Current medical research and opinion
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Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
Prevalence of COPD among symptomatic patients in a primary care setting.
Spirometry is recognized as the gold standard assessment for the diagnosis of COPD. However, spirometry continues to be underused, perpetuating the underdiagnosis of COPD. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of COPD in a primary care setting in patients with a smoking history and self-reported chronic bronchitis symptoms. ⋯ Study code ADC109043; clinicaltrials.gov #NCT00442468.
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Management of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease in primary care: a European observational study.
To describe the management of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in primary care, as part of the RANGE (Retrospective ANalysis of GERD) study. ⋯ The findings of this pan-European study indicate that current management of primary care patients with GERD is far from optimal, and accounts for a marked burden on patients and healthcare systems alike. A more structured approach to GERD management, by tailoring treatment according to the impact of the disease, may reduce this burden.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Evaluation of atomoxetine for first-line treatment of newly diagnosed, treatment-naïve children and adolescents with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
To test the hypothesis that first-line treatment with atomoxetine provides superior efficacy than placebo for up to 12 weeks in improving the symptoms of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). ⋯ A continued improvement of symptoms is expectable until 12 weeks in treatment-naïve ADHD patients treated with atomoxetine as first-line medication. Chief limitations are the small, national sample size and the absence of data beyond the 12-week time-point.
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Postmarketing migraine survey of frovatriptan: effectiveness and tolerability vs previous triptans, NSAIDs or a combination.
Compare the effectiveness and tolerability of current therapy with frovatriptan 2.5-mg tablets (in 1-3 migraines) in patients with migraine previously using other triptans, analgesics/nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), or triptans and NSAIDs (T+NSAIDs). ⋯ Intrapatient comparisons showed that most patients with migraine reported significantly improved effectiveness and tolerability ratings with frovatriptan versus previous acute therapies.
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Comparative Study
Healthcare costs of GERD and acid-related conditions in pediatric patients, with comparison between histamine-2 receptor antagonists and proton pump inhibitors.
Gastroesophageal reflux disease and acid-related conditions (GERD/ARC) are common in pediatric practice but their costs have not been well characterized. ⋯ Pediatric GERD/ARC patients incurred significantly higher healthcare costs compared to similar children without GERD/ARC. Compared to patients initiated with H(2)RAs, patients initiated with PPIs had more baseline comorbidities, and lower GERD/ARC-related HCC after beginning treatment.