Biomedical subjects

W M O'Fallon

Publications and source records attributed to W M O'Fallon.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

PubMed1999

The ups and downs of anorexia nervosa.

OBJECTIVE: We updated our incidence study by identifying Rochester, Minnesota, residents diagnosed with anorexia nervosa during 1985 through 1989. METHOD: From a community-based epidemiologic resource, 2,806 medical records with diagnoses including anorexia nervosa, eating disorder, bulimia, amenorrhea and other conditions were screened to identify new cases of anorexia nervosa. RESULTS: Two hundred eight (193 females and 15 males) residents fulfilled standard diagnostic criteria for anorexia nervosa. The overall age-sex-adjusted incidence rate was 8.3 per 100,000 person-years. The age-adjusted incidence among females was 15.0 per 100,000 person-years compared to 1.5 per 100,000 among males. The long-term linear increase for 15 to 24-year-old females noted during the first 50 years of the study continued. The disorder remained less frequent among older females. DISCUSSION: Anorexia nervosa remains a relatively common disorder among young females. While there are short-term fluctuations in incidence, the long-term increasing trend for 15 to 24-year-old females has continued.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

Trends in the incidence and mortality of systemic lupus erythematosus, 1950-1992.

OBJECTIVE: To describe trends in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) incidence and mortality over the past 4 decades. METHODS: Using the Rochester Epidemiology Project resources, medical records were screened to identify all Rochester, Minnesota residents with any SLE-associated diagnoses, discoid lupus, positivity for antinuclear antibodies, and/or false-positive syphilis test results determined between January 1, 1980 and December 31, 1992. Medical records were then reviewed using a pretested data collection form in order to identify cases of SLE according to the American College of Rheumatology 1982 revised criteria for SLE. Drug-induced cases were excluded. All identified SLE patients were followed up until death, migration from the county, or October 1, 1997. These data were combined with similar data from the same community obtained between 1950 and 1979, and trends in the SLE incidence and mortality over time were calculated. RESULTS: Of the 430 medical records reviewed, 48 newly diagnosed cases of SLE (42 women and 6 men) were identified between 1980 and 1992. The average incidence rate (age- and sex-adjusted to the 1970 US white population) was 5.56 per 100,000 (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 3.93-7.19), compared with an incidence of 1.51 (95% CI 0.85-2.17) in the 1950-1979 cohort. The age- and sex-adjusted prevalence rate as of January 1, 1993 was approximately 1.22 per 1,000 (95% CI 0.97-1.47). Survival among SLE patients was significantly worse than in the general population (P = 0.017 compared with the 1980-1992 cohort, and P < 0.0001 compared with the 1950-1979 cohort, by log-rank test). Cox proportional hazards modeling demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in the survival rate over time (P = 0.035). CONCLUSION: Over the past 4 decades, the incidence of SLE has nearly tripled, and there has been a statistically significant improvement in survival. These findings are likely due to a combination of improved recognition of mild disease and better approaches to therapy.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

The epidemiology of rheumatoid arthritis in Rochester, Minnesota, 1955-1985.

OBJECTIVE: To describe trends in the epidemiology of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) over a period of 30 years in a population-based cohort. METHODS: An inception cohort of Rochester, Minnesota residents who were > or =35 years of age and had RA (as defined by the 1987 American College of Rheumatology criteria for RA) first diagnosed between January 1, 1955 and January 1, 1985 was assembled and followed up until January 1, 1995. Incidence rates were age- and sex-adjusted to the 1970 US white population. Prevalence of RA in this cohort was estimated on January 1, 1985. A birth-cohort analysis was performed by calculating and comparing incidence rates in each of 16 birth cohorts. RESULTS: Of the 425 Rochester residents who fulfilled the inclusion criteria, there were 113 men (26.6%) and 312 women (73.4%), with a mean age at diagnosis of 60.2 years. The mean followup time was 15.1 years. The overall age- and sex-adjusted annual incidence of RA among Rochester, Minnesota residents > or =35 years of age (1955-1985) was 75.3 per 100,000 population (95% confidence interval 68.0-82.5). This incidence was approximately double in women compared with that in men and increased steadily with age, until age 85, after which the incidence of RA decreased. Secular trends in the incidence of RA over the entire study period were demonstrated. The overall prevalence of RA on January 1, 1985 was approximately 1%. The birth-cohort analysis showed peak incidence rates in the 1880-1895 birth cohorts. CONCLUSION: The epidemiology of RA is dynamic. The findings in this study lend further support to the hypothesis of a host-environment interaction in the pathogenesis of RA.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

Fracture incidence in Olmsted County, Minnesota: comparison of urban with rural rates and changes in urban rates over time.

Using the data resources of the Rochester Epidemiology Project, we carried out a descriptive study of fracture incidence among the residents of Olmsted County, Minnesota. During the 3-year period 1989-91, 2901 County residents > or = 35 years of age experienced 3665 separate fractures. The age- and sex-adjusted (to 1990 United States whites) incidence of any fracture was 2205 per 100,000 person-years (95% CI, 2123 to 2286) and that of all fractures was 2797 per 100,000 (95% CI, 2705 to 2889). Age-adjusted fracture rates were 40% greater among women. Incidence rates increased with age in both sexes. One-third of the fractures involved the hip, spine or distal forearm - the skeletal sites traditionally associated with osteoporosis. The age- and sex-adjusted incidence of fractures due to moderate trauma (2205 per 100,000 person-years; 95% CI, 2106 to 2303) was twice that of fractures due to more severe trauma (1164 per 100,000; 95% CI, 1106 to 1223) and 12 times that of pathological fractures (178 per 100,000; 95% CI, 133 to 222). Overall fracture rates were 15% greater among residents of the central city of Rochester compared with the rural portion of Olmsted County. The incidence of limb fractures among Rochester residents was 14% higher than comparable rates documented for this community 20 years earlier in 1969-71, due mainly to a substantial increase in the incidence of leg fractures.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

Contribution of weather to the seasonality of distal forearm fractures: a population-based study in Rochester, Minnesota.

Distal forearm fractures due to falls were more frequent in the winter (p < 0.0001) among Rochester men and women 35 years of age or older in 1952-89. The winter excess was partially explained by a greater relative risk of distal forearm fractures on days with freezing rain (1.65; 95% CI 1.28-2.13) or snow (1.42; 95% CI 1.17-1.74) among women under 65 years of age and on days with freezing rain (1.63; 95% CI 1.23-2.17) among older women. The greater seasonality of forearm compared with hip fractures is explained by the fact that more of them occur out-of-doors. However, residual effects of season after adjusting for daily weather conditions suggest that other factors may play a role.

Accidental Falls↗

PubMed1999

Forearm fractures as predictors of subsequent osteoporotic fractures.

To assess the ability of distal forearm fractures to predict future fractures, we conducted a population-based retrospective cohort study among the 1288 residents (243 men, 1045 women) of Rochester, Minnesota age 35 years or older who experienced their first distal forearm fracture in 1975-94. During 9664 person-years of follow-up, 548 patients experienced 1109 subsequent fractures, excluding 195 that occurred on the same day as the index forearm fracture. The cumulative incidence of any subsequent fracture was 55% by 10 years and 80% by 20 years following the initial distal forearm fracture. Compared to expected fracture rates in the community, the risk of a hip fracture following the index forearm fracture was increased 1.4-fold in women (95% CI, 1.1-1.8) and 2.7-fold in men (95% CI, 0.98-5.8). In women, the risk of hip fracture differed by age, as we had found in a previous study. Women over age 70 had a 1.6-fold increase (95% CI, 1.2-2.0) in subsequent hip fracture risk whereas women who sustained their first forearm fracture before age 70 years did not have significantly increase risk. By contrast, vertebral fractures were significantly increased at all ages, with a 5.2-fold increase (95% CI, 4.5-5.9) in risk among women and a 10.7-fold increase (95% CI, 6.7-16.3) among men following a first distal forearm fracture. The increased risk in men suggests that a sentinel forearm fracture should not be ignored. Among the women, we also found a missed opportunity for intervention as hormone replacement therapy was underutilized.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

Vertebral fractures predict subsequent fractures.

This population-based study documents an increase in most types of fractures following the occurrence of a clinically recognized vertebral fracture among 820 Rochester, Minnesota, residents. During 4349 person-years of follow-up, 896 new fractures were observed. Relative to incidence rates in the community, there was a 2.8-fold increase in the risk of any fracture, which was greater in men (standardized incidence ratio (SIR), 4.2; 95% CI, 3.2-5.3) than women (SIR, 2.7; 95% CI, 2.4-3.0). The estimated cumulative incidence of any fracture after 10 years was 70%. The greatest increase in risk was for subsequent fractures of the axial skeleton, in particular a 12.6-fold increase (95% CI, 11-14) in additional vertebral fractures. There was a lesser increase in most limb fractures, including a 2.3-fold increase (95% CI, 1.8-2.9) in hip fractures and a 1.6-fold increase (95% CI, 1.01-2.4) in distal forearm fractures. There was a slightly greater association with distal forearm fractures among those whose first vertebral fracture occurred before age 70 years but a similar relationship with hip fractures, including cervical and intertrochanteric hip fractures separately, regardless of age at the initial vertebral fracture. There was also an equivalent increase in subsequent fracture risk whether the initial vertebral fracture was attributed to severe or moderate trauma. These data show that vertebral fractures represent an important risk factor for fractures in general, not just those of the spine and hip.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

A comparison of two comorbidity instruments in arthritis.

Comorbidity (CM) is a powerful predictor of health outcome and cost, as well as an important confounder in many epidemiologic studies. However, choosing the most appropriate CM measurement instrument is difficult because comparative data on how the available instruments perform in various disease settings are limited. We collected CM data (from the complete medical records) for two population-based prevalence cohorts with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA) and a comparison cohort without arthritis (NA), using two different CM instruments: the Charlson CM index (Charl), which is based on 17 diagnoses each weighted by mortality risk, and the Index of Coexistent Diseases (ICED), which estimates the severity and frequency of 14 comorbid conditions and provides an assessment of the impairment or disability caused by each. Cox proportional hazards modeling was used to assess the impact of the two types of comorbidity scores (Charl and ICED) on survival after prevalence (index) date, adjusting for the age, sex, and disease status. There were 450, 441, and 889 individuals in the RA, OA, and NA groups, respectively, with a mean follow-up period of 10.6 years. During the follow-up, 293, 307, and 546 deaths occurred in the RA, OA, and NA groups, respectively. The mean age and percent females were: 63.3 years, 74%; 70.7 years, 74%; and 67.5 years, 75% for the RA, OA, and NA groups, respectively. Comorbidity was highest in RA, intermediate in OA, and lowest in NA by both Charl and ICED. Cox proportional hazards modeling demonstrated that both Charl and ICED were highly statistically significant predictors of mortality (P<0.0001) after adjusting for age, sex, and disease state (RA, OA, or NA) and that ICED remained highly significant as a predictor of mortality, even after adjusting for Charl. We conclude that estimating CM from medical records using ICED, an instrument that incorporates an assessment of impairment and disability, is feasible and that such as assessment provides information that independently predicts mortality, even after adjusting for the results of traditional diagnosis-based CM measures, such as Charl.

Age Distribution↗

PubMed1999

Secondary osteoporosis and the risk of vertebral deformities in women.

Among an age-stratified sample of 942 Rochester, MN women, the overall prevalence of any vertebral deformity, as assessed by radiographic morphometry, was 21.3 per 100. The prevalence increased with age and, after adjusting for age, vertebral deformities were independently associated with height, weight, a history of distal forearm or hip fractures, and anticoagulant use. Altogether, 73% of the women with a vertebral deformity and 66% of controls had one or more of the conditions that have been linked with secondary osteoporosis, which in aggregate were associated with an age-adjusted 1.2-fold (95% CI 0.8-1.7) increase in risk that was not statistically significant. The prevalence of severe vertebral deformities was 11.7 per 100 women and the prevalence of very severe deformities was 5.7 per 100. There was a stronger relationship of age and most other risk factors with severe vertebral deformities than with isolated mild deformities, suggesting that a subset of mild deformities may not represent actual vertebral fractures. The metabolic disorders linked with secondary osteoporosis were associated with little increase in the risk of severe vertebral deformities, taken together, or of mild deformities. However, in aggregate these conditions were associated with a 2.3-fold increase (95% 1.1-4.8) in very severe vertebral deformities, which points to a role for rapid cancellous bone loss among women with the worst spinal osteoporosis.

Case-Control Studies↗

PubMed1999

Fracture risk after surgery for peptic ulcer disease: a population-based cohort study.

In the 30-year period from 1956 to 1985, 471 Rochester, MN residents had an initial operation for peptic ulcer disease, 438 of whom were followed for at least 30 days (median 14.8 years per subject). In this population-based cohort, risk was elevated for all of the fracture sites traditionally associated with osteoporosis, including the proximal femur (standardized incidence ratio [SIR] 2.5, 95% CI 1.9-3.3), vertebra (SIR 4.7, 95% CI 3.8-5.7), and distal forearm (SIR 2.2, 95% CI 1.5-3.1). Fracture risk rose with age and was greater among women than men, but there was no influence on overall fracture risk of ulcer type or nature of the operation. In multivariate analyses, the independent predictors of vertebral fractures were age (hazard ratio [HR] per 10-year increase 1.8, 95% CI 1.6-2.0), use of corticosteroids (HR 2.3, 95% CI 1.01-5.2), thyroid replacement (HR 2.5, 95% CI 1.4-4.6), chronic anticoagulation (HR 2.3, 95% CI 1.1-4.6), and the presence of one or more conditions associated with secondary osteoporosis (HR 1.6, 95% CI 1.2-2.1). Gastrectomy with Billroth II reconstruction appeared to be relatively protective (HR 0.5, 95% CI 0.3-0.9), but such patients still had an increased risk of vertebral fractures compared with community residents generally (SIR 3.6, 95% CI 2.4-5.4). The independent predictors of hip fracture risk in this cohort were age (HR 2.7, 95% CI 2.1-3.5) and use of corticosteroids (HR 5.8, 95% CI 2.2-15.3) or anticonvulsants (HR 4.6, 95% CI 1.8-12.0), while higher body mass index was protective (HR 0.9, 95% CI 0.8-0.96). The independent predictors of distal forearm fractures were female gender (HR 4.7, 95% CI 2.2-10.1) and chronic anticoagulant use (HR 2.8, 95% CI 1.1-7.3). Thus, while the risk of osteoporotic fractures was significantly increased among patients operated for peptic ulcers, this appeared to be due more to specific characteristics of the cohort than to adverse effects of particular surgical procedures.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

Detection and control of high blood pressure in the community : Do we need a wake-up call?

At the community level, the effect of national programs in increasing hypertension awareness, prevention, treatment, and control is unclear. This study evaluated the degree of detection and control of high blood pressure in a random population-based sample of Olmsted County, Minnesota, residents >/=45 years old, of whom 636 subjects among 1245 eligible residents agreed to participate. Home interview and home and office measurements of blood pressure were used to estimate awareness, treatment, and control rates for hypertension in the community. Mean blood pressures (+/-SD) were 138/80+/-20/12 mm Hg for men and 137/76+/-23/11 mm Hg for women. The overall prevalence of hypertension was 53%. The percentage of subjects with treated and controlled hypertension was 16.6%. Thirty-nine percent of subjects were unaware of their hypertension. Despite clinical trial evidence of reduced morbidity and mortality with antihypertensive therapy, recently reported national data suggest a leveling-off trend for treatment and control of hypertension. This population-based study supports these observations and suggests that at a community level, hypertension awareness and blood pressure control rates are suboptimal, presumably because of decreased attention to the detection and control of hypertension.

Aged↗

PubMed1999

Ischemic stroke subtypes: a population-based study of incidence and risk factors.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: There is scant population-based information on incidence and risk factors for ischemic stroke subtypes. METHODS: We identified all 454 residents of Rochester, Minn, with a first ischemic stroke between 1985 and 1989 from the Rochester Epidemiology Project medical records linkage system. We used Stroke Data Bank criteria to assign infarct subtypes after reviewing medical records and brain imaging. We adjusted average annual incidence rates by age and sex to the US 1990 population and compared the age-adjusted frequency of stroke risk factors across ischemic stroke subtypes. RESULTS: Age- and sex-adjusted incidence rates (per 100 000 population) were as follows: large-vessel cervical or intracranial atherosclerosis with >50% stenosis, 27; cardioembolic, 40; lacuna, 25; uncertain cause, 52; other or uncommon cause, 4. Sex differences in incidence rates were detected only for atherosclerosis with stenosis (47 [95% CI, 34 to 61] for men; 12 [95% CI, 7 to 17] for women). There was no difference in prior transient ischemic attack and hypertension among subtypes, and diabetes was not more common among patients with lacunar infarction than other common subtypes. CONCLUSIONS: The age-adjusted incidence rate of stroke due to stenosis of the large cervicocephalic vessels is nearly 4 times higher for men than for women. There is no association between preceding transient ischemic attack and stroke mechanism. Diabetes and hypertension are not more common among patients with lacunae. Age- and sex-adjusted incidence rates for ischemic stroke subtypes in this population can be compared with similarly determined rates from other populations.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

Use of nursing home after stroke and dependence on stroke severity: a population-based analysis.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: There are few population-based data available regarding nursing home use after stroke. This study clarifies the use of a nursing home after stroke, as well as its dependence on stroke severity, in a defined population. METHODS: All first stroke events among residents of Rochester, Minn, during 1987-1989 were ascertained, subtyped, and assigned Rankin disability scores (RS) before the event, at maximal deficit, and at specified intervals after stroke. Persons were followed from the date of stroke event to death, emigration from Rochester, or December 31, 1994, in complete community-based medical records and Minnesota Case Mix Review Program data tapes to determine nursing home residency before stroke and at 90 days and 1 year after stroke, proportion of survival days in a nursing home, and cumulative risk of admission to a nursing home. RESULTS: There were 251 cases of first cerebral infarction, 24 intracerebral hemorrhages, and 15 subarachnoid hemorrhages among residents of Rochester during 1987-1989. The maximal deficit RS was 1 or 2 for 62 (25%), RS 3 for 72 (29%), and RS 4 or 5 for 117 (47%) of the cerebral infarct patients. Among patients surviving to 90 days or 1 year after cerebral infarction, 25% were in nursing home at 90 days and 22% at 1 year, respectively. Within these maximal deficit RS categories, the percentages of follow-up time spent in a nursing home during the first post-cerebral infarction year are as follows: RS 1 to 2, 4%; RS 3, 10%; and RS 4 to 5, 54%. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that increasing age and RS 4 to 5 at maximal deficit were independent predictors (P<0.0001) of nursing home residency at 90 days and 1 year after stroke, whereas stroke type was not an independent predictor. At 1 year after cerebral infarction, the Kaplan-Meier estimates of proportion of people with at least 1 nursing home admission were 11% for RS 1 to 2, 22% for RS 3, and 68% for RS 4 to 5. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides unique population-based data regarding the short- and long-term use of a nursing home after stroke and its dependence on stroke severity. More than 50% of people with a severe cerebral infarction are in a nursing home 90 days and 1 year after the stroke, and by 1 year, nearly 70% will have required some nursing home stay. Age and stroke severity are independent predictors of nursing home residency after stroke.

Aged↗

PubMed1999

Long-term fracture risk among women with anorexia nervosa: a population-based cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if fractures represent an important problem for women with anorexia nervosa who may fail to achieve peak bone mass and may experience premature bone loss from decreased estrogen levels. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this population-based retrospective cohort study, we identified 208 Rochester, Minn, residents that were first diagnosed as having anorexia nervosa between 1935 and 1989, whose subsequent fractures were documented in contemporary medical records and compared with expected numbers of fractures (standardized incidence ratios [SIRs]). RESULTS: Subjects were followed up for 2689 person-years during which time 45 patients suffered 88 fractures. Fracture risk was increased among the 193 women (SIR, 2.9; 95% confidence interval, 2.0-3.9) as well as the 15 men (SIR, 3.4; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-7.9). The cumulative incidence of any fracture at 40 years after the diagnosis of anorexia nervosa was 57%. Fractures of the hip, spine, and forearm were late complications, occurring on average 38, 25, and 24 years, respectively, after diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Young women with anorexia nervosa are at increased risk of fractures later in life. Greater attention should be paid to the skeletal health of these individuals.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

Prevalence of potential risk factors for stroke assessed by transesophageal echocardiography and carotid ultrasonography: the SPARC study. Stroke Prevention: Assessment of Risk in a Community.

OBJECTIVE: The SPARC (Stroke Prevention: Assessment of Risk in a Community) study was designed to identify risk factors for stroke and cardiovascular disease using transesophageal echocardiography and carotid ultrasonography. This protocol was undertaken to establish a cohort in which putative risk factors for stroke were identified so that subsequent follow-up could discern the roles these risk factors play in stroke incidence. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This was a prospective, population-based study. A randomly selected cohort comprised 1475 Olmsted County, Minnesota, residents aged 45 years or older, of whom 588 agreed to participate. Transesophageal echocardiography and carotid ultrasonography were used for evaluation of the subjects. Prevalences of various cardiovascular and cerebrovascular conditions were determined. RESULTS: Transesophageal echocardiography was successfully completed in 581 subjects. The prevalence (+/-SE) of patent foramen ovale was 25.6% (+/-1.9%), and that of atrial septal aneurysm was 2.2% (+/-0.6%). The prevalence of aortic atherosclerosis increased with age and was most common in the descending aorta, particularly in subjects 75 to 84 years old. The prevalence of strands on native valve was 46.4% (+/-2.2%). Carotid ultrasonography data for 567 participants revealed minimal atherosclerotic disease. Most subjects had minimal or mild carotid occlusive disease. The prevalence of moderate (50%-79%) and severe (80%-99%) stenosis was 7.7% (+/-1.1%) and 0.3% (+/-0.2 %), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This prospective study defines the prevalence of multiple potential cardiovascular and cerebrovascular risk factors, providing population-based data for ongoing follow-up of the risk of stroke.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

Modeling the lifetime costs of rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: To develop an analytical approach for estimating the lifetime costs of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) using existing population based cross sectional data, and to use this estimate to describe the potential cost-effectiveness of bone marrow transplantation for RA. METHODS: Estimates of arthritis related costs (direct, indirect, and nonmedical) and mortality were obtained from previously assembled population based cohorts. A mathematical model was designed defining 25 hypothetical ratios (RA/NA) representing the proportionate excess cost of RA each year for the 25 years following a diagnosis of RA. Using age and sex-specific cost estimates, we then simulated a vector of 25 ratios 1000 times. Each age and sex-specific randomly generated variable was converted to an estimated dollar amount (in 1995 dollars US) of excess cost attributable to RA. All dollar amounts were discounted by 3% per year. Finally, each vector of 25 discounted dollar amounts was summed to yield an estimate of the total excess medical costs in 1995 dollars for the first 25 years of a person's lifetime following a diagnosis of RA. Because not every one of these hypothetical individuals would be expected to live all 25 years, we used the standardized mortality ratio for an individual with RA (from our inception cohort) and multiplied it by the age-specific 1990 mortality rates for Minnesota whites to estimate how many of the 1000 randomly generated hypothetical individuals could be expected to die during each of the 25 years. For these, the summation of estimated cost was truncated at the death year. This process yielded, for each age and sex, a sample of 1000 sums of 25 (or fewer) excess costs all in terms of 1995 dollars that correspond to the excess cost during the first 25 years after an RA diagnosis, adjusted for differential survival among patients with RA compared to nonarthritic controls. The distribution of these sums thus represented a distribution of the 1995 dollars that could be saved if RA could be "cured" soon after incidence. RESULTS: Our simulation analyses indicated that the median lifetime incremental costs of RA range roughly from ,$61,000 to $ 122,000. Incremental costs were higher for younger individuals compared to older individuals and were consistent over all percentiles and age groups. No systematic relationship between the incremental costs of females with RA compared to males was identified. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that interventions such as autologous bone marrow transplantation, which has recently been estimated to cost roughly $60,000, may be cost saving if they eliminate the downstream incremental costs of RA.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

Survivorship in a population based cohort of patients with Sjögren's syndrome, 1976-1992.

OBJECTIVE: Sjögren's syndrome (SS) has been associated with development of lymphoid malignancies and other significant medical complications, but the effect of SS on survival in a population based sample has not been reported. We analyzed survival in an incidence cohort of patients diagnosed with SS in residents of Olmsted County, Minnesota, USA, between 1976 and 1992. METHODS: All records of physician diagnosed SS were reviewed, as well as all records from patients diagnosed with xerostomia and keratoconjunctivitis sicca, and records of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus. The case definition for SS required 2 of 3 criteria: keratoconjunctivitis sicca, xerostomia, or serologic abnormality. Confounding illnesses were excluded. All patients were white. RESULTS: Of the 74 cases of SS identified, 50 (67%) had primary SS and 24 (33%) secondary SS. An average of 7.2 years of followup was available for patients with primary SS and 9.9 years for patients with secondary SS. Compared with the general population, patients with SS had increased mortality (p = 0.04). When patients with primary and secondary SS were studied separately, increased mortality was found in patients with secondary SS (p < 0.005) but not primary SS (p = 0.86). CONCLUSION: In this population based cohort, patients with primary SS did not have increased mortality. However, mortality may have been increased in patients with secondary SS, the majority of whom had RA.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

Polymyalgia rheumatica with low erythrocyte sedimentation rate at diagnosis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency and clinical characteristics of polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) with low erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) at diagnosis in a community based cohort of 232 patients. METHODS: A retrospective review of medical records of all the patients with a diagnosis of PMR in Olmsted County, Minnesota, seen and followed over a 22 year period, from 1970 through 1991. RESULTS: Seventeen (7.3%) patients had ESR < 40 mm/h at diagnosis. The findings and outcome in these patients were compared with the others in the group. There was no difference in sex or age between the 2 groups. Both groups had the same delay to diagnosis, typical gradual onset of the disease, the same frequency of both proximal and distal stiffness/pain, and the same frequency of synovitis. Systemic features were less frequent in the low ESR group than in the high ESR group (59 vs 81%, p = 0.05). Mean ESR in the low ESR group was 26+/-9 mm/h versus 74+/-24 mm/h in the high ESR group. The mean hemoglobin concentration was significantly lower (p = 0.0015) in the high compared to the low ESR group (12.2+/-1.4 g/dl versus 13.3+/-1.3 g/dl). The frequency of positive temporal artery biopsy and of diagnosed giant cell arteritis was the same in the 2 groups. Initial response to therapy, frequency of relapses, number of patients going into remission, time to remission, and daily dose of steroids were the same in both groups. CONCLUSION: Other than more frequent systemic symptoms, our population of patients with PMR and low ESR at diagnosis had similar clinical characteristics and course of disease as patients with high ESR at diagnosis.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗