Current medical research and opinion
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While several studies have examined adherence to controller medications for the treatment of COPD, few systematic reviews have taken the translational step to identifying important and necessary areas for further research. The objective of this study was to review data on the outcomes of adherence to various controller therapies in patients with COPD in an effort to help prescribers understand adherence properties for each therapy. ⋯ Characteristics of the medication used (i.e. dosing schedule, formulation, etc.) as well as patient characteristics affect the adherence/persistence to medications for the treatment of COPD. Further patient education is necessary in order to effectively improve disease management and patient outcomes in COPD. There is a need for future research and educational efforts to improve adherence in COPD and more clearly identify specific behavioral and treatment characteristics associated with specific COPD medications that can facilitate adherence.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Impact of solifenacin on diary-recorded and patient-reported urgency in patients with severe overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms.
It is widely recognized that patient perception of overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms can vary considerably from mild to severe bother. This post hoc analysis reports outcomes in patients with severe OAB symptoms at baseline taken from the VESIcare Efficacy and Safety in PatieNts with Urgency Study (VENUS). ⋯ VENUS was a 12-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of solifenacin (5 or 10 mg/day, flexibly dosed) in OAB patients. The primary endpoint in VENUS was mean change from baseline to study end in urgency episodes/day using 3-day bladder diaries. Secondary endpoints included other diary endpoints (frequency, incontinence, and nocturia), warning time (WT; time between first sensation of urgency to voiding), and patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures of urgency (the Indevus Urgency Severity Scale [IUSS] and Urgency Perception Scale [UPS]) and of symptom bother and health-related quality of life (HRQL) (the Patient Perception of Bladder Condition [PPBC] and Overactive Bladder Questionnaire). For this analysis, severe OAB was defined as baseline PPBC score ≥5 (1 = no problems, 6 = many severe problems).
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Comparative Study
Opioid use and healthcare costs among patients with DPNP initiating duloxetine versus other treatments.
To compare opioid utilization and healthcare costs over a 1-year period following the initiation with duloxetine versus other standard of care (SOC) treatments among patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain (DPNP). ⋯ Among commercially-insured DPNP patients, duloxetine-treated patients had delayed and reduced opioid use and lower healthcare costs than SOC-treated patients.
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To assess the association between pre-existing metabolic syndrome and health outcomes among veterans with schizophrenia. ⋯ In this retrospective study of patients with schizophrenia, the presence of pre-existing metabolic syndrome did not appear to impact patients' healthcare resource utilization or their adherence and persistence with antipsychotic medication.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Effect of a plaster containing DHEP and heparin in acute ankle sprains with oedema: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical study.
Ankle sprains are the most frequent injuries in sport and daily life, and are usually treated with anti-inflammatory drugs or compounds that have an effect on microcirculation. The efficacy and tolerability of a novel plaster containing both diclofenac epolamine (DHEP) and heparin in the treatment of acute painful ankle sprains with oedema was investigated in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. ⋯ Results confirm the efficacy of DHEP heparin plaster compared with placebo for the treatment of painful ankle sprain with oedema. Prompt control of pain and oedema may shorten the time to initiation of a rehabilitation programme, thus reducing the risk of ankle disability recurrence and the development of chronic injury.