Advances in therapy
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Advances in therapy · Mar 2013
ReviewLinaclotide, novel therapy for the treatment of chronic idiopathic constipation and constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome.
Chronic constipation (CC) and irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C) are common gastrointestinal (GI) disorders. Current treatment options, either prescription or nonprescription medications, have limited efficacy in a subset of patients. There is significant demand for more efficacious medications for the treatment of CC and IBS-C. ⋯ It has a low oral bioavailability with negligible systemic side effects, and it acts locally in the intestinal lumen. In several clinical trials, in health and disease, linaclotide has demonstrated durable efficacy and safety in CC and IBS-C. Linaclotide received approval by the Federal Drug Administration in August 2012 to treat chronic idiopathic constipation and IBS-C.
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Chronic pain reduces quality of life, utilizes healthcare resources, and increases healthcare costs. It is widespread, but generally inadequately treated or managed, partly due to several obstacles, including a limited number of mechanistic options for long-term pharmacologic agents. Opioids are generally the primary class of analgesic prescribed, but because of associated side effects during long-term treatment, many patients become noncompliant or discontinue treatment. A long-term use analgesic with a good benefit/risk ratio is advantageous. ⋯ The two mechanisms of analgesic action of tapentadol, combined with an ER, appears to provide equal efficacy to a strong controlled-release opioid while providing greater gastrointestinal tolerability. The reduction in incidence and severity of gastrointestinal side effects correlated with a higher compliance rate. These findings suggest that tapentadol ER might be a viable alternative to conventional strong opioids for pain management for chronic pain patients.
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Advances in therapy · Jan 2013
Hyponatremia-associated healthcare burden among US patients hospitalized for cirrhosis.
Hyponatremia is a frequent comorbid condition of patients hospitalized for cirrhosis and a predictor of disease severity and mortality. This study evaluated the healthcare burden of hyponatremia among patients hospitalized for cirrhosis in the real world. ⋯ Hyponatremia in patients with cirrhosis is a predictor of increased hospital resource use and 30-day hospital re-admission, and represents a potential target for intervention to reduce healthcare expenditures for patients hospitalized for cirrhosis.
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Advances in therapy · Jan 2013
Observational StudyProlonged-release oxycodone/naloxone in nonmalignant pain: single-center study in patients with constipation.
Opioid treatment for chronic malignant and nonmalignant pain of moderateto-severe intensity is associated with bowel dysfunction leading to constipation; this often requires opioid dose reduction or interruption. Combination opioid agonist/antagonist therapy can restore normal bowel function. A prolonged-released (PR) fixed-dose combination of oxycodone and naloxone has been developed and efficacy has been demonstrated in phase 3 clinical trials. ⋯ Fixed combination PR oxycodone/naloxone was effective and well tolerated in moderate-to-severe chronic pain in patients with constipation, providing analgesia and relief from bowel dysfunction. Consistent efficacy across patient subgroups provides guidance for daily management of chronic pain when therapy options are limited due to bowel dysfunction, regardless of age or previous medication. Supplementary material belonging to this paper is available on SpringerLink.
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Advances in therapy · Dec 2012
ReviewInitial combination with linagliptin and metformin in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes and severe hyperglycemia.
Making appropriate treatment decisions for patients newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and severe hyperglycemia (glycated hemoglobin [HbA1c]>10% or fasting plasma glucose≥250 mg/dL) presents a formidable challenge to primary care physicians. Extreme defects in insulin secretion make it unlikely that these patients will achieve glycemic targets with metformin monotherapy. Additionally, uncontrolled hyperglycemia is associated with an increased risk of short-term acute complications, such as hyperosmolar coma, and long-term complications affecting the micro- and macrovasculature. ⋯ In the phase 3 study, open-label treatment of severely hyperglycemic patients (HbA1c≥11.0%) with linagliptin plus metformin resulted in a mean change in HbA1c of -3.7%±1.7%. This combination therapy was generally well tolerated with most adverse events being of mild or moderate intensity; asymptomatic hypoglycemia was reported by just 1 of 66 (1.5%) patients. These findings provide evidence in support of linagliptin plus metformin as a well-tolerated and effective treatment alternative to insulin for new-onset patients with T2DM and severe hyperglycemia.