Risk of depression following traumatic limb amputation—a general population-based cohort study

Background: Individuals with traumatic limb amputation (TLA) may be at risk of depression, but evidence of increased depression after TLA from longitudinal studies has been limited. It is also unknown whether physical function, cognitive function, and employment prior to amputation affects depression risk. We aimed to examine longitudinal associations between TLA and depression in working age men, and to explore the role of pre-amputation occupational and individual characteristics. Methods: A Swedish national register-based cohort of 189,220 men born between 1952 and 1956, and who attended conscription assessments in adolescence, was followed from 1985 to 2009. Physical, cognitive, and psychological characteristics were measured at the conscription examination, and occupational information was obtained from the 1985 census. Main outcome measures were hospital inpatient and outpatient admissions for depression. Results: In total, 401 men underwent TLA; mean age at amputation was 42.5 years (SD 7.4). Cox regression produced an unadjusted hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) of 2.61 (1.62–4.21) for risk of subsequent depression associated with TLA compared with the general population. Adjustment for occupational, physical, cognitive, and psychological characteristics did not change the association much, producing a hazard ratio of 2.53 (1.57–4.08). Conclusions: TLA is associated with an increased risk of depression in men over more than two decades of follow up. Occupational and individual characteristics prior to amputation did not greatly change depression risk following amputation. We speculate that a coordinated combination of social support and medical management may help reduce persistent depression risk in men who experience amputation.

Download Full-text

Do Children With Constipation Have Increased Risk of Asthma? Real-World Data From a Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study

Frontiers in Pediatrics ◽

10.3389/fped.2021.714406 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Author(s):

Yen-Chu Huang ◽

Meng-Che Wu ◽

Yu-Hsun Wang ◽

James Cheng-Chung Wei

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

Cox Regression ◽

Population Based ◽

Hazard Ratio ◽

Adjusted Hazard Ratio ◽

Research Database ◽

Real World Data ◽

Childhood Disorders ◽

Cox Regression Analysis ◽

Increased Risk

Background: Asthma is one of the most burdensome childhood disorders. Growing evidence disclose intestinal dysbiosis may contribute to asthma via the gut-lung axis. Constipation can lead to alteration of the gut microbiota. The clinical impact of constipation on asthma has not been researched. Therefore, we aim to assess whether pediatric constipation influence the risk of developing asthma by a nationwide population-based cohort study.Methods: We analyzed 10,363 constipated patients and 10,363 individuals without constipation between 1999 and 2013 from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database. Analysis of propensity score was utilized to match age, sex, comorbidities, and medications at a ratio of 1:1. In addition, multiple Cox regression analysis was performed to evaluate the adjusted hazard ratio of asthma. Furthermore, sensitivity tests and a stratified analysis were performed.Results: After adjustment for age, sex, comorbidities, and medications, constipated patients had a 2.36-fold greater risk of asthma compared to those without constipation [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR): 2.36, 95% C.I. 2.04–2.73, p < 0.001]. Furthermore, the severity of constipation is associated with an increased risk of asthma; the adjusted hazard ratio was 2.25, 2.85, and 3.44 within < 3, 3–12, and ≥12 times of laxatives prescription within 1 year, respectively (p < 0.001).Conclusion: Constipation was correlated with a significantly increased risk of asthma. Pediatricians should be aware of the possibility of asthma in constipated patients. Further research is warranted to investigate the possible pathological mechanisms of this association.

Download Full-text

Suicide risk among refugees compared with non-refugee migrants and the Swedish-born majority population

The British Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1192/bjp.2019.220 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 217 (6) ◽

pp. 686-692 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Anna-Clara Hollander ◽

Alexandra Pitman ◽

Hugo Sjöqvist ◽

Glyn Lewis ◽

Cecilia Magnusson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Suicide Risk ◽

Cox Regression ◽

Population Based ◽

Host Population ◽

Hazard Ratio ◽

Additional Risk Factor ◽

Migrant Status ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Majority Population ◽

Over Time

BackgroundIt has been hypothesised that refugees have an increased risk of suicide.AimsTo investigate whether risk of suicide is higher among refugees compared with non-refugee migrants from the same areas of origin and with the Swedish-born population, and to examine whether suicide rates among migrants converge to the Swedish-born population over time.MethodA population-based cohort design using linked national registers to follow 1 457 898 people born between 1 January 1970 and 31 December 1984, classified by migrant status as refugees, non-refugee migrants or Swedish-born. Participants were followed from their 16th birthday or date of arrival in Sweden until death, emigration or 31 December 2015, whichever came first. Cox regression models estimated adjusted hazard ratios for suicide by migrant status, controlling for age, gender, region of origin and income.ResultsThere were no significant differences in suicide risk between refugee and non-refugee migrants (hazard ratio 1.28, 95% CI 0.93–1.76) and both groups had a lower risk of suicide than Swedish born. During their first 5 years in Sweden no migrants died by suicide; however, after 21–31 years their suicide risk was equivalent to the Swedish-born population (hazard ratio 0.94, 95% CI 0.79–1.22). After adjustment for income this risk was significantly lower for migrants than the Swedish-born population.ConclusionsBeing a refugee was not an additional risk factor for suicide. Our findings regarding temporal changes in suicide risk suggest that acculturation and socioeconomic deprivation may account for a convergence of suicide risk between migrants and the host population over time.Declaration of interestNone.

Download Full-text

Cancer Risk in Patients with Autoimmune Hepatitis: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study with Histopathology

American Journal of Epidemiology ◽

10.1093/aje/kwab119 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Rajani Sharma ◽

Elizabeth C Verna ◽

Tracey G Simon ◽

Jonas Söderling ◽

Hannes Hagström ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

General Population ◽

Cancer Risk ◽

Autoimmune Hepatitis ◽

Cox Regression ◽

Population Based ◽

Swedish Population ◽

Non Melanoma Skin Cancer ◽

Incident Cancer ◽

Increased Risk

Abstract We aimed to determine the risk of incident cancer in autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) compared to the general population and siblings. AIH was defined by the presence of a medical diagnosis of AIH and a liver biopsy in a nationwide Swedish population-based cohort study. We identified 5,268 adults with AIH diagnosed 1969-2016 and 22,996 matched general population reference individuals and 4,170 sibling comparators. Using Cox regression, hazard ratios (HRs) were determined for any incident cancer and sub-types determined from the Swedish Cancer Register. During follow-up, a cancer diagnosis was made in 1,119 individuals with AIH (17.2/1000 person-years) and 4,450 reference individuals (12.0/1000 person-years). This corresponded to an HR of 1.53 (95%CI: 1.42,1.66). Cancer risk was highest in those with cirrhosis. There was a 29.18-fold increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (95%CI, 17.52,48.61). The annual incidence risk of HCC in individuals with AIH who had cirrhosis was 1.1% per year. AIH was also linked to non-melanoma skin cancer (HR=2.69) and lymphoma (HR=1.89). Sibling analyses yielded similar risk estimates for any cancer (HR=1.84) and HCC (HR=23.10). AIH is associated with an increased risk of any cancer, in particular, HCC and extra-hepatic malignancies. The highest risk for cancer, especially HCC, is in patients with cirrhosis.

Download Full-text

Risk of tuberculosis in patients with immune-mediated diseases on biological therapies: a population-based study in a tuberculosis endemic region

Rheumatology ◽

10.1093/rheumatology/key364 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 58 (5) ◽

pp. 803-810 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Xing Wang ◽

Sunny H Wong ◽

Xian-Song Wang ◽

Whitney Tang ◽

Chang-Qin Liu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

General Population ◽

Population Based ◽

Hazard Ratio ◽

Tnf Inhibitor ◽

Biological Therapies ◽

Standardized Incidence Ratio ◽

Endemic Region ◽

Immune Mediated ◽

Increased Risk

Abstract Objective Real-world epidemiological data on the risk of tuberculosis (TB) in patients with immune-mediated diseases treated with biologics are scarce in TB endemic areas. We investigated the incidence of TB in a population-based setting and stratified the risk of TB among different biological therapies. Methods We collected medical data from a territory-wide computerized database in Hong Kong. We reported the incidence of TB in patients treated with various classes of biologics, and calculated standardized incidence ratio by comparing with the general population. Subgroup analyses were performed based on disease subtypes and biological drugs. Results Among 2485 subjects with immune-mediated diseases (82.5% rheumatology diseases; 10.6% IBD; 6.9% dermatology diseases), 54 subjects developed active TB during 6921 person-years of follow-up. The mean age (±s.d.) was 43 (14) years, and the median follow-up duration was 24.9 months (interquartile range 4.9–45.0). The overall standardized incidence ratio of TB was 10.91 (95% CI 8.00–13.82), and patients treated with infliximab had a nearly 26 times increased risk of TB compared with the general population (standardized incidence ratio 25.95; 95% CI 17.23–34.67). The risk of TB with TNF inhibitor was higher than with a non-TNF biologic (hazard ratio 4.34; 95% CI 1.31–14.39), while the risk of infliximab was higher than etanercept and adalimumab (hazard ratio: 4.10 and 2.08, respectively). Conclusion The risk of TB is much higher in patients with immune-mediated diseases on biological therapy compared with the general population, and infliximab is associated with the highest risk of TB among the biologics analysed.

Download Full-text

Methotrexate and risk of interstitial lung disease and respiratory failure in rheumatoid arthritis: a nationwide population-based study

Rheumatology ◽

10.1093/rheumatology/keaa327 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 60 (1) ◽

pp. 346-352 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Else Helene Ibfelt ◽

Rikke Kart Jacobsen ◽

Tine Iskov Kopp ◽

René Lindholm Cordtz ◽

Anna Svarre Jakobsen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Respiratory Failure ◽

Interstitial Lung Disease ◽

General Population ◽

Lung Disease ◽

Cox Regression ◽

Population Based ◽

Calendar Time ◽

Registration System ◽

Background Population ◽

Increased Risk

Abstract Objectives MTX is the most commonly recommended DMARD for first-line treatment of RA, however, it has been hypothesized to cause lung disease as an adverse effect. We investigated the risk of interstitial lung disease (ILD) and acute and chronic respiratory failure in persons with RA treated with MTX and other medications. Methods From the Danish National Patient Register (NPR) and the DANBIO register for rheumatic diseases, we retrieved data on 30 512 persons with RA registered in 1997–2015. Information on ILD and respiratory failure was obtained from the NPR. Information on age and sex for all Danish citizens was obtained from the Danish Civil Registration System. MTX and other medication purchases were retrieved from the Danish Prescription Registry. Associations between MTX and lung disease outcomes were analysed in Cox regression models with adjustment for age, calendar time, sex and other medications. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) of lung disease were calculated to compare the RA population with the general population. Results There was no increased risk of lung disease with MTX treatment [one or more purchases compared with no purchases; HR 1.00 (95% CI 0.78, 1.27) for ILD and 0.54 (95% CI 0.43, 0.67) for respiratory failure] at the 5 year follow-up. The SIR was three to four times higher for ILD in MTX-treated persons with RA, but similar to the whole RA population compared with the background population. Conclusion Persons with RA had an increased risk of ILD compared with the general population, but there was no further increased risk associated with MTX treatment.

Download Full-text

Stomach Cancer and Exposure to Talc Powder without Asbestos via Chinese Herbal Medicine: A Population-Based Cohort Study

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph16050717 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (5) ◽

pp. 717 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Che-Jui Chang ◽

Yao-Hsu Yang ◽

Pau-Chung Chen ◽

Hsin-Yi Peng ◽

Yi-Chia Lu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

Stomach Cancer ◽

Cox Regression ◽

Oral Intake ◽

Positive Association ◽

Population Based ◽

Hazard Ratio ◽

Cumulative Exposure ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Dose Response Effect

The present investigation was designed to explore the risk of stomach cancer by oral intake of talc powder without asbestos. We conducted a population-based cohort study on a randomly sampled cohort from Taiwan’s health insurance database, with population of 1,000,000. The study participants were followed up through 2013. The outcome event of interest was the diagnosis of stomach cancer. The exposure of interest was the prescription of talc powder. Cox regression analyses were performed respectively. There were 584,077 persons without talc exposure and 21,575 talc users, 1849 diagnosed with stomach cancer. Persons with exposure of talc had a higher hazard ratio of stomach cancer (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.13; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.54–2.94; p < 0.001). Classification by cumulative exposure of talc yielded adjusted hazard ratios of stomach cancer of 1.58 (95% CI, 0.79–3.17; p = 0.19) and 2.30 (95% CI, 1.48–3.57; p < 0.001) among persons with high (>21 g) and medium (6–21 g) exposure of talc, as compared to the low-exposure counterparts. Our data demonstrated positive association between increased risk of stomach cancer and oral intake of talc without asbestos. Despite the absence of dose-response effect, there might be a link between stomach cancer and talc.

Download Full-text

OP14 Risk of colorectal cancer diagnosis and colorectal cancer mortality in Crohn’s disease: A Scandinavian population-based cohort study

Journal of Crohn s and Colitis ◽

10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjz203.013 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 14 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S013-S014

Author(s):

O Olen ◽

R Erichsen ◽

M C Sachs ◽

L Pedersen ◽

J Halfvarson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Colorectal Cancer ◽

Cohort Study ◽

Crohn’S Disease ◽

Crohn's Disease ◽

General Population ◽

Cox Regression ◽

Population Based ◽

Tumour Stage ◽

Increased Risk

Abstract Background Crohn’s disease (CD) is a risk factor for colorectal cancer (CRC). Earlier studies reflect older treatment and surveillance strategies, and most have studied incident CRC without addressing potential lead-time and surveillance biases. Such bias can be reduced by examining tumour stage-adjusted CRC incidence and CRC mortality. We aimed to assess risks of CRC mortality and incident CRC among patients with CD compared with the general population. Methods Nationwide register-based cohort study during 1969–2017 of 47,035 patients with CD in Denmark (n = 13,056) and Sweden (n = 33,979), compared with 463,187 general population reference individuals, matched for sex, age, calendar year, and place of residence. We used Cox regression to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for incident CRC and CRC mortality. In a multistate model, assessing competing events during follow-up (CRC diagnosis, CRC death, other death), we also took a tumour stage into account. Results During 1969–2017, 499 patients with CD developed CRC, corresponding to an adjusted HR of 1.40 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.27–1.53]. We observed 296 (0.47/1000 person-years) deaths from CRC in patients with CD compared with 1968 (0.31/1000) in reference individuals [HR 1.74 (95% CI 1.54–1.96)]. CD patients diagnosed with CRC were at increased risk of CRC mortality compared with reference individuals also diagnosed with CRC [HR = 1.30 (95% CI 1.06–1.59)] and tumour stage at CRC diagnosis did not differ between groups (p = 0.27). CD patients who had 8 or more years of follow-up or who were diagnosed with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) and hence were potentially eligible for CRC surveillance had an increased overall risk of CRC death [HR 1.41 (95% CI 1.18–1.69)] or CRC diagnosis [HR = 1.12 (95% CI = 0.98–1.28)]. However, in patients potentially eligible for CRC surveillance, we only found significantly increased risks in patients with CD onset <40 years, disease activity in the colon only, or with PSC (Figure 1). Conclusion CD patients are at increased risk of a CRC diagnosis and CRC death. Despite repeated colonoscopies during follow-up, CD patients are not diagnosed earlier (less severe tumour stage) with CRC than reference individuals. Nevertheless, CD patients with CRC have higher mortality than non-CD patients also diagnosed with CRC. CRC surveillance could likely be improved and should be focussed on CD patients <40 years at CD onset, patients with colon inflammation, and patients who have PSC.

Download Full-text

Incidence of COVID-19 Hospitalisation in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Nationwide Cohort Study from Denmark

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm10173842 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (17) ◽

pp. 3842

Author(s):

René Cordtz ◽

Salome Kristensen ◽

Louise Plank Holm Dalgaard ◽

Rasmus Westermann ◽

Kirsten Duch ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus ◽

Cohort Study ◽

General Population ◽

Lupus Erythematosus ◽

Cox Regression ◽

Hazard Ratio ◽

Systemic Lupus ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Study Results ◽

The Impact

Background: Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have an increased risk of infections due to impaired immune functions, disease activity, and treatment. This study investigated the impact of having SLE on the incidence of hospitalisation with COVID-19 infection. Methods: This was a nationwide cohort study from Denmark between 1 March 2020 to 2 February 2021, based on the linkage of several nationwide registers. The adjusted incidence of COVID-19 hospitalisation was estimated for patients with SLE compared with the general population in Cox-regression models. Among SLE patients, the hazard ratio (HR) for hospitalisation was analysed as nested case-control study. Results: Sixteen of the 2533 SLE patients were hospitalised with COVID-19 infection. The age-sex adjusted rate per 1000 person years was 6.16 (95% CI 3.76–10.08) in SLE patients, and the corresponding hazard ratio was 2.54 (95% CI 1.55–4.16) compared with the matched general population group after adjustment for comorbidities. Among SLE patients, hydroxychloroquine treatment was associated with a HR for hospitalisation of 0.61 (95% CI 0.19–1.88), and 1.06 (95% CI 0.3–3.72) for glucocorticoid treatment. Conclusion: Patients with SLE were at increased risk of hospitalisation with COVID-19.

Download Full-text

Risk of Seizures in Patients with Organophosphate Poisoning: A Nationwide Population-Based Study

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph16173147 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (17) ◽

pp. 3147 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Chieh-Sen Chuang ◽

Kai-Wei Yang ◽

Chia-Ming Yen ◽

Cheng-Li Lin ◽

Chia-Hung Kao

Keyword(s):

General Population ◽

Cox Regression ◽

Population Based ◽

Organophosphate Poisoning ◽

Research Database ◽

Population Based Study ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Taiwan National Health Insurance ◽

History Of

Objective: Previous research has demonstrated that patients with a history of organophosphate poisoning tend to have a higher risk of neurological disorder. However, research on the rate of seizure development in patients after organophosphate poisoning is lacking. This study examined whether individuals with organophosphate poisoning have an increased risk of seizures through several years of follow-up. Patients and Methods: We conducted a retrospective study on a cohort of 45,060 individuals (9012 patients with a history of organophosphate poisoning and 36,048 controls) selected from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. The individuals were observed for a maximum of 12 years to determine the rate of new-onset seizure disorder. We selected a comparison cohort from the general population that was randomly frequency-matched by age, sex, and index year and further analyzed the risk of seizures using a Cox regression model adjusted for sex, age, and comorbidities. Results: During the study period, the risk of seizure development was 3.57 times greater in patients with organophosphate poisoning compared with individuals without, after adjustments for age, sex, and comorbidities. The absolute incidence of seizures was highest in individuals aged 20 to 34 years in both cohorts (adjusted hazard ratio = 13.0, 95% confidence interval = 5.40−31.4). A significantly higher seizure risk was also observed in patients with organophosphate poisoning and comorbidities other than cirrhosis. Conclusions: This nationwide retrospective cohort study demonstrates that seizure risk is significantly increased in patients with organophosphate poisoning compared with the general population.

Download Full-text

The Influence of Constipation on Asthma: A Real-world, Population-based Cohort Study

10.22541/au.161089372.23442799/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Yen Chu Huang ◽

Meng Che Wu ◽

Yu-Hsun Wang ◽

James Cheng-Chung Wei

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

Cox Regression ◽

Population Based ◽

Hazard Ratio ◽

Adjusted Hazard Ratio ◽

World Population ◽

Research Database ◽

Cox Regression Analysis ◽

Increased Risk ◽

One Year

Background Among respiratory diseases, asthma is one of the most burdensome disorder worldwide. Growing evidence disclose gut dysbiosis may contribute to asthma via the gut-lung axis. Constipation can lead to alteration of the gut microflora. The clinical impact of constipation on asthma has not been researched. Therefore, we aim to assess the risk of asthma in constipated patients by a nationwide population-based cohort study. Methods We analyzed 82421 constipated patients and 82421 individuals without constipation between 1999 and 2013 from the Taiwanese National Health Insurance Research Database. Analysis of propensity score was utilized to match age, gender, comorbidities, and medications at a ratio of 1:1. Besides, multiple Cox regression analysis was performed to evaluate the adjusted hazard ratio of asthma. Furthermore, sensitivity tests and a stratified analysis were conducted. Results The incidence of asthma was 10.8 per 1,000 person-years in the constipation group, which was higher than the rate of 5.6 per 1,000 person-years observed in the non-constipation group. After adjustment for age, gender, comorbidities, and medications, constipated patients had a 1.91-fold greater risk of asthma compared to those without constipation (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR]: 1.91 (95% C.I. 1.84-1.99). In subgroup analyses, patients aged 20-39 years had a 2.04-fold highest risk of asthma in the constipation cohort (aHR:2.04, 95% CI, 1.84-2.26). Besides, the severity of constipation is associated with an increased risk of asthma; the aHR was 1.76 (1.69-1.85), 2.15(2.03-2.27), and 2.29(2.10-2.49) for < 3 times, 3-12 times, and ≥12 times of laxatives prescription within one year, respectively. (p<0.001) Moreover, constipated patients had a higher likelihood of asthma, regardless of gender, comorbidities, and medications. Conclusion Constipation relates to a significantly increased risk of asthma. Physicians should be aware of the possibility of asthma in constipated people. Further research is warranted to investigate the possible pathological mechanisms of this association.

Download Full-text