Sociodemographic Factors and Comorbidities Including Hyperparathyroidism Are Associated With an Increased Risk of Band Keratopathy: A Population-Based Study in Taiwan

PURPOSE: To investigate the association of comorbidities including hyperparathyroidism and sociodemographic factors with band keratopathy. METHODS: This retrospective, population-based, matched case-control study recruited 2,545 patients suffering from band keratopathy. They were selected from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database, based on the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) code 371.43. The control group included 15,270 sex-, age-, and index date-matched non-band keratopathy patients collected from the Taiwan Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000. To compare band keratopathy patients with controls, McNemar’s test was used for nominal data and paired t- tests were used for continuous variables. Univariate conditional logistic regression analysis and multivariable conditional logistic regression were used to obtain the odds ratio (OR) and adjusted OR of developing band keratopathy. RESULTS: Patients with hyperparathyroidism were more likely to develop band keratopathy than controls (OR, 43.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 23.789–79.544; P < 0.001) even after conditional logistic regression (adjusted OR, 11.28; 95% CI, 5.461–23.33; P < 0.001). Other conditions that increased the odds of scleritis development included systemic diseases such as chronic kidney disease (CKD) and diabetes mellitus (DM) and ocular conditions such as iridocyclitis, phthisis bulbi, and ever silicone oil retention. Regarding sociodemographic factors, >40% of patients with band keratopathy were aged ≥65 years old. Moreover, patients living in Eastern Taiwan and fishermen had higher odds of developing band keratopathy. CONCLUSIONS: Band keratopathy is significantly associated with hyperparathyroidism, CKD, DM, iridocyclitis, phthisis bulbi, and ever silicone oil retention.