Current medical research and opinion
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Treatment of hypertension remains challenging in clinical practice. One major problem is incorrect utilization of the principal drug classes. Drugs from each class are currently used in accordance with an assumption that the blood pressure (BP) lowering effect is dose dependent. While this is true for most drugs, it is not appropriate for all drugs that block the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). ⋯ In hypertensive patients, a strategy based on ACE inhibitors with dose-dependent efficacy such as perindopril as optimal treatment should lead both to improved BP control and to a better protection from target organ damage, thereby reducing the incidence of cardiovascular events.
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To describe treatment regimen changes of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) initiating metformin monotherapy, and assess factors associated with those changes 12 months post-initiation. ⋯ The findings suggest that gender, race, ethnicity, depression, and low income status were contributory factors to metformin discontinuation. More intensive monitoring and treatment adjustments may be warranted for patients newly initiated on metformin. This could ultimately improve morbidity, mortality, and costs associated with poor glycemic control.
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The objective of this project was to determine pharmacy cost savings and improvement in adherence based on a combinatorial pharmacogenomic test (CPGx ) in patients who had switched or added a new psychiatric medication after having failed monotherapy for their psychiatric disorder. ⋯ PGx testing provides significant 'real world' cost savings, while simultaneously improving adherence in a difficult to treat psychiatric population. Limitations of this study include the lack of therapeutic efficacy follow-up data and possible confounding due to matching only on demographic and psychiatric variables.
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To investigate the associations between obesity and any significant improvements in glycemic control, blood pressure, and lipid targets in Chinese patients with concomitant type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and hypertension. ⋯ A considerable proportion of dyslipidemia patients failed to achieve guideline-recommended targets in China, and this apparent treatment gap was more pronounced among women with central adiposity and patients with an elevated BMI. Based on the limitations of this cross-sectional study, further investigation of the mechanism at the molecular level is necessary.
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To assess factors predictive of all-cause, 30 day hospital readmission among patients with type 2 diabetes in the United States. ⋯ These results highlight the importance of the appropriate recognition of and treatment for type 2 diabetes, prior to and during hospitalization and following discharge, in order to impact a subsequent hospitalization. In our analysis, escalation of diabetic treatments (especially those escalated from having no records of anti-diabetic medications to treatment with insulin) was the strongest predictor of 30 day readmission. Limitations of this study include the fact that hospitalizations and other encounters, outside the Humedica network, were not captured in this analysis.