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ABSTRACT: To seek evidence for the association of bisphosphonate use with diffuse musculoskeletal pain (MSKP) in a large national cohort, controlling for conditions associated with MSKP.
This retrospective cohort study enrolled all US veterans aged 65 years or older with a vertebral or hip fracture who were treated for at least 1 year between October 1, 1998, and September 30, 2006 (N=26,545). All International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) diagnostic codes, demographics, and pharmaceutical data were obtained from national databases. A composite end point, based on ICD-9-CM codes compatible with diffuse MSKP, was constructed. The primary outcome was time until MSKP. We performed regression analysis using the Cox proportional hazards model, controlling for age, sex, race, alcoholism, depression, anxiety, smoking, recent 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitor (statin) use, rheumatic disease, and comorbidity score.
The univariate regression identified an association of bisphosphonate exposure and MSKP (hazard ratio, 1.22; 95% confidence interval, 1.04-1.44). In the multivariate regression, however, patients prescribed a bisphosphonate were not more likely to be assigned an ICD-9-CM code compatible with diffuse MSKP (hazard ratio, 1.10; 95% confidence interval, 0.93-1.30). Consistent with prior studies, we found that female sex, depression, anxiety, comorbidity score, and the presence of a rheumatic disease were all associated with a greater risk of a diagnosis of diffuse MSKP. There was no demonstrable association with statin exposure.
Bisphosphonate use was not associated with a statistically higher rate of MSKP in this cohort. Individual patients may rarely report MSKP while taking bisphosphonates; however, for our studied cohort, incident MSKP does not appear to explain bisphosphonate discontinuation rates.
Mayo Clinic Proceedings 03/2010; 85(4):341-8. · 5.70 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: To examine a large well characterized cohort of patients with mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) and determine longitudinally the prevalence of clinical and serologic features of Sjogren's syndrome in these patients.
Patients were followed longitudinally up to 30 years with systematic clinical and serologic analysis. Sera were analyzed for reactivity with SSA/Ro, SSB/La, and snRNP polypeptide U1-70kD and for anticardiolipin antibodies.
Among a well characterized patient population with MCTD, 18/55 (32.7%) had antibodies to SSA/Ro, while 2/55 (3.6%) had antibodies to SSB/La, either initially or during the course of followup. All patients had antibodies to U1-70kD small nuclear ribonucleoprotein antigen. Sicca symptoms were common, occurring in 23/55 (41.8%) patients. Patients with MCTD who were anti-SSA/Ro positive had increased incidence of malar rash (p < 0.03) and photosensitivity (p < 0.001) compared to anti-SSA/Ro negative patients.
Sicca symptoms are frequent in patients with MCTD, occurring in up to one-third of the patients studied. The presence of anti-SSA/Ro antibodies identifies a group of MCTD patients with a very high incidence of malar rash and photosensitivity.
The Journal of Rheumatology 03/2002; 29(3):487-9. · 3.69 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Polymorphous low-grade adenocarcinoma (PLGA) is a relatively common malignancy of the oral cavity, representing 7% to 11% of all intraoral minor salivary gland tumors, and 19% to 26% of those that are malignant. However, it is a rare finding in the oropharynx, with only 6 cases reported in the medical literature. The clinical features of a case of PLGA of the tonsillar fossa in a 64-year-old gentleman are presented, only the second such case reported in the medical literature. A review and discussion of the literature pertaining to PLGA of the oral cavity and the oropharynx is provided. (Am J Otolaryngol 2002;23:297-299.
American Journal of Otolaryngology 23(5):297-9. · 0.87 Impact Factor
