Current medical research and opinion
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Options for lowering testosterone in patients with prostate cancer include bilateral orchiectomy, oestrogens and luteinising hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonists. LHRH agonists have become widely used in the treatment of prostate cancer. ⋯ LHRH agonists should be considered first-choice testosterone-lowering therapy for the treatment of prostate cancer, with the 3-month depot formulation providing optimal convenience and flexibility. Assessment of patients receiving LHRH agonists should be based on PSA levels rather than ST levels, although levels of ST similar to those obtained after orchiectomy still need to be achieved. Further studies are warranted before the potential therapeutic benefit of considerably lowered ST levels can be fully assessed.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Bioavailability of triple-bead mixed amphetamine salts compared with a dose-augmentation strategy of mixed amphetamine salts extended release plus mixed amphetamine salts immediate release.
To compare the single-dose pharmacokinetics of triple-bead mixed amphetamine salts (MAS), an oral, once-daily, enhanced extended-release amphetamine formulation, with MAS extended release (MAS XR) (Adderall XR) + MAS immediate release (MAS IR) administered 8 h later. ⋯ In healthy adults, the exposure observed with triple-bead MAS 37.5 mg was bioequivalent to MAS XR 25 mg supplemented by MAS IR 12.5 mg administered 8 h later. These data demonstrate that a single morning dose of triple-bead MAS provides equivalent plasma concentrations to those observed with a dose-augmentation strategy of MAS XR in the morning followed by MAS IR in the afternoon, while minimizing peak-to-trough fluctuations. Triple-bead MAS was also generally well-tolerated in this study.
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Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
Efficacy and safety evaluation of once-daily OROS hydromorphone in patients with chronic low back pain: a pilot open-label study (DO-127).
To evaluate the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of once-daily osmotic controlled-release oral delivery system (OROS) hydromorphone in patients with chronic low back pain of moderate-to-severe intensity. ⋯ OROS hydromorphone may be an effective treatment for chronic low back pain of moderate-to-severe intensity. Adverse events were typical of those associated with opioid therapy.
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Comparative Study
The economic implications of the racial and ethnic disparities in the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.
Previous studies have examined racial and ethnic disparities in the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI). This study aims to examine the economic implications of these disparities. ⋯ The lower use of SSRIs among minorities compared to non-Hispanic whites is associated with lower health expenditures among minorities. SSRI may be a proxy for improved access to health care due to under-treatment of depression in general. The main limitation of this study is that its observational nature does not allow the researchers to determine whether the association between SSRI use and the increase in health expenditures is a causal effect.