Hyporesponsiveness to Erythropoiesis-Stimulating Agents in Dialysis-Dependent Patients with Anaemia of Chronic Kidney Disease: A Retrospective Observational Study.

Introduction: Hyporesponsiveness to erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) in patients with anaemia of chronic kidney disease may lead to increased ESA doses to achieve target haemoglobin levels; however, elevated doses may be associated with increased mortality. Furthermore, patients with hyporesponsiveness to ESAs have poorer clinical outcomes than those who respond well to ESAs. Incidence and clinical characteristics of patients with ESA hyporesponsiveness were explored in a real-world setting.

A Retrospective Database Analysis to Investigate Treatment Patterns and Health Care Resource Utilisation in Patients who CYCLe AntiMuscarinics in ENgland (CYCLAMEN).

Background: Patients with overactive bladder may cycle through different antimuscarinic medications even though there is limited evidence to support this approach.

Objective: To describe treatment patterns and the associated health care resource utilisation (HCRU) according to antimuscarinic cycling groups.

Design, Setting, And Participants: The CYCLe AntiMuscarinics in ENgland (CYCLAMEN) study was a retrospective observational investigation that used primary care records from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink GOLD database linked to Hospital Episode Statistics secondary care data.

Clinical and molecular associations with outcomes at 2 years after acute knee injury: a longitudinal study in the Knee Injury Cohort at the Kennedy (KICK).

Background: Joint injury is a major risk factor for osteoarthritis and provides an opportunity to prospectively examine early processes associated with osteoarthritis. We investigated whether predefined baseline demographic and clinical factors, and protein analytes in knee synovial fluid and in plasma or serum, were associated with clinically relevant outcomes at 2 years after knee injury.

Methods: This longitudinal cohort study recruited individuals aged 16-50 years between Nov 1, 2010, and Nov 28, 2014, across six hospitals and clinics in London, UK.

Knee osteoarthritis and time-to all-cause mortality in six community-based cohorts: an international meta-analysis of individual participant-level data.

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic joint disease, with increasing global burden of disability and healthcare utilisation. Recent meta-analyses have shown a range of effects of OA on mortality, reflecting different OA definitions and study methods. We seek to overcome limitations introduced when using aggregate results by gathering individual participant-level data (IPD) from international observational studies and standardising methods to determine the association of knee OA with mortality in the general population.

Differences between race and sex in measures of hip morphology: a population-based comparative study.

Objective: This paper aims to (i) identify differences in measures of hip morphology between four racial groups using anteroposterior (AP) hip x-rays, and (ii) examine whether these differences vary by sex.

Methods: 912 hip x-rays (456 individuals) from four racial groups (European Caucasians, American Caucasians, African Americans and Chinese) were obtained. Males and females (45-75 years) with no radiographic hip OA (Kellgren and Lawrence < Grade 2 or Croft < Grade 1) were included.

The prevalence of hand and wrist osteoarthritis in elite former cricket and rugby union players.

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of hand and wrist osteoarthritis in former elite cricket and rugby union players, by sport and playing position, and to define the prevalence of severe hand injury, and its association with hand osteoarthritis.

Design: Cross-sectional.

Methods: Data from cross-sectional studies of former elite male cricket and rugby players were used to determine the prevalence of hand pain, physician-diagnosed osteoarthritis, and previous severe injury.

Novel Approach to Estimate Osteoarthritis Progression: Use of the Reliable Change Index in the Evaluation of Joint Space Loss.

Objective: Osteoarthritis-related changes in joint space measurements over time are small and sensitive to measurement error. The Reliable Change Index (RCI) determines whether the magnitude of change observed in an individual can be attributed to true change. This study aimed to examine the RCI as a novel approach to estimating osteoarthritis progression.

Harmonising measures of knee and hip osteoarthritis in population-based cohort studies: an international study.

Objective: Population-based osteoarthritis (OA) cohorts provide vital data on risk factors and outcomes of OA, however the methods to define OA vary between cohorts. We aimed to provide recommendations for combining knee and hip OA data in extant and future population cohort studies, in order to facilitate informative individual participant level analyses.

Method: International OA experts met to make recommendations on: 1) defining OA by X-ray and/or pain; 2) compare The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)-type OA pain questions; 3) the comparability of the Western Ontario & McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) scale to NHANES-type OA pain questions; 4) the best radiographic scoring method; 5) the usefulness of other OA outcome measures.

Osteoarthritis and other long-term health conditions in former elite cricketers.

Objectives: This study aimed to describe the prevalence and risk of chronic conditions in former elite cricketers compared to a normal population, and describe wellbeing in former elite cricketers.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Methods: Former elite cricketers, recruited from the Professional Cricketers' Association, completed a self-report cross-sectional questionnaire.

Development of a Prediction Model for Stress Fracture During an Intensive Physical Training Program: The Royal Marines Commandos.

Background: Stress fractures (SFs) are one of the more severe overuse injuries in military training, and therefore, knowledge of potential risk factors is needed to assist in developing mitigating strategies.

Purpose: To develop a prediction model for risk of SF in Royal Marines (RM) recruits during an arduous military training program.

Study Design: Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3.

Physical activity and osteoarthritis: a consensus study to harmonise self-reporting methods of physical activity across international cohorts.

Physical activity (PA) is increasingly recognised as an important factor within studies of osteoarthritis (OA). However, subjective methods used to assess PA are highly variable and have not been developed for use within studies of OA, which creates difficulties when comparing and interpreting PA data in OA research. The aim of this study was, therefore, to gain expert agreement on the appropriate methods to harmonise PA data among existing population cohorts to enable the investigation of the association of PA and OA.

Association Between Overweight and Obesity and Risk of Clinically Diagnosed Knee, Hip, and Hand Osteoarthritis: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

Objective: Studies of previous cohorts have demonstrated an association between a status of overweight/obesity and the presence of knee and hand osteoarthritis (OA). However, no data on the effect of these factors on the OA burden are available. The aim of the present study was to analyze the effect of being overweight or obese on the incidence of routinely diagnosed knee, hip, and hand OA.

Differential visceral blood flow in the hyperdynamic circulation of patients with liver cirrhosis.

Background: With advancing liver disease and the development of portal hypertension, there are major alterations in somatic and visceral blood flow. Using phase-contrast magnetic resonance angiography, we characterised alterations in blood flow within the hepatic, splanchnic and extra-splanchnic circulations of patients with established liver cirrhosis.

Aim: To compare blood flow in splanchnic and extra-splanchnic circulations in patients with varying degrees of cirrhosis and healthy controls.

A comparison of radiographic anatomic axis knee alignment measurements and cross-sectional associations with knee osteoarthritis.

Objective: Malalignment is associated with knee osteoarthritis (KOA), however, the optimal anatomic axis (AA) knee alignment measurement on a standard limb radiograph (SLR) is unknown. This study compares one-point (1P) and two-point (2P) AA methods using three knee joint centre locations and examines cross-sectional associations with symptomatic radiographic knee osteoarthritis (SRKOA), radiographic knee osteoarthritis (RKOA) and knee pain.

Methods: AA alignment was measured six different ways using the KneeMorf software on 1058 SLRs from 584 women in the Chingford Study.

Obesity and the Relative Risk of Knee Replacement Surgery in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Objective: It is unclear what impact obesity has on the progression of knee osteoarthritis (OA) from diagnosis to knee replacement surgery. This study was undertaken to examine the relative risk of knee replacement surgery in overweight and obese patients who were newly diagnosed as having knee OA in a community setting.

Methods: Subjects were selected from the Information System for Development of Primary Care Research database, which compiles comprehensive clinical information collected by health care professionals for >5.

Painful knee but not hand osteoarthritis is an independent predictor of mortality over 23 years follow-up of a population-based cohort of middle-aged women.

Unlabelled: To assess whether joint pain or radiographic osteoarthritis (ROA) of the knee and hand is associated with all-cause and disease-specific mortality in middle-aged women.

Methods: Four subgroups from the prospective community-based Chingford Cohort Study were identified based on presence/absence of pain and ROA at baseline: (Pain-/ROA-; Pain+/ROA-; Pain-/ROA+; Pain+/ROA+). Pain was defined as side-specific pain in the preceding month, while side-specific ROA was defined as Kellgren-Lawrence grade ≥2.

Measures of hip morphology are related to development of worsening radiographic hip osteoarthritis over 6 to 13 year follow-up: the Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project.

Objectives: We sought to describe the effect of alterations in hip morphology with respect to worsening hip OA in a community-based sample including African American (AA) and white men and women.

Methods: This nested case-control study defined case hips as Kellgren Lawrence grade (KLG) <3 on baseline supine pelvis radiographs and KLG ≥3 or THR for OA at the 1st or 2nd follow-up visit (mean 6 and 13 years, respectively); control hips had KLG <3 at both visits, with gender/race distribution similar to cases. Hip morphology was assessed using HipMorf software (Oxford, UK).

Validation of statistical shape modelling to predict hip osteoarthritis in females: data from two prospective cohort studies (Cohort Hip and Cohort Knee and Chingford).

Objectives: To prospectively investigate whether hip shape variants at baseline are associated with the need for future total hip replacement (THR) in women and to validate the resulting associated shape variants of the Cohort Hip and Cohort Knee (CHECK) cohort and the Chingford cohort.

Methods: Female participants from the CHECK cohort without radiographic OA (Kellgren-Lawrence score <2) at baseline were included (1100 hips); 22 hips had a THR within 5 years of follow-up. For the Chingford cohort, with only female participants, hips without radiographic OA at baseline were selected and a nested case-control design was used, with 19 THR cases within 19 years of follow-up and 95 controls matched 5 to 1 for age and BMI.

Screening for hypothyroidism in Down syndrome using the capillary thyroid stimulating hormone method.

Objectives: To analyze data from the Scottish capillary thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) screening program for hypothyroidism in Down syndrome to identify a threshold for capillary TSH elevation below which low venous free thyroxine (fT4) (<9 pmol/L) and/or frank venous TSH elevation (>10 mU/L) range is unlikely.

Study Design: Review of proformas prospectively submitted on all children with Down syndrome referred via the screening program between 2003 and 2013.

Results: Ninety-nine patients with Down syndrome (50 females, 49 males) were identified, 76 school-age (≥ 5 years) and 23 preschool (<5 years), mean (range) age at referral 9.

Associations between body mass index and foot joint pain in middle-aged and older women: a longitudinal population-based cohort study.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and foot joint pain (FJP) over a 5-year period in a community-based cohort.

Methods: We examined a subset of women from the Chingford Women's Study, a community cohort followed up for 20 years. From a baseline of 1,003 female participants, we reviewed data from 639 women (64%) for whom complete data sets for FJP and BMI were obtained over a 5-year period between year 10 (Y10) and year 15 (Y15).

Osteoarthritis year 2013 in review: clinical.

Some major themes over the past year in clinical research of osteoarthritis (OA) include obesity, muscle strength, pain mechanisms, novel disease modifying drugs, and risk factors for poor outcomes of joint replacement surgery. A systematic literature search was performed using PubMed from January 2012 to December 2012. The articles selected for this review represent topics the authors thought best highlight recent clinical OA research.

The natural history of radiographic knee osteoarthritis: a fourteen-year population-based cohort study.

Objective: To establish the natural history of radiographic knee osteoarthritis (OA) over 14 years in a community-based cohort.

Methods: We examined women from the Chingford Women's Study, a community-based cohort followed up for more than 14 years. We selected women for whom bilateral radiographs of the knees (with the legs in full extension) were obtained at approximately 5-year intervals.

Prevalence of reported knee pain over twelve years in a community-based cohort.

Objective: To describe the temporal patterns of knee pain in a community-based cohort over 12 years.

Methods: Data on self-reported knee pain at 4 time points over 12 years were analyzed in participants from the Chingford Women's Study of osteoarthritis (OA) and osteoporosis. Pain status was defined as any pain in the preceding month and pain on most days in the preceding month.