Current medical research and opinion
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Incidence of postoperative residual neuromuscular blockade after general anesthesia: A prospective, multicenter, anesthetists-blind, observational study.
Evidences demonstrate that postoperative residual neuromuscular blockade (rNMB) is a primary and frequent anesthetic risk factor for postoperative complications. This study was designed to mitigate the paucity of data regarding the occurrence and degree of rNMB in a real-life setting. ⋯ NCT01871064.
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Epidemiological, diet-based, and some interventional outcomes studies suggest that polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids (OM3FAs), specifically eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), confer cardiovascular protection in some patient populations. This review examines the historical context of OM3FAs in cardiovascular disease and future perspectives on the place of OM3FA products in reducing cardiovascular risk. ⋯ The results of the ongoing prescription-strength, high-dose OM3FA interventional trials will help define the potential role of OM3FAs in addressing residual cardiovascular risk despite statin therapy.
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Postoperative leg position has been reported as an efficient and convenient technique to minimize blood loss and improve early recovery following total knee arthroplasty (TKA); however, no single study was large enough to definitively determine optimal leg position. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis pooling the results from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate the effect of postoperative leg position on blood loss and range of motion (ROM) in TKA. ⋯ This meta-analysis indicated that the postoperative flexion position of the leg in TKA was effective and safe, significantly decreasing total blood loss, hidden blood loss and blood transfusion requirement. In addition, the postoperative range of motion is significantly improved by the flexion position of the leg.
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Only about half of patients with type 2 diabetes treated with antihyperglycemic drugs achieve glycemic control (HbA1c <7%), most commonly due to poor treatment adherence. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists act on multiple targets involved in glucose homeostasis and have a low risk of causing hypoglycemia. While GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonists share the same mechanism of action, clinical profiles of individual agents differ, particularly between short- and long-acting agents. In this article, recent findings regarding the pharmacology of GLP-1 agonists are reviewed, and the clinical effects of short- versus long-acting agents are compared. ⋯ Short-acting GLP-1R agonists including exenatide are well suited to patients with type 2 diabetes with exaggerated postprandial glucose excursions and for co-administration with basal insulin therapy. Long-acting GLP-1R agonists including once weekly exenatide offer greater convenience and are well suited to patients who require specific control of fasting hyperglycemia.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Factors that influence the efficacy of acarbose and metformin as initial therapy in Chinese patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes: a subanalysis of the MARCH trial.
To conduct a subanalysis of the randomized MARCH (Metformin and AcaRbose in Chinese as the initial Hypoglycemic treatment) trial to investigate whether specific characteristics are associated with the efficacy of either acarbose or metformin as initial therapy. ⋯ Newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes patients with lower baseline 2hPPG and HOMA-IR values are more likely to achieve glucose control with acarbose or metformin treatment. Furthermore, the change in BMI after acarbose or metformin treatment is also a factor influencing HbA1c normalization. A prospective study with a larger sample size is necessary to confirm our results as well as measure β cell function and examine the influence of the patients' dietary habits.