Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research
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Marijuana is classified by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) as an illegal Schedule I drug which has no accepted medical use. However, recent studies have shown that medical marijuana is effective in controlling chronic non-cancer pain, alleviating nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy, treating wasting syndrome associated with AIDS, and controlling muscle spasms due to multiple sclerosis. These studies state that the alleviating benefits of marijuana outweigh the negative effects of the drug, and recommend that marijuana be administered to patients who have failed to respond to other therapies. ⋯ This is in stark contrast to the federal government's stance of zero-tolerance, which has led to a heated legal debate in the United States. After reviewing relevant scientific data and grounding the issue in ethical principles like beneficence and nonmaleficence, there is a strong argument for allowing physicians to prescribe marijuana. Patients have a right to all beneficial treatments and to deny them this right violates their basic human rights.
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The use of stem cells is galvanizing regenerative medicine research. An analysis of recent trends as typified by articles published between 2009 and 2010 in the journals Cell Transplantation--The Regenerative Medicine Journal and Medical Science Monitor demonstrate the increasing importance of stem cell research as being on the cutting edge of regenerative medicine research. The analysis revealed an even split between transplantation and non-transplantation studies, showing that both the applicability and general research is being pursued. ⋯ The non-transplantation studies were more focused on manipulation of transplantable agents including cells and scaffold systems, as well as the use of medicines and dietary supplements. The further elucidation of disease mechanisms was a major contribution. This analysis suggests that regenerative medicine is proceeding at a rapid pace and the next few years should be of considerable interest with the initial results of pioneering stem cell therapies being announced.
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Nocturnal sleep of patients suffering from various forms of dementia is often impaired by nocturnal agitation or nocturnal wandering. Anticonvulsives such as carbamazepine or valproate are reported to have some therapeutic efficacy, but there is little information about other drugs suitable for treatment of this condition. ⋯ Gabapentin was very effective in treating nocturnal agitation.
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Statins reduce coronary events in patients with coronary artery disease. ⋯ Statins use in an outpatient cardiology practice reduces the incidence of MI, PCI, and CABGS.
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The aim of this study was to examine the impact of intravenous methylprednisolone therapy (IVMP) on the recovery of walking ability in patients experiencing multiple sclerosis (MS) relapses, to compare the responsiveness of walking-based measures, and to estimate the impact of different walking-based measures responsiveness on clinical trials. ⋯ All applied walking-based measures showed significant improvement of walking ability 1 month after the IVMP. Responsiveness of various walking-based measures notably differ, thus affecting sample size calculations.