Current medical research and opinion
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Optimum treatment strategies for polyallergic patients - analysis of a large observational trial.
To document the effectiveness and safety of sublingual allergen immunotherapy (SLIT) with a five-grass pollen tablet (Oralair ) and compare different treatment options in a broad, non-selected population of patients in a real-world clinical setting. ⋯ After 1 year of treatment, polyallergic patients responded similarly to the five-grass pollen tablet as monoallergic patients. For polyallergic patients in whom additional treatment was needed, a second SLIT may be more beneficial than a SCIT or symptomatic co-medication.
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Comparative Study
Adherence to standard-dose or low-dose statin treatment and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol response in type 2 diabetes patients.
To determine the association between adherence, dose and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol response in patients with type 2 diabetes initiating statin treatment. ⋯ We determined the concurrent effect of treatment adherence and dose on LDL cholesterol outcomes. Given the adherence levels seen in clinical practice, diabetes patients initiating statin treatment are at high risk of not reaching the recommended cholesterol target, especially when they start on a low-dose statin.
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To determine whether amlodipine/valsartan/hydrochlorothiazide single pill combination (SPC) is associated with improved persistence, adherence and reduced healthcare utilization and costs compared to the corresponding free combination (FC). ⋯ Real-world data indicate an association of the amlodipine/valsartan/HCT SPC with improved adherence and persistence vs. FC with no difference in overall healthcare or hypertension specific costs between the cohorts.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Can levothyroxine treatment reduce urinary albumin excretion rate in patients with early type 2 diabetic nephropathy and subclinical hypothyroidism? A randomized double-blind and placebo-controlled study.
To investigate the effect of levothyroxine (LT4) therapy on urinary albumin excretion rate (UAER) in early type 2 diabetic nephropathy (DN) and subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) patients with mildly increased thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels and serum thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPO-Ab) positivity. ⋯ The LT4 treatment may decrease UAER and exert kidney protection effects in early type 2 DN and SCH patients with mildly increased TSH levels and serum TPO-Ab positivity. However, due to the short duration of follow-up and small number of cases, the results of this study need future trials with larger numbers of patients and longer follow-up periods to verify whether such a strategy can provide durable benefits.
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Comparative Study
Influence of different approaches of aortic valve replacement on the incidence of post-operative delirium in intermediate risk patients - a matched pair analysis.
Evaluation of the risk for post-operative delirium (POD) after surgical or transfemoral aortic valve replacement (AVR) as an additional decision parameter for the choice of treatment in patients with an EuroScore (ES) between 10% and 20%. ⋯ In patients with intermediate risk according to EuroScore (10-20%) the risk of post-operative delirium and in-hospital mortality is significantly higher after surgical aortic valve replacement than after transfemoral procedure. This may be considered for patient guidance and the decision as to which procedure is able to achieve the best result including minimizing side effects.