Current medical research and opinion
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Dietary magnesium may be associated with a lower risk of dementia; however, the impact of magnesium oxide (MgO), a common laxative, on dementia has yet to be elucidated. This study aimed to investigate the association between the usage of MgO and the risk of developing dementia. ⋯ The patients who used MgO had a decreased risk of developing dementia. Further studies on the effects of MgO in reducing the risk of dementia are therefore warranted.
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To investigate the value of visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) in a cohort of a community's residents who were diagnosed as pre-diabetes, and to evaluate the association of VAT and SAT with insulin resistance. ⋯ Pre-diabetic subjects with insulin resistance had elevated levels of VAT. VAT was more strongly associated with insulin resistance than SAT in Chinese subjects with pre-diabetes.
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To estimate the incremental healthcare utilization and costs associated with common non-infectious comorbid conditions among commercially and Medicaid-insured HIV-infected patients in the US. ⋯ The results suggested a considerable increase in healthcare utilization and costs associated with CKD, CVD and fracture/osteoporosis comorbidities among HIV patients in the past decade. Because these conditions have been associated with treatment, it is critical to consider their impact on costs and outcomes when optimizing patient care.
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Few studies have examined compliance to disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) for multiple sclerosis (MS) in minority populations. This study compared adherence, discontinuation, and persistence for fingolimod (FTY) and glatiramer acetate (GA) initiators among Hispanic and African American patients with MS. ⋯ Hispanic and African American patients with MS who initiated FTY had higher adherence than those who initiated GA, similar to the general MS population. These findings suggest that adherence should be considered in DMT selection, and racial/ethnic variations in MS disease course may not be primarily attributable to differences in DMT compliance.
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The effectiveness of a national post-marketing surveillance program depends directly on the active participation of all health professionals. There is no current comprehensive and active pharmacovigilance program available in Lebanon. ⋯ Lebanese pharmacists have the required knowledge and positive attitude to start reporting ADRs, were aware of ADRs occurring with various medicines post-marketing, yet were currently not able to disseminate this information widely or to record it centrally, emphasizing the importance of establishing a national ADR reporting system.