Incidence of tuberculosis disease in individuals diagnosed with tuberculosis infection after screening: A population-based cohort study in South Korea.

OBJECTIVES: Limited evidence exists regarding the impact of adherence to diverse tuberculosis (TB) preventive therapy (TPT) regimens on TB risk in individuals with TB infections (TBIs). This study aimed to examine the association between adherence to three TPT regimens and TB incidence. METHODS: This population-based retrospective cohort study used South Korean national health insurance data to identify individuals who were newly diagnosed with TBI between 2015 and 2020. TB incidence was compared among the different TPT regimens used. Treatment adherence was evaluated using the medication possession ratio (MPR). RESULTS: The study involved 220,483 individuals with TBI, with half undergoing TPT. Over a mean 3.17-year follow-up, 2,430 cases of active TB were observed. TPT was associated with a 14% reduction in TB incidence risk in the entire study population with varying levels of TB risk. Non-adherence (MPR <80%) rates were 36% for 9 months of treatment with isoniazid, 22% for 4 months of treatment with rifampicin, and 18% for 3 months of treatment with isoniazid and rifampicin. Non-adherence to TPT did not lead to a decrease in the risk of TB incidence, whereas adherence to TPT (MPR ≥80%) reduced the risk of TB incidence by up to 72%. CONCLUSIONS: This study reveals increased adherence with shorter TPT regimens in a national TBI cohort, emphasizing the pivotal role of medication adherence in preventing TB.

Influenza and the risk of active tuberculosis occurrence among individuals with latent tuberculosis infection: A national cohort study in South Korea (2015-2020).

BACKGROUND: Influenza's potential impact on active tuberculosis (TB) development has been debated, with limited clinical evidence. To address this, we explored the association between influenza episodes and TB incidence in a national cohort of individuals with latent TB infection (LTBI). METHODS: We examined adults (≥20 years) diagnosed with LTBI between 2015 and 2020, using the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service's national database in South Korea. We collected demographic data, comorbidities, and influenza episodes within 6 months before and after the initial LTBI diagnosis (prior vs. subsequent episode). We stratified the analysis into groups with and without TB preventive therapy (TPT). RESULTS: Among 220,483 LTBI subjects, 49% received TPT, while 51% did not. The average age was 48.4 years, with 52% having comorbidities. A prior and subsequent influenza episode was identified in 3221 and 4580 individuals, respectively. Of these, 1159 (0.53%) developed incident TB over an average follow-up of 1.86 years. The incidence rates of TB were comparable between individuals with and without prior and/or subsequent influenza episodes in the TPT group, but 1.4 times higher in the non-TPT group for those with such episodes. Cox proportional-hazards regression analysis indicated that influenza was not a risk factor for incident TB in the TPT group. However, a subsequent influenza episode significantly increased TB risk in the non-TPT group (hazard ratio: 1.648 [95% CI, 1.053-2.580]). CONCLUSIONS: In individuals with LTBI not receiving TPT, experiencing an influenza episode may elevate the risk of developing active TB.

Comparison of active tuberculosis occurrence associated with Janus kinase inhibitors and biological DMARDs in rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the risk of tuberculosis associated with the use of Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors or biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) in patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in South Korea. METHODS: In this nationwide matched-cohort study, we retrospectively identified adult patients with new-onset RA from the National Health Insurance Service database who were prescribed bDMARDs or JAK inhibitors and recently underwent latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) screening during 2012‒2021, and followed them up until the end of 2022 for the development of active tuberculosis. HRs were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression in a propensity score-matched cohort. RESULTS: Among 16 760 matched patients with RA (3352 JAK inhibitor users and 13 408 bDMARD users), 18.8% received tuberculosis preventive therapy for LTBI. Overall, JAK inhibitor users had a significantly lower risk of tuberculosis than bDMARD users (HR (95% CI)=0.37 (0.22 to 0.62)). Among the patients treated for LTBI, patients with low treatment adherence had a significantly higher risk than those without LTBI (HR (95% CI)=2.78 (1.74 to 4.44)). Patients without LTBI and using JAK inhibitors had a significantly lower risk of tuberculosis across all ages and sexes compared with bDMARD users. CONCLUSION: Patients with RA using JAK inhibitors have a significantly lower risk of active tuberculosis than bDMARD users in South Korea; however, patients with RA having LTBI are equally at risk regardless of the treatment received (JAK inhibitor vs bDMARD). Therefore, vigilant tuberculosis monitoring, especially in patients with low adherence to tuberculosis preventive therapy, is essential.

Discontinuation of blood pressure-lowering, glucose-lowering, and lipid-lowering medications after bariatric surgery in patients with morbid obesity: a nationwide cohort study in South Korea.

BACKGROUND: Limited evidence exists on the patterns of medication use for hypertension, diabetes mellitus (DM), and dyslipidemia after bariatric surgery among Asian patients. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the patterns in the use of blood pressure-lowering, glucose-lowering, and lipid-lowering medications following BS in Korean patients with morbid obesity. SETTING: This study is a retrospective cohort study using the Health Insurance Review and Assignment claims database of South Korea (from 2019 to 2021). METHODS: We included patients who underwent BS between 2019 and 2020 in South Korea. We evaluated the treatment patterns of blood pressure-lowering, glucose-lowering, and lipid-lowering medications at 3-month intervals for 1-year following BS, including medication use, individual medication classes, and the number of medications prescribed. Furthermore, we estimated remission rates for each disorder based on patient characteristics by defining patients who discontinued their medications for at least 2 consecutive quarters as remission. RESULTS: A total of 3810 patients were included in this study. For 1-year following BS, a marked decrease in the number of patients using blood pressure-lowering, glucose-lowering, and lipid-lowering medications was observed. The most remarkable decrease occurred in glucose-lowering medications, which decreased by approximately -75.1% compared with that at baseline. This tendency was consistently observed when analyzing both the number of medications prescribed and the specific medication classes. Regarding remission rates, patients who were female, younger, and received the biliopancreatic diversion-duodenal switch as their BS showed a relatively higher incidence of remission than other groups. CONCLUSIONS: BS was associated with a decrease in the use of medications for hypertension, diabetes mellitus (DM), and dyslipidemia.

Assessing the Labeling Information on Drugs Associated With Suicide Risk: Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Drug-induced suicide (DIS) is a severe adverse drug reaction (ADR). Although clinical trials have provided evidence on DIS, limited investigations have been performed on rare ADRs, such as suicide. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to systematically review case reports on DIS to provide evidence-based drug information. METHODS: We searched PubMed to obtain case reports regarding DIS published until July 2021. Cases resulting from drugs that are no longer used or are nonapproved, substance use, and suicidal intentions were excluded. The quality of each case report was assessed using the CASE (Case Reports) checklist. We extracted data regarding demographics, medication history, suicide symptoms, and symptom improvement and evaluated the causality of DIS using the Naranjo score. Furthermore, to identify the potential suicidal risk of the unknown drugs, we compared the results of the causality assessment with those of the approved drug labels. RESULTS: In 83 articles, we identified 152 cases involving 61 drugs. Antidepressants were reported as the most frequent causative drugs of DIS followed by immunostimulants. The causality assessment revealed 61 cases having possible, 89 cases having probable, and 2 cases having definite relationships with DIS. For approximately 85% of suspected drugs, the risk of suicidal ADRs was indicated on the approved label; however, the approved labels for 9 drugs, including lumacaftor/ivacaftor, doxycycline, clozapine, dextromethorphan, adalimumab, infliximab, piroxicam, paclitaxel, and formoterol, did not provide information about these risks. CONCLUSIONS: We found several case reports involving drugs without suicide risk information on the drug label. Our findings might provide valuable insights into drugs that may cause suicidal ADRs.

Long-term cardiovascular risk reduction after gastric cancer surgery: a nationwide cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Gastrectomy for gastric cancer is associated with postoperative changes in cardiovascular risk factors, however, the impact of gastrectomy on cardiovascular events remains unclear. The authors assessed the incidence of cardiovascular events between patients undergoing gastrectomy or endoscopic resection for gastric cancer, and the general population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective nationwide cohort study included patients with gastric cancer undergoing gastrectomy ( n =37 698), endoscopic resection ( n =2773), and matched control population ( n =161 887) between 2004 and 2013. The authors included patients without a history of cancer other than gastric cancer, myocardial infarction, or ischemic stroke. The primary outcome was the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) such as acute myocardial infarction, revascularization, or acute ischemic stroke, in patients with gastric cancer. RESULTS: Among patients who underwent gastrectomy for gastric cancer, 2.9% (4.69 per 1000 person-years) developed novel MACE within the 1-year follow-up period. The gastrectomy group demonstrated a significantly decreased risk for MACE than the control population [hazard ratio (HR), 0.65; 95% CI: 0.61-0.69; P <0.001). Among the patients undergoing endoscopic resection for gastric cancer, 5.4% (8.21 per 1000 person-years) developed novel MACE within the 7-year follow-up period. The risk for MACE in the endoscopic resection group was not significantly different from the control population. CONCLUSION: Patients with gastric cancer who have undergone gastrectomy exhibit a reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases in comparison to the general population. In contrast, the risk for cardiovascular diseases in patients with gastric cancer who underwent endoscopic resection did not demonstrate a significant difference in cardiovascular risk in comparison to the general population.