Herng-Ching Lin

National Taiwan University | NTU · Graduate Institute of Health Care Organization Administration

Objectives Whether tinnitus is associated with pre-existing hypertension remains uncertain. This study explored the association between tinnitus and pre-existing hypertension. Methods We obtained data on a retrospective cohort of 542 884 cases ≥18 years old with a first-time tinnitus diagnosis from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Datab...

This study aims to explore the relationship between prior tinnitus and the occurrence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) using a nationwide, population-based case-control study. We used data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database to explore the association of CKD with tinnitus. We identified 15,314 patients aged ≥ 40 years old wit...

Prior studies suggest a possible association between thyroid disease and the subsequent development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), although it remains inconclusive. This study aimed to evaluate the association of AMD with prior hyper-/hypothyroidism based on nationwide population-based data. We retrieved records of the study patients fr...

Prcis: This study aims to investigate the association between primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and tinnitus. We found that tinnitus was significantly associated with preexisting POAG [adjusted odds ratio (OR)=1.298]. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between POAG and tinnitus using nationwide population-base...

A few population-based studies have reported an association between prior age-related macular degeneration and senile dementia. No study has explored a possible link between prior macular degeneration and young-onset dementia (YOD). This case–control study aimed to evaluate the association of YOD with prior macular degeneration diagnosed in the 5-y...

Objective This study aimed to investigate the association of prior hearing loss with land transport accidents using a nationwide population-based dataset. Design A case-control study. Study sample Data for this study were obtained from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Dataset. We retrieved data on 2066 patients who had received a diagnosis of a...

PurposeFew studies have explored population-based incidence rates of microtia using nationwide data. The aim of this study was to analyze the 10-year secular trends in the incidence of microtia and/or anotia in Taiwan from 2008 to 2017 using nationwide population-based data.Methods Patient data were retrieved from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance...

Higher rates of poor cognitive performance are known to prevail among persons with tinnitus in all age groups. However, no study has explored the association between tinnitus and early-onset dementia. We hypothesize that tinnitus may precede or occur concurrently with subclinical or early onset dementia in adults younger than 65 years of age. This...

This case–control study aimed to investigate the association of peripheral vestibular disorders (PVD) with subsequent land transport accidents. Data for this study were obtained from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance (NHI) dataset. We retrieved 8704 subjects who were newly found to have land transport accidents as cases. Their diagnosis date was u...

With many previous studies indicating a higher prevalence of sexual problems in patients with tinnitus, the association between tinnitus and erectile dysfunction (ED) has become an interesting topic that warrants further research. In our study, we hypothesized that tinnitus may be associated with ED and aimed to further explore the relationship bet...

Background This study aimed to evaluate whether peripheral vestibular disorders (PVD) are associated with subsequent injury. Methods Data for this follow‐up study were retrieved from the Taiwan's National Health Insurance (NHI) Dataset. A total of 251,355 patients with newly diagnosed PVD during January 2015 to December 2016 was identified as the...

This study aimed to investigate the annual incidence of parapharyngeal and retropharyngeal abscess (PRPA) based on 10-year population-based data. Patients with PRPA were identified from the Taiwan Health Insurance Research Database, a database of all medical claims of a randomly selected, population-representative sample of over two million enrolle...

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0199135.].

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Objective: This population-based study aimed to study the association between tinnitus and cervical spondylosis. Design: A case-control study. Study sample: We retrieved data from the Taiwan Longitudinal Health Insurance Database. We identified 2465 patients with tinnitus (cases) and 7395 comparison patients by propensity score matching. Multi...

Objective: To investigate the prevalence and risk of subsequent dementia in subjects with sudden hearing loss during a 7-year follow-up period through comparisons with cohorts matched by sex, age group, and year of index date. Study design: A retrospective matched-cohort study. Setting: The Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000 (LHID2000...

Objectives/Hypothesis This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of peripheral vestibular disorders in an Asian population of predominantly Han Chinese ethnicity. Study Design Cross‐sectional study. Methods Patients with a peripheral vertigo disorder were identified from the Taiwan Health Insurance Research Database, a database of all medical cl...

Background: Tinnitus due to hyperactivity across neuronal ensembles along the auditory pathway is reported. We hypothesized that trigeminal neuralgia patients may subsequently suffer from tinnitus. Using nationwide, population-based data and a retrospective cohort study design, we investigated the risk of tinnitus within 1 year following trigemina...

Objectives/Hypothesis This study aimed to assess the association of prior cervical spondylosis (CS) with peripheral vertigo. Study Design Case–control study. Methods Data were retrieved from the Taiwan Longitudinal Health Insurance Database. A total of 2,570 patients who were newly diagnosed with peripheral vertigo were identified. We compared th...

Objective The study objective was to evaluate the association between cervical spondylosis (CS) and a subsequent diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in light of the expected constricting impact of CS-associated cervical spine changes on the pharyngeal airway space, a key contributor to OSA. Methods Data were retrieved from the Taiwan Nation...

Purpose To examine the association between systemic hypertension (HTN) and primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) using Taiwan’s nationwide health insurance claims data. Design A case-control study Methods Data for this case-control study were retrieved from the Taiwan National Health Insurance. Research Database All 112,929 newly diagnosed patients...

This study investigated differences in the utilization of healthcare services between subjects with mitral valve prolapse (MVP) and comparison subjects using data from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance population-based database, 138,493 patients with MVP (study group) and 138,493 matched patients without MVP (comparison group). We calculated the u...

Objective Despite studies reporting a possible association between malignant otitis externa (MOE) and diabetes, there are no large-scale population-based empirical studies. This nationwide, population-based case-control study explored the association of MOE occurrence with previously diagnosed diabetes. Methods Data were retrieved from Taiwan’s Na...

Purpose: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was reported to be associated with disturbances in the prefrontal circuitry and seems to be associated with dysfunctions of eye motility. This study aimed to explore associations between ADHD and ocular abnormalities, including amblyopia, hypermetropia, astigmatism, and heterotropia, using a...

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the association between pioglitazone use and the occurrence of head and neck cancer. Methods: Data for this case-control study were retrieved from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. A total of 21 464 diabetic patients newly diagnosed with head and neck cancers were identified. We used...

Some previous literature indicated an association between cardiovascular diseases and erectile dysfunction (ED). This case-control study purposed to evaluate the association between prior mitral valve prolapse (MVP) and ED using data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Dataset. In this study, 48,755 patients with ED were identified a...

* The average annual incidence rate of malignant otitis media was 0.221 per 100,000 people. * The highest annual incidence rate of malignant otitis media was found in the ≥65‐year age group (1.113 per 100,000 people). * The lowest annual incidence rate of malignant otitis media was encountered in the group younger than 18 years (0.018 per 100,000 p...

The authors of the published version of this article incorrectly presented the affiliation of Li-Chin Sung. The revised affiliation is now presented correctly in this article.

Background To date, some experimental studies showed that inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and bipolar disorder (BD) may share similar biological pathways. Nevertheless, only a few western studies have attempted to demonstrate the potential association between IBD and BD, and relevant findings are still conflicting. Therefore, this cross-sectional...

Failure to deliver the standard stroke care is suspected to be a potential reason for disproportionately high mortality among patients with co-morbid bipolar disorder (BD). Few studies have explored adverse outcomes and medical care costs concurrently (as a proxy for care intensity) among patients with BD admitted for stroke. Data for this nationwi...

Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between osteoporosis and salivary gland stone using a population‐based claims database. Design A case‐control design. Setting Taiwan. Participants We retrieved the sample for this case‐control study from the Taiwan “Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2005”. All 557 patients...

Background This case‐control study aimed to find the relationship between prior statin use and head and neck cancer occurrence using a large population‐based database. Methods This study used claims data from the Taiwan Longitudinal Health Insurance Database. We included 5515 patients with head and neck cancer as cases and 5515 propensity score‐ma...

Background Dementia is a syndrome that involves the deterioration of several higher mental functions in advanced age, and psoriasis is an autoimmune disease characterized by skin plaque. Epidemiological studies have indicated an association between dementia and psoriasis; however, to date, no studies in Asia have reported this association. Objecti...

Background: Several studies examined headaches as a symptom of brain neoplasms. Nevertheless, very few studies attempted to specifically evaluate the role of headaches as a risk factor. This study aimed to investigate the risk of migraine occurrence in the preceding years among patients diagnosed with brain tumors and unaffected controls. Methods...

To date, few epidemiologic studies have investigated the relationship between pioglitazone use and prostate cancer. The available studies show conflicting findings. This case‐control study explored the association between prior pioglitazone usage and prostate cancer using a large, population‐based data set. Data were derived from the Longitudinal H...

Although current evidence suggests potential antitumor activity of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), there is no population‐based evidence of an association between PPI use and subsequent breast cancer risks. We used an observational case‐control study to examine the association between prior PPI use and breast cancer occurrence. Additional analysis e...

This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) and MVP using a population-based dataset. Data for this case-control study were retrieved from the Taiwan Longitudinal Health Insurance Database. In total, 3399 cases of newly diagnosed SSNHL were identified. We used propensity score matching to select 3...

Specific data regarding the full range of stroke outcomes among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are lacking. This study aimed to investigate outcomes in RA patients hospitalized for a stroke. The study retrieved data from the Taiwan Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2005. We identified 26,336 patients who were hospitalized for stroke t...

Whether statins and an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) / angiotensin receptor blockors (ARBs) are associated with reduced risks of infection events is still inconclusive. This study aimed to explore the risk of hospitalization for pneumonia among patients who had received treatment with ACEIs/ARBs and/or statins using a population-...

Little is known regarding the long-term adverse effects of a sialoadenectomy. The purpose of this study was to estimate the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) among patients receiving a sialoadenectomy procedure by utilizing a cohort study based on a population-based database in Taiwan. This study retrieved data of the study sample from the Longi...

Objective: Although asthma and bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cystitis (BPS/IC) are considered to share similar pathophysiological pathways, the relationship between asthma and BPS/IC is uncertain. This case-control study aimed to investigate the relationship between prior asthma and BPS/IC using a large database in Taiwan. Materials and meth...

Although it is known that inflammatory processes elevate the risk of cancer, to date the association between chronic tonsillitis and tonsil cancer remains unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the association of chronic tonsillitis with tonsil cancer based on a population-based database in Taiwan. We retrieved data for this study from the Longitudi...

Objective: Previous studies have suggested an association between bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cystitis (BPS/IC) and endometriosis. However, no nation-wide population study has yet reported an association between them. In this study, we examined the risk of BPS/IC among subjects with endometriosis during a 3-year follow-up in Taiwan using a...

Alzheimer's disease and cancer are increasingly prevalent with advancing age. However, the association between Alzheimer's disease and prostate cancer remains unclear. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between prior Alzheimer's disease and subsequent prostate cancer using a population-based dataset in Taiwan. Data for this study...

This retrospective cohort study aimed to examine the relationship between herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO) and the subsequent risk of dementia using a population-based database. We retrieved the study sample from the Taiwan Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2005. The study group included 846 patients with HZO, and the comparison group included...

Objective Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) is a common comorbidity among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). While GORD has been attributed to the antirheumatic medications, no studies of human cohorts have investigated a link between GORD and RA. This study investigates whether GORD is associated with a subsequent RA diagnosis over a...

Even though the relationship between antiarrhythmic drug usage and subsequent prostate cancer (PCa) risk has recently been highlighted, relevant findings in the previous literature are still inconsistent. In addition, very few studies have attempted to investigate the association between sodium channel blockers or potassium channel blockers for arr...

Prior studies attempted to explore the association between schizophrenia and hepatitis C virus (HCV). However, their conclusions were inconsistent. This study aimed to examine the association of schizophrenia with HCV using a population-based dataset in Taiwan. There were 6097 patients with schizophrenia and 6097 sex- and age-matched comparison pat...

Despite evidence linking thyroxin use and breast cancer, little is known regarding the risk of other cancers with thyroxin use. The purpose of this case-control study was to evaluate the association of thyroid cancer with primary hypothyroidism based on a population-based database. The data for this case-control study were retrieved from the Taiwan...

Associations of hepatitis C virus infection with Alzheimer’s disease have not been studied among higher risk, bipolar disorder patients. This population-based case-control study investigated the risks of hepatitis C virus infection among Alzheimer’s disease patients with bipolar disorder in the years preceding their Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis. W...

Purpose: This study attempted to investigate the effects of a tonsillectomy on utilization of medical resources for acute respiratory infections by comparing numbers and costs of clinic visits within 1year before and after a tonsillectomy. Materials and methods: Data for this study were retrieved from the Taiwan Longitudinal Health Insurance Dat...

To date, the relationship between antimuscarinics for overactive bladder (OAB) syndrome and depressive disorder still remains unclear. Therefore, this retrospective cohort study examined the association between antimuscarinic use and the subsequent risk of depressive disorder using a population-based data set. This study used data from the Taiwan L...

Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) results in testosterone suppression, a hypothesized mechanism linking ADT to depressive symptoms. This study investigated the relationship between ADT and the risk of subsequently being diagnosed with depressive disorder (DD) during a 3-year follow-up period. The patient sample for this population-based, retrospec...

Objective: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic relapsing inflammatory disease with significant clinical diversity. However, the etiology, pathogenesis, and optimal treatment of UC remain unclear. The purpose of this case-control study was to investigate the association between previously diagnosed hyperthyroidism and UC using a large population-b...

Patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) present with comorbid complications with implications for healthcare utilization. To date, little is known about the effects of GERD treatment with a proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) on patients’ subsequent healthcare utilization for acute respiratory infections (ARIs). This population-based study com...

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0072097.].

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0082952.].

Some of the prior literature investigated the potential association between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) because these two diseases may share similar inflammatory mechanisms. Nevertheless, to date, findings of the previous literature are still controversial, and some methodological limitations were observed in those studie...

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate associations between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and urological comorbidities using a large population-based dataset. Methods: This cross-sectional study used the Taiwan Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2005. We included 1236 males with OSA in the study group and 4944 males without OSA in the comp...

Background Anxiety disorders (ADs) are common with a high rate of medical comorbidities. Although the association between ADs and the overall cancer risk remains controversial, patients with ADs were found to be more likely to develop specific cancer types. Herein, we estimated the risk of developing urological cancers among patients with ADs in a...

Although the vermiform appendix is commonly considered a vestigial organ, adverse health consequences after an appendectomy have garnered increasing attention. In this study, we investigated the risks of gallstone occurrence during a 5-year follow-up period after an appendectomy, using a population-based dataset. We used data from the Taiwan Longit...

Objectives: The study aimed to estimate the risk of developing chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) among children who had undergone a tonsillectomy by utilizing a cohort study based on a population-based database. Methods: Data for this retrospective cohort study were sourced from the Taiwan "Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000". We included 20...

Previous studies investigated the impacts of a partial nephrectomy (PN) or radical nephrectomy (RN) on cardiovascular events and death. However, the association between the type of nephrectomy (PN vs. RN) and cardiovascular disease is still equivocal. This retrospective cohort study aimed to compare the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) between...

Background: This retrospective cohort study examined whether diabetic patients have a higher risk for recurrent appendicitis during a 1-year follow-up period after successful antibiotic treatment for patients with acute uncomplicated appendicitis than nondiabetic patients using a population-based database. Methods: We included 541 appendicitis p...

This retrospective cohort study examined the relationship between a cholecystectomy and the subsequent risk of peptic ulcers using a population-based database. Data for this study were retrieved from the Taiwan Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2005. This study included 5209 patients who had undergone a cholecystectomy for gallstones and 15,62...

Objective: To examine the relationship between the use of ADT and the subsequent risk of falls in men with prostate cancer by employing a population-based dataset. Methods: We retrieved the study sample from the Taiwan Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2005. We included 886 patients with prostate cancer who had received ADT as the study gro...