Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics
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Aliment. Pharmacol. Ther. · May 2013
ReviewSystematic review: pentoxifylline for the treatment of severe alcoholic hepatitis.
Acute alcoholic hepatitis (AH) is a severe manifestation of alcoholic liver disease with a grave prognosis. Pentoxifylline, an oral antitumour necrosis factor agent, has been reported to reduce mortality and incidence of hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) in severe alcoholic hepatitis (SAH). ⋯ Pentoxifylline appears superior to placebo in prevention of fatal HRS and thus may be effective treatment of SAH when corticosteroids are contraindicated. However, multiple trials have failed to show conclusive superiority of either pentoxifylline or corticosteroids.
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Aliment. Pharmacol. Ther. · May 2013
ReviewSystematic review: the quality of the scientific evidence and conflicts of interest in international inflammatory bowel disease practice guidelines.
Guidelines published by the international gastroenterology societies establish standards of care and seek to improve patient outcomes. ⋯ Nearly half the IBD guideline recommendations are based on expert opinion or no evidence. Majority of the guidelines fail to disclose any COI, and when commenting, all have numerous COI. Furthermore, the guidelines are not updated frequently and there is a lack of consensus between societal guidelines. This study highlights the critical need to centralize and redesign the guidelines development process.
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Aliment. Pharmacol. Ther. · May 2013
The characterisation and risk factors of ischaemic heart disease in patients with coeliac disease.
Studies have shown an increased risk of ischaemic heart disease (IHD) in patients with coeliac disease (CD), despite the patients' lack of traditional IHD risk factors. ⋯ Despite evidence of an increased risk of IHD and higher cardiovascular mortality, patients with coeliac disease with IHD have a more favourable cardiac risk profile compared with IHD in reference individuals.