Current medical research and opinion
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To evaluate the effect of triamcinolone acetonide (ITA) on intraocular pressure (IOP) following intravitreal injection, and, in those patients who experience post-injection elevation of IOP, to determine the time course, effect of multiple injections, and risk factors for the pressure rise. ⋯ ITA is frequently associated with a significant elevation in IOP, typically within the first 2-months after injection. Most patients who do not have an elevated IOP after an initial injection will not experience a pressure rise after an additional one. About one-third will require topical glaucoma therapy for IOP control. Patients with OAG may be more difficult to control and require a longer duration of therapy. The inconsistent post-injection follow-up visit intervals among patients in this retrospective review may have affected our results, as some patients with maximum IOP changes may have been missed between office visits. In addition, practice patterns among treating physicians typically differ as to thresholds for the treatment of elevated IOP. A randomized, prospective, controlled trial could better address these issues.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study
A randomized, controlled trial comparing darbepoetin alfa correction/maintenance dosing with weekly dosing for treating chemotherapy-induced anemia.
To evaluate if a darbepoetin alfa correction/maintenance dosing regimen is non-inferior to a weekly regimen with respect to red blood cell transfusion requirements in patients with chemotherapy-induced anemia (CIA). ⋯ A correction/maintenance schedule with its initial two-fold higher weekly dosing and subsequent Q3W dosing yielded outcomes similar to those observed with a weekly schedule. Although correction/maintenance dosing provided no incremental clinical benefit, Q3W dosing could provide benefits of convenience and facilitate patient compliance.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Once-daily sitagliptin, a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor, for the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes.
Sitagliptin, an oral, potent, and selective dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor was evaluated as once-daily monotherapy in a 12-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group, dose-ranging study. Additionally, the glycemic response to sitagliptin 100 mg daily was evaluated as a once-daily (100 mg once-daily) or twice-daily (50 mg twice-daily) dosing regimen. ⋯ Sitagliptin monotherapy improved indices of glycemic control compared to placebo and was generally well-tolerated in patients with type 2 diabetes. The glycemic response to treatment with sitagliptin 100 mg/day was similar between the sitagliptin 100-mg once-daily and 50-mg twice-daily dose regimens.
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One strategy of reducing the burden of stroke is the prevention of recurrent stroke, following an initial ischaemic stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA) of arterial origin, by means of antiplatelet therapy. ⋯ Whilst awaiting the results of the PRoFESS trial, the combination of dipyridamole plus aspirin is the preferred antiplatelet regimen to reduce the risk of recurrent vascular events among patients with TIA and ischaemic stroke of arterial origin.
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To examine whether nebulized budesonide inhalation suspension treatment reduces asthma-related emergency department visit/hospitalization recurrence risk in children compared with other asthma medications, particularly non-nebulized inhaled corticosteroids. ⋯ For children aged < or = 8 years, budesonide inhalation suspension treatment after an asthma-related emergency department visit/hospitalization was associated with a significantly reduced risk of recurrence compared with other asthma medications and with non-nebulized inhaled corticosteroids. Because this was an observational study, results should be interpreted cautiously. However, this study allowed evaluation of treatment in real-world practice settings not often included in clinical trials.