Discontinuation of Cholinesterase Inhibitors Following Initiation of Memantine and Admission to Long-Term Care Among Older Adults.

Importance: Discontinuing cholinesterase inhibitors when initiating memantine in patients with dementia may be reasonable to reduce treatment burden, costs, and the risk of adverse drug events.

Objective: To assess the association of cholinesterase inhibitor discontinuation on long-term care institutionalization among older adults with dementia who initiate memantine.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This retrospective propensity score-matched cohort study used Medicare claims data from January 2014 to December 2019.

Exploring prognostic implications of miRNA signatures and telomere maintenance genes in kidney cancer.

Kidney cancer, particularly clear cell renal cell carcinoma (KIRC), presents significant challenges in disease-specific survival. This study investigates the prognostic potential of microRNAs (miRNAs) in kidney cancers, including KIRC and kidney papillary cell carcinoma (KIRP), focusing on their interplay with telomere maintenance genes. Utilizing data from The Cancer Genome Atlas, miRNA expression profiles of 166 KIRC and 168 KIRP patients were analyzed.

Falls, fracture and frailty risk in multiple sclerosis: a Mendelian Randomization study to identify shared genetics.

Introduction: Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) commonly present musculoskeletal disorders characterized by lower bone mineral density (BMD) and muscle weakness. However, the underlying etiology remains unclear. Our objective is to identify shared pleiotropic genetic effects and estimate the causal relationship between MS and musculoskeletal disorders.

Microbiome signatures associated with clinical stages of gastric Cancer: whole metagenome shotgun sequencing study.

Background: Gastric cancer is one of the global health concerns. A series of studies on the stomach have confirmed the role of the microbiome in shaping gastrointestinal diseases. Delineation of microbiome signatures to distinguish chronic gastritis from gastric cancer will provide a non-invasive preventative and treatment strategy.

Claims-Based Frailty Index and Its Relationship With Commonly Used Clinical Frailty Measures.

Background: The relationship of claims-based frailty index (CFI), a validated measure to identify frail individuals using Medicare data, and frailty measures used in clinical practice has not yet been fully explored.

Methods: We identified community-dwelling participants of the 2015 National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) whose CFI scores could be calculated using linked Medicare claims. We calculated 9 commonly used clinical frailty measures from their NHATS in-person examination: Study of Osteoporotic Fracture Index (SOF), FRAIL Scale, Frailty Phenotype, Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS), Vulnerable Elder Survey-13 (VES-13), Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI), Groningen Frailty Indicator (GFI), Edmonton Frail Scale (EFS), and 40-item Frailty Index (FI).

Translating GWAS Findings to Inform Drug Repositioning Strategies for COVID-19 Treatment.

We developed a computational framework that integrates Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) and post-GWAS analyses, designed to facilitate drug repurposing for COVID-19 treatment. The comprehensive approach combines transcriptomic-wide associations, polygenic priority scoring, 3D genomics, viral-host protein-protein interactions, and small-molecule docking. Through GWAS, we identified nine druggable host genes associated with COVID-19 severity and SARS-CoV-2 infection, all of which show differential expression in COVID-19 patients.

Pleiotropic Genetic Effects between Multiple Sclerosis and Musculoskeletal Traits.

Background: Musculoskeletal disorders were commonly reported in patients with multiple sclerosis. However, the underlying etiology linking Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and musculoskeletal disorders is not well studied. With large-scale Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) publicly available, we conducted genetic correlation analysis to identify shared pleiotropic genetic effects between MS and musculoskeletal traits.

Prognostic microRNA signature for estimating survival in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Objective: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading cancer types with increasing annual incidence and high mortality in the USA. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as valuable prognostic indicators in cancer patients. To identify a miRNA signature predictive of survival in patients with HCC, we developed a machine learning-based HCC survival estimation method, HCCse, using the miRNA expression profiles of 122 patients with HCC.

Hospitalization and emergency department visits associated with potentially inappropriate medication in older adults: self-controlled case series analysis.

Introduction: Potentially inappropriate medications (PIM) and resulting adverse health outcomes in older adults are a common occurrence. However, PIM prescriptions are still frequent for vulnerable older adults. Here, we sought to estimate the risk of hospitalization and emergency department (ED) visits associated with PIM prescriptions over different exposure periods and PIM drug categories.

A crosswalk of commonly used frailty scales.

Background: Several validated scales have been developed to measure frailty, yet the direct relationship between these measures and their scores remains unknown. To bridge this gap, we created a crosswalk of the most commonly used frailty scales.

Methods: We used data from 7070 community-dwelling older adults who participated in National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) Round 5 to construct a crosswalk among frailty scales.

Roles of AIM2 Gene and AIM2 Inflammasome in the Pathogenesis and Treatment of Psoriasis.

Psoriasis is an immune-mediated chronic inflammatory skin disease caused by a combination of environmental incentives, polygenic genetic control, and immune regulation. The inflammation-related gene absent in melanoma 2 () was identified as a susceptibility gene for psoriasis. AIM2 inflammasome formed from the combination of AIM2, PYD-linked apoptosis-associated speck-like protein (ASC) and Caspase-1 promotes the maturation and release of inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β and IL-18, and triggers an inflammatory response.

Cognitive Function Associated with Gut Microbial Abundance in Sucrose and S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine (SAMe) Metabolic Pathways.

Background: Differential abundance of gut microbiota has found to be associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the relative abundance of gut microbiota between dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in AD is not well studied.

Objective: We attempted to identify differentially enriched gut microbes and their metabolic pathways in AD patients with dementia comparing to AD patients with MCI.

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic Declaration on New Oncology Trial Commencements: An Interrupted Time Series with Segmented Regression Analysis.

This study aimed to assess the trend in oncology trial commencements registered on ClinicalTrials.gov and to evaluate the contributing factors by comparing the trends in the pre- and post-COVID-19 pandemic era. The ClinicalTrials.

Survival, Prognosis, and Clinical Feature of Refractory Myasthenia Gravis: a 15-year Nationwide Cohort Study.

Background: Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a rare classic autoimmune disease where immunosuppressant therapies have been successful to reduce MG attributable mortality fairly well. However, patients with refractory MG (rMG) among the actively treated MG (aMG) are nonresponsive to conventional therapy and display high disease severity, which calls for further research. We aimed to determine survival, prognosis, and clinical feature of patients with rMG compared to non-rMG.

Patient- and Prescriber-Related Factors Associated with Potentially Inappropriate Medications and Drug-Drug Interactions in Older Adults.

We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) use and drug-drug interactions (DDIs) in older adults and their associated factors. This cross-sectional study used National Health Insurance data of older adults in South Korea. The 2015 AGS Beers Criteria were used to classify PIM use and DDIs.

Drug-induced Parkinsonism: A strong predictor of idiopathic Parkinson's disease.

Background: Although Idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD) develops in considerable patients with drug-induced Parkinsonism (DIP), the association hasn't been well defined. We aimed to evaluate the underlying association and risk factors of DIP and IPD.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study using National Health Insurance Claims data in 2011-2016 was conducted.

Risk Factors and the Usual Source of Care on Non-Adherence to Antihypertensive Drugs in Immigrants with Hypertension.

Background: Immigrants are vulnerable to suboptimal health care utilization including non-adherence of medication use. Thus, we aimed to identify the potential risk factors of non-adherence and evaluate whether utilizing a usual source of care was associated with medication adherence in immigrants.

Methods: We utilized the Korea National Health Insurance Claims Database between 2012 and 2015.

Impact of a nationwide prospective drug utilization review program to improve prescribing safety of potentially inappropriate medications in older adults: An interrupted time series with segmented regression analysis.

Purpose: A nationwide prospective drug utilization review (DUR) for potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) in older adults was implemented in October 2015 in South Korea. We aimed to evaluate the effects of the DUR on reducing PIMs, in comparison with the PIMs defined using the Beers criteria that were not included in the DUR.

Methods: We divided the study period into a pre- and post-DUR period.

Increased risk of death with codeine use in the elderly over 85 years old and patients with respiratory disease: A case-control study using retrospective insurance claims database.

To investigate the risk of mortality associated with exposure to codeine, considering various risk groups, using population-based national insurance claims data.National sample cohort data from the National Health Insurance Service of South Korea (2002-2013) was used in this case-control study. Cases were defined as patients with a death record between January 1, 2002 and December 31, 2013.

Effects of maternal influenza vaccination on adverse birth outcomes: A systematic review and Bayesian meta-analysis.

Background: Although pregnant women are a priority group for influenza vaccination, its effect on birth outcomes has long been debated. Numerous observational studies and a few randomized controlled studies have been conducted, with inconsistent results.

Objectives: To evaluate the association of influenza vaccination in pregnancy with adverse birth outcomes.

Socioeconomic determinants affecting the access and utilization of depression care services in immigrants: A population-based study.

Background: It is imperative to address the health problems faced by immigrants in their destination countries in light of the current magnitude of migration processes worldwide. We aimed to evaluate the socioeconomic determinants of healthcare utilization in immigrants with depression.

Method: A population-based cohort comprising all immigrants who were eligible for National Health Insurance coverage (permanent residents, marriage immigrants, and naturalized citizens) using the National Health Insurance Claims Database in 2011-2013 was established.

All-Cause Mortality Associated with Tramadol Use: A Case-Crossover Study.

Introduction: Although the mortality risk associated with tramadol use in children has triggered the revision of tramadol drug labeling, the mortality risk in adults has not been thoroughly explored.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate whether tramadol use is associated with mortality in various risk groups.

Methods: This was a case-crossover study addressing the period of 2004-2013, using data from the National Sample Cohort (National Health Insurance Service, South Korea).

Effect of pharmaceutical care interventions on glycemic control in patients with diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: Diabetes is a chronic lifelong condition, and adherence to medications and self-monitoring of blood glucose are challenging for diabetic patients. The dramatic increase in the prevalence of diabetes is largely due to the incidence of type 2 diabetes in low- and middle-income countries (LMIc) besides high-income countries (HIc). We aimed to evaluate whether pharmacist care (PC) service model in LMIc and HIc could improve clinical outcomes in diabetic patients by performing a meta-analysis.

Signal Detection Between Fluoroquinolone Use and the Risk of Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment: Sequence Symmetry Analysis Using Nationwide South Korean Healthcare Database Between 2004 and 2015.

Background And Objectives: The association between fluoroquinolone and rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) has been controversial as a result of inconsistent findings. We set out to detect a possible association of fluoroquinolone use and risk of RRD, using sequence symmetry analysis (SSA).

Methods: We conducted an SSA, case-only design, using a Korean nationwide healthcare database between 2004 and 2015.