Risk of rhabdomyolysis in patients with mental disorders.

Objectives: Rhabdomyolysis is caused by rapid muscle breakdown. Although patients with mental disorders are more susceptible to rhabdomyolysis, its incidence in this group is poorly established. Therefore, we conducted a population-based cohort study to investigate its incidence and risk in this group.

SGLT-2 Inhibitors and the Risk of COPD Exacerbations and Mortality in COPD Patients.

Rationale: Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are susceptible to acute exacerbations, cardiovascular disease, and premature death.

Objectives: To compare the risk of COPD exacerbation, cardiovascular diseases, and mortality between sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitor use and no use in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and COPD.

Methods: The study included 299,168 patients diagnosed with T2DM and COPD in the National Health Insurance Research Database from January 1, 2009, to December 31, 2020.

Statin Monotherapy Not Inferior to Aspirin or Combined Aspirin and Statins Reducing the Incidences of Cirrhosis, HCC, and Mortality in MAFLD/MASH Patients: A Population Cohort Study.

Purpose: Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) pose significant risks for liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Daily aspirin and statins could reduce HCC in patients with MAFLD/MASH. We aimed to clarify whether combined aspirin and statins exert a synergistic effect on prevention of cirrhosis and HCC in patients with MAFLD/MASH.

The Impact of Pay-for-Performance Care on the Mortality and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Older Adults with Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study.

Objectives: To evaluate the long-term effects of pay-for-performance (P4P) care in the geriatric population with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Design: Retrospective longitudinal cohort study.

Setting And Participants: A total of 6607 propensity score-matched pairs of patients with newly diagnosed T2D who received either P4P care or standard care as identified from the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2019.

The association between antiglaucomatous agents and Alzheimer's disease.

Objectives: To estimate the risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD) associated with long-term use of topical glaucoma medications among middle-aged and older glaucoma patients, and compare the AD risk among various glaucoma subtypes.

Methods: This nationwide population-based cohort study utilized insurance claims data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database between 2008 and 2019. Participants were adults aged 45 years or older either with a diagnosis of glaucoma or without.

The risk of herpes zoster is positively associated with obesity, especially morbid obesity.

This study aimed to investigate the association between obesity and herpes zoster (HZ) occurrence. This study used data covering 2 million people in Taiwan in 2000, which were obtained from the National Health Insurance Research Database. The cohort study observed aged 20-100 years with obesity from 2000 to 2017 (tracking to 2018).

The Incidence, Mortality and Medical Expenditure in Patients with Asthma in Taiwan: Ten-year Nationwide Study.

Background: This study examines incidence, mortality, medical expenditure and prescription patterns for asthma on a national scale, particularly in Asian countries for asthma is limited. Our aim is to investigate incidence, mortality, prescription patterns and provide a comprehensive overview of healthcare utilization trends for asthma from 2009 to 2018.

Methods: We included patients diagnosed with asthma between 2009 and 2018.

Advancing breastfeeding promotion: leveraging integrative natural galactagogues and unveiling their potential roles-Insights from a 19-year Taiwan nationwide registry to address lactation insufficiency in postpartum women.

Background: Lactation insufficiency is a prevalent challenge for nursing mothers globally. There is a growing interest in the use of herbal galactagogues for enhancing lactation, but their therapeutic efficacy and underlying mechanisms need thorough investigation. This study aims to investigate the efficacy and mechanisms of action of herbal galactagogues in addressing lactation insufficiency by utilizing real-world data and employing a network analysis approach.

Strong association of lumbar disk herniation with diabetes mellitus: a 12-year nationwide retrospective cohort study.

Background: Despite reports on the association between diabetes mellitus (DM) and lumbar disk herniation (LDH), large-scale, nationwide studies exploring this relationship are lacking. We aimed to examine the profiles of DM in individuals with LDH and explore the potential mechanisms underlying the development of these disorders.

Methods: This retrospective, population-based study was conducted between 2008 and 2019 using data from the National Health Insurance (NHI) research database in Taiwan.

Obstructive sleep apnea increases the risk of herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia.

Objective: Diseases associated with chronic pain are typically a major source of stress for patients; and have been linked to herpes zoster (HZ) development. Here, we investigated whether obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a potential stressor that increases the risk of HZ and postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) in affected individuals.

Methods: The data used in this study were obtained from the National Health Insurance Research Database.

The Impact of Chronic Pancreatitis on the Occurrences of Human Cancers: Real-World Data.

Chronic pancreatitis (CP) may induce systemic inflammation, potentially increasing cancer susceptibility. However, the link between CP and extra-pancreatic cancer remains underexplored. Employing Taiwanese National Health Insurance Database data from 2000 to 2017, we compared 5394 CP patients with 21,576 non-CP individuals through propensity score matching.

Exploring the Relationship between Periodontitis, Anti-Periodontitis Therapy, and Extra-Oral Cancer Risk: Findings from a Nationwide Population-Based Study.

This study aimed to evaluate the systemic impact of periodontitis, previously considered a local disease, on cancer occurrence. We enrolled 683,854 participants, comparing cancer incidence among those with and without periodontitis and assessing the impact of periodontal treatment on cancer risk. Regardless of gender, age, Charlson comorbidity index, or the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, periodontitis patients had a lower overall cancer risk than controls.

Risk of Herpes Zoster in Patients with Pulmonary Tuberculosis-A Population-Based Cohort Study.

Background: Pulmonary tuberculosis (TB), a global health problem, is typically caused by the bacterium . Herpes zoster (HZ) is caused by the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus (VZV). The reactivation of VZV can be caused by stress.