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Abstracts from some of the most interesting and important publications of the past 60 days can be found in this section. Our researchers scan the contents of hundreds of major medical journals and select articles, which may be most useful in everyday clinical practice. Clicking on the hyperlink of any abstract will take you to the journal web page where full text articles are available upon subscription to those journals. Let us know if you would like to see additional areas covered. Clinical Therapeutics Volume 31, Issue 11, November 2009, Pages 2503-2518 Febuxostat: A selective xanthine-oxidase/xanthine-dehydrogenase inhibitorMichael E. Ernst PharmD, BCPS, FCCP1, 2, , and Michelle A. Fravel PharmD, BCPS1 Background: Febuxostat, a nonpurine selective inhibitor of both the oxidized and reduced forms of xanthine oxidase, was approved in February 2009 by the US Food and Drug Administration for the management of hyperuricemia in adults with gout.
Clinical Therapeutics Volume 31, Issue 11, November 2009, Pages 2665-2677 The thiazolidinediones rosiglitazone and pioglitazone and the risk of coronary heart disease: A retrospective cohort study using a US health insurance databaseNajat Ziyadeh MA, MPH1, , , Andrew T. McAfee MD, MSc1, 2, Carol Koro PhD3, 4, Joan Landon MPH1 and K. Arnold Chan MD, ScD1, 5 Background: The thiazolidinediones (TZDs), including rosiglitazone maleate and pioglitazone hydrochloride, are commonly prescribed in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Although recent meta-analyses suggest there is an increased risk of myocardial infarction (MI) among rosiglitazone users, these findings were not supported by data from other studies. Objective: The goal of this research was to compare the risk of MI, coronary revascularization (CR), and sudden death in patients who (...) Read more... Epilepsy Currents Volume 9 Issue 5, Pages 133 - 134 Lacosamide: What Can Be Expected from the Next New Antiepileptic Drug?by Bassel W. Abou-Khalil , MD ABSTRACT PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of lacosamide (200 and 400 mg/day) when added to one to three concomitant antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in patients with uncontrolled partial-onset seizures. METHODS: This multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial randomized patients (age 16–70 years) with partial-onset seizures with or without secondary generalization to placebo, lacosamide 200, or lacosamide 400 mg/day. The trial consisted of an 8-week baseline, a 4-week (...) Read more... Journal of Internal Medicine Volume 267 Issue 3, Pages 251 - 259 Prophylactic human papillomavirus vaccines: will they do their job?M. Stanley From the Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK ABSTRACT Abstract. Stanley M (University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK). Prophylactic HPV vaccines: will they do their job? (Foresight). J Intern Med 2010; 267: 251–259 The prophylactic HPV L1 virus like particle vaccines are highly efficacious preventing >98% of HPV 16/18 caused high grade cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia (CIN2/3) according to protocol group in phase III randomized clinical trials over approximately 4 years. Data from the trials together with postvaccine surveillance (...) Read more... BJU International Volume 105 Issue 4, Pages 456 - 459 High-grade prostate cancer and finasterideSouhil Lebdai, Pierre Bigot and Abdel-Rahmène Azzouzi Department of Urology, Angers University Hospital, Angers, France ABSTRACT Prostate cancer is the most common neoplasm in men. Encouraging results are emerging in prostate cancer risk reduction with 5α-reductase (5AR) inhibitors. The Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (PCPT) showed that prostate cancer risk is reduced by finasteride. However, there was an increase in the incidence of high-grade prostate cancer with finasteride treatment vs placebo. The number of cases should have increased during the study in the finasteride group with the length of exposure (...) Read more... Diabetologia 2010; DOI: 10.1007/s00125-009-1620-4. The metabolic syndrome: useful concept or clinical tool? Report of a WHO Expert ConsultationR. K. Simmons1, K. G. M. M. Alberti2, E. A. M. Gale3, S. Colagiuri4, J. Tuomilehto5, 6, Q. Qiao5, A. Ramachandran7, N. Tajima8, I. Brajkovich Mirchov9, A. Ben-Nakhi10, G. Reaven11, B. Hama Sambo12, S. Mendis13 and G. Roglic13 Introduction Diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD) are, together with cancer and chronic respiratory disease, the world’s biggest killers, causing an estimated 35 million deaths each year, 80% of which are in low- and middle-income countries [1]. Cost-effective strategies exist to control this growing burden, but non-communicable disease (NCD) programmes are drastically underfunded at the national and global levels, and prevention does not feature among current Millennium Development (...) Read more... Current Medical Research and Opinion February 2010, Vol. 26, No. 2, Pages 271-278 Determination of non-treatment with statins of high risk patients in the NetherlandsPieter van den Haak a, Edith Heintjes a, Arian W. Plat a, Willem Jan Meerding b, Kate Webb c, Miriam C. Sturkenboom d, Ron M.C. Herings a, d Address for correspondence:E. Heintjes PhD, Scientific Research Manager, PHARMO Institute, PO Box 85222, 3508 AE Utrecht, The Netherlands. Tel.: +31(0)30 2345 170; Fax: +31(0)30 2345 568;edith.heintjes@pharmo.nl Objective: To determine in the Netherlands what proportions of high risk patients with established cardiovascular disease (CVD) or diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM2) who were not treated with statins on 1 January 2007 and which characteristics were associated with non-treatment.
Gynecological Endocrinology February 2010, Vol. 26, No. 2, Pages 81-85 Natural hormone therapy for menopauseKhalid Mahmud Innovative Directions in Health, Minneapolis, MN, USA Correspondence: Innovative Directions in Health, 4005 W, 65th Street, Suite 212, Edina, MN 55435, USA. Tel: +952-922-2345. E-mail: kmahmud@idinhealth.com Menopausal women are deficient in estrogen, progesterone, and frequently in testosterone and DHEA. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in the United States has generally consisted of one or two agents, typically equine estrogen and medroxyprogesterone, with increased risk of heart attack, stroke, dementia, and breast cancer [WHI trials]. Bio-identical hormones [chemically endogenous hormones] have gained popularity and can be mixed according to physician’s orders by compounding pharmacists in (...) Read more... Vaccine Volume 28, Issue 4, 22 January 2010, Pages 989-995 Patient and clinic factors associated with adolescent human papillomavirus vaccine utilization within a university-based health systemAmanda Dempseya, , , Lisa Cohna, Vanessa Daltonb and Mack Ruffinc a University of Michigan, Department of Pediatrics, Child Health Evaluation and Research Unit, United States b University of Michigan, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, United States c University of Michigan, Department of Family Medicine, United States Abstract We reviewed clinical and billing data from a university-based health system to assess HPV vaccine utilization among 9–18-year-old girls by individual, visit and medical specialty characteristics. Our sample included 10,082 adolescent patients with 27,928 visits to outpatient family medicine (FM), pediatric and gynecology clinics between January 2007 and March 2008. Vaccine series completion was low among eligible adolescents (15%), with important disparities in vaccine utilization (...) Read more... Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition: February 2010 - Volume 50 - Issue - p S14–S34 Systematic Review of the Evidence Base for the Medical Treatment of Paediatric Inflammatory Bowel DiseaseWilson, DC; Thomas, AG; Croft, NM; Newby, E; Akobeng, AK; Sawczenko, A; Fell, JME; Murphy, MS; Beattie, RM; Sandhu, BK; Mitton, SG; and the IBD Working Group of the British Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition Objective: To systematically review the evidence base for the medical (pharmaceutical and nutritional) treatment of paediatric inflammatory bowel disease. Methods: Key clinical questions were formulated regarding different treatment modalities used in the treatment of paediatric (not adult-onset) IBD, in particular the induction and maintenance of remission in Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis. Electronic searches were performed from January 1966 to December 2006, using the electronic (...) Read more... Osteoarthritis and Cartilage Volume 18, Issue 2, February 2010, Pages 273-277 A comparison of five approaches to measurement of anatomic knee alignment from radiographsG. McDaniel†, K.L. Mitchell†, C. Charles‡ and V.B. Kraus†, † Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, USA ‡ Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, USA Objective The recent recognition of the correlation of the hip–knee–ankle angle (HKA) with femur–tibia angle (FTA) on a standard knee radiograph has led to the increasing inclusion of FTA assessments in OA studies due to its clinical relevance, cost effectiveness and minimal radiation exposure. Our goal was to investigate the performance metrics of currently used methods of FTA measurement to determine whether a specific protocol could be recommended based on these results. Methods Inter- and (...) Read more... Osteoarthritis and Cartilage Volume 18, Issue 2, February 2010, Pages 184-191 Contrast Enhanced Computed Tomography can predict the glycosaminoglycan content and biomechanical properties of articular cartilageP.N. Bansal†, ‡, N.S. Joshi§, V. Entezari†, M.W. Grinstaff‡, §, , and B.D. Snyder†, Objective An early hallmark of osteoarthritis (OA) is the progressive loss of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), the extracellular matrix (ECM) component of articular cartilage that confers it with compressive stiffness. Our aim in this work is to establish the feasibility of using Contrast Enhanced Computed Tomography (CECT) with an anionic iodinated contrast agent – Cysto Conray II – as a minimally invasive tool to measure the changes in the GAG content as well as the compressive stiffness of (...) Read more... Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics. January 2010, 12(1): 89-94. Attitudes Towards Insulin Pump Therapy Among Adolescents and Young PeopleSabine Seereiner, Kurt Neeser, Christian Weber, Karsten Schreiber, Wolfgang Habacher, Ivo Rakovac, Peter Beck, Louise Schmidt, Thomas R. Pieber Purpose: This study investigated reasons for the rejection and discontinuation of insulin pump therapy and explored general attitudes towards this mode of therapy among young patients with type 1 diabetes. Methods: A questionnaire was developed using a focus group of young people with diabetes. It was then used to survey a random sample of adolescents and young people identified by physicians specializing in diabetes care and participating in a voluntary quality improvement initiative in (...) Read more... Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics. January 2010, 12(1): 11-24. The Role of Basal Insulin and Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Agonists in the Therapeutic Management of Type 2 Diabetes—A Comprehensive ReviewSatish K. Garg, M.D. Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics and Director, Adult Program, Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado. Abstract The treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has been revolutionized by the introduction of novel therapeutic regimens following the clinical approval of the long-acting basal insulin glargine 10 years ago, followed by insulin detemir and, more recently, agents that target the glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1 system with dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4)-resistant products, such as liraglutide and exenatide, and DPP-4 inhibitors, such as sitagliptin, saxagliptin, alogliptin, and (...) Read more... TheLancet Neurology Volume 9, Issue 2, February 2010, Pages 149-158 Differential diagnosis of parkinsonism: a metabolic imaging study using pattern analysisChris C Tang MDa, ‡, Kathleen L Poston MDa, c, e, ‡, Thomas Eckert MDa, d, Andrew Feigin MDa, Steven Frucht MDe, Mark Gudesblatt MDg, Vijay Dhawan PhDa, h, Martin Lesser PhDb, Jean-Paul Vonsattel MDf, Stanley Fahn MDe and David Eidelberg MDa, h, Background Idiopathic Parkinson’s disease can present with symptoms similar to those of multiple system atrophy or progressive supranuclear palsy. We aimed to assess whether metabolic brain imaging combined with spatial covariance analysis could accurately discriminate patients with parkinsonism who had different underlying disorders. Methods Between January, 1998, and December, 2006, patients from the New York area who had parkinsonian features but uncertain clinical diagnosis had (...) Read more... TheLancet Neurology Volume 9, Issue 2, February 2010, Pages 159-166 Early treatment with aspirin plus extended-release dipyridamole for transient ischaemic attack or ischaemic stroke within 24 h of symptom onset (EARLY trial): a randomised, open-label, blinded-endpoint trialReinhard Dengler MDa, , , Hans-Christoph Diener MDb, Andreas Schwartz MDc, Martin Grond MDd, Helmut Schumacher PhDe, Thomas Machnig MDf, Christoph Cyrill Eschenfelder MDe, g, Joachim Leonard PhDe, Karin Weissenborn MDa, Andreas Kastrup MDh, Roman Haberl MDi and for the EARLY investigators‡ Background Little is known about the best antiplatelet treatment immediately after ischaemic stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA). The EARLY trial aimed to compare outcome in patients given aspirin plus extended-release dipyridamole twice daily either within 24 h of stroke or TIA or after 7 days of aspirin monotherapy. Methods In 46 stroke units in Germany, patients aged 18 years or more who presented with symptoms of an acute ischaemic stroke that caused a measurable neurological (...) Read more... Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice Volume 87, Issue 1, January 2010, Pages 15-19 Mortality attributable to diabetes: Estimates for the year 2010Gojka Roglica, , and Nigel Unwinb a Department of Chronic Diseases and Health Promotion, World Health Organization, Avenue Appia 20, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland b Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK Abstract Country and global health statistics underestimate the number of excess deaths due to diabetes. The aim of the study was to provide a more accurate estimate of the number of deaths attributable to diabetes for the year 2010. A computerized disease model was used to obtain the estimates. The baseline input data included the population structure, estimates of diabetes prevalence, estimates of underlying mortality and estimates of the relative risk of death for people with diabetes (...) Read more... Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice Volume 87, Issue 1, January 2010, Pages 4-14 Global estimates of the prevalence of diabetes for 2010 and 2030.E. Shaw , a, , R.A. Sicreea and P.Z. Zimmeta a Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, Australia Aim We estimated the number of people worldwide with diabetes for the years 2010 and 2030. Methods Studies from 91 countries were used to calculate age- and sex-specific diabetes prevalences, which were applied to national population estimates, to determine national diabetes prevalences for all 216 countries for 2010 and 2030. Studies were identified using Medline, and contact with all national and regional International Diabetes Federation offices. Studies were included if diabetes (...) Read more... Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology Volume 62, Issue 2, February 2010, Pages 227-232 A population-based study of cutaneous melanoma in Alberta, Canada (1993-2002)Andrei I. Metelitsa MDa, , , Douglas C. Dover MScc, Michael Smylie MDd, Chris J. de Gara MBBS, MSb and Gilles J. Lauzon MD, PhDa a Division of Dermatology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada b Department of Surgery, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada c Alberta Health and Wellness, Public Health Division, Surveillance and Environmental Health, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada d Department of Medicine, Cross Cancer Institute, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Background There is evidence to suggest that melanoma incidence rates continue to rise in Canada and the United States. Objective Our objective was to determine cutaneous melanoma trends from 1993 to 2002 in the province of Alberta and to compare the results to previously published provincial analyses for the decade of 1967-1976. Methods A retrospective study of 3479 patients with cutaneous melanoma diagnosed in Alberta between 1993 and 2002 was conducted. Estimates of relative survival (...) Read more... Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology Volume 62, Issue 2, February 2010, Pages 191-202 Abdullah Alkhalifah MDa, Adel Alsantali MDa, Eddy Wang BSca, Kevin J. McElwee PhDa and Jerry Shapiro MDaa Department of Dermatology and Skin Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada b Department of Dermatology, New York University, New York, New York Various therapeutic agents have been described for the treatment of alopecia areata (AA), but none are curative or preventive. The aim of AA treatment is to suppress the activity of the disease. The high rate of spontaneous remission and the paucity of randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies make the evidence-based assessment of these therapies difficult. The second part of this two-part series on AA discusses treatment options in detail and suggests treatment plans according (...) Read more... |