Enhancing the usability of the 2023 beers criteria: A structured framework for geriatric prescribing safety.

Background: The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) Beers Criteria is one of the most widely used tools for identifying potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) in older adults worldwide. However, its narrative format, ambiguous definitions, and lack of machine readability hinder integration with electronic health records (EHRs), clinical decision support systems, and real-world data analysis. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a structured, programmable, and multidimensional evaluation framework to transform the 2023 AGS Beers Criteria into computable logic components, thereby supporting automated PIM identification and clinical application.

Dementia Risk Among Patients with Major Depressive Disorder: Does Antidepressant Class Matter?

Background: The association between the risk of dementia and different classes of antidepressants, as well as the potential influence of treatment resistance or response, remains unexplored in individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD).

Methods: Using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database, 30,390 patients with MDD and 24,312 well-matched controls were enrolled between 2002 and 2004. We stratified the antidepressant-resistant depression (ART, n = 6,078) and antidepressant-responsive depression (ARP, n = 24,312) groups.

Effectiveness of the monovalent XBB.1.5 COVID-19 vaccines: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remains a public health concern even after its pandemic status officially ended on May 5, 2023, when XBB became the globally predominant SARS-CoV-2 variant. Amid population immunity, the benefit of the monovalent XBB.1.

Bidirectional Association Between Peripheral Vestibular Disorders and Depressive Disorders: A Longitudinal Follow-Up Study.

Background: An increasing body of evidence indicates that peripheral vestibular disorders (PVDs) are associated with depressive disorders. However, further investigation is required to elucidate the temporal and causal relationships between the aforementioned disorders.

Objective: To clarify the bidirectional association between peripheral vestibular disorders and depressive disorders.

Risk of Alzheimer Disease and Vascular Dementia in Patients With Peripheral Vestibular Disorders: A Longitudinal Study of 140,726 Participants.

The associations between peripheral vestibular disorders (PVDs)-specifically Meniere's disease, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), vestibular neuritis, and unspecified PVD-and dementia risk are unclear. By using data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database, this study included 70,363 patients aged ≥45 years with PVD between 1998 and 2011. An age-matched control group of 70,363 individuals without PVD was also established.

Antidepressant resistance and risks of prior atopic and autoimmune diseases among adolescents and young adults with major depressive disorder.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) in adolescents significantly impacts cognitive, social, academic, and physical health. Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) poses additional challenges, increasing the risk of long-term impairment, hospitalizations, and comorbidities. This study explores the association between prior atopic and autoimmune diseases and the risk of antidepressant-responsive depression (ARPD) and antidepressant-resistant depression (ARTD) in adolescents and young adults.

Dose-dependent association between proton pump inhibitor use and the risk of migraine: a nationwide matched case-control study.

Background: Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are widely prescribed, but their link to migraine risk, especially in Asian populations, remains unclear. This longitudinal study aimed to answer the following question: Does PPI exposure show a dose-dependent risk of migraine, varying by subtype and PPI indication in an Asian population?

Method: Using Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database (2000-15), we conducted a matched case-control study on PPI exposure. Adults prescribed PPIs for peptic ulcers, gastroesophageal reflux disease, or upper gastrointestinal bleeding were included, excluding those with prior migraines or incomplete data.

The role of veterans hospitals in Taiwan's medically underserved areas.

Background: Notable healthcare disparities can be observed in medical services in remote, rural areas with those in urban areas, primarily because of specialist shortages, inadequate healthcare, and poor transportation. Globally, remote and rural areas face economic, health, and service challenges resulting in a shift toward telemedicine and adjusted insurance systems in such areas. In Taiwan, similar problems have prompted initiatives to improve healthcare access and medical capacity, particularly in medically underserved areas (MUAs).

The association of sex and age of treatment-resistant tendency to antidepressants: A cohort study of 325,615 patients with major depressive disorder.

Background: Treatment resistance to antidepressants can impose a significant burden on patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). This study aimed to evaluate the effects of age, sex, and psychiatric and physical comorbidities on the tendency toward treatment resistance to antidepressants (TRT).

Methods: We utilized data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database.

The association between metabolic syndrome components and cognitive function in community-dwelling middle-aged and older adults: the first wave result of a cohort study.

Background: The components of metabolic syndrome (MetS) have previously been demonstrated to be contributors to cognitive decline in older adults as individual factors, but not collectively as a syndrome. This study investigated whether adults ≥ 50 years old who meet the criteria for MetS were more likely to develop impaired cognition than those without MetS.

Methods: Adults aged 50 years or older without significant cognitive impairment who received outpatient care at Taipei Veterans General Hospital were recruited.

While GPT-3.5 is unable to pass the Physician Licensing Exam in Taiwan, GPT-4 successfully meets the criteria.

Background: This study investigates the performance of ChatGPT-3.5 and ChatGPT-4 in answering medical questions from Taiwan's Physician Licensing Exam, ranging from basic medical knowledge to specialized clinical topics. It aims to understand these artificial intelligence (AI) models' capabilities in a non-English context, specifically traditional Chinese.

Comparative analysis of the risk of severe bacterial infection and septicemia in adolescents and young adults with treatment-resistant depression and treatment-responsive depression - a nationwide cohort study in Taiwan.

Previous studies have shown an association between depression and increased susceptibility to infection in the general population. However, there has been no prior research specifically examining the relationship between treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and severe bacterial infections (SBI) in adolescents and young adults. This retrospective observational cohort study utilized the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) from 2001 to 2010.

Automatic classification of temporomandibular joint disorders by magnetic resonance imaging and convolutional neural networks.

Background/purpose: In this study, we utilized magnetic resonance imaging data of the temporomandibular joint, collected from the Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Taipei Veterans General Hospital. Our research focuses on the classification and severity analysis of temporomandibular joint disease using convolutional neural networks.

Materials And Methods: In gray-scale image series, the most critical features often lie within the articular disc cartilage, situated at the junction of the temporal bone and the condyles.

Performance of ChatGPT-3.5 and ChatGPT-4 in the Taiwan National Pharmacist Licensing Examination: Comparative Evaluation Study.

Background: OpenAI released versions ChatGPT-3.5 and GPT-4 between 2022 and 2023. GPT-3.

Temporal trends of prescription rates, oral anticoagulants dose, clinical outcomes, and factors associated with non-anticoagulation in patients with incident atrial fibrillation.

Aims: To analyse the temporal trends of oral anticoagulant (OAC) prescription, direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) dose, clinical outcomes, and factors associated with non-anticoagulation in patients with incident atrial fibrillation (AF).

Methods And Results: During 1 January 2011-31 December 2020, a total of 249 107 patients with newly diagnosed AF were identified, and the 1-year risks of ischaemic stroke, intracranial haemorrhage (ICH), and all-cause mortality were analysed. OAC prescription increased from 22.

Pregnancy among thyroid cancer survivors: do thyroidectomy and radioactive iodine matter?

Background: Thyroid cancer primarily affects young women and raises concerns about future fertility due to treatments of thyroidectomy and radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy. This study investigated the effects of these treatments on pregnancy probability in young female patients post-diagnosis.

Methods: A nationwide, population-based study using data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database (2000-2017) examined pregnancy likelihood in women ≤45 years with thyroid cancer.