Effect of statins use on the prevention of venous thromboembolism： a meta-analysis

ObjectiveTo estimate the effect of statins use on the prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE).MethodsWe systematically searched MEDLINE (1980-June 2012), EMBASE (1980-June 2012), Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, and ISI Web of Science, manually reviewed references, and contacted experts. Case-control studies and cohort studies that compared any dose of statin with no statin or placebo are included. Data extraction and study quality evaluation were independently conducted in duplicate.Results12 studies including four cohort studies and eight case-control studies were identified and eligible for meta-analysis. Upon meta-analysis, statin use was associated with a statistically significant reduction in the odds of developing VTE (OR 0.91, 95% CI 0.86–0.96).ConclusionThis meta-analysis of current and available literature suggests that statins can reduce patient's risk of developing VTE. Due to the limitations of observational study, this conclusion should be considered with caution, and additionally, specifical well-designed trials are needed.     

Economic burden of acute pesticide poisoning in South Korea

Objectives To investigate the magnitude and characteristics of the economic burden resulting from acute pesticide poisoning (APP) in South Korea. Methods The total costs of APP from a societal perspective were estimated by summing the direct medical and non‐medical costs together with the indirect costs. Direct medical costs for patients assigned a disease code of pesticide poisoning were extracted from the Korean National Health Insurance Reimbursement Data. Direct non‐medical costs were estimated using the average transportation and caregiving costs from the Korea Health Panel Survey. Indirect costs, incurred by pre‐mature deaths and work loss, were obtained using 2009 Life Tables for Korea and other relevant literature. Results In 2009, a total of 11 453 patients were treated for APP and 1311 died, corresponding to an incidence of 23.1 per 100 000 population and a mortality rate of 2.6 per 100 000 population in South Korea. The total costs of APP were estimated at approximately US$ 150 million, 0.3% of the costs of total diseases. Costs due to pre‐mature mortality accounted for 90.6% of the total costs, whereas the contribution of direct medical costs was relatively small. Conclusion Costs from APP demonstrate a unique characteristic of a large proportion of the indirect costs originating from pre‐mature mortality. This finding suggests policy implications for restrictions on lethal pesticides and safe storage to reduce fatality and cost due to APP.     

Intestinal pseudo-obstruction caused by neuromyopathy in a patient with systemic sclerosis

Although gastrointestinal involvement in systemic sclerosis is common, the pathophysiology of small-bowel involvement in systemic sclerosis is not fully understood. We report a case of a 56-year-old woman who has systemic sclerosis with intestinal pseudo-obstruction. The small-bowel manometric findings showed low-amplitude intestinal contraction and absence of the migrating myoelectric complex, and the electrogastrography revealed no increase of the slow-wave power. The manometric and electrogastrographic findings demonstrate that neuromyopathy may play a role in pseudo-obstruction of systemic sclerosis.     

Tea Consumption and Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Risk: A Systematic Review of Observational Studies

Ovarian cancer is the seventh most common type of cancer in the United States and is often not diagnosed until late stages. Thus, identifying potential risk factors and prevention strategies is particularly important. This systematic review analyzes existing evidence on the association between tea consumption and epithelial ovarian cancer risk in human observational studies. PubMed was searched through September 30, 2010 for eligible articles; 16 articles met the inclusion criteria for this systematic review. Five studies found overall tea intake to be associated with a decreased epithelial ovarian cancer risk, 1 found a borderline decreased risk, 9 found no association, and 1 found a borderline increased risk. Overall, it does not appear that tea consumption increases risk of ovarian cancer, but there is insufficient evidence at this point to conclude that it is protective against ovarian cancer. Many of the studies included in this review had important limitations, especially related to the lack of detailed data collected on tea consumption. Further research is needed and should focus on more detailed assessment of type of tea consumed, frequency, and duration of tea intake. Future studies should also explore potential differences in the association between tea intake and ovarian cancer risk among subpopulations.