International journal of clinical practice
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Int. J. Clin. Pract. · Mar 2014
Observational StudyLong-term testosterone therapy in hypogonadal men ameliorates elements of the metabolic syndrome: an observational, long-term registry study.
The goal of this study was to determine if long-term testosterone (T) therapy in men with hypogonadism, henceforth referred to as testosterone deficiency (TD), ameliorates or improves metabolic syndrome (MetS) components. ⋯ Long-term T therapy, at physiological levels, ameliorates MetS components. These findings strongly suggest that T therapy in hypogonadal men may prove useful in reducing the risk of cardiometabolic diseases.
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Int. J. Clin. Pract. · Mar 2014
Observational StudyOnce bitten, twice shy: concern about gaining weight after smoking cessation and its association with seeking treatment.
Concern about weight gain after quitting smoking is often cited as a barrier to smokers making a quit attempt or seeking treatment. ⋯ Among smokers who gained weight on a previous quit attempt, NTS had greater concern about gaining weight and less confidence in their ability to maintain their weight after quitting than treatment seekers. Clinicians can identify smokers for whom WGC may be a barrier to seeking treatment by asking if they gained weight on a previous quit attempt. These smokers should be assured that this issue will be addressed in treatment.
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Int. J. Clin. Pract. · Feb 2014
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyEffect of tamsulosin on stone expulsion in proximal ureteral calculi: an open-label randomized controlled trial.
Medical expulsive therapy (MET) using alpha-blockers is effective for distal ureteral calculi (UC). We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of tamsulosin for proximal UC expulsion. ⋯ Tamsulosin was associated with significantly higher stone expulsion rate and shorter expulsion time in proximal UC ≤ 6 mm compared with conservative managements only. Our results indicate that similar to patients with distal UC, MET using tamsulosin is a reasonable treatment option for patients with proximal UC.
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Int. J. Clin. Pract. · Feb 2014
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study Pragmatic Clinical TrialOn-demand treatment with alverine citrate/simeticone compared with standard treatments for irritable bowel syndrome: results of a randomised pragmatic study.
In routine practice, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms are often difficult to be relieved and impair significantly patients' quality of life (QoL). A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study has shown the efficacy of alverine citrate/simeticone (ACS) combination for IBS symptom relief. ⋯ After 6 months, on-demand ACS treatment led to a greater improvement of QoL, reduced the burden of the disease and was more effective for IBS symptom relief than usual treatments.