International journal of clinical practice
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Int. J. Clin. Pract. · Feb 2016
Randomized Controlled TrialA randomised, double-blinded study comparing giving etoricoxib vs. placebo to female patients with fibromyalgia.
Current therapeutic approaches to fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) do not provide satisfactory pain control to a high percentage of patients. This unmet need constantly fuels the pursuit for new modalities for pain relief. This randomised, double-blind, controlled study assessed the efficacy and safety of adding etoricoxib vs. placebo to the current therapeutic regimen of female patients with FMS. ⋯ This is the first randomised, double-blind study assessing the effect of adding etoricoxib to pre-existing medications for female patients with FMS. Although being mildly underpowered this study clearly has shown that etoricoxib did not improve pain scores and did not lead to any beneficial mental or physical effects.
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Int. J. Clin. Pract. · Jan 2016
ReviewPredictive factors and clinical biomarkers for treatment in patients with chronic pain caused by osteoarthritis with a central sensitisation component.
The aim of this non-systematic review was to provide a practical guide for clinicians on the evidence for central sensitisation in chronic osteoarthritis (OA) pain and how this pain mechanism can be addressed in terms of clinical diagnosis, investigation and treatment. ⋯ Clinicians should be aware of central sensitisation in patients with chronic OA pain, especially in patients presenting with severe pain with unusual features.
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Int. J. Clin. Pract. · Jan 2016
ReviewLung cancer screening: a systematic review of clinical practice guidelines.
Lung cancer screening using low-dose computed tomography presents an exciting development for high-risk individuals. Several expert bodies and governments have recently issued and updated their clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for lung cancer screening. We evaluate the CPGs and compare and contrast the recommendations between them. ⋯ The qualities of the selected CPGs vary and there is potential to improve the qualities among and between each. Specifically, more evidence is needed to support the recommendations such as a larger cohort of high-risk participants, and further analysis of the lung cancer screening interval, the benefit vs. harm of lung cancer screening, the timing and rigour of follow-up and availability of effective treatments.
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Int. J. Clin. Pract. · Dec 2015
Older type 2 diabetic patients are more likely to achieve glycaemic and cardiovascular risk factors targets than younger patients: analysis of a primary care database.
Older subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have differential characteristics compared with middle-aged or younger populations, and require tailored management of the disease. ⋯ Control of glycaemia and cardiovascular risk factors was better among older T2DM patients. There is a need for prospective studies to quantify the weight of risk factors in each complication to adapt the therapeutic and care approaches in elderly people.
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Int. J. Clin. Pract. · Dec 2015
The impact of opioid-induced constipation among chronic pain patients with sufficient laxative use.
The impact of sufficient laxative use on opioid-induced constipation (OIC) is not known. ⋯ These findings demonstrate constipation persists despite sufficient laxative use with little improvement in symptoms, HRQL or activity impairment. This ongoing burden emphasises the need to identify more efficacious constipation therapies for this chronic pain patient population.