Current medical research and opinion
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Treat-to-target comparison between once daily biphasic insulin aspart 30 and insulin glargine in Chinese and Japanese insulin-naïve subjects with type 2 diabetes.
To investigate whether once daily biphasic insulin aspart 30 (BIAsp 30) is noninferior to once daily insulin glargine (IGlar) among Chinese and Japanese insulin-naïve subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). ⋯ BIAsp 30 once daily showed similar HbA1c reduction and a similar safety profile to IGlar when used in insulin-naïve Chinese and Japanese patients on metformin and a sulfonylurea. Moreover, it provided a better coverage of post-dinner glycemic control needs than those who received IGlar. The open-label design and insufficient insulin dose titration were the main limitations of the study.
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QT interval prolongation signifies an increased risk of the life-threatening arrhythmia torsades de pointes (TdP). The purpose of this paper is to review the diverse methods for assessing and monitoring the risk of TdP, discuss risk factors for TdP, and recommend interventions that may mitigate the risk of TdP. ⋯ Close monitoring for QTc prolongation is necessary to prevent TdP. The recommendations in this paper are limited by the available evidence and additional studies are needed to better define the approach to monitoring.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Comparison of intravenous ketorolac with or without paracetamol in postoperative pain control following ambulatory surgery.
The aim of this randomized, patient-blinded study was to compare efficacy and safety of oral paracetamol plus intra-venous (i.v.) ketorolac with i.v. ketorolac alone after ambulatory uterine evacuation. ⋯ Despite the small sample size and the monocentric nature of the study being taken into account, this study suggests, for the first time to our knowledge, that oral paracetamol t.i.d. in combination with i.v. ketorolac o.d. is effective and well tolerated in the control of postoperative pain after ambulatory uterine evacuation.
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Disease-modifying therapies, such as fingolimod, interferon (IFN) and glatiramer acetate (GA), have differing effects on relapse rates in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), but little is known about the real-world differences in relapse rates with these treatments. This retrospective study assessed relapse rates in patients with active MS initiating fingolimod, IFN or GA therapy in a real-world setting. ⋯ In a real-world setting, fingolimod was shown to be associated with significantly lower relapse rates than IFN/GA in patients with MS who had a history of relapses.
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Meta Analysis
Efficacy of gemcitabine-based chemotherapy in metastatic breast cancer: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
To compare the effects of gemcitabine-based chemotherapy and gemcitabine-free regimens, a meta-analysis of all relevant randomized controlled trials was performed to investigate the improvement in overall response rate (ORR), time to progression (TTP), and overall survival (OS). A subgroup of gemcitabine-based doublet compared with single agent was also analyzed. ⋯ The present study suggests that gemcitabine-based chemotherapy was as effective as gemcitabine-free chemotherapy in patients with metastatic breast cancer with increased hematological toxicity. Subgroup analysis indicated that adding gemcitabine to monotherapy might be more effective.