Association between Antihyperlipidemic Agent Use and Age-Related Macular Degeneration in Patients with Hyperlipidemia: A Population-Based Retrospective Cohort Study.

Several studies have indicated that lipoproteins might contribute to the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). In this population-based retrospective cohort study, patients with hyperlipidemia were divided into two groups (study groups I and II) based on whether or not they were receiving antihyperlipidemic agents. The comparison group included patients without hyperlipidemia who were randomly selected and matched with study group II patients.

Association between statin use and the risk of gout in patients with hyperlipidemia: A population-based cohort study.

To investigate the association between statin use and risk of gout in patients with hyperlipidemia. In this population-based retrospective cohort study, patients ≥20 years and diagnosed as having incident hyperlipidemia between 2001 and 2012 were identified from the 2000 Longitudinal Generation Tracking Database in Taiwan. Regular statin users (incident statin use, having 2 times and ≥90 days of prescription for the first year) and two active comparators [irregular statin use and other lipid-lowering agent (OLLA) use] were compared; the patients were followed up until the end of 2017.

Association of Angiotensin Receptor Blockers with Incident Parkinson Disease in Patients with Hypertension: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: Angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), which are commonly used antihypertensives, have been proposed to lower the risk of Parkinson disease by reducing oxidative stress based on animal and in vitro studies. Thus, this study aimed to test this association in patients with newly diagnosed hypertension.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study enrolled 107,207 patients with newly diagnosed hypertension between 2001 and 2013.

The effects of medications for treating COPD and allied conditions on stroke: a population-based cohort study.

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are at higher risk of stroke. This study aimed to investigate the clinical factors of stroke risk in COPD and allied conditions patients and associations between medications for treating COPD and allied conditions. The population-based study cohort comprised 24,173 patients diagnosed with COPD and allied conditions between 2000 and 2013, and 24,170 selected matched patients without COPD comprised the comparison cohort from a nationwide database.

Calcium Channel blockers are associated with reduced risk of Parkinson's disease in patients with hypertension: A population-based retrospective cohort study.

Background: The use of dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers (DCCBs) was proposed to reduce the risk of Parkinson's disease (PD). This study aimed to evaluate the association between DCCB and its dose effect and the risk of PD in patients with newly diagnosed hypertension.

Methods: This population-based retrospective cohort study enrolled 107,207 patients with newly diagnosed hypertension, between 2001 and 2013, from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database.

Use of gastric acid-suppressive agents increases the risk of dementia in patients with upper gastrointestinal disease: A population-based retrospective cohort study.

Background: Prescriptions for gastric acid-suppressive agents, including proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) and histamine type-2 receptor antagonists (H2RAs), are rising. However, little data exist regarding their association with dementia in the Asian population. The objective of this study was thus to investigate the impact of the use of PPIs and H2RAs on the risk of dementia in an Asian population with upper gastrointestinal disease (UGID).

Association between acid-suppressive drug use and atopic dermatitis in patients with upper gastrointestinal diseases: A population-based retrospective cohort study.

What Is Known And Objective: Proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) and histamine-2-receptor antagonists (H2RAs) are two of the most widely used acid-suppressive drugs (ASDs). Some studies have reported that prenatal ASD exposure may increase the risk of asthma and other allergic diseases. This study investigated the effects of ASDs on the risk of atopic dermatitis in patients with upper gastrointestinal diseases.

Association Between Use of Antihyperlipidemic Agents and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Patients with Hyperlipidemia: A Population-Based Retrospective Cohort Study.

Objective: The effect of statins and fibrates on the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of statins and fibrates on the risk of COPD in patients with hyperlipidemia.

Patients And Methods: This study involved a retrospective cohort with a follow-up period of 6 years.

Urinary tract infection is associated with hypokalemia: a case control study.

Background: Hypokalemia is a common clinical problem. The association between urinary tract infection (UTI) and hypokalemia is not clear. Hypokalemia is common in patients with UTI in clinical observation.

Association of thiazolidinedione with a lower risk of Parkinson's disease in a population with newly-diagnosed diabetes mellitus.

Objectives: We investigated the association of thiazolidinedione and its dose effect with the risk of Parkinson's disease (PD) in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM).

Methods: This study enrolled 38,521 patients with newly-diagnosed DM, between 2001 and 2013, and compared them to the matched subjects without DM. The hazard ratios (HRs) for PD were compared between the thiazolidinedione-treated and non-thiazolidinedione-treated groups of the study cohort, and between subgroups who received different cumulative dosages of thiazolidinedione.

Increased Risk of Bullous Pemphigoid after First-Ever Stroke: A Population-Based Study.

Background: We hypothesize that autoantibodies are induced after the blood-brain barrier is damaged by stroke and the risk of bullous pemphigoid (BP) is increased after stroke. We assess the risk of BP after first-ever stroke in a nationwide population-based cohort of first-ever stroke patients.

Methods: We extracted data from the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2005 and identified patients with first-ever stroke as well as control patients matched for age, gender, and year of enrollment.

Risk of parkinsonism induced by flunarizine or cinnarizine: a population-based study.

Purpose: This retrospective cohort study used a population-based dataset to test the risk for parkinsonism in patients receiving flunarizine and cinnarizine, compared with matched controls.

Methods: Data were obtained from the National Health Insurance Research Dataset of Taiwan. Patients receiving flunarizine or cinnarizine for more than 1 month between 2000 and 2005 were enrolled.

The use of proton pump inhibitors decreases the risk of diabetes mellitus in patients with upper gastrointestinal disease: A population-based retrospective cohort study.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) on the risk of diabetes mellitus (DM) among patients with upper gastrointestinal disease (UGID).

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study with a follow-up period of 5 years. We identified 388,098 patients who were diagnosed with UGID between 2000 and 2006 from the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database of the Taiwan National Health Insurance program.

Atrial Fibrillation and Coronary Artery Disease as Risk Factors of Retinal Artery Occlusion: A Nationwide Population-Based Study.

We use Taiwanese national health insurance research database (NHIRD) to investigate whether thrombolism (carotid artery disease (CAD) as a surrogate) or embolism (atrial fibrillation (AF) as a surrogate) plays roles in later retinal artery occlusion (RAO) development and examine their relative weights. The relative risks of RAO between AF and CAD patients and controls were compared by estimating the crude hazard ratio with logistic regression. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to calculate the cumulative incidence rates of developing RAO, and a log-rank test was used to analyze the differences between the survival curves.

Inverse Association Between Cancer and Dementia: A Population-based Registry Study in Taiwan.

Dementia and cancer are 2 common diseases in the elderly. This retrospective cohort study used a population-based insurance claim dataset, merged with a cancer registry, to test whether risk reduction of cancers occurs at various primary sites after diagnosis of dementia. The study included a cohort of 3282 patients who were first diagnosed with dementia between 2001 and 2002.

Increased Risk of Acute Pancreatitis in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

The study was conducted to determine whether patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are at increased risk of acute pancreatitis compared with those without RA and to determine if the risk of acute pancreatitis varied by anti-RA drug use. We used the large population-based dataset from the National Health Insurance (NHI) program in Taiwan to conduct a retrospective cohort study. Patients newly diagnosed with RA between 2000 and 2011 were referred to as the RA group.

Topiramate may not increase risk of urolithiasis: A nationwide population-based cohort study.

Purpose: Topiramate is an effective anti-epileptic drug and can be associated with increased risk for urolithiasis because of its effects on acid-base profile. Evidences that supported an association of topiramate and urolithiasis were limited to case reports or series. We investigated the association of topiramate and urolithiasis in a nationwide population-based cohort study.

Risk of cancer among HIV-infected patients from a population-based nested case-control study: implications for cancer prevention.

Background: The burden of cancer is likely to increase among the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive population as it ages due to successful antiretroviral therapy (ART). The purpose of this study was to determine the risk of cancer in HIV-infected patients.

Methods: This study was a matched nested case-control study.

Outcome of nonadherence to antimicrobial treatment guidelines in ambulatory patients with acute cystitis: a nationwide population-based study.

Objective: The recurrence rate after acute cystitis treatment failure with inappropriate antimicrobials remains unclear. The goal of this study was to explore the relationship between cystitis recurrence and nonadherence of antimicrobial prescriptions to national guidelines using a nationwide population-based data set.

Methods: This was a retrospective longitudinal observational cohort study that was conducted using the clinical records of the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan from 2006-2007.

Psychiatric diseases predated the occurrence of Parkinson disease: a retrospective cohort study.

Purpose: The influence of mental illness early in life on the subsequent risk of Parkinson disease (PD) and its clinical picture remain obscure. This study investigated the effects of psychiatric diseases on a subsequent PD diagnosis.

Methods: We used the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000 of Taiwan to identify 73,597 patients who visited ambulatory care centers or were hospitalized with a first-time diagnosis of anxiety, affective disorders, or schizophrenia between 2001 and 2003 as the study cohort.

Proton pump inhibitor usage and the associated risk of pneumonia in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a serious medical problem and public health issue in Taiwan. Gastrointestinal symptoms frequently occur in patients with CKD, and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) have therapeutic indications for gastrointestinal disorders involving excessive acid production. However, PPIs may also increase the risk of developing pneumonia through acute and irreversible gastric acid suppression.

Effects of metformin dose on cancer risk reduction in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a 6-year follow-up study.

Study Objective: To explore the effects of metformin dose on cancer risk reduction in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Design: Population-based cohort study.

Data Source: National Health Insurance program Longitudinal Health Insurance Database.

Use of immunomagnetic reduction for C-reactive protein assay in clinical samples.

Background: Magnetic nanoparticles biofunctionalized with antibodies are able to recognize and bind to the corresponding antigens. In this work, anti-C-reactive protein (CRP) antibody was covalently conjugated onto the surface of magnetic nanoparticles to label CRP specifically in serum.

Methods: The level of serum CRP was detected by immunomagnetic reduction (IMR) assay, which identifies the changes in the magnetic signal representing the level of interaction between antibody-conjugated magnetic nanoparticles and CRP proteins.

Increased risk of Parkinsonism among patients with cirrhosis: a 7-year follow-up study.

Background/aims: Previous studies have suggested that hepatic (toxic-metabolic) encephalopathy, the major complication of cirrhosis, is a neuropsychiatric disorder typically seen in patients with liver dysfunction after exclusion of other known brain disease. This study aims to investigate the risk for parkinsonism during a 7-year follow-up period after a diagnosis of cirrhosis.

Methods: In total, 1361 patients with cirrhosis and 6805 comparison patients without cirrhosis were included in this study.

Increased risk of concurrent asthma among patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease: a nationwide population-based study.

Aims: The possibility of a relationship between gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and asthma has been controversial. Using a nationwide population-based data set, this study aims to investigate the prevalence and risk of concurrent asthma among GERD patients, compared with patients without GERD in Taiwan.

Methods: This study used the National Health Insurance Research Database.