Secular Trends in the Incidence, Prevalence, and Medications for Epilepsy from 2007 to 2015 in Taiwan: A Nationwide Population-Based Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 55 (6) ◽  
pp. 484-494
Author(s):  
I.-Jun Chou ◽  
Ting-Ting Chung ◽  
Yi-Hsuan Liu ◽  
Po-Cheng Hung ◽  
Jainn-Jim Lin ◽  
...  

<b><i>Background:</i></b> Patients with epilepsy have a higher mortality rate than the general population. Up-to-date estimates of epilepsy incidence, prevalence, and medication use are critical to assist policymaking. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Using the National Taiwan Insurance Research Database, the standardized incidence and prevalence of epilepsy were estimated in each calendar year from 2007 to 2015. We used the incident cases of epilepsy to analyze the change in prescribing patterns from 2007 to 2015. Joinpoint regression was used to estimate secular trends. <b><i>Results:</i></b> From 2007 to 2015, the age- and sex-standardized incidence decreased from 0.72 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.70–0.73) to 0.54 (95% CI 0.53–0.55) per 1,000 person-years, giving an annual percentage change (APC) of −2.73 (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.05). Among patients younger than 20 years, the incidence did not change significantly. The age- and sex-standardized prevalence decreased from 6.94 (95% CI 6.90–6.98) to 6.86 (95% CI, 6.82–6.89) per 1,000 people, giving an APC of −0.31 (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.05). However, the prevalence increased in the 35- to 49- and 50- to 64-year age-groups. The most common first-line anticonvulsant was phenytoin in 2007 and valproate in 2015. The use of levetiracetam, clobazam, and valproate increased during the study period, with APCs of 25.48% (95% CI 19.97–31.24), 6.41 (3.09–9.85), and 2.83 (1.51–4.16), respectively. The use of carbamazepine, phenytoin, and topiramate decreased; the APCs were −23.86% (95% CI −25.25 to −22.44), −6.61 (−8.40 to −4.79), and −4.29% (−7.87 to −0.57), respectively. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> The overall prevalence and incidence of epilepsy decreased slightly from 2007 to 2015. The prescribed first-line anticonvulsant also changed over time.

2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S56-S57
Author(s):  
Zachary J Collier ◽  
Yasmina Samaha ◽  
Priyanka Naidu ◽  
Katherine J Choi ◽  
Christopher H Pham ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction Despite ongoing improvements in burn care around the world, the burden of burn morbidity and mortality has remined a significant challenge in the Middle East due to ongoing conflicts, economic crises, social disparities, and dangerous living conditions. Here, we examine the epidemiology of burn injuries in the Middle East (ME) relative to socio-demographic index (SDI), age, and sex in order to better define regional hotspots that may benefit most from sustainability and capacity building initiatives. Methods Computational modeling from the 2017 Global Burden of Disease (GBD17) database was used to extrapolate burn data about the nineteen countries that define the ME. Using the GBD17, the yearly incidence, deaths, and Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) from 1990 to 2017 were defined with respect to age and sex as rates of cases, deaths, and years per 100,000 persons, respectively. Mortality ratio represents the percentage of deaths relative to incident cases. Data from 2017 was spatially mapped using heat-mapping for the region. Results Over 27 years in the ME, an estimated 18,289,496 burns and 308,361 deaths occurred causing 24.5 million DALYs. Burn incidence decreased by 5% globally but only 1% in the ME. Although global incidence continued to decline, most ME countries exhibit steady increases since 2004. Compared to global averages, higher mortality rates (2.8% vs 2.0%) and DALYs (205 vs 152 years) were observed in the Middle East during this time although the respective disparities narrowed by 95% and 42% by 2017. Yemen had the worst death and DALY rates all 27 years with 2 and 2.2 times the ME average, respectively. Sudan had the highest morality ratio (3.7%) for most of the study, twice the ME average (1.8%), followed by Yemen at 3.6%. Sex-specific incidence, deaths, and DALYs in the ME were higher compared to the global cohorts. ME women had the worst rates in all categories. With respect to age, all rates were worse in the ME age groups except in those under 5 years. Conclusions For almost three decades, ME burn incidence, deaths, DALYs, and mortality rates were consistently worse than global average. Despite the already significant differences for burn frequency and severity, especially in women and children, underreporting from countries who lack sufficient registry capabilities likely means that the rates are even worse than predicted.


Author(s):  
L Hernandez Ronquillo ◽  
L Thorpe ◽  
P Pahwa ◽  
J Tellez Zenteno

Background: There is no available estimate of the incidence and mortality of epilepsy in all age groups in the Canadian population. This study aimed to measure the incidence, prevalence, mortality and the secular trends for epilepsy in Saskatchewan between 2005 and 2010. Methods: A population-based cohort study was established from Saskatchewan’s provincial health administrative data. The population was followed until termination of coverage, death, or 31 December 2010. Individuals with epilepsy were identified based on ICD codes algorithms from 2005 to 2010. Results: The age-standardized incidence of epilepsy was 62 per 100,000 person-year. The age-standardized incidence rate of epilepsy in self-declared Registered Indians was 122 per 100,000 person-year. There was a significant decrease in the incidence of epilepsy for all groups over the study period. The age-standardized prevalence of epilepsy was 9 per 1,000 people. There was a significant increase in the prevalence of epilepsy over this time period. The adjusted mortality rate was 0.023 per 1000 person-year, and the all-cause Standardized Mortality Ration for epilepsy was 2.45. The SMR remained constant over the six-year period of the study. Conclusions: This study is the first in Canada to measure the incidence and all-cause mortality of epilepsy in all age groups.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yen-Feng Wang ◽  
Yung-Tai Chen ◽  
Ching-Wen Tsai ◽  
Yu-Chun Yen ◽  
Yi-Chun Chen ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Pregabalin is approved for the treatment of neuropathic pain, fibromyalgia, and seizure disorders, although the pivotal trials were mostly carried out in Europe or North America. The prescribing patterns among different indications in Asia have rarely been explored. Methods This was a population-based retrospective cohort study based on the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan. Prescriptions of pregabalin were identified, and data regarding demographics, indications, co-existing diagnoses, and concomitant medications were extracted. Pregabalin users were followed for at least one year, and factors associated with persistence at one year were determined by using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results Between June 2012 and December 2016, 114,437 pregabalin users (mean age 60.7±15.4 years, 57.8% female) were identified. The indications included post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) (30.5%), musculoskeletal diseases other than fibromyalgia (21.2%), fibromyalgia (18.4%), diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain (DPNP) (11.7%) and epilepsy (2.9%). Overall, 62.5% and 6.4% of patients achieved a maximum dose of ≥150 and ≥300 mg/day, respectively. The median duration of persistent pregabalin use was 28 days (interquartile range 14-118 days). The one-year persistence rate was 12.1%, and the indications associated with the highest and lowest persistence rates were epilepsy (42.4%) and PHN (6.1%), respectively. Male gender (odds ratio [OR] 1.14, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.09-1.18), older age (OR 1.01 per year, 95% CI 1.01-1.01), indications other than PNH, especially epilepsy (OR 8.04, 95% CI 7.33-8.81, PHN as reference), and a higher initial dose (OR 1.12 per 75 mg, 95% CI=1.10-1.15) were associated with persistence at one year, whereas the initial concomitant use of antiviral agents decreased the likelihood (OR 0.41, 95% CI 0.35-0.47). Conclusions Pregabalin prescriptions for pain disorders were limited to short-term use, which is consistent around the world. However, the average prescribed dose in Taiwan was lower than those in Western countries, and was typically below the recommended ranges. Potential causes included off-label prescriptions for pain in acute herpes zoster, rather than PNH, as well as intolerance to the side effects. Keywords pregabalin, pain, persistence


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ping-Hao Chiang ◽  
Jung-Nien Lai ◽  
Yun-Chi Chiang ◽  
Kai-Chieh Hu ◽  
Min-Yen Hsu ◽  
...  

Purpose: Subconjunctival hemorrhage (SCH) is usually a benign ocular disorder that causes painless, redness under the conjunctiva. However, since SCH and acute coronary syndrome (ACS) share many vascular risk factors, studies have suggested that these two disorders may be significantly associated with each other, and evaluate the concomitance of ACS in patients with SCH.Methods: This population-based cohort study, enrolled 35,260 Taiwanese patients, and used the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database to identify patients with ACS and SCH. Outcomes were compared between the with and without SCH groups. The study population was followed until the date of ACS onset, the date of withdrawal, death, or December 31st 2013, whichever came first.Results: Of the 85,925 patients identified with SCH between 1996 and 2013, 68,295 were excluded based on the study's exclusion criteria, and a total of 17,630 patients with SCH who were diagnosed by ophthalmologists between 2000 and 2012 were eligible for analysis. After 1:1 propensity score matching for 5-year age groups, gender, and the index year, the results showed that SCH was more common in the 40–59 age group (53.82%) and females (58.66%). As for the ACS-related risk factors, patients with diabetes mellitus (aHR = 1.58, 95% CI = [1.38, 1.81]), hypertension (aHR = 1.71, 95% CI = [1.49, 1.96]) and patients taking aspirin (aHR = 1.67, 95% CI = [1.47, 1.90]) had a notably higher risk of ACS. However, it was found that there were no significant differences in the occurrence of ACS between the non-SCH and SCH patients.Conclusion: This results of this study regarding the risk factors and epidemiology of SCH and ACS were in keeping with previously reported findings. However, the results revealed no significant association between SCH and ACS.


2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (9) ◽  
pp. 1508-1517 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alvise Berti ◽  
Emilie Cornec-Le Gall ◽  
Divi Cornec ◽  
Marta Casal Moura ◽  
Eric L Matteson ◽  
...  

Abstract Background True population-based clinical and outcomes data are lacking for anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody (ANCA)-associated glomerulonephritis (AAGN). Therefore we aimed to estimate the incidence, prevalence and mortality of AAGN, as well as the relationship between the grade of chronic renal damage at presentation and renal and non-renal outcomes. Methods Patients with AAGN were identified among a population-based incident cohort of 57 Olmsted County residents diagnosed with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) in 1996–2015. Incidence rates were age and sex adjusted to the 2010 US white population. Age- and sex-adjusted prevalence was calculated for 1 January 2015. Survival rates were compared with expected rates in the Minnesota population. Chronic renal damage was assessed by chronicity score (CS) on biopsies performed at diagnosis. Results Thirty-four (60%) patients had AAGN. Of these, 65% had microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) and 74% were myeloperoxidase (MPO)-ANCA positive. The annual incidence of AAGN was 2.0/100 000 population [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.3–2.7] and the overall prevalence was 35/100 000 (95% CI 24–47). Mortality for AAGN was increased (P &lt; 0.001), whereas mortality for AAV without glomerulonephritis did not differ from the general population. Minimal to mild CS predicted recovery of renal function at 1 year; clinical diagnosis (granulomatosis with polyangiitis versus MPA) and ANCA specificity (proteinase 3 versus MPO) did not. This observation was replicated in an independent cohort of 38 newly diagnosed AAGN patients seen at our centre over the 1999–2014 period. Conclusions The annual incidence and prevalence of AAGN in Minnesota are 2.0/100 000 and 35/100 000, respectively. Mortality is worse compared with AAV patients without glomerulonephritis. More advanced renal damage at diagnosis predicts less renal recovery.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yen-Feng Wang ◽  
Yung-Tai Chen ◽  
Ching-Wen Tsai ◽  
Yu-Chun Yen ◽  
Yi-Chun Chen ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Pregabalin is approved for the treatment of neuropathic pain, fibromyalgia, and seizure disorders, although the pivotal trials were mostly carried out in Europe or North America. The prescribing patterns among different indications in Asia have rarely been explored.Methods This was a population-based retrospective cohort study based on the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan. Prescriptions of pregabalin were identified, and data regarding demographics, indications, co-existing diagnoses, and concomitant medications were extracted. Pregabalin users were followed for at least one year, and factors associated with persistence at one year were determined by using multivariate logistic regression analysis.Results Between June 2012 and December 2016, 114,437 pregabalin users (mean age 60.7±15.4 years, 57.8% female) were identified. The indications included post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) (30.5%), musculoskeletal diseases other than fibromyalgia (21.2%), fibromyalgia (18.4%), diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain (DPNP) (11.7%) and epilepsy (2.9%). Overall, 62.5% and 6.4% of patients achieved a maximum dose of ≥150 and ≥300 mg/day, respectively. The median duration of persistent pregabalin use was 28 days (interquartile range 14-118 days). The one-year persistence rate was 12.1%, and the indications associated with the highest and lowest persistence rates were epilepsy (42.4%) and PHN (6.1%), respectively. Male gender (odds ratio [OR] 1.14, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.09-1.18), older age (OR 1.01 per year, 95% CI 1.01-1.01), indications other than PHN, especially epilepsy (OR 8.04, 95% CI 7.33-8.81, PHN as reference), and a higher initial dose (OR 1.12 per 75 mg, 95% CI=1.10-1.15) were associated with persistence at one year, whereas the initial concomitant use of antiviral agents decreased the likelihood (OR 0.41, 95% CI 0.35-0.47).Conclusions Pregabalin prescriptions for pain disorders were limited to short-term use, which is consistent around the world. However, the average prescribed dose in Taiwan was lower than those in Western countries, and was typically frequently below the recommended ranges. Potential causes included the duration of natural history of PHN, and off-label prescriptions for pain in acute herpes zoster, rather than PHN, as well as intolerance to the side effects.


Author(s):  
Stephen Mac ◽  
Kali Barrett ◽  
Yasin A. Khan ◽  
David MJ Naimark ◽  
Laura Rosella ◽  
...  

AbstractBackgroundUnderstanding resource use for COVID-19 is critical. We conducted a population-based cohort study using public health data to describe COVID-19 associated age- and sex-specific acute care use, length of stay (LOS), and mortality.MethodsWe used Ontario’s Case and Contact Management (CCM) Plus database of individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 in Ontario from March 1 to September 30, 2020 to determine age- and sex-specific hospitalizations, intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) use, LOS, and mortality. We stratified analyses by month of infection to study temporal trends and conducted subgroup analyses by long-term care residency.ResultsDuring the observation period, 56,476 COVID-19 cases were reported (72% < 60 years, 52% female). The proportion of cases shifted from older populations (> 60 years) to younger populations (10-39 years) over time. Overall, 10% of individuals were hospitalized, of those 22% were admitted to ICU, and 60% of those used IMV. Mean LOS for individuals in the ward, ICU without IMV, and ICU with IMV was 12.8, 8.5, 20.5 days, respectively. Mortality for individuals receiving care in the ward, ICU without IMV, and ICU with IMV was 24%, 30%, and 45%, respectively. All outcomes varied by age and decreased over time, overall and within age groups.InterpretationThis descriptive study shows acute care use and mortality varying by age, and decreasing between March and September in Ontario. Improvements in clinical practice and changing risk distributions among those infected may contribute to fewer severe outcomes among those infected with COVID-19.


1987 ◽  
Vol 73 (3) ◽  
pp. 219-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alberto Pier Mario Cappa ◽  
Giancarlo Bertiond ◽  
Alessandro Colombo ◽  
Fabrizio Faggiano ◽  
Margherita Gussio ◽  
...  

A population-based survey of histologically diagnosed breast cancer was carried out among residents in Piedmont. A total of 5267 incident cases occurring in 1979–1981 was collected, corresponding to an age-standardized (on the world population) incidence rate of 49.5/100,000 per year. Rates (standardized on the population of Piedmont in 1981) were highest in the city of Torino (112.4/100,000 per year) and lowest in the province of Cuneo (67.5), whereas in the other provinces they ranged between 85.3 and 90.0. Estimation of rates in the 54 Local Health Authorities of Piedmont detected up to 2-fold differences between adjacent areas. A correlation was found between rates and size of the population of town of residence. Comparison with age-specific incidence rates from the Cancer Registry of the nearby province of Varese suggested a loss of nonhistologically confirmed cases selectively in older age groups. The distribution of cases diagnosed in 1979 by histologic type is presented. The proportion of diagnoses reported in terms which were consistent with the 1978 WHO Histological Typing of Breast Tumours was 61.3%. It was highest among cases identified in Pathology Services located in University Hospitals and/or diagnosing more than 50 breast cancers per year.


Author(s):  
Hsing-Chi Hsu ◽  
Kai-Yu Tseng ◽  
Hsiang-Chi Wang ◽  
Fung-Chan Sung ◽  
Wei-Fen Ma

Background: Endometriosis has been associated with the subsequent development of ovarian and breast cancers. This study evaluated whether nurses were at increased risks of developing endometriosis and subsequent ovarian and breast cancers. Methods: From Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database during 2000 to 2011, we established 3 study cohorts, consisting of 23,801 nurses, 11,973 other hospital employees, and 143,096 general women free of endometriosis and cancer. Women in all cohorts were followed to the end of 2011 to measure the occurrences of endometriosis and subsequent ovarian and breast cancers. The incident endometriosis cases and related hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated. The incident cases of ovarian cancer and breast cancer and related odds ratio were calculated. Results: The incidence of endometriosis was the highest in the nurse cohort (4.23 per 100, n = 966) followed by other health professionals (3.74 per 100, n = 427) and control cohort (3.06 per 100, n = 4193), with adjusted hazard ratios of 1.28 (95% CI = 1.20–1.38) and 1.13 (95% CI = 1.02–1.25), respectively, comparing to controls. Among those who developed endometriosis, nurses had higher subsequent ovarian cancer and lower breast cancer, but not significant. Conclusions: Nurses are at a higher risk of developing endometriosis. However, the link between endometriosis and subsequent cancers is weak.


Author(s):  
Chun-Che Huang ◽  
Wen-Feng Lee ◽  
Ching-Hsueh Yeh ◽  
Chiang-Hsing Yang ◽  
Yu-Tung Huang

To evaluate labor and delivery complications and delivery modes between physicians and white-collar workers in Taiwan, this retrospective population-based study used data from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database. We compared 1530 physicians aged 25 to 50 years old who worked and had singleton births between 2007 and 2013 with 3060 white-collar workers matched by age groups, groups of monthly insured payroll-related premiums, previous cesarean delivery, perinatal history anemia, and gestational diabetes mellitus. The logistic regression models were used to assess the labor and delivery complications between the two groups. Multivariate analysis revealed that physicians had a significantly higher risk of placenta previa (odds ratio (OR) 1.35, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.08–1.69) and other malpresentation (OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.45–2.39) than white-collar workers, whereas they had a significantly lower risk of placental abruption (OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.40–0.71), preterm delivery (OR 0.75, 95% CI 0.61–0.92), and premature rupture of membranes (OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.59–0.88). Increased risks of some adverse labor and delivery complications were observed among physicians, when compared to white-collar workers. These findings suggest that working women should take preventative action to manage occupational risks during pregnancy.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document