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ABSTRACT: Peptic ulcer disease, gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) and weight loss have been associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Many studies, especially on peptic ulcer and weight loss, are cross-sectional or were done back in the 1960s or 1970s. Our purpose was to learn more about GORD, ulcer, and weight loss in relation to COPD during long-term follow-up in recent years. We conducted a case-control and a follow-up study using the UK-based General Practice Research Database to assess and compare the prevalence and incidence of GORD, peptic ulcer and weight loss in patients with COPD and in COPD-free patients during the period 1995-2005. We identified 35,772 patients with COPD and the same number of COPD-free patients. Incidence rates of GORD, peptic ulcer and weight loss in COPD patients were 59.2, 14.8 and 134.0 per 10,000 person years, respectively. The risk of weight loss was increased in patients with COPD compared to COPD-free patients (1.81, 95% CI 1.61-2.02), while the risk of GORD (OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.00-1.40) or peptic ulcer (OR 1.24, 95% CI 0.92-1.66) were similar in both groups. The results provide further evidence that COPD is associated with weight loss, while there is no materially increased risk for ulcer or GORD associated with COPD.
COPD Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 06/2010; 7(3):172-8. · 1.79 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Previous large epidemiological studies reporting on the association between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cardiovascular diseases mainly focussed on prevalent diseases rather than on the incidence of newly diagnosed cardiovascular outcomes. We used the UK-based General Practice Research Database (GPRD) to assess the prevalence and incidence of cardiovascular diseases in COPD patients aged 40-79 between 1995 and 2005, and we randomly matched COPD-free comparison patients to COPD patients. In nested-case control analyses, we compared the risks of developing an incident diagnosis of cardiac arrhythmias, venous thromboembolism, myocardial infarction, or stroke between patients with and without COPD, stratifying the analyses by COPD-severity, using COPD-treatment as proxy for disease severity. We identified 35,772 patients with COPD and the same number of COPD-free patients. Most cardiovascular diseases were more prevalent among COPD patients than among the comparison group of COPD-free patients. The relative risk estimates of developing an incident diagnosis of cardiac arrhythmia (OR 1.19, 95% CI 0.98-1.43), deep vein thrombosis (OR 1.35, 95% CI 0.97-1.89), pulmonary embolism (OR 2.51, 95% CI 1.62-3.87), myocardial infarction (OR 1.40, 95% CI 1.13-1.73), or stroke (OR 1.13, 95% CI 0.92-1.38), tended to be increased for patients with COPD as compared to COPD-free controls. The findings of this large observational study provide further evidence that patients with COPD are at increased risk for most cardiovascular diseases.
European Journal of Epidemiology 02/2010; 25(4):253-60. · 4.71 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Different antihypertensive drug classes may alter risk for atrial fibrillation. Some studies suggest that drugs that interfere with the renin-angiotensin system may be favorable because of their effect on atrial remodeling.
To assess and compare the relative risk for incident atrial fibrillation among hypertensive patients who receive antihypertensive drugs from different classes.
Nested case-control analysis.
The United Kingdom-based General Practice Research Database, a well-validated primary care database comprising approximately 5 million patient records.
4661 patients with atrial fibrillation and 18,642 matched control participants from a population of 682,993 patients treated for hypertension.
A comparison of the risk for atrial fibrillation among hypertensive users of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin II-receptor blockers (ARBs), or beta-blockers with the reference group of users of calcium-channel blockers. Patients with clinical risk factors for atrial fibrillation were excluded.
Current exclusive long-term therapy with ACE inhibitors (odds ratio [OR], 0.75 [95% CI, 0.65 to 0.87]), ARBs (OR, 0.71 [CI, 0.57 to 0.89]), or beta-blockers (OR, 0.78 [CI, 0.67 to 0.92]) was associated with a lower risk for atrial fibrillation than current exclusive therapy with calcium-channel blockers.
Blood pressure changes during treatment courses could not be evaluated, and risk for bias by indication cannot be fully excluded in an observational study.
In hypertensive patients, long-term receipt of ACE inhibitors, ARBs, or beta-blockers reduces the risk for atrial fibrillation compared with receipt of calcium-channel blockers.
None.
Annals of internal medicine 01/2010; 152(2):78-84. · 16.73 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Chronic comorbidities are often associated with depression. Most previous studies exploring the association between COPD and depression were rather small and based on a cross-sectional study design. We conducted a large population-based study on the risk of developing an incident depression diagnosis in association with a previous COPD diagnosis.
We used the UK-based General Practice Research Database to assess and compare the prevalence of a history of depression and to quantify the risk of developing incident depression in patients with COPD and patients without COPD between 1995 and 2005. We conducted a nested case-control analysis, matching up to four patients who did not develop depression for each case patient with depression, to further analyze the impact of COPD severity.
In a study population of 35,722 patients with COPD and 35,722 patients without COPD, the prevalence of diagnosed depression prior to the first COPD diagnosis was higher in the population with COPD (23.1%) than among patients without COPD (16.8%). The incidence rate of a new-onset diagnosis of depression after the first COPD diagnosis was 16.2/1,000 person-years (py) in the COPD group, whereas it was only 9.4/1,000 py in the COPD-free comparison group. In the nested case-control analysis, patients with severe COPD had the highest risk of developing depression (odds ratio, 2.01; 95% CI, 1.45-2.78).
This large observational study provides further evidence that patients with COPD are at an increased risk of developing depression.
Chest 10/2009; 137(2):341-7. · 5.25 Impact Factor
