Current medical research and opinion
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Randomized Controlled Trial Observational Study
Effectiveness and tolerability of the thyme/ivy herbal fluid extract BNO 1200 for the treatment of acute cough: an observational pharmacy-based study.
Efficacy and safety of an oral thyme/ivy syrup for the treatment of acute cough was previously demonstrated in a randomized clinical trial. Here, we present real-life data from a pharmacy-based, observational study on the effectiveness and tolerability of another thyme/ivy combination (BNO 1200, Bronchipret drops). ⋯ Patients with acute cough taking BNO 1200 had a significant reduction in BSS, cough severity and improvement in HRQoL confirming RCT data with the syrup formulation. BNO 1200 was well tolerated.
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Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that negatively impacts the lives of affected people. The therapeutic benefits of treatment only decrease going forward from the time of diagnosis. Motor and non-motor symptoms alike create a heavy burden for patients and those involved in their care. Palliative care is utilized for patients with serious illnesses and when integrated into patients with Parkinson's disease, improves quality of life by addressing symptoms of discomfort, which ultimately reduces symptom burden to patients and alleviates caregiver stress. ⋯ Understanding the connections between the themes surrounding palliative care is crucial for successful integration in Parkinson's disease management. It is determined that integration of palliative care in patients with Parkinson's disease help to not only improve patients' experiences but also their caregiver's experiences throughout the disease trajectory. Further research should be conducted to address how palliative care will focus on alleviating caregiver burden and establish specific prognostication tools for Parkinson's disease patients.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Clinical development and evaluation of a VEGF-D assay in plasma from patients with metastatic colorectal cancer in the RAISE study.
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-D was identified as a potential predictive biomarker for ramucirumab efficacy in second-line metastatic colorectal cancer using a research use only (RUO) assay. We describe results with a new assay for detecting VEGF-D in human plasma. ⋯ In patients with high VEGF-D, ramucirumab demonstrated a greater improvement in OS and PFS vs placebo; however, baseline VEGF-D level was not predictive of ramucirumab OS benefit using VEGF-D assay for IUO. The RAISE intent-to-treat results remain valid.
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After fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) to treat Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI), cognitive improvement is noticeable, suggesting an essential association between the gut microbiome and neural function. Although it is known that the gut microbiome is linked with cognitive function, whether FMT may lead to cognitive improvement in patients with neurodegenerative disorders remains to be elucidated. We present the case of a 90-year-old woman with Alzheimer's dementia and severe CDI who underwent FMT. ⋯ In addition, short-chain fatty acids were found to be significantly different between before and after FMT. This finding suggests the presence of an association between the gut microbiome and cognitive function. Further, it emphasizes the need for clinical awareness regarding the effect of FMT on the brain-gut-microbiome axis and its potential as a therapy for patients with dementia.
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Cold agglutinin disease (CAD) is a rare form of autoimmune hemolytic anemia that may manifest in complement-mediated chronic hemolytic anemia, profound fatigue, and transient agglutination-mediated circulatory symptoms. This study compared the healthcare resource utilization (HRU) of patients with CAD with a matched non-CAD comparison cohort using national Danish health registry data. ⋯ Characterization of HRU among European patients with CAD has not previously been conducted. This study shows that patients with CAD utilize significant resources in Denmark. Increased HRU uses among patients with CAD before diagnosis presents opportunities for earlier diagnosis and management.