The impact of inter-cycle treatment delays on 5-year all-cause mortality in early-stage breast cancer: A retrospective cohort study.

Background: Inter-cycle delays to chemotherapy are often required to manage drug toxicity. The impact of delays on mortality is poorly characterised. This retrospective cohort study examined the association of treatment delay with all-cause mortality in early-stage breast cancer.

Association between prenatal antipsychotic exposure and the risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The paucity of evidence regarding the safety of gestational antipsychotic exposure has led to treatment discontinuation in pregnant women with severe mental health conditions. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to summarise the current evidence on the association between gestational antipsychotic exposure and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children (Study protocol registered in PROSPERO:CRD42022311354). Five studies included in our meta-analysis with around 8.

ADHD medication discontinuation and persistence across the lifespan: a retrospective observational study using population-based databases.

Background: Although often intended for long-term treatment, discontinuation of medication for ADHD is common. However, cross-national estimates of discontinuation are missing due to the absence of standardised measures. The aim of this study was to determine the rate of ADHD treatment discontinuation across the lifespan and to describe similarities and differences across countries to guide clinical practice.

Impact of ACEIs and ARBs-related adverse drug reaction on patients' clinical outcomes: a cohort study in UK primary care.

Background: Adverse drug reaction (ADR) related to angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) may negatively affect patients' treatment outcomes.

Aim: To investigate the impact of ACEIs/ARBs-related ADR consultation on cardiovascular disease (CVD) events and all-cause mortality.

Design And Setting: Propensity score-matched cohort study of ACEIs/ARBs between 2004 and 2019 using UK IQVIA medical research data.

Determining propensity for sub-optimal low-density lipoprotein cholesterol response to statins and future risk of cardiovascular disease.

Background: Variability in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) response to statins is underappreciated. We characterised patients by their statin response (SR), baseline risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and 10-year CVD outcomes.

Methods And Results: A multivariable model was developed using 183,213 United Kingdom (UK) patients without CVD to predict probability of sub-optimal SR, defined by guidelines as <40% reduction in LDL-C.

Lipid levels and major adverse cardiovascular events in patients initiated on statins for primary prevention: an international population-based cohort study protocol.

Background: Clinical guidelines recommend specific targets for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Furthermore, individual variability in lipid response to statin therapy requires assessment of the association in diverse populations.

Aim: To assess whether lower concentrations of LDL-C and non-HDL-C are associated with a reduced risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in primary prevention of CVD.

Prevalence, Safety and Long-Term Retention Rates of Biologics in Hong Kong from 2001 to 2015.

Background: Biologic agents were initially introduced as treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) but have since been used for other medical conditions. As new biologics become increasingly widespread in treatment regimens, it is important to understand their safety and utilization in the post-marketing context.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate long-term prescribing patterns and the safety of biologics in real clinical settings in Hong Kong.

Applying a common data model to Asian databases for multinational pharmacoepidemiologic studies: opportunities and challenges.

Objective: The goal of the Asian Pharmacoepidemiology Network is to study the effectiveness and safety of medications commonly used in Asia using databases from individual Asian countries. An efficient infrastructure to support multinational pharmacoepidemiologic studies is critical to this effort.

Study Design And Setting: We converted data from the Japan Medical Data Center database, Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database, Hong Kong's Clinical Data Analysis and Reporting System, South Korea's Ajou University School of Medicine database, and the US Medicare 5% sample to the Observational Medical Outcome Partnership common data model (CDM).

Association Between Dabigatran vs Warfarin and Risk of Osteoporotic Fractures Among Patients With Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation.

Importance: The risk of osteoporotic fracture with dabigatran use in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) is unknown.

Objective: To investigate the risk of osteoporotic fracture with dabigatran vs warfarin in patients with NVAF.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Retrospective cohort study using a population-wide database managed by the Hong Kong Hospital Authority.

Proton pump inhibitors and risk of Clostridium difficile infection: a multi-country study using sequence symmetry analysis.

Objective: To determine the association between incident proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use and Clostridium difficile infections across multiple countries Method: National data covering the total population in Australia and Korea, the Canadian population over 65 years and a 3 million person random sample data set from Taiwan were assessed, as were data from a worker insurance population and a hospital inpatient/outpatient population in Japan. Sequence symmetry analysis was used to assess the association with oral vancomycin dispensing as the outcome of interest.

Results: 54,957 patients were included.

Effect of suboptimal anticoagulation treatment with antiplatelet therapy and warfarin on clinical outcomes in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation: A population-wide cohort study.

Background: The actual consequence of suboptimal anticoagulation management in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) is unclear in the real-life practice.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence of suboptimally anticoagulated patients with NVAF and compare the effectiveness and safety of antiplatelet drugs with warfarin.

Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study using a population-wide database managed by the Hong Kong Hospital Authority.

Medication safety research by observational study design.

Observational studies have been recognised to be essential for investigating the safety profile of medications. Numerous observational studies have been conducted on the platform of large population databases, which provide adequate sample size and follow-up length to detect infrequent and/or delayed clinical outcomes. Cohort and case-control are well-accepted traditional methodologies for hypothesis testing, while within-individual study designs are developing and evolving, addressing previous known methodological limitations to reduce confounding and bias.

Variation in Association Between Thiazolidinediones and Heart Failure Across Ethnic Groups: Retrospective analysis of Large Healthcare Claims Databases in Six Countries.

Introduction: The prevalence of polymorphisms among the metabolising enzymes and pharmacodynamic receptors relevant for the thiazolidinediones differs by ethnic group, a factor that may modify risk of adverse drug events.

Objective: The aim of the study was to determine if the risk of oedema or heart failure associated with the thiazolidinediones varies in populations in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and Taiwan.

Methods: Sequence symmetry analyses were undertaken to investigate the risk of peripheral oedema, as measured by incident furosemide dispensing, and risk of hospitalisations for heart failure.

Brief Report: Databases in the Asia-Pacific Region: The Potential for a Distributed Network Approach.

Background: This study describes the availability and characteristics of databases in Asian-Pacific countries and assesses the feasibility of a distributed network approach in the region.

Methods: A web-based survey was conducted among investigators using healthcare databases in the Asia-Pacific countries. Potential survey participants were identified through the Asian Pharmacoepidemiology Network.

Prescription sequence symmetry analysis: assessing risk, temporality, and consistency for adverse drug reactions across datasets in five countries.

Background: Prescription sequence symmetry analysis (PSSA) is a signal detection method for adverse drug events. Its capacity to consistently detect adverse drug events across different settings has not been tested. We aimed to determine the consistency of PSSA results for detecting positive and negative control adverse drug events across different settings.

Methylphenidate and the risk of trauma.

Background And Objective: Children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are prone to sustaining trauma that requires emergency department (ED) admission. Methylphenidate (MPH) can reduce ADHD symptoms and may thus theoretically reduce the risk of trauma-related ED admission, but previous studies do not make this association clear. This study examines this association.

Exposure to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors during pregnancy and risk of autism spectrum disorder in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.

This study is a critical analysis of the association between selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) exposure during pregnancy and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) risk in children. Electronic databases were searched for observational studies published from January 1946 to June 2014 related to the association between SSRI exposure during pregnancy and ASD in children. Studies relevant to the association between SSRI exposure during pregnancy and ASD in children were extracted and compiled for meta-analysis evaluation.

Dosage effects of histamine-2 receptor antagonist on the primary prophylaxis of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)-associated peptic ulcers: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: A histamine-2 receptor antagonist (H2RA) is one of the common gastroprotective co-therapies used with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for the prevention or treatment of peptic ulcers (PUs). To date, no study has directly compared the prophylactic effectiveness between high-dose and low-dose H2RA.

Objective: Our objective was to compare the effectiveness of high-dose versus low-dose H2RAs in the primary prophylaxis of PUs among short-term NSAID users.

An investigation of the potential association between retinal detachment and oral fluoroquinolones: a self-controlled case series study.

Objectives: A study reported a significant association between oral fluoroquinolones and the development of retinal detachment among current users of oral fluoroquinolones (Etminan M, Forooghian F, Brophy JM et al. JAMA 2012; 307: 1414-9). However, other published studies have discordant results.

Efficacy and safety of tofacitinib in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Tofacitinib is a disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) which was recently approved by US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). There are several randomised clinical trials (RCTs) that have investigated the efficacy and safety of tofacitinib in adult patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A systematic review with a meta-analysis of RCTs was undertaken to determine the efficacy and safety of tofacitinib in treating patients with RA.