Characterization of ischemic events and use of prescription antiplatelet and anticoagulant agents after stroke or transient ischemic attack.

Stroke patients are at risk for subsequent ischemic events; yet preventive therapy is often underused. An analysis was performed to determine the rate of secondary ischemic events and use of prescription antiplatelets or anticoagulants after ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). Patients age 25 years or older with a medical claim for stroke or TIA between July 1, 1998 and September 30, 1999 were identified from a managed care database.

Development and validation of a model to estimate stroke incidence in a population.

Stroke is a common condition with a substantial impact on health care. Using published epidemiological data, a mathematical model was created to predict annual stroke incidence in populations over 45 years old, utilizing age, gender, ethnicity, and stroke risk factor prevalence (hypertension, atrial fibrillation, diabetes, smoking, and ischemic heart disease). The purpose of this study is to assess the models ability to reliably estimate the annual number of first strokes.

Patterns of care for COPD by Japanese physicians.

Objective: COPD treatment guidelines are available worldwide, yet it is not known how widely they are followed. This study evaluated the clinical care of COPD patients in Japan as compared to guideline recommendations.

Methods: A sample of general and specialist physicians was selected from private outpatient clinics and public hospitals in Japan.

Cost impact of COPD in Japan: opportunities and challenges?

Objective: The Global Initiative for Obstructive Lung Disease highlights the importance of COPD from public health, health policy and clinical perspectives. In countries such as the USA, the economic impact of COPD exceeds that of many chronic conditions. There is a paucity of data on the economic burden of COPD in Japan.

COPD in Japan: the Nippon COPD Epidemiology study.

Objectives: Despite high smoking rates, few prevalence studies of COPD have been performed in Asia. The Nippon COPD Epidemiology (NICE) Study used spirometry to measure prevalence of airflow limitation in Japanese adults.

Methodology: Clinical, spirometric, and risk factor exposure data were collected on 2343 subjects aged > or = 40 years who were demographically similar to the Japanese population.

Estimating angina prevalence in a managed care population.

Estimations of angina prevalence were calculated using managed care administrative data and applying 3 angina-related definitions. The definitions comprised angina pectoris diagnosis codes, diagnosis and procedure codes signifying the broader condition of coronary artery disease (CAD), including angina pectoris, and diagnosis codes for the symptom of chest pain. Prevalence rates were calculated in 2000, 2001, and the combined period of 2000 and 2001 for each definition based on the number of members with at least 1 day of eligibility in each period.

Outpatient cancer drug costs: changes, drivers, and the future.

Background: To the authors' knowledge, no analysis has examined the specific components of drug spending for overall cancer care. The authors' objective was to quantify and characterize trends in outpatient drug expenditures for cancer patients.

Methods: The authors retrospectively analyzed pharmacy and outpatient professional claims data from commercial and Medicare health maintenance organization enrollees with a solid tumor diagnosis in 1995 and 1998.