Incidence and Clinical Outcomes of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in South Korea, 2011–2014: A Nationwide Population-Based Study

Background

The incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is increasing in East Asia; however, population-based data from this region are lacking.

Aim

We conducted a nationwide, population-based study to examine the incidence and disease course of IBD in South Korea.

Methods

Using the National Health Insurance claims data, we collected data on patients diagnosed with IBD [10,049 with ulcerative colitis (UC) and 5595 with Crohn’s disease (CD)] from 2011 to 2014.

Results

During the study period, the average annual incidence of UC was 5.0 per 10⁵, while that of CD was 2.8 per 10⁵. Among patients with UC, the cumulative rates of surgery 1 and 4 years after diagnosis were 1.0 and 2.0%; those among patients with CD were 9.0 and 13.9%, respectively. The 1- and 4-year cumulative rates of moderate- to high-dose corticosteroid use were, respectively, 26.6 and 45.2% among patients with UC, and 29.9 and 50.8% among those with CD. Similarly, the 1- and 4-year cumulative rates of immunomodulator use were 14.1 and 26.4% among patients with UC, and 58.3 and 76.1% among those with CD, respectively. With regard to biologic use, the 1- and 4-year cumulative rates were 3.0 and 9.0% among patients with UC, and 11.1 and 31.7% among those with CD, respectively.

Conclusions

The recent incidence of IBD in South Korea has been the highest in East Asia. Patients who had been diagnosed recently with IBD showed lower rates of surgery and higher rates of immunomodulator and biologic use compared to those reported ever in South Korea.

     

Is Frailty a Predictor of Outcomes in Elderly Inpatients with Acute Kidney Injury? A Prospective Cohort Study

Background

Frailty and acute kidney injury are independently associated with an increased risk of morbidity and mortality. The degree of frailty can be assessed by the Clinical Frailty Score (CFS). This study assessed whether an individual's CFS was associated with acute kidney injury in acute elderly medical admissions and recorded the short-term outcomes.

Asthma and Risk of Injury for Australian Males Aged 6–30 Years: A Population-Based Birth Cohort Study

Background. A history of asthma could lead to a higher risk of injury according to a recent study, but both asthma status and injury events of participants were self-reported, so that the findings might be affected by recall bias and inaccuracy of diagnosis. Objective. To ascertain the association between asthma and risk of injury for Australian males using linked hospitalization records. Methods. A population-based birth cohort study of males born between 1980 and 1984 in Western Australia was conducted. Eligible subjects were identified from birth registry records and followed up from 6 years of age until death or 31 December 2009. Hospitalizations for asthma and injury of the cohort were extracted from the linked health databases. Multivariate Poisson regression models were fitted to estimate the relative risks of injury in relation to both previous and recent asthma admissions. Results. Australian males with asthma admission within the past 2 years or in previous years were found to experience an increased risk of injury. A recent asthma admission was associated with a higher risk of injury than a previous history of asthma admissions. Conclusions. Physiological and mental side effects of asthma medication as well as the presence of asthmatic symptoms may contribute to the elevated injury risk. Further research of the underlying causes is needed to develop an injury prevention strategy for male patients with asthma.     

Long-Term Outcomes After Percutaneous Closure of Ostium Secundum Atrial Septal Defect in the Young: A Nationwide Cohort Study

Objectives

This study sought to assess procedural characteristics, early clinical outcome, and long-term complications after transcatheter closure of atrial septal defect (ASD) in children.

Influence of Gender on Epidemiology and Clinical Manifestations of Sarcoidosis: A Population-Based Retrospective Cohort Study 1976–2013

Purpose

The influence of ethnicity on epidemiology and clinical manifestations of sarcoidosis is well recognized. However, data on the role of sex are limited.

Methods

The current study utilized the resource of the Rochester Epidemiology Project to identify all residents of Olmsted County, Minnesota, United States, with new diagnosis of sarcoidosis from 1976 to 2013. Diagnosis was verified by medical record and histopathological report review.

Results

345 incident cases of sarcoidosis were identified: 174 (50 %) were female and 171 (50 %) were male. The age at diagnosis was significantly higher among females than males (48.3 vs. 42.8 years; p < 0.001). Intra-thoracic disease was seen in the great majority of patients (98 % among females and 96 % among males; p = 0.50). However, pulmonary symptoms were significantly more frequent among males than females (51 vs. 36 %; p = 0.006). The frequency of individual extra-thoracic organ involvement was not significantly different between females and males except for cutaneous involvement and uveitis that were significantly more common among females (6 vs. 1 % for uveitis, p = 0.012 and 25 vs. 12 % for cutaneous involvement, p = 0.002). The frequency of elevate angiotensin-converting enzyme level and hypercalcemia was not significantly different between the two sexes.

Conclusions

Females tended to be older at the age they developed sarcoidosis, and had more uveitis and cutaneous involvement than males.

     

Comparison of Acute Respiratory Events Between Asthma–COPD Overlap Syndrome and COPD Patients: A Population-Based Cohort Study

Epidemiologic studies investigating the differences in respiratory outcomes between asthma–chronic obstructive pulmonary disease overlap syndrome (ACOS) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in an Asian population are lacking.We conducted a population-based cohort study to compare the incidence of acute respiratory events between ACOS and COPD cohorts in Taiwan. This study investigated the incidence of acute respiratory events, namely, pneumonia, acute exacerbation, acute respiratory failure, and cardiopulmonary arrest, in 8571 patients with physician-diagnosed ACOS between 2000 and 2007 from the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database. The comparison cohort comprised 17,088 COPD patients, frequency-matched according to age, sex, and the index-year. The duration of follow-up was measured for each patient from the index date to 5 years thereafter. We used univariable and multivariable Poisson regression models to analyze the risk of acute respiratory events by including the variables of sex, age, and comorbidity.The overall prevalence of ACOS was approximately 17.4% in patients with COPD. The prevalence of ACOS increased with age. During the 5-year follow-up, a greater incidence of acute respiratory events was observed in the ACOS cohort than in the COPD cohort (11.5 and 4.62, per 100 person-years, respectively) with an adjusted incidence rate ratio (IRR) of 1.72 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.63–1.81). Compared with the COPD cohort, the ACOS patients had a 1.13-fold adjusted IRR of pneumonia (95% CI = 1.07–1.20) and a 2.58-fold adjusted IRR of acute exacerbation (95% CI = 2.43–2.74). Clinicians should be aware of frequent exacerbation of ACOS and prescribe appropriate treatment.     

Does Digoxin Increase the Risk of Ischemic Stroke and Mortality in Atrial Fibrillation? A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study

Background

Digoxin and related cardiac glycosides have been used for almost 100 years in atrial fibrillation (AF). However, 2 recent analyses of the Atrial Fibrillation Follow-Up Investigation of Rhythm Management (AFFIRM) trial showed inconsistent results regarding the risk of mortality associated with digoxin use. The goal of the present study was to investigate the relationship between digoxin and the risk of ischemic stroke and mortality in Asians.

Methods

This study used the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) in Taiwan. A total of 4781 patients with AF who did not receive any antithrombotic therapy were selected as the study population. Among the study population, 829 participants (17.3%) received the digoxin treatment. The risk of ischemic stroke and mortality in patients who received digoxin and those who did not was compared.

Results

The use of digoxin was associated with an increased risk of clinical events, with an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.41 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.17-1.70) for ischemic stroke and 1.21 (95% CI, 1.01-1.44) for all-cause mortality. In the subgroup analysis based on coexistence with heart failure or not, digoxin was a risk factor for adverse events in patients without heart failure but not in those with heart failure (interaction P < 0.001 for either end point). Among patients with AF without heart failure, the use of β-blockers was associated with better survival, with an adjusted hazard ratio of 0.48 (95% CI, 0.34-0.68).

Conclusions

Digoxin should be avoided for patients with AF without heart failure because it was associated with an increased risk of clinical events. β-Blockers may be a better choice for controlling ventricular rate in these patients.     

MELD Scores and Child–Pugh Classifications Predict the Outcomes of ERCP in Cirrhotic Patients With Choledocholithiasis: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is challenging in cirrhotic patients with choledocholithiasis. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of ERCP in cirrhotic patients with choledocholithiasis and accessed the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) scores and Child–Pugh classifications for prediction of morbidity and mortality.From January 2000 to June 2014, 77 ERCP operations were performed in cirrhotic patients with choledocholithiasis. The data on operative complications were analyzed. MELD scores and Child–Pugh classifications were calculated and associated with operative outcomes and survival. Telephone follow-up was performed to determine survival situations.No death, perforation, or hemorrhage caused by gastroesophageal varices occurred as a result of the procedure. The rate of intraoperative hemorrhage was 13.0%, and the rate of postoperative morbidity was 27.3% including hemorrhage (18.2%), post-ERCP pancreatitis (6.1%), aggravated infection of the biliary tract (1.3%), hepatic encephalopathy (1.3%), and respiratory failure (1.3%). Four (5.2%) patients had both intraoperative and postoperative hemorrhage. Receiver operating characteristic analysis identified MELD scores higher than 11.5 as the best cutoff value for predicting complication incidence (95% confidence interval = 0.63–0.87). Twenty-one (44.7%) patients with a MELD score above 11.5 developed a complication, and 3 (10%) patients who had a lower MELD score developed a complication (P = 0.001). Both MELD score and Child–Pugh classification had prognostic value in patients without jaundice, although sex may result in different prognostic values based on the 2 scores. The rate of complications was not significantly different among patients with different Child–Pugh classifications. No significant difference was observed in patients with different MELD scores or Child–Pugh classifications in terms of median survival times.ERCP is an effective and safe procedure in cirrhotic patients with choledocholithiasis. MELD scores can predict the risk of operative complications, but Child–Pugh classification system scores do not predict the risk of complications.     

Incidence and Risks of Congenital Anomalies of Kidney and Urinary Tract in Newborns: A Population-Based Case–Control Study in Taiwan

Congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT) are 1 of the major factors in young adults needing renal replacement therapy, but there is little extensive assessment of their incidence and risk factors. This study aimed to evaluate trends in the incidence of and risk factors for CAKUT among all births in Taiwan.This population-based case–control study design was conducted using the Taiwan national births registry, which contains detailed information about maternal health and characteristics of newborns, supplied by health professionals. Of 1,603,794 newborns registered between 2004 and 2014, 668 infants were reported to have CAKUT. Newborns without congenital anomalies were matched with CAKUT cases by birth year, month, and Apgar score in a ratio of 5:1. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for developing CAKUT were calculated using a conditional multivariate logistic regression model.The incidence of CAKUT was approximately 4.2 per 10,000 births. The adjusted ORs for CAKUT in newborns associated with maternal age of 20 to 29 (OR, 2.18; 95% CI, 1.11–4.28), or 30 to 39 (OR, 2.29; 95% CI, 1.17–4.51), maternal gestational diabetes (OR, 2.22, 95% CI, 1.06–4.67), maternal thalassemia/hemochromatosis (OR, 2.67; 95% CI, 1.35–5.27), polyhydramnios or oligohydramnios (OR, 9.16; 95% CI, 5.46–15.37), birth parity >1 (OR, 0.27; 95% CI, 0.15–0.50), having a gestational age <37 weeks (OR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.23–1.78), and being a boy (OR, 1.83; 95% CI, 1.53–2.19). Infants of mother with gestational diabetes were more likely to have congenital anomalies, small gestational age (<37 weeks) and low birth weight.CAKUT are associated with several maternal health risk factors. As Taiwan has the highest prevalence and incidence rates of end-stage renal disease in the world, these findings strongly support the need to develop professional guidelines for prenatal counseling and management of women at risk of adverse birth outcomes, to prevent kidney disease progression and reduce complications.     

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Cognitive Impairment in Parkinson Disease: A Population-Based Case–Control Study in Taiwan

The aim of this study was to evaluate the Parkinson disease (PD) prevalence of cognitive impairment in Taiwan.The case–control study consisted of 6177 cognitive impairment patients and 24,708 noncognitive impairment as controls for the period of 2006 to 2010 and both of the groups aged ≥50 years. The multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) for cognitive impairment, and the 95% confidence intervals (CIs) among patients with PD were compared with those of non-PD patients.PD (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] is 3.07, 95% CI 2.76–3.41) is the one of the most contributed risk factors for cognitive impairment. Besides, we found a remarkable result of the diagnosed cognitive impairment of PD that was found highest in the first 6 months (aOR 11.98, 95% CI 8.51–16.86) and then decrease the incident year by year. The PD prevalence in a patient with cognitive impairment in our data present is 12.1% lower than those with truly dementia published previously and documented by western studies.We found a remarkable result of the diagnosed cognitive impairment of PD that was found highest in the first 6 months and then decrease the incident year by year.     

Is Inflammatory Bowel Disease an Important Risk Factor Among Older Persons with Colorectal Cancer in the United States? A Population-Based Case–Control Study

Background  

While ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD) are thought to predispose to colorectal cancer (CRC), the association has not been well studied in an older population.     

Ischemic Stroke in Young Adults and Preexisting Psychiatric Disorders: A Nationwide Case–Control Study

Previous studies showed that psychiatric disorders such as major depression, bipolar disorders, and alcohol misuse are associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke. However, the link between psychiatric disorders and stroke in the young population is rarely investigated.Using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database, 2063 young adults aged between 18 and 45 years with ischemic stroke and 8252 age- and sex-matched controls were enrolled in our study between 1998 and 2011. Participants who had preexisting psychiatric disorders were identified.After adjusting for preexisting physical disorders and demographic data, patients with ischemic stroke had an increased risk of having preexisting psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder (odds ratio [OR]: 2.23, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.06∼4.67), unipolar depression (OR: 2.15, 95% CI: 1.62∼2.86), anxiety disorders (OR: 2.63, 95% CI: 1.87∼3.69), and alcohol use disorders (OR: 2.86, 95% CI: 1.79∼4.57). Young ischemic stroke (age ≥30 years) was related to the risk of preexisting unipolar depression (OR: 1.49, 95% CI: 1.05∼2.11), anxiety disorders (OR: 1.99, 95% CI: 1.33∼2.97), and alcohol use disorders (OR: 2.54, 95% CI: 1.55∼4.14); very young stroke (age <30 years) was only associated with the risk of preexisting unipolar depression (OR: 4.15, 95% CI: 1.47∼11.72).Patients who had experienced ischemic stroke at age younger than 45 years had a higher risk of having pre-existing bipolar disorder, unipolar depression, anxiety disorders, and alcohol use disorders than those who did not after adjusting for demographic data and stroke-related medical comorbidities.Ischemic strokes in adults younger than 45 years of age were regarded as a relatively uncommon event in the proportion of <5% of all ischemic strokes.¹ However, other epidemiological studies have shown a higher proportion of approximately 10% of all ischemic strokes occurring in young adults.^2,3 Compared with stroke in the elderly, stroke in the young adult resulted in a disproportionately great personal, familial, and socioeconomic impacts and consequences by leaving patients disabled before their most productive years.^4,5 The most significantly established risk factors for young ischemic stroke included hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, and smoking.^5–7The association between psychiatric disorders and stroke has gained the clinical and scientific attention in the past decade.^8–10 For example, Tsai et al¹¹ followed 80,569 patients with schizophrenia for 5 years, and revealed that those with schizophrenia were 1.13 times more likely to have a stroke (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.05∼1.22). Li et al¹² followed 1003 patients with major depression and 4012 controls for 9 years and found that patients with major depression had a higher risk of stroke (odds ratio [OR]: 1.55, 95% CI: 1.08∼2.211) than the control group during the follow-up. Dong et al⁸ reported a significant positive association between depression and subsequent risk of stroke (relative risk [RR]: 1.34, 95% CI: 1.17∼1.54). Prieto et al''s¹⁰ meta-analysis study composed of 27,092 bipolar patients showed that the risk of stroke in bipolar disorder was significantly increased (RR: 1.74, 95% CI 1.29∼2.35). The First National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in United States demonstrated that more anxiety symptoms at baseline were associated with increased risk of incident stroke (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.14, 95% CI: 1.03∼1.25).⁹ Following 19,544 men aged 40 to 59 years for 11 years, Iso et al¹³ determined that alcohol consumption was positively associated with the risk of stroke with a 68% excess risk among drinkers of ≥450 g ethanol per week compared with occasional drinkers. However, stroke in the above studies occurred in the late mid-life or in old age but not in the younger age groups. The association between young stroke and psychiatric disorders was less investigated and still unclear.In our study, using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) with a large sample size and a retrospective study design, we investigated the association between the young ischemic stroke and the risk of preexisting psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, anxiety disorders, and alcohol use disorder.     

Rational,Design and Preliminary Results of a Cohort Study on Breast and Colorectal Cancer to Develop a Risk Assessment Model to Predict Future Cardiovascular Events. “Cardio Vascular Events in Breast and Colorectal Cancers (CIBC) Study”

Breast cancer (BC) and colorectal cancer (CRC) are among the most common cancers in Iran. We aimed to develop a risk assessment model to predict the development of cardiovascular events in these patients by performing a 5 year prospective cohort study on a newly diagnosed patients with BC or CRC before they receive any treatment. A multi-center prospective cohort study of 2700 newly diagnosed BC and CRC patients has been started in Iran since 2019 and will be continued until 2024. Demographics, socioeconomic status, life style behaviors, psychological characteristics and type of cancer treatments will be collected by standard questionnaires and blood pressure, obesity indices will be measured. Blood sampling, ECG, and echocardiography will be done in all patients at base line, 6 and 12 months, then at annual basis for five years. Incidence of heart failure, acute coronary syndrome, stroke and CVD related death are the primary outcome of this study. In this preliminary analysis, 70 patients with BC and 30 patients with CRC were enrolled in this study from April 2019 to November 2019. Mean age of BC and CRC patients was 48 ± 10.5 and 61 ± 13.2 respectively. 98.6% of patients in BC group and 60% of CRC groups were female. This study will be a platform for other cancers to develop CVD risk assessment charts that can cover other cancers. Patients who lie in the high risk category according to the newly developed risk assessment chart, should receive special management and preventive interventions.     

Rate of Progression of Aortic Stenosis and its Impact on Outcomes in Patients With Radiation-Associated Cardiac Disease: A Matched Cohort Study

Objectives

The aim of this study was to study differences in progression of aortic stenosis (AS) in patients with mediastinal radiotherapy (XRT)-associated moderate AS versus a matched cohort during the same time frame, and to ascertain need for aortic valve replacement (AVR) and longer-term survival.