A matched case-control study on polypharmacy and co-medications one year before drug treatment for Alzheimer's disease.

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prevalent form of dementia, characterized by amyloid-β plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. With an aging population, both AD and comorbidities are increasingly common. Managing comorbidities often requires multiple medications, leading to polypharmacy, defined as the concurrent use of five or more medications.

Comparative Effectiveness of Anti-Hyperlipidemic Drugs Monotherapy in Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease.

Purpose: Anti-hyperlipidemic drug treatments are effective in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. In a long-term retrospective inception cohort study, we aimed to assess the real-world comparative effectiveness of anti-hyperlipidemic monotherapies for primary prevention of cardiovascular events.

Patients And Methods: Patients aged 18 years and older, who initiated primary prevention with anti-hyperlipidemic monotherapy, were selected from the University of Groningen IADB.

Screening for Hypoglycaemia Risk and Medication Changes in Diabetes Patients Using Pharmacy Dispensing Data.

: To improve hypoglycaemia management in primary care, more insight is needed into the opportunities to screen for hypoglycaemia risk and subsequent treatment modification using routinely available data. Our primary aim was to assess the number of diabetes patients with an estimated high risk of hypoglycaemia and describe the treatment changes in these patients using pharmacy dispensing data. Additionally, our aim was to investigate patient characteristics associated with such treatment changes.

Electrooxidative C(sp)-H Cyanation of Sparteine and Lupanine in Undivided Batch and Continuous-Flow Cells.

Sparteine is widely used as a chiral ligand in asymmetric synthesis, but methods for providing efficient access to functionalized sparteine derivatives are still limited. Herein, we describe an electrochemical α-cyanation of sparteine-type bis-quinolizidine alkaloids. This method features commercially available setups for batch and single-pass continuous flow conditions, enabling easy gram scale synthesis of valuable racemic and enantiopure products.

Maternal perceived stress and green spaces during pregnancy are associated with adult offspring gene (NR3C1 and IGF2/H19) methylation patterns in adulthood: A pilot study.

Background: Changes in NR3C1 and IGF2/H19 methylation patterns have been associated with behavioural and psychiatric outcomes. Maternal mental state has been associated with offspring NR3C1 promotor and IGF2/H19 imprinting control region (ICR) methylation patterns. However, there is a lack of prospective studies with long-term follow-up.

Comparative effectiveness of antihypertensive monotherapies in primary prevention of cardiovascular events-a real-world longitudinal inception cohort study.

Introduction: Antihypertensive drugs are used preventatively to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease events. Comparative effectiveness studies on angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs), angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), beta-blockers (BBs), calcium channel blockers (CCBs), and thiazides have yielded inconsistent results and given little consideration to patient adherence. Using a longitudinal cohort and considering time-varying adherence and confounding factors, we aimed to estimate the real-world effectiveness of five major antihypertensive drug monotherapies in the primary prevention of cardiovascular events.

Tailoring Type II Diabetes Treatment: Investigating the Effect of 5-HTT Polymorphisms on HbA1c Levels after Metformin Initiation.

Aims: To investigate the effect of serotonin transporter (5-HTT) polymorphisms on change in HbA1c levels six months after metformin initiation in type 2 diabetes patients.

Materials And Methods: Participants of PROVALID (PROspective cohort study in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus for VALidation of biomarkers) within the GIANTT (Groningen Initiative to ANalyse Type 2 Diabetes Treatment) cohort who initiated metformin were genotyped for combined 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 (LL, LS, and SS) and 5-HTT VNTR (STin 2.12, 12/-, and 10/-) polymorphisms, respectively.

Association between Incidence of Prescriptions for Alzheimer's Disease and Beta-Adrenoceptor Antagonists: A Prescription Sequence Symmetry Analysis.

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia, with a growing number of patients worldwide. The association between AD and treatment with drugs targeting the beta-adrenergic receptor is controversial. The aim of this study is to assess the association between the initiation of AD medication and beta-adrenoceptor antagonists (beta-blockers) in adults.

The Association between Deductibles and Cardiovascular Medication Adherence: A Retrospective Inception Cohort Study.

Objective: Drug non-adherence in primary preventive cardiovascular therapy is one of the most important modifiable drivers of cardiovascular events. The effect of deductibles in healthcare cost-sharing plans (the amount that has to be paid for healthcare services before the insurance company starts to pay) on such non-adherence in a European setting is unknown. Therefore, we estimated the association between deductibles and the adherence to primary preventive antihypertensive and antihyperlipidemic medication.

Community Use of Repurposed Drugs Before and During COVID-19 Pandemic in the Netherlands: An Interrupted Time-Series Analysis.

Background: Repurposing registered drugs could reduce coronavirus disease (COVID-19) burden before novel drugs are authorized. Little is known about how the pandemic and imposed restrictions changed their dispensing. We aimed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on repurposed drugs dispensing in the Netherlands.

Repurposed drug studies on the primary prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection during the pandemic: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: Current evidence on the effectiveness of SARS-CoV-2 prophylaxis is inconclusive. We aimed to systematically evaluate published studies on repurposed drugs for the prevention of laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and/or COVID-19 among healthy adults.

Design: Systematic review.

Sex disparities in treatment patterns after metformin initiation among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Purpose: To assess sex differences in treatment patterns after metformin initiation among type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) patients.

Methods: A cohort study was conducted using the Groningen Initiative to ANalyze Type 2 diabetes Treatment (GIANTT) primary care database. Patients aged ≥18 years initiating metformin were followed 2-5 years.

Pre-admission ambient air pollution and blood soot particles predict hospitalisation outcomes in COVID-19 patients.

Background: Air pollution exposure is one of the major risk factors for aggravation of respiratory diseases. We investigated whether exposure to air pollution and accumulated black carbon (BC) particles in blood were associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) disease severity, including the risk for intensive care unit (ICU) admission and duration of hospitalisation.

Methods: From May 2020 until March 2021, 328 hospitalised COVID-19 patients (29% at intensive care) were recruited from two hospitals in Belgium.

Risk factors for drug-treated major adverse cardio-cerebrovascular events in patients on primary preventive statin therapy: A retrospective cohort study.

We aim to identify risk factors of major adverse cardio-cerebrovascular events (MACCE) using a proxy of drug treatment for a MACCE after the start of statin therapy in the primary cardiovascular prevention group, taking drug dose, persistency and adherence into account. We conducted a retrospective inception cohort study using data from the University of Groningen prescription database IADB.nl, covering patients in the Northern part of the Netherlands.

Chronic Use of Hydrochlorothiazide and Risk of Skin Cancer in Caucasian Adults: A PharmLines Initiative Inception Cohort Study.

Photosensitizing properties of hydrochlorothiazide may increase skin cancer risk. To date, study findings on the association between hydrochlorothiazide use and skin cancer risk are inconsistent, notably regarding confounding and dose-response. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between hydrochlorothiazide use and incidence of skin cancer in a cohort of unselected Caucasian adults, taking dosing into account.

Higher proportion of agricultural land use around the residence is associated with higher urinary concentrations of AMPA, a glyphosate metabolite.

Introduction: Pesticides, including herbicides, are widely used for agricultural and sanitary reasons and concerns have been raised about their various health effects. Little research has been done into the extent to which agricultural land use in the residential surroundings contributes to (internal) exposure of pesticides.

Objectives: We investigated the associations between the proportion of agricultural land use around the residence and the exposure to pesticides in adolescents in Flanders (Belgium).

Role of Traditional Cardiovascular Risk Factors after Initiation of Statin Therapy: A PharmLines Inception Cohort Study.

Background: Multiple studies and meta-analyses examined the role of traditional risk factors for cardiovascular events in statin treatment-naive patients. Nowadays, millions receive such therapy for the primary prevention of cardiovascular events (CVE).

Objective: CVEs still occur in patients on primary preventive statin therapy.

Targeting the Beta-2-Adrenergic Receptor and the Risk of Developing Alzheimer's Disease: A Retrospective Inception Cohort Study.

Background: Animal studies suggested that β2-Adrenergic receptors (β2AR) may be a potential target for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Objective: This retrospective inception cohort study aimed to assess the association between antagonists and agonists of the β2AR and the risk of starting treatment for AD in older adults.

Methods: A retrospective inception cohort study was conducted among older adults who initiated either non-selective βAR antagonists or selective β2AR agonists using the University Groningen IADB.

A systematic literature review and meta-analysis of community pharmacist-led interventions to optimise the use of antibiotics.

Aims: The aim of this systematic review is to assess the effects of community pharmacist-led interventions to optimise the use of antibiotics and identify which interventions are most effective.

Methods: This review was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines (PROSPERO: CRD42020188552). PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched for (randomised) controlled trials.

Sex disparities in the effect of statins on lipid parameters: The PharmLines Initiative.

Real-world evidence on a potential statin effect modification by sex is inconclusive, especially for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD). We aimed to quantify the differences in the effect of statins on lipid parameters between men and women.The PharmLines Initiative linked the Lifelines Cohort Study and the IADB.

Residential green space is associated with a buffering effect on stress responses during the COVID-19 pandemic in mothers of young children, a prospective study.

Green spaces are associated with increased well-being and reduced risk of developing psychiatric disorders. In this study, we aimed to investigate how residential proximity to green spaces was associated with stress response buffering during the COVID-19 pandemic in a prospective cohort of young mothers. We collected information on stress in 766 mothers (mean age: 36.

Antidepressant use during pregnancy and development of preeclampsia: A focus on classes of action and specific transporters/receptors targeted by antidepressants.

Objective: The association between antidepressants and preeclampsia has been inconsistently reported. Given the compound-specific variable affinity for different transporters/receptors, their effect on preeclampsia risk could differ. Our study examined the risk of preeclampsia (and its subtypes) following exposure to different classes of antidepressants, also accounting for specific transporters/receptors targeted by antidepressants.

Higher surrounding green space is associated with better attention in Flemish adolescents.

Introduction: Previous studies suggested that green space is beneficial for the cognitive development in children. However, evidence in adolescents is limited. Therefore, we aim to investigate green space exposure in association with attention and behaviour in adolescents.