Risk of acute myocardial infarction among new users of bisphosphonates: a nested case-control study.

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that bisphosphonates reduce AMI risk among new users and to assess whether the effect depends on the duration of treatment. METHODS: Case-control study nested in a primary cohort composed of patients aged 40 to 99 years, with at least 1-year registry in the BIFAP database throughout the study period 2002-2015. Out of this cohort, incident AMI cases were identified and five controls per case were randomly selected, matched by exact age, sex, and index date. The association of AMI with current, recent and past use of bisphosphonates was assessed by computing adjusted odds ratios (AOR) and their corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) through an unconditional logistic regression. Only initiators of bisphosphonates were considered. RESULTS: A total of 23,590 cases of AMI and 117,612 controls were included. The mean age was 66.8 (SD 13.4) years, and 72.52% was male, in both groups. About 276 (1.17%) cases and 1458 (1.24%) controls were current users of bisphosphonates yielding an AOR of 0.98 (95% CI 0.854-1.14). Recent and past use were not associated with a reduced risk, either, nor was it found a reduction with treatment duration (AOR less than 1 year = 0.92; 95% CI 0.73-1.15; AOR more than 1 year = 1.03; 95% CI 0.86-1.23). Stratified analysis by age, sex and background cardiovascular risk did not show an effect modification by these variables. CONCLUSION: The results do not support a cardioprotective effect of bisphosphonates regardless of the duration of treatment, age, sex or background cardiovascular risk. However, a small protective effect could have been masked if patients with osteoporosis have had a background higher risk of AMI.

Short-term association between outdoor air pollution and osteoporotic hip fracture.

This study examines the association of the levels of different airborne pollutants on the incidence of osteoporotic hip fracture in a southern European region. Association was detected between SO2 and NO2 and hospital admissions due to hip fracture. INTRODUCTION: To examine the short-term effects of outdoor air pollution on the incidence of osteoporotic hip fracture in a southern European region. METHODS: This is an ecological retrospective cohort study based on data obtained from three databases. In a time-series analysis, we examined the association between hip fracture incidence and different outdoor air pollutants (sulfur dioxide (SO2), monoxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), and particulate matter in suspension < 2.5 (PM2.5) and < 10-µm (PM10) conditions by using general additive models (Poisson distribution). The incidence rate ratio (IRR), crude and adjusted by season and different weather conditions, was estimated for all parameters. Hip incidence was later analyzed by sex and age (under or over age 75) subgroups. The main outcome measure was daily hospital admissions due to fracture. RESULTS: Hip fracture incidence showed association with SO2 (IRR 1.11 (95% CI 1.04-1.18)), NO (IRR 1.01 (95% CI 1.01-1.02)), and NO2 (IRR 1.02 (95% CI 1.01-1.04)). For O3 levels, this association was negative (IRR 0.97 (95% CI 0.95-0.99)). The association persisted for SO2 and NO2 when the models were adjusted by season. After adjusting by season and weather conditions, the association persisted for NO2. When participants were stratified by age and sex, associations persisted only in women older than 75 years. CONCLUSIONS: A short-term association was observed with several indicators of air pollution on hip fracture incidence. This is the first study that shows these associations.

A propósito de un caso de fiebre por picadura de garrapata africana / A case report of African tick bite fever

Durante muchos años, la única rickettsiosis conocida en España del grupo de las fiebres manchadas ha sido la fiebre botonosa mediterránea. Sin embargo, la existencia de viajes a países cada vez más lejanos por turismo y el continuo incremento de la inmigración ha dado lugar a un aumento de los casos de las rickettsiosis adquiridas de otros países. Presentamos el caso clínico de un paciente con fiebre por picadura de la garrapata africana (Rickettsia africae)

For many years, the only rickettsiosis known in Spain from the spotted fever group was Mediterranean boutonneuse fever. However, the existence of tourist trips to increasingly far away countries and the continuous increase of immigration have given rise to an increase in the cases of rickettsiosis acquired from other countries. We present the clinical case of a patient with African tick bite fever (Rickettsia africae)