Objective: The association between proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use and gastric cancer related to Helicobacter pylori eradication has not been fully investigated in geographical regions with high risk of gastric cancer. We aimed to evaluate the association between PPIs and gastric cancer in Korea. Design: This study analysed the original and common data model versions of the Korean National Health Insurance Service database from 2002 to 2013. We compared the incidence rates of gastric cancer after 1-year drug exposure, between new users of PPIs and other drugs excluding PPIs, by Cox proportional hazards model. We also analysed the incidence of gastric cancer among PPI users after H. pylori eradication. Results: The analysis included 11 741 patients in matched PPI and non-PPI cohorts after large-scale propensity score matching. During a median follow-up of 4.3 years, PPI use was associated with a 2.37-fold increased incidence of gastric cancer (PPI≥30 days vs non-PPI; 118/51 813 person-years vs 40/49 729 person-years; HR 2.37, 95% CI 1.56 to 3.68, p=0.001). The incidence rates of gastric cancer showed an increasing trend parallel to the duration of PPI use. In H. pylori -eradicated subjects, the incidence of gastric cancer was significantly associated with PPI use over 180 days compared with the non-PPI group (PPI≥180 days vs non-PPI; 30/12 470 person-years vs 9/7814 person-years; HR 2.22, 95% CI 1.05 to 4.67, p=0.036). Conclusion: PPI use was associated with gastric cancer, regardless of H. pylori eradication status. Long-term PPIs should be used with caution in high-risk regions for gastric cancer.

Background and purpose An obesity paradox in patients with stroke has been documented. However, although the initial neurological severity (INS) is generally the most important prognostic factor, the impact of this paradox has not been considered in most previous studies. We sought to investigate the impact of obesity on INS in patients with ischaemic stroke and to investigate whether it is a significant risk factor for short-term outcomes. Methods A total of 2670 patients from Seoul National University Hospital with ischaemic stroke were enrolled from October 2002 to May 2013. Baseline information, including body mass index (BMI) and INS, was collected at admission. Associations between obesity and INS were analysed. In addition, we evaluated the effect of BMI on modified Rankin Scale (mRS) 3 months after stroke onset. Results Among the 2670 patients, patients whose BMI levels were higher than the chosen reference level had reduced risks of moderate to severe INS (Q2: OR, 0.65; 95% CI 0.49 to 0.87; Q3: OR, 0.48; 95% CI 0.35 to 0.65; Q4: OR, 0.39; 95% CI 0.28 to 0.54; and Q5: 0.31; 95% CI 0.22 to 0.44). In addition, of the 703 patients with available 3-month mRS patients with higher BMI levels seem to have had more favourable outcomes. Such associations disappeared after adjusting for INS. Conclusions In our study, although obesity was associated with better short-term functional outcomes, INS might be a more important prognostic factor. Therefore, initial status should also be considered when considering an ‘obesity paradox’ in chronic diseases.

Background: It is not yet clear whether nutritional status is associated with post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI). We examined the geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI) on the domain-specific cognitive outcomes 3 months after a stroke. Methods: A total of 344 patients with acute ischemic stroke were included for the analysis. The GNRI was calculated as 1.489 × serum albumin (g/L) + 41.7 × admission weight (kg)/ideal body weight (kg) and was dichotomized according to the prespecified cut-off points for no risk and any risks. The primary outcome was PSCI, defined as having adjusted z-scores of less than −2 standard deviations in at least one cognitive domain: executive/activation, memory, visuospatial and language. Multiple logistic regression and linear regression analyses were performed to investigate the association between the GNRI and cognitive outcomes. Results: Seventy (20.3%) patients developed PSCI 3 months after a stroke. The mean GNRI was 106.1 ± 8.6, and 59 (17.2%) patients had low (<98) GNRI scores. A low GNRI was independently associated with the PSCI after adjusting for age, sex, education, initial stroke severity, stroke mechanism and left hemispheric lesion (odds ratio, 2.04; 95% confidence interval, 1.00–4.14). The GNRI scores were also significantly associated with the z-scores from the mini-mental status examination and the frontal domain (β = 0.04, p-value = 0.03; β = 0.03, p-value = 0.03, respectively). Conclusions: A low GNRI was independently associated with the development of PSCI at 3 months after an ischemic stroke. The GNRI scores were specifically associated with the z-scores of the global cognition and frontal domain cognitive outcomes.

Background: Studies assessing the prognostic effect of inflammatory markers of blood cells on the outcomes of patients with acute ischemic stroke treated with endovascular treatment (EVT) are sparse. We evaluated whether the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) affect reperfusion status in patients receiving EVT. Methods: Using a multicenter registry database, 282 patients treated with EVT were enrolled in this study. The primary outcome measure was unsuccessful reperfusion rate after EVT defined by thrombolysis in cerebral infarction grades 0–2a. Logistic regression analysis was performed to analyze the association between NLR/PLR and unsuccessful reperfusion rate after EVT. Results: Both NLR and PLR were higher in the unsuccessful reperfusion group than in the successful reperfusion group (p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that both NLR and PLR were significantly associated with unsuccessful reperfusion (adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval): 1.11 (1.04–1.19), PLR: 1.004 (1.001–1.01)). The receiver operating characteristic curve showed that the predictive ability of both NLR and PLR was close to good (area under the curve (AUC) of NLR: 0.63, 95% CI (0.54–0.72), p < 0.001; AUC of PLR: 0.65, 95% CI (0.57–0.73), p < 0.001). The cutoff values of NLR and PLR were 6.2 and 103.6 for unsuccessful reperfusion, respectively. Conclusion: Higher NLR and PLR were associated with unsuccessful reperfusion after EVT. The combined application of both biomarkers could be useful for predicting outcomes after EVT.