Articles: treatment.
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Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a condition of multifactorial origin, is a major cause of irreversible vision loss in industrialized countries. The dry late stage of the disease, known as geographic atrophy (GA), is characterized by progressive loss of photoreceptor cells and retinal pigment epithelial cells in the central retina. An estimated 300 000 to 550 000 people in Germany suffer from GA. ⋯ In Europe at present, there is no approved treatment for GA due to AMD. There is thus a continuing need for preventive and rehabilitative measures such as smoking cessation, a balanced diet, and magnifying visual aids for patients in the advanced stages of the disease.
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Periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) is an established treatment for symptomatic developmental hip dysplasia. Epidural analgesia is traditionally used for perioperative pain management but may have negative secondary effects, including distal motor and sensory deficits, and hypotension which delays rehabilitation and prolongs discharge. One alternative is Erector Spinae Plane Block (ESPB), an ultrasound-guided injection or catheter insertion remote to the spinal canal. Despite high success with minimal complications, ESPB use during PAO has not been studied. This study's purpose was to retrospectively evaluate the efficacy and side effect profile of ESPB compared to epidural analgesia for PAO pain control. ⋯ ESPB provides an effective method of pain control for PAO patients. Compared to lumbar epidurals, patients required less systemic opioids and reported fewer side effects, particularly numbness, symptomatic hypotension, and weakness. ESPB is an attractive option in multimodal pain protocol for PAO.
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Unilateral aldosterone-producing adrenal adenomas (APAs) are the potentially curable cause of 5% of all cases of hypertension. Their localisation (via adrenal vein sampling [AVS]) and removal (by laparoscopic adrenalectomy) require invasive procedures that are unattractive to patients. Molecular imaging-located, endoscopic ultrasound-guided trans-gastric radiofrequency ablation (EUS-RFA) is a potential novel, minimally invasive alternative to AVS and total adrenalectomy for the treatment of APAs in the left adrenal gland, which is very close to the stomach. We aimed to determine whether EUS-RFA can safely target a heterogeneous set of such tumours without damaging the rest of the adrenal gland or adjacent organs. ⋯ National Institute for Health and Care Research Biomedical Research Centres at Barts, University College Hospitals, and Cambridge University Hospitals, Barts Charity, and British Heart Foundation.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Liraglutide for Children 6 to <12 Years of Age with Obesity - A Randomized Trial.
No medications are currently approved for the treatment of nonmonogenic, nonsyndromic obesity in children younger than 12 years of age. Although the use of liraglutide has been shown to induce weight loss in adults and adolescents with obesity, its safety and efficacy have not been established in children. ⋯ Among children (6 to <12 years of age) with obesity, treatment with liraglutide for 56 weeks plus lifestyle interventions resulted in a greater reduction in BMI than placebo plus lifestyle interventions. (Funded by Novo Nordisk; SCALE Kids ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT04775082.).
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Alternative Complement Pathway Inhibition with Iptacopan in IgA Nephropathy.
The alternative complement pathway plays a key role in the pathogenesis of IgA nephropathy. Iptacopan specifically binds to factor B and inhibits the alternative pathway. ⋯ Among patients with IgA nephropathy, treatment with iptacopan resulted in a significant and clinically meaningful reduction in proteinuria as compared with placebo. (Funded by Novartis; APPLAUSE-IgAN ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT04578834.).