Postgraduate medicine
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Postgraduate medicine · Apr 2023
Medical journey of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome and obesity: a cross-sectional survey of patients and primary care physicians.
Patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) report dissatisfaction with the diagnostic process and are more likely to have overweight or obesity. We wanted to understand the role that primary care physicians (PCPs) play in the diagnosis of PCOS and how they contribute to treatment of patients with PCOS and obesity. ⋯ PCPs are often the initial medical touchpoint for patients with PCOS and obesity. However, PCPs play a smaller role in diagnosis and treatment of PCOS. Increasing education on obesity management may encourage PCPs to diagnose and treat more patients with PCOS and offer strategies to help patients with obesity management.
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Postgraduate medicine · Apr 2023
ReviewBiomarkers for the diagnosis and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic review.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease, symmetrically affecting the small joints. Biomarkers are tools that can be used in the diagnosis and monitoring of RA. ⋯ The investigated biomarkers are helpful tools in clinical practice for diagnosis, monitoring of treatment, and predicting prognosis in RA patients. However, further research is still required to investigate novel biomarkers for the pre-treatment selection of potentially responsive patients before starting therapy for a precision medicine in this area.
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Postgraduate medicine · Apr 2023
ReviewEffectiveness of nonsteroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists in patients with diabetic kidney disease.
Nonsteroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs) are a new class of drugs developed to address the medical need for effective and safer treatment to protect the kidney and the heart in patients with diabetic kidney disease (DKD). There are several drugs within this class at varying stages of clinical development. Finerenone is the first nonsteroidal MRA approved in the US for treating patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D). ⋯ Finally, we show that nonsteroidal MRAs differ from steroidal MRAs based on pharmacology and clinical effects, giving the potential to expand the therapeutic options for patients with DKD. In the recently completed DKD outcome program comprising two randomized clinical trials - FIDELIO-DKD and FIGARO-DKD - and the FIDELITY analysis of both trials evaluating more than 13,000 patients, the nonsteroidal MRA finerenone demonstrated beneficial effects on the kidney and the heart across a broad spectrum of patients with CKD and T2D. The long-term efficacy of finerenone on cardiac and renal morbidity and mortality endpoints, along with the anti-hypertensive efficacy of esaxerenone, widens the scope of available therapies for patients with DKD.
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Postgraduate medicine · Apr 2023
ReviewA practical guide to recognize, assess, treat and evaluate (RATE) primary care patients with chronic pain.
The management of patients with chronic pain is one of the most important issues In medicine and public health. Chronic pain conditions cause substantial suffering for patients, their significant others and society over years and even decades and increases healthcare utilization resources including the cost of medical care, loss of productivity and provision of disability services. Primary care providers are at the frontline in the identification and management of patients with chronic pain, as the majority of patients enter the healthcare system through primary care and are managed by primary care providers. ⋯ We outline key methods that can be used to efficiently and accurately diagnose the putative pathophysiological mechanisms underlying chronic pain conditions and describe how this information should be used to tailor the treatment plan to meet the patient's needs. We discuss methods to evaluate patients and the impact of treatment plans over a series of consultations, with a particular focus on strategies to improve the patient's ability to self-manage their pain and related symptoms and perform daily functions despite persistent pain. Finally, we introduce the mnemonic RATE (Recognize, Assess, Treat, and Evaluate) as a general strategy that healthcare providers can use to aid their management of patients presenting with chronic pain.