia , Detecção Precoce de Câncer , Neoplasias Bucais/diagnóstico , Neoplasias Esofágicas/diagnóstico , Segunda Neoplasia Primária/diagnósticoRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Patients with either diabetes (DM) or depression (DP) are prone to developing other diseases and require more medical resources than do the general population. This study aimed to examine health-related quality of life, medical resource use, and physical function of patients with both diabetes mellitus and depression, and the magnitude of effects among patients with different combinations of comorbid diseases. METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data from 2009 to 2014. Total 16,159 patients were studied and classified into one of 4 groups: both DM and DP(DM+/DP+), DM+/without DP(DP-), without DM (DM-)/DP+, and DM-/DP-, according to the perceived score in Patient Health Questionnaire and diabetes questionnaire in NHANES. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL), medical resource use, and physical function were measured as outcomes of interests. Multivariate logistic regression models were used. RESULTS: Compared with DM-/DP- patients, the DM+/DP+ (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 2.59; 95 % CI: 1.77-3.80) and DM-/DP+ (AOR: 2.44; 95 % CI: 1.94-3.06) had greater likely to have worse health. In addition, the DM+/DP+ (AOR: 5.40; 95 % CI: 1.30-22.41) and DM+/DP- (AOR: 2.49; 95 % CI: 1.91-3.25) were more likely to have medical visits, and worse physical function. CONCLUSIONS: This study found that both depression and diabetes mellitus worsen HRQoL, increase medical resource use, and decrease physical function. Depression status should be considered by clinicians treating diabetes mellitus patients in order to improve their HRQoL, reduce medical resource use, and improve physical function.
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Diabetes Mellitus , Qualidade de Vida , Humanos , Estudos Transversais , Inquéritos Nutricionais , Depressão/epidemiologia , Estudos Retrospectivos , Diabetes Mellitus/epidemiologiaRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Female cancers, including breast, cervical, uterine, and ovarian cancer, remain among the ten most common cancers among women worldwide, but the relationship between female cancers and abortion from previous studies is inconsistent. This study aimed to investigate risks of incident female cancers among women aged 20 to 45 years who underwent abortion in Taiwan compared with those who did not. METHOD: A longitudinal observational cohort study was conducted using three nationwide population-based databases in Taiwan, focusing on 20- to 45-year-old women, with 10 years of follow-up. Matched cohorts were identified with propensity score 1-to-3 matching between 269,050 women who underwent abortion and 807,150 who did not. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard modeling was used for analysis after adjusting for covariates including age, average monthly payroll, fertility, diabetes mellitus, polycystic ovarian syndrome, endometrial hyperplasia, endometriosis, hormone-related drugs, and Charlson comorbidity index. RESULTS: We found lower risk of uterine cancer (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.77, 95% CI: 0.70-0.85) and ovarian cancer (HR: 0.81, 95% CI: 0.75-0.88), but no significant difference in risk of breast cancer or cervical cancer, among matched abortion compared with non-abortion cohorts. Regarding subgroup analysis, cervical cancer risk was higher for parous women who underwent abortion, and uterine cancer risk was lower for nulliparous women who underwent abortion compared with non-abortion groups. CONCLUSIONS: Abortion was related to lower uterine and ovarian cancer risk but was not associated with risks of incident breast cancer or cervical cancer. Longer follow-up may be necessary to observe risks of female cancers at older ages.
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Aborto Espontâneo , Neoplasias da Mama , Neoplasias Ovarianas , Neoplasias do Colo do Útero , Neoplasias Uterinas , Gravidez , Feminino , Humanos , Adulto Jovem , Adulto , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Estudos de Coortes , Taiwan , Fatores de RiscoRESUMO
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is a minimally invasive endoscopic procedure to deal with local early esophageal neoplasm, although post-ESD esophageal stricture is a major delayed complication of esophageal ESD greatly influencing the patient's quality of life. This retrospective study was conducted to analyze the esophageal stricture after esophageal ESD while determining further treatment and outcome of stricture management. METHODS: From 2009 to 2021, we reviewed all patients who underwent ESD for esophageal squamous cell neoplasia in Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital. RESULTS: Totally, 133 patients with esophageal squamous cell neoplasm were enrolled. Among these 133 patients, 108 patients had lesions less than three-fourths in circumferential and 25 patients had lesions in excess of three-fourths circumferentially. Totally, 18 patients (13.5%) had symptomatic esophageal stricture and 17 patients (94.4%) had stricture existing over the upper or middle esophagus. The most important risk factor of esophageal stricture was the extent of resection of esophageal circumference, especially whole circumferential resection. Although oral steroid prevention medication was prescribed for high-risk patients with lesions more than three-fourth circumferential ESD, the stricture rate was still up to 40% (10/25). Endoscopic/luminal management with balloon dilation, radial incision and self-bougination achieved 83% (15/18) symptom remission. Three patients received surgical intervention with esophagectomy or jejunostomy. CONCLUSION: Esophageal stricture is frequently encountered in esophageal ESD. Aggressive preventative strategy is warranted for the high-risk group. Endoscopy/luminal management has high efficacy for post-ESD esophageal stricture.
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Carcinoma de Células Escamosas , Ressecção Endoscópica de Mucosa , Neoplasias Esofágicas , Estenose Esofágica , Humanos , Estenose Esofágica/etiologia , Estenose Esofágica/prevenção & controle , Ressecção Endoscópica de Mucosa/efeitos adversos , Ressecção Endoscópica de Mucosa/métodos , Estudos Retrospectivos , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas/patologia , Constrição Patológica/etiologia , Qualidade de Vida , Neoplasias Esofágicas/cirurgia , Neoplasias Esofágicas/patologia , HospitaisRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer incidence worldwide and in Taiwan. The relationship between breast cancer and occupational types remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate lifetime breast cancer incidence by different occupational industries among female workers in Taiwan. METHODS: A population-based retrospective case-control study was conducted using three nationwide population-based databases. Matched case and control groups were identified with 1-to-4 exact matching among 103,047 female workers with breast cancer diagnosed in 2008-2017 and those without breast cancer. Their lifetime labor enrollment records were tracked using the National Labor Insurance Database, 1950-2017. Conditional logistic regression was used to analyze the association between types of occupational industries and risk of incident breast cancer. RESULTS: Our study found slightly significant breast cancer risk among the following major occupational classifications: manufacturing (OR: 1.027, 95% CI: 1.011-1.043); wholesale and retail trade (OR: 1.068, 95% CI: 1.052-1.084); information and communication (OR: 1.074, 95% CI: 1.043-1.105); financial and insurance activities (OR: 1.109, 95% CI: 1.086-1.133); real estate activities (OR: 1.050, 95% CI: 1.016-1.085); professional, scientific, and technical activities (OR: 1.118, 95% CI: 1.091-1.145); public administration, defense, and social security (OR: 1.054, 95% CI: 1.023-1.087), education (OR: 1.199, 95% CI: 1.168-1.230); and human health and social work activities (OR: 1.125, 95% CI: 1.096-1.156). CONCLUSIONS: Greater percentages of industrial occupations (i.e., manufacturing, wholesale and retail, or health professionals) were associated with slightly increased breast cancer risk. Further studies should investigate the possible risk factors among female workers in those industries with slightly higher incidence of breast cancer.
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Neoplasias da Mama , Doenças Profissionais , Exposição Ocupacional , Neoplasias da Mama/complicações , Estudos de Casos e Controles , Feminino , Humanos , Incidência , Doenças Profissionais/epidemiologia , Doenças Profissionais/etiologia , Exposição Ocupacional/efeitos adversos , Ocupações , Estudos Retrospectivos , Fatores de Risco , Taiwan/epidemiologiaRESUMO
OBJECTIVES: Air pollution is strongly associated with asthma, but has not been determined to induce new-onset asthma development in children with atopic dermatitis (AD). WORKING HYPOTHESIS: To assess whether prenatal/postnatal exposure to air pollutants triggers new-onset asthma development in children with AD. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. PATIENT-SUBJECT SELECTION: Data of patients
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Poluentes Atmosféricos , Poluição do Ar , Asma , Dermatite Atópica , Ozônio , Efeitos Tardios da Exposição Pré-Natal , Adolescente , Poluentes Atmosféricos/efeitos adversos , Poluentes Atmosféricos/análise , Poluição do Ar/efeitos adversos , Poluição do Ar/análise , Asma/epidemiologia , Asma/etiologia , Monóxido de Carbono/efeitos adversos , Criança , Dermatite Atópica/epidemiologia , Exposição Ambiental/efeitos adversos , Exposição Ambiental/análise , Proteína Catiônica de Eosinófilo , Feminino , Humanos , Imunoglobulina E , Óxido Nítrico , Dióxido de Nitrogênio/efeitos adversos , Dióxido de Nitrogênio/análise , Ozônio/efeitos adversos , Ozônio/análise , Material Particulado/efeitos adversos , Material Particulado/análise , Gravidez , Estudos Retrospectivos , Dióxido de Enxofre/efeitos adversos , Dióxido de Enxofre/análiseRESUMO
Purpose: Both air pollutant exposure and neonatal jaundice (NJ) have known effects on childhood asthma, but a higher total serum bilirubin (TSB) level has been associated with lung protection. This study aimed to assess whether prenatal/postnatal exposure to ambient air pollutants is related to the development of asthma in infants with NJ. Patients and Methods: A nested case-control retrospective study was performed using the data of infants with NJ in the Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital Research Database. Data on average ambient air pollution concentrations within six months, the first year and second year after birth, and in the first, second and third prenatal trimesters were collected. NJ was defined as TSB levels ≥ 2 mg/dl with the diagnosis less than one-month-old. Asthma was defined as a diagnosis with medication use. We constructed conditional logistic regression models to estimate adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: Exposure to NO and SO2 at all six time points in the study was significantly associated with an increased risk of preschool asthma in infants with NJ. The overall peak OR (95% CI) of SO2, PM2.5, PM10, NO, NO2, and NOX were 1.277 (1.129-1.444), 1.057 (1.023-1.092), 1.035 (1.011-1.059), 1.272 (1.111-1.455), 1.168 (1.083-1.259) and 1.104 (1.051-1.161), respectively. Fetuses in the first and second trimester were most vulnerable to ambient air pollutant exposure such as SO2 PM2.5, NO, NO2 and NOX during the prenatal period. Exposure to all six ambient air pollutants during the first and second years after birth significantly affected preschool asthma in NJ infants. Conclusion: In different time windows, prenatal and postnatal exposure to SO2, PM2.5, PM10, NO, NO2, and NOX were associated with preschool asthma in NJ infants. The relatively high impact of NO and SO2 exposure in infants with NJ requires further studies and prevention measures.
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OBJECTIVE: Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide. In Taiwan, workers exposed to any of 31 hazardous chemicals or carcinogens in the work environment are designated as especially exposed workers (EEWs) by Taiwan's Ministry of Labor. We assessed the risk of breast cancer in this nationwide female EEW cohort. METHODS: We conducted a nationwide retrospective study of 4,774,295 workers combining data collected from Taiwan's Ministry of Labor's EEW database between 1997 and 2018 and Taiwan's Cancer Registry between 1997 and 2016. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) for women exposed to different hazards and breast cancer incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were calculated by Poisson regression, adjusting for age and duration of exposure. RESULTS: 3248 female workers with breast cancer and 331,967 without breast cancer were included. The SIRs and adjusted IRRs were 1.27 (95% CI 1.18-1.35) and 1.31 (95% CI 1.21-1.42) for lead, 1.74 (95% CI 1.23-2.24) and 1.52 (95% CI 1.13-2.04) for 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane, 1.47 (95% CI 1.12-1.82) and 1.42 (95% CI 1.12-1.81) for trichloroethylene/tetrachloroethylene), 1.40 (95% CI 1.23-1.57) and 1.38 (95% CI 1.22-1.57) for benzene, and 2.07 (95% CI 1.06-3.09) and 1.80 (95% CI 1.10-2.94) for asbestos. The results remained similar when factoring in a 2- or 5-year latency period. CONCLUSION: This study found possible correlations between occupational exposure to lead, chlorinated solvents (such as 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane, trichloroethylene, and tetrachloroethylene), benzene, and asbestos with breast cancer risk among female EEW, suggesting a need for regular screening for breast cancer for employees exposed to these special workplace hazards.
Assuntos
Amianto , Neoplasias da Mama , Doenças Profissionais , Exposição Ocupacional , Tetracloroetileno , Tricloroetileno , Feminino , Humanos , Incidência , Estudos de Coortes , Estudos Retrospectivos , Neoplasias da Mama/epidemiologia , Benzeno/toxicidade , Taiwan/epidemiologia , Solventes , Exposição Ocupacional/efeitos adversos , Amianto/efeitos adversos , Doenças Profissionais/epidemiologiaRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Patients with oral cancer are at higher risk of developing second primary esophageal cancer (SPEC) and the consensus for screening strategies remains unclear. This study aimed to examine comparative effectiveness and the stage-shift effect of endoscopic exam among patients with oral cancer. METHOD: A population-based longitudinal retrospective observational matched case and control cohort study with at least 5 years follow-up was conducted. We identified 45 457 newly diagnosed patients with oral cancer, 2004-2013, and the eligible patient with oral cancer was 39 401. Propensity score matching was used to match comparable groups, and the two groups (screening vs. nonscreening) was 5941, individually. The study primary endpoints were to compare detection of incident SPEC and the stage-shift effect of endoscopic screening between screened and nonscreened incident oral cancer patients. Cox proportional hazard and competing risk models were analyzed. Statistical analyses were conducted in 2020-2021. RESULT: Detection of incident SPEC in the screened group was significantly higher than in the nonscreened group (hazard ratio: 2.92, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.29-3.72). The stage-shift effect from endoscopic screening was found overall in patients with oral cancer (odds ratio [OR]: 0.39, 95%CI: 0.21-0.70), in particular in advanced-stage patients (OR: 0.25, 95%CI: 0.11-0.61), but not in early-stage patients (OR: 0.60, 95%CI: 0.26-1.40). CONCLUSION: This study confirmed that endoscopic screening achieved early detection of SPEC among patients with oral cancer. To improve the screening stage-shift effect, patients with oral cancer are encouraged to undergo routine endoscopic screening.
Assuntos
Neoplasias Bucais , Segunda Neoplasia Primária , Estudos de Coortes , Endoscopia , Humanos , Neoplasias Bucais/diagnóstico , Estudos Retrospectivos , TaiwanRESUMO
BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly become a major challenge for global health care systems and affected other priorities such as the utilization of population-based cancer screening services. We sought to examine to what extent the COVID-19 pandemic has affected cancer screening utilization in Taiwan, even the use of inreach and outreach screening services for different types of cancer screening and different regions. METHODS: Using nationwide cervical, breast, colorectal and oral cancer screening data, the percentage changes in screening participants at inreach and outreach services were calculated and compared between January to April 2020 (COVID-19 pandemic) and January to April 2019. RESULTS: The average percentage change declined from 15% to 40% for cervical, breast, and colorectal cancer screening, with a nearly 50% decline in oral cancer screening. There was a greater preference for breast and colorectal cancer screening outreach services, which had greater accessibility and declined less than inreach services in most regions. The screening utilization varied in different regions, especially in eastern Taiwan where the less convenient transportation and lower risk of COVID-19 transmission had a positive change on four types of cancer screening outreach services. CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 pandemic may have had an effect not only in the utilization of different types of cancer screening but also in the preference between inreach and outreach services, and even in variations in screening services in different regions.