Current medical research and opinion
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Scarce data examined the associations of circulating calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) with high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) in humans. We conducted a hospital-based cross-sectional study to evaluate the associations of serum Ca, Mg, and Ca/Mg ratio with hsCRP and examine the mediating roles of body mass index (BMI). ⋯ Generally, our study showed significant inverse associations of serum Ca and Mg with hsCRP in CAD patients. Our findings provided further support for the anti-inflammatory effects of Ca and Mg in CAD patients.
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Observational Study
Extemporaneous combination of donepezil and memantine to treat dementia in Alzheimer disease: evidence from Italian real-world data.
Providing evidence on donepezil and memantine administration as extemporaneous combination (DM-EXT) to treat Alzheimer Disease (AD) in Italy, and describing demographic and clinical features of AD patients prescribed DM-EXT. ⋯ Prescription of DM-EXT is a common practice in Italy. Because the administration of fixed-dose (FDCs) instead of extemporaneous combinations improves treatment adherence, the introduction of an FDC containing donepezil and memantine might enhance AD patients' management and reduce caregiver burden.
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Oral medications for chronic conditions often involve a variety of instructions, including time of day/dosing, drug interactions, and food intake restrictions. However, the extent to which patients follow these instructions is unclear. ⋯ Patients adhered to dosing and cautionary instructions across the majority of the study period but were largely non-adherent to food intake restrictions. Improved communication and increased emphasis on food intake restrictions is needed when advising patients on their medications.
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Comparative Study
Treatment persistence among bio-naïve patients with Crohn's disease initiated on ustekinumab or adalimumab.
To compare persistence and describe dose titration among bio-naïve patients with Crohn's disease (CD) initiated on ustekinumab or adalimumab. ⋯ Bio-naïve patients with CD initiated on ustekinumab were more persistent than patients initiated on adalimumab; moreover, these patients had numerically lower dose escalation and higher de-escalation rates than patients initiated on adalimumab. Findings support the use of ustekinumab as a first-line treatment for bio-naïve patients with CD.
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This study examines the relationships between changes in antipsychotic medication (AP) use and acute clinical events (identified with administrative claims data) for patients with FDA-approved indications for APs following transition from the community (e.g. home) to a nursing home (NH) in a Medicare population. ⋯ Between 2016 and 2018, Medicare FFS patients with approved-use indications for APs had lower average AP use following transition to a NH. Changes in the use of other medications of interest largely followed a similar pattern, indicating that these medications did not tend to be used as substitutions for APs. No clear relationship exists between increases or decreases in AP use and adverse events among NH residents who used APs and had FDA-approved conditions in the community setting.