Thiazolidinedione Use Is Associated with a Borderline Lower Risk of Multiple Myeloma and a Significantly Lower Risk of Death in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Taiwan.

Background: Thiazolidinedione (TZD) exerts anti-proliferative effects on multiple myeloma (MM) cells. However, there has not been any human study investigating the risk of MM associated with TZD use.

Methods: We used Taiwan's National Health Insurance database to identify 423,949 patients who had been newly diagnosed with diabetes mellitus between 1999 and 2005.

Rosiglitazone has a null association with the risk of prostate cancer in type 2 diabetes patients.

Background: This study investigated the risk of prostate cancer in ever users and never users of rosiglitazone in diabetes patients in Taiwan.

Methods: The nationwide database of the National Health Insurance was used to enroll male patients who had a new diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus at an age ≥ 25 years from 1999 to 2005. A total of 11,495 ever users and 11,495 never users of rosiglitazone matched on propensity score were selected and they were followed up for the incidence of prostate cancer from January 1, 2006 until December 31, 2011.

The Risk of Age-Related Macular Degeneration Is Reduced in Type 2 Diabetes Patients Who Use Metformin.

Background: Whether metformin may reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) requires confirmation. This study compared the risk of AMD between ever users and never users of metformin matched on propensity score (PS) in Taiwanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Methods: We enrolled study subjects from Taiwan's National Health Insurance.

Rosiglitazone Does Not Affect the Risk of Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Retrospective Cohort Study in Taiwanese Type 2 Diabetes Patients.

Human studies on the effect of rosiglitazone on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are still lacking. We investigated whether rosiglitazone might affect IBD risk by using the reimbursement database of Taiwan's National Health Insurance to enroll a propensity-score-matched cohort of ever users and never users of rosiglitazone. The patients should have been newly diagnosed with diabetes mellitus between 1999 and 2006 and should have been alive on 1 January 2007.

Metformin Reduces the Risk of Hearing Loss: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Objective: To compare the risk of hearing loss with regard to metformin exposure.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort.

Setting: Taiwan's National Health Insurance database.

Differential Effects of Metformin on Immune-Mediated and Androgen-Mediated Non-Cancer Skin Diseases in Diabetes Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: Metformin's effects on non-cancer skin diseases are rarely investigated.

Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate immune-mediated (urticaria, allergic contact dermatitis, and psoriasis) and androgen-mediated (acanthosis nigricans, hidradenitis suppurativa, and acne) skin diseases associated with metformin use.

Methods: Metformin initiators (n = 234,585) and non-metformin initiators (n = 125,921) within the initial 12 months of antidiabetic drug prescription during 1999-2009 were followed up until December 31, 2011.

Effect of Metformin on Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in Male Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Retrospective Cohort Study in Taiwan.

Purpose: This study investigated the risk of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS)/benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) associated with metformin use.

Materials And Methods: We used the database of Taiwan's National Health Insurance to create 9,833 pairs of ever users and never users of metformin matched on propensity score. They were males with a new diagnosis of type 2 diabetes during 1999-2005.

Pioglitazone Has a Null Association with Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Pioglitazone shows potential benefits in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in preclinical studies, but its effect in humans has not been researched. We used a nationwide database of Taiwan's National Health Insurance to investigate whether pioglitazone might affect IBD risk. We enrolled 12,763 ever users and 12,763 never users matched on a propensity score from patients who had a new diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus between 1999 and 2008.

The Risk of Multiple Myeloma Is Reduced in Metformin Initiators: A Retrospective Cohort Study in Taiwanese Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Background: Whether metformin might reduce the risk of multiple myeloma (MM) has not been extensively researched in humans.

Methods: The study subjects were enrolled from the reimbursement database of Taiwan's National Health Insurance. A total of 739,553 patients who had a new diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus during 1999-2009 were identified.

Metformin and risk of gingival/periodontal diseases in diabetes patients: A retrospective cohort study.

Aim: To compare the risk of gingival and periodontal diseases (GPD) between ever users and never users of metformin in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Methods: The Taiwan's National Health Insurance database was used to enroll 423,949 patients with new onset diabetes mellitus from 1999 to 2005. After excluding ineligible patients, 60,309 ever users and 5578 never users were followed up for the incidence of GPD from January 1, 2006 until December 31, 2011.

Metformin's effects on varicocele, erectile dysfunction, infertility and prostate-related diseases: A retrospective cohort study.

To investigate the risk of varicocele, erectile dysfunction (ED), infertility, prostatitis, benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer associated with metformin use. A total of 261,838 males, mean age 52.39 years (SD: 11.

Pioglitazone and breast cancer risk in female patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a retrospective cohort analysis.

Background: Whether pioglitazone may affect breast cancer risk in female diabetes patients is not conclusive and has not been investigated in the Asian populations.

Methods: The reimbursement database of Taiwan's National Health Insurance was used to enroll an unmatched cohort and a propensity score-matched cohort of ever users and never users of pioglitazone in female patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes during 1999-2008. The patients were alive on January 1, 2009 and were followed up for breast cancer incidence until December 31, 2011.

Pioglitazone and Prostate Cancer Risk in Taiwanese Male Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Purpose: This study investigated prostate cancer risk associated with pioglitazone use.

Materials And Methods: The Taiwan's National Health Insurance database was used to create a propensity score-matched cohort of male patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus newly diagnosed in 1999-2005 and aged ≥25 years at baseline. The matched cohort included 20437 ever users and 20437 never users of pioglitazone.

Pioglitazone and Risk of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: Pioglitazone's effect on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has rarely been studied.

Purpose: This retrospective observational study investigated whether the use of pioglitazone would affect the risk of COPD in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Patients And Methods: The Taiwan's National Health Insurance database was used to enroll 9487 matched pairs of ever users and never users of pioglitazone based on propensity score from a cohort of 350,536 patients.

Metformin Is Associated with a Lower Incidence of Benign Brain Tumors: A Retrospective Cohort Study in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

: The risk of benign brain tumors (BBT) associated with metformin use has not received much attention. Therefore, a retrospective cohort study was designed to investigate such an association in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). : We used the database of Taiwan's National Health Insurance to enroll 152,176 ever users and 16,120 never users of metformin for the follow-up of incidence of BBT and a more specific outcome of cerebral meningioma.

Metformin Reduces the Risk of Diverticula of Intestine in Taiwanese Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

To investigate the risk of diverticula of intestine associated with metformin use. This retrospective cohort study used the Taiwan's National Health Insurance database to enroll 307,548 ever users and 18,839 never users of metformin. The patients were followed up starting on January 1, 2006 and ending on a date up to December 31, 2011.

Metformin and Risk of Malignant Brain Tumors in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

The risk of malignant brain tumors associated with metformin use has rarely been investigated in humans. This retrospective cohort study investigated such an association. Patients with new-onset type 2 diabetes mellitus diagnosed from 1999 to 2005 in the nationwide database of Taiwan's national health insurance were used to enroll study subjects.

The Relationship between Diabetes Mellitus and Gastric Cancer and the Potential Benefits of Metformin: An Extensive Review of the Literature.

The objective of this review is to summarize the findings of published research that investigated the relationship between diabetes mellitus and gastric cancer (GCa) and the potential benefits of metformin on GCa. Related literature has been extensively reviewed, and findings from studies investigating the relationship between diabetes mellitus and GCa suggest that hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance are closely related to the development of GCa. Although not supported by all, most observational studies suggest an increased risk of GCa in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, especially in women and in Asian populations.

Metformin use is associated with a reduced risk of acute appendicitis in Taiwanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

This retrospective cohort study used the nationwide database of Taiwan's National Health Insurance to investigate whether metformin would reduce the risk of acute appendicitis in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. We first identified 423,949 patients newly diagnosed of diabetes from 1999 to 2005. After excluding patients having type 1 diabetes mellitus, missing data, previous history of acute appendicitis, aged < 15 years, aged > 80 years and followed up for < 6 months, 338,172 ever users and 21,861 never users of metformin were followed up from January 1, 2006 until December 31, 2011.

Metformin and primary bone cancer risk in Taiwanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Background: The effect of metformin on primary bone cancer risk has not been researched. This retrospective cohort study investigated the risk of primary bone cancer between metformin initiators and non-metformin initiators in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Methods: A total of 673,532 patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus and had been prescribed antidiabetic drugs for 2 or more times during 1999-2009 were enrolled from Taiwan's National Health Insurance.

Vildagliptin Has a Neutral Association With Dementia Risk in Type 2 Diabetes Patients.

Background And Aims: Animal studies suggested that vildagliptin might exert a beneficial effect on cognitive function. The present study evaluated whether the use of vildagliptin in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus might affect dementia risk.

Methods: The database of Taiwan's National Health Insurance was used to enroll an unmatched cohort and a propensity score-matched-pair cohort of ever and never users of vildagliptin from patients with newly diagnosed diabetes mellitus during 2002-2014.

The Effect of Metformin on Male Reproductive Function and Prostate: An Updated Review.

Metformin is the first-line oral antidiabetic drug that shows multiple pleiotropic effects of anti-inflamation, anti-cancer, anti-aging, anti-microbia, anti-atherosclerosis, and immune modulation. Metformin's effects on men's related health are reviewed here, focusing on reproductive health under subtitles of erectile dysfunction (ED), steroidogenesis and spermatogenesis; and on prostate-related health under subtitles of prostate specific antigen (PSA), prostatitis, benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), and prostate cancer (PCa). Updated literature suggests a potential role of metformin on arteriogenic ED but controversial and contradictory effects (either protective or harmful) on testicular functions of testosterone synthesis and spermatogenesis.

Metformin Use Is Associated With a Lower Incidence of Hospitalization for Atrial Fibrillation in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

The effect of metformin on the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) requires confirmation. This retrospective cohort study compared the incidence of hospitalization for AF in ever and never users of metformin. Patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus during 1999-2005 were enrolled from Taiwan's National Health Insurance database.