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News Impact of ACEi and ARBs on Lung Function in Patients with Hypertension
Worsening respiratory functions can significantly influence the choice of antihypertensive medication. A recently published study explored whether angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) can worsen lung function and whether this effect also appears with angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs, i.e., sartans). These findings are crucial for clinical practice, especially in treating patients at high risk for respiratory adverse effects.
News Treatment of Depression with Persistent Severe Insomnia − Interactive Case Study
A 39-year-old patient comes to the psychiatric office due to depressive symptoms with anxiety and insomnia. He is worried about failing at work, also concerned about psychopharmaceuticals and their side effects, and is in psychotherapeutic care.
News Treatment for Transthyretin Cardiac Amyloidosis is Now More Accessible to Czech Patients
Transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis is a serious progressive disease that was until recently considered untreatable. In recent years, however, new treatment options targeting the underlying pathology of the disease have emerged, which, along with advances in non-invasive diagnostics, offer patients hope for a longer and better-quality life.
News Polatuzumab Vedotin in Combination Treatment of Patients with R/R DLBCL
Polatuzumab Vedotin is a conjugate of a cytostatic agent and an antibody against CD79b, a component of the B-lymphocyte receptor typically expressed by diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) cells. In combination with bendamustine and rituximab (pola-BR), this drug is administered in the 3rd and subsequent lines of treatment for relapsed or refractory (R/R) DLBCL. If allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is not feasible, patients with R/R DLBCL generally have a very poor prognosis, with limited further treatment options. However, at the 61st American Society of Hematology (ASH) congress held in December 2019 in Orlando, promising results were presented from extended follow-up of patients treated in clinical studies with the pola-BR combination.
News Impact of Azacitidine Maintenance Therapy on Survival of Patients with AML in Remission Depending on Initial Chemotherapy
The QUAZAR AML-001 study showed that oral azacitidine maintenance therapy significantly prolongs relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in first remission after intensive chemotherapy (including induction ± consolidation therapy), who are not candidates for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), compared to placebo. In October 2023, results of a subgroup analysis of patients stratified according to the use/non-use of consolidation chemotherapy and the number of consolidation chemotherapy cycles administered before entering the study were published.
News Metformin and Cardiovascular Disease in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes and Chronic Kidney Disease
Diabetes mellitus is a serious chronic disease that, due to its ever-increasing prevalence, poses a significant problem for society in developed countries. The main cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes is cardiovascular disease, and the likelihood of their occurrence is increased by concomitant chronic kidney disease. In current diabetes treatment, antidiabetic agents are thus preferred, as they also provide cardioprotective and nephroprotective effects.
News Extract of Medical Cannabis Now Available for Czech Patients. What Benefits Does It Bring?
At the end of 2022, a new drug based on cannabis extract Naxiva Panaxol by Neuraxpharm was approved in the Czech Republic. It can be prescribed by specialists treating patients with chronic intractable pain. The treatment is covered by public health insurance.
News Venous Insufficiency of the Lower Extremities – A Diverse Range of Risks, Manifestations, and Complications
Although initially often asymptomatic, chronic venous insufficiency includes a variety of symptoms. Some of its manifestations can be irreversible, increasing the socio-economic burden that this disease, especially in its advanced stages, represents. German authors have summarized the latest findings on the epidemiology, risks, pathogenesis, manifestations, and complications of CVI in their review.
News How Important is the Time Factor in the Treatment of Heart Failure?
Current guidelines emphasize the importance of early diagnosis and immediate treatment for patients with heart failure (HF). These patients are most vulnerable immediately after the decompensation of chronic HF, and intensive treatment can therefore reduce the risk of further hospitalization and mortality. The prognosis for these patients is unfavorable, and any delay in initiating therapy further worsens it. The treatment of chronic HF is often postponed if the symptoms are stable, and the risk of adverse outcomes and sudden death is underestimated. The time factor thus plays a significant role in all stages of HF.
News Older patients with CLL and comorbidities: an option for treatment with immunotherapy without chemotherapy?
Is it time to treat chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) without chemotherapy? The authors of a recently published article in the Expert Review of Hematology journal attempted to answer this question.
News Anticonvulsants Are Associated with the Least Impact on Sexual Function in Bipolar Disorder Treatment
It is known that in patients with bipolar disorder, in addition to the illness itself, sexual dysfunction is adversely affected by psychotropic medications. A study by Spanish authors recently published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine compared the treatment of different groups of mood stabilizers in patients with bipolar disorder in terms of adverse effects on sexual function.
News Efficacy and Tolerance of Dorzolamide/Timolol Combination With and Without Preservatives in Patients With Elevated Intraocular Pressure
The fixed combination of the carbonic anhydrase inhibitor dorzolamide and the locally acting beta-blocker timolol is indicated for the treatment of elevated intraocular pressure in patients with open-angle glaucoma. The comparison of the efficacy and tolerance of this combination with preservatives, associated among other things with eye irritation, and without them was the subject of the American study presented below.
News Does Administration of Saline Make a Crucial Difference Compared to Balanced Crystalloids in Critically Ill Patients?
A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine provided data on mortality and deterioration of renal function in adult patients in intensive care units, depending on whether they received saline or balanced crystalloid solutions for fluid replacement.
News What is the Impact of Bisoprolol on Plasma Concentrations of Dabigatran
Many patients on anticoagulant therapy with dabigatran also use the beta-blocker bisoprolol. The Slovak prospective observational study was based on the assumption that bisoprolol, as a significant inhibitor of P-glycoprotein, may interact with dabigatran and focused on examining the effect of this beta-blocker on plasma concentrations of dabigatran.
News Advances in the Treatment of Myasthenia Gravis on the Horizon
The research of new drugs for the generalized form of myasthenia gravis has made significant progress in recent years. How is the new specific therapy performing? And are we heading towards a radical change in treatment strategy?
News Pregabalin in the Hands of a General Practitioner
A recent Cochrane systematic review by authors from Oxford University examined the effect of pregabalin in the treatment of postherpetic neuralgia and diabetic neuropathy – conditions that general practitioners frequently encounter in their practice. Is pregabalin a suitable choice in these indications?
News Pregabalin in Seniors Confirmed Its Safety and Effectiveness
A pooled analysis of 11 studies investigated the safety and effectiveness of pregabalin in seniors with neuropathic pain. Are the outcomes in these indicators different for older individuals than in the general population sample?
News MUDr. Tomáš Mašek: In the prevention of hemorrhoids, more use of venopharmaceuticals is needed
While in the past the diagnosis of hemorrhoids was inextricably linked to traditional surgical solutions, today - thanks to the expansion of the indication for venopharmaceuticals for this condition - the number of patients who have to undergo these procedures is a minority. We asked coloproctologist MUDr. Tomáš Mašek how the potential of venopharmaceuticals can be utilized in the prevention and treatment of hemorrhoid disease.
News Revolutionary Change in the Paradigm of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Treatment in the Czech Republic
At the beginning of last year, there was a revolutionary change in the paradigm of multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment in the Czech Republic. Patients with MS and an unfavorable prognosis no longer have to go through ineffective medications on their way to highly effective therapy (HET, High Efficacy Therapy), but can be treated with the highly effective drug Ocrevus® from the first symptoms of the disease.
News INFOGRAPHIC: LDL Cholesterol - Recommended Target Values
Elevated levels of LDL cholesterol are a significant risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, which remain the most common cause of death among adult Czechs. We have strong evidence about who and how LDL-c should be reduced, and ample treatment options to achieve this. Yet, more than half of the patients do not achieve the target LDL-c values. A useful tool for practice can be the 'risk traffic light' - an infographic clearly showing which risk category a patient falls into and what the recommended target LDL-c values are for each risk category. This makes it easier to plan tailor-made individual treatment.
News The Link Between Various Sleep Disorders and the Onset of Depression: What Findings Did the Population Study in Denmark Bring?
A Danish population study published in June 2019 examined the link between different types of sleep disorders and the risk of developing depression. Which disorders confirmed this link after evaluating data from tens of thousands of patients?