title: Hemorrhoid is associated with increased risk of peripheral artery occlusive disease: A nationwide cohort study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study was conducted to evaluate the association between hemorrhoid and risk of incident peripheral artery occlusive disease (PAOD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Using the Taiwanese Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000, we compared the incident PAOD risk between the hemorrhoid and the non-hemorrhoid cohorts. Both of these cohorts were followed up from the index date until the date of PAOD diagnosis, withdrawal from the National Health Insurance program, or the end of 2011.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean follow-up period was 6.82 (standard deviation [SD], 3.22) and 6.70 (SD, 3.23) years in the hemorrhoid and non-hemorrhoid cohorts, respectively. The plot of the Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that, by the end of the 12-year follow-up period, the cumulative incidence of PAOD was significantly higher for the hemorrhoid cohort than for the non-hemorrhoid cohort (log-rank test: P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A significantly increased PAOD risk in patients with hemorrhoids was found in this nationwide cohort study.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, College of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan. Electronic address: weisyunhu@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Wei-Syun
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Management Office for Health Data, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Cheng-Li
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D006484:Hemorrhoids / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058729:Peripheral Arterial Disease / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: Cohort study; Comorbidity; Hemorrhoid; Peripheral artery occlusive disease