The Annals of pharmacotherapy
-
To evaluate the evidence for lorcaserin and phentermine/topiramate in the treatment of obesity. ⋯ With lifestyle modification, phentermine/topiramate appears most effective in terms of weight loss. Lorcaserin demonstrates moderate efficacy. Long-term cardiovascular outcomes studies are needed to confirm the safety and benefit of these new obesity agents.
-
Industry-sponsored ghost- and guest-authored clinical research publications are a continuing problem in medical journals. These communications are written by unacknowledged medical communication companies and submitted to peer-reviewed journals by academicians who may not have participated in the writing process. ⋯ Since peer-reviewed data are used to develop health care paradigms, misleading information can have catastrophic effects. A failure to curb ghost and guest authorship will result in an erosion of trust in the peer-review system, academic research, and health care paradigms.
-
Depression is frequently debilitating. The American Psychiatric Association recommends adjunctive atypical antipsychotics as a treatment option when response to antidepressants is inadequate. ⋯ Compared with adjunctive olanzapine or quetiapine, adjunctive aripiprazole was associated with lower mean total and mental health-related medical costs and with lower odds of total and mental health-related hospitalizations in patients with depression.