The pollution of marine environments with plastics, particularly microplastic (MP, i.e., plastic particles <5 mm), is a major threat to marine biota, including corals.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiology of primary advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer and the outcomes from real-world treatment patterns of patients affected in Germany between 2015 to 2021.
Methods: In this retrospective cohort study covering the period from 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2021, data from patients with primary advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer who initiated systemic treatment for their disease were extracted from an anonymized claims dataset. Epidemiologic outcomes were cumulative incidence of endometrial cancer and point prevalence.
Background: Biologic agents have demonstrated efficacy in treating ulcerative colitis (UC); however, treatment failure to tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) is common in the real world. Data on preferential sequencing in clinical practice after failure remain limited.
Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate real-world outcomes of patients cycling to TNFis or switching to non-TNFi biologics following first-line failure with TNFis.
Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Pharmacother
July 2024
Aims: Our study aimed to assess whether a single pill concept (SPC) is superior to a multi pill concept (MPC) in reducing cardiovascular (CV) events, all-cause death, and costs in CV patients.
Method And Results: Anonymized medical claims data covering 2012-2018, including patients with hypertension, dyslipidemia, and CV diseases who started a drug therapy either as SPC or identical MPC were analyzed after 1:1-Propensity Score Matching (PSM). Hospitalizations with predefined CV events, all-cause mortality, and costs were studied in 25,311 patients with SPC and 25,311 patients with MPC using incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and non-parametric tests for continuous variables.
The causes of the physiological effects of microplastic pollution, potentially harming reef-building corals, are unclear. Reasons might include increased energy demands for handling particles and immune reactions. This study is among the first assessing the effects of long-term microplastic exposure on coral physiology at realistic concentrations (200 polyethylene particles L).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study assessed real-world treatment in patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC) in Germany. Patients diagnosed with mUC from 2015 to 2019 were identified in two claims databases: AOK PLUS and GWQ. 3226 patients with mUC were analyzed; 1286 (39.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To assess patient characteristics of users and new initiators of triple therapy for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Germany.
Patients And Methods: Retrospective cohort study of patients with COPD and ≥1 prescription for single-inhaler triple therapy (SITT; fluticasone furoate/umeclidinium/vilanterol [FF/UMEC/VI] or beclomethasone dipropionate/glycopyrronium bromide/formoterol [BDP/GLY/FOR]) or multiple-inhaler triple therapy (MITT), using data from the AOK PLUS German sickness fund (1 January 2015-31 December 2019). The index date was the first date of prescription for FF/UMEC/VI or BDP/GLY/FOR (SITT users), or the first date of overlap of inhaled corticosteroid, long-acting β-agonist, and long-acting muscarinic antagonist (MITT users).
Aims: This retrospective claims data study characterized real-world treatment patterns, healthcare resource utilization (HCRU), and costs in patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC) in Germany.
Materials And Methods: Continuously insured adults with incident mUC diagnosis (=index; : C65-C68/C77-C79) in 2015-2019 were identified from two German claims databases. Patients who received first-line (1 L) treatment within 12 months of index were divided into three mutually exclusive sub-cohorts: platinum-based chemotherapy (PB-CT), non-PB-CT, and immunotherapy (IO).
Background: Patients with metastatic gastric cancer (mGC) have poor prognosis. This real-world study aimed to describe treatment regimens and survival of mGC patients.
Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted using anonymized German claims data (AOK PLUS) covering a period from 2010 to 2021.
Introduction: The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence, incidence, and treatment patterns (treatment regimens, switches, duration) for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in a real-world setting.
Methods: This was a retrospective German claims data analysis of patients with DLBCL diagnosed between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2020. The prevalence and cumulative incidence of DLBCL were found for 2019/2020.
Objectives: To retrospectively analyze real-world treatment patterns in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) who initiated third-line treatment in Europe.
Methods: German and Italian administrative claims data were sourced from the German AOK PLUS health insurance fund and Italian local health units (2016-2020). Data for the United Kingdom (UK), France, and Spain were sourced from medical chart reviews (MCRs) from 2016 to 2018 (historical) and 2019 to 2021 (new) using electronic case report forms.
Background: The Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) quantifies disability and measures disease progression in multiple sclerosis (MS), however is not available in administrative claims databases.
Objectives: To develop a claims-based algorithm for deriving EDSS and validate it against a clinical dataset capturing true EDSS values from medical records.
Methods: We built a unique linked dataset combining claims data from the German AOK PLUS sickness fund and medical records from the Multiple Sclerosis Management System 3D (MSDS).
Marine debris, particularly microdebris (< 1 mm) poses a potential threat to marine life, including reef-building corals. While previous research has mainly focused on the impact of single polymer microplastics, the effects of natural microdebris, composed of a mixture of materials, have not been explored. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the effects of different microdebris, originating from major sources of pollution, on reef-building corals.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency is a rare genetic disease and a leading cause of inherited alterations in plasma protein metabolism (APPM).
Aim: To understand the prevalence, burden and progression of liver disease in patients with APPM including alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency.
Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of anonymized patient-level claims data from a German health insurance provider (AOK PLUS).
Background: This study aimed to describe treatment patterns and overall survival (OS) in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (aNSCLC) in three countries between 2011 and 2020.
Methods: Three databases (US, Canada, Germany) were used to identify incident aNSCLC patients. OS was assessed from the date of incident aNSCLC diagnosis and, for patients who received at least a first line of therapy (1LOT), from the date of 1LOT initiation.
The fifth mass extinction event (MEE) at the Cretaceous-Palaeogene (K-Pg) boundary 66 million years ago (Ma) led to massive species loss but also triggered the diversification of higher taxa. Five models have been proposed depending on whether this diversification occurred before, during or after the K-Pg boundary and the rate of species accumulation. While the effects of the K-Pg MEE on vertebrate evolution are relatively well understood, the impact on invertebrates, particularly in freshwater ecosystems, remains controversial.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTo assess rates of no systemic treatment (NST), attrition across lines of therapy, and factors influencing treatment selection in patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer (la/mUC). Systematic literature review to identify real-world studies reporting NST or attrition rates in la/mUC from 2017-2022 (including data reported since 2015). Of 2439 publications screened, 29 reported NST rates, ranging from 40-74% in eight European-based studies, 14-60% in 12 US-based studies, and 9-63% in nine studies in other locations (meta-analysis estimate, 39%).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStatus epilepticus is a life-threatening emergency, and to date, few studies have reported on its long-term treatment and outcomes. This study aimed to estimate the incidence, the treatment and outcomes, the healthcare resource utilization and the costs of status epilepticus in Germany. Data from 2015 to 2019 were obtained from German claims (AOK PLUS).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground And Objectives: Psoriasis is a common skin disorder with a high physical and psychological burden for patients. Up to 30% of the patients are candidates for a systemic treatment. The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics and the real-world systemic treatment of psoriasis patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the burden of disease among a real-world cohort of patients with prevalent Crohn's disease (CD) in Germany.
Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis using administrative claims data from the German AOK PLUS health insurance fund. Continuously insured patients with a CD diagnosis between 01 October 2014 and 31 December 2018 were selected and followed for at least 12 months or longer until death or end of data availability on 31 December 2019.
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