Current medical research and opinion
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Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Utilization of duloxetine and celecoxib in osteoarthritis patients.
To describe utilization patterns of duloxetine and celecoxib and subsequent opioid use among patients with osteoarthritis. ⋯ Osteoarthritis patients initiating duloxetine had better compliance and a lower likelihood of opioid utilization than those initiating celecoxib. Study limitations included lack of information on reasons for medication initiation and discontinuation, severity of disease symptoms, and use of over-the-counter medications.
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Multicenter Study
Clinical outcomes after 24 months of insulin therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes in five countries: results from the TREAT study.
To assess factors associated with insulin regimens at initiation, changes in treatment and metabolic control over 2 years of insulin therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes in five countries. ⋯ Mean baseline HbA1c was high, indicating delayed initiation of insulin treatment. Blood pressure and lipids were suboptimally controlled. Insulin regimens varied between countries, changed little and resulted in similar HbA1c levels after 24 months.
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Trastuzumab, an anti-HER2 humanized monoclonal antibody, is the standard treatment for both early and metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer. In addition to other chemotherapeutic agents, trastuzumab significantly improves response rate and survival in HER2-positive early and metastatic breast cancer. Although it is well known that trastuzumab therapy is closely associated with both symptomatic and asymptomatic cardiotoxicity, less is known about novel HER2-targeted therapies. The aim of this review is to discuss the cardiac safety data from recent studies of novel anti-HER2 drugs other than trastuzumab. ⋯ Although cardiac toxicity has been reported as an adverse event for novel HER2-targeted therapies, cardiac dysfunction rate of the novel HER2-targeted therapies is significantly lower than the trastuzumab and combination of these agents with trastuzumab did not significantly increase the cardiac adverse events.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Efficacy and safety of linagliptin added to metformin and sulphonylurea in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes: a sub-analysis of data from a randomised clinical trial.
To evaluate the efficacy and safety of linagliptin in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) inadequately controlled by metformin and sulphonylurea. ⋯ Linagliptin in combination with metformin and sulphonylurea has a favourable safety profile and is an efficacious and well tolerated treatment option for Chinese patients with inadequately controlled T2DM. Reduction of sulphonylurea dose should be considered to minimise risk of hypoglycaemia. Although the findings of this pre-specified sub-analysis may be limited by the number of patients in the subgroup, the results were generally consistent with those for the overall population. CLINICALTRIALS IDENTIFIER: NCT00602472.
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Adequate bowel preparation prior to colonic diagnostic procedures is essential to ensure adequate visualisation. ⋯ The use of bowel preparation should be tailored to the individual patient and their specific clinical circumstances.