Publications by authors named "Maeda Megumi"
Article Synopsis
- Anticholinergic drugs may lead to cognitive impairment, and this study specifically examined their risk of causing dementia in older adults in Japan compared to beta-3 agonists.
- The study involved over 1.4 million participants, with nearly 13,500 taking anticholinergics and around 24,700 using beta-3 agonists, all aged 65 and older with overactive bladder.
- Results indicated that users of anticholinergic drugs had a 22% higher risk of developing dementia compared to those using beta-3 agonists, suggesting a significant association between anticholinergic use and increased dementia risk.
Introduction: Post-COVID-19 conditions have emerged as a global health challenge. This study examined the long-term effects of COVID-19 vaccination on the incidence and risk of post-COVID-19 conditions in Japan.
Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted using a database comprising medical claims, COVID-19 case information, and vaccination records of persons residing in four Japanese municipalities.
Purpose: We validated claims-based algorithms using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) to identify patients with the first-ever coronavirus disease (COVID-19) onset between May 2020 and August 2022.
Methods: The study cohort was comprised of residents of one municipality enrolled in a public insurance program. This study used data provided by the municipality, including residents' insurer-based medical claims data linked to the Health Center Real-time Information-Sharing System (HER-SYS).
Protective Effects of 23-Valent Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccination Against Mortality: The VENUS Study.
Open Forum Infect Dis
September 2024
This retrospective matched cohort study investigated the protective effects of the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23) against pneumonia mortality and all-cause mortality in Japanese adults aged ≥65 years. We analyzed claims data, vaccination records, and death certificate records between October 2016 and December 2019 from 55 509 PPSV23-vaccinated individuals and 55 509 unvaccinated individuals. Cox proportional hazards analyses were performed to calculate the adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) of PPSV23 vaccination for mortality.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major cause of pediatric respiratory tract infections. In Japan, children with specific underlying conditions are eligible to receive palivizumab to prevent severe RSV disease. However, the association between palivizumab eligibility and RSV infection severity remains unclear.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- This study investigated how a patient's health status before experiencing sepsis affects their recovery and mortality one year after discharge, focusing on a large population in Japan.
- Researchers categorized the pre-sepsis care needs of 17,648 patients into several levels, revealing that higher care needs were linked to increased mortality rates and changes in post-discharge care requirements.
- The findings suggest that patients with greater pre-sepsis care needs face a higher risk of death and intensified care needs within a year after being discharged from the hospital.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates the link between care needs levels (CNL) at hospital discharge and outcomes in older patients with acute heart failure (aHF), highlighting that those with higher CNL are at greater risk for worse post-discharge outcomes.
- A cohort of over 17,000 patients aged 65 and older was examined, categorizing their CNL into four levels based on their daily care needs at the time of hospitalization.
- Results revealed that nearly all patients’ care needs worsened after discharge, with increased risks of mortality for those with higher levels of care needs, indicating that higher CNL at hospitalization correlates with a significantly higher risk of death within a year.
Article Synopsis
- Previous research suggests a potential link between statin use and a lower risk of dementia, but this has not been clearly established in Japan's aging population.
- This study analyzed data from the LIFE Study, focusing on Japanese participants aged 65 and older, to investigate this association more thoroughly.
- Results showed that statin users had a significantly reduced risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease, with higher cumulative statin doses offering greater protective benefits compared to non-users.
Article Synopsis
- There is not enough evidence to support that ACE inhibitors protect against pneumonia through the induction of a dry cough.
- A retrospective study analyzed the hospitalization risk for pneumonia among patients starting ACE inhibitors versus those starting angiotensin II receptor blockers, using data from Japan.
- The findings showed that ACEI use did not significantly reduce pneumonia-related hospitalizations compared to ARB use, indicating a need for more research on ACEIs' potential benefits in pneumonia prevention.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigated the relationship between statin use and Parkinson's disease risk in Japanese individuals aged 65 and older, using data from the Longevity Improvement and Fair Evidence Study.
- Results showed that statin use was inversely associated with the risk of developing Parkinson's disease, suggesting a protective effect, especially with higher cumulative doses of statins.
- Specifically, lower doses correlated with an increased risk, while higher doses were linked to a decreased risk of Parkinson's disease among older adults in Japan.
Association between mRNA COVID-19 vaccine boosters and mortality in Japan: The VENUS study.
Hum Vaccin Immunother
December 2024
Although previous studies have shown no increased mortality risk after the primary series of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, reports on booster doses are lacking. This study aimed to evaluate mortality risk after the mRNA vaccine boosters in addition to the primary series. This nested case-control study included two age-specific cohorts (18-64 and ≥65 years as of February 1, 2021) in two municipalities.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Secondary healthcare data use has been increasing in the dental research field. The validity of the number of remaining teeth assessed from Japanese dental claims data has been reported in several studies, but has not been tested in the general population in Japan.
Objectives: To evaluate the validity of the number of remaining teeth assessed from Japanese dental claims data and assess its predictability against subsequent health deterioration.
This retrospective cohort study examined the incidence of post-COVID psychiatric disorders in older adults according to hospitalization status and SARS-CoV-2 variant period in Japan. Claims data, COVID-19 case-related information, and vaccination records were obtained from three Japanese municipalities. We identified individuals aged ≥65 years who had COVID-19 or other respiratory tract infection (RTI) between March 2021 and December 2022.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: This study aimed to characterize the epidemiology of scabies and its outbreaks in Japanese households, residential care facilities (RCFs), and hospitals using claims data.
Methods: This descriptive epidemiological study was conducted using claims data from eight municipalities in Japan. Scabies cases were identified using a combination of recorded diagnoses and administered medications.
Background: The influence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on dental care utilization may have differed according to individual characteristics or type of dental care provision. This study aimed to evaluate the changes in dental care utilization and per-attendance costs by age group and type of dental care during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan.
Methods: This time-series study used healthcare insurance claims data from 01/07/2019 to 09/27/2021 (143 weeks) from nine municipalities in Japan.
Background: The prevalence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is increasing in Japan due to population aging. The association between sensory impairment and incident AD remains unclear.
Objective: This study aimed to investigate the impact of sensory impairment on incident AD.
Background: The associations between COVID-19 vaccination and post-COVID psychiatric disorders are unclear. Furthermore, it is uncertain if these associations differ depending on the dominant SARS-CoV-2 variant at the time of infection. This retrospective cohort study aimed to clarify the associations between COVID-19 vaccination and incident psychiatric disorders after breakthrough infection according to the different variant periods in Japan.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: Although COVID-19 no longer constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, vaccination remains an important tool for reducing disease burden and mitigating future outbreaks. However, little is known about the impact of vaccination on medical expenditures and hospitalization duration after breakthrough infection. This study aimed to examine this impact during the Delta wave in Japan.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Bivalent COVID-19 vaccines have been implemented worldwide since the booster vaccination campaigns of autumn of 2022, but little is known about their effectiveness. Thus, this study holistically evaluated the effectiveness of bivalent vaccines against infection in older adults in Japan.
Methods: We adopted the test-negative design using COVID-19 test data of individuals, aged ≥ 65 years, residing in three municipalities in Japan, who underwent tests in medical institutions between October 1 and December 30, 2022.
Background: Little is known about the impact of physical activity (PA) and PPSV23 vaccination on pneumonia-related hospitalizations. This study examined the association between regular PA and pneumonia-related hospitalization according to PPSV23 vaccination status in older adults.
Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted using health checkup data, medical care claims data, and vaccination records from two Japanese municipalities.
Hypertension is the leading cardiovascular risk factor worldwide. However, in Japan, only 30% of patients have their blood pressure controlled under 140/90 mmHg, and nonadherence to antihypertensives is thought to be a reason for the poor control of hypertension. We therefore sought to assess the adherence to hypertension treatment and to evaluate factors influencing patients' adherence in a large, representative sample of the Japanese population.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To investigate individual and environmental vaccination-related factors among the older adults in Japan, using administrative data.
Methods: We conducted a cohort study and included people who reached the relevant age (≥65 years) for routine pneumococcal vaccination of older adults between April 2015 and March 2020. Monthly data of residents in the two municipalities from April 2014 to March 2020 and vaccination records from April 2015 to March 2020 were used.
Background: To address the lack of an active vaccine safety surveillance system in Japan, the Vaccine Effectiveness, Networking, and Universal Safety (VENUS) study was initiated in 2021 as a pilot system using existing health insurance claims data and vaccination records.
Methods: This study evaluated the value of the VENUS study by assessing the incidence of immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) and Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) following vaccination with the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23) using a self-controlled case series (SCCS) design.
Results: Incidence rate ratios for ITP during 28-day and 42-day risk periods were 0.
Article Synopsis
- A study in Japan aimed to investigate the relationship between anticholinergic drugs and the risk of dementia in older adults, focusing on a population over 65 years old.
- The research analyzed claim data from 2014 to 2020, including nearly 67,000 dementia cases and 329,000 matched controls, revealing that those prescribed anticholinergic medications had a significantly higher likelihood of being diagnosed with dementia.
- Specific drug types linked to increased dementia risk included antidepressants, antiparkinsonian drugs, antipsychotics, and bladder antimuscarinics, indicating a need for careful prescription in the aging population.
Background: Seasonal influenza vaccination might be considered an antimicrobial resistance (AMR) countermeasure because it can reduce unnecessary antimicrobial use for acute respiratory infection by mitigating the burden of such diseases.
Objectives: To examine the association between seasonal influenza vaccination and antimicrobial use (AMU) in Japan at the community level and to examine the impact of influenza vaccination on the frequency of unnecessary antimicrobial prescription for upper respiratory infection.
Methods: For patients who visited any healthcare facility in one of the 23 wards of Tokyo, Japan, due to upper respiratory infection and who were aged 65 years or older, we extracted data from the Vaccine Effectiveness, Networking, and Universal Safety (VENUS) study database, which includes all claims data and vaccination records from the 2015-16 to 2020-21 seasons.