Aims: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and insomnia commonly coexist; hypnotics are broadly prescribed for insomnia therapy. However, the safety of hypnotics use in OSA patients is unclear. We conducted a retrospective case-control study to investigate the risk of adverse respiratory events in hypnotics-using OSA patients. Methods: We obtained data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Database from 1996 to 2013. The case group included 216 OSA patients with newly diagnosed adverse respiratory events, including pneumonia and acute respiratory failure. The control group included OSA patients without adverse respiratory events, which was randomly frequency-matched to the case group at a 1:1 ratio according to age, gender, and index year. Hypnotics exposure included benzodiazepines (BZD) and non-benzodiazepines (non-BZD). A recent user was defined as a patient who had taken hypnotics for 1–30 days, while a long-term user was one who had taken hypnotics for 31–365 days. Results: Multivariable adjusted analysis showed recent BZD use is an independent risk for adverse respiratory events (OR = 2.70; 95% CI = 1.15–6.33; P < 0.001). Subgroup analysis showed both recent and long-term BZD use increased the risk of acute respiratory failure compared to never BZD use (OR = 28.6; 95% CI = 5.24–156; P < 0.001, OR = 10.1; 95% CI = 1.51–67.7; P < 0.05, respectively). Neither BZD nor non-BZD use increased the risk of pneumonia in OSA patients. Conclusion: BZD use might increase the risk of acute respiratory failure in OSA patients.

Few studies have investigated the therapeutic effects of metformin in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We compared the risk of all-cause mortality between metformin users and nonusers. We conducted a retrospective cohort study for patients with T2DM and COPD who were enrolled between January 1, 2000 and June 30, 2012. Individuals with exacerbated symptoms who were hospitalized or sent to the emergency department (ED) were identified as having exacerbated COPD; outpatient claims were identified as having stable COPD. A total of 40,597 metformin users and 39,529 nonusers comprised the cohort of stable COPD; 14,001 metformin users and 21,613 nonusers comprised the cohort of exacerbated COPD. Users and nonusers were matched using propensity score (1:1). Our primary outcome was all-cause mortality. A total of 19,505 metformin users were matched to 19,505 nonusers in the cohort of diabetes with stable COPD. The mean follow-up time was 3.91 years. All-cause mortality was reported in 1326 and 1609 metformin users and nonusers, respectively. After multivariate adjustment, metformin users had lower risk of mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 0.84, p < 0.0001). Metformin users had significantly lower risk of noncardiovascular death (aHR = 0.86, p = 0.0008). A total of 7721 metformin users were matched to 7721 nonusers in the cohort of diabetes with exacerbated COPD. The mean follow-up time was 3.18 years. All-cause mortality was reported in 1567 and 1865 metformin users and nonusers, respectively. After multivariate adjustment, metformin users had significantly lower risk of mortality (aHR = 0.89, p = 0.002) and cardiovascular death (aHR = 0.70, p = 0.01). This large-series, nationwide cohort study demonstrated that metformin use could significantly lower the risk of all-cause mortality in patients with T2DM and either stable or exacerbated COPD.

An association between Mycoplasma pneumonia (MP) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) had been reported in animal studies for decades. However, clinical evidence for this association is lacking. Therefore, this study aimed to provide epidemiologic evidence to clarify the relationship between MP and development of RA. This 13-year nationwide, population-based, retrospective cohort study analyzed the risk of RA in a cohort of MP patients. We cross linked and compared the database of those with catastrophic illnesses to make sure the diagnoses of RA are correctly labeled. We selected 116,053 hospitalized patients diagnosed with MP between 2000 and 2012 from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database and 464,212 matched controls at a 1:4 ratio by age, gender, and index year, in relation to the risk of developing RA. The follow-up period referred to the initial diagnosis of MP until the date of RA diagnosis, censoring of RA, or 31^st December 2013. The Cox proportional hazard model was used to analyze the association between MP and incidence of RA among patients with different potential risks. The adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for incidental RA in the MP group was 1.37 (95% confidence interval CI = 0.87–2.16), compared to non-MP controls. Stratified analysis revealed that the adjusted HR was 3.05 (95% CI = 1.16–7.99, p = 0.02) in a subgroup of patients over the age of 65.The adjusted HR of RA for the MP group among aged ≦19 years and ≥ 65 years was 3.19 (95% CI = 1.04.9.76) and 4.14 (95% CI = 1.27,13.4) within the first 2 years of follow-up. This cohort study demonstrated that patients with MP had a higher risk of developing RA, especially in the first 2 years, in those aged younger than 19 and over 65.

Background and Aims. Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is the third most common form of dementia. Epidemiological studies of DLB in Taiwan are scarce. In this study, we estimated the incidence of DLB and comorbidity in the population of Taiwan. Methods. Data were obtained from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD). DLB patients between 2000 and 2013 were enrolled in assessments of incidence and comorbidity. Results. The incidence of DLB was shown to be 7.10 per 100,000 person-years (95% CI = 6.63–7.59), which increased with age. The average age at diagnosis was 76.3, and this was higher for males than for females. The comorbidity rates of hypertension and hyperlipidemia in DLB patients were higher in females than in males. Conclusions. Epidemiologic data from large-scale retrospective studies is crucial to the prevention of DLB.

Using the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan, we investigated whether undergoing a hysterectomy increases the risk of depression. A total of 7872 patients aged 30–49 years who underwent a hysterectomy from 2000 to 2013 were enrolled as the hysterectomy group. The comparison group was randomly selected from women who had never undergone a hysterectomy and was four times the size of the hysterectomy group. We calculated adjusted hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for depression [The International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes 296.2, 296.3, 300.4, 311] in these cohorts after adjusting for age, comorbidities, oophorectomy, and hormone therapy. The overall incidence of depression was 1.02 and 0.66 per 100 person-years in the hysterectomy and comparison cohorts, respectively, yielding an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.35 (95% CI = 1.22–1.50) for depression risk. When we stratified patients by age, comorbidities, oophorectomy, and hormone use, hysterectomy increased the risk of depression. Hysterectomy, oophorectomy, and post-surgery hormone use were associated with an increased risk of depression when they occurred alone, but conferred a greater risk if they were considered jointly. Hysterectomy would be a predisposing factor for increased risk of subsequent depression. Our findings provide vital information for patients, clinicians, and the government for improving the treatment strategy in the future.