Context: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors have been reported to increase the risk of upper gastrointestinal tract bleeding. The wide use of these drugs makes such potential risk a public health concern, and identification of factors that may increase or minimize such risk is necessary.
Objectives: To test the association of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and venlafaxine hydrochloride therapy with upper gastrointestinal tract bleeding, to identify subgroups of patients at particularly increased risk, and to explore whether acid-suppressing agents may be effective in minimizing risk.
Antibiotic use has been associated with an increased risk of cancer in epidemiologic studies. We evaluated the association between antibiotic use and the risk of primary lung cancer by conducting a prospective case-control study nested in a cohort of subjects who were 40 to 84 years old in 1995 to 2004, with at least 2 years of enrollment in The Health Improvement Network. There were 4,336 cases of primary lung cancer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To compare mortality and the incidence of hospitalization for myopathy, rhabdomyolysis, acute renal failure and acute liver injury in patients receiving rosuvastatin and those taking other statins.
Methods: Patients prescribed a statin that they had not used before were selected from the UK General Practice Research Database (GPRD) and followed up from 1 April 2003 to 31 December 2005.
Results: We studied 10 289 patients on rosuvastatin and 117 102 taking other statins.
Purpose: To compare mortality and the incidence of hospitalization for myopathy, rhabdomyolysis, acute renal failure and acute liver injury in patients receiving rosuvastatin and those taking other statins.
Methods: Patients prescribed a statin that they had not used before were selected from the Saskatchewan Health Databases (SHD) and followed up from 1 July 2003 until 31 March 2005.
Results: We studied 10,384 patients on rosuvastatin and 14,854 taking other statins.
Background: Atrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac arrhythmia and a major risk factor for cerebrovascular accident, including ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack.
Hypothesis: Ischemic cerebrovascular accident is associated with increasing age and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease in primary care patients with atrial fibrillation.
Methods: Using the U.
Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol
December 2007
Background & Aims: Gastric acid is a defense mechanism against gastrointestinal infections caused by ingested bacteria. Studies have suggested that the use of acid-suppressing drugs may increase the risk of gastroenteritis (GE).
Methods: Patients aged 20-74 years with an episode of acute bacterial GE (n = 6414) were identified.
Prim Care Companion J Clin Psychiatry
November 2011
Objective: Few epidemiologic studies evaluate the relative contribution of different risk factors on sleep problems. The aim of the present study was to assess demographics, comorbid characteristics, and health outcomes in patients with sleep disorders.
Method: A population-based cohort study with nested case-control analysis was conducted in adults using the U.
Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol
October 2007
Background & Aims: There are contradictory results regarding the association between angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and cancer. We aimed to investigate whether ACE inhibitors protect against esophageal and gastric cancer.
Methods: We conducted a population-based case-control study nested within the General Practitioners' Research Database in the United Kingdom.
An Pediatr (Barc)
September 2007
Objective: To describe the epidemiology, clinical and laboratory features and outcome of children younger than 15 years with malaria in our hospital.
Material And Methods: A retrospective case review of all children admitted to our hospital with malaria between 1997 and 2005 was performed. The following epidemiological data were analyzed: age, sex, nationality of the child and of the family, country and date of trip, chemoprophylaxis used, clinical features, laboratory parameters (hemogram and biochemistry), type of plasmodium and degree of parasitization, treatment, associated diseases, length of hospital stay, and outcome.
Background: Many individuals consulting their GP with upper abdominal symptoms are initially classified as having dyspepsia. Few studies have described the incidence of dyspepsia or the comorbidities, risk factors or prognosis associated with this diagnosis.
Methods: We used the UK General Practice Research Database to find patients with a new diagnosis of dyspepsia in 1996 (n = 6,913) and a control cohort (n = 11,036).
Replication-competent adenoviruses carrying the herpes simplex thymidine kinase (TK) gene have shown contradictory evidence with regard to their antitumoural efficacy in combination with ganciclovir (GCV) treatment. We generated a replication-competent adenovirus carrying Tat8-TK, a modified form of the TK gene, under the control of the adenoviral major late promoter (AdRGDTat8-TK-L). Pancreatic cancer cell lines with different sensitivity to the TK/GCV system were infected with AdRGDTat8-TK-L, both in the presence and absence of GCV, and tested for treatment efficacy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Many patients with abdominal pain have no obvious cause for their symptoms and receive a diagnosis of unspecified abdominal pain.
Aim: The objective of this study was to ascertain risk factors and consequences of a diagnosis of unspecified abdominal pain in primary care.
Methods: A population-based, case-control study was conducted using the UK General Practice Research Database.
Background: Suppression of prostacyclin (PGI2) is implicated in the cardiovascular hazard from inhibitors of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2. Furthermore, estrogen confers atheroprotection via COX-2-dependent PGI2 in mice, raising the possibility that COX inhibitors may undermine the cardioprotection, suggested by observational studies, of endogenous or exogenous estrogens.
Methods And Findings: To identify an interaction between hormone therapy (HT) and COX inhibition, we measured a priori the association between concomitant nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), excluding aspirin, in peri- and postmenopausal women on HT and the incidence of myocardial infarction (MI) in a population-based epidemiological study.
Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) manifesting as deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) remains a common vascular disease with high mortality and morbidity. Our aim was to study the clinical spectrum of VTE, assess its incidence in the general population, and evaluate potential risk factors.
Methods: Prospective cohort study with nested case-control analysis using the General Practice Research Database (1994-2000).
Background & Aims: Given the discrepant estimates of incidence rates of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) after gastroenteritis (GE), we performed a cohort study to quantify this risk in community subjects and to identify factors acting as modifiers of this effect.
Methods: In a previous study, we identified patients aged 20-74 years with a first ever episode of bacterial GE during 1992-2001. We excluded patients with a history of bowel disease and cancer, resulting in a cohort of 5894 individuals with GE.
Objectives: After the withdrawal of some cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) selective inhibitors, traditional nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use has increased, but without additional prevention strategies against upper gastrointestinal (GI) complications in many cases. Here, we report the effect of antisecretory drugs and nitrates on the risk of upper GI peptic ulcer bleeding (UGIB) associated with nonselective NSAIDs, aspirin, antiplatelet agents, and anticoagulants.
Methods: This case-control study matched 2,777 consecutive patients with UGIB (confirmed by endoscopy) with 5,532 controls (2:1).
Objectives: We aimed to determine the incidence, natural history, and recurrence rate of esophageal stricture diagnosed in primary care.
Methods: From the U.K.
Puf3p binds preferentially to messenger RNAs (mRNAs) for nuclear-encoded mitochondrial proteins. We find that Puf3p localizes to the cytosolic face of the mitochondrial outer membrane. Overexpression of PUF3 results in reduced mitochondrial respiratory activity and reduced levels of Pet123p, a protein encoded by a Puf3p-binding mRNA.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRegular aspirin and non-aspirin nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use is associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer. The effect of NSAIDs on the risk of other cancers remains unclear. To evaluate whether use of aspirin or other specific NSAIDs protects against lung cancer, we conducted a case-control study nested in a cohort of subjects 40-84 years old in 1995-2004, without a diagnosis of cancer before the study start date, and with at least 2 years of enrollment with a general practitioner providing data to the The Health Improvement Network (THIN) database in the UK.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf
May 2007
Purpose: Both gallbladder (GB) and cardiovascular disease are very common diagnoses that carry substantial economic costs. Prior studies suggest that personal history of ischaemic heart disease (IHD) could determine the occurrence of GB disease. Additionally the use of thiazide diuretics may also be a risk factor for this condition.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: To balance the cardiovascular benefits from low-dose aspirin against the gastrointestinal harm caused, studies have considered the coronary heart disease risk for each individual but not their gastrointestinal risk profile. We characterized the gastrointestinal risk profile of low-dose aspirin users in real clinical practice, and estimated the excess risk of upper gastrointestinal complications attributable to aspirin among patients with different gastrointestinal risk profiles.
Methods: To characterize aspirin users in terms of major gastrointestinal risk factors (i.