Metformin and the Risk of Dementia in Type 2 Diabetes Patients.

This retrospective cohort study investigated dementia risk associated with metformin use in type 2 diabetes patients by using the reimbursement database of the Taiwan's National Health Insurance. The patients had new-onset diabetes during 1999-2005 and were followed up until December 31, 2011. An unmatched cohort of 147,729 ever users and 15,676 never users of metformin were identified, and a matched-pair cohort of 15,676 ever users and 15,676 never users was created by propensity score (PS).

Metformin Decreases Risk of Tuberculosis Infection in Type 2 Diabetes Patients.

Background: Metformin may show an antibiotic effect, but whether its use can reduce the risk of tuberculosis infection has rarely been investigated in population-based studies.

Methods: This is a retrospective cohort analysis of the Taiwan's National Health Insurance database. New-onset type 2 diabetes patients, 148,468 ever users and 15,799 never users of metformin, identified during 1999⁻2005 were followed up until 31 December 2011 for the incidence of tuberculosis infection.

Metformin and Risk of Hypertension in Taiwanese Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Background: Whether metformin use may reduce hypertension risk has not been studied. This study investigated such possibility in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Methods And Results: Newly diagnosed patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus during 1999-2005 were enrolled from the reimbursement database of the Taiwan's National Health Insurance and followed to December 31, 2011.

Metformin and risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in diabetes patients.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate whether metformin can affect risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients.

Methods: T2D patients newly diagnosed during 1999-2005 were enrolled from the reimbursement database of Taiwan's National Health Insurance system and followed up to 31 December 2011. Analyses were conducted in an unmatched cohort (92,272 ever-users and 10,697 never-users of metformin) and a propensity score (PS) matched pair cohort (10,697 ever-users and 10,697 never-users).

Metformin and risk of developing nasopharyngeal cancer in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Background: Metformin has anticancer effects, but whether it can reduce the risk of nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) is not known.

Methods: A total of 15,486 ever-users and 15,486 never-users of metformin matched by propensity score were enrolled from among patients with new-onset type 2 diabetes mellitus diagnosed during the period 1999-2005 and who were found in the reimbursement database of Taiwan's National Health Insurance. The patients were followed until December 31, 2011.

Metformin is associated with decreased skin cancer risk in Taiwanese patients with type 2 diabetes.

Background: Metformin, an antidiabetic drug, is associated with decreased cancer risk, but its effect on skin cancer is unknown.

Objective: To evaluate skin cancer risk associated with metformin use.

Methods: In total, 16,237 matched pairs of ever and never metformin users with new-onset type 2 diabetes diagnosed during 1999-2005 were retrospectively enrolled and followed until December 31, 2011, using Taiwan's National Health Insurance database.

Sitagliptin and oral cancer risk in type 2 diabetes patients.

The reimbursement database of the Taiwan's National Health Insurance was used to evaluate oral cancer risk after sitagliptin use. Patients newly diagnosed of type 2 diabetes during 1999-2008 were recruited. A 1:1 propensity score matched-pair sample of 39195 ever users and 39195 never users were followed up until December 31, 2011.

Metformin and lung cancer risk in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

This study evaluated whether metformin might reduce lung cancer risk. The reimbursement database of the Taiwan's National Health Insurance was used. A sample of 15414 never users and 280159 ever users of metformin (original sample) and a 1:1 matched-pairs of ever and never users (n=15414 in each group, matched sample) were recruited from patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus during 1999-2005.

Metformin is associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancer in Taiwanese patients with type 2 diabetes: A retrospective cohort analysis.

Background: The association between metformin and colorectal cancer (CRC) has rarely been investigated in Asian populations.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes during 1999-2005, recruited from Taiwan's National Health Insurance database. A total of 169,601 patients (original cohort: 153,270 ever-users and 16,331 never-users of metformin) and a subgroup of 1:1 propensity-score-matched pairs of 16,331 ever-users and 16,331 never-users (matched cohort) were followed up to 31 December 2011.

Sitagliptin May Reduce Breast Cancer Risk in Women With Type 2 Diabetes.

Background: Whether sitagliptin may affect breast cancer risk remains to be answered. This study evaluated such an association in Taiwanese female patients with type 2 diabetes.

Methods: A retrospective cohort of female patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes at an age ≥ 25 years between 1999 and 2010 was recruited from the National Health Insurance database.

Rosiglitazone reduces breast cancer risk in Taiwanese female patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

This study investigated whether rosiglitazone may affect breast cancer risk in female patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Taiwan. The reimbursement database of all female patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus under oral antidiabetic agents or insulin from 1996 to 2009 was retrieved from the National Health Insurance. An entry date was set on 1 January 2006 and a total of 431447 patients were followed up for breast cancer incidence till the end of 2009.

Factors Associated with Cancer- and Non-Cancer-Related Deaths among Taiwanese Patients with Diabetes after 17 Years of Follow-Up.

Objective: A previous 12-year follow-up of a large diabetes cohort in Taiwan suggested a survival advantage in the patients with obesity. The present study further investigated additional determinants for cancer and non-cancer death in the cohort after a follow-up of 17 years.

Methods: A cohort of 92546 diabetes patients recruited since 1995 was followed for vital status by matching the National Death Certificate Database until 2011.

Metformin and esophageal cancer risk in Taiwanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

This study evaluated whether metformin might reduce esophageal cancer risk. Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus diagnosed during 1999-2005 were recruited from the reimbursement database of Taiwan's National Health Insurance. Those newly treated with metformin (n = 288013, "ever users of metformin") or other antidiabetic drugs (n = 16216, "never users of metformin") were followed until December 31, 2011.

Sitagliptin may reduce prostate cancer risk in male patients with type 2 diabetes.

This retrospective cohort study evaluated the risk of prostate cancer associated with sitagliptin use in Taiwanese male patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus by using the reimbursement databases of the National Health Insurance. Male patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus at an age ≥25 years between 1999 and 2010 were recruited. A total of 37,924 ever users of sitagliptin and 426,276 never users were followed until December 31, 2011.

Metformin reduces gastric cancer risk in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

This retrospective cohort study investigated whether metformin may reduce gastric cancer risk by using the reimbursement databases of the Taiwan's National Health Insurance. Patients with type 2 diabetes diagnosed during 1999-2005 and newly treated with metformin (n=287971, "ever users of metformin") or other antidiabetic drugs (n=16217, "never users of metformin") were followed until December 31, 2011. The effect of metformin (for ever versus never users, and for tertiles of cumulative duration of therapy) was estimated by Cox regression incorporated with the inverse probability of treatment weighting using propensity score.

Metformin use and cervical cancer risk in female patients with type 2 diabetes.

This study evaluated whether metformin may affect the risk of cervical cancer. The reimbursement databases of the Taiwan's National Health Insurance were used. Female patients with type 2 diabetes at an onset age of 25-74 years during 1999-2005 and newly treated with metformin (n=132971, "ever users of metformin") or other antidiabetic drugs (n=6940, "never users of metformin") were followed for at least 6 months until December 31, 2011.

Sitagliptin and heart failure hospitalization in patients with type 2 diabetes.

This study evaluated the risk of heart failure hospitalization in a 1:1 matched pair sample of sitagliptin ever and never users derived from the Taiwan's National Health Insurance. A total of 85,859 ever users and 85,859 never users matched on 8 digits of propensity score were followed for the first event of heart failure hospitalization until December 31, 2011. The treatment effect (for ever versus never users, and for tertiles of cumulative duration of therapy) was estimated by Cox regression incorporated with the inverse probability of treatment weighting using propensity score.

Sitagliptin use and thyroid cancer risk in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Whether sitagliptin may increase thyroid cancer risk has not been investigated in the Asian populations. This study evaluated the association in Taiwanese patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes from 1999 to 2008 by using the reimbursement database of the National Health Insurance. They should have been followed for at least 6 months after March 1, 2009, the date when sitagliptin was approved for reimbursement.

Metformin may reduce oral cancer risk in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Background: Whether metformin use may affect the risk of oral cancer required further investigation.

Methods: The reimbursement database of the National Health Insurance in Taiwan was used. Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus at an onset age of 25-74 years during 1999-2005 and newly treated with either metformin (n = 288198, "ever users of metformin") or other antidiabetic drugs (n = 16263, "never users of metformin") were followed for at least 6 months for oral cancer until December 31, 2011.

Use of metformin and risk of kidney cancer in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Background: The anticancer effect of metformin has been reported in the literature but requires additional confirmation in epidemiologic studies. With respect to kidney cancer scarce data are available. This study investigates whether metformin use in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) might affect kidney cancer risk.

Sitagliptin and pancreatic cancer risk in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Background: The risk of pancreatic cancer associated with incretin-based therapies is controversial.

Methods: This study retrospectively analysed the National Health Insurance database including patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus at an age ≥ 25 years between 1999 and 2010. A total of 71 137 ever users of sitagliptin and 933 046 never users were followed for pancreatic cancer until 31 December 2011.

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Kidney Cancer Risk: A Retrospective Cohort Analysis of the National Health Insurance.

Purpose: To evaluate the association between incidence of any kidney cancer and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Methods: A random sample of 1,000,000 subjects covered by the National Health Insurance was recruited. A total of 998728 people (115655 diabetes and 883073 non-diabetes) without kidney cancer at recruitment were followed from 2003 to 2005.

Sitagliptin increases acute pancreatitis risk within 2 years of its initiation: A retrospective cohort analysis of the National Health Insurance database in Taiwan.

Purpose: To evaluate the risk of acute pancreatitis hospitalization with sitagliptin use in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods: This retrospective cohort analysis included newly diagnosed T2DM with onset age ≥25 years between 1999 and 2010 from the National Health Insurance database. Ever users (n = 89,800) and never users (n = 449,000) of sitagliptin were followed until end of 2011.