Current medical research and opinion
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To determine whether amlodipine/valsartan/hydrochlorothiazide single pill combination (SPC) is associated with improved persistence, adherence and reduced healthcare utilization and costs compared to the corresponding free combination (FC). ⋯ Real-world data indicate an association of the amlodipine/valsartan/HCT SPC with improved adherence and persistence vs. FC with no difference in overall healthcare or hypertension specific costs between the cohorts.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Efficacy and safety of low-dose SoluMatrix meloxicam in the treatment of osteoarthritis pain: a 12-week, phase 3 study.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as meloxicam are commonly used to treat osteoarthritis (OA) but are associated with potentially serious dose-related adverse events (AEs). SoluMatrix meloxicam has been developed with the goal of enabling effective treatment at low doses. This phase 3 study evaluated the efficacy and safety of low-dose SoluMatrix meloxicam capsules 5 mg and 10 mg administered once daily for 12 weeks in patients with OA-related pain. ⋯ Low-dose SoluMatrix meloxicam may have a potential role as a new therapeutic option for the management of OA-related pain.
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Chronic kidney disease is commonly associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and may impact the efficacy and safety of glucose-lowering therapies. Canagliflozin, a sodium glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitor, reduces blood glucose levels in patients with T2DM by lowering the renal threshold for glucose, thereby promoting urinary glucose excretion. This review describes the pharmacology, efficacy and safety of canagliflozin according to kidney function in participants with T2DM. ⋯ Overall, canagliflozin is associated with small, transient changes in kidney function, and is well tolerated in patients with T2DM with varying kidney function status.
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A pooled analysis of two randomized controlled trials (RCTs) suggested that increased bodyweight and body mass index (BMI) may be associated with a greater probability of pregnancy. To address this issue we investigated whether higher bodyweight and/or BMI negatively impacted the risk of pregnancy in women receiving LNG-EC (levonorgestrel - emergency contraception) after unprotected sexual intercourse in a pooled analysis of three large multinational RCTs conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO). ⋯ LNG-EC is effective for preventing pregnancy after unprotected intercourse or contraceptive failure and no evidence was found to support the hypothesis of a loss of EC efficacy in subjects with high BMI or bodyweight. Therefore, access to LNG-EC should not be limited only to women of lower bodyweight or BMI.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Two placebo-controlled, randomized withdrawal studies to evaluate the fentanyl 1 day patch in opioid-naïve patients with chronic pain.
To evaluate the efficacy and safety of fentanyl 1 day patch in opioid-naïve patients with non-cancer chronic pain insufficiently relieved by non-opioid analgesics. ⋯ Although the primary efficacy results showed significant effects of fentanyl in the N02 but not the N01 study, overall results showed that fentanyl 1 day patch is effective and well tolerated.