Risk of Appendicitis among Children with Different Piped Water Supply: A Nationwide Population-Based Study

Appendicitis is a common surgical condition for children. However, environmental effects, such as piped water supply, on pediatric appendicitis risk remain unclear. This longitudinal, nationwide, cohort study aimed to compare the risk of appendicitis among children with different levels of piped water supply. Using data from Taiwan Water Resource Agency and National Health Insurance Research Database, we identified 119,128 children born in 1996–2010 from areas of the lowest piped water supply (prevalence 51.21% to 63.06%) as the study cohort; additional 119,128 children of the same period in areas of the highest piped water supply (prevalence 98.97% to 99.63%) were selected as the controls. Both cohorts were propensity-score matched by baseline variables. We calculated the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of appendicitis in the study cohort compared to the controls by Cox proportional hazards regression. The study cohort had a raised overall incidence rates of appendicitis compared to the control cohort (12.8 vs. 8.7 per 10,000 person-years). After covariate adjustment, the risk of appendicitis was significantly increased in the study cohort (adjusted HR = 1.46, 95% CI: 1.35, 1.58, p < 0.001). Subgroup and sensitivity analyses showed consistent results that children with low piped water supply had a higher risk of appendicitis than those with high piped water supply. This study demonstrated that children with low piped water supply were at an increased risk of appendicitis. Enhancement of piped water availability in areas lacking adequate, secure, and sanitized water supply may protect children against appendicitis.

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Increased risk of trigeminal neuralgia in patients with migraine: A nationwide population-based study

Cephalalgia ◽

10.1177/0333102415623069 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 36 (13) ◽

pp. 1218-1227 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Kuan-Hsiang Lin ◽

Yung-Tai Chen ◽

Jong-Ling Fuh ◽

Shuu-Jiun Wang

Keyword(s):

Trigeminal Neuralgia ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Underlying Mechanism ◽

Population Based ◽

Incidence Rates ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Sensitivity Analyses ◽

Research Database ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Using Data

Objectives The objectives of this article are to evaluate the association between migraine and trigeminal neuralgia and to investigate the effects of age, sex, migraine subtype, and comorbid risk factors on trigeminal neuralgia development. Methods This population-based cohort study was conducted using data from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database. Individuals aged ≥ 20 years with neurologist-diagnosed migraine between 2005 and 2009 were included. A non-headache age-, sex-, and propensity score-matched control cohort was selected for comparison. All participants were followed until the end of 2010, death, or the occurrence of trigeminal neuralgia. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for comparison of the risk of trigeminal neuralgia between groups. Results Both cohorts ( n = 137,529 each) were followed for a mean of 3.1 years. During the follow-up period, 575 patients (421,581 person-years) in the migraine cohort and 88 matched controls (438,712 person-years) were newly diagnosed with trigeminal neuralgia (incidence rates, 136.39 and 20.06/100,000 person-years, respectively). The HR for trigeminal neuralgia was 6.72 (95% CI, 5.37–8.41; p < 0.001). The association between migraine and trigeminal neuralgia remained significant in sensitivity analyses. Among migraine subtypes, patients with migraine with aura were at greater risk of trigeminal neuralgia development. No other significant interaction was identified in subgroup analyses. Conclusions Migraine is a previously unidentified risk factor for trigeminal neuralgia. The association between these conditions suggests a linked underlying mechanism, which is worthy of further exploration.

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Appendectomy and Non-Typhoidal Salmonella Infection: A Population-Based Matched Cohort Study

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm10071466 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (7) ◽

pp. 1466

Author(s):

Den-Ko Wu ◽

Kai-Shan Yang ◽

James Cheng-Chung Wei ◽

Hei-Tung Yip ◽

Renin Chang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Proportional Hazards ◽

International Classification Of Diseases ◽

Population Based ◽

Incidence Rates ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Sensitivity Analyses ◽

Control Group ◽

Research Database ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards Models ◽

Increased Risk

The potential association between appendectomy and non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) infection has not been elucidated. We hypothesized that appendectomy may be associated with gut vulnerability to NTS. The data were retrospectively collected from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database to describe the incidence rates of NTS infection requiring hospital admission among patients with and without an appendectomy. A total of 208,585 individuals aged ≥18 years with an appendectomy were enrolled from January 2000 to December 2012, and compared with a control group of 208,585 individuals who had never received an appendectomy matched by propensity score (1:1) by index year, age, sex, occupation, and comorbidities. An appendectomy was defined by the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification Procedure Codes. The main outcome was patients who were hospitalized for NTS. Cox proportional hazards models were applied to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Two sensitivity analyses were conducted for cross-validation. Of the 417,170 participants (215,221 (51.6%) male), 208,585 individuals (50.0%) had an appendectomy, and 112 individuals developed NTS infection requiring hospitalization. In the fully adjusted multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression model, the appendectomy group had an increased risk of NTS infection (adjusted HR (aHR), 1.61; 95% CI, 1.20–2.17). Females and individuals aged 18 to 30 years with a history of appendectomy had a statistically higher risk of NTS than the control group (aHR, 1.92; 95% CI, 1.26–2.93 and aHR, 2.67; 95% CI, 1.41–5.07). In this study, appendectomy was positively associated with subsequent hospitalization for NTS. The mechanism behind this association remains uncertain and needs further studies to clarify the interactions between appendectomy and NTS.

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Alpha-1 blocker use increased risk of subsequent renal cell carcinoma: A nationwide population-based study in Taiwan

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0242429 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 15 (11) ◽

pp. e0242429

Author(s):

Shian-Ying Sung ◽

Trang Thi Huynh Le ◽

Jin- Hua Chen ◽

Teng-Fu Hsieh ◽

Chia-Ling Hsieh

Keyword(s):

Renal Cell Carcinoma ◽

Cell Carcinoma ◽

Renal Cell ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Population Based ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Research Database ◽

Antihypertensive Medications ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Underlying Mechanisms

Elevated Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) risk has been associated with the use of several antihypertensive medications but has not yet been elucidated in the populations prescribed alpha-1 blockers that are commonly used in the treatment of hypertension and lower urinary tract symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (LUTS-BPH). The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between alpha-1 blocker use and the risk of developing RCC using a nationwide population-based database in Taiwan. Patients who were treated with alpha-1 blockers for at least 28 days were identified through the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database from 2000 to 2010. The unexposed participants were matched with the exposed cases according to age, sex, and index year at a ratio of 3:1. Cox proportional hazards regression, stratified by sex and comorbidities and adjusted for age, was performed to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for the risk of subsequent RCC. Among 2,232,092 subjects, patients who received alpha-1 blocker treatment had a higher risk of RCC than the unexposed group. Taking into account hypertension and BPH, the adjusted HR was significantly higher in male alpha-1 blocker users who had no BPH and either the presence (HR: 1.63, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.22–2.18) or absence (HR: 2.31, 95% CI = 1.40–3.81) of hypertension than in men not receiving these drugs. Taken together, male alpha-1 blocker users who had no comorbidity of BPH exhibited an increased risk for developing RCC independent of hypertension. Further study is warranted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of this association.

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Increased risk of prostate cancer following sexually transmitted infection in an Asian population

Epidemiology and Infection ◽

10.1017/s0950268813000459 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 141 (12) ◽

pp. 2663-2670 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

S. D. CHUNG ◽

Y. K. LIN ◽

C. C. HUANG ◽

H. C. LIN

Keyword(s):

Prostate Cancer ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Asian Population ◽

Population Based ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Study Cohort ◽

Transmitted Infection ◽

Sexually Transmitted ◽

Increased Risk ◽

History Of

SUMMARYThe relationship between sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and prostate cancer (PC) remains inconclusive. Moreover, all such studies to date have been conducted in Western populations. This study aimed to investigate the risk of PC following STI using a population-based matched-cohort design in Taiwan. The study cohort comprised 1055 patients with STIs, and 10 550 randomly selected subjects were used as a comparison cohort. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis revealed that the hazard ratio for PC during the 5-year follow-up period for patients with a STI was 1·95 (95% confidence interval 1·18–3·23), that of comparison subjects after adjusting for urbanization level, geographical region, monthly income, hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidaemia, obesity, chronic prostatitis, history of vasectomy, tobacco use disorder, and alcohol abuse. We concluded that the risk of PC was higher for men who were diagnosed with a STI in an Asian population.

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Increased Risk of Ulcerative Colitis in Patients with Periodontal Disease: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph15112602 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 15 (11) ◽

pp. 2602 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Chien-Yu Lin ◽

Kuo-Sen Tseng ◽

Jui-Ming Liu ◽

Heng-Chang Chuang ◽

Chi-Hone Lien ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ulcerative Colitis ◽

Periodontal Disease ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Population Based ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Control Group ◽

Research Database ◽

Immune Mediated ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Inflammatory Processes

Both periodontal disease (PD) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), are important diseases of the alimentary tract. Microbiome and immune-mediated inflammatory processes play important roles in these diseases. An association between PD and IBD may exist. This study investigated the risk of IBD in patients with PD. This study used data from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan from 1996 to 2013. A total of 27,041 patients with PD were enrolled as a study group, and 108,149 patients without PD were selected as the control group after matching by gender, age, insured region, urbanization, and income with a 1:4 ratio. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to calculate the risk of IBD. Of the 135,190 participants enrolled in this study, 5392 (4%) with newly diagnosed IBD were identified. The overall incidence of subsequent IBD was similar in both groups (3.8% vs. 4%, adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 1.01, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.94–1.08). However, an increased risk of UC in the PD group was found after adjusting confounding factors (aHR: 1.56, 95% CI: 1.13–2.15; p < 0.05). This study demonstrated that patients with PD had approximately one-half higher risk of subsequent UC. Further studies are warranted to elucidate the relationship between PD and UC.

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Comparative effect of statins on the risk of incident Alzheimer disease

Neurology ◽

10.1212/wnl.0000000000004818 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 90 (3) ◽

pp. e179-e187 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Liliya Sinyavskaya ◽

Serge Gauthier ◽

Christel Renoux ◽

Sophie Dell'Aniello ◽

Samy Suissa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Clinical Practice ◽

Alzheimer Disease ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Neuroprotective Effect ◽

Incidence Rates ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Sensitivity Analyses ◽

Practice Research ◽

Clinical Practice Research Datalink ◽

Increased Risk

ObjectiveTo investigate whether fungus-derived statins are associated with a lower risk of incident Alzheimer disease (AD) compared with synthetic statins using real-world clinical practice data.MethodsWe identified a population-based retrospective cohort of patients aged ≥60 years newly prescribed a statin between January 1, 1994, and December 31, 2012, and followed until March 31, 2015, using the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink. Statins were consecutively classified according to their type, lipophilicity, and potency. For each group, we calculated the crude AD incidence rates per 1,000 person-years. Time-dependent Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for propensity score deciles were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence interval (CIs) of incident AD associated with different statin categories.ResultsOver the 18-year study period, we identified 465,085 statin users, including 7,669 patients who developed AD during 2,891,268 person-years of follow-up (incidence rate 2.65 [95% CI 2.59–2.71] per 1,000 person-years). Compared to synthetic, fungus-derived statins were associated with an increased risk of AD (HR 1.09, 95% CI 1.03–1.15). Lipophilic statins also were associated with higher AD risk (HR 1.18, 95% CI 1.09–1.27) compared to hydrophilic statins, while statin potency did not modify the risk of AD (adjusted HR 1.03, 95% CI 0.98–1.08). The risk was further reduced in sensitivity analyses.ConclusionFungus-derived and lipophilic statins were not associated with decreased incidence of AD compared to synthetic and hydrophilic statins. The modest variations in the risk of incident AD observed between statin characteristics needs to be evaluated in future studies on their possible heterogeneous neuroprotective effect.

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The Risk and Consequences of Vertebral Fracture in Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis: A Population-based Data Linkage Study

The Journal of Rheumatology ◽

10.3899/jrheum.190675 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 47 (11) ◽

pp. 1629-1636 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Milica Ognjenovic ◽

Warren D. Raymond ◽

Charles A. Inderjeeth ◽

Helen I. Keen ◽

David B. Preen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ankylosing Spondylitis ◽

Vertebral Fracture ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitor ◽

Population Based ◽

Linkage Study ◽

Incidence Rates ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Risk Of Death ◽

Increased Risk

Objective.To compare the long-term prevalence, incidence, and outcomes of vertebral fracture (VF) between ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients and matched controls, including the role of extraarticular manifestations (EAM) and osteoporosis.Methods.This was a statewide observational study using linked health data for 2321 patients with AS and 22,976 controls presenting to hospital from 1980 to 2015. Data were analyzed using incidence rates (per 1000 person-yrs) and ratios (IRR), multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression, and Kaplan-Meier survival curves.Results.Over a median 13.92 (interquartile range 7.58–21.67) years of follow-up, patients with AS had a greater VF prevalence and greater incidence of developing a new VF compared to controls (9.3% vs 2.5%, 6.8% vs 1.9%, respectively, all P < 0.001). Patients with AS had an increased risk of developing a VF after adjustments for age, sex, and osteoporosis (HR 2.55, 95% CI 2.11–3.09) compared to controls; this risk remained throughout the study period. Patients with AS were 5 years younger at time of first VF (P = 0.008) and had a greater likelihood of a recurrent VF (IRR 4.64; 95% CI 4.54–4.75) compared to respective controls. Mortality overall was comparable between patients with AS and controls after adjustment for age, sex, osteoporosis, and VF status (HR 0.90; 95% CI 0.80–1.01).Conclusion.The significantly increased risk of VF in patients with AS has not altered following the introduction of tumor necrosis factor inhibitor treatment. Although patients with AS experience a first VF at a younger age than controls, this does not lead to an increased risk of death.

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Long-term risk of cancer following pregnancies complicated by vaginal bleeding

10.1101/2021.12.29.21268235 ◽

2022 ◽

Author(s):

Elena Dudukina ◽

Erzsébet Horváth-Puhó ◽

Henrik Toft Sørensen ◽

Vera Ehrenstein

Keyword(s):

Vaginal Bleeding ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Uterine Cancer ◽

Incidence Rates ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Sensitivity Analyses ◽

Danish Health ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Risk Of Cancer

Objective: To investigate an association of vaginal bleeding-affected deliveries with the long-term risk of cancer as compared with vaginal bleeding-unaffected deliveries and pregnancies ending in a termination or miscarriage. Design: Registry-based cohort study in Denmark, 1995-2017. Setting: Danish health and administrative registries. Participants: Deliveries (N=37,085) affected by vaginal bleeding (VB) within 20 gestational weeks among 35,517 women, VB-unaffected deliveries (N=1,362,760) among 783,020 women, pregnancies ending in a termination (N=324,395) among 239,729 women or miscarriage (N=137,040) among 121,303 women. Main outcome measures: Incidence rates (IR) per 10,000 person-years and cumulative incidence of cancer at the end of up to 24 years of follow-up, hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) adjusted for age, calendar year, reproductive history, history of chronic conditions, medication use, and socioeconomic factors using Cox proportional hazards regression. Results: We observed 1,725 cancer events (IR=32.1, 95% CI: 30.6-33.6) following VB-affected deliveries, 52,620 events (IR=31.5, 95% CI: 31.2-31.7) following VB-unaffected deliveries, 12,925 events (IR=30.1, 95% CI: 29.6-30.6) following a termination and 6,080 events (IR=34.3, 95% CI: 33.4-35.1) following a miscarriage. We found no association between VB and any cancer in comparison with VB-unaffected deliveries (HR=0.98, 95% CI: 0.93-1.03), terminations (HR=1.00, 95% CI: 0.94-1.06) and miscarriages (HR=1.04, 95% CI: 0.94-1.14). Specifically, there was no increase in relative risk of breast (HR=0.94, 95% CI: 0.86-1.03), cervical (0.94, 0.77-1.14), ovarian and fallopian tube (1.16, 0.81-1.66), uterine cancer (0.78, 0.46-1.33) and other site-specific cancers across all comparisons and in sensitivity analyses. Conclusions: Having a VB-affected pregnancy ending in a delivery was not associated with an increased risk of cancer in women in comparison with having a VB-unaffected pregnancy ending in a delivery, termination or miscarriage.

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The association between vertebrobasilar insufficiency and the risk of dementia: a nationwide register-based retrospective cohort study in Taiwan

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2017-017001 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 7 (8) ◽

pp. e017001

Author(s):

Fu-Chi Yang ◽

Shao-Yuan Chen ◽

Jiu-Haw Yin ◽

Chun-Chieh Lin ◽

Yueh-Feng Sung ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

Retrospective Cohort Study ◽

Retrospective Cohort ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Population Based ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Research Database ◽

Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency ◽

Confounding Factors ◽

Increased Risk

ObjectivesNeurodegenerative disorders are reportedly characterised by decreased regional cerebral blood flow. However, the association between vertebrobasilar insufficiency (VBI) and dementia remains unclear. In this nationwide, population-based, retrospective cohort study, we explored the potential association between VBI and dementia.DesignNationwide population-based cohort study.SettingPatients with VBI were newly diagnosed between 2000 and 2005 from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database.ParticipantsWe included 3642 subjects as the VBI group. The control cohort included 14 568 randomly selected age-matched and sex-matched VBI-free individuals.Outcome measuresAll subjects were followed until the diagnosis of dementia, death or the end of 2010. Patients with VBI, dementia (viz, vascular and non-vascular, including Alzheimer’s) subtypes and other confounding factors were identified according to the International Classification of Diseases Clinical Modification Codes. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was employed to examine adjusted HRs after adjusting for confounding factors.ResultsPatients with VBI had a 1.807-fold (95% CI 1.643 to 1.988, p<0.001) higher risk to develop all-cause dementia than individuals without VBI. The risk was significantly higher in the VBI group than in the non-VBI group regardless of age (<65 years: HR: 2.997, 95% CI 1.451 to 6.454, p<0.001; ≥65 years: HR: 1.752, 95% CI 1.584 to 1.937, p<0.001). The VBI group had a higher risk of all-cause dementia than the non-VBI group regardless of sex and follow-up time intervals (<1 year, 1–2 years and≥2 years).ConclusionPatients with VBI appear to have an increased risk of developing dementia. Further research is needed to investigate the underlying pathophysiology.

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Is ankylosing spondylitis a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and how do these risks compare with those in rheumatoid arthritis?

Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases ◽

10.1136/annrheumdis-2016-209315 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 76 (2) ◽

pp. 364-370 ◽

Cited By ~ 47

Author(s):

Jonas K Eriksson ◽

Lennart Jacobsson ◽

Karin Bengtsson ◽

Johan Askling

Keyword(s):

Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽

Ankylosing Spondylitis ◽

General Population ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Population Based ◽

Incidence Rates ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Relative Risks ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards Models ◽

Increased Risk

AimsTo assess and compare the incidence of cardiovascular (CV) events, by CV phenotype, between patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and the general population.MethodsUsing linkages of national and population-based registers, we identified one cohort of prevalent patients with AS (n=5358), one with RA (n=37 245) and one with matched general population subjects (n=25 006). These cohorts were identified in 2006 through 2011 and were followed in 31 December 2012, for first ever occurrence of acute coronary syndromes (ACS), deep venous thromboembolism, pulmonary embolism and stroke, respectively. For each outcome, we calculated incidence rates standardised to the age and sex distribution of the AS cohort, as well as relative risks using Cox proportional hazards models.ResultsBased on 69 ACS events during 20 251 person-years of follow-up of the patients with AS, and 966 events during 127 014 person-years in the RA cohort, the age/sex-adjusted relative risks for ACS compared with the general population was 1.3 (95% CI 1.0 to 1.7) for AS and 1.7 (1.4 to 2.0) for RA. For thromboembolic events, the corresponding risks were 1.4 (1.1 to 1.9) in AS and 1.8 (1.5 to 2.1) in RA. Finally, for stroke, the relative risks were 1.5 (1.1 to 2.0) in AS and 1.5 (1.2 to 1.8) in RA, compared with the general population.ConclusionsPrevalent patients with AS are at a 30%–50% increased risk of incident CV events. When compared with patients with RA, this level of increase was similar for stroke, but only half as high for ACS and thrombotic events.

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