Alopecia areata is not a risk factor for heart diseases: A 10-year retrospective cohort study

Alopecia areata (AA) is an autoimmune skin disease caused by chronic inflammation of hair follicles. Chronic inflammatory skin diseases such as psoriasis and lupus erythematosus can increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases. However, the relationship between AA and heart diseases (HDs) remains unclear. Therefore, we conducted this retrospective cohort study to evaluate the risk of subsequent HDs in patients with AA. We reviewed 3770 cases of AA and from 18,850 age, sex, and income level-matched controls from the National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort. In the subgroup analysis, patients who suffered from alopecia totalis, alopecia universalis, and ophiasis were designated as patients with severe AA and patients having the disease for over a year were designated as patients with long-standing AA. As a result, we found that AA was not associated with a higher risk of heart failure, angina pectoris, or myocardial infarction. There was no significant increase in the risk of overall HD associated with AA (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.17; 95% confidence interval: 0.93–1.48; p = 0.177). Neither the severity nor the duration of AA was related to an increased risk of HDs. During the study period, AA patients did not show a significantly higher cumulative incidence of HDs than controls (log-rank p = 0.157). In conclusion, AA does not increase the risk of HD.

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Multicentre retrospective cohort study assessing the incidence of serious infections in patients with lupus nephritis, compared with non-renal systemic lupus erythematosus

Lupus Science & Medicine ◽

10.1136/lupus-2020-000390 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. e000390

Author(s):

Drew Joseph Yates ◽

Saw Yu Mon ◽

Yumi Oh ◽

Satomi Okano ◽

Valli Manickam ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

Lupus Nephritis ◽

Lupus Erythematosus ◽

Retrospective Cohort Study ◽

Retrospective Cohort ◽

Cox Regression ◽

Prednisone Dose ◽

Serious Infection ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Serious Infections

ObjectivesThe incidence of serious infections is poorly defined in patients with lupus nephritis (LN). It is also unclear if LN influences risk of serious infections in a longitudinal analysis. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of serious infections in patients with SLE and LN, compared with patients with SLE without LN.MethodsA multicentre retrospective cohort study was conducted. Patients with LN identified at two tertiary centres were matched where possible with age and gender-matched patients with SLE without LN.Any infection requiring inpatient admission, occurring in the 6 months following index clinical visit, was considered serious. Cox regression was employed to investigate the association between risk of serious infection and LN status, and other relevant covariates.ResultsA total of 173 patients were included within the analysis (n=87 LN, n=86 SLE only). A total of 9.2% (n=8) of patients with LN experienced at least one serious infection within the study period, compared with 5.8% (n=5) of patients without LN, equivalent to 19.5 and 12.0 infections per 100 patient-years with and without LN, respectively. Univariable and multivariable analyses found no significant increased risk of serious infection in patients with LN versus controls (HR 1.61; 95% CI 0.53 to 4.92 and adjusted HR (aHR) 0.91; 95% CI 0.27 to 3.06, respectively). Increased prednisone dose and modified SLE comorbidity index were strongly associated with serious infection (aHR (per 5 mg) 1.21; 95% CI 1.07 to 1.37; p=0.003 and aHR 1.13; 95% CI 1.02 to 1.25; p=0.018, respectively).ConclusionsIn this cohort, adjusting for cofactors, the presence of LN alone does not appear to increase the risk of serious infections compared with patients with SLE without LN. However, increased prednisone dose at baseline visit and increasing comorbidity were independently associated with the incidence of serious infection.

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Proton pump inhibitors versus histamine-2 receptor blockers for stress ulcer prophylaxis in patients with sepsis: a retrospective cohort study

Journal of International Medical Research ◽

10.1177/03000605211025130 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 49 (6) ◽

pp. 030006052110251

Author(s):

Minqiang Huang ◽

Ming Han ◽

Wei Han ◽

Lei Kuang

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Cohort Study ◽

Hospital Mortality ◽

Critically Ill ◽

Proton Pump ◽

Retrospective Cohort Study ◽

Retrospective Cohort ◽

Stress Ulcer ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Ulcer Prophylaxis

Objective We aimed to compare the efficacy and risks of proton pump inhibitor (PPI) versus histamine-2 receptor blocker (H2B) use for stress ulcer prophylaxis (SUP) in critically ill patients with sepsis and risk factors for gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB). Methods In this retrospective cohort study, we used the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III Clinical Database to identify critically ill adult patients with sepsis who had at least one risk factor for GIB and received either an H2B or PPI for ≥48 hours. Propensity score matching (PSM) was conducted to balance baseline characteristics. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Results After 1:1 PSM, 1056 patients were included in the H2B and PPI groups. The PPI group had higher in-hospital mortality (23.8% vs. 17.5%), GIB (8.9% vs. 1.6%), and pneumonia (49.6% vs. 41.6%) rates than the H2B group. After adjusting for risk factors of GIB and pneumonia, PPI use was associated with a 1.28-times increased risk of in-hospital mortality, 5.89-times increased risk of GIB, and 1.32-times increased risk of pneumonia. Conclusions Among critically ill adult patients with sepsis at risk for GIB, SUP with PPIs was associated with higher in-hospital mortality and higher risk of GIB and pneumonia than H2Bs.

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Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes by Degree of Maternal Serum Analyte Elevation: A Retrospective Cohort Study

American Journal of Perinatology Reports ◽

10.1055/s-0040-1716741 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (04) ◽

pp. e369-e379

Author(s):

Amanda Yeaton-Massey ◽

Rebecca J. Baer ◽

Larry Rand ◽

Laura L. Jelliffe-Pawlowski ◽

Deirdre J. Lyell

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

Retrospective Cohort Study ◽

Retrospective Cohort ◽

Screening Program ◽

Maternal Serum ◽

Obstetric Complication ◽

Patient Counseling ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Antenatal Management ◽

Adverse Pregnancy

Abstract Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate rates of preterm birth (PTB) and obstetric complication with maternal serum analytes > 2.5 multiples of the median (MoM) by degree of elevation. Study Design Retrospective cohort study of singleton live-births participating in the California Prenatal Screening Program (2005–2011) examining PTB and obstetric complication for α-fetoprotein (AFP), human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), unconjugated estriol (uE3), and inhibin A (INH) by analyte subgroup (2.5 to < 6.0, 6.0 to < 10.0, and ≥ 10.0 MoM vs. < 2.5 MoM). Results The risk of obstetric complication increased with increasing hCG, AFP, and INH MoM, and were greatest for AFP and INH of 6.0 to <10.0 MoM. The greatest risk of any adverse outcome was seen for hCG MoM ≥ 10.0, with relative risk (RR) of PTB < 34 weeks of 40.8 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 21.7–77.0) and 13.8 (95% CI: 8.2–23.1) for obstetric complication. Conclusions In euploid, structurally normal fetuses, all analyte elevations > 2.5 MoM confer an increased risk of PTB and, except for uE3, obstetric complication, and risks for each are not uniformly linear. These data can help guide patient counseling and antenatal management.

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Colorectal Cancer Risk in Women with Gynecologic Cancers—A Population Retrospective Cohort Study

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm10143127 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (14) ◽

pp. 3127

Author(s):

Szu-Chia Liao ◽

Hong-Zen Yeh ◽

Chi-Sen Chang ◽

Wei-Chih Chen ◽

Chih-Hsin Muo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Colorectal Cancer ◽

Ovarian Cancer ◽

Cervical Cancer ◽

Cohort Study ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Retrospective Cohort Study ◽

Retrospective Cohort ◽

Gynecologic Cancer ◽

Ovarian Cancers ◽

Increased Risk

We conducted a retrospective cohort study to evaluate the subsequent colorectal cancer (CRC) risk for women with gynecologic malignancy using insurance claims data of Taiwan. We identified patients who survived cervical cancer (N = 25,370), endometrial cancer (N = 8149) and ovarian cancer (N = 7933) newly diagnosed from 1998 to 2010, and randomly selected comparisons (N = 165,808) without cancer, matched by age and diagnosis date. By the end of 2011, the incidence and hazard ratio (HR) of CRC were estimated. We found that CRC incidence rates were 1.26-, 2.20-, and 1.61-fold higher in women with cervical, endometrial and ovarian cancers, respectively, than in comparisons (1.09/1000 person–years). The CRC incidence increased with age. Higher adjusted HRs of CRC appeared within 3 years for women with endometrial and ovarian cancers, but not until the 4th to 7th years of follow up for cervical cancer survivals. Cancer treatments could reduce CRC risks, but not significantly. However, ovarian cancer patients receiving surgery alone had an incidence of 3.33/1000 person–years for CRC with an adjusted HR of 3.79 (95% CI 1.11–12.9) compared to patients without any treatment. In conclusion, gynecologic cancer patients are at an increased risk of developing CRC, sooner for those with endometrial or ovarian cancer than those with cervical cancer.

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246 The association between adenotonsillectomy and alopecia areata in childhood: A nationwide population-based retrospective cohort study

Journal of Investigative Dermatology ◽

10.1016/j.jid.2021.02.268 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 141 (5) ◽

pp. S44

Author(s):

H. Lee ◽

S. Cho ◽

D. Yu ◽

D. Kim ◽

O. Kwon

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

Alopecia Areata ◽

Retrospective Cohort Study ◽

Retrospective Cohort ◽

Population Based

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A foodborne outbreak of gastroenteritis caused by Norovirus and Bacillus cereus at a university in the Shunyi District of Beijing, China 2018: a retrospective cohort study

BMC Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1186/s12879-019-4570-6 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Dongwan Chen ◽

Yongjin Li ◽

Jinchang Lv ◽

Xiufeng Liu ◽

Peng Gao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

High Risk ◽

Bacillus Cereus ◽

Retrospective Cohort Study ◽

Retrospective Cohort ◽

Rice Flour ◽

School Canteen ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Rectal Swabs ◽

Beijing China

Abstract Background On September 4, 2018, a boarding school in the Shunyi District of Beijing, China reported an outbreak of acute gastroenteritis. At least 209 suspected students caused of diarrhea and vomiting. The case was investigated, and control measures were taken to prevent further spread. Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted among the school students and staff in order to test hypothesis that high risk of food served at the school canteen. We collected information on demographics, refectory records, person to person transmission by uniform epidemiological questionnaire. Risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Stool specimens of cases and canteen employees, retained food, water, and environmental swabs were investigated by laboratory analysis. Results We identified 209 cases (including 28 laboratory-confirmed cases) which occurred from August 29 to September 10. All cases were students, and the average age was 20, 52% were male. The outbreak lasted for 13 days, and peaked on September 5. Consumption of Drinks stall and Rice flour stall on September 1 (RR:3.4, 95%CI:1.5–7.8, and RR:7.6, 95%CI:2.8–20.2), Rice flour stall and Fish meal stall on September 2 (RR:4.0, 95%CI:1.2–13.6, and RR:4.6, 95%CI:1.7–12.5), muslim meal stall on September 4 (RR:2.7, 95%CI:1.3–5.4), Barbeque stall on September 5 (RR:3.0, 95%CI:1.2–7.0) were independently associated with increased risk of disease within the following 2 days. Among 35 specimens of rectal swabs or feces from students, 28 specimens were positive. Norovirus GI.6 alone was detected in 23 specimens, Bacillus cereus alone in 3 specimens and both norovirus GI.6 and Bacillus cereus in 2 specimens. Ten specimens of rectal swabs from canteen employees were positive for norovirus GI, and 2 specimens were positive for Bacillus cereus. Four retained food specimens were positive for Bacillus cereus, and environmental samples were negative for any viruses or bacteria. Conclusion Our investigation indicated that canteen employees were infected by two pathogens (norovirus and Bacillus cereus) and transmission may have been possible due to unhygienic practices. Student consumption of food or drink at high-risk stalls was determined as the probable cause of the outbreak.

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Lack of association between tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitor use and exacerbation of lupus erythematosus: a retrospective cohort study

Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology ◽

10.1016/j.jaad.2021.04.083 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Michelle S. Min ◽

Bina Kassamali ◽

Daniel R. Mazori ◽

Olivia Gizelis ◽

Morgan Schaefer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

Tumor Necrosis Factor ◽

Lupus Erythematosus ◽

Retrospective Cohort Study ◽

Retrospective Cohort ◽

Tumor Necrosis ◽

Tumor Necrosis Factor Α ◽

Factor Α ◽

Necrosis Factor

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Association between acute psychiatric bed availability in the Veterans Health Administration and veteran suicide risk: a retrospective cohort study

BMJ Quality & Safety ◽

10.1136/bmjqs-2020-012975 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. bmjqs-2020-012975

Author(s):

Peter J Kaboli ◽

Matthew R Augustine ◽

Bjarni Haraldsson ◽

Nicholas M Mohr ◽

M Bryant Howren ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Cohort Study ◽

Retrospective Cohort Study ◽

Retrospective Cohort ◽

Suicide Risk ◽

Veterans Health Administration ◽

Veterans Health ◽

Health Administration ◽

Bed Occupancy ◽

Increased Risk

BackgroundVeteran suicides have increased despite mental health investments by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA).ObjectiveTo examine relationships between suicide and acute inpatient psychiatric bed occupancy and other community, hospital and patient factors.MethodsRetrospective cohort study using administrative and publicly available data for contextual community factors. The study sample included all veterans enrolled in VHA primary care in 2011–2016 associated with 111 VHA hospitals with acute inpatient psychiatric units. Acute psychiatric bed occupancy, as a measure of access to care, was the main exposure of interest and was categorised by quarter as per cent occupied using thresholds of ≤85%, 85.1%–90%, 90.1%–95% and >95%. Hospital-level analyses were conducted using generalised linear mixed models with random intercepts for hospital, modelling number of suicides by quarter with a negative binomial distribution.ResultsFrom 2011 to 2016, the national incidence of suicide among enrolled veterans increased from 39.7 to 41.6 per 100 000 person-years. VHA psychiatric bed occupancy decreased from a mean of 68.2% (IQR 56.5%–82.2%) to 65.4% (IQR 53.9%–79.9%). VHA hospitals with the highest occupancy (>95%) in a quarter compared with ≤85% had an adjusted incident rate ratio (IRR) for suicide of 1.10 (95% CI 1.01 to 1.19); no increased risk was observed for 85.1%–90% (IRR 0.96; 95% CI 0.89 to 1.03) or 90.1%–95% (IRR 0.96; 95% CI 0.89 to 1.04) compared with ≤85% occupancy. Of hospital and community variables, suicide risk was not associated with number of VHA or non-VHA psychiatric beds or amount spent on community mental health. Suicide risk increased by age categories, seasons, geographic regions and over time.ConclusionsHigh VHA hospital occupancy (>95%) was associated with a 10% increased suicide risk for veterans whereas absolute number of beds was not, suggesting occupancy is an important access measure. Future work should clarify optimal bed occupancy to meet acute psychiatric needs and ensure adequate bed distribution.

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