Urban–Rural Disparities in the Incidence of Diabetes-Related Complications in Taiwan: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis

Although a disparity has been noted in the prevalence and outcome of chronic disease between rural and urban areas, studies about diabetes-related complications are lacking. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between urbanization and occurrence of diabetes-related complications using Taiwan’s nationwide diabetic mellitus database. In total, 380,474 patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes between 2000 and 2008 were included and followed up until 2013 or death; after propensity score matching, 31,310 pairs were included for analysis. Occurrences of seven diabetes-related complications of interest were identified. Cox proportional hazards model was used to determine the time-to-event hazard ratio (HR) among urban, suburban and rural groups. We found that the HRs of all cardiovascular events during the five-year follow-up was 1.04 times (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.00–1.07) and 1.15 times (95% CI 1.12–1.19) higher in suburban and rural areas than in urban areas. Patients in suburban and rural areas had a greater likelihood of congestive heart failure, stroke, and end-stage renal disease than those in urban areas. Moreover, patients in rural areas had a higher likelihood of ischemic heart disease, blindness, and ulcer than those in urban areas. Our empirical findings provide evidence for potential urban–rural disparities in diabetes-related complications in Taiwan.

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Corticosteroid Use Following the Onset of Invasive Aspergillosis is Associated with Increased Mortality: A Propensity Score-Matched Study

Open Forum Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1093/ofid/ofx162.125 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 4 (suppl_1) ◽

pp. S55-S55

Author(s):

Michael Abers ◽

Jatin Vyas

Keyword(s):

Propensity Score ◽

Invasive Aspergillosis ◽

Nearest Neighbor ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Proportional Hazards Model ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards Model ◽

Corticosteroid Dose ◽

Group Assignment ◽

Daily Prednisone

Abstract Background The safety of corticosteroid use (CSU) during active infection is controversial. In the invasive aspergillosis (IA) literature, CSU is typically defined using the time period prior to IA onset. Clinicians caring for patients with IA are unable to control prior CSU. The more clinically relevant question is whether CSU after IA onset is harmful. Methods Patients hospitalized at our institution from 2004 to 2014 with IA were retrospectively identified. CSU, defined as the average daily prednisone equivalent dose during the 7-day period following IA onset, was calculated for each patient. A CSU cut-off of 7.5mg was used to assign patients to treatment (>7.5mg) or control (<7.5mg, including no CSU) groups. A propensity score (PS) was generated to predict group assignment. Nearest neighbor matching was performed with a caliper width of 0.2. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to assess survival 6 weeks after IA onset. Results PS matching generated 61 matched pairs (122 patients). Baseline characteristics did not differ significantly between groups (Table). CSU was associated with increased mortality (PS adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 2.91, 95% CI 1.32–6.40). In the CSU group, a trend towards lower mortality was noted if corticosteroid dose was tapered to 7.5mg/day (HR 0.68, 95% CI 0.46–1.02). Conclusion CSU after IA onset is associated with increased mortality. In IA patients with CSU, efforts to reduce corticosteroid dose may be beneficial. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

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Poor Prognoses of Young Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients with Microvascular Invasion: A Propensity Score Matching Cohort Study

Gastroenterology Research and Practice ◽

10.1155/2020/4691425 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 ◽

pp. 1-8

Author(s):

Lian Li ◽

Liangliang Xu ◽

Tianfu Wen ◽

Hong Wu ◽

Wentao Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

Propensity Score ◽

Propensity Score Matching ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Age Groups ◽

Disease Free Survival ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Hazard Ratio ◽

Microvascular Invasion ◽

Propensity Score Matching Analysis

The relationship between age and the prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been widely investigated. However, few studies have focused on the influence of patient age on the prognosis of HCC with microvascular invasion (MVI). Patients with histologically confirmed HCC with MVI who underwent hepatectomy between 2008 and 2016 were retrospectively enrolled in this study and allocated to younger (young group) and older age groups (old group) according to age< or ≥60 years. A propensity score matching analysis was performed, and prognostic factors evaluated by Kaplan–Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards regression. Intraoperative and postoperative characteristics were compared between the two groups. A total of 374 patients were enrolled in this study. There were 84 patients in each group after a 1 : 1 propensity score matching analysis. The rates of both disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) differed significantly between the age groups. By univariate and multivariate analyses, age<60 years was significantly associated with DFS (hazard ratio, 1.590; 95% CI, 1.135–2.228) and OS (hazard ratio, 1.837; 95% CI, 1.259–2.680). There were no significant differences in intraoperative or postoperative characteristics between the two age groups. In patients with histologically confirmed HCC with MVI, the prognosis is poorer for those aged younger than 60 years than for those aged 60 years or older. Hepatectomy can be safely performed in selected older patients.

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Recurrent Vascular Access Dysfunction as a Novel Marker of Cardiovascular Outcome and Mortality in Hemodialysis Patients

American Journal of Nephrology ◽

10.1159/000448058 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 44 (1) ◽

pp. 71-80 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Hyo Jin Kim ◽

Hajeong Lee ◽

Dong Ki Kim ◽

Kook-Hwan Oh ◽

Yon Su Kim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factor ◽

Propensity Score ◽

Vascular Access ◽

Independent Risk Factor ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Proportional Hazards Model ◽

De Novo ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards Model ◽

Patients Âgés

Background: Vascular access (VA) is essential for hemodialysis (HD) patients, and its dysfunction is a major complication. However, little is known about outcomes in patients with recurrent VA dysfunction. We explored the influence of recurrent VA dysfunction on cardiovascular (CV) events, death and VA abandonment. Methods: This is a single-center, retrospective study conducted in patients who underwent VA surgery between 2009 and 2014. VA dysfunction was defined as VA stenosis or thrombosis requiring intervention after the first successful cannulation. Patients with ≥2 interventions within 180 days were categorized as having recurrent VA dysfunction. Outcomes were analyzed using Cox proportional hazards model before and after propensity score matching. Results: Of 766 patients (ages 59.6 ± 14.3 years, 59.7% male), 10.1% were in the recurrent VA dysfunction group. Most baseline parameters after matching were similar between the recurrent and non-recurrent groups. A total of 213 propensity score-matched patients were followed for 28.7 ± 15.8 months, during which 46 (21.6%), 30 (14.1%) and 14 (6.6%) patients had de novo CV outcomes, died and abandoned VA, respectively. Recurrent VA dysfunction after adjustment remained an independent risk factor for CV events (adjusted hazards ratio (aHR), 2.71; 95% CI 1.48-4.98; p = 0.001). Moreover, recurrent VA dysfunction predicted composite all-cause mortality (ACM)/CV events (aHR 1.99; 95% CI 1.21-3.28; p = 0.007). Conclusions: Recurrent VA dysfunction was a novel independent risk factor for CV and composite ACM/CV events in HD patients, but not for VA abandonment. Patients with recurrent vascular dysfunction should be carefully monitored not only for VA patency but also for CV events.

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Understanding the Correlates of Under-five Mortality in Sudan Using Survey Survival Models

Asian Journal of Research in Infectious Diseases ◽

10.9734/ajrid/2020/v5i130160 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 55-68

Author(s):

Dawit Getnet Ayele ◽

Ali Satty ◽

Temesgen Zewotir

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Child Mortality ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Proportional Hazards Model ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards Model ◽

Under Five ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Hazards Model

Under-five mortality is among the major public health problems in developing countries, the rate of which is an important factor for a country’s development. For this reason, under-five mortality status is an important outcome to measure for children’s health. This study uses the Cox proportional-hazards model to identify risk factors associated with under-five mortality in Sudan. This study uses the 2014 Sudan Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) conducted by the Central Bureau of Statistics in collaboration with several national institutions. The survival Cox proportional-hazards model was used to identify factors that affect under-five child mortality in Sudan. The results show that the weight of a child at birth is positively associated with the under-five child mortality rate. Under-five children who have both small and large weights at birth are at a higher risk of dying before reaching five years. Based on demographic factors associated with under-five mortality, our analysis showed that mothers who were married at the time of the survey are most likely to have higher under-five child mortality as compared to formerly married mothers. In addition to this, that mother’s age at the time of the birth is significantly associated with under-five mortality. Based on the result, the lack of important policies targeting the reduction of socioeconomic inequalities between rural and urban areas is the major problem of public health interventions to improve child health and survival in Sudan.

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Dialyzer surface area is a significant predictor of mortality in patients on hemodialysis: a 3-year nationwide cohort study

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-99834-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Masanori Abe ◽

Ikuto Masakane ◽

Atsushi Wada ◽

Shigeru Nakai ◽

Kosaku Nitta ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

Propensity Score ◽

Propensity Score Matching ◽

Surface Area ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Sensitivity Analyses ◽

High Flux ◽

Propensity Score Matching Analysis ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards Models

AbstractA target Kt/V of > 1.4 and use of a high-flux dialyzer are recommended for patients on hemodialysis. However, there is little information on the relationship between the dialyzer surface area and mortality in these patients. In this nationwide cohort study, we aimed to clarify this relationship by analyzing data from the Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy for 2010–2013. We enrolled 234,638 patients on hemodialysis who were divided according to quartile for dialyzer surface area into the S group (small, < 1.5 m2), M group (medium, 1.5 m2), L group (large, 1.6 to < 2.0 m2), or XL group (extra-large, ≥ 2.0 m2). We assessed the association of each group with 3-year mortality using Cox proportional hazards models and performed propensity score matching analysis. By the end of 2013, a total of 53,836 patients on dialysis (22.9%) had died. There was a significant decrease in mortality with larger dialyzer surface areas. The hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) was significantly higher in the S group (1.15 [1.12–1.19], P < 0.0001) and significantly lower in the L group (0.89 [0.87–0.92] P < 0.0001) and XL group (0.75 [0.72–0.78], P < 0.0001) than in the M group as a reference after adjustment for all confounders. Findings were robust in several sensitivity analyses. Furthermore, the findings remained significant after propensity score matching. Hemodialysis using dialyzers, especially super high-flux dialyzers with a larger surface area might reduce mortality rates, and a surface area of ≥ 2.0 m2 is superior, even with the same Kt/V.

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Efficacy of treatment with corticosteroids for fibrotic hypersensitivity pneumonitis: a propensity score-matched cohort analysis

BMC Pulmonary Medicine ◽

10.1186/s12890-021-01608-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Masaru Ejima ◽

Tsukasa Okamoto ◽

Takafumi Suzuki ◽

Tatsuhiko Anzai ◽

Kunihiko Takahashi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Propensity Score ◽

Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Proportional Hazards Model ◽

Cohort Analysis ◽

Corticosteroid Treatment ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards Model ◽

Matched Cohort ◽

Propensity Score Method

Abstract Background Fibrotic hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) is a chronic interstitial lung disease caused by allergic responses to repeated exposures to a causative antigen. Therapeutic evidence of the use of corticosteroids to treat fibrotic HP remains lacking, although corticosteroids are recognized as a major treatment option. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of corticosteroid treatment in patients with fibrotic HP in a propensity score-matched cohort. Methods A retrospective review of the medical records from 2005 to 2019 in a single center was conducted, and 144 patients with fibrotic HP were identified. Semiquantitative scores for lung abnormalities on HRCT were evaluated. Patients who received (PDN group) and did not receive (non-PDN group) corticosteroid treatment were matched using a propensity score method. Survival rates, serial changes in pulmonary function and annual changes in HRCT scores were compared in the matched cohort. Results In the matched analysis, 30 individuals in the PDN group were matched with 30 individuals in the non-PDN group, the majority of whom had ILD without extensive fibrosis. The survival rate was significantly better in the PDN group (P = 0.032 for the stratified Cox proportional hazards model; HR, 0.250). The absolute changes in FVC at 6, 12, and 24 months from baseline were significantly better in the PDN group. Fewer patients in the PDN group experienced annual deterioration, as reflected in the HRCT score, due to ground-glass attenuation, consolidation, reticulation, traction bronchiectasis and honeycombing. Conclusion We demonstrated that corticosteroids improved survival and slowed fibrotic progression in a matched cohort, the majority of whom had ILD without extensive fibrosis. Fibrotic HP with less severe fibrosis may benefit from corticosteroid treatment. We propose that the early initiation of corticosteroids should be considered for fibrotic HP when worsening fibrosis is observed.

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Age at Exposure to Parental Suicide and the Subsequent Risk of Suicide in Young People

Crisis ◽

10.1027/0227-5910/a000468 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 39 (1) ◽

pp. 27-36 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Kuan-Ying Lee ◽

Chung-Yi Li ◽

Kun-Chia Chang ◽

Tsung-Hsueh Lu ◽

Ying-Yeh Chen

Keyword(s):

Young People ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Proportional Hazards Model ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards Model ◽

Birth Registry ◽

Data Set ◽

Parental Suicide ◽

The Impact ◽

Age At Exposure

Abstract. Background: We investigated the age at exposure to parental suicide and the risk of subsequent suicide completion in young people. The impact of parental and offspring sex was also examined. Method: Using a cohort study design, we linked Taiwan's Birth Registry (1978–1997) with Taiwan's Death Registry (1985–2009) and identified 40,249 children who had experienced maternal suicide (n = 14,431), paternal suicide (n = 26,887), or the suicide of both parents (n = 281). Each exposed child was matched to 10 children of the same sex and birth year whose parents were still alive. This yielded a total of 398,081 children for our non-exposed cohort. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to compare the suicide risk of the exposed and non-exposed groups. Results: Compared with the non-exposed group, offspring who were exposed to parental suicide were 3.91 times (95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.10–4.92 more likely to die by suicide after adjusting for baseline characteristics. The risk of suicide seemed to be lower in older male offspring (HR = 3.94, 95% CI = 2.57–6.06), but higher in older female offspring (HR = 5.30, 95% CI = 3.05–9.22). Stratified analyses based on parental sex revealed similar patterns as the combined analysis. Limitations: As only register-based data were used, we were not able to explore the impact of variables not contained in the data set, such as the role of mental illness. Conclusion: Our findings suggest a prominent elevation in the risk of suicide among offspring who lost their parents to suicide. The risk elevation differed according to the sex of the afflicted offspring as well as to their age at exposure.

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Proliferation-dominant high-grade astrocytoma: survival benefit associated with extensive resection of FLAIR abnormality region

Journal of Neurosurgery ◽

10.3171/2018.12.jns182775 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 132 (4) ◽

pp. 998-1005 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Haihui Jiang ◽

Yong Cui ◽

Xiang Liu ◽

Xiaohui Ren ◽

Mingxiao Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Survival Benefit ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Proportional Hazards Model ◽

Characteristic Curve ◽

Extent Of Resection ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards Model ◽

High Grade ◽

Extensive Resection ◽

High Grade Astrocytoma

OBJECTIVEThe aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between extent of resection (EOR) and survival in terms of clinical, molecular, and radiological factors in high-grade astrocytoma (HGA).METHODSClinical and radiological data from 585 cases of molecularly defined HGA were reviewed. In each case, the EOR was evaluated twice: once according to contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images (CE-T1WI) and once according to fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) images. The ratio of the volume of the region of abnormality in CE-T1WI to that in FLAIR images (VFLAIR/VCE-T1WI) was calculated and a receiver operating characteristic curve was used to determine the optimal cutoff value for that ratio. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify the prognostic value of each factor.RESULTSBoth the EOR evaluated from CE-T1WI and the EOR evaluated from FLAIR could divide the whole cohort into 4 subgroups with different survival outcomes (p < 0.001). Cases were stratified into 2 subtypes based on VFLAIR/VCE-T1WIwith a cutoff of 10: a proliferation-dominant subtype and a diffusion-dominant subtype. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed a significant survival advantage for the proliferation-dominant subtype (p < 0.0001). The prognostic implication has been further confirmed in the Cox proportional hazards model (HR 1.105, 95% CI 1.078–1.134, p < 0.0001). The survival of patients with proliferation-dominant HGA was significantly prolonged in association with extensive resection of the FLAIR abnormality region beyond contrast-enhancing tumor (p = 0.03), while no survival benefit was observed in association with the extensive resection in the diffusion-dominant subtype (p=0.86).CONCLUSIONSVFLAIR/VCE-T1WIis an important classifier that could divide the HGA into 2 subtypes with distinct invasive features. Patients with proliferation-dominant HGA can benefit from extensive resection of the FLAIR abnormality region, which provides the theoretical basis for a personalized resection strategy.

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Adapting the Default Weighted Survival Analysis Modelling Approach to Model IFRS 9 LGD

Risks ◽

10.3390/risks9060103 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (6) ◽

pp. 103

Author(s):

Morne Joubert ◽

Tanja Verster ◽

Helgard Raubenheimer ◽

Willem D. Schutte

Keyword(s):

Survival Analysis ◽

Financial Reporting ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Proportional Hazards Model ◽

Survival Curve ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards Model ◽

Reporting Standard ◽

International Financial Reporting Standard ◽

Ifrs 9

Survival analysis is one of the techniques that could be used to predict loss given default (LGD) for regulatory capital (Basel) purposes. When using survival analysis to model LGD, a proposed methodology is the default weighted survival analysis (DWSA) method. This paper is aimed at adapting the DWSA method (used to model Basel LGD) to estimate the LGD for International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) 9 impairment requirements. The DWSA methodology allows for over recoveries, default weighting and negative cashflows. For IFRS 9, this methodology should be adapted, as the estimated LGD is a function of in the expected credit losses (ECL). Our proposed IFRS 9 LGD methodology makes use of survival analysis to estimate the LGD. The Cox proportional hazards model allows for a baseline survival curve to be adjusted to produce survival curves for different segments of the portfolio. The forward-looking LGD values are adjusted for different macro-economic scenarios and the ECL is calculated for each scenario. These ECL values are probability weighted to produce a final ECL estimate. We illustrate our proposed IFRS 9 LGD methodology and ECL estimation on a dataset from a retail portfolio of a South African bank.

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Risk factors associated with major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events following percutaneous coronary intervention: a 10-year follow-up comparing random survival forest and Cox proportional-hazards model

BMC Cardiovascular Disorders ◽

10.1186/s12872-020-01834-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Maryam Farhadian ◽

Sahar Dehdar Karsidani ◽

Azadeh Mozayanimonfared ◽

Hossein Mahjub

Keyword(s):

Proportional Hazards ◽

Proportional Hazards Model ◽

Coronary Intervention ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards Model ◽

Hazards Model ◽

Cerebrovascular Events ◽

Long Term Follow Up ◽

Stent Length

Abstract Background Due to the limited number of studies with long term follow-up of patients undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI), we investigated the occurrence of Major Adverse Cardiac and Cerebrovascular Events (MACCE) during 10 years of follow-up after coronary angioplasty using Random Survival Forest (RSF) and Cox proportional hazards models. Methods The current retrospective cohort study was performed on 220 patients (69 women and 151 men) undergoing coronary angioplasty from March 2009 to March 2012 in Farchshian Medical Center in Hamadan city, Iran. Survival time (month) as the response variable was considered from the date of angioplasty to the main endpoint or the end of the follow-up period (September 2019). To identify the factors influencing the occurrence of MACCE, the performance of Cox and RSF models were investigated in terms of C index, Integrated Brier Score (IBS) and prediction error criteria. Results Ninety-six patients (43.7%) experienced MACCE by the end of the follow-up period, and the median survival time was estimated to be 98 months. Survival decreased from 99% during the first year to 39% at 10 years' follow-up. By applying the Cox model, the predictors were identified as follows: age (HR = 1.03, 95% CI 1.01–1.05), diabetes (HR = 2.17, 95% CI 1.29–3.66), smoking (HR = 2.41, 95% CI 1.46–3.98), and stent length (HR = 1.74, 95% CI 1.11–2.75). The predictive performance was slightly better by the RSF model (IBS of 0.124 vs. 0.135, C index of 0.648 vs. 0.626 and out-of-bag error rate of 0.352 vs. 0.374 for RSF). In addition to age, diabetes, smoking, and stent length, RSF also included coronary artery disease (acute or chronic) and hyperlipidemia as the most important variables. Conclusion Machine-learning prediction models such as RSF showed better performance than the Cox proportional hazards model for the prediction of MACCE during long-term follow-up after PCI.

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