Current medical research and opinion
-
Comparative Study
Improved persistence with non-vitamin-K oral anticoagulants compared with warfarin in patients with atrial fibrillation: recent Australian experience.
Long-term anticoagulant therapy in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF) is essential to prevent thromboembolic complications, especially ischemic stroke, but treatment persistence with warfarin is poor. This study examines Australian nationwide persistence in AF patients using a non-vitamin-K oral anticoagulant (NOAC) drug. ⋯ Persistence with NOAC drugs in patients with AF appears to be superior to warfarin. If continued long-term, this alone will be of clinical importance in the prevention of stroke and death.
-
Comparative Study
Healthcare resource utilization of second-generation long-acting injectable antipsychotics in schizophrenia: risperidone versus paliperidone palmitate.
This retrospective longitudinal cohort study aimed to compare treatment patterns, healthcare resource utilization (HRU), and costs in patients with schizophrenia treated with second-generation antipsychotic long-acting injectables (SGA-LAIs): biweekly risperidone LAI versus once-monthly paliperidone palmitate. ⋯ These findings highlight the value of once-monthly paliperidone palmitate in the treatment of patients with schizophrenia.
-
To identify the risk factors for severe acute esophagitis (AE) in lung cancer patients undergoing chemoradiotherapy (CRT). ⋯ More attention should be paid to the levels of patients' esophagus function. Although there is no conclusive evidence for severe AE in lung cancer patients after CRT, the above-mentioned factors provide evidence to guide clinicians as to which patients will have severe AE and to choose an optimal prophylactic strategy.
-
The Arab world encompasses twenty-two Arabic-speaking countries, where the rate of consanguinity can exceed 50%. Type 1 diabetes (T1D), a chronic disorder that requires lifelong treatment, is believed to be largely due to genetic predisposition. The objective of this review is to discuss the benefits of establishing an Arab population-based diabetes registry, which will provide a reference for T1D prevalence and incidence. ⋯ The prevalence and incidence of T1D is variable among Arabs, with the availability of only a few national/regional diabetes registries to support diabetes research, provide reliable data, and to cope with the widespread threat of this disease. Hence, the need of establishing a population based Arab diabetes registry.