Current medical research and opinion
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Guidelines for preventing and treating patients with coronary artery disease have traditionally focused on reducing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). Current treatments are effective; however, previous studies have identified a significant proportion of patients that are not achieving the recommended lipid levels. New guidelines were introduced November 2013. The objective of this study was to examine recent practice patterns and factors related to initiating treatment for hypercholesterolemia, which provides a comparative baseline to the introduction of new guidelines. ⋯ Newly treated patients with elevated LDL-C results generally achieved the recommended and risk-specific LDL-C goal with the use of lipid-altering drugs; however, there still exists a notable population of patients with CHD or CHD risk equivalents who were not treated to goal and a significant number of patients who do not receive lipid-lowering pharmacotherapy. New therapies and prescribing practices are warranted to adequately address these two patient populations.
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Review Meta Analysis
The effect of a dual combination of noninsulin antidiabetic drugs on lipids: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.
As an ever widening array of anti-hyperglycemic agents are now available, the effect of these drugs on lipids is increasingly complex and controversial. The present meta-analysis was designed to clarify the effect of a dual combination of noninsulin anti-hyperglycemic agents on lipids in type 2 diabetes. ⋯ The effect of a dual combination of noninsulin anti-hyperglycemic agents on lipids is moderate to small, with metformin + DPP-4 inhibitor and metformin + GLP-1 agonist showing consistent beneficial effects on LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides and total cholesterol. Future trials are needed to confirm these findings.
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Effects of canagliflozin, a sodium glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitor, on serum electrolytes were evaluated using pooled data from studies of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). ⋯ In patients with T2DM, canagliflozin was generally associated with small mean percent changes in serum electrolytes. Infrequent episodes of potassium elevation occurred with canagliflozin 300 mg, but occurred more often in patients with reduced eGFR.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Efficacy and safety of low-dose submicron diclofenac for the treatment of osteoarthritis pain: a 12 week, phase 3 study.
NSAIDs, such as diclofenac, are the most commonly used medications to treat osteoarthritis (OA), but they are associated with dose-related adverse events (AEs). Low-dose submicron diclofenac was developed using a new, proprietary dry milling process that creates submicron drug particles (SoluMatrix Fine Particle Technology * ), enabling effective treatment at lower doses than other commercially available diclofenac drug products. This phase 3 study evaluated the efficacy and safety of low-dose submicron diclofenac 35 mg three times daily (tid) and twice daily (bid) in patients with OA pain. ⋯ Low-dose submicron diclofenac is an effective therapeutic option for the treatment of OA pain.