At this year's European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) congress, held at the turn of May and June in Milan, Italy, a study was presented that examined the impact of tofacitinib use on cardiovascular (CV) risk in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

What is the impact of baseline C-reactive protein (CRP) levels on the efficacy and safety of treating ankylosing spondylitis (AS) with the Janus kinase inhibitor (JAKi) tofacitinib? The authors of the cited study below sought to answer this question, with their results presented at this year’s annual EULAR congress, which took place in Milan, Italy, at the traditional turn of May and June.

Children are frequent carriers of pneumococci, which can cause both common non-invasive and more severe, life-threatening invasive pneumococcal diseases, especially in children under 1 year of age and in people over 65 years old. Almost a year ago, a pediatric indication for a 15-valent pneumococcal vaccine was approved, which is enriched with 2 new serotypes and, according to study results, appears to be potentially more effective even in protecting against serotype 3. So what are the vaccination options for healthy immunocompetent children, and what benefits does this vaccine offer for premature infants? Professor Roman Chlíbek, chair of the Czech Vaccinology Society ČLS JEP, answered these questions in his presentation at the June Interdisciplinary Conference of PLDD.

Painful and potentially life-threatening swellings are characteristic of hereditary angioedema (HAE), a rare genetically determined disease. Dutch authors present in a recently published review the case report of a young woman with a life-threatening laryngeal swelling.

Last fall, a study was published in JAMA Network Open, focusing on older patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2), examining the cardiovascular risk impact when treated with empagliflozin, liraglutide, or sitagliptin. Currently, there is limited evidence comparing the effectiveness of various glucose-lowering agents intended for second-line treatment in DM2 patients undergoing routine care, who have a broad spectrum of cardiorenal risks.

In the treatment of prostate cancer, in addition to surgical treatment, stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) and hormone therapy are also used. Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) blocks the action or production of male sex hormones and is indicated for the treatment of intermediate and high-risk prostate cancers, where it reduces the risk of metastasis and prolongs survival. The work of experts from several American institutions monitored testosterone levels during therapy and their connection to the development of quality of life scores.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most common lymphoid malignancy in adults in Europe and North America. However, this field is experiencing very dynamic developments, both in terms of diagnosis and therapy. The biggest changes have occurred in treatment regimens, and recommendations for the therapy of relapsed or refractory CLL have also changed. Innovations have also emerged in prognostic examinations. As part of the update to the 'Red Book' by the Czech Hematological Society ČLS JEP (CHS), fresh recommendations concerning this disease were published in October 2023.

At the annual meeting of the American Gastroenterological Association (ACG) in October 2023 in Vancouver, Canada, the results of the final safety analysis of tofacitinib in the treatment of ulcerative colitis from a clinical trial program involving 1,157 patients with exposure duration to this therapy of up to 9.2 years were presented.

Tofacitinib is an oral Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor used in the treatment of certain rheumatic diseases and ulcerative colitis (UC). The work presented at this year's 18th congress of the European Crohn's and Colitis Organization (ECCO) in Copenhagen, Denmark, focused on its impact on the quality of life in terms of physical and mental functions in patients with UC.

Osteoporosis represents a serious societal problem generating numerous health and social complications as well as considerable economic costs. In the Czech Republic, it is estimated to affect 500−750 thousand people, or 5−7% of the population. From January 1, 2024, the prescription restriction for the indication and reimbursement conditions for the medicinal products Osagrand (ibandronic acid) and Risendros (risedronic acid) will be lifted, allowing general practitioners to prescribe them as well, under the prescription conditions listed below.

Treatment-resistant schizophrenia remains a clinical and pharmacological challenge. Clozapine remains the gold standard in these cases. Unfortunately, a significant portion of patients respond only partially to it. The solution is often an augmentation strategy with another atypical antipsychotic. According to current findings, adjunctive therapy with lurasidone appears promising —⁠ two recently published studies have brought interesting data.

Modern antidiabetics –⁠ gliflozins and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) –⁠ significantly help improve the management of type 2 diabetes (DM2). In addition to reliable glycemic control, they offer other benefits. For example, gliflozins are known for their cardio -⁠ and renoprotective properties. GLP-1RA also reduce cardiovascular (CV) risk, though clinical evaluation (SUSTAIN-6) suggests a possible higher risk of retinopathy. This is also being investigated with gliflozins. How empagliflozin fares in this respect has been shown by the prospective randomized EMPA-REG OUTCOME study and the real-world EMPRISE evaluation.

Current care standards recommend the use of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i, i.e., gliflozins) regardless of glycemic compensation in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and kidney disease, heart failure, or high cardiovascular (CV) risk. A recent study published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN) assessed whether long-term use of SGLT2i brings benefits compared to dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP4i, i.e., gliptins) in diabetics without documented CV or renal disease using data from a large Israeli database.

The new Calculator Naxiva application, specifically designed for doctors prescribing medical cannabis, allows for a simple conversion of its doses to the Naxiva Panaxol extract. Quickly and easily, the required amount of extract for a particular patient can be calculated.

What is the use of venofarmaka before and after surgery for chronic venous disease (CVD), and what effects of this treatment does he observe in daily practice with his patients? We asked MUDr. Petr Majtan from the private surgical and proctological clinic DK Chirurgie in Prague 10.