Identifying Persons at Highest Risk of Melanoma Using Self-Assessed Risk Factors.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a self-assessed melanoma risk score to identify high-risk persons for screening METHODS: We used data from a 1997 melanoma case-control study from Washington State, USA, where 386 cases with invasive cutaneous melanoma and 727 controls were interviewed by telephone. A logistic regression prediction model was developed on 75% of the data and validated in the remaining 25% by calculating the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), a measure of predictive accuracy from 0.5-1 (higher scores indicating better prediction).

Depression and incident lower limb amputations in veterans with diabetes.

Problem: Depression is associated with a higher risk of macrovascular and microvascular complications and mortality in diabetes, but whether depression is linked to an increased risk of incident amputations is unknown. We examined the association between diagnosed depression and incident non-traumatic lower limb amputations in veterans with diabetes.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study from 2000-2004 that included 531,973 veterans from the Diabetes Epidemiology Cohorts, a national Veterans Affairs (VA) registry with VA and Medicare data.

Depression and incident diabetic foot ulcers: a prospective cohort study.

Objective: To test whether depression is associated with an increased risk of incident diabetic foot ulcers.

Methods: The Pathways Epidemiologic Study is a population-based prospective cohort study of 4839 patients with diabetes in 2000-2007. The present analysis included 3474 adults with type 2 diabetes and no prior diabetic foot ulcers or amputations.

Depression in relation to long-term control of glycemia, blood pressure, and lipids in patients with diabetes.

Background: Little information is available about the association of depression with long-term control of glycemia, blood pressure, or lipid levels in patients with diabetes.

Objective: To determine whether minor and major depression at study enrollment compared with no depression are associated with higher average HbA(1c), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and LDL cholesterol over the long term in patients with an indication for or receiving drug treatment.

Design: Cohort study.

Comorbid depression is associated with an increased risk of dementia diagnosis in patients with diabetes: a prospective cohort study.

Background: Both depression and diabetes have been found to be risk factors for dementia. This study examined whether comorbid depression in patients with diabetes increases the risk for dementia compared to those with diabetes alone.

Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study of 3,837 primary care patients with diabetes (mean age 63.

Relationship styles and mortality in patients with diabetes.

OBJECTIVE Prior research has shown that less social support is associated with increased mortality in individuals with chronic illnesses. We set out to determine whether lower propensity to seek support as indicated by relationship style, based on attachment theory, is associated with mortality in patients with diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS A total of 3,535 nondepressed adult patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes enrolled in a health maintenance organization in Washington State were surveyed at baseline and followed for 5 years.

Depression and advanced complications of diabetes: a prospective cohort study.

Objective: To prospectively examine the association of depression with risks for advanced macrovascular and microvascular complications among patients with type 2 diabetes.

Research Design And Methods: A longitudinal cohort of 4,623 primary care patients with type 2 diabetes was enrolled in 2000-2002 and followed through 2005-2007. Advanced microvascular complications included blindness, end-stage renal disease, amputations, and renal failure deaths.

Diabetes and poor disease control: is comorbid depression associated with poor medication adherence or lack of treatment intensification?

Objective: To hypothesize that patients with comorbid depression and diabetes and poor disease control will have poorer adherence to disease control medication and less likelihood of physician intensification of treatment. Many patients with diabetes fail to achieve American Diabetes Association Guidelines for glycemic, blood pressure and lipid control. Depression is a common comorbidity and may affect disease control through adverse effects on adherence and physician intensification of treatment.

How does change in depressive symptomatology influence weight change in patients with diabetes? Observational results from the Pathways longitudinal cohort.

Background: Little is known about how change in depressive symptoms over time is associated with change in weight.

Methods: Longitudinal associations between change in depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9 [PHQ-9]) and weight (self-reported and chart abstracted) were examined in 2,600 patients with type 2 diabetes (mean age 62, SD = 11.6) who were surveyed by telephone in 2001-2002 and 5 years later as part of the Pathways study.