No abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and depression may be associated with each other pathophysiologically, but few studies have been conducted on the interplay between these two diseases using longitudinal measurement. Therefore, we used the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan to investigate the bidirectional associations between RA and depression. One cohort was included to analyze RA predicting the onset of depression and a second cohort for analysis of depression predicting RA. A sex- and age-matched control group was included for both. The incidence of depression in RA subjects was higher than in non-RA subjects [15.69 vs. 8.95 per 1,000 person-years (PYs)], with an adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) of 1.69 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.51–1.87]. The incidence of RA was higher in depressed than non-depressed individuals (2.07 vs. 1.21 per 1,000 PYs), with an adjusted HRs of 1.65 (95% CI, 1.41–1.77). This population-based cohort study suggested strong bidirectional relationships between RA and depression. Healthcare providers are recommended to facilitate the implementation of more effective therapeutic interventions to achieve favorable prognosis, especially for those with new-onset or younger cases.

Background and Aim: It is known that ultrasonography (US) cannot differentiate between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and steatohepatitis. However, US can accurately estimate the severity of the steatosis. The clinical significance of severe hepatic fatty change by US has not been explored. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the severity of the fatty liver, classified by US, and the degree of metabolic disorders with insulin resistance. Methods: In 16 486 Taiwanese patients, severity of fatty change on US was classified as follows: group A (n = 6950), absence of fatty change; group B (n = 8694), mild; and group C (n = 842), severe fatty liver change. Biometabolic parameters included body mass index (BMI), blood pressure (BP), fasting plasma glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and serum creatinine. Nominal logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the odds ratio for different degrees of fatty liver. Results: The frequencies of obesity, hypertension, glucose intolerance and hypertriglyceridemia were all significantly higher in group C than in group A or B (P < 0.0001), and the mean values of BMI, BP, fasting glucose, triglyceride and ALT were also higher in group C (P < 0.0001). High BMI (Ն30 kg/m