Chang‐Huei Tsao

Journal of Medical Internet Research - International Scientific Journal for Medical Research, Information and Communication on the Internet #Preprint #PeerReviewMe: Warning: This is a unreviewed preprint. Readers are warned that the document has not been peer-reviewed by expert/patient reviewers or an academic editor, may contain misleading claims, and is likely to undergo changes before final publication, if accepted, or may have been rejected/withdrawn. Readers with interest and expertise are encouraged to sign up as peer-reviewer, if the paper is within an open peer-review period. Please cite this preprint only for review purposes or for grant applications and CVs (if you are the author). Background: The 2003 SARS outbreak led to both acute health impacts and lasting effects on survivors and their families. Objective: Study investigates the increased risk of accidental and intentional injuries among SARS survivors and their relatives, with implications for future pandemics, including COVID-19. Methods: This retrospective cohort study utilized data from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database, focused on 285 individuals diagnosed with SARS in 2003 and 699 of their relatives, matched in a 1:10 ratio with controls. Injury risks were assessed using Fine and Gray’s competing risk models, adjusting for sociodemographic and clinical covariates, over a follow-up period of up to 15 years. Results: SARS survivors had a higher risk of accidental injuries (AHR = 1.631, 95% CI: 1.184–2.011, p < 0.001), as did their relatives (AHR = 1.572, 95% CI: 1.148–1.927, p < 0.001). Subgroup analysis showed elevated risks of poisoning and falls among survivors, while relatives had higher risks of traffic accidents, poisoning, medical incidents, falls, and crushing injuries. Conclusions: SARS survivors and relatives face increased injury risks, highlighting long-term physical and psychosocial vulnerabilities after severe infectious outbreaks. These findings suggest healthcare systems should provide preventive and supportive measures to mitigate long-term impacts for those affected by pandemics.

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) has been reported to be associated with metabolic syndrome and coronary artery disease (CAD). Nevertheless, a nationwide study of this relationship in the Asian population has not been conducted. The aim of the present study was to clarify the cardiovascular disease risk factors, and the occurrence of CAD and cerebral infarction among patients with HS by using a nationwide database in Taiwan. We obtained data from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan. After adjusting for confounding factors, we used Cox proportional hazards analysis to reveal the risk of incident hypertension (HTN), diabetes mellitus (DM), dyslipidemia, CAD and cerebral infarction in HS patients. We identified 478 patients with newly diagnosed HS and 1912 patients in the control cohort during the 10‐year follow‐up period. Compared with the controls, HS patients had a higher risk of dyslipidemia (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 3.858; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.785–5.346; P < 0.001), HTN (aHR, 1.910; 95% CI, 1.463–2.493; P < 0.001), DM (aHR, 1.709; 95% CI, 1.127–2.591; P = 0.012). Regarding comorbidities, our results also revealed a higher risk of CAD in HS patients (aHR, 2.722; 95% CI, 1.628–4.553; P < 0.001), but not cerebral infarction (aHR, 0.514; 95% CI, 0.119–2.231; P = 0.375). Our results indicate that there is a higher risk of dyslipidemia, HTN, DM and CAD in HS patients.

Rosacea has been reported to be associated with psychiatric disorders. Nevertheless, a nationwide study of the relationship between rosacea and comorbid psychiatric diseases in an Asian population has not been conducted. The aim of this study was to clarify the role of rosacea in the various psychiatric disorders by using a nationwide database in Taiwan. Data were obtained from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan from 2000 to 2013. In total, 7881 patients with rosacea and 31 524 age‐ and sex‐matched controls were enrolled. Patients with rosacea tended to have more coexisting psychiatric disorders. After adjusting for age, sex, comorbidity and residence/regions, the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of psychiatric disorders for patients with rosacea was 2.761 (95% CI = 2.650–2.877, P < 0.001). Among them, the highest adjusted HR are phobic disorder and obsessive–compulsive disorder of 7.841 (95% CI = 7.526–8.170, P < 0.001) and 6.389 (95% CI = 6.132–6.657, P < 0.001), respectively. The National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan does not include the information about rosacea subtypes, severity and laboratory parameters. In conclusion, rosacea is related to various psychiatric disorders. In addition to anxiety and depression, patients are also at increased risk of phobic disorder and obsessive–compulsive disorder.

Objectives/Hypothesis: We investigated incidences of hearing loss among patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) to evaluate whether they had a higher risk of hearing loss than the general population.Study Design: Cohort study.Methods: Inpatient data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2010 were recorded. Patients with TBI and a retrospective comparison cohort were analyzed. Each subject was individually traced from their index date to identify subjects who subsequently received a diagnosis of hearing loss. Cox regression analyses were applied to determine the risk of TBI‐related hearing loss.Results: Follow‐up data from the TBI and comparison cohorts were collected over 10 years for 553,286 and 1,106,572 patients, respectively. Multivariate analyses demonstrated that TBI significantly increased the risk of hearing loss (adjusted hazard ratio = 2.125, 95% confidence interval = 2.045‐2.546, P = .027). In our subgroup analyses by type of injury, patients with TBI due to traffic injury had the highest associated risk of hearing loss compared with the risk of non‐TBI traffic injury patients, followed by patients with crushing/cutting/piercing injuries and falls.Conclusions: Our study shows that TBI led to a higher risk of long‐term hearing loss. Traffic injuries were the most common injury related to hearing loss. Prevention, rather than treatment, may be the best policy for preventing hearing loss.Level of Evidence: 2b. Laryngoscope, 127:2627–2635, 2017