Publications

LDL-C reductions and goal attainment among naive statin users in the Netherlands: real life results

OBJECTIVE: The effectiveness of statin therapy in a real life setting may differ from that in clinical trials, as physicians make non-randomised treatment decisions for patients with less uniform and possibly different characteristics. We thereforeperformed a study to compare the effectiveness of different statins and doses in routine clinical practice with respect to total serum cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) reduction and goal attainment according to European guidelines on the prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD)

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Effect of persistent use of antihypertensives on blood pressure goal attainment

OBJECTIVE: Discontinuation rates with antihypertensive drugs in real life are high. The present study investigates the relationship between persistence with antihypertensive drugs (AHT) and blood pressure (BP) goal attainment in daily clinical pracice. METHODS: In the PHARMO Record Linkage System, which includes drug dispensing and hospital records for > 2 million inhabitants in the Netherlands, new users of AHT > or = 18 years were identified for the period 1999-2004

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Risk of major bleeding during concomitant use of antibiotic drugs and coumarin anticoagulants

Background: Coumarin anticoagulants are prone to drug-drug interactions. For example, antibiotic drugs may enhance the anticoagulant effect of coumarins. However, whether such interactions are associated with an increased risk of bleeding, and if s, how frequently this occurs remains unknown. Objective: To assess the risk of major bleeding associated with the concomitant use of antibiotic drugs and coumarin anticoagulant therapy

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A cross-national study of the persistence of antihypertensive medication use in the elderly

INTRODUCTION: Little is known about cross-national comparisons of the persistence of antihypertensive medication treatment, trends in persistence, and factors associated with persistence. The aim of this study was to describe and compare patterns ouse of antihypertensive drugs in a population of elderly patients in the United States (Pennsylvania), Canada (British Columbia) and the Netherlands

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Incidence of cardiovascular events in breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy in clinical practice

PURPOSE: To assess the incidence of cardiovascular events among breast cancer patients after chemotherapy. METHODS: Women >/=18 years with a breast tumour who received chemotherapy in 1992-2003 were selected from the PHARMO RLS. Chemotherapy with athracyclines, a combination of anthracyclines and taxanes or second line treatment with trastuzumab was classified as cardiotoxic

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Use of inhaled corticosteroids and the risk of non-fatal acute myocardial infarction

BACKGROUND: Use of inhaled corticosteroids may reduce the risk of acute myocardial infarction (MI) through reductions in systemic inflammation and C-reactive protein. OBJECTIVES: To examine the association between the use of inhaled corticosteroidsand the risk of non-fatal acute MI. METHODS: In the Dutch PHARMO record linkage system database, we conducted a case-control study (2476 MI cases), nested in a cohort of antihypertensive drug users

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The effect of discontinuation of antihypertensives on the risk of acute myocardial infarction and stroke

OBJECTIVE: Adherence to antihypertensive drug treatment is suboptimal. The present study investigates the effect of early treatment discontinuation with antihypertensive drugs on the risk of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) or stroke in daily clincal practice. METHODS: In the PHARMO Record Linkage System, which includes all records of drug dispensings and hospitalisations for > or = 2 million subjects in the Netherlands, new users of antihypertensive (AHT) drugs > or = 18 years of age were studied during the period 1 January 1993 – 1 October 2002 to determine the risk of AMI or stroke related to persistence with AHT

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Is statin use associated with a reduced incidence, a reduced Breslow thickness or delayed metastasis of melanoma of the skin?

BACKGROUND: Statins show anticancer activity in melanoma cells. We investigated the association between statins and incidence and Breslow thickness of cutaneous melanoma (CM). METHODS: Data were used from PHARMO, a pharmacy database, and PALGA, a pthological database, in the Netherlands. Cases had a primary CM diagnosis between January 1st 1991 and December 14th 2004, were 18 years and had 3 years of follow up in PHARMO before CM diagnosis

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