The depletion of susceptibles effect in the assessment of burden-of-illness: the example of age-related macular degeneration in the community-dwelling elderly population of Quebec.

Background: With the aging of the population, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is becoming a public health concern. Few studies have assessed its consequences on morbidity and mortality, and the findings are conflicting.

Objectives: To assess the risk of depression, fracture, institutionalization, and death among elderly patients with suspected exudative AMD and the impact of the depletion of susceptibles effect in a burden-of-illness study.

Cost-effectiveness of pegaptanib compared to photodynamic therapy with verteporfin and to standard care in the treatment of subfoveal wet age-related macular degeneration in Canada.

Background: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is characterized by loss of central vision and is the leading cause of blindness among persons over the age of 50 years in Canada. The wet form of AMD has 3 subtypes-occult, minimally classic, and predominantly classic. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) with verteporfin is indicated only for the category of predominantly classic wet AMD.

Burden of illness of neovascular age-related macular degeneration in Canada.

Background: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a retinal disease affecting more than 2 million Canadians over the age of 50. The neovascular form of AMD is responsible for 90% of severe vision loss associated with the disease. This study was conducted to assess the burden of neovascular AMD in the Canadian population.

Depression and mortality in the visually-impaired, community-dwelling, elderly population of Quebec.

Purpose: To assess the effect of visual impairment (VI) on the risk of depression or death in the community-dwelling elderly population.

Methods: A population-based, retrospective fixed cohort study was conducted in the community-dwelling elderly (age > or = 65 years) outpatient population of Quebec. The cohort was assembled through the Quebec medical services database and consisted of the 5063 patients aged > or = 65 years who received a diagnosis of VI during the years 2000-2004.

Do proton-pump inhibitors confer additional gastrointestinal protection in patients given celecoxib?

Objective: Celecoxib has a superior upper-gastrointestinal (GI) safety profile compared with nonselective nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NS-NSAIDs). It is unclear whether the utilization of a proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) with celecoxib confers additional protection in elderly patients. We assessed the association between GI hospitalizations and use of celecoxib with a PPI versus celecoxib alone, and NS-NSAIDs with a PPI or NS-NSAIDs alone in elderly patients.

Utilization of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in Quebec: adherence to the Canadian consensus on prescription guidelines.

Background: Adverse events associated with the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have led to the publication of Canadian prescription guidelines. Prescription practices following the publication of these guidelines and the introduction of COX-2 inhibitors in the Quebec formulary of reimbursed medications remain largely unexplored.

Objectives: To compare the prevalence of contra-indications and selected risk factors for NSAID-toxicity among COX-2 inhibitor users and non-selective NSAID users.