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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Lower socioeconomic status is associated with recurrent shoulder instability before surgical shoulder stabilization

J Orthop Surg Res. 2025 Jul 21;20(1):689. doi: 10.1186/s13018-025-06110-6.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Social determinants of health (SDOH) encompass social and economic factors that influence healthcare access and outcomes. In orthopaedic surgery, disparities in SDOH contribute to unequal access to care and differences in post-surgical recovery. Prior studies indicate that an increased number of preoperative shoulder dislocations raises the likelihood of recurrent instability following stabilization procedures. However, limited research explores the association between SDOH and preoperative dislocation frequency. This study examines how SDOH factors influence the number of shoulder dislocations before surgical intervention.

METHODS: Patients that underwent shoulder instability surgery at a single center in a large metropolitan area between January 1, 2021, and April 30, 2023, were identified. Patients’ demographic and social determinant variables were extracted using the electronic medical record. Socioeconomic status was assessed using the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) and the Area Deprivation Index (ADI), based on patient zip codes. Statistical analyses, including univariate and multivariate regression models, evaluated predictors of multiple dislocations before surgery, focusing on factors such as age, body mass index (BMI), and socioeconomic indicators.

RESULTS: Among 106 patients, 54% identified as White, 29% as Black, and 17% as other. Thirty-eight (35.8%) had a single dislocation before surgery, while 68 (64.2%) experienced multiple instability events. Univariate analysis showed younger age (odds ratio [OR] 0.94, P = 0.02), lower BMI (OR 0.90, P = 0.02), higher SVI (OR 1.21, P = 0.006), and higher ADI (OR 6.04, P = 0.003) were associated with recurrent instability. Multivariate analysis confirmed lower BMI (OR 1.15, P = 0.02) and higher ADI (OR 7.46, P = 0.02) as independent predictors.

CONCLUSIONS: Lower socioeconomic status, as measured by ADI, is an independent predictor of a higher likelihood of recurrent instability before surgery. Recognizing these relationships can motivate surgeons to create pathways to prevent these treatment disparities among shoulder instability patients.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III retrospective cohort study.

PMID:40691624 | DOI:10.1186/s13018-025-06110-6

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The association between poor dental health and gastric cancer risk: a nationwide cohort and sibling-controlled study

BMC Med. 2025 Jul 21;23(1):434. doi: 10.1186/s12916-025-04273-x.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Poor dental health has been linked to an increased risk of gastric cancer (GC), but previous studies were limited by their retrospective design and relatively small sample size.

METHODS: We followed a nationwide cohort of 5,888,034 Swedish adults over the age of 19 who visited a dentist between 2009 and 2016. Additionally, a nested case-control study was conducted by comparing incident GC cases to their siblings. Cox regression analyses, using attained age as the timescale and adjusting for potential confounders, were performed to evaluate the association between various dental health conditions and the risk of GC. In addition, we stratified our analyses by sex and age and conducted various sensitivity analyses to ensure the robustness of our findings.

RESULTS: Over an average follow-up of 6.4 years, we identified 3993 new GC cases, including 1241 cardia GC and 2752 non-cardia GC. Compared to individuals with healthy teeth, those with periodontitis had an 11% and 25% increased risk of GC and cardia GC, respectively. The positive associations between odontogenic inflammation and the risk of GC were consistent in sibling-controlled analyses. We also observed a dose-response relationship between the number of remaining teeth and the risk of GC, with fewer teeth associated with higher risks. Additionally, we did not find significant interactions between dental inflammatory conditions and the number of remaining teeth in relation to the risk of GC or its subtypes. Our findings were consistent across different sex and age subgroups and in sensitivity analyses.

CONCLUSIONS: This study provides the largest prospective cohort study evidence to date, along with the first sibling-controlled comparisons, supporting the association between poor dental health and GC risk. Promoting dental health in the general population could have significant public health implications in preventing this disease.

PMID:40691605 | DOI:10.1186/s12916-025-04273-x

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Why does tension band wiring fail in transverse patellar fractures? Radiographic insights from a 10-years retrospective cohort

J Orthop Surg Res. 2025 Jul 21;20(1):685. doi: 10.1186/s13018-025-06087-2.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to identify the radiographic parameters associated with failure of tension band wiring (TBW) in the treatment of transverse patellar fractures, with the goal of guiding surgical decision-making.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 76 patients underwent surgical treatment for patellar fractures at Trakya University between January 2013 and December 2022. We retrospectively analyzed 32 patients who met the study’s inclusion criteria for transverse fractures (AO Type 34- C1) treated with TBW. Radiographic parameters assessed included patellar width, inter-K-wire distance, K-wire-to-patella ratios, knot configuration, and K-wire length, all evaluated for their potential association with fixation failure. Failure was defined as cerclage wire slippage or breakage. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS and Jamovi software. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, chi-square or Fisher’s exact tests, logistic regression, and ROC analysis were performed. A p-value < 0.05 was considered significant.

RESULTS: The mean age was 50 years ± 15.8 (range 26-80), with 8 women (25%) and 24 men (75%). Nine patients (28.1%) experienced TBW failure. Notably, single-knot constructs had significantly higher failure rates (66.7% vs. 19.2%; OR = 0.119, 95% CI [0.017-0.843], p = 0.038). Increased K-wire length was associated with failure (p = 0.008; cutoff 69.1 mm, AUC = 0.785). Patella-K-wire length ratio was higher in failures (p = 0.035). Lateral K-wire to articular distance and lateral K-wire to articular distance surface to patella thickness ratio were also significant predictors in slippage group (p = 0.046 and p = 0.031).

CONCLUSION: The number of knots, K-wire length, and specific radiographic parameters are important predictors of TBW failure. Attention to construct configuration and K-wire placement is crucial to minimize failure risk.

PMID:40691604 | DOI:10.1186/s13018-025-06087-2

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Factors associated with long-term survival of invasive breast cancer patients in Belgium: a population-based cohort study

Int J Epidemiol. 2025 Jun 11;54(4):dyaf123. doi: 10.1093/ije/dyaf123.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Most women diagnosed with breast cancer (BC) survive treatment and become long-term survivors. This study examines the association between long-term survival of female BC patients and clinical factors, socio-economic determinants, healthcare utilization, and drug use.

METHODS: This retrospective population-based survival study uses linked cancer registry data, claims, and social security data at the individual level for all Belgian women diagnosed with invasive BC in 2010 (n = 9982). Ten-year survival probabilities were computed by using Kaplan-Meier and relative survival curves. A Weibull mixture cure model was employed to perform multivariable analysis.

RESULTS: The population consisted of women with early-stage (75.0%), locally advanced (13.1%), and metastatic BC (5.9%). The overall 10-year unadjusted survival was 68.2% [95% confidence interval (CI), 67.1%-69.3%], with decreasing survival in older women. However, survival was lower in women age <40 years compared with those aged 40-60 years. Multivariate analysis revealed that age was associated with long-term survivorship (odds ratio, 0.919; 95% CI, 0.918-0.919). Women receiving multimodal treatment (surgery followed by adjuvant radiotherapy and systemic treatment) were more likely to become long-term survivors compared with women receiving other treatments. Lastly, beneficiaries of increased reimbursement had lower odds of long-term survivorship.

CONCLUSION: Our study highlights the association between long-term survivorship in women diagnosed with invasive BC and factors such as age at diagnosis, treatment scheme, and entitlement to increased reimbursement. It is crucial to inform clinicians and policymakers on the appropriate use of mixture cure models, as their results can substantially impact healthcare decision-making. Furthermore, tailored BC screening strategies are essential to reduce social inequalities and mortality disparities.

PMID:40690797 | DOI:10.1093/ije/dyaf123

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Causal clarity in statistical software

Int J Epidemiol. 2025 Jun 11;54(4):dyaf136. doi: 10.1093/ije/dyaf136.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:40690794 | DOI:10.1093/ije/dyaf136

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Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura: Description and analysis of 23 cases treated in Chile between 2017 and 2022

Medwave. 2025 Jul 21;25(6):e3002. doi: 10.5867/medwave.2025.06.3002.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Since the first description of Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura, caused by a severe deficiency of ADAMTS13, plasma exchange and immunosuppression have become standard treatments, allowing to decrease its high mortality rate. Prospective records of Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura have provided valuable information on its pathophysiology, clinical presentation, and outcomes. The objective of this study is to update the local Chilean experience in the diagnosis and management of this disease, through a case series of patients treated between 2017 and 2022.

METHODS: Case series study that included patients over 18 years old diagnosed with Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura, treated between June 2017 and August 2022 at Hospital Clínico UC Christus. Information was collected from clinical records, which were used for cohort description and statistical analysis. Accepted definitions from the literature were used to describe the outcomes. The study was approved by the local ethics committee (ID 220524001).

RESULTS: Our series had higher age and prevalence of comorbidities compared to those reported in the literature. The most important clinical manifestations included constitutional, gastrointestinal, hemorrhagic, and neurological symptoms, with different presentation frequencies than those described internationally. We found a lower capacity of the PLASMIC Score for the detection of Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura in our series. The predominant therapeutic strategy was a combination of glucocorticoids and plasma exchange (61% of the patients). There was a high mortality rate (56.5%) and adverse events related to plasma exchange, especially of infections related to its use.

CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the diagnostic and therapeutic challenges of Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura in the local context and the need to improve our management strategies through standardizing care and better application of clinical guidelines to reduce the high mortality rate in these patients.

PMID:40690786 | DOI:10.5867/medwave.2025.06.3002

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Exploring Methodological Decisions for Calculating the Minimally Detectable Change in Dysarthria: Reliability, Statistics, and Standard Error of Measurement

J Speech Lang Hear Res. 2025 Jul 21:1-18. doi: 10.1044/2025_JSLHR-24-00899. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The minimally detectable change (MDC), widely used in rehabilitation sciences to interpret changes in outcome measures, is calculated using a reliability method, reliability statistic, and standard error of measurement (SEM). This study examined how different methodological choices affect MDC thresholds of speech intelligibility in speakers with dysarthria. The goals of this study were to compare MDCs calculated using (a) three different reliability methods, (b) two different reliability statistics, and (c) three different SEM calculations.

METHOD: Recordings of the Speech Intelligibility Test from 200 speakers including speakers with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (n = 16), Huntington’s disease (n = 44), multiple sclerosis (n = 60), and Parkinson’s disease (n = 40), along with healthy controls (n = 40), were drawn from two databases. Thirty inexperienced listeners completed two sessions, providing orthographic transcriptions of 20 speakers. MDCs of intelligibility were calculated using (a) three reliability methods (i.e., test-retest, split-half, and intrarater), (b) two reliability statistics (i.e., Pearson r and intraclass correlation coefficients [ICCs]), and (c) three different formulas for calculating the SEM. Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to assess the effects of reliability methods, statistics, and SEM calculations.

RESULTS: Significant differences were found between the MDCs when using split-half and test-retest reliability, when using Pearson r and ICC, and when using two of the three SEM calculations.

CONCLUSIONS: Results demonstrate that methodological decisions can impact MDCs of speech intelligibility in speakers with dysarthria, highlighting the need for specific, detailed reporting of methodology used to calculate MDCs in future work. Findings can provide methodological guidance for future studies and contextualize existing research on intelligibility changes.

PMID:40690785 | DOI:10.1044/2025_JSLHR-24-00899

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Association of Weekend Warrior and Other Physical Activity Patterns With Mortality Among Adults With Diabetes : A Cohort Study

Ann Intern Med. 2025 Jul 22. doi: 10.7326/ANNALS-25-00640. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: “Weekend warrior” and regularly active physical activity patterns have been associated with reduced mortality risk in the general population. The association in patients with diabetes is unknown.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the associations of different physical activity patterns, particularly weekend warrior and regularly active behavior, with all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality among adults with diabetes.

DESIGN: Prospective cohort study.

SETTING: National Health Interview Survey (1997 to 2018) linked to the National Death Index records through 31 December 2019.

PARTICIPANTS: 51 650 U.S. adults with self-reported diabetes.

MEASUREMENTS: Participants categorized by 4 physical activity groups: inactive (reporting no moderate-to-vigorous physical activity [MVPA]), insufficiently active (MVPA <150 minutes per week), weekend warrior (MVPA ≥150 minutes per week in 1 to 2 sessions), and regularly active (MVPA ≥150 minutes per week in ≥3 sessions).

RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 9.5 years, 16 345 deaths (cardiovascular, 5620; cancer, 2883) were documented. Compared with inactive participants, multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for all-cause mortality were significantly lower across physical activity groups: insufficiently active persons (HR, 0.90 [95% CI, 0.85 to 0.95]), weekend warriors (HR, 0.79 [CI, 0.69 to 0.91]), and regularly active persons (HR, 0.83 [CI, 0.78 to 0.87]). These reductions were mostly due to benefits with cardiovascular mortality: insufficiently active persons (HR, 0.98 [CI, 0.89 to 1.07]), weekend warriors (HR, 0.67 [CI, 0.52 to 0.86]), and regularly active persons (HR, 0.81 [CI, 0.74 to 0.88]). There were fewer differences by cancer mortality: insufficiently active persons (HR, 0.88 [CI, 0.78 to 1.00]), weekend warriors (HR, 0.99 [CI, 0.76 to 1.30]), and regularly active persons (HR, 0.85 [CI, 0.75 to 0.96]).

LIMITATION: Physical activity was self-reported and assessed at a single time point.

CONCLUSION: Weekend warrior and regularly active physical activity patterns meeting current physical activity recommendations (MVPA ≥150 minutes per week) were associated with 21% and 17% lower risks for all-cause mortality and 33% and 19% lower hazards of cardiovascular mortality among adults with diabetes compared with those with diabetes who are physically inactive.

PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE: Capital’s Funds for Health Improvement and Research, and National Natural Science Foundation of China.

PMID:40690774 | DOI:10.7326/ANNALS-25-00640

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Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists and Incidence of Dementia Among Older Adults With Type 2 Diabetes : A Target Trial Emulation

Ann Intern Med. 2025 Jul 22. doi: 10.7326/ANNALS-24-02648. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) have been shown to decrease blood glucose levels, promote weight loss, and prevent cardiovascular events. However, evidence is limited regarding their effect on dementia, although emerging observational studies, some with serious methodological limitations, have suggested large reductions in dementia associated with GLP-1RAs that may not be entirely causally related.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effect of GLP-1RAs versus dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP4is) as second-line therapy for type 2 diabetes on risk for dementia among older adults.

DESIGN: Target trial emulation.

SETTING: United States from January 2016 to December 2020.

PARTICIPANTS: Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries aged 66 years or older with diabetes who used metformin and did not have dementia at baseline and initiated GLP-1RAs or DPP4is between January 2017 and December 2018.

MEASUREMENTS: Onset of dementia was defined as 1 year before the date of a new dementia diagnosis. Risks were calculated at 30 months in GLP-1RA and DPP4i groups matched in a 1:2 ratio on an estimated propensity score and compared via ratios and differences.

RESULTS: Among 2418 patients initiating GLP-1RAs and 4836 matched patients initiating DPP4is, the mean age was 71 years, and 55% were female. Over a median follow-up of 1.9 years, the outcome occurred in 96 patients in the GLP-1RA group and 217 in the DPP4i group. The estimated risk difference at 30 months was -0.93 (95% CI, -2.33 to 0.23) percentage points, and the estimated risk ratio was 0.83 (95% CI, 0.61 to 1.05). The estimated risk ratios were 0.64 (95% CI, 0.46 to 0.93) and 1.22 (95% CI, 0.74 to 1.66) among those younger than 75 years and aged 75 years or older, respectively.

LIMITATIONS: Potential residual confounding (no data on body mass index, glycemic control, or duration of diabetes), outcome misclassification, and short follow-up.

CONCLUSION: Among older adults with diabetes, no clear evidence was found that the incidence of dementia differed overall between patients using GLP-1RAs versus DPP4is. Under conventional statistical criteria, an effect of GLP-1RAs between a 39% decrease and a 5% increase in risk for dementia was highly compatible with the data, although estimates differed by age. Randomized trials are needed to quantify the effect of GLP-1RAs on dementia.

PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE: Gregory Annenberg Weingarten, GRoW @ Annenberg.

PMID:40690769 | DOI:10.7326/ANNALS-24-02648

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Differences in all-cause and death by suicide mortality between health care and other employees in Lithuania: a census-linked mortality follow-up study, 2011-19

Eur J Public Health. 2025 Jul 21:ckaf123. doi: 10.1093/eurpub/ckaf123. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Lithuania has one of the highest adult mortality rates in Europe. A study analysing three large groups of healthcare employees, physicians, nurses, and assistant nurses, found no significant differences in all-cause mortality compared to other sectors. However, after controlling for education, physicians became the highest-risk group. Nurses and assistant nurses had the lowest risk, but no significant differences were found. Excess all-cause mortality of physicians after controlling for education is striking and needs to be investigated further. Given the low number of deaths by suicide among healthcare workers, more research is required to obtain more statistically robust inferences.

PMID:40690760 | DOI:10.1093/eurpub/ckaf123