Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on deprivation-level differences in cardiovascular hospitalisations: a comparison of England and Denmark using the OpenSAFELY platform and National Registry Data.

Objectives: To examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on deprivation-related inequalities in hospitalisations for cardiovascular disease (CVD) conditions in Denmark and England between March 2018 and December 2021.

Design: Time-series studies in England and Denmark.

Setting: With the approval of National Health Service England, we used English primary care electronic health records, linked to secondary care and death registry data through the OpenSAFELY platform and nationwide Danish health registry data.

Clinical coding of long COVID in primary care 2020-2023 in a cohort of 19 million adults: an OpenSAFELY analysis.

Background: Long COVID is the patient-coined term for the persistent symptoms of COVID-19 illness for weeks, months or years following the acute infection. There is a large burden of long COVID globally from self-reported data, but the epidemiology, causes and treatments remain poorly understood. Primary care is used to help identify and treat patients with long COVID and therefore Electronic Health Records (EHRs) of past COVID-19 patients could be used to help fill these knowledge gaps.

Impact of long COVID on health-related quality-of-life: an OpenSAFELY population cohort study using patient-reported outcome measures (OpenPROMPT).

Background: Long COVID is a major problem affecting patient health, the health service, and the workforce. To optimise the design of future interventions against COVID-19, and to better plan and allocate health resources, it is critical to quantify the health and economic burden of this novel condition. We aimed to evaluate and estimate the differences in health impacts of long COVID across sociodemographic categories and quantify this in Quality-Adjusted Life-Years (QALYs), widely used measures across health systems.

OpenSAFELY: The impact of COVID-19 on azathioprine, leflunomide and methotrexate monitoring, and factors associated with change in monitoring rate.

Aims: The COVID-19 pandemic created unprecedented pressure on healthcare services. This study investigates whether disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) safety monitoring was affected during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: A population-based cohort study was conducted using the OpenSAFELY platform to access electronic health record data from 24.

Comparative effectiveness of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir versus sotrovimab and molnupiravir for preventing severe COVID-19 outcomes in non-hospitalised high-risk patients during Omicron waves: observational cohort study using the OpenSAFELY platform.

Background: Timely evidence of the comparative effectiveness between COVID-19 therapies in real-world settings is needed to inform clinical care. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir versus sotrovimab and molnupiravir in preventing severe COVID-19 outcomes in non-hospitalised high-risk COVID-19 adult patients during Omicron waves.

Methods: With the approval of NHS England, we conducted a real-world cohort study using the OpenSAFELY-TPP platform.

Living alone and mental health: parallel analyses in UK longitudinal population surveys and electronic health records prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: People who live alone experience greater levels of mental illness; however, it is unclear whether the COVID-19 pandemic had a disproportionately negative impact on this demographic.

Objective: To describe the mental health gap between those who live alone and with others in the UK prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: Self-reported psychological distress and life satisfaction in 10 prospective longitudinal population surveys (LPSs) assessed in the nearest pre-pandemic sweep and three periods during the pandemic.

Ethnic differences in the indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on clinical monitoring and hospitalisations for non-COVID conditions in England: a population-based, observational cohort study using the OpenSAFELY platform.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted healthcare and may have impacted ethnic inequalities in healthcare. We aimed to describe the impact of pandemic-related disruption on ethnic differences in clinical monitoring and hospital admissions for non-COVID conditions in England.

Methods: In this population-based, observational cohort study we used primary care electronic health record data with linkage to hospital episode statistics data and mortality data within OpenSAFELY, a data analytics platform created, with approval of NHS England, to address urgent COVID-19 research questions.

Continuing specialist care into adulthood in young people with juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a retrospective cohort study using electronic health records in England.

Objectives: This study aimed to measure (1) the proportion of children who continue to receive specialist care (rheumatology/ophthalmology) as adults, (2) the characteristics associated with continuing specialist care, and (3) the frequency of specialist care appointments in both paediatric and adult services.

Methods: A retrospective cohort of young people with JIA was identified from UK primary care electronic health records (Clinical Practice Research Datalink) between 1 April 2003 and 31 December 2018. To be included in the study, cases needed to have at least 1 year of registration at their general practice beyond age 18 and linkage to Hospital Episodes Statistics data for secondary care information.

Glucocorticoid use is associated with an increased risk of hypertension.

Objectives: Patients with RA are frequently treated with glucocorticoids (GCs), but evidence is conflicting about whether GCs are associated with hypertension. The aim of this study was to determine whether GCs are associated with incident hypertension in patients with RA.

Methods: A retrospective cohort of patients with incident RA and without hypertension was identified from UK primary care electronic medical records (Clinical Practice Research Datalink).

The effect of glucocorticoid therapy on mortality in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and concomitant type II diabetes: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have increased cardiovascular (CV) and mortality risk. Patients with RA are also frequently prescribed glucocorticoids (GCs) which have been associated with increased risk of mortality. In addition, for patients who have concomitant diabetes mellitus (DM), GCs are known to worsen glycaemic control and hence may further increase CV and mortality risk.

Associations Between Engagement With an Online Health Community and Changes in Patient Activation and Health Care Utilization: Longitudinal Web-Based Survey.

Background: Participation in online health communities (OHCs) is a popular trend in the United Kingdom. However, so far, no evidence exists to indicate an association between participation in OHCs and improved health outcomes.

Objective: This study aimed to (1) determine changes in patient activation over 3 months in new users of an OHC, (2) describe patterns of engagement with an OHC, (3) examine whether patients' characteristics at baseline were associated with subsequent patterns of engagement, and (4) determine if patterns of engagement during the 3 months were associated with changes in patient activation, health care utilization, and health status.

How Do Glucocorticoids Used in Rheumatic Disease Affect Body Weight? A Narrative Review of the Evidence.

Glucocorticoids (GCs) are widely used to effectively treat inflammatory disease, but GCs have a number of recognized side effects. Patients and clinicians view these side effects differently, with clinicians most concerned with serious side effects such as osteoporosis and diabetes mellitus. Consequently, these side effects are well researched with clinical guidelines and recommendations.