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Terms modified by Absolute Risk Selected AbstractsEvidence From Data Searches and Life-Table Analyses for Gender-Related Differences in Absolute Risk of Hip Fracture After Colles' or Spine Fracture: Colles' Fracture as an Early and Sensitive Marker of Skeletal Fragility in White Men,JOURNAL OF BONE AND MINERAL RESEARCH, Issue 12 2004Patrick Haentjens Abstract Based on data searches and life-table analyses, we determined the long-term (remaining lifetime) and short-term (10- and 5-year) absolute risks of hip fracture after sustaining a Colles' or spine fracture and searched for potential gender-related differences. In aging men, Colles' fractures carry a higher absolute risk for hip fracture than spinal fractures in contrast to women. These findings support the concept that forearm fracture is an early and sensitive marker of male skeletal fragility. Introduction: Colles' fracture occurrence has been largely ignored in public health approaches to identify target populations at risk for hip fracture. The aim of this study was to estimate the long-term and short-term absolute risks of hip fracture after sustaining a Colles' or spine fracture and to search for potential gender-related differences in the relationship between fracture history and future fracture risk. Materials and Methods: To determine the long-term (remaining lifetime) and short-term (10- and 5-year) absolute risks of hip fracture, we applied life-table methods using U.S. age- and sex-specific hip fracture incidence rates, U.S. age-specific mortality rates for white women and men, pooled hazard ratios for mortality after Colles' and spine fracture, and pooled relative risks for hip fracture after Colles' and spine fracture, estimated from cohort studies by standard meta-analytic methods. Results: Our results indicate that the estimated remaining lifetime risks are dependent on age in both genders. In women, remaining lifetime risks increase until the age of 80 years, when they start to decline because of the competing probabilities of fracture and death. The same pattern is found in men until the age of 85 years, the increment in lifetime risk being even more pronounced. As expected, the risk of sustaining a hip fracture was found to be higher in postmenopausal women with a previous spine fracture compared with those with a history of Colles' fracture. In men, on the other hand, the prospective association between fracture history and subsequent hip fracture risk seemed to be strongest for Colles' fracture. At the age of 50, for example, the remaining lifetime risk was 13% in women with a previous Colles' fracture compared with 15% in the context of a previous spine fracture and 9% among women of the general population. In men at the age of 50 years, the corresponding risk estimates were 8%, 6%, and 3%, respectively. Similar trends were observed when calculating 5- and 10-year risks. Conclusions: In aging men, Colles' fractures carry a higher absolute risk for hip fracture than spinal fractures in contrast to women. These findings support the concept that forearm fracture is an early and sensitive marker of male skeletal fragility. The gender-related differences reported in this analysis should be taken into account when designing screening and treatment strategies for prevention of hip fracture in men. [source] Identifying High Risk Groups and Quantifying Absolute Risk of Cancer After Kidney Transplantation: A Cohort Study of 15 183 RecipientsAMERICAN JOURNAL OF TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 9 2007A. C. Webster Transplant recipients have increased cancer risk, but data on risk variation across different patient groups are sparse. Rates and standardized rate ratios (SRR) of cancer (all sites, excluding nonmelanocytic skin and lip cancer) compared to the general population were calculated, using Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry data. Within the transplant population, risk factors were identified (hazard ratios: HR; 95% CI) and absolute risk estimated for recipient groups. A total of 1642 (10.8%) of 15 183 recipients developed cancer. Risk was inversely related to age (SRR 15,30 children, 2 if >65 years). Females aged 25,29 had rates equivalent to women aged 55,59 from the general population. Age trend for lymphoma, colorectal and breast risk was similar; melanoma showed less variability across ages, prostate showed no risk increase. Within the transplanted population, risk was affected by age differently for each sex (p = 0.007), elevated by prior malignancy (HR 1.40; 1.03,1.89), white race (HR 1.36; 1.12,1.89), but reduced by diabetic end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) (HR 0.67; 0.50,0.89). Cancer rates in kidney recipients are similar to nontransplanted people 20,30 years older, but absolute risk differs across patient groups. Men aged 45,54 surviving 10 years have cancer risks varying from 1 in 13 (non-white, no prior cancer, diabetic ESKD) to 1 in 5 (white, prior cancer, other ESKD). [source] Preoperative risk assessment for gastrostomy tube placement in head and neck cancer patientsHEAD & NECK: JOURNAL FOR THE SCIENCES & SPECIALTIES OF THE HEAD AND NECK, Issue 5 2001John M. Schweinfurth MD Abstract Background The presentation and definitive surgical treatment of head and neck malignancies have varying impact on postoperative recovery and return of swallowing function, which heretofore has not been well defined. Methods We performed a retrospective chart review of 142 patients who underwent extirpative surgery for head and neck cancer. Results Factors significantly associated with the need for long-term postoperative nutritional support (p < .05) included heavy alcohol use, tongue base involvement and surgery, pharyngectomy, composite resection, reconstruction with a myocutaneous flap, radiation therapy, tumor size, and moderately-to-poorly differentiated histology. Heavy alcohol users were at an absolute risk for gastrostomy tube dependence; patients who underwent radiation therapy, flap reconstruction, tongue base resection, and pharyngectomy were at a two to sevenfold increased risk for gastrostomy tube dependence, respectively. Conclusions High-risk patients based on these criteria should receive a feeding gastrostomy at the time of their initial surgical therapy. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Head Neck 23: 376,382, 2001. [source] European AIDS Clinical Society (EACS) guidelines on the prevention and management of metabolic diseases in HIV,HIV MEDICINE, Issue 2 2008JD Lundgren Background Metabolic diseases are frequently observed in HIV-infected persons and, as the risk of contracting these diseases is age-related, their prevalence will increase in the future as a consequence of the benefits of antiretroviral therapy (ART). Summary of guidelines All HIV-infected persons should be screened at regular intervals for a history of metabolic disease, dyslipidaemia, diabetes mellitus, hypertension and alteration of body composition; cardiovascular risk and renal function should also be assessed. Efforts to prevent cardiovascular disease will vary in intensity depending on an individual's absolute risk of ischaemic heart disease and should be comprehensive in nature. Lifestyle interventions should focus on counselling to stop smoking, modify diet and take regular exercise. A healthy diet, exercise and maintaining normal body weight tend to reduce dyslipidaemia; if not effective, a change of ART should be considered, followed by use of lipid-lowering medication in high-risk patients. A pre-emptive switch from thymidine analogues is recommended to reduce the risk of development or progression of lipoatrophy. Intra-abdominal fat accumulation is best managed by exercise and diet. Prevention and management of type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension follow guidelines used in the general population. When using medical interventions to prevent and/or treat metabolic disease(s), impairment of the efficacy of ART should be avoided by considering the possibility of pharmacokinetic interactions and compromised adherence. Specialists in HIV and specialists in metabolic diseases should consult each other, in particular in difficult-to-treat cases. Conclusion Multiple and relatively simple approaches exist to prevent metabolic diseases in HIV-infected persons; priority should be given to patients at high risk of contracting these diseases. [source] Lymphoma risk in inflammatory bowel disease: Is it the disease or its treatment?INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASES, Issue 10 2007Jennifer L. Jones MD Abstract With the increasingly widespread use of immunosuppressive and biologic agents for the treatment of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis come concerns about potential long-term consequences of such therapies. Disentangling the potential confounding effects of the underlying disease, its extent, severity, duration, and behavior, and concomitant medical therapy has proven to be exceedingly difficult. Unlike the case in rheumatoid arthritis, the overwhelming preponderance of population-based evidence suggests that a diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is not associated with an increased relative risk of lymphoma. However, well-designed studies that evaluate the potential modifying effect of IBD severity have yet to be performed. Although the results from hospital- and population-based studies have conflicted, the results of a recent meta-analysis suggest that patients receiving purine analogs for the treatment of IBD have a lymphoma risk ,4-fold higher than expected. Analyses of lymphoma risk in patients receiving biologic agents directed against tumor necrosis factor-alpha are confounded by concomitant use of immunosuppressive agents in most of these patients. Nevertheless, there may be a small but real risk of lymphoma associated with these therapies. Although the relative risk of lymphoma may be elevated in association with some of the medical therapies used in the treatment of IBD, this absolute risk is low. Weighing the potential risk of lymphoma associated with select medical therapies against the risk of undertreating IBD will help physicians and patients to make more informed decisions pertaining to the medical management of IBD. (Inflamm Bowel Dis 2007) [source] Residual Lifetime Risk of Fractures in Women and Men,,JOURNAL OF BONE AND MINERAL RESEARCH, Issue 6 2007Nguyen D Nguyen Abstract In a sample of 1358 women and 858 men, ,60 yr of age who have been followed-up for up to 15 yr, it was estimated that the mortality-adjusted residual lifetime risk of fracture was 44% for women and 25% for men. Among those with BMD T-scores , ,2.5, the risks increased to 65% in women and 42% in men. Introduction: Risk assessment of osteoporotic fracture is shifting from relative risk to an absolute risk approach. Whereas BMD is a primary predictor of fracture risk, there has been no estimate of mortality-adjusted lifetime risk of fracture by BMD level. The aim of the study was to estimate the residual lifetime risk of fracture (RLRF) in elderly men and women. Materials and Methods: Data from 1358 women and 858 men ,60 yr of age as of 1989 of white background from the Dubbo Osteoporosis Epidemiology Study were analyzed. The participants have been followed for up to 15 yr. During the follow-up period, incidence of low-trauma, nonpathological fractures, confirmed by X-ray and personal interview, were recorded. Incidence of mortality was also recorded. BMD at the femoral neck was measured by DXA (GE-LUNAR) at baseline. Residual lifetime risk of fracture from the age of 60 was estimated by the survival analysis taking into account the competing risk of death. Results: After adjusting for competing risk of death, the RLRF for women and men from age 60 was 44% (95% CI, 40,48) and 25% (95% CI, 19,31), respectively. For individuals with osteoporosis (BMD T-scores , ,2.5), the mortality-adjusted lifetime risk of any fracture was 65% (95% CI, 58,73) for women and 42% (95% CI, 24,71) for men. For the entire cohort, the lifetime risk of hip fracture was 8.5% (95% CI, 6,11%) for women and 4% (95% CI, 1.3,5.4%) for men; risk of symptomatic vertebral fracture was 18% (95% CI, 15,21%) for women and 11% (95% CI, 7,14%) for men. Conclusions: These estimates provide a means to communicate the absolute risk of fracture to an individual patient and can help promote the identification and targeting of high-risk individuals for intervention. [source] Evidence From Data Searches and Life-Table Analyses for Gender-Related Differences in Absolute Risk of Hip Fracture After Colles' or Spine Fracture: Colles' Fracture as an Early and Sensitive Marker of Skeletal Fragility in White Men,JOURNAL OF BONE AND MINERAL RESEARCH, Issue 12 2004Patrick Haentjens Abstract Based on data searches and life-table analyses, we determined the long-term (remaining lifetime) and short-term (10- and 5-year) absolute risks of hip fracture after sustaining a Colles' or spine fracture and searched for potential gender-related differences. In aging men, Colles' fractures carry a higher absolute risk for hip fracture than spinal fractures in contrast to women. These findings support the concept that forearm fracture is an early and sensitive marker of male skeletal fragility. Introduction: Colles' fracture occurrence has been largely ignored in public health approaches to identify target populations at risk for hip fracture. The aim of this study was to estimate the long-term and short-term absolute risks of hip fracture after sustaining a Colles' or spine fracture and to search for potential gender-related differences in the relationship between fracture history and future fracture risk. Materials and Methods: To determine the long-term (remaining lifetime) and short-term (10- and 5-year) absolute risks of hip fracture, we applied life-table methods using U.S. age- and sex-specific hip fracture incidence rates, U.S. age-specific mortality rates for white women and men, pooled hazard ratios for mortality after Colles' and spine fracture, and pooled relative risks for hip fracture after Colles' and spine fracture, estimated from cohort studies by standard meta-analytic methods. Results: Our results indicate that the estimated remaining lifetime risks are dependent on age in both genders. In women, remaining lifetime risks increase until the age of 80 years, when they start to decline because of the competing probabilities of fracture and death. The same pattern is found in men until the age of 85 years, the increment in lifetime risk being even more pronounced. As expected, the risk of sustaining a hip fracture was found to be higher in postmenopausal women with a previous spine fracture compared with those with a history of Colles' fracture. In men, on the other hand, the prospective association between fracture history and subsequent hip fracture risk seemed to be strongest for Colles' fracture. At the age of 50, for example, the remaining lifetime risk was 13% in women with a previous Colles' fracture compared with 15% in the context of a previous spine fracture and 9% among women of the general population. In men at the age of 50 years, the corresponding risk estimates were 8%, 6%, and 3%, respectively. Similar trends were observed when calculating 5- and 10-year risks. Conclusions: In aging men, Colles' fractures carry a higher absolute risk for hip fracture than spinal fractures in contrast to women. These findings support the concept that forearm fracture is an early and sensitive marker of male skeletal fragility. The gender-related differences reported in this analysis should be taken into account when designing screening and treatment strategies for prevention of hip fracture in men. [source] A high HIV DNA level in PBMCs at antiretroviral treatment interruption predicts a shorter time to treatment resumption, independently of the CD4 nadirJOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY, Issue 11 2010Christophe Piketty Abstract This study aimed to evaluate the safety of antiretroviral treatment interruption (TI) in HIV-infected patients who started treatment based on earlier guidelines, and to identify baseline factors predictive of the time to reach fixed criteria for treatment resumption. Prospective, open-label, multicenter trial. Patients were eligible if they had a CD4 cell count >350/mm3 and plasma HIV RNA <50,000,copies/ml when they first started antiretroviral therapy (ART); and if they had a CD4 count >450/mm3 and stable plasma HIV RNA <5,000,copies/ml for at least 6 months prior to enrolment. The criteria for ART resumption were a CD4 cell count <300/mm3 and/or a CDC stage B or C event. 116 patients had received ART for a median of 5.3 years. The median CD4 cell count and plasma HIV RNA values at inclusion were 809/mm3 and 2.6,log copies/ml, respectively. Median HIV DNA load at inclusion was 2.3,log copies/106 peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Thirty-six months after TI, 63.9% of the patients had not yet reached the criteria for ART resumption, and 55.9% of patients had not resumed ART. In Cox multivariable analysis, a high HIV DNA level at TI, a low CD4 nadir, and pre-existing AIDS status were the only significant risk factors for reaching the criteria for ART resumption (hazards ratio: 2.15 (1.02,4.53), 4.59 (1.22,17.24), and 5.74 (1.60,20.56), respectively). Patients who started ART with a CD4 cell count above 350/mm3 were able to interrupt treatment for long periods without a high absolute risk of either AIDS or severe non-AIDS morbidity/mortality. A high PBMC HIV DNA level at TI was a strong predictor for more rapid treatment resumption. J. Med. Virol. 82:1819,1828, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Integrating the Principles of Evidence-Based Practice: Prognosis and the Metabolic SyndromeJOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF NURSE PRACTITIONERS, Issue 5 2004APRN-C, Mary Jo Goolsby EdD Current health care trends and pressures have based decision making and practice of practitioners. Evidence-based practice has evolved in response to these trends. Evidence-based practice requires providers to be proficient in statistical analysis and critique of the evidence. This article user a hypothetical patient's prognostic concerns to depict a practitioner's integration of the principles of evidence-based practice as she considers clinical practice guidelines, expert opinion, and a prognostic study relative to her patient's prognosis. Statistical measures evident in a prognostic study, such as a absolute risk, baseline risk, relative risk, survival curves, and hazard ratios are defined. [source] Risk of local adverse events by gender following cardiac catheterization,,§PHARMACOEPIDEMIOLOGY AND DRUG SAFETY, Issue 2 2007Dale R. Tavris MD Abstract Purpose To assess the reason for the relative high risk of local complications for women following cardiac catheterization by evaluating the associations between gender, sheath size, and local adverse outcomes following cardiac catheterization. Methods The data used in this study were obtained from a portion of the American College of Cardiology-National Cardiovascular Data RegistryÔ (ACC-NCDRÔ), which included 13,878 patients who underwent cardiac catheterization at one of 59 participating cardiac catheterization institutions throughout the United States during late 2003. Rates of serious local vascular adverse events were calculated by gender following cardiac catheterization, by type of vascular hemostasis used, stratified by arterial sheath size. Results Serious local vascular events were reported in 3.54% of patients, most commonly hematoma (2.00%). The relative risk for women of any vascular complication was 1.40 [95%CI,=,1.17, 1.67, p,=,0.0002]. A statistically significant relative risk for woman was evident when collagen plug devices or manual compression alone were used as the first method for hemostasis. The rate of vascular complications increased progressively with increasing sheath size, more so in women than in men. Conclusions High relative risk for women of local vascular complications following cardiac catheterization was demonstrated with use of manual compression, as well as with collagen plug devices to control femoral artery bleeding. Large sheath size is associated with both a relatively high absolute risk and a high relative risk for women. Knowledge of this information should be considered by interventional cardiologists in making decisions on how to achieve hemostasis following cardiac catheterization. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor-induced urinary incontinencePHARMACOEPIDEMIOLOGY AND DRUG SAFETY, Issue 4 2002K. L. L. Movig Abstract Purpose Irrespective of its cause, urinary incontinence is a medical condition seriously affecting quality of life and is increasingly recognized. In this study, we examined the association between the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and urinary incontinence. Methods A retrospective follow-up study among starters with an SSRI was performed to estimate the relative and absolute risk for urinary incontinence associated with SSRI use. Data came from the PHARMO database, which includes information on drug dispensing for approximately 450,000 residents living in eight Dutch cities. All patients initially using an SSRI between 1994 and 1998 were selected. The frequency measures for urinary incontinence were estimated by using prescription sequence analysis, where initiation of spasmolytic drugs or absorbent products was used as a measure for urinary incontinence. Besides crude incidence density calculations, Andersen,Gill's model was used in order to control for possible confounding factors and time varying covariates. Results A total of 13,531 were identified as first time users of an SSRI. Compared to non-exposure, the incidence density ratio for urinary incontinence during SSRI exposure was 1.75 (95% CI 1.56,1.97). Overall, compared to baseline, SSRI use caused 14 extra cases of urinary incontinence per 1000 patients treated per year; the elderly were more at risk resulting in 60 extra cases per 1000 patients per year. The adjusted relative risk for urinary incontinence due to SSRI use was 1.61 (95% CI 1.42,1.82); the risk for sertraline users was 2.76; 95% CI 1.47,5.21. Conclusions Exposure to SSRIs is associated with an increased risk for developing urinary incontinence, which can be explaned pharmacologically. Approximately 15 out of 1000 patients treated per year with an SSRI developed urinary incontinence. The elderly and users of sertraline are at the highest risk. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Latest news and product developmentsPRESCRIBER, Issue 11 2008Article first published online: 18 JUN 200 New asthma guideline The BTS/SIGN guideline for the management of asthma has been updated. The diagnosis section has been rewritten, there is a new section on difficult asthma and the treatment sections have been updated. A new option at Step 3 (initial add-on therapy) is now the use of a combined budesonide/formoterol inhaler (Symbicort) as a reliever in addition to regular use as a preventer. This reflects evidence from the SMART trials, which showed that an average of one extra puff per day significantly reduced exacerbations and admissions (Br Med J 2007;335:513). Metformin matches insulin in pregnancy Metformin does not worsen perinatal outcomes compared with insulin in gestational diabetes and mothers prefer it, a study from Australia and New Zealand shows (N Engl J Med 2008;358:2003,15). Of the women randomised to metformin treatment, 93 per cent were still taking it at term and 46 had supplemental insulin. The combined incidence of neonatal hypoglycaemia, respiratory distress, need for phototherapy, birth trauma, five-minute Apgar score less than 7 or prematurity was 32 per cent with both treatments. There were no serious adverse events. More women said they would choose the same treatment again for metformin than insulin (77 vs 27 per cent). Same CV protection with antihypertensives There is no difference in protection against major cardiovascular events between different types of antihypertensives in young or older (65 or over) adults, according to the Blood Pressure Lowering Treatment Trialists' Collaboration. Its meta-analysis of 31 trials involving over 190 000 patients (BMJ Online 2008; doi:10.1136/bmj.39548.738 368.BE) found no significant difference by age on blood pressure reduction or risk reduction. Treatment may be chosen according to tolerability and cost as long as effective blood pressure reduction is achieved, the authors conclude. Older people are at greater absolute risk and treatment therefore offers larger reductions in serious vascular events. HPV vaccination starts in September Vaccination against human papilloma virus will be part of the national immunisation programme from the start of the new school year in September. The vaccine, administered as three doses over six months, will initially be offered to girls aged 12,13 (school year 8) to reduce their risk of cervical cancer. A two-year catch-up campaign for all girls up to 18 years old will begin in 2009. MHRA: pancreatitis with exenatide warning The incretin mimetic exenatide (Byetta), licensed for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, may rarely be associated with pancreatitis, warns the MHRA (Drug Safety Update 2008;1:Issue 10). One case has been reported in the UK and 89 in the USA and Germany. The MHRA advises that patients should be warned of the symptoms of pancreatitis (severe abdominal pain, back pain). Treatment should be discontinued if pancreatitis is suspected and the case reported on a yellow card. 2007 prescribing bill Primary-care expenditure on drugs in England in 2007 totalled £8.37 billion, only 2 per cent more than in 2006, according to the latest statistics from the Information Centre (www.ic.nhs.uk). Prescription numbers increased by almost 6 per cent. Prescribing increased in most BNF categories but changed little in musculoskeletal drugs and immunological products and vaccines. Calceos: calcium/ vitamin D3 price match Manufacturer Galen has pledged to continue to price-match its calcium/vitamin D3 supplement Calceos with Adcal-D3 or Calcichew D3 Forte. If the price of either product falls below that of Calceos chewable tablets, Galen will match it within six months. The company says it will honour the pledge until at least 2011. Copyright © 2008 Wiley Interface Ltd [source] Latest news and product developmentsPRESCRIBER, Issue 14 2007Article first published online: 19 OCT 200 Studies suggest risk of bone loss with SSRIs Two cross-sectional studies have suggested the SSRI antidepressants may be associated with an increased risk of bone loss (Arch Intern Med 2007;167:1240,5 &1246,51). In 2722 older women (mean age 79) living in the community who were participating in the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures cohort study, use of SSRIs was associated with a significant increase in the rate of loss of hip bone density compared with nonusers(0.82 vs 0.47 per cent per year). The rate of loss among women taking a tricyclic antidepressant was also 0.47 per cent per year. Excluding women with more severe depression did not alter the findings. In 5995 men aged 65 or older taking an SSRI in another study, mean bone density was 3.9 per cent lower at the hip and 5.9 per cent lower in the lumbar spine compared with no use of antidepressants. Use of a tricyclic antidepressant or trazodone was not associated with increased bone loss. The authors comment that the degree of bone loss is comparable with that associated with corticosteroids. Serotonin transporters have been identified in osteoblasts and osteocytes. Risk of rare birth defects with SSRIs Two US case-control studies have found qualified evidence that use of SSRIs during the first trimester may be associated with a small increase in the risk of rare neonatal defects (N Engl J Med 2007;356:2675,83 & 2684,92). The Slone Epidemiology Center Birth Defects Study identified 9849 infants with birth defects and 5860 without and found no significant association between SSRI use overall and defects previously attributed to SSRIs (craniosynostosis, omphalocele or heart defects). There was some evidence that sertraline and paroxetine may cause specific defects, but this was based on few cases and the absolute risk remained low. The National Birth Defects Prevention Study identified 9622 infants with major birth defects and 4092 controls. There was no significant association with heart defects but the odds of anencephaly, craniosynostosis and omphalocele were each significantly increased by a factor of 2,3. The authors say the absolute risk remains small and their findings require confirmation. UK data do not support MI link with rosiglitazone An interim analysis of a UK clinical trial of rosiglitazone (Avandia) has found no evidence that it is associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarction (N Eng J Med 2007;357:28,38). A US meta-analysis (N Engl J Med 2007;356:2457,71) recently suggested that the odds of an MI or cardiovascular (CV) death in patients taking rosiglitazone were increased by 40,60 per cent compared with controls. The UK analysis of an ongoing nonblinded trial comparing rosiglitazone plus a sulphonylurea or metformin with sulphonylurea/metformin found no significant differences in the risk of MI or CV death. The risk of heart failure was doubled in patients taking rosiglitazone. The authors comment that, with a mean follow-up of 3.75 years, they had too few data to reach a conclusive finding. Switch piroxicam users to another NSAID The European Medicines Agency has advised prescribers to switch patients who are taking oral piroxicam to another NSAID. The advice follows a reappraisal of the safety of piroxicam when the 2006 review of all nonselective NSAIDs suggested it may be associated with increased risks of GI adverse effects and serious skin reactions. The advice does not apply to topical formulations. Piroxicam should not be prescribed for acute conditions and should not be first-choice for osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis. The maximum dose should be 20mg per day and treatment should be reviewed after 14 days. The MHRA states there is no need for urgent action; long-term treatment should be reviewed at the next routine appointment. OTC azithromycin? The MHRA is consulting on a request by a pharmaceutical company to reschedule azithromycin to pharmacy-only status for the treatment of known or suspected Chlamydia trachomatis infection in individuals aged 16 years or older. The applicant envisages supplies being made only when a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) is positive. Responses should be submitted to the MHRA (www.mhra.gov.uk) by 2 August. Computers can reduce prescribing errors Computerised prescribing reduces by two-thirds the rate of medication errors associated with handwritten prescriptions, a new review has found (Health Services Research 2007; online doi:10.1111/j.1475,6773. 2007.00751.x). There was some evidence that the risk of all errors, dose errors and adverse effects were reduced by computerisation. The greatest impact was seen in settings with very high error rates (>12 per cent) associated with handwritten prescriptions. However, the studies included produced heterogeneous results and the reduction in errors in prescribing for children was not statistically significant. Furthermore, computerisation did not reduce the rate of prescribing the wrong drug. Echinacea works for colds, new study finds The herbal remedy Echinacea does reduce the risk of catching a cold, according to a new metaanalysis (Lancet Infect Dis 2007;7:473,80). In 2006, a Cochrane review found insufficient evidence to support the benefits claimed for Echinacea. The new study, which additionally included experimentally-induced infections among the 14 trials analysed, found that Echinacea reduced the odds of catching a cold by about half and reduced the average duration of a cold by 1.4 days. Though inconclusive, the possibility of publication bias and heterogeneity between the trials could not be excluded. HRT may reduce cardiovascular risk after all A subgroup analysis of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) suggests that HRT may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease if started soon after the menopause (N Engl J Med 2007;356:2591,602). The main analysis of WHI showed no cardiovascular benefit for HRT, a finding attributed to the relatively old mean age of participants (59). In the new analysis of 1064 women aged 50,59, HRT use was associated with a significant reduction in coronary artery calcification compared with nonuse, with greater effect associated with greater adherence. Reducing BP key to avoiding heart failure An angiotensin,II receptor blocker (ARB) is no better than other antihypertensives at avoiding the development of heart failure in individuals with hypertension, say US investigators (Lancet 2007;369:2079,87). Drugs that affect the renin-angiotensin system can reduce ventricular hypertrophy and may therefore prevent the development of heart failure in patients with hypertension. This study found similar improvements in diastolic function in 384 patients with hypertension and left ventricular dysfunction randomised to valsartan (Diovan) or placebo in addition to standard antihypertensive treatment for 38 weeks. The authors conclude that blood pressure reduction, not choice of drug, is the most important factor. Copyright © 2007 Wiley Interface Ltd [source] Identifying High Risk Groups and Quantifying Absolute Risk of Cancer After Kidney Transplantation: A Cohort Study of 15 183 RecipientsAMERICAN JOURNAL OF TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 9 2007A. C. Webster Transplant recipients have increased cancer risk, but data on risk variation across different patient groups are sparse. Rates and standardized rate ratios (SRR) of cancer (all sites, excluding nonmelanocytic skin and lip cancer) compared to the general population were calculated, using Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry data. Within the transplant population, risk factors were identified (hazard ratios: HR; 95% CI) and absolute risk estimated for recipient groups. A total of 1642 (10.8%) of 15 183 recipients developed cancer. Risk was inversely related to age (SRR 15,30 children, 2 if >65 years). Females aged 25,29 had rates equivalent to women aged 55,59 from the general population. Age trend for lymphoma, colorectal and breast risk was similar; melanoma showed less variability across ages, prostate showed no risk increase. Within the transplanted population, risk was affected by age differently for each sex (p = 0.007), elevated by prior malignancy (HR 1.40; 1.03,1.89), white race (HR 1.36; 1.12,1.89), but reduced by diabetic end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) (HR 0.67; 0.50,0.89). Cancer rates in kidney recipients are similar to nontransplanted people 20,30 years older, but absolute risk differs across patient groups. Men aged 45,54 surviving 10 years have cancer risks varying from 1 in 13 (non-white, no prior cancer, diabetic ESKD) to 1 in 5 (white, prior cancer, other ESKD). [source] Asymptomatic myocardial ischemic disease in antiphospholipid syndrome: A controlled cardiac magnetic resonance imaging studyARTHRITIS & RHEUMATISM, Issue 7 2010Karim Sacré Objective Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) may cause coronary thrombosis. This study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of silent myocardial disease in patients with APS, using late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI). Methods Twenty-seven consecutive patients with APS and 81 control subjects without known cardiovascular disease underwent CMRI. The prevalence of occult myocardial ischemic disease, as revealed by LGE, was compared between patients with APS and controls, and factors associated with myocardial disease were identified in patients with APS. Results Myocardial ischemic disease, as characterized by LGE on CMRI, was present in 8 (29.6%) of 27 patients with APS, and imaging with LGE showed a typical pattern of myocardial infarction (MI) in 3 patients (11.1%). The myocardial scarring revealed on CMRI was not detected by electrocardiography or echocardiography. Although both patients with APS and control subjects shared a low risk of cardiovascular events, as calculated with the Framingham risk equation (mean ± SD 5.1 ± 8.2% and 6.5 ± 7.6%, respectively, for the absolute risk within the next 10 years; P = 0.932), the prevalence of myocardial ischemia was more than 7 times higher in patients with APS (P = 0.0006 versus controls). No association was found between myocardial disease in patients with APS and classic coronary risk factors. The presence of myocardial scarring tended to be more closely associated with specific features of APS, such as duration of the disease, presence of livedo, and positivity for anti,,2 -glycoprotein I antibodies. Conclusion The finding of a significant and unexpectedly high prevalence of occult myocardial scarring in patients with APS indicates the usefulness of CMRI with LGE for the identification of silent myocardial disease in such patients. [source] Air travel and the risk of deep vein thrombosisAUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, Issue 1 2006Niels G. Becker Background:The magnitude of the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) following air travel has been difficult to resolve due to lack of adequate data. We determine the association more precisely by using a large dataset and an improved method of analysis. Method:Data on air-travel history for each of 5,196 patients hospitalised for VTE in Western Australia from 1981 to 1999 is analysed using a log-linear regression model for the probability that a flight triggers VTE and for the baseline hazard rate for VTE hospitalisation. Results:The risk of VTE being triggered on the day of an international flight relative to a flight-free day is 29.8 (95% CI 22.4-37.3). Evidence that this relative risk depends on age is weak (p=0.06), but the absolute risk clearly depends on age. The annual relative risk for an individual taking one international flight, compared with an individual of the same age taking no flight, is estimated to be 1.079. The estimated median time from flight to hospital admission is 4.7 days (95% CI 3.8-5.6) and the estimated 95th percentile is 13.3 (95% CI 10.3-16.8). Conclusions:Evidence for an association between international air travel and VTE hospitalisation is strong and passengers should be advised on ways to minimise risk during long flights. While 29.8 is a large relative risk, it must be remembered that the baseline risk is very small and the relative risk applies only to the unobserved triggering of a deep vein thrombosis episode on the day of travel; the consequent hospitalisation occurs on one of numerous ensuing days. [source] How do we achieve optimal cardiovascular risk reduction?CLINICAL CARDIOLOGY, Issue S3 2001Antonio M. Gotto Jr. M.D., D.PHIL Abstract Summary: Optimizing coronary heart disease (CHD) risk reduction requires the application of clinical evidence to patient care, as well as the refinement of risk assessment. Clinical evidence indicates that most patients are not treated to optimal low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol goals. Despite the efficacy of statin therapy in reducing the incidence of CHD, many treated patients still experience CHD events. Targeting other lipid factors such as high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides may augment the risk reduction achieved by lowering LDL cholesterol. Refined global risk assessment can lead to more accurate determinations of absolute risk and to the identification both of high-risk patients needing aggressive intervention and intermediate-risk patients who appear to be at low risk. Previous global risk assessment measures failed to identify a substantial proportion of primary prevention patients who would benefit from therapy. However, revised guidelines issued by the National Cholesterol Education Program introduce new criteria for more precise risk assessment and advocate use of the Framingham scoring system to calculate absolute risk. Although intensified treatment is recommended for high-risk patients, cost considerations may limit drug therapy for some lower-risk individuals. [source] Evidence From Data Searches and Life-Table Analyses for Gender-Related Differences in Absolute Risk of Hip Fracture After Colles' or Spine Fracture: Colles' Fracture as an Early and Sensitive Marker of Skeletal Fragility in White Men,JOURNAL OF BONE AND MINERAL RESEARCH, Issue 12 2004Patrick Haentjens Abstract Based on data searches and life-table analyses, we determined the long-term (remaining lifetime) and short-term (10- and 5-year) absolute risks of hip fracture after sustaining a Colles' or spine fracture and searched for potential gender-related differences. In aging men, Colles' fractures carry a higher absolute risk for hip fracture than spinal fractures in contrast to women. These findings support the concept that forearm fracture is an early and sensitive marker of male skeletal fragility. Introduction: Colles' fracture occurrence has been largely ignored in public health approaches to identify target populations at risk for hip fracture. The aim of this study was to estimate the long-term and short-term absolute risks of hip fracture after sustaining a Colles' or spine fracture and to search for potential gender-related differences in the relationship between fracture history and future fracture risk. Materials and Methods: To determine the long-term (remaining lifetime) and short-term (10- and 5-year) absolute risks of hip fracture, we applied life-table methods using U.S. age- and sex-specific hip fracture incidence rates, U.S. age-specific mortality rates for white women and men, pooled hazard ratios for mortality after Colles' and spine fracture, and pooled relative risks for hip fracture after Colles' and spine fracture, estimated from cohort studies by standard meta-analytic methods. Results: Our results indicate that the estimated remaining lifetime risks are dependent on age in both genders. In women, remaining lifetime risks increase until the age of 80 years, when they start to decline because of the competing probabilities of fracture and death. The same pattern is found in men until the age of 85 years, the increment in lifetime risk being even more pronounced. As expected, the risk of sustaining a hip fracture was found to be higher in postmenopausal women with a previous spine fracture compared with those with a history of Colles' fracture. In men, on the other hand, the prospective association between fracture history and subsequent hip fracture risk seemed to be strongest for Colles' fracture. At the age of 50, for example, the remaining lifetime risk was 13% in women with a previous Colles' fracture compared with 15% in the context of a previous spine fracture and 9% among women of the general population. In men at the age of 50 years, the corresponding risk estimates were 8%, 6%, and 3%, respectively. Similar trends were observed when calculating 5- and 10-year risks. Conclusions: In aging men, Colles' fractures carry a higher absolute risk for hip fracture than spinal fractures in contrast to women. These findings support the concept that forearm fracture is an early and sensitive marker of male skeletal fragility. The gender-related differences reported in this analysis should be taken into account when designing screening and treatment strategies for prevention of hip fracture in men. [source] Multicentre evaluation of prescribing concurrence with anti-infective guidelines: epidemiological assessment of indicatorsPHARMACOEPIDEMIOLOGY AND DRUG SAFETY, Issue 5 2002Roel Fijn Abstract Purpose To assess indicators for anti-infective prescribing not concurrent with regional pharmacotherapeutic treatment guidelines (PTGs) on infectious diseases. Methods A retrospective explorative cohort study based on hospital-wide anti-infective prescription data of a 2-month cross-sectional period (n=1037). Risk rates (absolute risks: AR), risk rate ratios (relative risks: RR) and odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) were estimated for patient, disease, drug, and prescriber variables considered to be potential indicators. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed. Findings Non-concurrence existed of non-indicated prescribing of (particular) anti-infectives (24.3%) and prescribing of non-first choice anti-infectives (55.2%). Non-concurrent durations of treatment and dosing issues accounted for 17.2% and 16.2% respectively. Non-concurrence was associated with empirical therapy, with certain diagnoses, such as skin and soft tissue, urinary, and osteoarthrological infections, and with prescriptions involving topical dosage forms, cephalosporins, macrolides and lincosamides, and quinolones. There was also an association with certain hospitals and with prescribing by geriatricians, surgeons, pulmonologists, and urologists and, in general, junior clinicians in training. Conclusions Other hospitals could use our epidemiological framework to identify their own indicators for non-concurrent prescribing. Our findings suggest tailor-made enforcement of PTG adherence for certain prescribers while conversely, adaptation of the PTGs will be required for some infectious diseases. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] One agent, many diseases: Exposure-response data and comparative risks of different outcomes following silica exposure,AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 1 2005Kyle Steenland Abstract Background Evidence in recent years indicates that silica causes lung cancer, and probably renal disease, in addition to its well-known relationship to silicosis. There is also suggestive evidence that silica can cause arthritis and other auto-immune diseases. Silica has, therefore, joined a handful of other toxic exposures such as tobacco smoke, dioxin, and asbestos which cause multiple serious diseases. Methods The available exposure-response data for silica and silicosis, lung cancer, and renal disease are reviewed. We compare the corresponding excess risks (or absolute risks in the case of silicosis) of death or disease incidence by age 75 for these three diseases, subsequent to a lifetime (45 years) of exposure to silica at current US standard (0.1 mg/m3 respirable crystalline silica). Results The absolute risk of silicosis, as defined by small opacities greater than or equal to ILO classification 1/1 on an X-ray, ranges from 47% to 77% in three cohort studies with adequate follow-up after employment. The absolute risk of death from silicosis is estimated at 1.9% (0.8%,2.9%), based on a pooled analysis of six cohort studies. The excess risk of lung cancer death, assuming US male background rates, is 1.7% (0.2%,3.6%), based on a pooled analysis of ten cohort studies. The excess risk of end-stage renal disease (assuming male background rates) is 5.1% (2.2%,7.3%), based on a single cohort. The excess risk of death from renal disease is estimated to be 1.8% (0.8%,9.7%), based on a pooled analysis of three cohorts. Conclusions Keeping in mind that the usual OSHA acceptable excess risk of serious disease or death for workers is 0.1%, it is clear that the current standard is far from sufficiently protective of workers' health. Perhaps surprisingly, kidney disease emerges as perhaps a higher risk than either mortality from silicosis or lung cancer, although the data are based on fewer studies. Am. J. Ind. Med. 48:16,23, 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] | ||||||||||