Clinical therapeutics
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Clinical therapeutics · Jul 2007
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyPharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of epoetin delta in two studies in healthy volunteers and two studies in patients with chronic kidney disease.
Epoetin delta, unlike recombinant erythropoietins, is produced in a human cell line and therefore has a human-type glycosylation profile. ⋯ These studies in healthy volunteers and patients with chronic kidney disease indicate that the pharmacokinetics of epoetin delta are dose dependent but nonlinear, leading to dose-dependent increases in hemoglobin levels. The pharmacodynamic response to epoetin delta appeared to be as expected for an epoetin.
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Clinical therapeutics · Jul 2007
Comparative StudyCost-effectiveness of a lidocaine 5% medicated plaster relative to gabapentin for postherpetic neuralgia in the United Kingdom.
Approximately 50% of elderly patients develop postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) after herpes zoster infection (shingles). A lidocaine 5% medicated plaster marketed in the United Kingdom in January 2007 has been shown to be an effective topical treatment for PHN with minimal risk of systemic adverse effects. ⋯ This study found that the lidocaine 5% medicated plaster was a cost-effective alternative to gabapentin for PHN patients who were intolerant to TCAs and in whom analgesics were ineffective, from the perspective of the NHS.
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Clinical therapeutics · Jul 2007
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyA 2-week, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, add-on study of the effects of titration on tolerability of tramadol/acetaminophen combination tablet in Korean adults with knee osteoarthritis pain.
Combined tramadol/acetaminophen is used to treat pain related to osteoarthritis. However, adverse events (AEs) leading to discontinuation can occur. Dose titration may decrease the risk for AEs. ⋯ In this population of Korean patients with knee osteoarthritis pain managed with a stable dose of NSAIDs, titration of tramadol/acetaminophen over 12 days was associated with improved tolerability and a significantly lower discontinuation rate compared with nontitration. Both regimens significantly reduced from baseline associated with osteoarthritis.
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Clinical therapeutics · Jul 2007
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyEfficacy and tolerability of adding prescription omega-3 fatty acids 4 g/d to simvastatin 40 mg/d in hypertriglyceridemic patients: an 8-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
Patients with elevated serum triglyceride (TG) levels often have elevations in non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) levels as well. The National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP III) has identified non-HDL-C as a secondary therapeutic target in these patients, but treatment goals may not be reached with statin monotherapy alone. ⋯ In these adult, mainly white patients with persistent hypertriglyceridemia, P-OM3 plus simvastatin and dietary counseling improved non-HDL-C and other lipid and lipoprotein parameters to a greater extent than simvastatin alone.
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Clinical therapeutics · Jul 2007
ReviewThe quality of reporting of randomized controlled trials of traditional Chinese medicine: a survey of 13 randomly selected journals from mainland China.
The number of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is increasing. However, there have been few systematic assessments of the quality of reporting of these trials. ⋯ The findings of this study indicate that the quality of reporting of RCTs of TCM has improved, but remains poor.