Quick assessment of drug-related admissions over time (QUADRAT study).

Purpose: To develop a computerized prescreening procedure for the identification of possible/probably Hospital Admissions potential Related to Medications (HARMs).

Method: Pairs of drugs and reasons for hospitalization (generated automatically from the PHARMO record linkage database by using two data mining techniques) were assessed manually to determine whether they represented pharmacologically plausible adverse drug events (PP-ADEs). Two crude samples of these PP-ADEs (from 2005 and 2008) were examined manually to establish causality and preventability on the basis of hospital discharge letters plus medication dispensing data.

Thiazides and the risk of hypokalemia in the general population.

Objectives: Hypokalemia is a frequent adverse reaction to thiazide diuretics, but is often asymptomatic. However, even asymptomatic hypokalemia may contribute to chronic disabilities and mortality. The aim of this study was to assess the risk of thiazide-induced hypokalemia in men and women in the general population.

Risk of hyponatremia with diuretics: chlorthalidone versus hydrochlorothiazide.

Background: Chlorthalidone and hydrochlorothiazide are often considered as interchangeable. However, greater (nighttime) blood pressure reduction, and alleged pleiotropic effects have renewed the interest in chlorthalidone. A recent study showed an increased risk of adverse events with chlorthalidone, including hyponatremia.

Thiazide-associated hyponatremia: a population-based study.

Background: Hyponatremia is one of the most common adverse reactions to thiazide diuretics. In the present study, we analyzed differences in thiazide-associated hyponatremia between men and women and between different categories of age, body mass index (BMI), daily thiazide dose, and estimated glomerular filtration rate.

Study Design: Population-based cohort study.

Electrolyte disorders in community subjects: prevalence and risk factors.

Background: Electrolyte disorders have been studied mainly in hospitalized patients, whereas data in the general population are limited. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and risk factors of common electrolyte disorders in older subjects recruited from the general population.

Methods: A total of 5179 subjects aged 55 years or more were included from the population-based Rotterdam Study.

CYP1A2 and coffee intake and the modifying effect of sex, age, and smoking.

Background: The enzyme CYP1A2 (cytochrome 1A2) is involved in the metabolism of certain drugs and caffeine, and its activity can be influenced by factors such as sex, age, and smoking. The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs762551A>C, which has also been studied for its modifying effect on cardiovascular disease, has been reported to alter enzyme activity.

Objective: The objective was to study the effect of CYP1A2, sex, age, and smoking on coffee intake.

Sex differences in cardiovascular drug-induced adverse reactions causing hospital admissions.

Aims: Cardiovascular disease in women is often underestimated. The effects of cardiovascular drugs differ between the sexes because of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic differences. Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) within these drug classes may have serious consequences, leading to hospital admission.

Adverse drug reaction-related hospitalizations in persons aged 55 years and over: a population-based study in the Netherlands.

Background: Elderly individuals appear to be particularly at risk of developing adverse drug reactions (ADRs) because of higher rates of polypharmacy, age-related pharmacokinetic changes, pharmacodynamic variations and substantial co-morbidity levels. Thus, the increasing contribution of elderly individuals to the total population means ADR-related hospitalizations are expected to become more frequent. However, a recent study conducted in the Netherlands found that ADR-related hospitalizations had stabilized during the years 1997-2007.

History of tuberculosis as an independent prognostic factor for lung cancer survival.

Introduction: It is well known that pulmonary tuberculosis is associated with an increased risk of lung cancer. We investigated whether a history of pulmonary tuberculosis is an independent risk factor for lung cancer survival in Caucasian patients.

Methods: The data of the prospective population-based cohort of The Rotterdam Study were used.

Invited commentary: sex-steroid hormones and QT-interval duration.

In this issue of the Journal, Zhang et al. (Am J Epidemiol. 2011;174(4):403-411) make a substantial contribution to research in the area of hormonal influences on cardiac repolarization by demonstrating an inverse association between testosterone levels and the Bazett's adjusted QT interval (QTc) and RR-adjusted QT interval in men but not in postmenopausal women.

Sex-related differences in hospital admissions attributed to adverse drug reactions in the Netherlands.

What Is Already Known About This Subject: Women are more at risk for developing adverse drug reactions (ADRs) due to differences in pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and drug use. ADRs regularly lead to hospital admissions.

What This Study Adds: There are differences between the sexes in hospital admissions attributed to ADRs.

High-ceiling diuretics are associated with an increased risk of basal cell carcinoma in a population-based follow-up study.

Introduction: In Caucasians, basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is among the most frequently diagnosed cancers and its incidence is increasing. Known risk factors for the development of BCC are age, sun exposure, and certain skin characteristics. Despite photosensitizing abilities of diuretic agents, little is known about a possible association with BCC.

Genetic variance in CYP2C8 and increased risk of myocardial infarction.

Background: Epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) are important mediators in vasodilatation, acting as endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factors. CYP2C enzymes catalyze the metabolism of arachidonic acid to EETs. Genetic variation within the genes encoding for these enzymes may result in differences in vascular response, among others in myocardial tissue, and may therefore increase the risk of myocardial infarction (MI).