Purpose. This population-based, retrospective cohort study was to investigate whether metformin is associated with a lower risk of subsequent age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods. Using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database from 2001 to 2013, 68205 subjects with type 2 diabetes were enrolled in the study cohort. Among them, 45524 were metformin users and 22681 were nonusers. The metformin and nonmetformin groups were followed until the end of 2013. Cox regression analyses were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for AMD development associated with metformin use. Confounders included for adjustment were age, sex, and comorbidities (hypertension, hyperlipidemia, coronary artery disease, obesity, diabetic retinopathy, chronic kidney disease, and insulin treatment). Furthermore, propensity score (PS) matching method was used to choose the matched sample, and PS-adjusted Cox regression was performed. Finally, how HRs changed according to metformin treatment duration and dose was also evaluated in the metformin group. Results. After adjusting for confounders, the metformin group had a significantly lower risk of AMD (adjusted HR = 0.54; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.50–0.58). In the PS-matched sample, the significance remained (adjusted HR = 0.57; 95% CI, 0.52–0.63). In the metformin group, the adjusted HRs for the second (1.5–4 years) and third (≥4 years) tertiles of metformin treatment duration were 0.52 and 0.14, respectively, compared with the first tertile (<1.5 years). We also found significant trends of lower HRs (all p-value for trend <0.05) with increasing total and average doses. Conclusions. Among patients with type 2 diabetes, those who use metformin are at a significantly lower risk of developing AMD relative to individuals who do not use metformin. Also, the trend of a significantly lower AMD risk was found with a higher dose of metformin.

Objectives To investigate a possible association between normal tension glaucoma (NTG) and an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting NTG group and the comparison group were retrieved from the whole population of the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database from 1 January 2001 to 31 December 2013. Participants A total of 15 317 subjects with NTG were enrolled in the NTG group, and 61 268 age-matched and gender-matched subjects without glaucoma were enrolled in the comparison group. Primary and secondary outcome measures Kaplan-Meier curves were generated to compare the cumulative hazard of AD between the two groups. A multivariable Cox regression analysis was used to estimate the adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) of AD, adjusted for diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, coronary artery disease and stroke. Furthermore, risk factors for developing AD among the NTG group were investigated. Results The mean age of the cohort was 62.1±12.5 years. Patients with NTG had significantly higher proportions of diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, coronary artery disease and stroke than the comparisons. Patients with NTG had a significantly higher cumulative hazard for AD than the comparisons (p<0.0001). In the multivariable Cox regression after adjustment for confounders, the NTG group had a significantly higher risk of AD (adjusted HR 1.52; 95% CI 1.41 to 1.63). Moreover, in the NTG group, when we compared the effects of different types of glaucoma eye drops, none of the eye drops used were significant risk factors or protective factors for AD. Conclusions People with NTG are at a significantly greater risk of developing AD compared with individuals without glaucoma. Among patients with NTG, none of the glaucoma eye drops used significantly changed the risk of subsequent AD.

Objectives: this study investigated the prospective associations of accelerometer assessed daily steps with subsequent depressive symptoms in older adults.Methods: a 2-year prospective study was performed in the community. A total of 285 older adults ≥65 years (mean age = 74.5) attended the baseline assessment in 2012. The second wave of assessment was carried out in 2014 including 274 (96.1%) participants. Daily step counts were measured with a triaxial accelerometer (ActiGraph GT3X+), and participants were divided into three categories (<3,500, 3,500–6,999 and ≥ 7,000 steps/day). The 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale was used to measure depressive symptoms. Negative binomial regression models with multivariable adjustment for covariates (baseline depressive symptoms, accelerometer wear time, age, gender, education, chronic disease, activities of daily living) were conducted to examine the association between daily steps and subsequent depressive symptoms.Results: each 1,000-step increase in daily walking was linearly associated with a reduced rate of subsequent depressive symptoms (rate ratio [RR] = 0.95, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.92–0.98). Participants with daily step count in 3,500–6,999 (RR = 0.84, 95% CI = 0.70–0.99) and ≥7,000 steps (RR = 0.71, 95% CI = 0.55–0.92) per day had fewer depressive symptoms at follow-up. Sensitivity analyses assessing confounding and reverse causation provided further support for the stability of our findings.Conclusion: older adults engaging in more daily steps had fewer depressive symptoms after 2 years. Even as few as 3,500–6,999 steps a day was associated with a protecting effect. Accumulating ≥7,000 steps a day could provide the greatest protection against depressive symptoms.

Alcohol consumption is a significant public health issue worldwide. The rat model and epidemiological studies have both reported conflicting results about the effects of alcohol on the kidneys. We aimed to explore the relationships between alcohol consumption and chronic kidney disease. Data from the National Health Interview Survey, the National Health Insurance research database, and the National Deaths Dataset were used. Standardized in-person interviews were executed in 2001, 2005, and 2009 to obtain the demographic characteristics of study population. The participants were followed up until 2013. The primary outcome was new-onset chronic kidney disease. We analyzed 45,200 adults older than 18 years (50.8% men and 49.2% women), and the overall mean (SD) age was 42.73 (16.64) years. During the 8.5 (3.5) years of follow-up, new-onset chronic kidney disease was recognized in 1535 (5.5%), 292 (2.7%), and 317 (4.9%) non-drinking, social-drinking, and regular-drinking participants, respectively. The participants who were social and regular drinkers had a significantly decreased risk of chronic kidney disease incidence (social drinking: adjusted hazard ratio (HR), 0.85; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.74–0.97; p = 0.018; regular-drinking: AHR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.74–0.98; p = 0.024), with baseline demographics and comorbidities adjusted. In conclusion, social and regular drinkers had decreased risk of chronic kidney disease when compared with non-drinkers.

Evidence regarding the association between BMI and mortality in tuberculosis (TB) patients is limited and inconsistent. We investigated the impact of BMI on TB-specific and non-TB-specific mortality with respect to different timing of death. All Taiwanese adults with TB in Taipei were included in a retrospective cohort study in 2012–2014. Multinomial Cox proportional hazards regression was used to evaluate the associations between BMI, cause-specific mortality and timing of death. Of 2410 eligible patients, 86·0 % (2061) were successfully treated, and TB-specific and non-TB-specific mortality occurred for 2·2 % (54) and 13·9 % (335), respectively. After controlling for potential confounders, underweight was significantly associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality (adjusted hazard ratio (AHR) 1·57; 95 % CI 1·26, 1·95), whereas overweight was not. When cause-specific death was considered, underweight was associated with an increased risk of either TB-specific (AHR 1·85; 95 % CI 1·03, 3·33) or non-TB-specific death (AHR 1·52; 95 % CI 1·19, 1·95) during treatment. With joint consideration of cause-specific and timing of death, underweight only significantly increased the risk of TB-specific (AHR 2·23; 95 % CI 1·09, 4·59) and non-TB-specific mortality (AHR 1·81; 95 % CI 1·29, 2·55) within the first 8 weeks of treatment. This study suggests that underweight increases the risk of early death in TB patients during treatment.

The purpose of the study was to determine the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) among people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (PLWHA) in Taiwan. PLWHA were identified from the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control HIV Surveillance System between 2000 and 2014. To examine the effect of active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) on CVD incidence, incidence densities and standardised incidence rates (SIRs) of CVD were calculated after stratifying PLWHA by HAART. Of 26 272 PLWHA (mean age, 32.3 years) identified, 73.4% received HAART. Compared with general population, SIRs (95% confidence interval) were higher for incident coronary artery disease (1.11 (1.04–1.19)), percutaneous coronary intervention (1.32 (1.18–1.47)), coronary artery bypass surgery (1.47 (1.29–1.66)), sudden cardiac death (3.01 (2.39–3.73)), heart failure (1.50 (1.31–1.70)) and chronic kidney disease (1.95 (1.81–2.10)), but was lower for incident atrial fibrillation (0.53 (0.37–0.73)). Considering the effect of HAART on incident CVD, the SIRs for all-cause, ischaemic and haemorrhagic stroke were higher in PLWHA who did not receive HAART, but were lower in PLWHA who received HAART. PLWHA had higher risks of incident coronary artery disease, percutaneous coronary intervention, coronary artery bypass surgery, sudden cardiac death, heart failure and chronic kidney disease. HAART reduces risks of incident CVD in PLWHA.