Patients With Ankylosing Spondylitis Are Associated With High Risk of Fibromyalgia: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study

Objectives: The main purpose of this retrospective cohort study was to provide an evaluation of Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients' fibromyalgia risk in different age and sex subgroups by analyzing large study samples.Methods: Datasets from the National Taiwan Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) were retrieved in this retrospective cohort study. This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Chung Shan Medical University (IRB permit number CS15134). Within the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database (LHID), and the subset of NHIRD, we identified AS patients to explore the risk of further fibromyalgia. The exposure cohort included patients with newly-diagnosed AS (ICD-9-CM:720.0) during 2000–2013. After 1:4 age-sex matching and 1:2 propensity score matching, and adjusting potential confounders, individuals without AS were identified as a comparison cohort. The adjusted hazard ratio of subsequent development of fibromyalgia in people with AS was evaluated. Further stratification analyses of different ages and genders were then undertaken to validate the results.Results: In total, 17 088 individuals were included in the present study, including 5,696 patients with AS and 11,392 individuals without AS. Respective incidence rates (per 1,000 person-months) of fibromyalgia was 0.52 (95% CI, 0.46–0.59) in the AS cohort and 0.39 (95% CI, 0.35–0.44) in the non-AS cohort. Compared with the non-AS cohort, aHR of developing fibromyalgia was 1.32 (95% CI, 1.12–1.55) in people with AS. This association was consistent in both statistical models of 1:4 age–sex matching and 1:2 propensity score matching.Conclusion: Patients with AS were associated with a higher risk of fibromyalgia, especially those over 65 years old. In managing patients with AS, clinicians should be aware of this association, which could impact diagnosis, disease activity evaluation, and treatment.

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Rücken und Schmerz: Nicht immer nur entzündlich!

Karger Kompass Autoimmun ◽

10.1159/000518179 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-3

Author(s):

Sabine Adler

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

Propensity Score ◽

Propensity Score Matching ◽

Retrospective Cohort Study ◽

Retrospective Cohort ◽

Subsequent Development ◽

Incidence Rates ◽

Research Database ◽

Institutional Review ◽

Medical University

Objectives: The main purpose of this retrospective cohort study was to provide an evaluation of Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients’ fibromyalgia risk in different age and sex subgroups by analyzing large study samples. Methods: Datasets from the National Taiwan Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) were retrieved in this retrospective cohort study. This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Chung Shan Medical University (IRB permit number CS15134). Within the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database (LHID), and the subset of NHIRD, we identified AS patients to explore the risk of further fibromyalgia. The exposure cohort included patients with newly-diagnosed AS (ICD-9-CM:720.0) during 2000–2013. After 1:4 age-sex matching and 1:2 propensity score matching, and adjusting potential confounders, individuals without AS were identified as a comparison cohort. The adjusted hazard ratio of subsequent development of fibromyalgia in people with AS was evaluated. Further stratification analyses of different ages and genders were then undertaken to validate the results. Results: In total, 17 088 individuals were included in the present study, including 5,696 patients with AS and 11,392 individuals without AS. Respective incidence rates (per 1,000 person-months) of fibromyalgia was 0.52 (95% CI, 0.46–0.59) in the AS cohort and 0.39 (95% CI, 0.35–0.44) in the non-AS cohort. Compared with the non-AS cohort, aHR of developing fibromyalgia was 1.32 (95% CI, 1.12–1.55) in people with AS. This association was consistent in both statistical models of 1:4 age-sex matching and 1:2 propensity score matching. Conclusion: Patients with AS were associated with a higher risk of fibromyalgia, especially those over 65 years old. In managing patients with AS, clinicians should be aware of this association, which could impact diagnosis, disease activity evaluation, and treatment.

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Frequently abnormal serum gamma-glutamyl transferase activity is associated with future development of fatty liver: a retrospective cohort study

10.21203/rs.3.rs-19610/v2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Hideki Fujii ◽

Haruna Doi ◽

Tetsuhisa Ko ◽

Taito Fukuma ◽

Toru Kadono ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

Propensity Score ◽

Fatty Liver ◽

Propensity Score Matching ◽

Retrospective Cohort Study ◽

Retrospective Cohort ◽

Incidence Rates ◽

Gamma Glutamyl Transferase ◽

Liver Change ◽

Glutamyl Transferase

Abstract Background Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is characterized by excessive hepatic fat accumulation. Some individuals frequently present elevated gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) levels without fatty liver ultrasound images and other abnormal liver enzymes levels. However, whether these individuals are at an elevated risk for developing fatty liver is unclear. We compared fatty liver change rates and risk factors between individuals with frequently elevated GGT levels and those with normal levels.Methods We designed a retrospective cohort study on the basis of complete medical checkup records. One group of individuals had presented normal serum GGT levels during the observation period (Normal-GGT group, n = 2713). Another group had had abnormal elevated serum GGT levels frequently (Abnormal-GGT group, n = 264). We determined the fatty liver change incident rates before and after propensity score matching. We explored confounding factors affecting fatty changes in each group using univariate and multivariate Cox models.Results The change incidence rates were 5.80/1000 and 10.02/1000 person-years in the Normal-GGT and Abnormal-GGT groups, respectively. After propensity score matching, the incidence rates were 3.08/1000 and 10.18/1000 person-years in the Normal-GGT and Abnormal-GGT groups, respectively (p = 0.026). The factors associated with fatty liver changes in the Normal-GGT group included body mass index (BMI), hemoglobin, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), albumin, triglyceride (TG), fasting blood sugar, and high-density lipoprotein levels. Those in the Abnormal-GGT group were platelet counts and TG. In our multivariable analysis, BMI, ALT, albumin, and TG levels were independent predictors of fatty changes in the Normal-GGT group, and high TG level was the only independent predictor in the Abnormal-GGT group.Conclusions The incidence rate of fatty liver change in the Abnormal-GGT group was higher than that in the Normal-GGT group. Consecutive elevated GGT levels increase the risk for fatty liver, and high TG levels in those individuals further independently increase the risk.Trial registration: NA

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Colorectal Cancer Risk in Patients with Hemorrhoids: A 10-Year Population-Based Retrospective Cohort Study

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18168655 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (16) ◽

pp. 8655

Author(s):

En-Bo Wu ◽

Fung-Chang Sung ◽

Cheng-Li Lin ◽

Kuen-Lin Wu ◽

Kuen-Bao Chen

Keyword(s):

Colorectal Cancer ◽

Cohort Study ◽

Propensity Score ◽

Retrospective Cohort Study ◽

Retrospective Cohort ◽

Incidence Rates ◽

Colorectal Adenomas ◽

Research Database ◽

The Third ◽

Comparison Cohort

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common disease and one of the leading causes of cancer deaths worldwide. This retrospective cohort study evaluated the risk of developing CRC in people with hemorrhoids. Using Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database, we established three sets of retrospective study cohorts with and without hemorrhoids. The first set of cohorts were matched by sex and age, the second set of cohorts were matched by propensity score without including colonoscopies, and the third set of cohorts were matched by propensity score with colonoscopies, colorectal adenomas, and appendectomies included. In the second set of cohorts, 36,864 persons with hemorrhoids that were diagnosed from 2000 to 2010 and a comparison cohort, with the same size and matched by propensity score, were established and followed up to the end of 2011 to assess the incidence and Cox proportional regression-measured hazard ratio (HR) of CRC. The overall incidence rate of CRC was 2.39 times greater in the hemorrhoid cohort than it was in the comparison cohort (1.29 vs. 0.54 per 1000 person-years), with a multivariable model measured adjusted HR of 2.18 (95% CI = 1.78–2.67) after controlling for sex, age, and comorbidity. Further analysis on the CRC incidence rates among colorectal sites revealed higher incidence rates at the rectum and sigmoid than at other sites, with adjusted HRs 2.20 (95% CI = 1.48–3.28) and 1.79 (95% CI = 1.06–3.02), respectively. The overall incidence rates of both cohorts were similar in the first and second sets of cohorts, whereas the rate was lower in the third set of hemorrhoid cohorts than in the respective comparison cohorts, probably because of overmatching. Our findings suggest that patients with hemorrhoids were at an elevated risk of developing CRC. Colonoscopy may be strongly suggested for identifying CRC among those with hemorrhoids, especially if they have received a positive fecal occult blood test result.

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Frequently abnormal serum gamma-glutamyl transferase activity is associated with future development of fatty liver: a retrospective cohort study

10.21203/rs.3.rs-19610/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Hideki Fujii ◽

Haruna Doi ◽

Tetsuhisa Ko ◽

Taito Fukuma ◽

Toru Kadono ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

Propensity Score ◽

Fatty Liver ◽

Propensity Score Matching ◽

Retrospective Cohort Study ◽

Retrospective Cohort ◽

Incidence Rates ◽

Gamma Glutamyl Transferase ◽

Liver Change ◽

Glutamyl Transferase

Abstract BackgroundNonalcoholic fatty liver disease is characterized by excessive hepatic fat accumulation. Some individuals frequently present elevated gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) levels without fatty liver ultrasound images and other abnormal liver enzymes levels. However, whether these individuals are at an elevated risk for developing fatty liver is unclear. We compared fatty liver change rates and risk factors between individuals with frequently elevated GGT levels and those with normal levels.MethodsWe designed a retrospective cohort study on the basis of complete medical checkup records. One group of individuals had presented normal serum GGT levels during the observation period (Normal-GGT group, n = 2713). Another group had had abnormal elevated serum GGT levels frequently (Abnormal-GGT group, n = 264). We determined the fatty liver change incident rates before and after propensity score matching. We explored confounding factors affecting fatty changes in each group using univariate and multivariate Cox models.ResultsThe change incidence rates were 5.80/1000 and 10.02/1000 person-years in the Normal-GGT and Abnormal-GGT groups, respectively. After propensity score matching, the incidence rates were 3.08/1000 and 10.18/1000 person-years in the Normal-GGT and Abnormal-GGT groups, respectively (p = 0.026). The factors associated with fatty liver changes in the Normal-GGT group included body mass index (BMI), hemoglobin, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), albumin, triglyceride (TG), fasting blood sugar, and high-density lipoprotein levels. Those in the Abnormal-GGT group were platelet counts and TG. In our multivariable analysis, BMI, ALT, albumin, and TG levels were independent predictors of fatty changes in the Normal-GGT group, and high TG level was the only independent predictor in the Abnormal-GGT group.ConclusionsThe incidence rate of fatty liver change in the Abnormal-GGT group was higher than that in the Normal-GGT group. Consecutive elevated GGT levels increase the risk for fatty liver, and high TG levels in those individuals further independently increase the risk.

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