ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Rates of pediatric hypertension have increased, but adherence to the current diagnostic criteria for hypertension (HTN) in pediatrics is not well known. We investigated the timeline and predictors of time to referral for those referred to nephrology for elevated blood pressure (EBP). METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted on patients, aged 3-18 years, referred to a nephrology clinic for EBP over a 3-year period. Patients were excluded if they were referred previously, were referred for other conditions, or did not have ≥ 1 prior visit with EBP. Analyses were performed to determine whether sex, age, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and obesity predicted number of prior visits with EBP and time to referral. RESULTS: There were 120 patients (64% male; 53% obese) included and 82 (68%) had ≥ 3 prior visits with EBP ≥ 95%. Medians were as follows: 15.08 years of age at referral; 5 visits with EBP and 3.45 years from first EBP ≥ 90%; 4 visits with EBP and 1.42 years from third EBP ≥ 95%. No variables significantly predicted number of prior visits with EBP or time to referral from the first EBP. Starting with the third EBP ≥ 95%, only obesity significantly predicted number of prior visits and time to referral: Obese patients had more visits (p = 0.01), and took longer to be referred (p = 0.03) than healthy patients. CONCLUSION: Patients with EBP were generally not referred to nephrology promptly, which was especially true for obese patients. Further research is needed to identify interventions to improve time to referral for EBP.
Subject(s)
Hypertension/diagnosis , Nephrology/statistics & numerical data , Obesity/epidemiology , Pediatrics/statistics & numerical data , Referral and Consultation/statistics & numerical data , Adolescent , Age Factors , Blood Pressure/physiology , Blood Pressure Determination , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Hypertension/etiology , Hypertension/physiopathology , Hypertension/prevention & control , Male , Pediatrics/organization & administration , Quality Improvement , Referral and Consultation/organization & administration , Retrospective Studies , Risk Factors , Time FactorsABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To determine the association between statin use and incident cataract surgery. METHODS: Using the resources of the Rochester Epidemiology Project, a retrospective population-based, case-control study was performed. Cases included 6024 county residents aged 50 years and older who had first-eye cataract surgery between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2011. Controls included residents who had never had cataract surgery and were matched to cases by age, sex, and index date within 1 month of surgery. Statin medications continuously prescribed for at least 1 year before the surgery date (cases) or index date (controls) were examined. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using logistic regression models. RESULTS: There were 2557 (42%) statin users among cases having cataract surgery compared to 2038 (34%) statin users among controls never having had cataract surgery (p < 0.0001). Incident cataract surgery was significantly associated with increased odds of statin use (OR 1.29, 95% CI 1.19-1.55) after adjusting for age, sex, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, peripheral vascular disease, renal disease, oral and inhaled steroid use, and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor use. The association was consistent in both subgroups of women (OR 1.34, 95%CI 1.22-1.49) and men (OR 1.17, 95% CI 1.05-1.30). CONCLUSIONS: Incident cataract surgery was associated with increased odds of statin use, and underscores the possibility that increasing statin use could be contributing to rising rates of cataract surgery.
