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Objective: To assess the association between polycystic ovary syndrome and pancreatic cancer in Taiwan. Methods: We used the 2013–2020 claims data of Taiwan National Health Insurance Program. A case‐control study was performed, including female subjects 20 years or older with and without pancreatic cancer. Cases comprised female subjects diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, identified based on diagnosis codes. Controls were selected from female subjects without pancreatic cancer and matched to cases on age and comorbidities. Polycystic ovary syndrome was identified through diagnosis codes. A conditional logistic regression model was used to assess the association between polycystic ovary syndrome and pancreatic cancer, with results presented as odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: This case‐control study included 12,466 cases with pancreatic cancer and 49,864 matched controls. The proportions of polycystic ovary syndrome were 2.6% among cases with pancreatic cancer and 1.4% among controls without pancreatic cancer (p < 0.001). After controlling for confounding factors, the conditional logistical regression model revealed a statistically significant association between polycystic ovary syndrome and pancreatic cancer, with an OR of 1.38 (95% CI = 1.21–1.59, p < 0.001). Conclusion: This case‐control study reveals that there is a statistically significant association between polycystic ovary syndrome and pancreatic cancer. More studies are needed to provide robust evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To investigate the potential association between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and colon polyps in Taiwan. Methods. We utilized 2006–2015 claims data of the Taiwan National Health Insurance Program as a data source. A case-control study was conducted, involving individuals 20 years or older with and without colon polyps. Cases comprised individuals diagnosed with colon polyps, identified through diagnosis codes. Controls were selected from individuals without colon polyps, matched to cases based on sex, age, and comorbidities. NAFLD was identified based on diagnosis codes. The logistic regression model with odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) was employed to assess the association between NAFLD and colon polyps. Results. The study included 16,890 cases with colon polyps and 67,560 matched controls without colon polyps. The mean age was 57 years old and about 61% of study subjects were males. Among cases with colon polyps, 1.0% had a diagnosis of NAFLD, whereas only 0.4% exhibited NAFLD in the control group. After adjustment for confounding variables, a multivariable logistic regression model revealed a statistically significant association between NAFLD and colon polyps, with an odds ratio of 2.32 (95% CI = 1.91–2.82). Conclusion. This case-control study suggests a positive association between NAFLD and colon polyps. These results contribute to our understanding of the potential links between NAFLD and gastrointestinal health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess if an association exists between cirrhosis and herpes zoster in Taiwan.Methods: A retrospective cohort study was designed to analyse the 2000-2013 claim dataset of 1 million insured residents who were randomly sampled from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Program. In total, 16 190 subjects aged 20-84 years old with newly diagnosed cirrhosis since 2000 to 2012 were identified as the cirrhosis group and 16 190 sex- and age-matched subjects without cirrhosis were selected as the non-cirrhosis group. Both cirrhosis and non-cirrhosis groups were followed until a new diagnosis of herpes zoster was made or until the end of 2013. The multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression model was applied to calculate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for herpes zoster associated with cirrhosis.Results: The incidence rate of herpes zoster was 1.08-fold greater in the cirrhosis group than the non-cirrhosis group (8.33 vs 7.69 per 1000 person-years, 95%CI 1.02-1.15). After adjusting for confounders, the adjusted HR of herpes zoster was 1.11 (95% CI 1.004-1.24) for the cirrhosis group compared with the non-cirrhosis group. The adjusted HR increased to 1.33 (95% CI 1.02-1.74) for the decompensated cirrhosis group compared with the non-cirrhosis group.Conclusions: Cirrhosis is associated with a small but significant increase in the risk of herpes zoster. Given that the risk of herpes zoster is small and the expense of herpes zoster vaccination is high, whether cirrhotic persons need to be vaccinated should assess the balance of cost and benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/objective: Patients on chronic dialysis are at risk of developing herpes zoster, but little systematic research focuses on the association between predialysis chronic kidney disease and herpes zoster. The objective of the study was to explore the association between predialysis chronic kidney disease and herpes zoster in Taiwan.Methods: A nation-based retrospective cohort study was performed using the 2005-2012 database of the Taiwan National Health Insurance Program. There were 16 655 subjects aged 20-84 years with newly diagnosed predialysis chronic kidney disease as the study group and 33 310 randomly selected subjects without chronic kidney disease as the comparison group. Both groups were matched with sex, age, comorbidities and the year of the index date. The incidence rates of herpes zoster in both groups were calculated. The multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for herpes zoster associated with predialysis chronic kidney disease.Results: The overall incidence rate of herpes zoster was 1.4-fold higher in the predialysis chronic kidney disease group than that in the non-chronic kidney disease group (8.76 vs 6.27 per 1000 person-years, 95% CI 1.27-1.54; P < .001). After controlling for co-variables, the adjusted HR of herpes zoster was 1.38 (95% CI 1.25-1.53; P < .001) for subjects with predialysis chronic kidney disease compared with non-chronic kidney disease subjects. The adjusted HR increased to 1.65 for subjects with predialysis chronic kidney disease and with any comorbidity (95% CI 1.42-1.92; P < .001).Conclusions: Patients with predialysis chronic kidney disease correlate with approximately 1.4-fold increased hazard of developing herpes zoster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor of the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology discusses the relationship between the use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and the risk of dementia. The author notes that a meta-analysis found no clear evidence of a connection between PPI use and dementia risk, which is consistent with previous studies. However, the author highlights the challenges of conducting randomized controlled trials on this topic and emphasizes the importance of selecting appropriate study subjects to avoid bias. The author concludes that more research is needed to establish a definitive link between long-term PPI use and the risk of dementia. [Extracted from the article]

The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between ambient temperature, ultraviolet radiation, and the development of herpes zoster in Taiwan. An ecological study was conducted to analyse the database of the Taiwan National Health Insurance Programme. Participants aged ≥20 years with newly diagnosed herpes zoster between 2003 and 2012 were selected for analysis. The monthly incidence rate of herpes zoster was measured between 2003 and 2012. Monthly average ambient temperature in Celsius (°C) between 2003 and 2012 was measured according to the official database of the Central Weather Bureau in Taiwan. Monthly accumulated ultraviolet radiation (MJ m−2) between 2003 and 2012 was measured according to the official database of the Environmental Protection Administration in Taiwan. The overall incidence rates of herpes zoster ranged from 2.54 to 5.67 per 10 000 persons per month from 2003 to 2012.The monthly average ambient temperature was higher and the monthly accumulated ultraviolet radiation was stronger from May to October. The incidence rates of herpes zoster seemed to be high during the period of high ambient temperature and strong ultraviolet radiation (from May to October).Whenever ambient temperature increased 1°C per month, the incidence rate of herpes zoster increased by 0.072 per 10,000 persons per month. Whenever ultraviolet radiation increased 1 MJ m−2 per month, the incidence rate of herpes zoster increased by 0.313 per 10 000 persons per month. There is a significant association between ambient temperature, ultraviolet radiation, and the development of herpes zoster in Taiwan. The incidence rate of herpes zoster is high during the period of high ambient temperature and strong ultraviolet radiation. Low ambient temperature and weak ultraviolet radiation might be beneficial for the prevention of herpes zoster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Methods Results Conclusion The aim of the cohort research was to study the association between chronic prostatitis and the probability of herpes zoster in Taiwan.Using the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) of Taiwan, we selected male persons newly diagnosed with chronic prostatitis aged 20–84 years between 2013 and 2020. These male persons were then matched with a non‐prostatitis group who did not have a diagnosis of prostatitis by using 1:1 propensity score matching on age and relevant comorbidities. All participants were observed either until a new diagnosis of herpes zoster was noted or until the completion of the study period in 2020. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was employed to study the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for the risk of herpes zoster associated with chronic prostatitis.A total of 69 239 participants with chronic prostatitis and 69 239 participants with non‐prostatitis were included in the analysis. The incidence rate of herpes zoster was higher in participants with chronic prostatitis compared to the non‐prostatitis group (8.03 per 1000 person‐years for chronic prostatitis group versus 4.74 per 1000 person‐years for non‐prostatitis group, incidence rate ratio = 1.69, and 95%CI = 1.59–1.81). After adjusting for co‐variables, participants with chronic prostatitis were found to have a higher risk of developing herpes zoster compared to the non‐prostatitis group (adjusted HR = 1.69, 95%CI = 1.59–1.81, and p < 0.001).This cohort research suggests that people with chronic prostatitis may have a greater risk of developing herpes zoster compared to the non‐prostatitis group in Taiwan. Preventive strategies, such as the administration of the herpes zoster vaccine, might be beneficial in people with chronic prostatitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the association between tamoxifen use and hip fractures in older women with breast cancer in Taiwan. Methods: We carried out a retrospective nationwide case–control study using the database of the Taiwan National Health Insurance Program. A total of 762 female patients with breast cancer aged ≥65 years newly diagnosed with hip fractures from 2000 to 2011 were identified for inclusion in the study. Additionally, 7620 female patients with breast cancer aged ≥65 years without hip fractures were randomly selected as controls. Patients were defined as having used tamoxifen if they had an existing prescription for tamoxifen before the index date. Patients were defined as having never used tamoxifen if they had never been given a prescription for tamoxifen before the index date. We used an unconditional logistic regression model to calculate the odds ratio and 95% confidence interval for the association between tamoxifen use and risk of hip fractures. Results: After adjustment for confounding variables, compared with patients who did not use tamoxifen, the adjusted odds ratio of hip fracture was 2.29 for those who had used tamoxifen (95% confidence interval 1.92, 2.72). Furthermore, adjusted odds ratios were 2.74 (95% confidence interval 2.19, 3.42) among patients with a cumulative duration of tamoxifen use of >3 years. Conclusion: Tamoxifen use is associated with increased risk of hip fractures among older women with breast cancer in Taiwan. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2019; 19: 56–60. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: The association between chronic pancreatitis and herpes zoster has not been fully investigated. The objective of the study was to investigate whether there is an association between chronic pancreatitis and herpes zoster in Taiwan. Methods: Using the claim data of the Taiwan National Health Insurance Program, we identified 1,545 participants aged 20–84 years with a new diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis from 2000 to 2012 as the chronic pancreatitis group. We selected 6,022 sex‐matched and age‐matched participants without chronic pancreatitis as the non‐chronic pancreatitis group. The incidence of herpes zoster at the end of 2013 was measured. The multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to measure the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for herpes zoster associated with chronic pancreatitis. Results: The overall incidence of herpes zoster was 1.34‐fold greater in the chronic pancreatitis group than the non‐chronic pancreatitis group (6.22 vs. 4.63 per 1,000 person‐years, 95% CI 1.16–1.57). After controlling for confounding factors, the adjusted HR of herpes zoster was 1.35 (95% CI 1.01–1.82) for the chronic pancreatitis group, compared with the non‐chronic pancreatitis group. Conclusions: Chronic pancreatitis correlates with 1.35‐fold increased risk of herpes zoster. From a view of primary prevention, we suggest that patients with chronic pancreatitis should receive herpes zoster vaccination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Objective The incidence of pyogenic liver abscess in Taiwan appears to be much higher than that in western countries. However, little is known about the incidence of pyogenic liver abscess among patients with predialysis chronic kidney disease. The objective of this study was to assess the association between predialysis chronic kidney disease and the risk of pyogenic liver abscess in Taiwan. Methods This population-based, retrospective, cohort study was conducted to analyse the database of the Taiwan National Health Insurance Program. There were 81118 subjects aged 20-84 years with newly diagnosed chronic kidney disease as the predialysis chronic kidney disease group since 2000-2010, and 81118 randomly selected subjects without chronic kidney disease as the nonchronic kidney disease group. The predialysis chronic kidney disease group and the nonchronic kidney disease group were matched with sex, age and comorbidities. The incidence of pyogenic liver abscess at the end of 2013 was calculated in both groups. Subjects who currently received dialysis therapy before the endpoint were excluded from the study. The multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to assess the hazard ratio ( HR) and 95% confidence interval ( CI) for the risk of pyogenic liver abscess associated with predialysis chronic kidney disease and other comorbidities including alcohol-related disease, biliary stone, chronic liver disease and diabetes mellitus. Results The overall incidence of pyogenic liver abscess was 1·65-fold higher in the predialysis chronic kidney disease group than that in the nonchronic kidney disease group (1·38 vs. 0·83 per 1000 person-years, 95% CI 1·59, 1·71). After adjustment for covariables, the adjusted HR of pyogenic liver abscess was 1·51(95% CI 1·30, 1·76) for the predialysis chronic kidney disease group, comparing with the nonchronic kidney disease group. In addition, the adjusted HR would increase to 3·31 (95% CI 2·61, 4·19) for subjects with predialysis chronic kidney disease and with any comorbidity studied. Conclusion Predialysis chronic kidney disease is associated with 1·5-fold increased risk of pyogenic liver abscess. There seem to be a synergistic effect on the risk of pyogenic liver abscess between predialysis chronic kidney disease and comorbidities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little research is available on the relationship between statin use and pyogenic liver abscess. The objective of the study was to determine whether prior use of statins is associated with pyogenic liver abscess. This case-control study was conducted to analyse the claim data of the Taiwan National Health Insurance Program. There were 1828 participants aged 20-84 years with first episode of pyogenic liver abscess from 2000 to 2013 as the cases and 1828 randomly selected participants without pyogenic liver abscess matched with sex, age and index year as the controls. Statin use was defined as 'current', 'recent' or 'past' if the statin prescription was filled ≤3 months, 3-6 months or >6 months before the date of pyogenic liver abscess diagnosis, respectively. Relative risk of pyogenic liver abscess associated with statin use was estimated by the odds ratio ( OR) with 95% confidence interval ( CI) using the multivariable logistic regression model. After controlling for potential confounders, the adjusted ORs of pyogenic liver abscess were 0.65 for participants with current use of statins (95% CI 0.50, 0.84), 0.74 for participants with recent use of statins (95% CI 0.49, 1.11), and 1.10 for participants with past use of statins (95% CI 0.90, 1.34), compared with participants with never use of statins. In the further analysis, the adjusted ORs of pyogenic liver abscess were 0.65 for participants with cumulative duration of statin use ≥12 months (95% CI 0.48, 0.88) and 0.68 for participants with cumulative duration of statin use <12 months (95% CI 0.43, 1.07), compared with participants with never use of statins. Our findings provide strong evidence that patients with current use of statins are associated with a 35% reduced odds of pyogenic liver abscess. The protective effect is stronger for longer duration of statin use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The correlation between simvastatin use and acute pancreatitis is explored. A case-control study was conducted to analyze claim data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Program. The case group comprising a total of 3882 subjects aged 20 to 84 years with their first acute pancreatitis episode occurring between 1998 and 2011 formed the case group, against 3790 randomly selected controls matched for sex, age, comorbidities, and index year of acute pancreatitis diagnosis. Recent use of simvastatin was defined as subjects whose last remaining simvastatin tablet was noted ≤7 days before the date of acute pancreatitis diagnosis. Remote use of simvastatin was defined as subjects whose last remaining 1 tablet for simvastatin was noted >7 days before the date of acute pancreatitis diagnosis. Never use of simvastatin was defined as subjects who had never been prescribed simvastatin. A multivariable unconditional logistic regression model was used to estimate the odds ratio and 95%CI to explore the correlation between simvastatin use and acute pancreatitis. After adjustment for confounders, multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that the adjusted odds ratio of acute pancreatitis was 1.3 for subjects with recent use of simvastatin (95%CI 1.02, 1.73), when compared with those with never use of simvastatin. The crude odds ratio decreased to 1.1 for those with remote use of simvastatin (95%CI 0.93, 1.34) but without statistical significance. Recent use of simvastatin is associated with acute pancreatitis. Clinicians should consider the possibility of simvastatin-associated acute pancreatitis for patients presenting for acute pancreatitis without known cause. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is little data on the relationship between atrial fibrillation and acute pancreatitis. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether atrial fibrillation is associated with acute pancreatitis. Methods: This retrospective cohort study analyzed the database of the Taiwan National Health Insurance Program from 2000 to 2010. There were 8,981 subjects aged 20–84 with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation as the atrial fibrillation group and 26,643 sex‐ and age‐matched, randomly selected subjects without atrial fibrillation as the non‐atrial fibrillation group. We used the multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression model to measure the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for acute pancreatitis risk associated with atrial fibrillation and other comorbidities. Results: The crude incidence rates of acute pancreatitis were 3.07 per 1,000 person‐years in the atrial fibrillation group and 2.03 per 1,000 person‐years in the non‐atrial fibrillation group (incidence rate ratio 1.51, 95% CI 1.40, 1.63). After controlling for potential confounding factors, the adjusted HR of acute pancreatitis was 1.46 for the atrial fibrillation group, as compared with the non‐atrial fibrillation group (95% CI 1.18, 1.80). In further analysis, even in the absence of alcohol‐related disease and biliary stone, the adjusted HR of acute pancreatitis was 1.62 for the atrial fibrillation group, as compared with the non‐atrial fibrillation group (95% CI 1.24, 2.12). Conclusions: Atrial fibrillation is associated with acute pancreatitis in the Taiwanese population, even in the absence of alcohol‐related disease and biliary stone. Further research is necessary to explore the pathogenesis underlying the relationship between atrial fibrillation and acute pancreatitis. Highlight Through an analysis of Taiwan's National Health Insurance claims database, Lai and colleagues revealed a significant association between atrial fibrillation and increased risk of acute pancreatitis, with an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.46. The possibility of atrial fibrillation‐related acute pancreatitis should be considered when a patient presents with idiopathic pancreatitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To investigate the correlation between zopiclone use and risk of hip fracture in elderly adults. Design Case-control study. Setting Claim data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Program. Participants Individuals aged 65 and older who experienced their first episode of hip fracture between 1998 and 2011 were enrolled as the case group (n = 10,996). Randomly selected subjects aged 65 and older without hip fracture were enrolled as controls (n = 9,081). Case and control groups were matched according to sex, comorbidities, and index year of hip fracture diagnosis. Measurements Current users of zopiclone were defined as those whose last remaining tablet of zopiclone was detected within 7 days or less before the date of hip fracture diagnosis. Late users of zopiclone were defined as those whose last remaining tablet of zopiclone was detected more than 7 days before the date of hip fracture diagnosis. Subjects who never received a prescription of zopiclone were defined as nonusers of zopiclone. A multivariable unconditional logistic regression model was used to estimate odds ratios ( ORs) and 95% confidence intervals ( CIs) to investigate the correlation between zopiclone use and risk of hip fracture. Results After adjusting for confounders, multivariable logistic regression analysis demonstrated that current users of zopiclone were three and a half times as likely as nonusers to experience a hip fracture (adjusted OR = 3.56, 95% CI = 2.33-4.84), whereas late users were essentially equally as likely as nonusers to experience a hip fracture ( OR = 1.05, 95% CI = 0.94-1.18). Conclusion Current use of zopiclone was associated with greater risk of hip fracture in the elderly adults studied. Clinicians should alert elderly people to the risk of hip fracture when prescribing zopiclone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to examine whether there is an association between finasteride use and the risk of acute pancreatitis. This population-based case-control study used the database of the Taiwan National Health Insurance Program. There were 2,530 male subjects aged 40-84 years with a first-attack of acute pancreatitis during the period of 1998-2011 as the case group and 10,119 randomly selected subjects without acute pancreatitis as the control group. Both groups were matched by age and index year of diagnosing acute pancreatitis. Subjects who never had finasteride prescription were defined as 'never use.' Subjects who at least received 1 prescription for finasteride before the date of diagnosing acute pancreatitis were defined as 'ever use.' The association of acute pancreatitis with finasteride use was examined by the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) using the multivariable unconditional logistic regression model. The crude OR of acute pancreatitis was 1.78 (95%CI 1.33, 2.39) for subjects with ever use of finasteride, when compared with subjects with never use of finasteride. After adjusting for potential confounders, the adjusted OR of acute pancreatitis decreased to 1.25 (95%CI 0.90, 1.73) for subjects with ever use of finasteride, but no statistical significance was seen. No association can be detected between finasteride use and the risk of acute pancreatitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of the present study was to investigate whether polypharmacy correlates with the risk of dementia in older people. Methods: From representative claims data established from the National Health Insurance with a population coverage rate of 99% in Taiwan, we identified 7135 newly diagnosed patients with dementia in 2000-2008 and 2 8540 randomly selected controls without dementia, both aged ≥65 years. The daily use of prescribed drugs in the past 2 years was compared between cases and controls, controlling for demographic characters and comorbidities. Results: The incidence of dementia increased with the number of medications used and age. Cases were older than controls, predominant with women and more likely to use five or more drugs daily (44.0% vs 32.0%, P < 0.0001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that, compared with participants using zero to one drug, the odds ratios (OR) of dementia were 1.28 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.18-1.38) for those using two to four drugs, 1.34 (95% CI 1.23-1.46) for those using five to nine drugs and 1.56 (95% CI 1.38-1.76) for those using 10 or more drugs. Cerebrovascular disease (OR 3.19), diabetes mellitus (OR 1.23), chronic kidney disease (OR 1.21) and hypertension (OR 1.08) were significant comorbidities predicting the risk of dementia. There was significant interaction between cerebrovascular disease and the number of medications used in the dementia risk. Conclusions: The risk of dementia increases steadily with the number of medications used and age in older people in Taiwan. Cerebrovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease and hypertension might also correlate with the risk of dementia. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2012; 12: 491-498. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: This study investigated whether diabetes mellitus (DM) increased the risk of pancreatic cancer and whether anti-diabetic drugs reduced the risk in Taiwan. Methods: We designed a population-based cohort study using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Database, which consisted of 49 803 patients aged 20 years and older with newly diagnosed DM as the diabetic group and 199 212 people without DM as the non-diabetic group during 1998-2007. Results: The incidence of pancreatic cancer was higher in patients with diabetic duration less than 2 years, as compared to the non-diabetic group (27.81 vs 6.96 per 10 000 person-years, 95% confidence interval = 2.11-7.54). Age (aged 40-64, hazard ratio [HR] = 5.22, and aged 65 and older, HR = 7.59, respectively), chronic pancreatitis (HR = 19.40), gallstones (HR = 2.56), and hepatitis C infection (HR = 3.08) were also significant factors predicting pancreatic cancer. Patients with concurrent DM and chronic pancreatitis had an appreciably elevated risk of developing pancreatic cancer (HR = 33.52), as compared with subjects without these comorbidities. The association was not statistically significant between use of anti-diabetic drugs and the risk of pancreatic cancer. Conclusions: Diabetes < 2 years' duration is associated with pancreatic cancer and could be an early manifestation of pancreatic cancer. Long-standing diabetes was not found to be a risk factor for pancreatic cancer in Taiwan's patients. Old age, chronic pancreatitis, gallstones and hepatitis C infection are other risk factors for pancreatic cancer. These high-risk patients should undergo close follow-up programs for pancreatic cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented wherein the authors’ report a study which revealed that there was no association between Parkinson’s disease and lung cancer.

Aim Little is known about the acute effects of furosemide use on the risk of hip fracture. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association between furosemide use and acute risk of hip fracture in older people in Taiwan. Methods We carried out a retrospective nationwide case-control study using the database of the Taiwan National Health Insurance Program. A total of 4523 older adults aged ≥65 years with newly diagnosed hip fracture from 2000 to 2013 were identified as the cases. Additionally, 4523 older adults aged ≥65 years without hip fracture were randomly selected as the controls. The cases and the controls were matched by sex, age, comorbidities, and index year and month of hip fracture diagnosis. Furosemide use was defined as 'current,' 'recent' or 'past' if the furosemide prescription was filled <3 months, 3-6 months or ≥6 months before the date of hip fracture diagnosis, respectively. The unconditional logistic regression model was used to calculate the odds ratio and 95% confidence interval (CI) for the relative risk of hip fracture associated with furosemide use. Results After adjustment for potential covariables, the adjusted odds ratios of hip fracture were 1.30 for participants with current use of furosemide (95% CI 1.14-1.48), 1.23 for participants with recent use of furosemide (95% CI 0.98-1.53) and 1.08 for participants with past use of furosemide (95% CI 0.90-1.30), compared with non-users. Conclusions Current use of furosemide is associated with a 30% increased odds of hip fracture in older people in Taiwan. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 2552-2558. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article on the association of Alzheimer's disease with hepatocellular carcinoma in older people

A letter to the editor is presented which is concerned with research which investigated a possible association between gout and Alzheimer's disease.

A letter to the editor is presented which is concerned with research which investigated the relationship between Alzheimer's disease and the risk of hip fracture in older people in Taiwan.

A letter to the editor is presented related to the use of proton pump inhibitors in acid suppression and hypochlorhydria and increase in gastrin level.

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article "Aspirin Use After Diagnosis Improves Survival in Older Adults With Colon Cancer: A Retrospective Cohort Study" by M. S. Reimers et al.

The article discusses the association of Parkinson's disease with the factor of head injury in Taiwan. It includes a group based study conducted on patients diagnosed with head injury which shows the incidence rate ratio (IRR) of 2.36 for the head injury group, when compared with the non-the head injury group. It concludes that head injury is associated with increased risk of Parkinson's disease in Taiwan