Dtsch Arztebl Int
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Telephone Health Coaching and Remote Exercise Monitoring (TeGeCoach) in Peripheral Arterial Occlusive Disease—a Randomized Controlled Trial.
Supervised exercise programs are commonly used to treat intermittent claudication (IC). Home-based exercise programs have been developed to lower barriers to participation. We studied the effects of one such program (TeGeCoach) on self-reported walking ability in patients with IC. ⋯ The observed reductions of symptom burden indicate the benefit of home-based exercise programs in the treatment of intermittent claudication. Such programs expand the opportunities for the guideline-oriented treatment of IC. Future studies should address the effect of home-based exercise programs on clinical variables, e.g., the 6-minute walk test.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Digital Medication Management in Polypharmacy—Findings of a Cluster-Randomized, Controlled Trial With a Stepped-Wedge Design in Primary Care Practices (AdAM).
Inappropriate drug prescriptions for patients with polypharmacy can have avoidable adverse consequences. We studied the effects of a clinical decision-support system (CDSS) for medication management on hospitalizations and mortality. ⋯ The planned analyses did not reveal any significant effect of the intervention. Pandemic-adjusted analyses yielded evidence that the mortality of adult patients with polypharmacy might potentially be lowered by the CDSS. Controlled trials with appropriate follow-up are needed to prove that a CDSS has significant effects on mortality in patients with polypharmacy.
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According to self-reported frequencies, every fifth or sixth dwelling in Germany is affected by dampness and/or mold. This carries a potential risk to health. ⋯ Mold in indoor environments should be dealt with by rapid exposure elimination for patients at risk, the rational diagnostic evaluation of any symptoms and signs of disease, and patient education about the possibilities and limitations of diagnostic testing and the generally limited utility of measurements in the affected interior spaces.
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Observational Study
Indications for the Postpartum Oral Glucose Tolerance Test—Data From the GestDiab Registry.
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) affects more than 50 000 pregnant women in Germany every year. In postpartum diabetes screening, a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGT) is recommended. This is time-consuming and can have side effects, and only 40% of mothers take it. The determination of pre-test probabilities might obviate the need for OGT except in women who are at particular risk. ⋯ The probability of a diagnosis of postpartum diabetes by OGT after GDM can be estimated in postpartum screening on the basis of various parameters. This enables risk-adapted counseling of the affected women along with a long-term strategy for diabetes prevention and follow-up. The findings of our study should be verified by further research.
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Phenibut (β-phenyl-γ-aminobutyric acid) is an analog of the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Like gabapentin and pregabalin, it inhibits α2-δ-subunits of voltage-dependent presynaptic calcium channels. The potential harm resulting from the use of these gabapentinoids is currently a matter of debate. ⋯ Phenibut causes symptoms resembling those of gabapentinoid and benzodiazepine use. There have been reports of phenibut use in combination with other psychotropic drugs; in particular, its use together with opiates could increase the risk of coma and respiratory depression. No deaths due to phenibut intoxication have been published in Germany or elsewhere in Western Europe, although such cases may have been overlooked, as this drug is still largely unknown to Western medicine.