Stephen Wood

Monash University (Australia) · Centre for Medicine Use and Safety

Objective To investigate the trends in antiseizure medications (ASM) use following ischaemic stroke and to examine factors associated with use of newer‐ and older‐generation ASMs. Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted using state‐wide linked health datasets. Patients who were hospitalised with a first‐ever ischaemic stroke between 201...

Diabetic foot infections (DFIs) are a common complication of diabetes; however, there is clinical uncertainty regarding the optimal antimicrobial selection. The aim of this review was to critically evaluate the recent systematic reviews on the efficacy and safety of systemic (parenteral or oral) antimicrobials for DFI. Medline, Embase, CENTRAL, and...

Objective: To determine longitudinal patterns of dispensing of antidepressant, anxiolytic, antipsychotic, psychostimulant, and hypnotic/sedative medications to children and adolescents in Australia during 2013-2021. Design: Retrospective cohort study; analysis of 10% random sample of Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) dispensing data. Partici...

Introduction Randomised controlled trials show a reduction in acute kidney injury, renal impairment, and acute renal failure after initiation of a sodium glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor. Observational literature on the association is conflicting, however important to understand for populations with a higher risk of medication-related adverse rena...

In this international study, we examined the incidence of hip fractures, post-fracture treatment, and all-cause mortality following hip fractures, based on demographics, geography, and calendar year. We used patient-level healthcare data from 19 countries and regions to identify patients aged 50 years and older hospitalized with a hip fracture from...

Background: Sodium glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) and glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) reduce major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Despite known sex differences in diabetes-induced cardiovascular disease (CVD), pharmacological treatment recommendations are independent of...

Background: Polypharmacy among older people represents a global challenge due to its association with adverse drug events. The reported prevalence of polypharmacy varies widely across countries, and is particularly high in Asian countries. However, there is no multinational study using standardised measurements exploring variations in prescribing...

Aim: Cancer registries and hospital medical records are commonly used to investigate drug repurposing candidates for cancer. We aimed to evaluate a drug repurposing opportunity in cancer using administrative data by analysing the association between beta-blocker use and breast cancer survival. Methods: A retrospective cohort study of women aged ≥50...

Introduction: Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT-2Is) reduce heart failure (HF) hospitalizations and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in general type 2 diabetes populations. The objective of this study was to determine whether SGLT-2Is vs. dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-4Is) are associated with reductions in MACE, HF...

Background and aims: In Australia, patterns of use of smoking cessation medications and factors associated with their dispensing are currently not known. This study aimed to measure the demographic and clinical factors associated with varenicline dispensing compared with nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and bupropion among first-time users of Ph...

Aims: We evaluated variation in treatment for, and outcomes following, myocardial infarction (MI) by diabetes status, sex and socioeconomic disadvantage. Methods: We included all people aged ≥30 years who were discharged alive from hospital following MI between 1 July 2012 and 30 June 2017 in Victoria, Australia (n=43 272). We assessed receipt o...

Objective We estimated the 1-year incidence of readmission to hospital and 1-year all-cause mortality following ischaemic stroke (IS), by diabetes status, sex, and socioeconomic disadvantage. Methods This study included all individuals aged ≥30 years who were discharged from hospital following an IS between July 2012 and June 2017 in Victoria, Aus...

Aim: To investigate the incidence of, and factors associated with addition and switching of glucose-lowering medications within 12-months of initiating metformin or a sulfonylurea for type 2 diabetes (T2D). Methods: We identified 109,573 individuals aged 18–99 years who initiated metformin or a sulfonylurea between July 2013 and April 2015 using Au...

Background Intensive therapy is often required to reach glycated haemoglobin targets in people with Type 2 Diabetes (T2D), however, aggressive treatment in people >80 years, frail individuals and people with dementia may be harmful. We aimed to determine whether these factors predict the intensity of anti-hyperglycaemic therapies prescribed for old...

Contemporary estimates of readmission rates and trends over time following cardiovascular events are required to prioritise clinical care. We estimated the incidence of readmission for myocardial infarction (MI) and heart failure (HF) following an MI, and of readmission for stroke following a stroke, stratified by diabetes status. We included every...

Objective To investigate the prevalence, outcomes, and factors associated with potential glycemic overtreatment and undertreatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in long-term care facilities (LTCFs). Design Systematic review. Setting and Participants Residents with T2DM and aged ≥60 years living in LTCFs. Measures Articles published between...

Background: The risks of intensive blood glucose lowering may outweigh the benefits in vulnerable older people. Objectives: Our primary aim was to determine whether age, frailty, or dementia predict discharge treatment types for patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and related complications. Secondly, we aimed to determine the association between...

Aims Recently, an increase in the incidence of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) among people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) aged <50 years and ≥80 years has been observed in Australia. We examined whether patterns of medication use are likely to explain these trends. Methods Among National Diabetes Services Scheme registrants, we determined the annual...

Aim: To determine the patterns and predictors of pharmacological treatment initiation for type 2 diabetes and whether treatment initiation is consistent with Australian clinical practice guidelines that recommend metformin monotherapy. Methods: Individuals aged 40-99 years initiating a non-insulin type 2 diabetes medication between July 2013 and...