title: Association between autoimmune rheumatic diseases and the risk of dementia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARD) are characterized by systemic inflammation and may affect multiple organs and cause vascular events such as ischemic stroke and acute myocardial infarction. However, the association between ARD and increased risk of dementia is uncertain. This is a retrospective cohort study to investigate and compare the risk of dementia between patients clinically diagnosed with ARD and non-ARD patients during a 5-year follow-up period.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were obtained from the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000 (LHID2000). We included 1221 patients receiving ambulatory or hospitalization care and 6105 non-ARD patients; patients were matched by sex, age, and the year of index use of health care. Each patient was studied for 5 years to identify the subsequent manifestation of dementia. The data obtained were analyzed by Cox proportional hazard regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the 5-year follow-up period, 30 ARD (2.48%) and 141 non-ARD patients (2.31%) developed dementia. During the 5-year follow-up period, there were no significant differences in the risks of any type of dementia (adjusted hazard ratio (HR), 1.18; 95% CI, 0.79-1.76) in the ARD group after adjusting for demographics and comorbidities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Within the 5-year period, patients with and without ARD were found to have similar risks of developing dementia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, E-Da Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 824, Taiwan ; Institute of Health Care Management, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung 804, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Kang
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, E-Da Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 824, Taiwan ; Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 704, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hao-Kuang
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, College of Public Health and Nutrition, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan ; Department of Public Health, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chih-Ching
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 704, Taiwan ; Neurosurgical Service, Department of Surgery, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Tainan 704, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chih-Yuan
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 704, Taiwan ; Department of Neurology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Tainan 704, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Pi-Shan
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 704, Taiwan ; Neurosurgical Service, Department of Surgery, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Tainan 704, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Liang-Chao
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Management Office for Health Data, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung 404, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chih-Hsin
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Muo
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Fung-Chang
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, E-Da Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 824, Taiwan ; Institute of Health Care Management, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung 804, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Han-Jung
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health Care Management, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung 804, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ying-Chun
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Therapy, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 824, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Li-Ching
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 704, Taiwan ; Center of Clinical Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 704, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Kuen-Jer
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Tsai
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016208:Databases, Factual; D003704:Dementia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013624:Taiwan