Influence of PM2.5 Exposure Level on the Association between Alzheimer’s Disease and Allergic Rhinitis: A National Population-Based Cohort Study

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an irreversible neurodegenerative disease that leads to dementia, health impairment, and high economic cost. Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a chronic inflammatory and allergic disease of the respiratory system that leads to health problems and has major effects on the daily lives of patients and their caregivers. Particulate matter (PM) refers to air pollutants 2.5 μm or less in diameter that are a source of concern because of their role in numerous diseases, including AR and other neurodegenerative diseases. To date, no study has demonstrated how PM2.5 exacerbates AR and results in AD. We conducted a national population-based cohort study by obtaining patient data from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan for the 2008–2013 period. PM2.5 concentration data were obtained from the ambient air quality monitoring network established by the Environmental Protection Administration of Taiwan. Monthly PM2.5 exposure levels were categorized into quartiles from Q1–Q4. The Cox proportional hazards analysis, after adjusting for age, sex, low income, and urbanization level, revealed that patients with AR had an elevated risk of developing AD (hazard ratio (HR): 2.008). In addition, the cumulative incidence of AD in the AR group was significantly higher than in the comparison group. The PM2.5 levels at Q2–Q4 (crude HR: 1.663–8.315; adjusted HR: 1.812–8.981) were stratified on the basis of the PM2.5 exposure group and revealed that AR patients exposed to PM2.5 are significantly prone to develop AD. In addition, the logistic regression analyses, after adjustment, demonstrated that an increase in the PM2.5 exposure level at Q2–Q4 (adjusted odds ratio (OR): 2.656–5.604) increased the risk of AR in AD patients. In conclusion, an increased PM2.5 exposure level could be correlated with AR, which could in turn cause AD. AR increased the risk of AD, in which exposure to PM2.5 increases the higher probability of AD.

Download Full-text

Association between chronic periodontitis and the risk of Alzheimer’s disease: a retrospective, population-based, matched-cohort study

Alzheimer s Research & Therapy ◽

10.1186/s13195-017-0282-6 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 66

Author(s):

Chang-Kai Chen ◽

Yung-Tsan Wu ◽

Yu-Chao Chang

Keyword(s):

Alzheimer’S Disease ◽

Alzheimer's Disease ◽

Cohort Study ◽

Chronic Periodontitis ◽

Population Based ◽

Matched Cohort ◽

Matched Cohort Study

Download Full-text

A retrospective, population-based cohort study of driving under the influence, Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis, and survival

International Psychogeriatrics ◽

10.1017/s1041610218001151 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 31 (04) ◽

pp. 571-577 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Margaret Miller ◽

Dennis Orwat ◽

Gelareh Rahimi ◽

Jacobo Mintzer

Keyword(s):

Alzheimer’S Disease ◽

Alzheimer's Disease ◽

Cohort Study ◽

Law Enforcement ◽

Disease Diagnosis ◽

Population Based ◽

Alcohol Addiction ◽

Driving Under The Influence ◽

History Of ◽

The Relationship

ABSTRACTIntroduction:The relationship between Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and alcohol addiction is poorly characterized. Arrests for driving under the influence (DUI) can serve as a proxy for alcohol addiction. Therefore, the potential association between DUI and AD could be helpful in understanding the relationship between alcohol abuse and AD.Materials and methods:A retrospective, population-based cohort study using state health and law enforcement data was performed. The study cross-referenced 141,281 South Carolina Alzheimer’s Disease Registry cases with state law enforcement data.Results:Of the 2,882 registry cases (1.4%) found to have a history of at least one DUI arrest, cases were predominantly White (58.7%) and male (77.4%). Results showed a correlation coefficient of 0.7 (p < 0.0001) between the age of first DUI arrest and the age of AD diagnosis. A dose-response relationship between the number of DUIs and age of AD onset was found to exist, where those with a history of DUI arrest were diagnosed an average of 9.1 years earlier, with a further 1.8 years earlier age at diagnosis in those with two or more arrests for DUI. A history of DUI arrest was also found to be negatively associated with survival after diagnosis, with a 10% decreased life expectancy in those with a DUI arrest history.Conclusions:Driving under the influence, a potential indicator of alcohol addiction, is associated with an earlier onset of AD registry diagnosis and shortened survival after diagnosis. This study contributes to the growing body of evidence suggesting that some cases of AD are alcohol related and, possibly, postponable or preventable.

Download Full-text

Gender and Age Differences and the Trend in the Incidence and Prevalence of Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease in Taiwan: A 7-Year National Population-Based Study

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2019/5378540 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2019 ◽

pp. 1-12

Author(s):

Chih-Ching Liu ◽

Chung-Yi Li ◽

Yu Sun ◽

Susan C. Hu

Keyword(s):

Alzheimer’S Disease ◽

Alzheimer's Disease ◽

Age Differences ◽

Population Based ◽

Incidence Rates ◽

Research Database ◽

Gender And Age ◽

Taiwan National Health Insurance ◽

Gender And Age Differences ◽

Prevalence Of Dementia

Background. Very few nationwide studies have focused on the variations in the incidence and prevalence of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in Asian countries. This study aims to describe the gender and age differences in the incidence and prevalence of dementia and AD in Taiwan. Methods. The data on dementia and AD were acquired from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database from 2004 to 2010. The sex and age-specific rates were standardized, and the differences of gender and age on dementia or AD were assessed using Poisson regression analysis. Results. Over seven years, the prevalence of dementia and AD significantly increased from 4.7 to 7.6 per hundred people (β = 0.0784, p<0.0001) and 2.3 to 3.5 per hundred people (β = 0.0696, p<0.0001), respectively. However, the incidence of both dementia and AD decreased but not significantly from 10.9 to 10.7 and 4.9 to 4.6 per thousand person-years, respectively. Noticeably, both incidence and prevalence increased with age and were higher in women than in men. Conclusions. The standardized incidence rates of dementia and AD are much lower than the data reported in some studies from Europe, the US, and Japan. Further studies are warranted to explore which factors are associated with the differences in the incidence of dementia and AD in Taiwan.

Download Full-text