Adherence to practice parameters in Medicare beneficiaries with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Objective: Physician adherence to evidence-based clinical practice parameters impacts outcomes of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients. We sought to investigate compliance with the 2009 practice parameters for treatment of ALS patients in the United States, and sociodemographic and provider characteristics associated with adherence.

Methods: In this population-based, retrospective cohort study of incident ALS patients in 2009-2014, we included all Medicare beneficiaries age ≥20 with ≥1 International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification ALS code (335.

A predictive algorithm to identify ever smoking in medical claims-based epidemiologic studies.

Purpose: To develop and validate an algorithm to estimate probability of ever smoking using administrative claims.

Methods: Using population-based samples of Medicare-aged individuals (121,278 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey respondents and 207,885 Medicare beneficiaries), we developed a logistic regression model to predict probability of ever smoking from demographic and claims data. We applied the model in 1,657,266 additional Medicare beneficiaries and calculated area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) using presence or absence of a tobacco-specific diagnosis or procedure code as our "gold standard.

Neuroinflammation and white matter alterations in occupational manganese exposure assessed by diffusion basis spectrum imaging.

Objective: To evaluate in-vivo neuroinflammation and white matter (WM) microstructural integrity in occupational manganese (Mn) exposure.

Methods: We assessed brain inflammation using Diffusion Basis Spectrum Imaging (DBSI) in 26 Mn-exposed welders, 17 Mn-exposed workers, and 26 non-exposed participants. Cumulative Mn exposure was estimated from work histories and the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale motor subsection 3 (UPDRS3) scores were completed by a movement specialist.

Incidence of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in older adults.

Introduction/aims: We investigated the age- and sex-specific incidence and survival of Medicare beneficiaries with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in patients 66 to 90 years of age.

Methods: We identified all incident ALS cases within a population-based sample of Medicare beneficiaries in 2009 (total: 22 000 177 person-years at risk for ALS). We calculated age- and sex-specific incidence in 2009 according to multiple, progressively more stringent case definitions.

Statins as a Therapeutic Approach for the Treatment of Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum Patients: Evaluation of the Spectrum Efficacy of Atorvastatin In Vitro.

Pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE) is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutations in the gene. Our previous studies revealed that PXE might be associated with premature aging. Treatment with statins showed positive effects not only for PXE but also for other diseases associated with premature aging like Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome.