Evaluating the Representativeness of US Centricity Electronic Medical Records With Reports From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Comparative Study on Office Visits and Cardiometabolic Conditions

Incidence and Prevalence of Uveitis and Associated Ocular Complications in the United States TriNetX Database

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the demographics, immunosuppressant use, associated systemic diseases, ocular comorbidities, and incidence and prevalence of uveitis and associated low vision using the United States TriNetX database from 2013-2023.

DESIGN

Retrospective cross-sectional and trend study.

PARTICIPANTS

Subjects with uveitis in the TriNetX database.

METHODS

Subjects with uveitis were identified with International Classification for Disease codes and then divided into anatomic subtypes based on the diagnosis. Incidence and prevalence data were collected from 2013-2023. Additional data collected included demographics, use of systemic immunosuppressive medications, presence of an associated systemic disease, and associated ocular complications.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The primary outcomes were the incidence and prevalence of uveitis (annual and cumulative) with additional analysis by anatomic subtype. Secondary outcomes were the incidence and prevalence of low vision (annual and cumulative).

RESULTS

Out of the 109,026,851 subjects in the database, 278,333 (0.26%) had a diagnosis of uveitis. The mean age was 56 years (Standard Deviation = 21, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 55.9-56.1), and the majority were female (n = 149,186; 53.6%, 95% CI 53.4%-53.8%) and white (n = 150,578; 54.1%, 95% CI 53.9%-54.3%). Anterior uveitis was the most common subtype (n = 209,073, 75.1%). Oral prednisone (n = 62,834; 22.6%, 95% CI 22.5%-22.8%) was the most used immunosuppressant and methotrexate (n = 15,817; 5.7%, 95% CI 5.6%-5.8%) was the most prevalent corticosteroid-sparing immunosuppressive agent. Inflammatory spondyloarthropathies (n = 18,372; 6.6%, 95% CI 6.5%-6.7%) were the most frequently associated systemic disease. The cumulative incidence and prevalence of uveitis from 2013-2023 were 212.5 and 260.8 per 100,000 persons, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

This study represents one of the largest uveitis populations analyzed in the United States, revealing a rising incidence of all uveitis subtypes and an increase in low vision among affected patients over the past decade in the database. Prospective studies are needed to identify the factors driving these trends and to develop strategies to prevent vision loss and ocular complications in uveitis patients.

Temporal trends in the prevalence and incidence of depression and the interplay of comorbidities in patients with young- and usual-onset type 2 diabetes from the USA and the UK

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

We aimed to investigate the prevalence and incidence of depression, and the interplay of cardiometabolic comorbidities, in the differentiation of depression risk between young-onset diabetes (diagnosis at age <40 years) and usual-onset diabetes (diagnosis at age ≥40 years).

METHODS

Using electronic medical records from the UK and USA, retrospective cohorts of adults with incident type 2 diabetes diagnosed between 2006 and 2017 were examined. Trends in the prevalence and incidence of depression, and risk of developing depression, in participants with young-onset type 2 diabetes compared with usual-onset type 2 diabetes were assessed separately by sex and comorbidity status.

RESULTS

In total 230,932/1,143,122 people with type 2 diabetes from the UK/USA (mean age 58/60 years, proportion of men 57%/46%) were examined. The prevalence of depression in the UK/USA increased from 29% (95% CI 28, 30)/22% (95% CI 21, 23) in 2006 to 43% (95% CI 42, 44)/29% (95% CI 28, 29) in 2017, with the prevalence being similar across all age groups. A similar increasing trend was observed for incidence rates. In the UK, compared with people aged ≥50 years with or without comorbidity, 18-39-year-old men and women had 23-57% and 20-55% significantly higher risks of depression, respectively. In the USA, compared with those aged ≥60 years with or without comorbidity, 18-39-year-old men and women had 5-17% and 8-37% significantly higher risks of depression, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

Depression risk has been increasing in people with incident type 2 diabetes in the UK and USA, particularly among those with young-onset type 2 diabetes, irrespective of other comorbidities. This suggests that proactive mental health assessment from the time of type 2 diabetes diagnosis in primary care is essential for effective clinical management of people with type 2 diabetes.

Antidepressant prescriptions and therapy intensification in men and women newly diagnosed with depression in the UK

BACKGROUND

Evidence on therapeutic interventions and factors driving treatment intensification (TI) in people with incident depression in UK are scarce.

AIMS

To explore antidepressant prescribing patterns and factors influencing TI.

DESIGN

and setting: Retrospective cohort study of adults with incident depression diagnosed between 2006 and 2017 using UK primary care database.

METHODS

Patterns of antidepressant prescriptions, and factors influencing TI were evaluated by sex.

RESULTS

In 931,302 people with depression (90% initiating antidepressants), mean age was 39 years, 41% were male, 14% had cardiometabolic multimorbidity (CMM), and 54% were diagnosed at &lt; 40 years. Being the most prescribed first-line antidepressant (62%), SSRI prescribing rate increased from 66 per 1000 person-years to 170 per 1000 person-years; 24% (2% dose escalation, 4% adding, 18% switching) of first-line antidepressant initiators intensified with 13 months median time to TI. Compared to 60-70 years, younger adults had significantly higher TI risk (range of hazards ratio, HR: 1.08-1.42). CMM and anxiety were associated with 15-24% and 39-49% significantly higher TI risks respectively. First-line antidepressant and deprivation status influenced TI differently by gender.

CONCLUSIONS

Men and women with depression in UK have different antidepressant prescription patterns in real-world. Age at diagnosis, deprivation status and cardiometabolic multimorbidity are the major sociodemographic and non-psychiatric risk factors for therapeutic changes.

Trend in Blood Pressure Control Post Antihypertensive Drug Initiation in the U.S

INTRODUCTION

The aim of this study is to evaluate the temporal trends in systolic blood pressure control over 18 months after blood pressure‒lowering drug initiation in the U.S.

METHODS

From U.S. nationally representative electronic health records, 1,036,775 adults initiating and continuing blood pressure‒lowering drugs for ≥18 months during 2006-2018 were identified (January 2021). Prevalence trends of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and depression at blood pressure‒lowering drug initiation, blood pressure‒lowering drug therapy intensification over 18 months, and the adjusted probability of achieving systolic blood pressure control 6 months after baseline and sustaining the control for over 18 months were evaluated.

RESULTS

At blood pressure‒lowering drug initiation, the prevalence of diabetes and depression consistently increased during the study period across all age groups, particularly in those aged 18-49 years, whereas the prevalence of cardiovascular disease was stable. Adjusted probabilities of achieving sustainable systolic blood pressure control by age group were 0.62 (95% CI=0.61, 0.63) for ages 18-39 years, 0.55 (95% CI=0.55, 0.56) for ages 40-49 years, 0.50 (95% CI=0.49, 0.50) for ages 50-59 years, 0.43 (95% CI=0.42, 0.43) for ages 60-69 years, and 0.37 (95% CI=0.37, 0.38) for ages 70-80 years. Those with cardiovascular disease or cardiovascular disease and diabetes had approximately 20% lower adjusted probability of achieving systolic blood pressure control (31%/29%) than those without these conditions (52%, p<0.01). Those with depression had a 4% higher probability of systolic blood pressure control than those without the condition (49% vs 45%, p<0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

In the U.S., only 30%-50% of the population are achieving sustainable blood pressure control over 18 months after blood pressure‒lowering drug initiation, with no indication of improvement in control over the last decade.

Association of biological antirheumatic therapy with risk for type 2 diabetes: a retrospective cohort study in incident rheumatoid arthritis

OBJECTIVE

To explore possible associations of treatment with biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs), including T-cell-based and interleukin-6 inhibition (IL-6i)-based therapies, and the risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

STUDY DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Five treatment groups were selected from a United States Electronic Medical Records database of 283 756 patients with RA (mean follow-up, 5 years): never received bDMARD (No bDMARD, n=125 337), tumour necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi, n=34 873), IL-6i (n=1884), T-cell inhibitors (n=5935) and IL-6i+T cell inhibitor abatacept (n=1213). Probability and risk for T2DM were estimated with adjustment for relevant confounders.

RESULTS

In the cohort of 169 242 patients with a mean 4.5 years of follow-up and a mean 641 200 person years of follow-up, the adjusted probability of developing T2DM was significantly lower in the IL-6i (probability, 1%; 95% CI 0.6 to 2.0), T-cell inhibitor (probability, 3%; 95% CI 2.3 to 3.3) and IL-6i+T cell inhibitor (probability, 2%; 95% CI 0.1 to 2.9) groups than in the No bDMARD (probability, 5%; 95% CI 4.6 to 4.9) and TNFi (probability, 4%; 95% CI 3.7 to 4.7) groups. Compared with No bDMARD, the IL-6i and IL-6i+T cell inhibitor groups had 37% (95% CI of HR 0.42 to 0.96) and 34% (95% CI of HR 0.46 to 0.93) significantly lower risk for T2DM, respectively; there was no significant difference in risk in the TNFi (HR 0.99; 95% CI 0.93 to 1.06) and T-cell inhibitor (HR 0.96; 95% CI 0.82 to 1.12) groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Treatment with IL-6i, with or without T-cell inhibitors, was associated with reduced risk for T2DM compared with TNFi or No bDMARDs; a less pronounced association was observed for the T-cell inhibitor abatacept.

The association of amputations and peripheral artery disease in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus receiving sodium-glucose cotransporter type-2 inhibitors: real-world study

AIMS

The aim of this study was to evaluate the temporal pattern of amputations in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), the risk of amputations by new and older anti-diabetic drugs (ADDs), and the interplay of peripheral artery disease (PAD) with therapy and amputation risk.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Using Centricity Electronic Medical Records from USA, 3 293 983 patients with T2DM were identified: 169 739 received sodium-glucose cotransporter type-2 inhibitors (SGLT-2i; no exposure to incretins); 149 826 received glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists [GLP-1RA, no SGLT-2i or dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor (DPP-4i) exposure]; 448 225 received DPP-4i (no exposure to GLP-1RA or SGLT-2i); and 1 954 353 received other ADDs. The proportion of incident amputations per 10 000 adults ranged between 4.7 and 6.8 during 2000-08 and significantly increased to 12.3 in 2017. Over 17 211 719 person-years follow-up post T2DM diagnosis, the rates per 1000 person-years of any and lower limb amputations (LLAs) were similar between SGLT-2i and incretins [95% confidence interval (CI) range: 1.06-1.67], and significantly higher in other groups (95% CI range: 1.96-2.29). In propensity score-adjusted pairwise analyses, the risk of LLA was not higher in SGLT-2i vs. GLP1-RA [hazard ratio (HR) (95% CI): 0.88 (0.73, 1.05)], and lower in SGLT-2i vs. DPP-4i/other ADD [HR (95% CI): 0.65 (0.56, 0.75)/0.43 (0.37, 0.49)]. The rate of LLA was similar in patients treated with canagliflozin, empagliflozin, or dapagliflozin. Patients with PAD had more than four-fold higher LLA risk (range of 95% CI of HR: 3.6-6.0).

CONCLUSION

The risk of amputation in patients treated with SGLT-2i and incretins was not higher compared with other ADDs. Pre-existing PAD was the greatest driver of amputation risk.

Association of Cardiometabolic Multimorbidity and Depression With Cardiovascular Events in Early-Onset Adult Type 2 Diabetes: A Multiethnic Study in the U.S

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the temporal patterns of cardiometabolic multimorbidity (CM) and depression in White Caucasians (WCs) and African Americans (AAs) with early-onset type 2 diabetes and their impact on long-term atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD).

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

From U.S. electronic medical records, 101,104 AA and 505,336 WC subjects with type 2 diabetes diagnosed between 2000 and 2017 were identified (mean follow-up 5.3 years). Among those without ASCVD at diagnosis, risk of ASCVD and three-point major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE-3) (heart failure, myocardial infarction, or stroke) was evaluated between ethnicities by age-groups.

RESULTS

The proportion of patients diagnosed at <50 years of age increased during 2012-2017 (AA 34-38%, WC 26-29%). Depression prevalence increased during 2000-2017 (AA 15-23%, WC 20-34%), with an increasing trend for CM at diagnosis in both groups. Compared with WC, the adjusted MACE-3 risk was significantly higher in AA across all age-groups, more pronounced in the 18-39-year age-group (hazard ratio 95% CI 1.42, 1.88), and in patients with and without depression. AAs had a 17% (1.05, 1.31) significantly higher adjusted ASCVD risk in the 18-39-year age-group only. Depression was independently associated with ASCVD and MACE-3 risk in both ethnic groups across all age-groups. Other comorbidities were independently associated with ASCVD and MACE-3 risk only among WCs.

CONCLUSIONS

AAs have higher cardiovascular risk compared with WCs, particularly in early-onset type 2 diabetes. CM and depression at diabetes diagnosis have been increasing over the past two decades in both ethnic groups. Strategies for screening and optimal management of CM and depression, particularly in early-onset type 2 diabetes, may result in a lower cardiovascular risk.

Cardiometabolic risk factor control in black and white people in the United States initiating sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors: A real-world study

AIMS

To explore cardiometabolic risk profiles, the probability of sustainable control, and the effectiveness of treatment with sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors in black and white adults in the United States with type 2 diabetes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Using nationally representative US electronic medical records, 72 690 white and 10 004 black adults diagnosed with type 2 diabetes initiating SGLT2 inhibitors during the period 2013 to 2018, continuing it for ≥6 months, and with follow-up of ≥12 months, were identified. Glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), body weight, systolic blood pressure (SBP) and lipid changes at 6 months, and sustainability of control over 18 months post SGLT2 inhibitor initiation were explored, separately in those with and without atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD).

RESULTS

The white group was older (58 years) with lower mean HbA1c (8.5%), compared to the black group (age 54 years, HbA1c 9.0%). Body mass index distribution was similar. The proportions of people with uncontrolled SBP, LDL cholesterol, non-HDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels were 24%, 42%, 51% and 62%, respectively, in white patients, and 31%, 51%, 49% and 32%, respectively, in black patients. At 6-month follow-up white and black patients had similar adjusted reductions in HbA1c (1.1%), SBP (8-10 mmHg), LDL cholesterol (0.26 - 0.34 mmol / L) and body weight (1.1-1.4 kg). However, over 18 months' follow-up, compared to white patients, black patients were significantly less likely to achieve sustainable control in HbA1c (odds ratio [OR] 0.67, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.63-0.72), body weight (OR 0.81, 95% CI 0.72-0.91), SBP (OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.61-0.74) and LDL cholesterol (OR 0.77, 95% CI 0.67-0.89). Triglyceride control was significantly better among black patients. Black patients had a significantly higher risk factor burden, irrespective of ASCVD status.

CONCLUSIONS

While the effectiveness of SGLT2 inhibitors was similar among black and white patients, irrespective of ASCVD status, black patients continued to have worse cardiometabolic risk factor burden after SGLT2 inhibitor initiation.