Search Results (6,493)

Background: Lung adenocarcinoma is morphologically heterogeneous, composed of various histological patterns. The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) grading system, based on the predominant pattern and the presence of high-grade components, underscores this heterogeneity’s prognostic relevance. However, the specific impact of the non-predominant “second component” on survival outcomes in early-stage disease remains inadequately characterized. Methods: We conducted a retrospective, single-center study including 95 patients with pathological stage 0, I, and II (TNM 8th edition) lung adenocarcinoma who underwent complete anatomical resection (lobectomy or segmentectomy) between January 2020 and December 2021. Histopathological evaluation followed the WHO 5th edition classification, with patterns quantified in 5% increments. The second predominant component was defined as the second most represented histological pattern, irrespective of a fixed percentage threshold. Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were analyzed. Results: A second predominant component was identified in 55 patients (57.9%). The most common second components were lepidic (30.5%), solid (18.9%), and micropapillary (10.5%). With a median follow-up of 36 months, the presence of a lepidic second component was an independent factor for improved OS (Hazard Ratio [HR] 0.70, 95% CI 0.52–0.95, p = 0.022) and DFS (HR 0.62, 95% CI 0.41–0.93, p = 0.021). Conversely, a micropapillary second component was a strong independent predictor of worse OS (HR 1.81, 95% CI 1.24–2.64, p = 0.002) and DFS (HR 2.03, 95% CI 1.32–3.12, p = 0.001). The solid second component showed an intermediate adverse effect on DFS (HR 1.45, 95% CI 1.01–2.08, p = 0.043). Conclusions: The second predominant histological pattern provides additional prognostic information beyond the IASLC grading system and may improve postoperative risk stratification in early-stage lung adenocarcinoma. A lepidic second component portends a favorable prognosis, while micropapillary and solid components denote aggressive tumor biology and higher recurrence risk. Incorporating the evaluation of second components into routine pathological reporting and clinical decision-making could enhance postoperative risk stratification and personalize adjuvant therapy strategies. Full article

Background: Sarcopenic obesity, defined as the coexistence of low muscle mass and excess adiposity, is an emerging public health concern in aging populations. However, longitudinal evidence on the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and incident sarcopenic obesity remains limited, particularly in Asian populations. This study aimed to investigate the association between SES and the long-term incidence of sarcopenic obesity in a large Korean cohort. Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study using data from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES). Community-dwelling adults aged ≥ 40 years without sarcopenic obesity at baseline were followed for a mean of 17 years. Sarcopenic obesity was defined as low body mass index (BMI)-adjusted skeletal muscle mass (sex-specific lowest 20th percentile) combined with obesity (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m²). SES indicators included educational attainment, household income, and marital status. Kaplan–Meier methods were used to estimate cumulative incidence, and Cox proportional hazards models were applied to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) with sequential adjustment for demographic, lifestyle, and metabolic factors. Results: In the fully adjusted model, participants with elementary school education showed a higher hazard ratio of incident sarcopenic obesity compared with those with college education or higher (HR 1.39; 95% CI 1.11–1.73; p = 0.003). Similarly, individuals with a household income < 1.0 million KRW per month had a higher hazard ratio compared with those earning ≥4.0 million KRW (HR 1.31; 95% CI 1.02–1.70; p = 0.037). Unmarried participants also showed a higher hazard ratio compared with married individuals (HR 1.31; 95% CI 1.09–1.57; p = 0.003). Conclusions: Lower SES was independently associated with a higher incidence of sarcopenic obesity over long-term follow-up in this population-based cohort. These findings highlight the importance of considering socioeconomic factors in the prevention of sarcopenic obesity. Full article

Cover-collapse sinkholes are one of the most hazardous geohazards, causing severe damage to civil infrastructure, roadway networks, and substantial economic disruptions. In the United States alone, the economic loss caused by cover-collapse sinkholes exceed USD 300 million annually. Despite extensive research on the causes and formation mechanisms of cover-collapse sinkholes, reliable prediction of the collapse range remains a significant challenge because the development of cover-collapse sinkholes occurs underground and is generally undetectable at the ground surface until collapse occurs. This study presents a comprehensive review of 162 peer-reviewed journal articles, technical reports, and case studies to systematically identify the key factors governing the collapse range of cover-collapse sinkholes. This paper covers several influencing factors for collapse range of cover-collapse sinkholes, including soil properties, geometric characteristics of cavities and soil cover, hydraulic conditions, and the presence of buried structures. Among these factors, soil cohesion, friction angles, void ratio, soil cover thickness, and cavity geometry are identified as the key influencing factors for the collapse range of cover-collapse sinkholes. In addition, existing prediction methods were also summarized, which are predominantly empirical and have limited capability to capture the influence of multiple factors on the collapse range. Based on the literature review, this study finally identifies current research gaps and suggests future directions for developing more accurate and integrated models to predict collapse range of cover-collapse sinkholes. Full article

Background: Finerenone and sodium–glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors provide cardiovascular and renal benefits in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and heart failure (HF), but real-world comparative evidence is limited. Methods: This retrospective study used the TriNetX database. Adults ≥ 40 years with CKD stages 1–5 and HF [LVEF > 40%; excluding end-stage renal disease (ESRD) or dialysis] receiving finerenone were compared with those on SGLT2 inhibitors. Propensity score matching (1:1) yielded 333 patients per cohort. Kaplan–Meier and Cox models estimated hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals. Results: After matching, baseline characteristics were reasonably balanced, with some residual imbalance remaining. All-cause mortality was similar between finerenone and SGLT2 inhibitors at 6 months (HR 0.98; 95% CI 0.50–1.90) and 1 year (HR 0.93; 95% CI 0.53–1.66). All-cause hospitalization or ER visits were also comparable at 6 months (HR 1.07; 95% CI 0.84–1.36) and 1 year (HR 1.04; 95% CI 0.83–1.29). Finerenone was associated with a modest, borderline reduction in HF hospitalization at 1 year, without consistent effects across timepoints or a mortality benefit; thus, this finding is hypothesis-generating (HR 0.81; 95% CI 0.66–0.99). Safety outcomes were similar between groups. Conclusions: In this real-world analysis, finerenone was associated with similar all-cause mortality, overall hospitalization, and renal safety outcomes compared with SGLT2 inhibitors, with a modest reduction in HF hospitalization at 1 year that should be interpreted cautiously given the exploratory nature of the study. These findings are hypothesis-generating and underscore the need for prospective head-to-head trials to better define optimal therapy sequencing in patients with HFpEF and CKD. Full article

Coal mine dust is a critical hazard that can trigger explosions and cause pneumoconiosis, thereby severely threatening mine safety and occupational health. Although long-forcing and short-exhausting ventilation are commonly adopted in long-distance heading faces, their parameters are often determined empirically, leading to suboptimal dust control efficiency. This study utilizes numerical simulations via FLUENT to investigate dust migration patterns under five key ventilation parameters in the 2-2 Upper Coal Working Face of the Xintai Taigemiao Mining Area. The results reveal a zonal distribution of dust: a high-concentration accumulation zone within 0–15 m, a medium-concentration transition zone between 15 and 35 m, and a low-concentration settling zone beyond 35 m. Diffusion rates vary significantly across zones under different ventilation settings. The optimized parameters for the 20 m² cross-section roadway in this study include: exhausting duct set 0.3 m from the return-side wall, exhausting inlet at a distance of 4 m (0.9√A, A is the roadway cross-sectional area) from the face, forcing inlet at 20 m (4.5√A) from the face, duct installation height of 0.75 times the roadway height, and a forcing-to-exhausting air volume ratio between 1.2 and 1.6. Compared with the non-optimized scheme, this configuration reduces the average dust concentration in the breathing zone (1.2 m height) by up to 62.3%, and restricts 85% of the high-concentration dust within 0–15 m from the heading face, effectively suppressing dust dispersion to the rear roadway. This study provides a quantitative reference and theoretical strategy for engineering applications of dust prevention in similar large-section long-distance heading faces within the scope of numerical simulation. Full article

Background/Objectives: The European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism recommends avoiding full feeding during the first 48–72 h of critical illness and gradually achieving 70–100% of energy requirements within the first week. However, the clinical significance of achieving approximately 70% of estimated energy requirements by day 7 in the intensive care unit (ICU) remains unclear in routine practice. This study investigated whether achieving ≥70% of estimated energy requirements by day 7 was associated with in-hospital mortality and explored clinical factors associated with achieving this target. Methods: This retrospective study included critically ill patients who remained in the ICU through day 7 and had complete nutritional data for the first 7 ICU days. Cox proportional hazards regression was performed in a day-7 landmark cohort to investigate the association between day-7 energy adequacy and subsequent in-hospital mortality. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the factors associated with achieving ≥70% of estimated energy requirements by day 7. Results: Among 507 patients in the day-7 landmark cohort, 355 achieved ≥70% of estimated energy requirements by ICU day 7, and 152 did not. Achievement of the day-7 target was associated with lower in-hospital mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 0.50, 95% CI 0.30–0.84; p = 0.008), whereas achievement of the same target by day 3 was not significantly associated with in-hospital mortality. Older age and elevated serum albumin levels were independently associated with achieving the day-7 target. In exploratory subgroup analyses, the point estimates were directionally similar across clinically relevant subgroups, but no statistically significant interaction was observed. Conclusion: Achievement of ≥70% of estimated energy requirements by ICU day 7 was associated with lower in-hospital mortality, whereas achievement of the same target by day 3 was not significantly associated with in-hospital mortality. These findings should be interpreted as observational and hypothesis-generating. Full article

The problem of industrial waste disposal is becoming increasingly pressing. For a long time, one of the primary methods of managing hazardous industrial waste was to dispose of it for long periods (decades) in engineered landfills. However, over time, due to various climatic, geological, and other changes, landfills begin to cause significant harm to the environment and human health. Old landfills, many built in the mid-20th century, pollute the air, soil, and groundwater. Therefore, the issue of decommissioning “old” landfills is becoming increasingly pressing. This study aimed to develop technological solutions for the safe extraction and processing of hazardous liquid waste from an aged industrial landfill. An integrated treatment chain was designed, comprising extraction, multi-barrier water treatment, vacuum evaporation, and lithification. Optimal lithification compositions were identified: for the salt concentrate–sludge–spent media mixture, a ratio of 68.2% sorbent D, 28.0% salt concentrate, and 3.8% dewatered sludge/spent media yielded a loose granular geocomposite; for oil-containing waste, the optimal ratio using lime and opoka was 1:0.9:0.5 (bottom sediments/CaO/opoka). Biotesting confirmed that the lithified waste is Hazard Class V (non-hazardous), whereas the untreated waste is Class III (moderately hazardous). The resulting geocomposite is suitable for on-site technical reclamation, closing the material cycle. Full article

Background/Objectives: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common functional gastrointestinal disorder linked to gut–brain axis dysregulation. Gastrointestinal dysfunction has been implicated in the prodromal phase of Parkinson’s disease (PD), but long-term population-based evidence remains limited. Methods: Using the Korean National Health Insurance Service database (2012–2023), we conducted a nationwide matched cohort study including 142,668 patients with IBS and 285,336 matched individssuals without IBS. IBS was defined by at least two ICD-10 diagnoses with a three-year washout period to reduce reverse causation. Participants were followed for up to nine years for incident PD. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs), Kaplan–Meier analyses, and multivariable Cox models were applied. Results: IBS was associated with a higher incidence of PD (IRR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.14–1.36). The magnitude and statistical significance of the association varied across age- and sex-stratified analyses, with the highest crude relative risk observed among women younger than 60 years. In fully adjusted Cox models, IBS remained significantly associated with PD in the overall population (hazard ratio, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.18–1.62), with statistical significance retained particularly among women in subgroup analyses. Sensitivity analyses using alternative definitions yielded consistent results. Conclusions: In this nationwide cohort, IBS was associated with an increased long-term risk of PD after adjustment for measured covariates. Given the observational claims-based design, these findings should be interpreted cautiously as hypothesis-generating epidemiological evidence requiring further validation. Full article

Background/Objectives: Glioblastoma (GBM) comprises a contrast-enhancing (CE) mass and peritumoral hyperintensity on fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Although a smaller residual FLAIR lesion volume (FLV) after gross total resection (GTR) is associated with longer survival, the clinical observation of rapid FLV reduction within the first postoperative month remains unknown. We evaluated the independent prognostic contributions of early and late FLV reduction in patients with newly diagnosed GBM, isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)-wildtype, who underwent GTR. Methods: In a retrospective cohort of 51 adults with GBM, IDH-wildtype, who underwent GTR and standard chemoradiotherapy, semi-automated FLV was measured on MRI preoperatively, immediately postoperatively (FLV0), at 1 month (FLV1), and at 3 months (FLV3). FLV changes were expressed as percentage changes relative to the preceding timepoint (ΔFLV0-1, ΔFLV1-3). Using a 3-month landmark analysis, multivariable Cox models for overall survival (OS) were fitted, adjusted for age, O6-methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase promoter (pMGMT) methylation, and postoperative Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS). Results: In the multivariable 3-month landmark analysis, each 10-percentage-point early FLV reduction (∆FLV0-1^[10-pp]) was associated with lower mortality risk (hazard ratio [HR] 0.91, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.82–0.99, p = 0.037) whereas a late FLV reduction (∆FLV1-3^[10-pp]) showed a smaller association with OS (HR 0.99, 95% CI 0.98–1.00, p = 0.043). In an exploratory dichotomized analysis at a 20% reduction threshold, early responders (∆FLV0-1 ≥ 20%) had markedly better OS (HR 0.33, p = 0.010). Conclusions: In selected patients with GBM, IDH-wildtype, who achieved radiographic GTR and received standard chemoradiotherapy, early postoperative FLV reduction at 1 month independently predicted longer OS, with a substantially larger effect than late reduction. Prospective multi-center validation is required before clinical implementation. Full article

Background and Objectives: Pulmonary neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs) are characterized by aggressive clinical behavior and heterogeneous postoperative outcomes. Early recurrence, often reflecting occult micrometastatic disease, remains a key determinant of prognosis and is insufficiently captured by conventional staging systems. We hypothesized that the lactate dehydrogenase-to-albumin ratio (LAR), as an integrative tumor–host biomarker, may provide biologically informed risk stratification in this setting. Materials and Methods: We conducted a multicenter retrospective cohort study including 88 patients with resected small cell lung cancer (SCLC) or large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC). Preoperative LAR and comparator inflammatory indices were evaluated. The primary endpoints were disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS), with early recurrence (≤12 months) as a prespecified secondary endpoint. Time-dependent receiver operating characteristic analyses, Cox proportional hazards models, and logistic regression analyses were applied within a predefined analytical framework. Results: Using a cut-off derived from 12-month DFS (LAR = 45.58), elevated LAR was associated with significantly shorter DFS (median 12.3 vs. 26.1 months; p = 0.018) and OS (median 20.7 vs. 52.8 months; p = 0.010). In multivariable analyses, LAR remained independently associated with both DFS (HR 1.012, 95% CI 1.001–1.023; p = 0.037) and OS (HR 1.016, 95% CI 1.005–1.027; p = 0.003). Elevated LAR was also associated with an increased risk of early recurrence (adjusted OR 4.656, 95% CI 1.520–14.262; p = 0.007). In time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses, LAR demonstrated the highest overall discriminatory performance across evaluated biomarkers and showed a statistically significant advantage over neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) for 24-month OS. Conclusions: Preoperative LAR captures a clinically relevant tumor–host phenotype associated with early disease progression and adverse survival outcomes in resected pulmonary NECs. As a biologically integrative and readily accessible biomarker, LAR may complement existing risk stratification strategies in this heterogeneous disease context. Prospective validation and integration into multimodal risk models are warranted. Full article

Background: Cancer is common among patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and may influence management and outcomes. The prognostic impact of cancer status (active vs. past) and its anatomical site remains insufficiently defined. We evaluated the association between cancer and short- and long-term outcomes after AMI in a large population cohort. Methods: Using linked administrative databases from Lombardy, Italy, we identified adults with a first AMI hospitalization from 2014 to 2022 (N = 124,403). Patients were categorized by cancer history, cancer status (active vs. past), and cancer site. The primary endpoint was in-hospital mortality; secondary endpoints were 1-year all-cause mortality and 1-year rehospitalization for AMI or acute heart failure (AHF). Multivariable log-binomial, Cox, and Fine&Gray models were applied. Results: Overall, 18,463 (14.8%) had a history of cancer. They were older and had higher comorbidity burden. Cancer history was associated with higher in-hospital mortality (adjusted risk ratio [RR] 1.06, 95% CI 0.99–1.13) and one-year mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 1.46, 95% CI 1.40–1.52). Active cancer carried the greatest risk (in-hospital RR 1.07, 95% CI 1.00–1.15; 1-year HR 1.60, 95% CI 1.53–1.68), whereas past cancer showed no excess mortality. Site-specific analyses identified lung (one-year HR 2.69, 95% CI 2.15–3.37) and hematological cancers (one-year HR 2.19, 95% CI 1.88–2.56) as highest-risk. Elevated mortality with cancer was consistent in STEMI and NSTEMI. Competing-risk analyses showed a similar risk of rehospitalization among cancer and non-cancer patients. Conclusions: In a real-world, unselected AMI population, cancer worsens short- and long-term survival, especially when active and involving the lungs or the hematopoietic tissues. Incorporating cancer status into AMI risk stratification and strengthening cardio-oncology pathways in acute care are warranted to improve patient outcomes. Full article

Background: Clinically actionable biomarkers that reliably distinguish glioblastoma (GBM) from lower-grade glioma (LGG) across expression platforms remain an unmet need. Existing transcriptomic signatures are frequently confounded by batch effects, platform heterogeneity, and the inability to translate to single-patient clinical workflows. Methods: We developed a topology-aware biomarker discovery framework in which analysis-of-variance ranking defines a candidate gene pool, hypergraph co-expression analysis at correlation threshold $\tau =0.75$ identifies densely connected hubs within this pool, rough set reduct optimisation selects a minimal sufficient subset of these hubs, and a Random Forest classifier with stratified cross-validation performs the final discrimination. The pipeline was trained exclusively on GSE16011, a single-platform single-institution Affymetrix microarray cohort free from batch-class confound, and validated on two independent RNA-sequencing cohorts (CGGA-325 and CGGA-693). Robustness was further assessed through bootstrap optimism correction, DeLong cross-cohort equivalence testing, leave-one-gene-out analysis, and a sensitivity analysis under WHO CNS5 (2021) class definitions. Results: The pipeline identified a ten-gene biomarker panel (CSMD3, CHI3L1, PLP2, FRY, FCHSD2, ADM, MCUB, ANXA1, DUSP26, and HK2), achieving a fivefold cross-validation AUROC of $0.906\pm 0.029$ and a held-out AUROC of $0.831$. External validation yielded AUROC $=0.838$ in CGGA-325 and AUROC $=0.836$ in CGGA-693. The biomarker-derived risk score demonstrated independent prognostic value in CGGA-693 (multivariate Cox hazard ratio $=9.195$; $p<0.001$) after adjustment for WHO histological grade, with Kaplan–Meier analysis confirming highly significant survival separation (log-rank $p=4.60\times {10}^{-37}$). Class definitions in the present work follow the histology-based pre-2021 WHO classification used in the source datasets and do not directly incorporate WHO CNS5 (2021) molecular criteria, such as IDH mutation status, that distinguish IDH-wild-type glioblastoma from IDH-mutant grade-IV astrocytoma. After excluding IDH-mutant grade-IV cases from the CGGA cohorts, the classification AUROCs increased to $0.906$ in CGGA-325 and $0.872$ in CGGA-693, with a Cox risk-score hazard ratio of $8.57$ ($p=1.4\times {10}^{-13}$) and log-rank $p=1.4\times {10}^{-32}$ retained on the CNS5-aligned cohort. Conclusions: The methodological contributions introduced in this study, namely, the topology-aware hypergraph candidate pool construction, the rough set combinatorial reduct selection, the fixed-reference single-sample normalisation protocol, and the nested validation regime combining bootstrap optimism correction with cross-platform DeLong testing, are platform agnostic and directly applicable to future CNS5-aligned cohorts as such resources become publicly available, supporting the prospective re-derivation of molecularly defined glioma signatures within the integrated histopathological and molecular frameworks of contemporary neuro-oncology. Full article

Background: This study examines the clinical efficacy of daratumumab when combined with other therapeutic agents in patients with multiple myeloma, with a focus on key outcomes including overall response, progression-free survival (PFS), and stringent complete response (sCR). Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library. Statistical analyses were performed with R software (version 4.2.2). Between-study heterogeneity was assessed using the Cochrane Q test and the I² statistic, while potential publication bias was evaluated through Egger’s regression test and visual inspection of funnel plots. Results: The meta-analysis revealed that daratumumab-containing regimens were associated with a 54.4% reduction in the risk of disease progression or death (hazard ratio[HR] 0.4558; 95% confidence-interval [CI]: 0.4031–0.5154). Similar results were observed using a random-effects model (HR 0.4667; 95% CI: 0.3771–0.5776), despite moderate heterogeneity (I² = 66.7%). Moreover, patients treated with daratumumab were approximately 2.4 times more likely to achieve a stringent complete response (odds-ratio[OR] 2.38; 95% CI: 1.80–3.15), with moderate heterogeneity across studies (I² = 58.2%). Conclusions: Incorporating daratumumab into standard therapy for multiple myeloma significantly enhances progression-free survival and the rate of stringent complete response. Despite some heterogeneity, the consistent positive outcomes support its use as an effective treatment option in clinical practice. Full article

Background/Objectives: Regional adipose tissue has been studied as a prognostic factor in various extra-hepatic diseases, but data in the setting of cirrhosis is scarce. Our aim was to evaluate the association of regional adipose tissue indices with the severity of liver disease and its impact on the outcome of patients with cirrhosis. Methods: Three hundred and thirty-seven patients with cirrhosis were prospectively enrolled in the study. Clinical and laboratory data were recorded, and MELD-Na and Child-Turcotte-Pugh scores were calculated. Physical performance was evaluated with handgrip strength, the Short Physical Performance Battery test, and the Liver Frailty Index. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was used for the evaluation of total and regional lean and fat mass. Results: A low trunk fat percentage was found to be independently associated with a MELD-Na score ≥ 15 (Odds Ratio: 0.92, p = 0.007). MELD-Na score and trunk fat percentage were the only factors independently associated with mortality [Hazard Ratio (HR): 1.078, p = 0.02 and HR: 0.95, p = 0.03, respectively], while a separate analysis based on gender confirmed this finding only in men. In the total cohort, patients with a trunk fat percentage < 27.5% had worse outcomes (log-rank 11.4; p < 0.001). Conclusions: This study marks the first effort to examine the association of indices related to regional adipose tissue distribution with the severity of liver disease and outcome. Trunk fat percentage was the only body composition parameter independently associated with advanced liver disease and prognosis in the total cohort specifically in men, but not in women. Further studies are needed to validate the predictive role of adipose tissue in patients with cirrhosis. Full article

Background/Objectives: Emerging evidence suggests that alterations in lipid metabolism may play a contributing role in the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors, a novel class of lipid-lowering agents, offer anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits, which may provide protective effects against AMD. We aimed to evaluate the risk of developing AMD among patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) who were newly treated with PCSK9 inhibitors compared with those receiving statins. Methods: This retrospective cohort study utilized data from the Global Collaborative Network within the TriNetX Research Network. Patients with ASCVD who were newly initiated on PCSK9 inhibitors or statins were identified and matched for age, sex, race, laboratory data, comorbidities, and concomitant medications. The primary outcomes were the hazard ratios (HRs) for developing AMD, dry AMD, and wet AMD. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to adjust for baseline demographics and comorbidities. Results: After PSM, 50,102 patients were included in each group (PCSK9 inhibitor users vs. statin users). Compared to statin users, PCSK9 inhibitor users had significantly lower risks of AMD (HR, 0.81; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.72–0.92) and dry AMD (HR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.65–0.94), but not wet AMD (HR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.70–1.16). Stratified and subgroup analyses showed reduced AMD risk among patients aged ≥65 years, White patients, female patients, and evolocumab users. Conclusions: In patients with ASCVD, compared with use of statins, use of PCSK9 inhibitors is associated with reduced risks of AMD and dry AMD, suggesting a potential novel strategy for managing a condition with limited therapeutic options. Full article