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News Less is Sometimes More – How Generic Substitution Can Affect Patient Adherence
It is undisputed that the use of generic drugs saves the healthcare system significant costs. Although doctors should certainly care about the health of the system, they primarily care for the health of individual patients – and for them, generic substitution may not always be the best choice. For instance, it is now known that it is not ideal for drugs with a narrow therapeutic range, such as antiepileptics, antidepressants, or antiparkinsonian drugs. But does this mean that generic substitution is always a welcome choice for other drugs?
News Association between Hypothyroidism, Depression, and Anxiety Disorder – Results of Meta-Analyses
The prevalence of autoimmune thyroiditis in the USA ranges between 4 and 13%. Subclinical hypothyroidism affects 3–8.5% of the general population. Patients with this condition are at risk not only from somatic manifestations. The meta-analyses presented below examined the association between hypothyroidism and the incidence of psychiatric disorders – depressive and anxiety disorders. One of the meta-analyses also evaluated the effect of levothyroxine administration on the incidence of depression in individuals with subclinical hypothyroidism.
News Subcutaneous vs. Intravenous Immunoglobulins in Patients with CLL
Secondary antibody immunodeficiency is a common complication in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and infections, along with secondary malignancies, are the leading cause of death in these patients. Hypogammaglobulinemia can be managed with immunoglobulin replacement therapy (IGRT). Besides the classic intravenous form (IVIG), a subcutaneous form (SCIG) is also available. An Italian retrospective study published in the journal Current Oncology compared their efficacy in secondary immunodeficiency in CLL patients.
News Dressing Solutions for Better Wound Care
Although wounds at different stages of healing require different types of treatment, the essential part of any dressing change is cleaning the wound and its surroundings from tissue debris and microorganisms and protecting it from reinfection. Modern dressing solutions facilitate easy cleaning and moisturizing of wounds. Effective treatment also brings clinical and economic benefits.
News Pharmacological Profile of Mavacamten and Key Studies of Its Use in HCM Treatment
A new addition to the treatment options for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, approved for use in European Union countries in June 2023, is the selective reversible cardiac myosin inhibitor mavacamten. The following review summarizes its fundamental pharmacological characteristics along with the results of several crucial clinical studies and highlights the potential integration of mavacamten into clinical practice.
News Early Tumor Regression as a Marker of Overall Survival in First-Line Treatment of mCRC
In the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), prognostic factors besides overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) include early tumor regression (ETS) and depth of response (DpR). Japanese authors presented the results of an analysis at the European Society for Clinical Oncology (ESMO) congress in September 2022, which evaluated the correlation between ETS, DpR, and OS/PFS in patients with wild-type RAS mCRC from the PARADIGM study.
News Diabetic Foot Syndrome: An Unpleasant Scare for Diabetics and Their Attending Doctors
Diabetic foot syndrome is a very serious complication of diabetes mellitus (DM). It often leads to destructive tissue damage distal to the ankle. Due to the complex therapy, it is advisable to focus on thorough and meticulous prevention of this complication.
News Current Recommendations of the Expert Panel on the Management of von Willebrand Disease
Von Willebrand disease (vWD) is a common congenital bleeding disorder. The care of patients with vWD involves significant variability due to bleeding manifestations and treatment options. The new recommendations from 2021 regarding the care of people with vWD are evidence-based and supported by the American Society of Hematology (ASH), the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH), the National Hemophilia Foundation USA (NHF), and the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH). We bring you a concise summary of the key points.
News Multiparametric Magnetic Resonance in Predicting Progression of Low-Risk Prostate Cancer
A newly published study has demonstrated the utility of imaging using multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) and its interpretation using PI-RADS version 2 (Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System) in predicting unfavorable disease outcomes in patients with prostate cancer suitable for active surveillance.
News Teriflunomide under the microscope in studies and practice
Not always do the conclusions from clinical studies fully confirm in real clinical practice. Does this also apply to teriflunomide? Is its efficacy and safety consistent across age groups and individual studies?
News Positive Effect of Pregabalin Not Only on Neuropathic Pain in Patients with Spinal Cord Injury
Spinal cord injury is often accompanied by painful conditions. A study published in the prestigious journal Neurology demonstrated that administering pregabalin to these patients can bring more than just pain relief.
News RETRO-TAS Study – Trifluridine/Tipiracil in Pretreated mCRC in Real-World Practice
How does trifluridine/tipiracil (FTD/TPI), which demonstrated efficacy in clinical trials in chemotherapy-refractory metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), fare in real-world practice? This was investigated by the authors of the Greek retrospective observational study RETRO-TAS.
News Long-term survival of a 50-year-old man with metastatic pancreatic cancer on a combination of nal-IRI + 5-FU/LV in 2nd line treatment − case study
A recently published case study from the Czech Republic describes a patient with progression of pancreatic cancer following surgical treatment and adjuvant chemotherapy, who achieved a one-year survival with good quality of life on a combination of nal-IRI + 5-FU/LV after the failure of gemcitabine + nab-paclitaxel in the 1st line of palliative treatment.
News Study TACTIC – Efficacy and Safety of Trifluridine/Tipiracil in Pre-treated mCRC Patients in Real-world Practice
In the pivotal phase III RECOURSE randomized placebo-controlled study, therapy with trifluridine/tipiracil (FTD/TPI) was associated with improved overall survival and progression-free survival in pre-treated metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients. The below-presented TACTIC study provides prospective data from German real-world practice.
News Alarming Data on Prevalence and Insufficient Treatment of Hypertension in Working Age − Another Underestimated 'Civilization Epidemic'?
The National Cardiology Information System (NKIS), developed by the Czech Society of Cardiology in collaboration with the Institute of Health Information and Statistics (ÚZIS), has provided the first data on the prevalence of hypertension in the Czech population. It revealed that even the treatment of a significant risk factor for cardiovascular diseases – hypertension – is not well managed in the Czech Republic. About 40% of patients with hypertension do not have regular preventive check-ups with their general practitioner, while 40% of hypertensive patients are simultaneously of working age.
News Pharmacotherapy of Chronic Heart Failure with Reduced EF LV - Latest ESC Recommendations
The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) issued an update in 2021 for the diagnosis and treatment of heart failure. We summarize the essential points regarding the pharmacotherapy of chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.
News Can the Use of Statins Help Reduce the Risk of Dementia?
A meta-analysis published last year by Taiwanese experts evaluated the connection between the use of statins and the incidence of dementia. What conclusions did the authors reach?
News Assessment of Infection Risk in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis Treated with Various DMDs
Although the increased risk of infections with some disease-modifying drugs (DMDs) is known, we still lack sufficient real-world clinical data to evaluate and compare the risk levels of individual drugs. A Swedish study therefore provides information about these risks with glatiramer acetate, beta interferon, natalizumab, fingolimod, and rituximab in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS).
News INFOGRAPHIC: Migraine Treatment Without Mistakes
A practical guide on how to proceed with the diagnosis of migraine, so that the treatment is effective and tailored to the patient.
News Thinking About Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis?
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is one of the most prognostically severe and difficult-to-treat lung diseases. It affects about 5 million people worldwide, with an estimated incidence in the Czech Republic of 1/100,000 inhabitants. Although it is a relatively rare disease, due to its high mortality rate (the median survival of untreated patients is 2−3 years), it is essential to have a basic awareness of the possible symptoms of IPF. Expert sources even state that, according to statistics, only pancreatic cancer leads to a faster death compared to untreated pulmonary fibrosis.
News Comparison of Clinical Outcomes of TKA Implantation: ATTUNE vs. SIGMA
The ATTUNE total knee arthroplasty (TKA) system was introduced to the market in 2013 as a successor to the popular SIGMA system. The new type of knee endoprosthesis is designed to provide better stability and mobility than the previous implant. Several studies have evaluated the clinical outcomes of the implantation of both types of endoprostheses.
News Prophylaxis with Enoxaparin After Total Knee or Hip Replacement
Venous thromboembolic disease is a significant cause of complications in surgical patients during and after hospitalization. The authors of a recently published Portuguese observational study evaluated the incidence of complications with prophylaxis using low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) enoxaparin in a population after hip or knee joint replacement.