Current medical research and opinion
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Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibition can be an effective treatment in patients with primary hypercholesterolemia, particularly in cases with concomitant coronary heart disease, peripheral artery occlusive disease or cerebrovascular occlusive disease for secondary prevention after an acute atherosclerotic ischemic event. The primary objective of the PEARL-AT study was to assess effectiveness and safety of alirocumab in a real-world setting in Austria. ⋯ The present data indicate a good overall efficacy of alirocumab in a real-world Austrian population. Effectiveness and safety were both in line with the clinical trial program as well as previous real-world observations.
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Observational Study
ProCommunity: procalcitonin use in real-world U.S. community hospital settings.
Procalcitonin (PCT) is a biomarker that may help providers optimize antibiotic (AB) therapy. Numerous clinical trials have demonstrated the utility of PCT-guided decision algorithms in treating lower respiratory tract infections and sepsis, but evidence from real-world studies is limited. This study sought to evaluate the effects of PCT on select clinical outcomes in community hospitals. ⋯ These findings suggest that PCT, along with specific treatment recommendations, may lead to shortened hospital stays with no adverse outcome on patient safety.
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To examine the relationship between hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) reduction and healthcare costs among patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). ⋯ Results suggest that there are economic benefits associated with HbA1c reduction and that these benefits are seen for all patients with T2D and for patients whose index HbA1c is above the American Diabetes Association recommended target.
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Timely assessment of patient-specific prognosis is critical to oncology care involving a shared decision-making approach, but clinical prognostic factors traditionally used in NSCLC have limitations. We examine a proteomic test to address these limitations. ⋯ Advanced NSCLC patients classified VSGood have significantly longer OS than those classified VSPoor. The summary effect size for OS HRs around 0.4-0.5 indicates that the expected median survival of those with a VSGood classification is approximately 2-2.5 times as long as those with VSPoor. The robust prognostic performance of the VeriStrat test across various lines of therapy and treatment regimens has clinical implications for treatment shared decision-making and potential for novel treatment strategies.