Data resource profile: JMDC claims database sourced from health insurance societies

Periodontal Care Is Associated With a Lower Risk of Dialysis Initiation in Middle-Aged Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A 6-Year Follow-Up Cohort Study Based on a Nationwide Healthcare Database

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the association between dental attendance with periodontal care and the risk of dialysis initiation in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D).

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study used data from the Japan Medical Data Center (JMDC) claims database (January 2015 to August 2022). Patients with T2D, aged 40-74, were included. Dental attendance with periodontal care and initiation of dialysis were used as the exposure and outcome variables, respectively. We fitted the Cox proportional hazards model, including potential confounders, to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs).

RESULTS

Among 99,273 participants (mean age = 54.4 years [SD = 7.8], male = 71.9%), the incidence rate of dialysis initiation was 0.92 per 1000 person-years. After adjusting for all covariates, those with periodontal care (HR = 0.68 [95%CI = 0.51-0.91] for ≥ 1 time/year and HR = 0.56 [95%CI = 0.41-0.77] for ≥ 1 time/6 months) had a significantly lower risk of dialysis initiation compared to those without dental attendance.

CONCLUSION

Periodontal disease care in patients with T2D is associated with a reduced risk of dialysis initiation by 32%-44%. This suggests that integrating periodontal care into diabetes management may help prevent the progression of diabetic nephropathy and improve patient outcomes.

The Association Between Children's Autism Spectrum Disorders and Central Nervous System Infections: Using a Nationwide Claims Database

Several studies have reported an association of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with central nervous system (CNS) infections and intrauterine infections; however, the results remain unclear. This study aimed to examine this issue using an extensive national database. Utilizing JMDC medical claims database, we conducted a retrospective cohort study of children with at least three years of follow-up from birth, ensuring the mother's information was available. The focus was on the relationship between ASD incidence and exposures like viral meningitis/encephalitis, bacterial meningitis, and intrauterine infections. Cox proportional hazards was used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) with covariates such as presence of maternal history of mental illness, preterm, low birth weight, respiratory and cardiac disorder, epilepsy, and cranial malformations. Sensitivity analysis was performed on sibling and multiple birth cohorts to adjust for genetic factors. Out of 276,195 mother-child pairs, bacterial meningitis was observed in 1326 (0.5%), viral meningitis/encephalitis in 6066 (2.2%), intrauterine infection in 3722 (1.3%), and ASD in 14,229 (5.2%) children. The adjusted HRs (95% confidence interval, p value) for ASD were 1.40 (1.25-1.57, p < 0.001), 1.14 (1.02-1.26, p = 0.013), and 1.06 (0.87-1.30, p = 0.539) for viral meningitis/encephalitis, intrauterine infection, and bacterial meningitis, respectively. After sensitivity analysis, the HRs for viral meningitis/encephalitis and ASD remained significantly high. Viral meningitis/encephalitis may be an independent risk factor for ASD. Awareness of this risk among healthcare professionals can lead to early intervention and potentially improved outcomes for affected children.

Short-course treatment for community-acquired pneumonia in adults aged less than 65 years in Japan: A descriptive study using large healthcare claims database

INTRODUCTION

In community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), short-course treatment is not inferior in effectiveness compared to conventional treatment durations, and clinical guidelines recommend 5-7-day-long treatments. However, it remains unclear how widely this practice is adopted in Japan. This study aimed to clarify the treatment duration of CAP in Japan using a large healthcare claims database.

METHODS

We used health insurance claims data provided by JMDC Inc. (Tokyo, Japan) and included patients aged 18-64 years diagnosed with CAP who began antibiotic treatment between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2022. Short-course treatment was defined as ≤ 7 d. Analyses were conducted separately for inpatient and outpatient cases, and the annual trends were also investigated.

RESULTS

Overall, 25,572 patients (3367 inpatients and 22,205 outpatients) were included in the analysis. Short-course treatment was administered to 1087 (32 %) inpatients and 15,614 (70 %) outpatients. The proportion of short-course treatments during the 10-year study period was 31-35 % for inpatient cases and 67-72 % for outpatient cases, with no marked changes over the years.

CONCLUSIONS

The proportion of inpatients receiving short-course treatments for CAP was low. In Japan, especially for inpatient cases, further efforts are required to optimize the duration of CAP treatment.

Temporal risk patterns of severe hypovolemia associated with sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A self-controlled case series study

AIMS

We aimed to investigate the temporal risk patterns of severe hypovolemia induced by sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We conducted a self-controlled case series using claims data from Japan. Patients who were prescribed SGLT2i for treating type 2 diabetes mellitus and experienced severe hypovolemia were enrolled. The primary analysis evaluated the adjusted incidence rate ratios (IRRs) of exposure risk periods (Days 1 to 30, Days 31 to 90, Days 91 to 180 and Days ≥181) with their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs), calculated using a multivariable conditional Poisson regression model, relative to that of the unexposed control period.

RESULTS

A total of 1200 new users of SGLT2i with 1334 severe hypovolemia events were included. The median follow-up and treatment periods were 3.66 and 2.53 years, respectively. The cohort was predominantly male (78.4%) with a median age of 54.1 years. A higher risk of severe hypovolemia associated with SGLT2i was observed particularly in the first 30 days (adjusted IRR 7.39, 95% CI 6.09-8.96) of treatment initiation. Secondary analyses highlighted the first 22 to 28 days (adjusted IRR 15.24, 95% CI 11.92-19.48) of treatment as the highest risk period for severe hypovolemia.

CONCLUSIONS

SGLT2i use in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus was associated with a higher risk of severe hypovolemia, particularly within the first 30 days of treatment initiation, with the highest risk observed during 22 to 28 days.

A real-world descriptive study of screening practices for hydroxychloroquine retinopathy in Japan using an insurance claims database

Since 2015, hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) has been widely used as a standard treatment for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) under the national health insurance system in Japan. However, the status of routine ophthalmological screening for retinopathy, which is a notable safety concern of HCQ, remains unclear. In this retrospective study using the nationwide health insurance claims database, we aimed to investigate the status of ophthalmological screening in routine clinical practice in Japan. A total of 2567 patients with SLE or CLE were included in the analysis. The proportion of ophthalmology visits was 88.0% at the initiation of HCQ prescription, decreased to 76.3% after one year, and then remained constant. Moreover, only 50% of the patients underwent spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) and automated visual field (VF) tests, which are useful for the early detection of HCQ retinopathy-related changes. Importantly, the proportion of ophthalmology visits remained consistently high among patients who visited an ophthalmologist in the previous year, ranging from 77.3% to 90.2%. These findings highlight the need to improve screening adherence and promote regular ophthalmological evaluations, particularly for patients without prior ophthalmology visits, to enhance the early detection of HCQ retinopathy.

Development and internal validation of a clinical prediction model to predict independence in daily living at discharge for patients with heart failure: analysis using a Japanese national inpatient database real-world dataset

PURPOSE

To develop a clinical prediction model (CPM) to predict independence in activities of daily living (ADLs) in patients with heart failure.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

We collected the data of the individuals who were admitted and rehabilitated for heart failure from January 2017 to June 2022 from Japan's Diagnosis Procedure Combination database. We assessed the subjects' ADLs at discharge using the Barthel Index and classified them into independence, partial-independence, and total-dependence groups based on their ADLs at discharge. Two CPMs (an independence model and a partial-independence model) were developed by a binomial logistic regression analysis. The predictors included subject characteristics, treatment, and post-hospitalization disease onset. The CPMs' accuracy was validated by the area under the curve (AUC). Internal validation was performed using the bootstrap method. The final CPM is presented in a nomogram.

RESULTS

We included 96,753 patients whose ADLs could be traced at discharge. The independence model had a 0.73 mean AUC and a 1.0 slope at bootstrapping. We thus developed a simplified model using nomograms, which also showed adequate predictive accuracy in the independence model. The partial-independence model had a 0.65 AUC and inadequate predictive accuracy.

CONCLUSIONS

The independence model of ADLs in patients with heart failure is a useful CPM.

Inclination of antidepressant medication continuation during pregnancy between 2012 and 2023 in Japan: A cohort study

BACKGROUND

As multiple Japanese academic societies have recently issued treatment guidelines for perinatal antidepressant treatments, it is considered worthwhile to evaluate the latest trends and continuation of antidepressant medication during pregnancy to optimize antenatal prescriptions.

METHODS

The prevalence, trend, and continuation of antidepressant use during pregnancy in Japan from 2012 to 2023 were evaluated, using a large administrative claims database, in women whose pregnancies ended in live births. Annual changes were evaluated using a multivariate logistic regression model adjusted for maternal age at delivery.

RESULTS

Of 179,797 women with a mean maternal age at delivery of 32.5 years, 1870 (1.04%) were prescribed antidepressants during pregnancy. The prevalence significantly increased (P < 0.0001) from 0.63% in 2012 to 1.67% in 2023. Antidepressants were prescribed to 1730 women (0.96%) during the first trimester. Of these, 670 (38.7%) were antidepressant continuers throughout pregnancy, showing a significant increase (P < 0.0001) from 19.51% in 2012 to 50.70% in 2023. The most frequently prescribed class of antidepressants during pregnancy was serotonin reuptake inhibitors (0.74%), especially sertraline (0.33%) and escitalopram (0.23%), with a significant increase in their annual prevalence.

LIMITATIONS

Prescriptions for women whose pregnancies ended in abortion or stillbirth could not be evaluated.

CONCLUSIONS

Given that antidepressant use and its continuation during pregnancy have become more common, it is important to further disseminate knowledge of the guidelines to healthcare professionals and women of childbearing age, including the promotion of preconception care and shared decision-making.

Current Status of Prurigo Nodularis in Japan: A Retrospective Study Using a Health Insurance Claims Database

Background/Objectives: Prurigo nodularis (PN) is associated with considerable disease burden. Limited information exists about the epidemiology, treatment patterns, and impact of PN. This retrospective study used Japanese health insurance claims data to investigate the prevalence and incidence of PN from 2006 to 2021. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used to estimate prevalence and incidence longitudinally; a cohort design was used to assess comorbidities, treatment patterns, and healthcare resource utilization (HCRU). Results: Over the study period, data from 297,545 to 10,081,414 individuals were available annually; in 2020, 1946 individuals were diagnosed with PN. The prevalence and incidence of PN showed little variation over the study period; in 2021, the prevalence was 41 per 100,000 persons. Although there was a tendency for a higher prevalence of PN in childhood, the prevalence and incidence were similar in other age groups and were slightly higher in females. Inflammatory skin diseases and atopic diathesis were common comorbidities. The most prescribed treatments for adults with PN were topical steroids (78%), oral antihistamines (68%), and moisturizers (54%). Oral steroids, macrolides, and psychotropics were prescribed to >10% of patients. Individuals with PN who also had atopic dermatitis (AD) received higher cumulative doses of stronger potency topical steroids, local steroid injections, and oral steroids than those without concomitant AD. Additionally, HCRU was higher in individuals with AD. Conclusions: Although patients are usually treated according to the guidelines, there is an unmet need for more effective treatments for PN due to the frequent use of intensive and late-line treatments.

Non-cancer risks among female breast cancer survivors: a matched cohort study in Japan

Background

The number of breast cancer (BC) survivors has increased worldwide, but the landscape of their non-cancer disease risks remains unclear, especially among Asian women.

Methods

In the JMDC claims database, which covers company employees and their family members in Japan, women aged 18-74 years with and without an incident BC were matched in a 1:4 ratio for age and entry timing to the database between January 2005 and December 2019. The risks for six cardiovascular diseases (myocardial infarction, heart failure, atrial fibrillation/flutter, ischaemic stroke, intracranial haemorrhage, and pulmonary embolism) and six non-cardiovascular diseases (major osteoporotic fractures, other fractures, gastrointestinal bleeding, urinary tract infection, infectious pneumonia, and anxiety/depression) were compared between the groups.

Findings

Comparing 24,017 BC survivors and 96,068 matched women (mean age, 50.5 years, standard deviation, 8.7 years), the incidence rates of heart failure, atrial fibrillation/flutter, and all non-cardiovascular diseases were higher in the BC survivor group. The highest adjusted hazard ratio (HR) was noted for heart failure (3.99 [95% confidence interval 2.58-6.16]), followed by gastrointestinal bleeding (3.55 [3.10-4.06]), and anxiety/depression (3.06 [2.86-3.28]). The HRs in the first year were larger than those for 1-10 years for most outcomes, whereas the HRs for fracture outcomes were larger for 1-10 years.

Interpretation

BC survivors in Japan showed an increased risk of many non-cancer diseases compared to women without BC. Most risks increased more steeply during the first year following diagnosis, whereas the risk of fractures increased later.

Funding

Competitive research funding from Pfizer Health Research Foundation in Japan.

Behçet's disease: incidence, prevalence, and real-word data on the use of biologic agents in Japan

BACKGROUND

Behçet's disease (BD) is an autoinflammatory disease that can affect multiple organs, including the gastrointestinal tract. Conventional management comprises anti-inflammatory drugs such as glucocorticoids (GCs) and/or immunomodulators that alleviate symptoms. The introduction of biological agents that target tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) has improved disease management. The goal of this work was to analyze the current prevalence and incidence of total BD and gastrointestinal Behçet's disease (GIBD) in Japan, and examine treatment trends, especially regarding the use of TNF-α inhibitors (TNFαi).

METHODS

We performed a retrospective descriptive observational study in which BD and GIBD demographic trends, medical treatment patterns, and reported adverse events (AEs) were assessed among patients with data recorded between 2017 and 2021 in the Japan Medical Data Center Claims Database (now JMDC Inc.).

RESULTS

Prevalence of BD and GIBD in Japan during the observation period increased at an annual rate of + 3% and + 4%, respectively, while incidence decreased by - 5% and - 2%, with a more prominent decline in confirmed GIBD cases (- 15%). Although GCs were the most common initial treatment administered, use of TNFαi for BD and GIBD management increased by + 5.6% and + 8.1%, respectively. Severe AEs (mainly pneumonia and GI-associated AEs) were reported in 40% of patients receiving TNFαi; however, a high retention rate (of up to 80%) was observed 3 years after treatment initiation.

CONCLUSION

The use of TNFαi for GIBD treatment has increased in Japan in recent years. Additional research is necessary to further evaluate TNFαi effectiveness in GIBD and other BD subtypes.

Clinical burden of late-onset, clinically significant CMV infection beyond 100 days in allo-HSCT patients after letermovir prophylaxis

OBJECTIVE

Letermovir (LET) is effective for preventing cytomegalovirus infection (CMVi) and CMV disease in patients after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). However, clinically significant (cs)-CMVi can occur after LET cessation. We retrospectively evaluated the clinical burden of late-onset cs-CMVi in patients who had received LET following allo-HSCT in Japan.

METHODS

The Japan Medical Data Center health insurance claims database was interrogated for adult patients who had received LET ≤100 days after allo-HSCT (May 28, 2018, to December 31, 2022). Cohorts 1 and 2 (primary analyses) comprised cs-CMVi-positive and -negative patients, respectively, followed for ≥180 days after the first cs-CMVi-related claim; Cohorts 3 and 4 (exploratory analysis) included patients meeting Cohort 1 or 2 criteria, respectively, but without follow-up duration limitation.

RESULTS

Data for 155 patients (Cohort 1, n = 47; Cohort 2, n = 108) were analyzed. cs-CMVi rates were higher in patients at high (n = 72) versus low risk (n = 83) of CMVi (43.4% vs 15.3%; p = 0.0003), with no difference in frequency of CMV disease. In Cohort 1, median time from 100 days post-transplantation to first cs-CMVi was 35.0 days. Rates of hospital admissions were higher in Cohort 1 versus Cohort 2 (p = 0.0061), and mean duration of anti-CMV drug prescription was longer in high- versus low-risk patients (p = 0.0024). New-onset graft-versus-host disease occurred ≥101 days post-transplantation in three patients (all Cohort 1).

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrates the great burden of late-onset cs-CMVi in patients after allo-HSCT. Extended LET prophylaxis beyond 100 days post-transplant may benefit especially those at high risk of cs-CMVi.

Risk prediction of cardiovascular disease in the Asia-Pacific region: the SCORE2 Asia-Pacific model

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

To improve upon the estimation of 10-year cardiovascular disease (CVD) event risk for individuals without prior CVD or diabetes mellitus in the Asia-Pacific region by systematic recalibration of the SCORE2 risk algorithm.

METHODS

The sex-specific and competing risk-adjusted SCORE2 algorithms were systematically recalibrated to reflect CVD incidence observed in four Asia-Pacific risk regions, defined according to country-level World Health Organization age- and sex-standardized CVD mortality rates. Using the same approach as applied for the original SCORE2 models, recalibration to each risk region was completed using expected CVD incidence and risk factor distributions from each region.

RESULTS

Risk region-specific CVD incidence was estimated using CVD mortality and incidence data on 8 405 574 individuals (556 421 CVD events). For external validation, data from 9 560 266 individuals without previous CVD or diabetes were analysed in 13 prospective studies from 12 countries (350 550 incident CVD events). The pooled C-index of the SCORE2 Asia-Pacific algorithms in the external validation datasets was .710 [95% confidence interval (CI) .677-.744]. Cohort-specific C-indices ranged from .605 (95% CI .597-.613) to .840 (95% CI .771-.909). Estimated CVD risk varied several-fold across Asia-Pacific risk regions. For example, the estimated 10-year CVD risk for a 50-year-old non-smoker, with a systolic blood pressure of 140 mmHg, total cholesterol of 5.5 mmol/L, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol of 1.3 mmol/L, ranged from 7% for men in low-risk countries to 14% for men in very-high-risk countries, and from 3% for women in low-risk countries to 13% for women in very-high-risk countries.

CONCLUSIONS

The SCORE2 Asia-Pacific algorithms have been calibrated to estimate 10-year risk of CVD for apparently healthy people in Asia and Oceania, thereby enhancing the identification of individuals at higher risk of developing CVD across the Asia-Pacific region.

Sex Differences in Post-Noncardiac Surgery Risks Assessed Using the Revised Cardiac Risk Index - A Nationwide Retrospective Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

The Revised Cardiac Risk Index (RCRI) has been incorporated into preoperative assessment guidelines and is used for simple preoperative screening; however, validation studies within large populations are limited. Moreover, although sex differences in perioperative risk are recognized, their effect on the performance of the RCRI remains unclear. Therefore, in this study we evaluated whether sex differences exist in the risks within the strata classified by the RCRI.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The Japan Medical Data Center database based on claim and health examination data in Japan between January 2005 and April 2021 was used. A total of 161,359 noncardiac surgeries performed during hospitalization were analyzed. The main outcome was the 30-day risk of major adverse cardiovascular events. Although there was no significant sex difference among those with an RCRI ≥1, males had a significant hazard rate (1.32 [95% confidence interval, 1.03-1.68]) of postoperative events in the low-risk group with an RCRI of 0. However, this significant difference was not detected in the population excluding those who underwent breast and gynecological surgeries.

CONCLUSIONS

The RCRI achieved reasonable risk stratification in validation using Japanese real-world data regardless of sex. Although further detailed analysis is necessary to determine the sex differences, the validity of using the RCRI for screening purposes is supported at this stage.

Real-world clinical and economic impacts of delayed rotator cuff repair surgery in Japan: analysis of a large claims database

Background

In patients with rotator cuff tears (RCTs), there is a lack of evidence regarding the impact of the timeliness of rotator cuff repair (RCR) surgery on treatment outcomes and overall healthcare burden. This study aimed to understand the impact of early vs. delayed RCR on real-world healthcare costs and resource use (HCRU) in Japan.

Methods

This study utilized JMDC health insurance claims data from January 2012 to February 2021. Patients aged ≥18 years were included if they had ≥1 inpatient or ≥2 nondiagnostic outpatient claims (≥1 month apart) for RCT (diagnosis codes S460/S468), had RCR (procedure codes K080-X) within 12 months postindex, and had 12 months post-RCR continuous enrollment. Index month was defined upon the first RCT claim, and surgery month was defined upon the first RCR. Patients were categorized as having had early (≤1 month postindex) or delayed (2-12 months postindex) RCR. RCT-related HCRU were reported for the 12-month postindex or postsurgery periods.

Results

Of 1243 RCR patients, 68.9% were male and the mean (standard deviation [SD]) age was 55.3 (8.9) years. Of 46.3% patients with an initial diagnosis of tendinosis, their RCT was diagnosed for only a mean (SD) of 5.7 (4.0) months later. The mean (SD) time from index to first RCR was 2.4 (2.3) months; 518 (41.7%) patients had early RCR. The mean total RCT-related healthcare costs were higher for patients with delayed vs. early RCR (P < .05 for both postindex and surgery). The mean (SD) postsurgery inpatient costs were higher for delayed vs. early RCR (¥1,260,066 vs. ¥1,119,381; P < .05), possibly partly driven by longer hospital stays among delayed RCR patients. Patients with delayed RCR had a higher mean number of physical therapy visits compared with early RCR, especially postsurgery (42.6 vs. 38.4; P < .05); physical therapy costs were significantly higher for delayed RCR patients, compared with early RCR, for both postindex or postsurgery periods (P < .05). During the postindex period, higher proportions of delayed vs. early RCR patients received opioids (22.1% vs. 16.2%; P < .05), nonopioid pain medications (77.7% vs. 69.5%; P < .05), cortisone injections (47.2% vs. 33.8%; P < .05), and oral cortisone (4.8% vs. 1.4%; P < .05). The mean outpatient pharmacy prescription costs were significantly higher for delayed vs. early RCR for both the postindex and postsurgery periods (both P < .05).

Conclusions

Long delays in the diagnosis or treatment of RCT in Japan may lead to higher burdens of healthcare. Patients with delayed RCR may require more prescription medications and/or PT before and after surgery. Improving the timeliness of RCT treatment could therefore reduce overall HCRU.

Impact of long-term macrolide therapy on the evaluation indicator of outpatient oral antimicrobial use according to the AWaRe classification

The WHO recently proposed a new indicator for judging the appropriateness of antimicrobial selection according to the AWaRe classification. Although macrolides are often administered for long-term macrolide therapy, the impact of this therapy on the indicator remains unclear. This study examined the impact of this therapy on the indicator for outpatient oral antimicrobial use. Using the JMDC claims database, outpatients who were prescribed an oral antimicrobial at least once between January and December 2022 (n = 2.66 million) were included in the study. The ratio of patient numbers and antimicrobial usage (AMU) were calculated based on age group (<15, 15-64, and ≥65 years) and prescription days (1-15, 16-30, 31-60, 61-90, and ≥91 days), and AMU of each drug was corrected for defined daily doses and classified according to the AWaRe. Patients with chronic airway disease for whom macrolides were prescribed for 91 days and more were defined as long-term macrolide therapy. Macrolides accounted for more than 30 % of total oral AMU in all age groups. In the elderly, 11.2 % of patients were prescribed macrolides for 91 days or more, accounting for 66.4 % of macrolide use. With regard to diseases that were associated with macrolide prescriptions, the percentage of patients prescribed for chronic airway diseases increased as the number of days of prescription increased. These results suggest that the impact of long-term macrolide therapy should be considered when assessing the appropriateness of outpatient oral AMU according to the AWaRe classification.

Impact of adjuvant trastuzumab therapy and its discontinuation on cardiac function and mortality in patients with early-stage breast cancer: An analysis based on the Japanese Receipt Claim Database

Standard trastuzumab therapy can reduce the risk of early recurrence of HER2-positive breast cancer. However, trastuzumab-induced cardiac dysfunction may force the discontinuation of adjuvant trastuzumab therapy. Incidentally, there are still unclear whether or not trastuzumab treatment should be continued in the setting of reduced cardiac function. We aimed to investigate the association between trastuzumab discontinuation, the development of cardiac dysfunction during trastuzumab treatment, and all-cause mortality using the JMDC as the Japanese claims database. Between 2010 and 2019, 1779 women with early-stage breast cancer underwent surgery with adjuvant trastuzumab therapy (TZ). A 1:1 propensity score (PS) matching was conducted for patients who completed or discontinued TZ. The rates of cancer therapy-related-cardiovascular toxicity (CTR-CVT) and mortality in the TZ completion and discontinuation groups were compared. After PS matching, the TZ completion group (CMP_PSM: n = 83) and discontinuation group (INT_PSM: n = 83) were included in the study. TZ was administered for 12 and 5 months in CMP_PSM and INT_PSM, respectively. The cumulative incidence of CTR-CVT was significantly higher in CMP_PSM than INT_PSM (log-rank test, P = .0096). The mortality rate was significantly higher in INT_PSM than in CMP_PSM. The all-cause mortality in INT_PSM tended to increase at a constant rate after treatment, even after discontinuation. Our findings suggest that discontinuation of trastuzumab treatment worsens patient prognosis due to insufficient treatment of breast cancer rather than due to the cardiovascular toxicity of the drug.

Comparative effectiveness, persistence, and adherence of dimethyl fumarate and fingolimod in patients with multiple sclerosis in Japan: A cohort study

BACKGROUND

Several oral disease-modifying drugs (DMDs) for multiple sclerosis (MS) are available but only two - dimethyl fumarate (DMF) and fingolimod (FTY) - are approved for relapsing-remitting MS in Japan. Although the efficacy of DMDs might be affected by differences in genetic and environmental factors, no study has compared the effectiveness, treatment persistence, and adherence of DMF and FTY in Asians. Here, we assessed relapse rates, persistence, and adherence of DMF and FTY in a Japanese real-world setting.

METHODS

A cohort study was conducted using a large Japanese claims database. We included MS patients aged ≥18 years who initiated DMF or FTY between February 22, 2017 (the launch of DMF in Japan), and February 29, 2020. The primary effectiveness outcome was MS relapse, defined as treatment with intravenous methylprednisolone at a dosage of ≥250 mg/day for at least 3 consecutive days. Annualized relapse rates (ARRs) and ARR ratios for DMF and FTY groups were estimated using a Poisson regression model. Secondary outcomes included persistence and adherence. Persistence was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and a Cox proportional hazards model. Adherence was assessed by the proportion of days covered (PDC) at 30, 60, 90, 180, and 365 days. Propensity score overlap weighting was used to adjust for baseline covariates between groups.

RESULTS

143 patients in the DMF group (mean age 41.45 years, 59 males, mean number of MS relapses at baseline: 0.54) and 36 in the FTY group (mean age 39.89 years, 18 males, mean number of MS relapses at baseline: 0.56) met the eligibility criteria. After overlap weighting, covariates were well balanced. The ARR was 0.05 (95 % confidence interval, 0.02-0.16) in the DMF group and 0.15 (0.05-0.45) in the FTY group, with a ratio of 0.34 (0.07-1.63). The 1-year persistence was 0.84 (0.74-0.95) for the DMF group and 0.53 (0.37-0.78) for the FTY group, resulting in a hazard ratio of 0.28 (0.11-0.70). Median PDC for the DMF group was 0.90 (interquartile range, 0.77-1.00) at 30 days, which improved over time as treatment duration increased to reach 0.98 (0.94-0.98) at 365 days. In contrast, median PDC for the FTY group remained constant at 0.98-1.00 across all time points.

CONCLUSION

The effectiveness, as measured by ARRs, was comparable between the DMF and FTY groups, although a small but clinically significant difference may not have been detected in this study. Persistence was higher in the DMF group than in the FTY group. Adherence was high for both drugs, but some patients treated with DMF had low adherence early in treatment.

Impact of patient's financial burden of COVID-19 treatment on antiviral prescription rates and clinical and economic outcomes

BACKGROUND

In Japan, medical expenses for COVID-19 treatment transitioned from full public funding support to out-of-pocket (OOP) payment by patients plus partial public support in October 2023, and public support fully ended in March 2024. This study evaluated the clinical and economic impacts of initiating OOP payments.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

To assess the impact on prescription rates, we compared the prescription rates of antivirals from the 4-month pre- to post-OOP payment initiation period using a claims database. Subsequently, a budget impact model assessed the impacts of a hypothetical decline in the prescription rates on COVID-19-related hospitalizations, deaths, and direct medical costs for antiviral prescription and hospitalization.

RESULTS

The antiviral prescription rate per 100 patients decreased from 17.5 for the pre-OOP payment initiation period to 11.5 for the post-OOP payment initiation period, that is, a change of - 34.3%. With prescription rate decreases of 40%, 60%, and 80%, the hospitalizations would increase annually by 22,533 (3.3%), 33800 (5.0%), and 45,066 (6.6%), respectively. The total costs would increase by JPY9.5 billion (USD67.3 million; 0.7%), JPY14.3 billion (USD100.9 million; 1.0%), and JPY19.0 billion (USD134.5 million; 1.3%), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher OOP payment decreased the antiviral prescription rate, potentially leading to clinical and economic loss.

Comparison of reoperation incidence after fusion versus decompression for lumbar degenerative disease: A propensity score-weighted study

BACKGROUND

Reoperation after lumbar spine surgery is a major issue for both patients and physicians. It is uncertain whether fusion is superior to decompression alone for lumbar degenerative disease regarding reoperation rate. We aim to evaluate the reoperation rate after fusion surgery for lumbar degenerative disease compared with decompression alone.

METHODS

This study was conducted under a retrospective cohort design in patients undergoing fusion or decompression alone in one or two levels for lumbar degenerative disease using a Japanese claims-based database. Primary outcome was reoperation incidence during the follow-up period, and secondary outcome was reoperation incidence within 90 days postoperatively. Confounding factors were handled using propensity score overlap weighting. Cumulative incidence of reoperation was calculated from the Kaplan-Meier curve and hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for reoperation were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression models.

RESULTS

8497 patients (2051 patients in the fusion group and 6446 in the decompression alone group) were included in the study. There was no difference in reoperation rate between fusion and decompression alone (weighted HR 0.85 [95% CI 0.69 to 1.04]; p = 0.11).

CONCLUSIONS

Among patients with lumbar degenerative disease who underwent fusion or decompression alone, no significant difference was observed between the two groups.

Initiation of Psychotropic Drugs in Spouses of Patients With Early-Onset Alzheimer's Disease: A Matched Cohort Study

OBJECTIVES

The diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer's disease (EOAD) can cause emotional stress not only to the patients themselves but also to their spouses. This study aimed to evaluate the risk of psychiatric disorders in spouses of EOAD patients, using psychotropic drug initiation as a surrogate indicator.

METHODS

A cohort study was conducted using a Japanese claims database, with spouses of EOAD patients (exposed spouses) matched with spouses of non-EOAD individuals (reference spouses) up to a 1:10 ratio. Primary outcome was the initiation of mood disorder drugs, and secondary outcomes were the initiation of drugs for anxiety disorders, sleep disorders, and schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Four study cohorts were created according to each outcome analysis. Multivariable Cox regression models were used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for study outcomes.

RESULTS

The analysis of mood disorder drugs included 395 exposed spouses and 3711 reference spouses. The proportion of patients excluded from the analysis due to prescription of mood disorder drugs during the baseline period was 4.3% higher among exposed spouses than reference spouses. There was no major difference between groups with respect to mood disorder drug initiation after 1 year (aHR, 2.08 [95% CI, 0.61 to 7.13]). In subgroup analysis of females and dependents, exposed spouses showed a higher rate of initiation (females: aHR, 6.39 [95% CI, 1.24 to 32.80]; dependents: aHR, 6.47 [95% CI, 1.25 to 33.55]). No substantial differences in secondary outcomes were observed in any comparison.

CONCLUSIONS

This study does not conclusively demonstrate an increase in mood disorder drug initiation among spouses of EOAD patients overall; however, initiation rates may be higher among female or dependent spouses. Our findings also suggest that exposed spouses experience significant psychological stress prior to their partners' EOAD diagnoses.

Prescription Pattern of Laxatives for Opioid-Induced Constipation in Japanese Patients With Chronic Non-cancer Pain: A Retrospective Cohort Study of a Health Insurance Claims Database

Introduction Opioid-induced constipation (OIC) is the most common side effect of opioids. Weak opioids are often prescribed for non-cancer chronic pain in Japan; however, data on laxative use are scarce. We evaluated the real-world prescription patterns of laxatives for OIC in patients administered weak opioids for non-cancer pain in Japan. Methods In this retrospective cohort study, we extracted data from a Japanese health insurance claims database for patients with chronic non-cancer pain (lower back pain, joint pain, and neuropathic pain) who were continuously prescribed weak opioids for ≥1 month after initiating weak opioids between 2017 and 2022. Results Of 425,556 patients prescribed weak opioids, 42,514 patients (mean age: 50.1 years) were included. Most were prescribed ≤150 mg tramadol equivalent/day, and 21,405 (50.3%) were on weak opioids for lower back pain. The proportion of laxatives prescribed on the first day of weak opioid prescription was 6.7%; the cumulative prescription rate during the 12‑week follow-up was 13.6%. The most common laxatives during the first week were magnesium oxide (2,320 (66.6%)), sennoside (484 (13.9%)), and naldemedine (301 (8.6%)); at 12 weeks, these proportions were 55.2%, 13.1%, and 13.8%, respectively.​ The amount of weak opioids prescribed to patients without laxatives was lower than the standard dosage and was also lower than the amount prescribed to patients with laxatives. Conclusions This study showed that the actual prescription patterns of laxatives after initiating weak opioids in patients with chronic non-cancer pain were variable, depending on the duration after initiating weak opioids. The association between laxative use and weak opioid dosage indicates that OIC management may have a potential impact on pain management.

Pollen as a mediator between environmental greenness during pregnancy and infancy periods and childhood persistent asthma: A nationwide retrospective birth cohort study in Japan

The association between environmental greenness and childhood asthma remains unclear. Pollen has been proposed as a potential mechanism of detrimental associations. This study aimed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the association between environmental greenness during the pre-, peri-, and postnatal periods and childhood persistent asthma. A nationwide retrospective birth cohort study was conducted using data from the Japan Medical Data Center (JMDC). Child-mother dyads between January 2010 and January 2017 were identified, and four subcohorts were developed based on the timing of exposure to the highest greenness season. The exposure of interest was environmental greenness levels between June and September, quantified using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). The primary outcome was persistent asthma in children aged 4-5 years. Causal mediation analysis was conducted to evaluate pollen as a mediator between NDVI and asthma. In these analyses, linear and modified Poisson regression models were used to evaluate the association of NDVI with pollen levels and childhood persistent asthma. The analyses were stratified by metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas. Clinically meaningful confounders and predictors of asthma were adjusted in the statistical models. A total of 100,273 child-mother dyads were included in the entire cohort, with 24.1% of the children having persistent asthma at the ages of 4-5 years. Higher environmental greenness was associated with higher pollen levels. The modified Poisson regression models showed higher environmental greenness was associated with a slightly higher risk of persistent childhood asthma. In metropolitan areas, significant detrimental natural direct effects of NDVI were observed; however, the natural indirect effects were uncertain. A large part of the association between environmental greenness and childhood persistent asthma in metropolitan areas was attributed to mechanisms other than those involving pollen. The associations in non-metropolitan areas remain uncertain. Further studies are required to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.

Association between exposure to atypical antipsychotics during pregnancy and risk of miscarriage

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the association between exposure to atypical antipsychotics during pregnancy and risk of miscarriage.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

This nested case-control study used a large Japanese administrative database. Pregnancy onset and outcomes were estimated using previously reported algorithms, classifying cases as women becoming pregnant between 2013 and 2022 and ending in a miscarriage. Controls were randomly selected from the entire pregnancy cohort by risk-set sampling with replacement and were individually matched to the cases (3:1). The association between exposure to atypical antipsychotics and risk of miscarriage was assessed using conditional logistic regression adjusted for confounders. The association between benzodiazepine exposure and the risk of miscarriage was assessed as a positive control.

RESULTS

In the cohort, 44,118 patients were matched with 132,317 controls. The mean ages (standard deviations) of the case and control groups were 33.3 (5.7) and 33.2 (5.5) years, respectively. The prevalence of atypical antipsychotics was 0.5% in both groups. Aripiprazole is an individual antipsychotic with the highest prescription prevalence. The adjusted odds ratios (aOR) for miscarriage were 0.966 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.796-1.173) for atypical antipsychotics and 0.998 (0.784-1.269) for aripiprazole. A higher aOR (1.431, 95% CI 1.303-1.573) suggested an association with benzodiazepines. A sensitivity analysis that limited the population to women diagnosed with schizophrenia alone did not suggest an association between atypical antipsychotics and the risk of miscarriage.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study do not suggest an association between exposure to atypical antipsychotics during pregnancy and the risk of miscarriage.

Effects of incentivising dialysis facilities on peripheral arterial disease care in patients undergoing haemodialysis: a claims-based cohort study

Background

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) occurs frequently in patients undergoing dialysis, but early intervention for PAD may not be fully implemented. We evaluated the effects of financially incentivising dialysis facilities that provided early detection and management of PAD on outcomes of PAD care.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study identified patients aged 18-74 years who received maintenance haemodialysis between April 2016 and March 2021 from the JMDC Claims Database. The (time-dependent) exposure was claim for incentives for early detection and management of PAD. The outcomes were PAD screening tests (process indicator) and infections, revascularisation procedures, and amputations in the lower extremities (outcome indicators). We used Poisson regression models with generalised estimation equations for the number of screening tests and Cox proportional hazards models for the first incidence of the outcome indicator.

Results

Overall, 5850 patients on haemodialysis were identified: 5183 and 667 with and without claims for the incentive, respectively; the numbers of screening tests were 9070 and 776, respectively (adjusted ratio of the frequency, 1.89 [95% confidence interval 1.70-2.10]). Among patients with and without claims for the incentive, infections occurred in 479 and 109 (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.99 [0.80-1.23]), revascularisations were performed in 192 and 29 (adjusted HR, 1.11 [0.75-1.66]), and amputations were conducted in 72 and 9 patients, respectively (adjusted HR, 1.35 [0.66-2.75]).

Conclusion

The financial incentive for early detection and management of PAD was associated with a higher frequency of PAD screening tests, but not with improved outcome indicators.

Estimating and Predicting the Rate of Kidney Function Decline over 10 Years in the General Population

Key Points

Background

We aimed to estimate the rate of kidney function decline over 10 years in the general population and develop a machine learning model to predict it.

Methods

We used the JMDC database from 2012 to 2021, which includes company employees and their family members in Japan, where annual health checks are mandated for people aged 40–74 years. We estimated the slope (average change) of eGFR over a period of 10 years. Then, using the annual health-check results and prescription claims for the first 5 years from 2012 to 2016 as predictor variables, we developed an XGBoost model, evaluated its prediction performance with the root mean squared error (RMSE), R2, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) for rapid decliners (defined as the slope <−3 ml/min per 1.73 m2 per year) using five-fold cross validation, and compared these indicators with those of (1) the simple application of the eGFR slope from 2012 to 2016 and (2) the adjusted linear regression model.

Results

We included 126,424 adults (mean age, 45.2 years; male, 82.4%; mean eGFR, 79.0 ml/min per 1.73 m2 in 2016). The mean slope was −0.89 (SD, 0.96) ml/min per 1.73 m2 per year. The predictive performance of the XGBoost model (RMSE, 0.78; R2, 0.35; and AUROC, 0.89) was better than that of either the simple application of the eGFR slope from 2012 to 2016 (RMSE, 1.94; R2, −3.03; and AUROC, 0.79) or the adjusted linear regression model (RMSE, 0.81; R2, 0.30; and AUROC, 0.87).

Conclusions

We estimated the rate of kidney function decline over 10 years in the general population, as well as demonstrated that application of machine learning to annual health-check and claims data, provides better predictive performance compared with traditional methods.

Coronary artery disease risk prediction by combined stratification of low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels across different glucose statuses

AIM

To investigate the association between low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) levels and coronary artery disease (CAD) incidence based on combining high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) levels and glucose status.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this retrospective cohort study, we used data from a nationwide claims database (1,524,289 individuals without a history of CAD or familial hypercholesterolaemia; 2008-2019). Cox proportional hazards modelling identified the risk of incident CAD by a novel combination of four HDL-C levels, seven LDL-C levels and glucose status.

RESULTS

During the follow-up period (mean: 5.5 years), 8301 (0.99/1000 person-years) events occurred. The risk of CAD increased from lower LDL-C levels accompanied by lower HDL-C levels regardless of the glucose status. Using the most favourable levels of HDL-C and LDL-C (i.e. 60-99 mg/dL and <80 mg/dL, respectively) as references, the hazard ratios (95% confidence interval) for the group with HDL-C levels <40 mg/dL and LDL-C levels <80 mg/dL were 2.74 (1.47-5.11), 2.52 (1.30-4.91) and 2.85 (1.68-4.84) for normoglycaemia, borderline glycaemia and diabetes, respectively. Comparison of the most favourable levels of HDL-C and LDL-C with their least favourable levels (i.e. <40 mg/dL and 180-199 mg/dL, respectively) revealed that the risk of new-onset CAD exhibited a 19-, nine- and seven-fold increase in individuals with normoglycaemia, borderline glycaemia and diabetes, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

To prevent CAD, LDL-C levels should be strictly controlled in patients with low HDL-C levels regardless of glucose tolerance. Individualized treatment, which involves setting target LDL-C levels based on glucose tolerance and HDL-C values, is required.

Impact of colorectal cancer screening by primary tumor location in a real-world setting in Japan

The objective of this retrospective observational study was to investigate the impact of fecal occult blood test (FOBT) as colorectal cancer (CRC) screening by primary tumor location. We compared the risk of requiring treatment for advanced disease and total medical costs per patient between CRC patients who underwent FOBT within 1 year before initial treatment for CRC and those who did not, using the JMDC Claims database, large-scale health insurance claims and checkup data in Japan. Treatment for advanced disease was defined as (1) nonendoscopic therapy or (2) chemotherapy or radiotherapy, performed during the follow-up period. A total of 1194 participants with CRC (right-sided, 22.2%; left-sided, 60.4%) who initiated treatment between 2010 and 2016 and underwent health checkups within 1 year before the initial treatment were enrolled and followed up for an average of 46.1 months. A significantly lowered risk ratio (RR) of chemotherapy or radiotherapy and total medical costs were observed in FOBT group for left-sided CRC [RR = 0.78 (95% confidence interval, 0.63-0.97), mean and median costs = 4.1 vs. 5.6 and 2.4 vs. 2.9 million JPY; P = 0.018], while they were not observed for right-sided CRC [RR = 0.88 (95% confidence interval, 0.61-1.28), mean and median costs = 4.0 vs. 4.1 and 2.7 vs. 2.9 million JPY; P = 0.995]. This study demonstrated the improved outcomes by FOBT for left-sided CRC, whereas its impact was limited for right-sided CRC.

Real world treatment patterns in patients with eosinophilic esophagitis in Japan

The management of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) has not been completely established yet. There is a controversy over the universal maintenance therapy for EoE to prevent esophageal fibrostenotic complications. Using an employer-based insurance claim database from January 2005 to September 2022, we investigated the treatment patterns of EoE and the occurrence of esophageal complications. The treatment patterns were analyzed at a 6-month interval from the diagnosis of EoE. The time to treatment discontinuation of proton pump inhibitor (PPI)/potassium-competitive acid blocker (P-CAB) was evaluated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Of 15,200,895 individuals, 615 patients with EoE were ultimately analyzed with the median follow-up time from the index date of 700 days. PPI/P-CAB and swallowed topical steroids accounted for 80% and 4.6% of the initial therapy, respectively. PPI/P-CAB use rapidly decreased by 40% in the first 6 months and afterwards reinitiation was rarely seen. The median time to treatment discontinuation were 172 days (95% CI 147-206 days) for PPI/P-CAB. Only 1 EoE patient developed esophageal fibrostenotic complications after the diagnosis. With the low incidence of esophageal complications, the universal maintenance therapy may not be necessary for mild EoE patients often seen in Japan.

Machine Learning-Based Prediction for Incident Hypertension Based on Regular Health Checkup Data: Derivation and Validation in 2 Independent Nationwide Cohorts in South Korea and Japan

BACKGROUND

Worldwide, cardiovascular diseases are the primary cause of death, with hypertension as a key contributor. In 2019, cardiovascular diseases led to 17.9 million deaths, predicted to reach 23 million by 2030.

OBJECTIVE

This study presents a new method to predict hypertension using demographic data, using 6 machine learning models for enhanced reliability and applicability. The goal is to harness artificial intelligence for early and accurate hypertension diagnosis across diverse populations.

METHODS

Data from 2 national cohort studies, National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort (South Korea, n=244,814), conducted between 2002 and 2013 were used to train and test machine learning models designed to anticipate incident hypertension within 5 years of a health checkup involving those aged ≥20 years, and Japanese Medical Data Center cohort (Japan, n=1,296,649) were used for extra validation. An ensemble from 6 diverse machine learning models was used to identify the 5 most salient features contributing to hypertension by presenting a feature importance analysis to confirm the contribution of each future.

RESULTS

The Adaptive Boosting and logistic regression ensemble showed superior balanced accuracy (0.812, sensitivity 0.806, specificity 0.818, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.901). The 5 key hypertension indicators were age, diastolic blood pressure, BMI, systolic blood pressure, and fasting blood glucose. The Japanese Medical Data Center cohort dataset (extra validation set) corroborated these findings (balanced accuracy 0.741 and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.824). The ensemble model was integrated into a public web portal for predicting hypertension onset based on health checkup data.

CONCLUSIONS

Comparative evaluation of our machine learning models against classical statistical models across 2 distinct studies emphasized the former's enhanced stability, generalizability, and reproducibility in predicting hypertension onset.

Iterative random forest-based identification of a novel population with high risk of complications post non-cardiac surgery

Assessing the risk of postoperative cardiovascular events before performing non-cardiac surgery is clinically important. The current risk score systems for preoperative evaluation may not adequately represent a small subset of high-risk populations. Accordingly, this study aimed at applying iterative random forest to analyze combinations of factors that could potentially be clinically valuable in identifying these high-risk populations. To this end, we used the Japan Medical Data Center database, which includes claims data from Japan between January 2005 and April 2021, and employed iterative random forests to extract factor combinations that influence outcomes. The analysis demonstrated that a combination of a prior history of stroke and extremely low LDL-C levels was associated with a high non-cardiac postoperative risk. The incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events in the population characterized by the incidence of previous stroke and extremely low LDL-C levels was 15.43 events per 100 person-30 days [95% confidence interval, 6.66-30.41] in the test data. At this stage, the results only show correlation rather than causation; however, these findings may offer valuable insights for preoperative risk assessment in non-cardiac surgery.

Usefulness and caveats of real-world data for research on hypertension and its association with cardiovascular or renal disease in Japan

The role of real-world data, collected from clinical practice rather than clinical trials, has become increasingly important for investigating real-life situations, such as treatment effects. In Japan, evidence on hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and kidney diseases using real-world data is increasing. These studies are mainly based on "the insurer-based real-world data" collected as electronic records, including data from health check-ups and medical claims such as JMDC database, DeSC database, the Japan Health Insurance Association (JHIA) database, or National Databases of Health Insurance Claims and Specific Health Checkups (NDB). Based on the insurer-based real-world data, traditional but finely stratified associations between hypertension and cardiovascular or kidney diseases can be explored. The insurer-based real-world data are also useful for pharmacoepidemiological studies that capture the distribution and trends of drug prescriptions; combined with annual health check-up data, the effectiveness of drugs can also be examined. Despite the usefulness of insurer-based real-world data collected as electronic records from a wide range of populations, we must be cautious about several points, including issues regarding population uncertainty, the validity of cardiovascular outcomes, the accuracy of blood pressure, traceability, and biases, such as indication and immortal biases. While a large sample size is considered a strength of real-world data, we must keep in mind that it does not overcome the problem of systematic error. This review discusses the usefulness and pitfalls of insurer-based real-world data in Japan through recent examples of Japanese research on hypertension and its association with cardiovascular or kidney disease.

Clinical research using real-world data: A narrative review

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and studies using real-world data (RWD) each have their strengths and weaknesses, and can effectively complement each other. When RCTs are not feasible, RWD studies offer a valuable alternative. In this narrative review, we examine several types of RWD studies, focusing on studies utilizing administrative claims databases. These include the Diagnosis Procedure Combination databases, commercially available health checkups and healthcare claims databases (such as the JDMC and DeSC databases), and the National Database of Health Insurance Claims and Specific Health Checkups of Japan (NDB). Given that these claims databases cover different populations, patient settings, variables, and levels of accessibility, it is crucial for researchers to select the most appropriate data source to effectively address their research questions. Additionally, it is desirable for readers of studies using these databases to be aware of their characteristics in order to fully understand the context and limitations of the research findings.

Tadalafil use is associated with a lower incidence of Type 2 diabetes in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia: A population-based cohort study

BACKGROUND

Tadalafil, commonly prescribed for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), may benefit patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) for glycemic markers and complications. However, the association between the long-term use of tadalafil and the incidence of T2DM has not been investigated.

METHODS

We emulated a target trial of tadalafil use (5 mg/day) and the risk of T2DM using a population-based claims database in Japan. Patients who initiated tadalafil or alpha-blockers for BPH and had no history of diabetes diagnosis, no dispensing of glucose-lowering drugs, and no history of hemoglobin A1c levels of ≥6.5% (47-48 mmol/mol) were included. The primary outcome was the incidence of T2DM. Pooled logistic regression was used to estimate adjusted risk ratios (RRs) and 5-year cumulative incidence differences (CIDs).

RESULTS

A total of 5180 participants initiated tadalafil treatment and were compared with 20,049 patients who initiated alpha-blockers. The median follow-up time for each arm was 27.2 months (interquartile range [IQR], 12.0-47.9) in tadalafil users and 31.3 months (IQR, 13.7-57.2) in alpha-blocker users. The incidence rates of T2DM in tadalafil and alpha-blocker users were 5.4 (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.0-7.2) and 8.8 (95% CI, 7.8-9.8) per 1000-person years, respectively. Initiation of tadalafil was associated with a reduced risk of T2DM (RR, 0.47; 95% CI, 0.39-0.62; 5-year CID, -0.031; 95% CI, -0.040 to -0.019).

CONCLUSION

The incidence of T2DM was lower in men with BPH treated with tadalafil than in those treated with alpha-blockers. Thus, tadalafil may be more beneficial than alpha-blockers in preventing T2DM.

Cardiometabolic criteria as predictors and treatment targets of liver-related events and cardiovascular events in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease

BACKGROUND

The diagnosis of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) requires at least one of five cardiometabolic criteria. It is unclear whether these criteria can be used as predictors and treatment targets for complications including liver-related events and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE).

AIMS

To investigate the relationship between cardiometabolic criteria and complications.

METHODS

We conducted a nationwide, population-based study of 979,352 patients with MASLD. We investigated relationships between a number of criteria at baseline and liver-related events or MACE risks. In a separate longitudinal analysis, we included patients with five criteria at baseline and investigated the relationship between improving the criteria and the incidence of complications after 1 year.

RESULTS

The cumulative incidence of MACE, but not liver-related events, increased with increasing baseline cardiometabolic criteria. In the longitudinal study, multivariable analysis using patients with five criteria (no improvement) as the reference, adjusted hazard ratios (95% confidence interval) of MACE in patients with 4, 3, 2, and 0-1 criteria (1 to 4-5 criteria improvement) were 0.55 (0.52-0.58, p < 0.001), 0.20 (0.17-0.22, p < 0.001), 0.13 (0.11-0.16, p < 0.001), and 0.06 (0.02-0.3, p < 0.001), respectively. The risk of MACE decreased as the cardiometabolic criteria improved. There was no significant association between improvement of the criteria and liver-related events.

CONCLUSIONS

Cardiometabolic criteria can be used as predictors and treatment targets for cardiovascular event risk in MASLD. Developing predictors and therapeutic targets for liver-related events is a future challenge.

Stroke Research Using Administrative Claims Database in Japan: A Narrative Review

AIMS

Although administrative claims databases have recently been used for clinical research in Japan, no detailed description of their utilization in stroke research is available. We reviewed stroke studies using the Diagnosis Procedure Combination (DPC), the National Database of Health Insurance Claims and Specific Health Checkups (NDB), and several commercial databases sourced from social health insurance associations, focusing on their applications and limitations.

METHODS

Original articles on stroke published by April 2024 using the DPC, NDB, and commercial databases were identified in Ovid MEDLINE. The characteristics of each database were compared in terms of comprehensiveness, traceability, baseline information, and outcome assessment in stroke research.

RESULTS

A total of 114 studies were included (83 for DPC, 6 for NDB, and 25 for commercial databases). The number of stroke studies using administrative databases in Japan is still approximately 10 per year, although there is a slowly increasing trend. The DPC database was utilized for short-term outcome studies because of its detailed baseline and outcome information, although the inability to track patients once they changed facilities limits their use in long-term studies. The NDB database is potentially useful for long-term studies because of its comprehensiveness and traceability, but difficulties in data access restrict its usage. The most commonly used commercial database utilizes baseline information on lifestyle and blood test data, although the lack of coverage for those over 75 years old may limit its generalizability.

CONCLUSIONS

Administrative claims databases are beginning to be used in stroke research in Japan but are not yet fully utilized. Researchers need to understand their applications and limitations.

Narcolepsy and risk of traumatic injury: a population-based matched cohort study

STUDY OBJECTIVES

We evaluated the risk of traumatic injury in patients with narcolepsy compared to the general population.

METHODS

We conducted a population-based matched cohort study using a Japanese health insurance claims database. For each patient with narcolepsy, up to 5 individuals from the general population without narcolepsy were matched by variables such as sex, age, and cohort entry month. The primary outcome was traumatic injury, and the secondary outcome was fracture. The study population was followed for up to 5 years from the cohort entry date. We estimated crude incidence rates, adjusted incidence rate differences, adjusted hazard ratios, and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for study outcomes using crude and multivariable Poisson and Cox regression models.

RESULTS

We included 2,451 patients with narcolepsy (mean age, 30.3 years; male, 58.0%) and 10,591 matched individuals (mean age, 30.6 years; male, 58.4%). Crude incidence rate of traumatic injury was 11.4 per 100 person-years for patients with narcolepsy compared with 6.2 per 100 person-years for matched individuals (adjusted incidence rate difference, 6.2 excess events per 100 person-years [95% CI, 4.9-7.4]; adjusted hazard ratio, 1.8 [95% CI, 1.5-2.2]). Crude incidence rate of fracture was 2.3 per 100 person-years for patients with narcolepsy compared with 1.3 per 100 person-years for matched individuals (adjusted incidence rate difference, 1.2 excess events per 100 person-years [95% CI, 0.7-1.7]; adjusted hazard ratio, 1.7 [95% CI, 1.4-2.1]).

CONCLUSIONS

Narcolepsy was associated with increased risk of traumatic injury. For patients with narcolepsy, optimized approaches to injury prevention should be considered.

CITATION

Zheng Y, Fukasawa T, Masuda S, Takeuchi M, Kawakami K. Narcolepsy and risk of traumatic injury: a population-based matched cohort study. J Clin Sleep Med. 2024;20(10):1657-1662.

Impact of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic on Outpatient Visits for Diabetic Retinopathy in Japan: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Purpose

Long-term ramifications of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on various care-seeking characteristics of patients with diabetic retinopathy remain unclear. This study aimed to identify risk factors for dropout from regular fundus examinations (RFEs) in patients with diabetic retinopathy in Japan.

Methods

We extracted demographic and health checkup data (April 2018 to March 2021) from the JMDC database. Patients with diabetes identified using diagnosis-related and medication codes were included. The dropout and continuation groups included patients who discontinued and continued to undergo RFEs during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, respectively.

Results

The number of RFEs was significantly lower during the mild lockdown period (April and May 2020) than during the prepandemic period. Of the 14,845 patients with diabetes, 2333 (15.7%) dropped out of RFEs during the pandemic, whereas before the pandemic, of the 11,536 patients with diabetes, 1666 (14.4%) dropped out of RFEs (P = 0.004). Factors associated with dropout in the multivariate logistic regression analysis included younger age, male sex, high triglyceride levels, high γ-glutamyl transpeptidase levels, smoking habit, alcohol consumption, weight gain of more than 10 kg since the age of 20 years, and certain stages of lifestyle improvement. Factors associated with continuation included low body mass index and high glycosylated hemoglobin levels.

Conclusions

Our findings can assist in identifying patients with diabetes at risk of dropout.

Translational Relevance

These results have implications for public health and identifying patients with diabetes at risk of dropout. Education and tailored monitoring regimens could be pivotal role in fostering adherence.

Preventive Effects of Bioabsorbable Anti-Adhesion Barriers on Bowel Obstruction After Colectomy in Colon Cancer Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study Using an Insurance Claims Database

PURPOSE

Postoperative adhesions can be prevented by the use of bioabsorbable anti-adhesion barriers. Although the occurrence of postoperative bowel obstruction is an important concern for patients, at the time of approval of anti-adhesion barriers, its effectiveness in preventing postoperative bowel obstruction had not been evaluated. We aimed to retrospectively evaluate the incidence of bowel obstruction after colectomy in patients with colon cancer using an insurance claims database.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study analyzed the data of colon cancer patients (between 2005 and 2017 from a national insurance claims database) who underwent colectomies to compare the proportion of individuals with postoperative bowel obstruction between the barrier and no barrier groups.

RESULTS

Of the 587 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 308 and 279 patients were identified as the barrier and no barrier groups, respectively. The incidence of postoperative bowel obstruction was significantly lower in the barrier group (log-rank test, P = 0.0483). The cumulative incidence of postoperative bowel obstruction 37 months after the initial colectomy was 6.1% and 10.9% in the barrier and no barrier groups, respectively. Moreover, consistent results were obtained in the matched cohort.

CONCLUSION

In colectomies for patients with colon cancer, the use of anti-adhesion barriers could significantly reduce the incidence of postoperative bowel obstruction. Evaluations using insurance claims databases could provide important information on outcomes following implementation of medical devices.

The impact of COVID-19 on hay fever treatment in Japan: A retrospective cohort study based on the Japanese claims database

BACKGROUND

Hay fever (HF) presents with various symptoms, including allergic conjunctivitis and rhinitis, and requires cross-organ treatment. This study assessed the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on HF treatment trends.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study utilized data from the JMDC database collected between January 2018 and May 2021. Patients with HF were identified based on the relevant International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision diagnosis codes and the prescription of HF-related medications. The treatment approaches were compared during the cedar and cypress pollen allergy season (January to May in Japan) before and during the COVID-19 pandemic (2018 and 2019, and 2020 and 2021, respectively).

RESULTS

This study included 2,598,178 patients with HF. The numbers of prescribed HF-related claims in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021 were 3,332,854, 3,534,198, 2,774,380, and 2,786,681 times, respectively. Oral second-generation antihistamine prescriptions decreased by >10% from 2019 to 2020, with a <10% change in the subsequent year. Anti-allergic eye drop prescriptions also decreased by >10% from 2019 to 2020 but increased by >10% from 2020 to 2021. Compared with 2018, 2019, and 2020, the number of claims in the rhinitis symptoms dominant group was significantly decreased in 2021 (p < 0.001, all). In contrast, the number of claims in the eye symptoms dominant group and the rhinitis and eye symptoms dominant group increased in 2021 compared with that in 2018, 2019, and 2020 (p < 0.001, all).

CONCLUSION

Changes in HF treatment and related outcomes could be attributed to lifestyle modifications resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Measures, such as limiting outdoor activities and adopting mask-wearing practices may have influenced HF symptoms, preventive behaviors, and the overall approach to treating HF.

Evaluation of prescribing patterns of switching to and add-on lemborexant in patients treated with hypnotic medication: a nationwide claims database study in Japan

BACKGROUND

When considering changing hypnotic pharmacotherapy, lemborexant has attracted attention as a candidate due to its effectiveness and safety profile. However, few studies have investigated switching patterns in clinical practice.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study using a nationwide claims database. Patients prescribed a single hypnotic who either subsequently switched to (switching cohort) or were additionally prescribed (add-on cohort) lemborexant between July 2020 and December 2021 were identified. Proportion of successful switching was defined as remaining on lemborexant alone or without any hypnotic at 6 months after lemborexant initiation.

RESULTS

The success proportion was 70.1% in the switching cohort (n = 4,861) and 38.6% in the add-on cohort (n = 9,423). In the add-on cohort, the success proportion was lower in patients with a hypnotic history of ≥180 days (31.4%) and in patients whose prescribed hypnotic was a benzodiazepine or non-benzodiazepine (31.5% and 37.6%, respectively).

CONCLUSION

The proportion of successful switching was higher in patients who switched to lemborexant than in those who added lemborexant as a concomitant treatment. The lower success proportion in the add-on cohort might be related to clinically more severe insomnia, and/or a concomitant prescription of benzodiazepine or non-benzodiazepine, from which discontinuation may be challenging.

Comparative effectiveness of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors in improvement of fatty liver index in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: A retrospective nationwide claims database study in Japan

AIM

To date, there are limited clinical studies and real-world evidence investigating whether sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) are associated with improved hepatic steatosis. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of SGLT2i compared with that of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP4i) in improving the fatty liver index (FLI) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This retrospective cohort study included new users of SGLT2i or DPP4i with T2DM and MASLD from a large claims database (JMDC Claims Database). The primary outcome was the incidence of improvement of the FLI. Cox proportional hazard models, weighted using propensity scores for predicting the initiation of treatment, were fitted to estimate hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Time-course changes in the FLI values were also assessed.

RESULTS

This study included 9127 SGLT2i and 12 286 DPP4i initiators. SGLT2i showed a higher incidence of improvement in the FLI (≥30%, ≥40% and ≥50% reduction from baseline FLI) compared with DPP4i, and the weighted hazard ratios were 1.27 (95% CI 1.18-1.38), 1.24 (95% CI 1.13-1.37) and 1.19 (95% CI 1.05-1.33), respectively. SGLT2i indicated a greater decreased in FLI values compared with DPP4i at up to 3 years of the follow-up period.

CONCLUSION

SGLT2is use appeared to be associated with a greater improvement of the FLI than DPP4i use in patients with T2DM and MASLD. In the absence of direct head-to-head comparisons from clinical studies, our study, using real-world data, may support physicians' decision-making in clinical practice.

Joint associations of air pollutants during pregnancy, infancy, and childhood with childhood persistent asthma: Nationwide database study in Japan

The joint effect of air pollutants at relatively low levels requires further investigation. Here, a database study was performed to evaluate the effects of exposure to mixtures of air pollutants during pregnancy, infancy, and childhood on childhood persistent asthma. We used the Japan Medical Data Center database, which provides access to family linkages and healthcare provider addresses, and included child-mother dyads in which the child was born between January 2010 and January 2017. The exposure of interest was ground-level air pollutants, and the primary outcome was childhood persistent asthma at 45 years of age, as defined based on outpatient and inpatient asthma disease codes and/or asthma medication dispensing claims. The weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression was used to evaluate the effects of air pollutant mixtures on 52,526 child-mother dyads from 1149 of 1907 municipalities (60.3 %) in Japan. The WQS regression models showed that with every 10th percentile increase in the WQS index, ground-level air pollutants during pregnancy, infancy, and childhood increased the risk of childhood persistent asthma by an odds ratio of 1.04 (95 % CI: 1.02-1.05; p<0.001), 1.02 (95 % CI: 1.01-1.03; p<0.001), and 1.03 (95 % CI: 1.01-1.04; p<0.001), respectively. Moreover, particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 µm was assigned the highest weight across all three exposure periods. Relatively high weights were assigned to suspended particulate matter and photochemical oxidants during pregnancy, carbon monoxide during infancy, and photochemical oxidants during childhood. Our study showed that a mixture of low-level air pollutants has a detrimental association with childhood persistent asthma.

Glycemic control target for liver and cardiovascular events risk in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease

AIMS

Optimizing glycemic control may prevent liver-related events and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). However, the optimal hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) threshold associated with a lower risk of complications, particularly liver-related events as well as MACE is unknown.

METHODS

We investigated a nationwide population-based cohort and identified 633 279 patients with MASLD, with a mean follow-up of 4.2 years. Hemoglobin A1c levels were measured annually. The primary endpoint was the risk of liver-related events and MACE and to determine the optimal HbA1c level associated with the risk of complications.

RESULTS

Mean HbA1c (per 1%) was associated with liver-related events (subdistribution hazard ratio [sHR] 1.26; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12-1.42) as well as MACE (sHR 1.36; 95% CI, 1.32-1.41) after adjustment for confounders. Multivariable sHR (95% CI) for HbA1c of <5.0%, 6.0%-6.9%, 7.0%-7.9%, 8.0%-8.9%, and ≥9.0% (reference, 5.0%-5.9%) were 14 (9.1-22), 1.70 (1.2-2.3), 3.32 (2.3-4.8), 3.81 (2.1-6.8), and 4.83 (2.4-9.6) for liver-related events, and 1.24 (0.8-1.8), 1.27 (1.2-1.4), 1.70 (1.5-2.0), 2.36 (1.9-2.9), and 4.17 (3.5-5.0) for MACE. An HbA1c level of 7% was selected as the optimal threshold for predicting complications (sHR 2.40 [1.8-3.2] for liver-related events and 1.98 [1.8-2.2] for MACE).

CONCLUSION

The risk of liver-related events as well as MACE increased in a dose-dependent fashion with an increase in HbA1c levels, except for patients with HbA1c <5.0% for liver-related events. An HbA1c level of 7% was the optimal threshold associated with a lower risk of complications and may be utilized as a target for glycemic control in patients with MASLD.

Long-term clinical outcomes in steatotic liver disease and incidence of liver-related events, cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality

BACKGROUND

A multi-society consensus group proposed a new nomenclature for steatotic liver disease (SLD) including metabolic-dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), MASLD and increased alcohol intake (MetALD) and alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD). However, the risk of liver-related events, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and all-cause mortality among various sub-groups is unknown.

AIMS

To evaluate the risk of liver-related events, MACE and death among patients with SLD.

METHODS

We conducted a nationwide, population-based study and enrolled 761,400 patients diagnosed with MASLD, MetALD or ALD. The primary endpoint was the occurrence of liver-related events, MACE and death in patients with MASLD, MetALD and ALD.

RESULTS

The cumulative incidence of liver-related events and death were highest in ALD, followed by MetALD and MASLD (p < 0.001 for both liver-related events and death), while the incidence of MACE was highest in MASLD, followed by MetALD and ALD (p < 0.001). Using MASLD as the reference and adjusting for age, sex, smoking, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidaemia and hypertension, the adjusted hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) for liver-related events, MACE and death in MetALD were 1.42 (1.1-1.8), 0.68 (0.63-0.73) and 1.13 (0.98-1.3), respectively. In ALD, they were 3.42 (2.6-4.6), 0.58 (0.49-0.67) and 1.60 (1.3-2.0), respectively, for liver-related events, MACE and death.

CONCLUSIONS

The new consensus nomenclature can be used to stratify the risk of complications and prognosis. The nomenclature is beneficial for risk stratification and identifying new mechanisms for disease-specific therapeutic implications.

Prevalence of food allergy increased 1.7 times in the past 10 years among Japanese patients below 6 years of age

BACKGROUND

While food allergy (FA) has been increasingly recognized as a growing public health burden worldwide, epidemiological studies on FA in Japan are limited.

METHODS

This was a noninterventional, observational study using the administrative claims data from 2010 to 2019 (10 years). Patients with physician-diagnosed FA in Japan (prevalent cohort) were divided into high-risk or low-risk cohorts using adrenaline prescription. The high-risk cohort was further divided into anaphylaxis or nonanaphylaxis cohort based on the occurrence of anaphylaxis or a serious allergic reaction (SAR) during 1 year after adrenaline prescription. The primary objective was to examine yearly prevalence of FA. The secondary objectives were to describe demographics/clinical characteristics and healthcare resource utilization (HCRU), to evaluate the number of occurrences of anaphylaxis/SAR in the high-risk cohort, and the impact of anaphylaxis/SAR on HCRU.

RESULTS

The overall standardized prevalence rate was 0.325% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.311-0.339) in 2010 and 0.797% (95% CI, 0.790-0.804) in 2019 and predominant in patients age <6 years (preschool; 3.377% [95% CI, 3.229-3.525] in 2010 and 5.726% [95% CI, 5.663-5.789] in 2019). Majority of FA patients (>80%) were children/adolescent throughout the 10 years. While high-risk cohort was a relatively minor population (8.5% in the prevalent cohort in 2019), the occurrence of anaphylaxis/SAR in the high-risk cohort was 227,690/100,000 patient-years. Multivariate analysis showed a significant increase in HCRU variables in the anaphylaxis versus nonanaphylaxis cohort (e.g., 2.08 [95% CI, 2.05-2.11] times more FA-related outpatient visits).

CONCLUSIONS

Prevalence of FA increased in a statistically significant way from 2010 to 2019; 1.7-fold increase was observed in patients <6 years old. Patients in the high-risk cohort appear to have suffered from frequent anaphylaxis/SAR, highlighting an unmet medical need for FA patients at "high-risk," considering the unavailability of approved medications to prevent anaphylaxis/SAR.

Implementation of Guideline-Based HBV Reactivation Management in Patients with Chronic HBV Infections of HBsAg or Resolved HBV Infection Undergoing Immunosuppressive Therapy

INTRODUCTION

Although patients with HBV have a risk of reactivation after immunosuppressive therapy (IST), the status of their risk management is unclear in Japan. This study aims to describe the proportion of patients who received preventive management of HBV reactivation during ISTs in patients with chronic HBV infection of HBsAg or resolved HBV infection.

METHOD

A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the JMDC Japanese claims database from April 2011 to June 2021. Patients with HBV infections of HbsAg who received ISTs or patients who had resolved HBV infections who received ISTs were identified from the database and evaluated for appropriate management to prevent HBV reactivation.

RESULTS

In total, 6242 eligible patients were identified. The proportions of patients with appropriate HBV reactivation management, stratified by the HBV reactivation risk level of IST, was 43.1% (276/641) for high-risk, 40.2% (223/555) for intermediate-risk and 14.9% (741/4965) for low-risk patients. When the evaluation period for the outcome calculation was shortened from 360 to 180 days, the proportion for high risk increased to 52.7%. The odds ratios of large hospitals for receiving appropriate management were 2.16 (95% CI 1.12-4.44) in the high-risk, 4.63 (95% CI 2.34-10.25) in the intermediate-risk and 3.60 (95% CI 3.07-4.24) in the low-risk patients.

CONCLUSION

HBV reactivation management was tailored according to the reactivation risk associated with IST. However, adherence to HBV reactivation management guidelines was sub-optimal, even among high-risk patients. This is especially the case for ensuring smaller-sized medical institutions, highlighting the need for further educational activities.

Prescribing in pregnant women with inflammatory bowel disease and its relationship to congenital malformations in Japan

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) frequently affects younger patients and poses various challenges concerning pregnancy and childbirth. Maintaining good disease control throughout pregnancy is crucial, but expectant and pregnant patients may worry about the fetal impact of medications, leading to treatment discontinuation due to uncertainty about this issue. This study investigated the real-world drug-prescribing practices for pregnant patients with IBD in Japan and their potential connection to major congenital malformations (MCMs).

METHODS

Overall, 277 female IBD patients who gave birth between 2010 and 2019 were selected from the JMDC claims database. The prescribing patterns of IBD medications and MCMs in the patients' offspring were analyzed.

RESULTS

Among pregnant IBD patients, 74.4% received at least one medication from 90 days before pregnancy to 90 days after delivery. Trends in medication prescriptions during pregnancy in 2010-2019 revealed consistent use of oral 5-ASA, variable use of topical medications, a decrease in systemic steroids, and an increase in biologics. The prevalence of MCMs in children born to IBD-affected mothers did not differ significantly between those who did and did not receive IBD medications (8.6% vs 6.8%). Although circulatory system MCMs were slightly more common in the IBD medication group (4.9% vs 1.4%), this difference was not significant. Logistic regression analysis did not reveal an association between MCM risk and first-trimester use of IBD medications, including corticosteroids and biologics.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides insights into medication patterns in pregnant IBD patients and suggests no increased risk of MCMs associated with first-trimester IBD medication use.

Nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease added burden to COPD and bronchiectasis in Japan

Background and objective

Nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTM-PD) prevalence in Japan is among the highest worldwide. COPD and bronchiectasis are common comorbidities among patients with NTM-PD, and it is challenging to treat NTM-PD in patients with these conditions. There are limited data on the incremental burden that NTM-PD adds to underlying COPD or bronchiectasis in Japan. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the incremental burden associated with NTM-PD in patients with pre-existing COPD and/or bronchiectasis.

Methods

This nested case-control study was based on JMDC, Inc. claims data (2015-2020). Patients with COPD and/or bronchiectasis with NTM-PD (cases) were age and sex matched 1:3 to patients with COPD and/or bronchiectasis without NTM-PD (controls), resulting in three mutually exclusive patient groups (COPD, bronchiectasis or both; with or without NTM-PD). Incremental burden of NTM-PD was assessed within each group by comparing hospitalisations during the 1-year period after NTM-PD diagnosis (index) between cases and controls with both univariate analysis and multivariate analysis adjusting for pre-index comorbidities.

Results

Univariate analyses in the three patient groups consistently demonstrated incremental hospitalisation burden in cases versus controls (e.g. COPD group: 20% of 492 cases versus 13% of 1476 controls had all-cause hospitalisations; 11% versus 5% had respiratory-related hospitalisations; and 6% versus 2% had COPD-related hospitalisations). Subsequent multivariate analysis further confirmed the findings.

Conclusions

The substantial incremental burden of hospitalisation associated with NTM-PD in patients with COPD and/or bronchiectasis highlights the urgent need for appropriate management of NTM-PD in Japan.

Natural history of lean and non-lean metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease

BACKGROUND

Conflicting evidence regarding the prognosis of lean metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) has raised substantial questions.

AIM

This study aimed to elucidate the prognosis of lean MASLD by conducting a comprehensive analysis of a vast Asian cohort.

METHODS

This study used a nationwide, population-based database and analyzed 2.9 million patients. The primary endpoints were liver-related events (LREs) and cardiovascular events (CVEs) in patients with lean MASLD, non-lean MASLD, and normal liver control groups.

RESULTS

The median observation period was 4.2 years. The 5-year incidence values of LREs in the lean MASLD, non-lean MASLD, and normal liver control groups were 0.065%, 0.039%, and 0.006%, respectively. The LRE risk of lean MASLD was significantly higher than that of normal liver control (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR]: 5.94, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.95-8.92) but comparable to that of non-lean MASLD (aHR: 1.35, 95% CI: 0.87-2.08). By contrast, for CVEs, the non-lean MASLD group exhibited a higher 5-year cumulative incidence rate (0.779%) than the lean MASLD (0.600%) and normal liver control (0.254%) groups. The lean MASLD group had a reduced risk of CVEs compared with the non-lean MASLD group (aHR, 0.73; 95% CI: 0.64-0.84), and comparable risk of CVEs to the normal liver control group (aHR, 0.99; 95% CI: 0.88-1.12).

CONCLUSION

Lean MASLD exhibits a similar LRE risk and a lower CVE risk to non-lean MASLD. Therefore, follow-up and treatment strategies should be tailored to the specific MASLD condition.