Longitudinal study on pediatric dyslipidemia in population-based claims database.

Purpose: To examine the rate of lipid testing among children from a large US medical insurance claims database, describe the characteristics of pediatric dyslipidemia, and assess the sensitivity of the International Classification of Disease, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes for identifying dyslipidemic children.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study used the claims data from the Integrated Healthcare Information Services (IHCIS), for the years 2003-2006. Two study cohorts consisted of children with laboratory-defined and diagnosis/treatment-defined dyslipidemia, respectively.

Effectiveness of rosuvastatin compared to other statins for the prevention of cardiovascular events-a cohort study in 395 039 patients from clinical practice.

Purpose: This study compared the effectiveness of rosuvastatin (RSV) to other statins prescribed in clinical practice in prevention of cardiovascular (CV) events.

Methods: This longitudinal inception cohort study, using Thomson Healthcare's MarketScan databases, included patients aged > or = 18 starting statin therapy during August 2003-December 2005. Patients were followed until 90 days after index statin monotherapy exposure, start of another lipid-lowering therapy, an event, end of eligibility, or end of study.

Epidemiologic study of smell disturbance in 2 medical insurance claims populations.

Objective: To report the rates of medical claims for sense of smell disturbance (SD) and their association with diseases and medications in a managed care population.

Design: Descriptive determination of demographics, prevalence, and incidence of SD and case-control analysis of risk factors. Preselected drug and disease groups were entered into a stepwise regression model to determine risk factors for SD.

Impact of anemia on hospitalization time, charges, and mortality in patients with heart failure.

Objectives: Although anemia is known to influence clinical outcomes in heart failure (HF) patients, little is known about its impact on economic outcomes. A retrospective analysis was performed to determine the impact of hemoglobin (Hb) level on hospital length of stay (LOS), total charges, and hospital mortality in HF patients.

Methods: Claims data were drawn from 21 teaching and nonteaching hospitals for patients hospitalized between October 1, 2000 and September 30, 2001.