Register-based Prospective Cohort Study Research Articles

Assessment of smoking care by stroke specialists in patients with recent TIA and minor stroke: an international prospective registry-based cohort study

ObjectivesThe objectives are to assess smoking abstinence and its effects on vascular risk and to report tobacco-cessation counselling and pharmacotherapy use in patients who had a recent minor stroke or...

Adjunctive Chinese medicine therapy reduces relapse of psoriasis vulgaris after discontinuation of biologics: a prospective registry-based cohort study

Background Biologics have revolutionized psoriasis treatment; however, relapse of psoriasis after discontinuation of biologics remains unresolved. Objective To assess the impact of adjunctive Chinese medicine (CM) therapy on relapse of psoriasis vulgaris (PV) after discontinuation of biologics. Methods We constructed a prospective cohort study through a psoriasis case registry platform that enrolled patients treated with biologics (in combination with or without CM). The endpoint event was relapse, defined as loss of psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) 75. Results A total of 391 patients completed the study and were included in the analysis, of whom 169 (43.2%) experienced relapse during follow-up. To minimize the bias, a 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) was performed, generating matched cohorts of 156 individuals per group. Adjuvant CM therapy significantly associated with reduced incidence of relapse (HR =0.418, 95% CI = 0.289 ∼ 0.604, p < 0.001), and the protective effect of CM in the subgroup analysis was significant. In addition, PASI 90 response and disease duration were associated with relapse (p < 0.05). Conclusion Adjunctive CM therapy is associated with reduced relapse incidence in PV after discontinuation of biologics.

Effectiveness of endovascular treatment for in-hospital stroke vs. community-onset stroke: a propensity score-matched analysis.

The effectiveness of endovascular treatment for in-hospital stroke remains debatable. We aimed to compare the outcomes between patients with in-hospital stroke and community-onset stroke who received endovascular treatment. This prospective registry-based cohort study included consecutive patients who underwent endovascular treatment from January 2013 to December 2022 and were registered in the Selection Criteria in Endovascular Thrombectomy and Thrombolytic Therapy study and Yonsei Stroke Cohort. Functional outcomes at day 90, radiological outcomes, and safety outcomes were compared between the in-hospital and community-onset groups using logistic regression and propensity score-matched analysis. Of 1,219 patients who underwent endovascular treatment, 117 (9.6%) had in-hospital stroke. Patients with in-hospital onset were more likely to have a pre-stroke disability and active cancer than those with community-onset. The interval from the last known well to puncture was shorter in the in-hospital group than in the community-onset group (155 vs. 355 min, p<0.001). No significant differences in successful recanalization or safety outcomes were observed between the groups; however, the in-hospital group exhibited worse functional outcomes and higher mortality at day 90 than the community-onset group (all p<0.05). After propensity score matching including baseline characteristics, functional outcomes after endovascular treatment did not differ between the groups (OR: 1.19, 95% CI 0.78-1.83, p=0.4). Safety outcomes did not significantly differ between the groups. Endovascular treatment is a safe and effective treatment for eligible patients with in-hospital stroke. Our results will help physicians in making decisions when planning treatment and counseling caregivers or patients.

Mortality in ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction With Nonobstructive Coronary Arteries and Mimickers

The clinical characteristics and prognosis of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) with nonobstructive coronaries (MINOCA) are largely unknown. To assess differences in 5-year mortality in patients presenting with STEMI due to MINOCA and MINOCA mimickers as compared with obstructive disease. A retrospective analysis of a prospective registry-based cohort study of consecutive STEMI activations at 3 regional Midwest STEMI programs. STEMI without a culprit artery and elevated troponin levels were categorized as MINOCA (absence of coronary artery stenosis >50% and confirmed or suspected coronary artery plaque disruption, epicardial coronary spasm, or coronary embolism/thrombosis) or MINOCA mimickers (takotsubo cardiomyopathy, myocarditis, or nonischemic cardiomyopathy). Data were analyzed from March 2003 to December 2020. Adjusted Cox regression analysis was used to assess 5-year mortality risk in STEMI presenting with MINOCA and MINOCA mimickers in comparison with obstructive disease. Among 8560 consecutive patients with STEMI, mean (SD) age was 62 (14) years, 30% were female (2609 participants), and 94% were non-Hispanic White (4358 participants). The cohort included 8151 patients with STEMI due to obstructive disease (95.2%), 120 patients with MINOCA (1.4%), and 289 patients with MINOCA mimickers (3.8%). Patients were followed up for a median (IQR) of 7.1 (3.6-10.7) years. Patients with MINOCA and MINOCA mimickers were less likely to be discharged with cardiac medications compared with obstructive disease. At 5-year follow-up, mortality in STEMI presenting with obstructive disease (1228 participants [16%]) was similar to MINOCA (20 participants [18%]; χ21 = 1.1; log-rank P = .29) and MINOCA mimickers (52 participants [18%]; χ21 = 2.3; log-rank P = .13). In adjusted Cox regression analysis compared with obstructive disease, the 5-year mortality hazard risk was 1.93 times higher in MINOCA (95% CI, 1.06-3.53) and similar in MINOCA mimickers (HR, 1.08; 95% CI, 0.79-1.49). In this large multicenter cohort study of consecutive clinical patients with STEMI, presenting with MINOCA was associated with a higher risk of mortality than obstructive disease; the risk of mortality was similar in patients with MINOCA mimickers and obstructive disease. Further investigation is necessary to understand the pathophysiologic mechanisms involved in this high-risk STEMI population.

Geographical and sociodemographic differences in statin dispensation after acute myocardial infarction in Sweden: a register-based prospective cohort study applying analysis of individual heterogeneity and discriminatory accuracy (AIHDA) for basic comparisons of healthcare quality

BackgroundIn Sweden, as in many other countries, official monitoring of healthcare quality is mostly focused on geographical disparities in relation to a desirable benchmark. However, current evaluations could be improved...

Birthweight of the subsequent singleton pregnancy following a first twin or singleton pregnancy.

Birthweight is an important pregnancy indicator strongly associated with infant, child, and later adult life health. Previous studies have found that second-born babies are, on average, heavier than first-born babies, indicating an independent effect of parity on birthweight. Existing data are mostly based on singleton pregnancies and do not consider higher order pregnancies. We aimed to compare birthweight in singleton pregnancies following a first twin pregnancy relative to a first singleton pregnancy. This was a prospective registry-based cohort study using maternally linked offspring with first and subsequent pregnancies registered in the Medical Birth Registry of Norway between 1967 and 2020. We studied offspring birthweights of 778 975 women, of which 4849 had twins and 774 126 had singletons in their first pregnancy. Associations between twin or singleton status of the first pregnancy and birthweight (grams) in subsequent singleton pregnancies were evaluated by linear regression adjusted for maternal age at first delivery, year of first pregnancy, maternal education, and country of birth. We used plots to visualize the distribution of birthweight in the first and subsequent pregnancies. Mean combined birthweight of first-born twins was more than 1000 g larger than mean birthweight of first-born singletons. When comparing mean birthweight of a subsequent singleton baby following first-born twins with those following first-born singletons, the adjusted difference was just 21 g (95% confidence interval 5-37 g). Birthweights of the subsequent singleton baby were similar for women with a first twin or a first singleton pregnancy. Although first twin pregnancies contribute a greater combined total offspring birthweight including more extensive uterine expansion, this does not explain the general parity effect seen in birthweight. The physiological reasons for increased birthweight with parity remain to be established.

Mortality and alcohol-related morbidity in patients with delirium tremens, alcohol withdrawal state or alcohol dependence in Norway: A register-based prospective cohort study.

Little is known about long-term consequences of delirium tremens (DT). This study aimed to compare all-cause and cause-specific mortality and alcohol-related morbidity between patients with: (i) DT, (ii) alcohol withdrawal state (AWS) and (iii) alcohol dependence (AD). A national longitudinal health registry study with linked data from the Norwegian Patient Registry and the Norwegian Cause of Death Registry. Norway. All patients registered in the Norwegian Patient Registry between 2009 and 2015 with a diagnosis of AD (ICD-10 code F10.2), AWS (F10.3) or DT (F10.4) and aged 20-79 years were included (n = 36 287). Patients were categorized into three mutually exclusive groups; those with DT diagnosis were categorized as DT patients regardless of whether or not they had received another alcohol use disorder diagnosis during the observation period or not. Outcome measures were: annual mortality rate, standardized mortality ratios (SMR) for all-cause and cause-specific mortality and proportion of alcohol-related morbidities which were registered in the period from 2years before to 1year after the index diagnosis. DT patients had higher annual mortality rate (8.0%) than AWS (5.0%) and AD (3.6%) patients, respectively. DT patients had higher mortality [SMR = 9.8, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 8.9-10.7] than AD patients (SMR = 7.0, 95% CI = 6.8-7.2) and AWS patients (SMR = 7.8, 95% CI = 7.2-8.4). SMR was particularly elevated for unnatural causes of death, and more so for DT patients (SMR = 26.9, 95% CI = 21.7-33.4) than for AD patients (SMR = 15.2, 95% CI = 14.2-16.3) or AWS patients (SMR = 20.1, 95% CI = 16.9-23.9). For all comorbidities, we observed a higher proportion among DT patients than among AWS or AD patients (P < 0.001). People treated for delirium tremens appear to have higher rates of mortality and comorbidity than people with other alcohol use disorders.

Cohort profile: InfCareHIV, a prospective registry-based cohort study of people with diagnosed HIV in Sweden

PurposeThe Swedish InfCareHIV cohort was established in 2003 to ensure equal and effective care of people living with HIV (PLHIV) and enable long-term follow-up. InfCareHIV functions equally as a decision...

Antidepressant treatment initiation and public sick-leave compensation in the following year: a register-based prospective cohort study in Denmark

Objectives Mental disorders have caused increasing sickness absence and related benefit claims in the OECD countries. This study investigates the association between antidepressant treatment initiation and public sick leave compensation (PLSC) in the following year in Denmark. Methods The study was designed as a register-based prospective cohort study. We included 39,401 adults (aged 18–65 years) with at least 12 consecutive months of full-time labour market attachment who had initiated first-time antidepressant monotherapy for depression or anxiety between 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2018. PLSC was estimated for the year following the incident prescription of various antidepressants for depression or anxiety disorders. Results The most frequently prescribed antidepressant medication was SSRIs (66.8%), with sertraline being the leading choice. Compared with sertraline, mirtazapine and mianserin were associated with the highest risks of PSLC in the year following initiation, with IRRs of 2.74 (95% CI: 2.63 to 2.86) and 5.79 (95% CI: 5.18 to 6.47), respectively. Compared with sertraline, citalopram (IRR 1.22, 95%CI 1.17–1.28), venlafaxine (IRR 1.34, 95%CI 1.23–1.45) and duloxetine (IRR 1.48, 95%CI 1.35–1.62) were all associated with increased PSLC. In contrast, paroxetine (IRR 0.85, 95% CI 0.74–0.98), fluoxetine (IRR 0.51, 95%CI 0.42–0.62) and vortioxetine (IRR 0.78, 95% CI 0.63–0.97) were all associated with a significantly lower risk of PSLC compared with sertraline. Conclusions Antidepressant treatment initiation was associated with PLSC. The highest risk of PLSC was seen for antidepressants with sedative side effects. Some types of antidepressants were associated with a lower risk of PLSC in the year following treatment initiation.

Joint exposure to parental cancer and income loss during childhood and the child’s socioeconomic position in early adulthood: a Danish and Norwegian register-based cohort study

BackgroundParental cancer as well as economic hardship in the family during childhood can affect the child negatively. Our aim was to examine the association between the joint exposure to parental...

Association of occupational physical activity and disability pension in 756,159 Spanish workers: A prospective cohort study with 13 years follow-up

Recent research from Nordic countries identified occupational physical activity (OPA) as a risk factor for disability pension, but further research accounting for exhaustive analyses in novel populations is warranted. Our objective was to assess the association between OPA and disability pension using administrative data. This prospective registry-based cohort study used data from the Spanish Continuous Working Life Sample (CWLS). Participants were followed up from baseline (January 1, 2006) to first event of disability pension, mortality, or end of follow-up (September 1, 2019). The assessment of OPA was based on registers of economic activity and their correspondence with a validated OPA index. To examine the association between OPA and disability pension, adjusted proportional hazard, and Fine-Gray models using mortality as competing risk were conducted. We retrieved data from 756,159 workers (57.7% men) with an average age of 38.5 years (SD 11.9). During 13.6 years from baseline to the end of follow-up (9,463,041 person-years), 18,191 men (4.2%) and 9631 (3.0%) women received a disability pension. In the fully adjusted model, participants exposed to higher levels of OPA showed higher risk for disability pension in an exposure-response fashion. Men and women exposed to very high OPA showed the highest HR for disability pension (2.31 [95% CI, 2.17 to 2.46] and 1.68 [95% CI, 1.56 to 1.81], respectively. These results warrant preventative measures to address early involuntary exit from the labour market in workers exposed to high physical work demands.

Postoperative abdominal complications of gastric and colorectal cancer surgeries in China: a multicentered prospective registry-based cohort study

Postoperative abdominal complications of gastric and colorectal cancer surgeries in China: a multicentered prospective registry-based cohort study

Effectiveness of Different Antimicrobial Strategies for Staphylococcal Prosthetic Joint Infection: Results From a Large Prospective Registry-Based Cohort Study

BackgroundTreatment of staphylococcal prosthetic joint infection (PJI) usually consists of surgical debridement and prolonged rifampicin combination therapy. Tailored antimicrobial treatment alternatives are needed due to frequent side effects and drug-drug interactions with rifampicin combination therapy. We aimed to assess the effectiveness of several alternative antibiotic strategies in patients with staphylococcal PJI.MethodsIn this prospective, multicenter registry-based study, all consecutive patients with a staphylococcal PJI, treated with debridement, antibiotics and implant retention (DAIR) or 1-stage revision surgery between January 1, 2015 and November 3, 2020, were included. Patients were treated with a long-term rifampicin combination strategy (in 2 centers) or a short-term rifampicin combination strategy (in 3 centers). Antimicrobial treatment strategies in these centers were defined before the start of the registry. Patients were stratified in different groups, depending on the used antimicrobial strategy. Cox proportional hazards models were used to compare outcome between the groups.ResultsTwo hundred patients were included and stratified in 1 long-term rifampicin group (traditional rifampicin combination therapy) or 1 of 3 short-term rifampicin groups (clindamycin or flucloxacillin or vancomycin monotherapy, including rifampicin for only 5 postoperative days). Adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) for failure in patients treated with short-term rifampicin and either flucloxacillin or clindamycin were almost equal to patients treated with long-term rifampicin combination therapy (aHR = 1.21; 95% confidence interval, .34–4.40).ConclusionsA short-term rifampicin strategy with either clindamycin or flucloxacillin and only 5 days of rifampicin was found to be as effective as traditional long-term rifampicin combination therapy. A randomized controlled trial is needed to further address efficacy and safety of alternative treatment strategies for staphylococcal PJI.

Advancing Antiracism in Family Medicine.

<h3>Objective</h3> To investigate the possible connection between cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and muscle strength in early adulthood and severity of COVID-19 later in life. <h3>Design</h3> Prospective registry-based cohort study. <h3>Participants</h3> 1 559 187 Swedish men, undergoing military conscription between 1968 and 2005 at a mean age of 18.3 (SD 0.73) years. <h3>Main outcome measures</h3> Hospitalisation, intensive care or death due to COVID-19 from March to September 2020, in relation to CRF and muscle strength. <h3>Results</h3> High CRF in late adolescence and early adulthood had a protective association with severe COVID-19 later in life with OR (95% CI) 0.76 (0.67 to 0.85) for hospitalisation (n=2 006), 0.61 (0.48 to 0.78) for intensive care (n=445) and 0.56 (0.37 to 0.85) for mortality (n=149), compared with the lowest category of CRF. The association remains unchanged when controlled for body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, chronic diseases and parental education level at baseline, and incident cardiovascular disease before 2020. Moreover, lower muscle strength in late adolescence showed a linear association with a higher risk of all three outcomes when controlled for BMI and height. <h3>Conclusions</h3> Physical fitness at a young age is associated with severity of COVID-19 many years later. This underscores the necessity to increase the general physical fitness of the population to offer protection against future viral pandemics.

Children in the household and risk of severe COVID-19 during the first three waves of the pandemic: a prospective registry-based cohort study of 1.5 million Swedish men

ObjectiveTo investigate whether Swedish men living with children had elevated risk for severe COVID-19 or infection with SARS-CoV-2 during the first three waves of the pandemic.DesignProspective registry-based cohort study.Participants1 557...

Workplace bullying and risk of suicide and suicide attempts: A register-based prospective cohort study of 98 330 participants in Denmark.

The aim of this study was to analyze whether individuals reporting exposure to workplace bullying had a higher risk of suicidal behavior, including both suicide attempt and death by suicide, than those not reporting such exposure. Using a prospective cohort study design, we linked data from nine Danish questionnaire-based surveys (2004-2014) to national registers up to 31 December 2016. Exposure to workplace bullying was measured by a single item. Suicide attempts were identified in hospital registers and death by suicide in the Cause of Death Register. Among participants with no previous suicide attempts, we estimated hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), adjusting for sex, age, marital status, socioeconomic status, and history of psychiatric morbidity. The sample consisted of 98 330 participants (713 798 person-years), 63.6% were women, and the mean age was 44.5 years. Of these participants, 10 259 (10.4%) reported workplace bullying. During a mean follow-up of 7.3 years, we observed 184 cases of suicidal behavior, including 145 suicide attempts, 35 deaths by suicide and 4 cases that died by suicide after surviving a suicide attempt. The fully-adjusted HR for the association between workplace bullying and suicidal behavior was 1.65 (95% CI 1.06-2.58). The HR for suicide attempts and death by suicide were 1.65 (1.09-2.50) and 2.08 (0.82-5.27), respectively. Analyses stratified by sex showed a statistically significant association between workplace bullying and suicidal behavior among men but not women. The results suggest that exposure to workplace bullying is associated with an elevated risk of suicidal behavior among men.

Mental and somatic disorders and the subsequent risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality in refugees, non-refugee migrants and the Swedish-born youth: a population-based cohort study in Sweden.

ObjectivesThe aims were to investigate the associations between specific mental and somatic disorders and subsequent all-cause and cause-specific mortality (suicide, external and other causes) in young refugees and non-refugee migrants compared with Swedish-born individuals of similar age.MethodsIn this register-based prospective cohort study, all 1 003 760 individuals (40 305 refugees, 31 687 non-refugee migrants as the exposure groups and the rest as the Swedish-born comparison group), 16–25 years old, residing in Sweden on 31 December 2004 were included. These individuals were followed regarding the outcome of all-cause and cause-specific mortality (suicide and external causes) between 2005 and 2016. The study population was also stratified according to any use of specialised healthcare for mental or somatic diagnoses before baseline (2000–2004). Cox regression models yielding crude and multivariate Hazard Ratios (HR and aHR, respectively) with 95% Confidence Intervals (CI) were used to investigate the afore-mentioned associations.ResultsA lower proportion of both refugees (12%) and non-refugee migrants (10%) had college/university education compared with the Swedish-born individuals (17%). The proportion of unemployed (>180 days) among refugees (2.3%) and non-refugees (2.9%) was higher than the Swedish born (1.4%). Refugees and non-refugee migrants had about a 20% lower risk of all-cause mortality and external causes of mortality compared with Swedish-born individuals. An even greater reduction in suicide risk (aHR 0.51, 95% CI 0.37 to 0.70, and 0.63, 95% CI 0.49 to 0.82 for non-refugees and refugees, respectively) was found. When restricted to those with a mental or somatic disorder, a lower risk of both general and specific mortality was also found among both refugees and non-refugee migrants compared with Swedish-born individuals. Refugees had, however, equal point estimates of all-cause mortality associated with substance misuse disorder and neoplasms as their Swedish-born peers with these disorders.ConclusionsWith few exceptions, young migrants with specific mental and somatic disorders have a mortality advantage compared with their Swedish-born peers with the same disorders. Further research on protective factors is warranted.

Preconception Antidiabetic Drugs in Men and Birth Defects in Offspring : A Nationwide Cohort Study.

Diabetes reduces semen quality and increasingly occurs during reproductive years. Diabetes medications, such as metformin, have glucose-independent effects on the male reproductive system. Associations with birth defects in offspring are unknown. To evaluate whether the risk for birth defects in offspring varies with preconceptional pharmacologic treatment of fathers with diabetes. Nationwide prospective registry-based cohort study. Denmark from 1997 to 2016. All liveborn singletons from mothers without histories of diabetes or essential hypertension. Offspring were considered exposed if their father filled 1 or more prescriptions for a diabetes drug during the development of fertilizing sperm. Sex and frequencies of major birth defects were compared across drugs, times of exposure, and siblings. Of 1116779 offspring included, 3.3% had 1 or more major birth defects (reference). Insulin-exposed offspring (n= 5298) had the reference birth defect frequency (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.98 [95% CI, 0.85 to 1.14]). Metformin-exposed offspring (n= 1451) had an elevated birth defect frequency (aOR, 1.40 [CI, 1.08 to 1.82]). For sulfonylurea-exposed offspring (n= 647), the aOR was 1.34 (CI, 0.94 to 1.92). Offspring whose fathers filled a metformin prescription in the year before (n= 1751) or after (n= 2484) sperm development had reference birth defect frequencies (aORs, 0.88 [CI, 0.59 to 1.31] and 0.92 [CI, 0.68 to 1.26], respectively), as did unexposed siblings of exposed offspring (3.2%; exposed vs. unexposed OR, 1.54 [CI, 0.94 to 2.53]). Among metformin-exposed offspring, genital birth defects, all in boys, were more common (aOR, 3.39 [CI, 1.82 to 6.30]), while the proportion of male offspring was lower (49.4% vs. 51.4%, P= 0.073). Information on underlying disease status was limited. Preconception paternal metformin treatment is associated with major birth defects, particularly genital birth defects in boys. Further research should replicate these findings and clarify the causation. National Institutes of Health.

Early vs. late treatment initiation in multiple sclerosis and its impact on cost of illness: A register-based prospective cohort study in Sweden

BackgroundEarly treatment with disease modifying therapies (DMTs) for multiple sclerosis (MS) has been associated with lower disability progression; the aim was to explore its association with cost of illness (COI) in MS.MethodsAll people with relapsing-remitting MS in the Swedish MS register, aged 20–57 years and receiving their first MS DMT in 2006–2009, were followed in nationwide registers for 8 years. Healthcare costs (in- and outpatient healthcare, DMTs and other prescribed drugs), and productivity losses (sickness absence and disability pension) of individuals receiving therapy in ≤6 months after diagnosis (early treatment group) were compared to those receiving therapy >6 months (late treatment group). Using Poisson regressions, the mean COI per patient per year, and per group, was estimated, adjusted for disability progression.ResultsThe early treatment group comprised 74% of the 1562 individuals included in the study. The early treatment group had lower productivity losses over time. Both groups had similar healthcare costs, which first increased and then decreased over time.ConclusionsEarly DMT in MS could result in lower productivity losses possibly through maintained work capacity. COI serves as an objective measure showing the advantage of early vs. late treatment initiation in MS.

Stillbirth, neonatal and maternal mortality among caesarean births in Kenya and Uganda: a register-based prospective cohort study

ObjectiveTo investigate the interaction of risks for adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes (stillbirth, predischarge neonatal and maternal mortality) among caesarean section (CS) compared with vaginal deliveries (VD).DesignProspective cohort study.Setting10 CS-capable...