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Objectives: This study aims to assess the effectiveness of a multidomain intervention program on the change in functional status of hospitalized older adults. Design: This single-arm, prospective, non-randomized interventional study investigates the efficacy of a multidomain interventional program including cognitive stimulation activity, simple exercises, frailty education, and nutrition counseling. Setting and Participants: At a tertiary hospital in southern Taiwan, 352 eligible patients were sequentially enrolled. Included patients were aged ≥65 years (mean age, 79.6 ± 9.0 years; 62% male), scored 3–7 on the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS), and were hospitalized in the geriatric acute ward. Intervention: Those receiving standard care (physical rehabilitation and nutrition counseling) during January–July 2019 composed the historical control group. Those receiving the multidomain intervention during August–December 2019 composed the intervention group. Measurements: The primary outcome was the change in activities of daily life (ADL) and frailty status, as assessed by Katz Index and Clinical Frailty Scale, with using the generalized estimating equation model. The length of hospital stay, medical costs, and re-admission rates were secondary outcomes. Results: Participants undergoing intervention (n = 101; 27.9%) showed greater improvements in the ADL and CFS during hospitalization (ADL adjusted estimate, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.11–1.11; p = 0.02; CFS adjusted estimate, −1.11; 95% CI, −1.42–−0.80; p < 0.01), shorter length of hospital stay (adjusted estimate, -5.00; 95% CI, −7.99–−2.47; p < 0.01), lower medical costs (adjusted estimate, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.49–0.69; p < 0.01), and lower 30- and 90-day readmission rates (30-day adjusted OR [aOR], 0.12; 95% CI, 0.27–0.50; p < 0.01; 60-day aOR, 0.04; 95% CI, 0.01–0.33; p < 0.01) than did controls. Conclusions: Participation in the multidomain intervention program during hospitalization improved the functional status and decreased the hospital stay length, medical costs, and readmission rates of frail older people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the association of chronic rhinosinusitis with sudden sensorineural hearing loss using a population-based database. Methods: Sampled subject data were obtained from the Taiwan Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000. A total of 3325 patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss were identified and 9975 controls were randomly selected. A conditional logistic regression was used to calculate the odds ratio for having been previously diagnosed with chronic rhinosinusitis, for cases and controls. Results and conclusion: The adjusted odds ratio of having prior chronic rhinosinusitis among cases compared to controls was 1.36 (95 per cent confidence interval = 1.16-1.60). The significant relationship between sudden sensorineural hearing loss and chronic rhinosinusitis was most pronounced among those patients aged 44 years or less (compared to controls) (odds ratio = 2.18; 95 per cent confidence interval = 1.63-2.92). However, the significant relationship between sudden sensorineural hearing loss and prior chronic rhinosinusitis was not sustained for patients older than 60 years compared to controls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between androgen deprivation therapy ( ADT) and coronary heart disease ( CHD) remains controversial. Furthermore, the majority of such studies focused on Caucasian populations, and there is still a paucity of studies among Asian populations. This population-based study aimed to investigate the relationship between ADT and CHD in an ethnic Chinese (i.e., Taiwanese) population. We used data sourced from the Taiwan 'Longitudinal Health Insurance Database'. This study included 1278 patients with prostate cancer in the study group and 1278 subjects without prostate cancer in the comparison group. Each patient was individually tracked for a 3-year period to identify those who had subsequently received a diagnosis of CHD. The results showed that the incidence rate of CHD during the 3-year follow-up period was 4.69 (95% CI: 2.99-5.48) per 100 person-years and 2.67 (95% CI: 2.15-3.27) per 100 person-years for the study and comparison cohort, respectively. The Cox proportional hazard regression showed that the hazard ratio for CHD during the 3-year follow-up period for prostate cancer patients was 1.65 (95% confidence interval ( CI) = 1.25-2.16) compared with comparison subjects after adjusting for patients' geographic location, monthly income, urbanization level, hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and stroke. However, we failed to find a significant difference in the adjusted hazard of CHD during the 3-year follow-up period between prostate cancer patients who did and those who did not receive ADT (hazard ratio = 1.12, 95% CI = 0.79-1.59). We concluded that prostate cancer but not ADT was significantly associated with CHD. In addition, a common cause of prostate cancer and coronary heart disease could exist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What is known and objective Prior studies found that thiazolidinediones ( TZDs) might have tumour-suppressor activity mediated through cell-cycle arrest, induction of apoptosis and inhibition of cell invasion. The main objective of this study was to investigate the effects of TZDs on the risk of cancer among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus ( DM). Methods Patients diagnosed with DM between 1 January 1998 and 31 December 2002 were identified from the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database (LHID) within the Taiwan National Health Insurance ( NHI) programme. Using Cox regression models, we assessed the association between prescribed TZDs and cancer risk, TZDs' dose effect and the association between TZDs and specific cancer types. Hazard ratios ( HR) were adjusted for potential confounders (age, gender, income, Charlson score index, metformin and insulin use). Results and discussion The adjusted HRs for those prescribed TZD were 0·74 (95% CI 0·43-1·26, P = 0·27), 0·39 (95% CI 0·33-0·45, P < 0·001) and 0·49 (95% CI 0·27-0·89, P = 0·02), respectively, relative to non- DM patients, DM patients prescribed other anti- DM drugs besides TZDs and DM patients not prescribed any anti- DM drugs. In addition, the effects of TZDs were shown to be significantly dose dependent ( P for trend < 0·001). The risk of breast, brain, colorectal, ear-nose-throat, kidney, liver, lung, lymphatic, prostate, stomach, and uterus cancer was significantly lower in those prescribed TZDs. What is new and conclusions The results showed a decrease in cancer risk in diabetic patients using TZD, and the association was dose dependent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Patients receiving alendronate for osteoporosis carry a significantly higher risk of developing upper gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) and lower GIB (hazard ratio 1.32 and 1.84, respectively) after adjusting for potential confounding factors such as age, gender, co-morbidity, and some medications. The risk factors associated with GIB were further analyzed. Introduction: Patients receiving alendronate, a type of bisphosphonate, for osteoporosis have a higher risk of developing upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB). Whether patients receiving alendronate also have a higher risk of lower gastrointestinal bleeding (LGIB) has not been studied. In this study, we investigated the association between GIB and alendronate use and to identify the possible risk factors of GIB among alendronate users. Methods: Using the National Health Insurance (NHI) Research Database of Taiwan, 3,000 alendronate users and 12,000 age-, sex-, and enrollment time-matched controls were extracted for analysis from a cohort data set of 1,000,000 randomly sampled subjects. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to identify the risk factors for UGIB and LGIB in all enrollees and alendronate users after adjustments for age, gender, comorbidity (hypertension, diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease, heart failure, chronic renal disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, peptic ulcer, and cirrhosis), and medications (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs [NSAIDs], aspirin, steroids, clopidogrel, ticlopidine, warfarin, and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors). Results: During a median of 1.30-year follow-up, patients receiving alendronate had significant higher risk of UGIB and LGIB after adjusting for age, gender, and potential confounding factors such as comorbidity and medications. Age, chronic renal disease, NSAID, and clopidogrel use may be independent risk factors for UGIB among alendronate users. Age, male gender, clopidogrel, and ticlopidine use may be independent risk factors for LGIB among alendronate users. Conclusion: Patients receiving alendronates seemed to carry a higher risk for UGIB and LGIB, respectively, after adjustment for age, sex, underlying comorbidity, and certain medications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This population-based analysis explored the association between osteoporosis and a previous diagnosis of psoriasis. We found that the adjusted odds ratio (OR) of having been previously diagnosed with psoriasis for subjects with osteoporosis was 1.65 (95 % confidence interval [CI], 1.42-1.94) when compared to controls. Introduction: Although previous studies have investigated this association between psoriasis and osteoporosis, significant controversy remains regarding its presence. Therefore, this study set out to explore the association between osteoporosis and a previous diagnosis of psoriasis through a population-based case-control study in Taiwan. Methods: We identified 17,507 cases with a diagnosis of osteoporosis and randomly extracted 52,521 controls without a history of osteoporosis. We used conditional logistic regression analyses to calculate the OR for having been previously diagnosed with psoriasis. Results: Subjects with osteoporosis had a significantly higher prevalence of previously diagnosed psoriasis (1.50 % vs. 0.87 %, p < 0.001) compared to controls. Conditional logistic regression analysis revealed that the OR of having been previously diagnosed with psoriasis for subjects with osteoporosis was 1.65 (95 % CI, 1.42-1.94) when compared to controls after adjusting for monthly income, hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease, hyperlipidemia, rheumatoid arthritis, stroke, renal disease, Parkinson's disease, hyperthyroidism, chronic hepatopathy, Cushing's syndrome, malabsorption, tobacco use disorder, obesity, alcohol abuse/alcohol dependence syndrome, the use of SSRIs, and the use of systemic glucocorticoids. Furthermore, osteoporosis was significantly associated with a previous diagnosis of psoriasis in both sexes; the adjusted OR of prior psoriasis for cases when compared to controls was 1.52 (95 % CI, 1.16-1.99) and 1.73 (95 % CI, 1.44-2.13) for males and females, respectively. We also found that the adjusted OR of prior severe psoriasis for cases was 1.96 (95 % CI, 1.37-2.81) that of controls. Conclusions: This investigation succeeded in detecting an association between osteoporosis and prior psoriasis among both men and women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This population-based case-control analysis investigated the association between osteoporosis and prior urinary calculus (UC) in Taiwan. We succeeded in detecting an association between osteoporosis and prior UC (adjusted odds ratio = 1.66). This association was consistent and significant regardless of stone location. Introduction: UC has been demonstrated to be a risk factor for osteoporotic fractures, but no studies to date have directly investigated the association between UC and osteoporosis. This case-control analysis aimed to investigate the association of osteoporosis with prior UC using a population-based dataset in Taiwan. Methods: We first identified 39,840 cases ≥40 years who received their first-time diagnosis of osteoporosis between 2002 and 2009 and then randomly selected 79,680 controls. We used conditional logistic regression analyses to compute the odds ratio (OR) and the corresponding 95 % confidence interval (CI) for having been previously diagnosed with UC between cases and controls. Results: The OR of having been previously diagnosed with UC for patients with osteoporosis was 1.66 (95 % CI = 1.59-1.73) when compared to controls after adjusting for geographic location, urbanization level, type I diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease, hyperlipidemia, rheumatoid arthritis, stroke, renal disease, Parkinson's disease, hyperthyroidism, chronic hepatopathy, Cushing's syndrome, malabsorption, gastrectomy, obesity, and alcohol abuse/alcohol dependence syndrome. The results consistently showed that osteoporosis was significantly associated with a previous diagnosis of UC regardless of stone location; the adjusted ORs of prior kidney calculus, ureter calculus, bladder calculus, and unspecified calculus when compared to controls were 1.71 (95 % CI = 1.61-1.81), 1.60 (95 % CI = 1.47-1.74), 1.59 (95 % CI = 1.23-2.04), and 1.69 (95 % CI = 1.59-1.80), respectively. Conclusions: This study succeeded in detecting an association between osteoporosis and prior UC. In addition, our findings were consistent and significant regardless of stone location. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This population-based matched cohort analysis explored the effects of bisphosphonate treatment on acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We found that patients who received bisphosphonate therapy had a lower risk of AMI during a 2-year follow-up period (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.35). Our data support that bisphosphonates may provide protective effects against cardiovascular events. Introduction: Although bisphosphonates have been suggested to have anti-atherosclerotic effects in animal models, evidence in human subjects is still conflicting. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the effects of bisphosphonate treatment on AMI using a population-based cohort study. Methods: We identified 1,548 patients who received bisphosphonate therapy for osteoporotic fractures and randomly extracted 4,644 subjects with vertebral or hip fractures as a comparison cohort. Each patient was individually tracked for 2 years to identify those who subsequently suffered an AMI. Stratified Cox proportional hazards regressions were performed to assess the effect of bisphosphonate treatment on the risk of AMI. Results: Six (0.4 %) of the patients who received bisphosphonate therapy and 49 (1.1 %) of the comparison subjects suffered an AMI during the 2-year follow-up period. The incidence rate of AMI was 1.94 (95 % CI = 0.79-4.03) per 1,000 person-years in patients who received bisphosphonate therapy and 5.28 (95 % CI = 3.95-6.92) per 1,000 person-years in comparison patients. Regression analysis revealed that patients who received bisphosphonate therapy had a lower hazard of AMI during the 2-year follow-up period than comparison patients (HR = 0.37, 95 % CI = 0.16-0.85, p = 0.020). After censoring cases that died from non-AMI causes and adjusting for both demographic and risk factors, the HR of AMI for patients who received bisphosphonate therapy was 0.35 (95 % CI = 0.14-0.84, p = 0.020) than that of comparison patients. Conclusions: Patients who received bisphosphonate therapy had a lower risk of AMI during the 2-year follow-up period. Our data support that bisphosphonates may provide protective effects against cardiovascular events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This study aimed to explore the effect of bisphosphonate treatment on stroke using a large population cohort study. We found that the patients who received bisphosphonate therapy were less likely to suffer a stroke than comparison patients (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.79; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.66-0.99; p = 0.005) during a 2-year follow-up period. Introduction: Animal models have suggested that bisphosphonates have a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system. However, data on this topic in human subjects are still lacking. This study aimed to explore the protective effect of bisphosphonate treatment on stroke using a large population cohort study. Methods: We identified 2,148 patients who received bisphosphonate therapy for osteoporotic fractures. We randomly extracted 6,444 subjects with vertebral or hip fractures as a comparison group matched with the study group on age, sex, and year of index date. Each patient was individually tracked for 2 years to identify those who suffered a stroke. Stratified Cox proportional hazards regressions were performed to assess the effect of bisphosphonate treatment on the risk of stroke. Results: We found that 184 (8.6%) patients who received bisphosphonate therapy and 696 (10.8%) comparison patients suffered a stroke during the follow-up period. After adjusting for demographic variables and medical co-morbidities, stratified Cox proportional hazards regressions stratified by propensity score revealed that patients who received bisphosphonate therapy were less likely to suffer a stroke than comparison patients (HR = 0.79; 95% CI = 0.66-0.99). The adjusted HR for subarachnoid/intra-cerebral hemorrhage for patients who received bisphosphonate therapy was only 0.53 times (95% CI = 0.33-0.92) that of comparison patients, and the hazard of having an ischemic stroke during the 2-year follow-up period was 0.81 times that of comparison patients (95% CI = 0.65-0.96). Conclusion: Patients who received bisphosphonate therapy were associated with a lower risk of stroke during a 2-year follow-up period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundThere is compelling evidence that children of mothers with postnatal depression (PD) experience poor developmental outcomes. However, no studies have specifically ascertained the risk of mortality for offspring during preschool years, the most catastrophic outcome in the vulnerable period. This nationwide population-based study aimed to investigate whether maternal depression in the first year after giving birth was associated with increased mortality risk among their preschool children aged up to 5 years.MethodThree nationwide population-based datasets [the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD), birth certificate registry and death certificate registry] were linked in this study. A total of 10 236 offspring of mothers with PD were recruited, together with a comparison cohort of 81 888 births matched with the affected women in terms of maternal age and year of delivery. Each child was traced for 5 years from delivery between 2001 and 2003 until the end of 2008 to determine mortality during preschool years.ResultsDuring preschool years, 98 (0.96%) deaths were identified among the offspring of mothers with PD and 470 (0.57%) children in the comparison cohort died. For children up to 5 years old, exposure to maternal PD was independently associated with a 1.47-fold [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.16–1.87] increased mortality risk, after adjusting for family income, urbanization level and the characteristics of mother, father and infant. The risk of death by unnatural causes was even higher (about 2.23 times the risk, 95% CI 1.34–3.70) among exposed offspring.ConclusionsPD places preschool children at significantly increased risk of mortality, especially from unnatural causes of death. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Background and aim: Serum sodium has been suggested to incorporate into the model for end-stage liver disease to enhance its prognostic ability for cirrhosis. A mathematical equation based on model for end-stage liver disease and sodium, known as “MELD-Na”, was developed for outcome prediction for cirrhosis. The severity of liver cirrhosis is a key component to predict survival in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. This study investigated the prognostic role of MELD-Na for hepatocellular carcinoma. Patients and methods: A total of 535 unselected hepatocellular carcinoma patients were prospectively enrolled to evaluate the performance of MELD-Na. Results: The MELD-Na was better than model for end-stage liver disease in predicting 6-month mortality by comparing the area under receiver operating characteristic curve (0.782 vs. 0.761, p =0.101). MELD-Na, but not model for end-stage liver disease, was an independent predictor associated with 6-month mortality in multivariate logistic regression analysis (odds ratio: 1.14, p =0.001). In the survival analysis, MELD-Na also independently predicted mortality, with an additional risk of 4.3% per unit increment of the score (p <0.001). Patients with MELD-Na scores between 10 and 20 and scores >20 had 2.1-fold (p <0.001) and 7.5-fold (p <0.001) risk of mortality, respectively, compared to patients with a score <10 in the Cox proportional hazard model. Conclusion: The MELD-Na score is a feasible and independent prognostic predictor for both short- and long-term outcome predictions in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]