Search results: (10000)
News Association of M2 Haplotype of the Annexin A5 Gene with Recurrent Reproductive Losses
Annexin A5 (ANXA5) is a placental anticoagulant protein that ensures adequate blood supply to the fetus during pregnancy, and its deficiency can increase the incidence of vascular thrombosis in the placenta. Current research shows that the M2 haplotype of the ANXA5 gene may be associated with recurrent reproductive losses and obstetric complications due to placental disorders.
News What a General Practitioner Needs to Know About Gliflozins
The revolutionary benefits of gliflozins have completely changed the perspective on the choice of pharmacotherapy for diabetes. They have attracted not only diabetologists but also cardiologists and nephrologists after the favorable effects of this group of drugs on heart failure and renal functions were demonstrated even in patients without diabetes. Dapagliflozin and empagliflozin were subsequently included in recommendations for the treatment of heart failure regardless of the presence of diabetes. Dapagliflozin has also been approved for the treatment of patients with chronic kidney disease.
News Fexofenadine – Non-Sedative and Immunomodulatory Antihistamine in the Treatment of Allergic Symptoms
One of the biggest limitations of traditional antihistamines is the sedative effect on the central nervous system. Newer antihistamines do not cause sedation, are not associated with serious side effects, and some also have immunomodulatory effects.
News Valproate and Lithium in Maintenance Therapy of Bipolar Affective Disorder
Among the so-called mood stabilizers, drugs commonly used in the therapy of bipolar affective disorder, are valproate and lithium. Canadian authors recently conducted a post hoc analysis of a study aimed at comparing their effectiveness in the maintenance treatment of bipolar I disorder.
News Early Effect of Once-a-Day Trazodone in the Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder
Most antidepressants have a delayed onset of action, reaching therapeutically effective levels only several weeks after the start of treatment. Trazodone is characterized by a specific mechanism of action and a rapid onset of therapeutic effect. A newly published analysis evaluated the available clinical data regarding the early effect of once-a-day trazodone in patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD).
News Cardiovascular Risks in Schizophrenics: What Are They Related To and How To Eliminate Them?
Schizophrenia affects about 1% of the population. This disease is associated, among other things, with increased cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality. What is the cause and what to focus on in primary prevention?
News Maintenance Therapy of a Female Patient with AML After Intense Chemotherapy – Case Study
The following case study presents the case of a female patient with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who experienced life-threatening complications after the second consolidation chemotherapy, rendering her incapable of undergoing further intense therapy or allogeneic HSCT. In this situation, maintenance therapy with oral azacitidine proved beneficial – this modality, due to its good tolerance, can be used as a bridge until allo-HSCT can be performed in patients in poor clinical condition.
News Diagnosis and Management of Interstitial Lung Processes Associated with Rheumatoid Arthritis
Interstitial lung processes (ILD) are common yet insufficiently diagnosed complications of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), significantly increasing the morbidity and mortality of patients. ILD can occur at any stage of RA, presenting a diverse clinical picture. Usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) and nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP) are the most common findings on high-resolution CT (HRCT). Some patients with RA-associated ILD may exhibit a progressive phenotype characterized by expanding fibrotic changes on HRCT, declining lung function, worsening respiratory symptoms, and early mortality. A recently published review summarizes strategies for screening, monitoring, and managing ILD in RA.
News New Alternative in the Treatment of Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma
For patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) who are not suitable candidates for autologous stem cell transplantation, a wide range of treatment regimens is available. Recently, the addition of polatuzumab vedotin to rituximab and bendamustine therapy has shown promising efficacy in both registration studies and real-world clinical practice.
News Angiodysplasia as a Serious Problem in Patients with von Willebrand Disease − Case Study
Bleeding into the gastrointestinal tract can become a very significant cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with von Willebrand disease (vWD). It has been described that gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding associated with angiodysplasia is more common in individuals with vWD compared to other causes. Evidence suggests that von Willebrand factor (vWF) is associated with the regulation of angiogenesis, and its deficiency increases the risk of angiodysplasia. It is also known that this type of bleeding is difficult to treat because it is associated with recurrences. The following case study also very well illustrates and summarizes this issue.
News Bilastine and its role in the treatment of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and urticaria in children
The prevalence of allergic rhinitis (AR) in the pediatric population is estimated worldwide at 10-20%. The efficacy and safety of bilastine (a second-generation antihistamine) in adult patients and adolescents have already been proven in clinical studies. Below we summarize experiences with its use in children under 12 years of age.
News Nearly 20 Years with Bevacizumab Has Brought Hope for Patients and Deeper Understanding of Solid Tumors
Bevacizumab is among the first targeted therapies used in oncology. For many indications where chemotherapy options had been exhausted and few other treatment modalities were available, it changed the treatment approach and brought patients prolonged progression-free survival or even overall survival. It has become a standard of care for many advanced cancers. What do we know today about this monoclonal antibody, first introduced in routine practice in 2005?
News Levodropropizine vs. dextromethorphan: Which one to recommend to your patients and why?
Reducing cough intensity and nighttime awakenings, rapid onset of action, simple dosing regimen, and good treatment tolerance—these are the properties we expect from antitussive drugs, not only in pediatrics. So which of these wins in these parameters compared to other commonly used over-the-counter antitussives?
News Effect of Zolpidem on the Quality of Overnight Sleep in Terms of Episodic Memory Formation
Zolpidem is a non-benzodiazepine hypnotic used for the short-term treatment of insomnia in adults. Previous studies have shown that this gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA-A) agonist stimulates the occurrence of sleep spindles during short daytime sleep, thereby enhancing episodic memory. A recently published study focused on the effect of zolpidem on memory after overnight sleep.
News Levodropropizine – a non-codeine antitussive with minimal side effects, contraindications, and drug interactions
For symptomatic treatment of dry, irritating, and exhausting cough, both codeine and non-codeine antitussives can be used. One of the non-codeine antitussives is levodropropizine. Its antitussive effect is comparable to centrally acting codeine antitussives, but with a significantly lower incidence of side effects. Compared to codeine, it has a much narrower range of contraindications, and no interactions with benzodiazepines or drugs used in the treatment of bronchopulmonary diseases have been observed.
News Administration of RAAS Inhibitors in Czech Patients with Heart Failure in Real Practice
A partial analysis of data from the national register of reimbursed health care focused on the epidemiology of heart failure in the Czech Republic showed how inhibitors of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS), i.e., angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi), AT1 receptor blockers for angiotensin II (ARBs, sartans), and angiotensin receptor and neprilysin inhibitors (ARNI), were used in real practice in the years 2012–2018 in patients with this disease.
News The Wound Healing Process Step by Step and What Can Complicate It
Proper care of injuries is a fundamental prerequisite for their successful healing. Knowing the individual phases of healing facilitates treatment and helps prevent the most common complications.
News Metamizole as an Analgesic with a Favorable Benefit-Risk Ratio
Metamizole is a well-established and widely used molecule in many countries worldwide, suitable as an alternative to opioids for patients with moderate to severe acute or chronic pain. The popularity of this drug is associated not only with its efficacy but also with its safety, with no contraindications for patients with cardiovascular, renal, or gastrointestinal comorbidities.
News FDA Warns Against Self-Monitoring Glucose Using Smartwatches. What About in Czechia?
On February 21st, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning aimed at diabetic patients who measure their blood glucose levels (or are considering doing so) using smartwatches or rings. The warning naturally also targeted attending physicians who might encounter this method of non-invasive measurement in their patients. The Czech diabetologists we spoke to have only come across a few cases of this so far. Nevertheless, many of them believe it is necessary to discuss the topic with diabetics preventively and to actively work with those who decide to use such methods.