Current medical research and opinion
-
There is a general perception that research is underdeveloped in rehabilitation professions. However, a PubMed search found that the growth in publications in the rehabilitation field was twice that of the general medical field. Despite this growth, another study focusing on Europe found that the proportion of articles reporting on clinical research in the rehabilitation field remained low (less than 40% of articles). This could be due to lack of teaching about research in rehabilitation schools or the late introduction of such courses. ⋯ Students have little contact with research during their internships, low perceived competence and, consequently, little desire to conduct research.
-
The efficacy and safety of ticagrelor and clopidogrel in East Asian patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) remains uncertain. The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of ticagrelor and clopidogrel in East Asian patients with CAD treated with PCI. ⋯ Ticagrelor was associated with a lower incidence of MACCEs and an increased risk of TIMI bleeding events in East Asian patients with CAD receiving PCI.
-
Fractures due to osteoporosis represent a serious burden on patients and healthcare systems. The objective of this review is to provide an overview of the anabolic agent abaloparatide (ABL) for the treatment of postmenopausal women with osteoporosis at high risk for fracture. ⋯ ABL is an effective and well-tolerated treatment for women with postmenopausal osteoporosis at high risk for fracture. Its therapeutic effects are sustained with subsequent ALN therapy.
-
Lack of structural equality is a major issue to be addressed in observational studies. Their major disadvantage of these studies compared to randomized controlled trials is the vulnerability towards confounding, but they often better mirror real world patients and, therefore, entail an increased external validity. Numerous approaches have been developed to account for confounding in observational research, including multiple regression, subgroup analysis and matched cohort designs. The latter has been often described as a useful tool if large control data sets are available. ⋯ The implementation of the algorithm in the statistical software SAS offers high flexibility regarding an application to various data analysis projects. Specifically, it provides a broader range of features (e.g. diverse distance measures) when compared to other existing solutions for conducting matched cohort analyses.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial
Randomized head-to-head comparison of minodronic acid and raloxifene for fracture incidence in postmenopausal Japanese women: the Japanese Osteoporosis Intervention Trial (JOINT)-04.
We conducted a head-to-head randomized trial of minodronate, a bisphosphonate, and raloxifene, a selective estrogen receptor modulator, to obtain clinical evidence and information about their efficacy and safety. ⋯ Overall, there were no statistical differences in the incidence rates of osteoporotic, vertebral, or major osteoporotic fractures between the two groups. Serious adverse reactions were rare in both groups.