Acupuncture treatment is associated with a decreased risk of dementia in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in Taiwan: A propensity-score matched cohort study

Background: The purpose of this study was to understand whether acupuncture can decrease the risk of dementia in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods: Using the registry from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan, we carried out a 1:1 propensity-score matched cohort s...

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Main Authors: Hou-Hsun Liao, Ming-Cheng Huang, Yu-Chen Lee, Cheng-Li Lin, Mei-Yao Wu, Peter Karl Mayer, Hung-Rong Yen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2024-12-01
Series:Integrative Medicine Research
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213422024000660
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author Hou-Hsun Liao
Ming-Cheng Huang
Yu-Chen Lee
Cheng-Li Lin
Mei-Yao Wu
Peter Karl Mayer
Hung-Rong Yen
author_facet Hou-Hsun Liao
Ming-Cheng Huang
Yu-Chen Lee
Cheng-Li Lin
Mei-Yao Wu
Peter Karl Mayer
Hung-Rong Yen
author_sort Hou-Hsun Liao
collection DOAJ
description Background: The purpose of this study was to understand whether acupuncture can decrease the risk of dementia in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods: Using the registry from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan, we carried out a 1:1 propensity-score matched cohort study to analyze patients with RA diagnosed between 2000 and 2010. The patients who received acupuncture therapy were grouped as acupuncture users (n = 9,919), while the others were grouped as non-acupuncture users (n = 19,331). After propensity-score matching, the final sample included 9,218 matched participants in both groups, and these participants were followed up until the end of 2011. We used a Cox regression model to adjust for age, sex, comorbidiy, and conventional drugs and compared the hazard ratios (HRs) of developing dementia in the acupuncture and non-acupuncture groups. Results: Acupuncture users tended to be more female-dominant and younger than non-acupuncture users. After propensity-score matching, both groups have comparable demographic characteristics. Acupuncture users had a lower risk of dementia than non-acupuncture users (adjusted HR: 0.55, 95% CI: 0.46–0.66). The cumulative incidence of dementia in the acupuncture group was significantly lower than that in the non-acupuncture group (log-rank test, p < 0.001). Patients who received the combinational treatment of conventional drugs and acupuncture had a significantly lower risk of developing dementia (adjusted HR: 0.64, 95% CI: 0.56–0.73) compared to those who only received conventional drugs. Conclusion: Acupuncture therapy is associated with a reduced risk of dementia in patients with RA. Further clinical and mechanistic studies are needed.
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spelling doaj-art-5e91c55fdb5f4cfc86005900a1fdc74f2025-08-20T02:05:09ZengElsevierIntegrative Medicine Research2213-42202024-12-0113410108610.1016/j.imr.2024.101086Acupuncture treatment is associated with a decreased risk of dementia in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in Taiwan: A propensity-score matched cohort studyHou-Hsun Liao0Ming-Cheng Huang1Yu-Chen Lee2Cheng-Li Lin3Mei-Yao Wu4Peter Karl Mayer5Hung-Rong Yen6Graduate Institute of Chinese Medicine, School of Chinese Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Chinese Medicine, Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Chiayi, TaiwanDepartment of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Acupuncture Science, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, TaiwanDepartment of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Acupuncture Science, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, TaiwanManagement Office for Health Data, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, TaiwanDepartment of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; School of Post-Baccalaureate Chinese Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, TaiwanDepartment of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; International Master Program in Acupuncture, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Corresponding authors at: College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, 91 Hsueh-Shih Rd, North District, Taichung 404328, Taiwan.Graduate Institute of Chinese Medicine, School of Chinese Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; International Master Program in Acupuncture, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; Chinese Medicine Research Center, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Corresponding authors at: College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, 91 Hsueh-Shih Rd, North District, Taichung 404328, Taiwan.Background: The purpose of this study was to understand whether acupuncture can decrease the risk of dementia in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods: Using the registry from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan, we carried out a 1:1 propensity-score matched cohort study to analyze patients with RA diagnosed between 2000 and 2010. The patients who received acupuncture therapy were grouped as acupuncture users (n = 9,919), while the others were grouped as non-acupuncture users (n = 19,331). After propensity-score matching, the final sample included 9,218 matched participants in both groups, and these participants were followed up until the end of 2011. We used a Cox regression model to adjust for age, sex, comorbidiy, and conventional drugs and compared the hazard ratios (HRs) of developing dementia in the acupuncture and non-acupuncture groups. Results: Acupuncture users tended to be more female-dominant and younger than non-acupuncture users. After propensity-score matching, both groups have comparable demographic characteristics. Acupuncture users had a lower risk of dementia than non-acupuncture users (adjusted HR: 0.55, 95% CI: 0.46–0.66). The cumulative incidence of dementia in the acupuncture group was significantly lower than that in the non-acupuncture group (log-rank test, p < 0.001). Patients who received the combinational treatment of conventional drugs and acupuncture had a significantly lower risk of developing dementia (adjusted HR: 0.64, 95% CI: 0.56–0.73) compared to those who only received conventional drugs. Conclusion: Acupuncture therapy is associated with a reduced risk of dementia in patients with RA. Further clinical and mechanistic studies are needed.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213422024000660AcupunctureDementiaReal-word dataRheumatoid arthritisTraditional Chinese medicine
spellingShingle Hou-Hsun Liao
Ming-Cheng Huang
Yu-Chen Lee
Cheng-Li Lin
Mei-Yao Wu
Peter Karl Mayer
Hung-Rong Yen
Acupuncture treatment is associated with a decreased risk of dementia in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in Taiwan: A propensity-score matched cohort study
Integrative Medicine Research
Acupuncture
Dementia
Real-word data
Rheumatoid arthritis
Traditional Chinese medicine
title Acupuncture treatment is associated with a decreased risk of dementia in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in Taiwan: A propensity-score matched cohort study
title_full Acupuncture treatment is associated with a decreased risk of dementia in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in Taiwan: A propensity-score matched cohort study
title_fullStr Acupuncture treatment is associated with a decreased risk of dementia in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in Taiwan: A propensity-score matched cohort study
title_full_unstemmed Acupuncture treatment is associated with a decreased risk of dementia in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in Taiwan: A propensity-score matched cohort study
title_short Acupuncture treatment is associated with a decreased risk of dementia in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in Taiwan: A propensity-score matched cohort study
title_sort acupuncture treatment is associated with a decreased risk of dementia in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in taiwan a propensity score matched cohort study
topic Acupuncture
Dementia
Real-word data
Rheumatoid arthritis
Traditional Chinese medicine
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213422024000660
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