Dataset Information

Healthcare utilization prior to a diagnosis of young-onset Alzheimer's disease: a nationwide nested case-control study.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Our aim was to identify changes in healthcare utilization prior to a young-onset Alzheimer's disease diagnosis.

Methods

In a retrospective incidence density matched nested case-control study using national health registers, we examined healthcare utilization for those diagnosed with young-onset Alzheimer's disease in Danish memory clinics during 2016-2018 compared with age- and sex-matched controls. Negative binomial regression analysis produced contact rate ratios.

Results

The study included 1082 young-onset Alzheimer's disease patients and 3246 controls. In the year preceding diagnosis, we found increased contact rate ratios for all types of contacts except physiotherapy. Contact rate ratios for contacts with a general practitioner were significantly increased also > 1-5 and > 5-10 years before diagnosis. The highest contact rate ratios were for psychiatric emergency contacts (8.69, 95% CI 4.29-17.62) ≤ 1 year before diagnosis.

Interpretation

Results demonstrate that young-onset Alzheimer's disease patients have increased healthcare utilization from 5 to 10 years prior to diagnosis. Awareness of specific alterations in health-seeking behaviour may help healthcare professionals provide timely diagnoses.

SUBMITTER: Damsgaard L

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10632232 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Healthcare utilization prior to a diagnosis of young-onset Alzheimer's disease: a nationwide nested case-control study.

Damsgaard Line L Janbek Janet J Laursen Thomas Munk TM Waldemar Gunhild G Jensen-Dahm Christina C

Journal of neurology 20230905 12

<h4>Objective</h4>Our aim was to identify changes in healthcare utilization prior to a young-onset Alzheimer's disease diagnosis.<h4>Methods</h4>In a retrospective incidence density matched nested case-control study using national health registers, we examined healthcare utilization for those diagnosed with young-onset Alzheimer's disease in Danish memory clinics during 2016-2018 compared with age- and sex-matched controls. Negative binomial regression analysis produced contact rate ratios.<h4>R ...[more]

PMID: 37668703

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Project description:BackgroundDocumenting Long COVID cases has been challenging partly due to the lack of population-level data and uncertain diagnostic criteria, hindering the ability to ascertain healthcare utilization patterns over time. The objective of this study is to examine the characteristics and healthcare utilization patterns of Long COVID patients in Colorado pre- and post-diagnosis compared to controls.MethodsRetrospective, longitudinal case-control study using a 100% sample of Colorado's All-Payer Claims Database. The sample includes individuals 18 or older diagnosed with Long COVID between October 1, 2021, and August 1, 2022, with patients followed until August 2023. Long COVID was identified using the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, U09.9 code in medical insurance claims. Analysis of healthcare utilization required one year of continuous enrollment before and after diagnosis. Controls were matched 2:1 on age group, sex, payer, and index month to account for contemporaneous trends in utilization.Results26,358 individuals were ever diagnosed with Long COVID, resulting in a claims-based prevalence of 674 per 100,000 during the study period (population 3,906,402 individuals). Of these, 12,698 individuals had continuous enrollment and a Long COVID diagnosis: mean (SD) age, 59.0 (17.1); 65.3% female; 60.1% white; 83.0% residing in urban areas. The Long COVID sample was matched with 25,376 controls. Before diagnosis, 17% of Long COVID patients were hospitalized at least once, and 40% visited an emergency department on at least one occasion. Within the year following diagnosis, utilization of acute healthcare services significantly decreased relative to controls: hospitalizations, -6.1percentage points (p.p.), emergency department visits, -7.7 p.p., whereas outpatient services and medications increased: office visits, 3.6 p.p.; specialist office visits, 4.7 p.p.; and 5.2 new medications, (controls: 2.8). Changes in diagnoses of some conditions (e.g., metastatic carcinomas and lung cancer) were similar between groups.Conclusions and relevanceLong COVID patients increased outpatient healthcare utilization following a diagnosis, switching from acute care settings. The change in service settings among this population suggests that diagnosis could lead to better patient management. Healthcare utilization among these patients is high, underscoring the need to understand the Long COVID burden on healthcare systems with population-level data.

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Project description:ObjectivesTo assess the association between use of menopausal hormone therapy and development of dementia according to type of hormone treatment, duration of use, and age at usage.DesignNationwide, nested case-control study.SettingDenmark through national registries.Participants5589 incident cases of dementia and 55 890 age matched controls were identified between 2000 and 2018 from a population of all Danish women aged 50-60 years in 2000 with no history of dementia or contraindications for use of menopausal hormone therapy.Main outcome measuresAdjusted hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals for all cause dementia defined by a first time diagnosis or first time use of dementia specific medication.ResultsCompared with people who had never used treatment, people who had received oestrogen-progestogen therapy had an increased rate of all cause dementia (hazard ratio 1.24 (95% confidence interval 1.17 to 1.33)). Increasing durations of use yielded higher hazard ratios, ranging from 1.21 (1.09 to 1.35) for one year or less of use to 1.74 (1.45 to 2.10) for more than 12 years of use. Oestrogen-progestogen therapy was positively associated with development of dementia for both continuous (1.31 (1.18 to 1.46)) and cyclic (1.24 (1.13 to 1.35)) regimens. Associations persisted in women who received treatment at the age 55 years or younger (1.24 (1.11 to 1.40)). Findings persisted when restricted to late onset dementia (1.21 (1.12 to 1.30)) and Alzheimer's disease (1.22 (1.07 to 1.39)).ConclusionsMenopausal hormone therapy was positively associated with development of all cause dementia and Alzheimer's disease, even in women who received treatment at the age of 55 years or younger. The increased rate of dementia was similar between continuous and cyclic treatment. Further studies are warranted to determine whether these findings represent an actual effect of menopausal hormone therapy on dementia risk, or whether they reflect an underlying predisposition in women in need of these treatments.

Dataset Information

Healthcare utilization prior to a diagnosis of young-onset Alzheimer's disease: a nationwide nested case-control study.

Objective

Methods

Results

Interpretation

Publications

Healthcare utilization prior to a diagnosis of young-onset Alzheimer's disease: a nationwide nested case-control study.

Similar Datasets

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