title: Risk of myocardial infarction in patients with rhinosinusitis.
abstract: Research has indicated that inflammation promote all phases of atherosclerosis. The current study tested the hypothesis that rhinosinusitis is a risk marker for myocardial infarction (MI). Data on the general population were obtained from the Taiwan Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2005 (LHID2005). The study cohort comprised patients who had received a recorded diagnosis of rhinosinusitis (N = 52,930) between January 1, 2004 and December 31, 2004. The comparison group consisted of patients who had not received a rhinosinusitis diagnosis, and who were matched for age and sex with the study group at a ratio of 4 controls to 1 study patient (1:4) (N = 211,720). Each patient's condition was followed using database entries until the end of 2006. Cox proportional hazard regressions were used to evaluate the 3-year MI-free survival rates, after adjusting for known confounding factors. We found that patients with rhinosinusitis were more likely than the control group to have MI, after adjusting for potential confounders [adjusted hazard ratio (HR), 1.84; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.44 ∼ 2.40]. Of the total 264 650 patients, 290 experienced MI during the 3-year follow-up period, including 8 acute sinusitis patients, 77 chronic sinusitis patients, and 205 control patients. The incidence rate of MI was 6.19 (95% CI 5.01-7.65) per 10,000 person-years for rhinosinusitis patients, compared to 3.51 (95% CI, 3.06-4.02) for the control patients. From this study, rhinosinusitis may be associated with MI. Further research in this important area of public health is warranted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wen-Rui
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.forename: Hui-Wen
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Pin-Zhir
authors.initials: PZ
authors.lastname: Chao
authors.forename: Chin-Wen
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Tze-Hsun
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Yen
authors.forename: Ju-Chi
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Tsan-Hon
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Liou
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000150:complications*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000150:complications*; D055815:Young Adult