Jae Myung Cha, Min Seob Kwak, Hyun-Soo Kim, Su Young Kim, Sohee Park, Geun U Park, Jung Kuk Lee, Soo Jin Kim, Hun Hee Lee, Joo Sung Kim, and Won Ho Kim, for the Big Data Research Group of the Korean Society of Gastroenterology. Gut and Liver 2020;14:338-46. https://doi.org/10.5009/gnl19108

Background: We aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics and risk factors for fatality and severity in these patients. Methods: In this nationwide population-based retrospective study, we investigated the data of 7339 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients, aged ≥ 18 years, using the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) database. Comorbidities and medications used were identified using HIRA codes, and severe COVID-19 was defined as that requiring oxygen therapy, mechanical ventilator, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. The outcomes were death due to COVID-19 and COVID-19 severity. Results: Mean patient age was 47.1 years; 2970 (40.1%) patients were male. Lopinavir/ritonavir, hydroxychloroquine, antibiotics, ribavirin, oseltamivir, and interferon were administered to 35.8%, 28.4%, 38.1%, 0.1%, 0.3%, and 0.9% of patients, respectively. After adjusting for confounding factors, diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, previous history of pneumonia, aging, and male were significantly associated with increased risk of death and severe disease. No medication was associated with a reduced risk of fatality and disease severity. Conclusions: We found several risk factors for fatality and severity in COVID-19 patients. As the drugs currently used for COVID-19 treatment have not shown significant efficacy, all efforts should be made to develop effective therapeutic modalities for COVID-19.

Lee CJ, et al. Int J Heart Fail. 2026 Jan;8(1):58-73. https://doi.org/10.36628/ijhf.2026.0001

Introduction: Dental implants are widely utilized to manage both partially and completely edentulous older patients. However, such patients often present with multiple systemic diseases and may be at an increased risk of complications before and after implant surgery. Nevertheless, population‐level data on systemic diseases and medication use in these patients remain limited. Methods: This retrospective, cross‐sectional study analyzed 36 957 patients who underwent 43 171 insurance‐covered implant surgeries between 2014 and 2019 using the National Health Insurance Service‐National Sample Cohort (NHIS‐NSC) database. Patients aged 65 years or older were included. Sociodemographic characteristics, diagnosis of systemic diseases within 1 year before implant surgery, medication history, and type of medical institution were evaluated. Additionally, logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate factors associated with implant removal. Results: Among 36 957 patients who underwent 43 171 implant surgeries, implant removal occurred in 803 patients. Within 1 year before surgery, 89.33% had at least one systemic disease, including hypertension (57.92%), arthritis (43.39%), and diabetes (34.62%). Antithrombotic and antiresorptive agents were prescribed to 6.77% and 5.05% of patients, respectively. The use of intravenous (IV) bisphosphonates, denosumab, and direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) increased, whereas the use of oral bisphosphonates and warfarin decreased. Logistic regression analysis showed that cerebrovascular and kidney disease increased the risk of implant removal, whereas osteoporosis and antiresorptive agents decreased the risk. Conclusion: Most older patients who underwent implant surgery had systemic diseases, and approximately 10% were prescribed medications. Cerebrovascular and kidney diseases increased the risk of implant removal, whereas osteoporosis or antiresorptive therapy decreased the risk. With the increasing use of DOACs, IV bisphosphonates, and denosumab, clinicians carefully review the medical histories of older implant patients.

Kwon HS, et al. J Clin Neurol. 2026 Jan;22:e2. https://doi.org/10.3988/jcn.2025.0383