Health Registry Data Research Articles

Colombian Ocular Diseases Epidemiology Study (CODES): incidence and sociodemographic characterisation of keratoconus between 2015 and 2020

ObjectiveTo estimate the incidence and describe the demographic characteristics of keratoconus (KC) in Colombia using national health registry data between January 1st 2015 and December 31th 2020.Methods and analysisWe conducted...

Induced abortions of women living with HIV in Finland 1987–2019: a national register study

BackgroundRecent data on the rate and risk factors of induced abortion among women living with HIV (WLWH) are limited. Our aim was to use Finnish national health register data to 1) determine the nationwide rate of induced abortions of WLWH in Finland during 1987–2019, 2) compare the rates of induced abortions before and after HIV diagnosis over different time periods, 3) determine the factors associated with terminating a pregnancy after HIV diagnosis, and 4) estimate the prevalence of undiagnosed HIV at induced abortions to see whether routine testing should be implemented.MethodsA retrospective nationwide register study of all WLWH in Finland 1987–2019 (n = 1017). Data from several registers were combined to identify all induced abortions and deliveries of WLWH before and after HIV diagnosis. Factors associated with terminating a pregnancy were assessed with predictive multivariable logistic regression models. The prevalence of undiagnosed HIV at induced abortion was estimated by comparing the induced abortions among WLWH before HIV diagnosis to the number of induced abortions in Finland.ResultsRate of induced abortions among WLWH decreased from 42.8 to 14.7 abortions/1000 follow-up years from 1987–1997 to 2009–2019, more prominently in abortions after HIV diagnosis. After 1997 being diagnosed with HIV was not associated with an increased risk of terminating a pregnancy. Factors associated with induced abortion in pregnancies that began after HIV diagnosis 1998–2019 were being foreign-born (OR 3.09, 95% CI 1.55–6.19), younger age (OR 0.95 per year, 95% CI 0.90–1.00), previous induced abortions (OR 3.36, 95% CI 1.80–6.28), and previous deliveries (OR 2.13, 95% CI 1.08–4.21). Estimated prevalence of undiagnosed HIV at induced abortion was 0.008–0.029%.ConclusionsRate of induced abortions among WLWH has decreased. Family planning should be discussed at every follow-up appointment. Routine testing of HIV at all induced abortions is not cost-effective in Finland due to low prevalence.

Risk Prediction and Machine Learning: A Case-Based Overview.

Risk Prediction and Machine Learning: A Case-Based Overview.

Abstract 29: Risk Of Early Onset Cerebrovascular Disease After Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes: A Population Based Cohort Study

Background: Adverse pregnancy outcomes (APO) contribute to a higher risk of maternal cerebrovascular disease, but longitudinal data that include APO and stroke timing are lacking. We hypothesized that APO are associated with younger age at first stroke, with a larger effect in those with recurrent APO (rAPO), defined as >1 pregnancy with APO. Methods: We analyzed longitudinal Finnish nationwide health registry data from the FinnGen Study. We included people who gave birth after 1969 when birth and hospital discharge registries were established. We defined APO as a pregnancy affected by gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, eclampsia, preterm birth, small for gestational age infant, or placental abruption. We defined stroke as 1 st hospital admission for ischemic stroke, non-traumatic intracerebral hemorrhage or subarachnoid hemorrhage, or TIA, excluding stroke during pregnancy or within 1 year postpartum. Stroke and APO diagnoses were validated in the cohort. We created Kaplan Meier survival curves, Cox models, and logistic models to assess the relationship between APO and future stroke, adjusting for demographic and cardiovascular risk factors. Results: We included 130,764 individuals with a total of 285,545 births in the analysis sample, of whom 14.9% had 1 pregnancy with APO and 2.8% had rAPO. Those with any APO had higher proportion of obesity, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, heart disease and migraine. Median age at 1 st stroke was 58.5 years in those with no APO, 54.6 years in those with 1 APO, and 51.3 years in those with rAPO. In adjusted models, age at stroke was younger in those with APO (1 APO: adjusted HR 1.2, 95%CI 1.1-1.3; rAPO: adjusted HR 1.4, 95%CI 1.2-1.6) compared to those with no APO. Those with rAPO had twice the stroke risk before age 45 (adjusted OR 2.1, 95%CI 1.5-2.8), compared to those with no APO. Conclusion: People who experience APO have higher risk of early onset cerebrovascular disease, with earliest onset and greatest risk in those with rAPO.

Genetic analyses implicate complex links between adult testosterone levels and health and disease

BackgroundTestosterone levels are linked with diverse characteristics of human health, yet, whether these associations reflect correlation or causation remains debated. Here, we provide a broad perspective on the role of genetically determined testosterone on complex diseases in both sexes.MethodsLeveraging genetic and health registry data from the UK Biobank and FinnGen (total N = 625,650), we constructed polygenic scores (PGS) for total testosterone, sex-hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and free testosterone, associating these with 36 endpoints across different disease categories in the FinnGen. These analyses were combined with Mendelian Randomization (MR) and cross-sex PGS analyses to address causality.ResultsWe show testosterone and SHBG levels are intricately tied to metabolic health, but report lack of causality behind most associations, including type 2 diabetes (T2D). Across other disease domains, including 13 behavioral and neurological diseases, we similarly find little evidence for a substantial contribution from normal variation in testosterone levels. We nonetheless find genetically predicted testosterone affects many sex-specific traits, with a pronounced impact on female reproductive health, including causal contribution to PCOS-related traits like hirsutism and post-menopausal bleeding (PMB). We also illustrate how testosterone levels associate with antagonistic effects on stroke risk and reproductive endpoints between the sexes.ConclusionsOverall, these findings provide insight into how genetically determined testosterone correlates with several health parameters in both sexes. Yet the lack of evidence for a causal contribution to most traits beyond sex-specific health underscores the complexity of the mechanisms linking testosterone levels to disease risk and sex differences.

FinnGen provides genetic insights from a well-phenotyped isolated population

Population isolates such as those in Finland benefit genetic research because deleterious alleles are often concentrated on a small number of low-frequency variants (0.1% ≤ minor allele frequency < 5%). These variants survived the founding bottleneck rather than being distributed over a large number of ultrarare variants. Although this effect is well established in Mendelian genetics, its value in common disease genetics is less explored1,2. FinnGen aims to study the genome and national health register data of 500,000 Finnish individuals. Given the relatively high median age of participants (63 years) and the substantial fraction of hospital-based recruitment, FinnGen is enriched for disease end points. Here we analyse data from 224,737 participants from FinnGen and study 15 diseases that have previously been investigated in large genome-wide association studies (GWASs). We also include meta-analyses of biobank data from Estonia and the United Kingdom. We identified 30 new associations, primarily low-frequency variants, enriched in the Finnish population. A GWAS of 1,932 diseases also identified 2,733 genome-wide significant associations (893 phenome-wide significant (PWS), P < 2.6 × 10–11) at 2,496 (771 PWS) independent loci with 807 (247 PWS) end points. Among these, fine-mapping implicated 148 (73 PWS) coding variants associated with 83 (42 PWS) end points. Moreover, 91 (47 PWS) had an allele frequency of <5% in non-Finnish European individuals, of which 62 (32 PWS) were enriched by more than twofold in Finland. These findings demonstrate the power of bottlenecked populations to find entry points into the biology of common diseases through low-frequency, high impact variants.

Catalogue of socioeconomic disparities and characteristics of 199+ chronic conditions-A nationwide register-based population study.

Real-world information on socioeconomic differences within and between chronic conditions represents an important data source for treatments and decision-makers executing and prioritising healthcare resources. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and mean of socioeconomic disparities from educational, income, and socioeconomic positions of 199 chronic conditions and disease groups, including sex and age group estimates, for use in planning of care services and prioritisation, by healthcare professionals, decision-makers and researchers. The study population includes all Danish residents 16 years and above, alive on 1 January 2013 (n = 4,555,439). The data was established by linking seven national registers encompassing educational achievements, incomes, socioeconomic positions, hospital- and general practice services, and filled-in out-of-hospital prescriptions. The health register data were used to identify the 199+ chronic conditions. Socioeconomic differences were primarily measured as differences in educational prevalence levels from low to high educational achievements using a ratio. Furthermore, multiple binary logistic regression models were carried out to control for potential confounding and residual correlations of the crude estimates. The prevalence of having one or more chronic conditions for patients with no educational achievement was 768 per thousand compared to 601.3 for patients with higher educational achievement (ratio 1.3). Across disease groups, the highest educational differences were found within disease group F-mental and behavioural (ratio 2.5), E-endocrine, nutritional and metabolic disease (ratio 2.4), I-diseases of the circulatory system (ratio 2.1) and, K-diseases of the digestive system (ratio 2.1). The highest educational differences among the 29 common diseases were found among schizophrenia (ratio 5.9), hyperkinetic disorders (ratio 5.2), dementia (ratio 4.9), osteoporosis (ratio 3.9), type 2 diabetes (ratio 3.8), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD (ratio 3.3), heart conditions and stroke (ratios ranging from 2.3-3.1). A nationwide catalogue of socioeconomic disparities for 199+ chronic conditions and disease groups is catalogued and provided. The catalogue findings underline a large scope of socioeconomic disparities that exist across most chronic conditions. The data offer essential information on the socioeconomic disparities to inform future socially differentiated treatments, healthcare planning, etiological, economic, and other research areas.

Psychiatric visits during the postpartum year in women with eating disorders who continue or discontinue antidepressant treatment in pregnancy.

To determine the association between continued antidepressant use in pregnancy and postpartum psychiatric visits for eating (ED) or mood/anxiety disorders in women with preexisting ED. Using Danish health registry data (1998-2015), we identified 3529 pregnancies in women with ED prepregnancy: (i) 564 with continued antidepressant use before and during pregnancy; (ii) 778 with discontinued antidepressants before pregnancy; (iii) 2137 unexposed. Outpatient and inpatient postpartum visits for an ED or a mood/anxiety disorder constituted the outcome measures. We estimated hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) using Cox regression with inverse probability of treatment weighting, and performed stratified analyses by antidepressant prescription filling in the first 3 months postpartum. The weighted cumulative incidence for an ED visit at end of follow-up was 4.5% (continued) and 4.8% (discontinued). We found no association between continued antidepressant and postpartum ED visit, relative to discontinued (HR: 0.89, 95% CI: 0.52-1.52). The HR for postpartum mood/anxiety disorder visit was 1.27 (95% CI: 0.68-2.36) with continued antidepressants versus discontinued but decreased if more than two antidepressant prescriptions were refilled. Continued antidepressant use was associated with a 57% reduced likelihood of a postpartum ED visit versus discontinued use in pregnancies with antidepressant prescription refills in the early postpartum. Among women with preexisting ED, there was no association between continued antidepressant use during pregnancy and the likelihood of postpartum psychiatric visits, relative to discontinued antidepressants before pregnancy. Continuation of treatment into the early postpartum is associated with reduced likelihood of postpartum ED visit. Based on data from the Danish registries, we identified 3529 pregnancies among women with preexisting eating disorders before pregnancy. Women with continued antidepressant treatment both before and during pregnancy did not have a lower probability of having postpartum psychiatric visits for an eating disorder or for mood/anxiety disorders (often coexisting with eating disorders), relative to those who discontinued antidepressants before pregnancy. Further continuation of antidepressant treatment into the early postpartum is associated with improved maternal postpartum outcomes. However, residual confounding by disease severity limits confidence in this conclusion.

Association Between Psychological Distress and Incident Dementia in a Population-Based Cohort in Finland

Symptoms of psychological distress have shown association with subsequent dementia, but the nature of association remains unclear. To examine the association of psychological distress with etiological risk of dementia and incidence of dementia in presence of competing risk of death. This cohort study consisted of population-based cross-sectional National FINRISK Study surveys collected in 1972, 1977, 1982, 1987, 1992, 1997, 2002, and 2007 in Finland with register-based follow-up; and the cohort was linked to Finnish Health Register data for dementia and mortality for each participant until December 31, 2017. Participants included individuals without dementia who had complete exposure data. Data were analyzed from May 2019 to April 2022. Self-reported symptoms of psychological distress: stress (more than other people), depressive mood, exhaustion, and nervousness (often, sometimes, never). Incident all-cause dementia, ascertained through linkage to national health registers. Poisson cause-specific hazard model (emphasizing etiological risk) and Fine-Gray subdistribution hazard model (emphasizing effect on incidence) considering dementia and death without dementia as competing risks. Covariates of age, sex, baseline year, follow-up time, educational level, body mass index, smoking, diabetes, systolic blood pressure, cholesterol, and physical activity. Sensitivity analysis was performed to reduce reverse causation bias by excluding individuals with follow-up less than 10 years. Among 67 688 participants (34 968 [51.7%] women; age range, 25 to 74 years; mean [SD] age, 45.4 years), 7935 received a diagnosis of dementia over a mean follow-up of 25.4 years (range, 10 to 45 years). Psychological distress was significantly associated with all-cause dementia in a multivariable Poisson model, with incidence rate ratios from 1.17 (95% CI, 1.08-1.26) for exhaustion to 1.24 (95% CI, 1.11-1.38) for stress, and remained significant in sensitivity analyses. A Fine-Gray model showed significant associations (with hazard ratios from 1.08 [95% CI, 1.01-1.17] for exhaustion to 1.12 [95% CI, 1.00-1.25] for stress) for symptoms other than depressive mood (hazard ratio, 1.08 [95% CI, 0.98-1.20]). All the symptoms showed significant associations with competing risk of death in both models. In this cohort study, psychological distress symptoms were significantly associated with increased risk of all-cause dementia in the model emphasizing etiological risk. Associations with real incidence of dementia were diminished by the competing risk of death.

Comparative Safety of Antiseizure Medication Monotherapy for Major Malformations.

This study was undertaken to examine the comparative safety of antiseizure medication (ASM) monotherapy in pregnancy with respect to risk of major congenital malformations (MCMs), overall and by MCM subtype. We conducted a population-based cohort study using national health register data from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden (1996-2020). We compared pregnancies with first trimester exposure to lamotrigine monotherapy to ASM-unexposed, carbamazepine, valproate, oxcarbazepine, levetiracetam, and topiramate to lamotrigine monotherapy, and stratified monotherapy groups by dose. The outcome was nongenetic MCM and specific subtypes. We estimated adjusted risk ratios (aRRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) with log-binomial regression and propensity score weights. There was a higher crude risk of any MCM in pregnancies exposed to lamotrigine monotherapy (n=8,339) compared to ASM-unexposed pregnancies (n=4,866,362), but not after confounder adjustment (aRR=0.97, 95% CI=0.87-1.08). Compared to lamotrigine, there was an increased risk of malformations associated with valproate (n=2,031, aRR=2.05, 95% CI=1.70-2.46) and topiramate (n=509, aRR=1.81, 95% CI=1.26-2.60), which increased in a dose-dependent manner. We found no differences in malformation risk for carbamazepine (n=2,674, aRR=0.91, 95% CI=0.72-1.15), oxcarbazepine (n=1,313, aRR = 1.09, 95% CI=0.83-1.44), or levetiracetam (n=1,040, aRR=0.78, 95% CI=0.53-1.13). Valproate was associated with several malformation subtypes, including nervous system, cardiac, oral clefts, clubfoot, and hypospadias, whereas lamotrigine and carbamazepine were not. Topiramate is associated with an increased risk of MCM similar to that associated with valproate, but lower doses may mitigate the risks for both drugs. Conversely, we found no increased risks for lamotrigine, carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, or levetiracetam, which is reassuring. ANN NEUROL 2023;93:551-562.

Deep Learning for Cross-Diagnostic Prediction of Mental Disorder Diagnosis and Prognosis Using Danish Nationwide Register and Genetic Data

Diagnoses and treatment of mental disorders are hampered by the current lack of objective markers needed to provide a more precise diagnosis and treatment strategy. To develop deep learning models to predict mental disorder diagnosis and severity spanning multiple diagnoses using nationwide register data, family and patient-specific diagnostic history, birth-related measurement, and genetics. This study was conducted from May 1, 1981, to December 31, 2016. For the analysis, which used a Danish population-based case-cohort sample of individuals born between 1981 and 2005, genotype data and matched longitudinal health register data were taken from the longitudinal Danish population-based Integrative Psychiatric Research Consortium 2012 case-cohort study. Included were individuals with mental disorders (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder [ADHD]), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder (BD), schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SCZ), and population controls. Data were analyzed from February 1, 2021, to January 24, 2022. At least 1 hospital contact with diagnosis of ADHD, ASD, MDD, BD, or SCZ. The predictability of (1) mental disorder diagnosis and (2) severity trajectories (measured by future outpatient hospital contacts, admissions, and suicide attempts) were investigated using both a cross-diagnostic and single-disorder setup. Predictive power was measured by AUC, accuracy, and Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC), including an estimate of feature importance. A total of 63 535 individuals (mean [SD] age, 23 [7] years; 34 944 male [55%]; 28 591 female [45%]) were included in the model. Based on data prior to diagnosis, the specific diagnosis was predicted in a multidiagnostic prediction model including the background population with an overall area under the curve (AUC) of 0.81 and MCC of 0.28, whereas the single-disorder models gave AUCs/MCCs of 0.84/0.54 for SCZ, 0.79/0.41 for BD, 0.77/0.39 for ASD, 0.74/0.38, for ADHD, and 0.74/0.38 for MDD. The most important data sets for multidiagnostic prediction were previous mental disorders and age (11%-23% reduction in prediction accuracy when removed) followed by family diagnoses, birth-related measurements, and genetic data (3%-5% reduction in prediction accuracy when removed). Furthermore, when predicting subsequent disease trajectories of the disorder, the most severe cases were the most easily predictable, with an AUC of 0.72. Results of this diagnostic study suggest the possibility of combining genetics and registry data to predict both mental disorder diagnosis and disorder progression in a clinically relevant, cross-diagnostic setting prior to clinical assessment.

Model-based predictions on health benefits and budget impact of implementing empagliflozin in people with type 2 diabetes and established cardiovascular disease.

To perform a model-based analysis of the short- and long-term health benefits and costs of further increased implementation of empagliflozin for people with type 2 diabetes and established cardiovascular disease (eCVD) in Sweden. The validated Institute for Health Economics Diabetes Cohort Model (IHE-DCM) was used to estimate health benefits and a 3-year budget impact, and lifetime costs per quality-adjusted life years (QALY) gained of increased implementation of adding empagliflozin to standard of care (SoC) for people with type 2 diabetes and eCVD in a Swedish setting. Scenarios with 100%/75%/50% implementation were explored. Analyses were based on 30 model cohorts with type 2 diabetes and eCVD (n=131 412 at baseline) from national health data registers. Sensitivity analyses explored the robustness of results. Over 3 years, SoC with empagliflozin (100% implementation) versus SoC before empagliflozin resulted in 7700 total life years gained and reductions in cumulative incidence of cardiovascular deaths by 30% and heart failures by 28%. Annual costs increased by 15% from higher treatment costs and increased survival. Half of these benefits and costs are not yet reached with current implementation below 50%. SoC with empagliflozin yielded 0.37 QALYs per person, with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of 16 000 EUR per QALY versus SoC before empagliflozin. Model simulations using real-world data and trial treatment effects indicated that a broader implementation of empagliflozin, in line with current guidelines for treatment of people with type 2 diabetes and eCVD, would lead to further benefits even from a short-term perspective.

Agreement between self-reported diseases from health surveys and national health registry data: a Danish nationwide study

BackgroundAgreement may be low when comparing self-reported diseases in health surveys with registry data. The aim of the present study was to examine the agreement between seven self-reported diseases among...

Smoking is associated with infection risk in healthy blood donors

ObjectivesThere is a gap in knowledge about the effects of smoking on overall infection risk in otherwise healthy populations, possibly leading to underestimation of the dangers of smoking. The present study aimed to examine the association of smoking with the risk of infections in a large cohort of healthy blood donors. MethodsThis cohort study used questionnaire and health register data from 127 831 Danish blood donors. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards analysis was applied to estimate the association of current smoking with the risk of all-cause infection defined as hospital-based treatment for infection or filled prescriptions of antimicrobials stratified for age and adjusted for relevant confounders. ResultsAmong 18 272 current smokers, 12 272 filled an antimicrobial prescription and 2035 received hospital-based treatment for infections. Among 101 974 non-smokers, 65 117 filled a prescription and 8501 received hospital-based treatment for infections. Smokers had a higher risk of all-cause infection than non-smokers (hazard ratio estimates were 1.27 in males and 1.33 in females for hospital-based treatment and 1.11 in males and up to 1.20 in females for filled prescriptions). Smoking was most strongly associated with an increased incidence of respiratory tract infection, abscesses, skin infection, and prescriptions for these ailments (hazard ratio up to 2.29). Furthermore, smokers' risk of filled prescriptions of broad-spectrum penicillin was increased (hazard ratio up to 1.96). ConclusionsCurrent smoking was strongly associated with the risk of hospital-based treatment of infection and filled prescriptions of antimicrobials in a large cohort of healthy individuals. These findings warrant an increased focus on infectious disease risk among smokers.

Abstract 10042: Mental Health Conditions In Congenital Heart Disease: A Danish Population Based Cohort Study

Introduction: We aimed to investigate mental health condition development by 18 years of age among children with congenital heart disease (CHD). Methods: Using Danish health registry data, all children with CHD (n=17,153) were identified from 1996-2017. Mental health conditions were identified using hospital-based diagnoses, medication prescription, and treatment codes during the study period (1996-2019). Children with mental health conditions diagnosed prior to CHD were excluded (n=670, 3.9%). Comparison cohorts included the general population (matched 10:1 for age and sex), siblings of children with CHD, and children with non-CHD major congenital anomalies (MCAs) identified via EUROCAT codes and matched 3:1 for age and sex. Incidence rates per 1,000 person-years, cumulative incidence per 100 persons, and adjusted hazard ratios (aHR [95% CI]) were calculated and stratified by age-based follow-up periods, CHD severity, and sex. Results: The CHD cohort had higher overall rates of mental health conditions than their siblings (aHR 1.41 [1.30-1.52]) and the general population (aHR 1.66 [1.60-1.72]), and when stratified by age periods, CHD severity, and sex (Table 1). The cumulative incidence in the CHD cohort was 35.7% compared with 25.6%, 26.6%, and 35.1% for the general population, sibling, and MCA cohorts, respectively (Figure 1). Conclusions: This population-based cohort study shows that children with CHD are more likely to be diagnosed with mental health conditions by age 18 years than their siblings and the general population, but not children with non-CHD MCAs. Investigation to determine relevant clinical, sociodemographic, and family risk factors is ongoing.

Health-related behaviors during adolescence and subsequent anxiety and depression: the HUNT study

Abstract Background Evidence on the predictors of common mental disorders using nationwide health registries are scarce in Norway. Identifying modifiable behaviours affecting mental health across the lifespan is paramount to develop tailored strategies to tackle mental illnesses. The aim of this study was to identify patterns of health-related behaviours in adolescence and their influence on anxiety and/or depression in adulthood. Methods This was a prospective study based on data from the Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT) and health register data (N = 2061). Patterns of health-related behaviours were assessed according to physical activity, consumption of wholegrain bread, fish, fruit, vegetables, and sugar sweetened beverages and insomnia. Participant’s use of healthcare system for anxiety and/or depression was recorded at least once in the health registries. The patterns of health-related behaviors were identified through latent class analysis. Multivariable logistic regression was used to test the association between patterns of health-related behaviors and depression or/and anxiety. Results Four classes of health-related behaviors were identified: class 1 (15.2%), class 2 (36.0%), class 3 (24.2%), class 4 (24.6%). Adolescents with unhealthy behaviors (classes 1, 2 and 3) had 82%, 34% and 84% higher odds of depression and/or anxiety during adolescence and early adulthood than those from the healthy-related behaviors group (class 4). Conclusions Our findings suggest that health-related behaviors are clustered among Norwegian adolescents. There was a meaningful association of the three patterns of unhealthy behaviors during adolescence with anxiety and depression in adulthood. Population strategies and policies aiming to tackle unhealthy behaviors among adolescents can positively impact on adult’s mental health. Key messages • Improving healthy behaviors during adolescence may reduce the burden of mental illness in adulthood. • Population strategies and policies aiming to tackle unhealthy behaviors among adolescents can positively impact on adult’s mental health.

Risk of gastric and oesophageal adenocarcinoma following discontinuation of long-term proton-pump inhibitor therapy

BackgroundThere is uncertainty whether long-term use of proton-pump inhibitors can cause gastric adenocarcinoma (GAC) and oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC). This study aimed to determine how discontinuation of long-term PPI therapy influences the risk of GAC and OAC.MethodsThis population-based cohort study included all long-term users of PPI therapy in Sweden in 2005–2018 was based on Swedish nationwide health registry data. The exposure was discontinuation of long-term PPI therapy, defined as no dispensation of PPI following inclusion and used as a time-varying variable, compared to remaining on PPI. Main outcomes were GAC and OAC, while oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) was included as a comparison outcome. Incidence rate ratios (IRR) with 95% CI adjusted for age, sex, comorbidity, obesity, diabetes, hyperlipidaemia, NSAIDs/aspirin, and statins were calculated with Poisson regression.ResultsAmong 730,176 long-term PPI users (mean age 65.6 years, 58.4% females) with 4,210,925 person-years at risk (median 5.5 person-years), 439,390 (60.2%) discontinued PPIs. In total, 495 developed GAC, 598 OAC, and 188 developed OSCC. PPI discontinuation was associated with decreased risk of GAC (IRR 0.81, 95% CI 0.67–0.98) and OAC (IRR 0.80, 95% CI 0.68–0.96), but not OSCC (IRR 1.10, 95% CI 0.82–1.49) compared to continued PPI use. Stratified analyses showed decreased point estimates across most age categories and both sexes for GAC and OAC risk among participants discontinuing PPI therapy.ConclusionDiscontinuation of long-term PPI therapy may decrease the risk of GAC and OAC, suggesting that physicians should consider ceasing prescribing long-term PPI in patients without continued indication for its use.

Prevalence and demographic characteristics of psoriatic arthritis in Colombia: Data from the National Health Registry 2012–2018

IntroductionPsoriatic arthritis is an inflammatory arthritis with a wide range of manifestations. The complexity of the disease is a barrier to understanding it, however knowledge about the disease has increased considerably over time, due to advances in genetics, immunology, imaging, and a better understanding of epidemiology. The exact prevalence is unknown, and its calculation is difficult due to the use of different diagnostic or classificatory criteria throughout the last decades. The present work aims to establish the prevalence of psoriatic arthritis in Colombia and to describe the basic demographic characteristics of patients with this disease from the official administrative clinical records of the Colombian Ministry of Health. ObjectiveTo estimate the prevalence and describe the main demographic characteristics of psoriatic arthritis in Colombia. Methodology and methodsCross-sectional study, based on official Ministry of Health registry data. Results6433 cases of psoriatic arthritis (ICD-10 code: M070, M071, M072, M073, L405) were reported between 2012 and 2018, for a prevalence in people over 18 years of 13.5 per 100,000 inhabitants, with a slight predominance of the female population (53%), with a female: male ratio of 1.12: 1, and a higher prevalence in the 55–59 year age group. Additionally, 149,130 cases of psoriasis were identified (ICD-10 code: L400, L401, L402, L403, L404, L408, L409), for a prevalence of psoriatic arthritis of 5.8% in psoriasis patients. ConclusionsThis is the first study to present demographic information on psoriatic arthritis in Colombia. Data from our study show a lower prevalence compared to other similar studies in the region.

The burden of hospital-attended influenza in Norwegian children.

BackgroundNorwegian health authorities do not recommend universal pediatric vaccination against seasonal influenza. We aimed to estimate the incidence of influenza by age and underlying medical conditions in hospitalized Norwegian children aged <18 years.MethodsActive surveillance for influenza in children <18 years was implemented in five hospitals during 2015–18. Children with respiratory symptoms and/or fever were prospectively enrolled and tested for influenza. Surveillance data were linked to health registry data to estimate the national burden of influenza in hospitals.ResultsIn 309 (10%) out of 3,010 hospital contacts, the child tested positive for influenza, corresponding to an average incidence of 0.96 hospital-attended influenza cases per 1,000 children <18 years of age. Children <1 year of age (3.8 per 1,000 children) and children with underlying medical conditions (17 per 1,000 children with bronchopulmonary dysplasia) had the highest average incidence. Among <1 year old children, 3% tested positive for influenza, compared to 25% for children aged 6–17. Few children were vaccinated against influenza.ConclusionsChildren <1 year of age and children with underlying medical conditions had a higher incidence of influenza requiring hospital treatment compared to the general population. Effective interventions against seasonal influenza for children in Norway should be considered.

Linking nationwide health and social registry data to informthe policy for Tuberculosis contact tracing in Brazil.

ObjectivesMitigating the socioeconomic determinants of Tuberculosis (TB) and systematic screening of contacts and high-risk groups are targets of The World Health Organization (WHO) End TB Strategy by 2035. Our aim was to link socioeconomic information to TB datasets to inform policy makers in Brazil and contribute to addressing current challenges.&#x0D; ApproachFollowing a signed technical cooperation agreement with the Ministry of Health (MoH), we linked nationwide data on 1.405.682 registries of TB diagnosed between 2004 and 2019 in Brazil to 131.697.800 demographic and socioeconomic registries from the 100 Million Brazilian Cohort (2001-2018) previously linked to nationwide mortality data. We established close links with TB managers to understand the database, clean and deduplicate registries and to analyse the data. We took advantage of the data structure, to set up a cohort of household contacts of TB patients and produce estimates of TB incidence by subgroups of demographic and socioeconomic characteristics.&#x0D; ResultsThe interaction of the MoH was effective and facilitated by a robust TB Programme in the country. 567.999 (40,41%) TB cases were linked to the 100 Million Brazilian Cohort with high specificity (93.6%) and sensitivity (94.6%). Using family identifiers, we established the first TB case within a family unit (i.e., primary case) and followed their household contacts up to 15 years. We found the TB incidence among household contacts to be 427.8/100.000 person-years (95%CI 419.1-436.8). In the first year following the identification of the primary case, there was higher cumulative incidence among household contacts under 5 years of age, which was followed by a plateau of cases in this age group. Cummulative incidence in the other age groups presented a constant increase over time.&#x0D; ConclusionThe close collaboration with the MoH, the development of an effective linkage algorithm and the availability of large socioeconomic data allowed for a unique analysis of the high incidence of TB among household contacts. Findings reinforce need for constant dialogue among stakeholders to strengthen case detection by primary health care.