Pharmacology/Pharmaceutical Industry
Randomized Clinical Trial: Oral Steroid Does Not Reduce Symptoms in Lower Respiratory Tract Infection
24 Aug, 2017 | 20:43h | UTCEffect of Oral Prednisolone on Symptom Duration and Severity in Nonasthmatic Adults With Acute Lower Respiratory Tract Infection: A Randomized Clinical Trial – JAMA (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Oral Steroid Does Not Reduce Lower Respiratory Tract Infection Symptoms in Nonasthmatic Adults – JAMA Network (free) AND No Benefit for Oral Steroids in Lower Respiratory Tract Infection – Medscape (free registration required) AND Don’t use steroids for chest infections, GPs advised – Pulse (free)
In patients with acute respiratory infection, without evidence of pneumonia or asthma, the addition of corticosteroids did not reduce symptom duration or severity.
Guideline: Systemic Therapy for Stage IV Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer
22 Aug, 2017 | 20:25h | UTCCommentary: ASCO Guideline on Stage IV NSCLC Therapy Updated – ASCO Post (free)
Review: Cost-Effectiveness of Cardiotoxicity Monitoring
22 Aug, 2017 | 19:01h | UTCRelated Guidelines and Reviews: Prevention and Monitoring of Cardiac Dysfunction in Survivors of Adult Cancers: American Society of Clinical Oncology Clinical Practice Guideline (free) AND 2016 ESC Position Paper on cancer treatments and cardiovascular toxicity developed under the auspices of the ESC Committee for Practice Guidelines (free) AND Canadian Cardiovascular Society Guidelines for Evaluation and Management of Cardiovascular Complications of Cancer Therapy (free) AND Cardiotoxicity of anticancer treatments: Epidemiology, detection, and management – CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians (free) AND Radiation Associated Cardiac Disease – American College of Cardiology, Latest in Cardiology (free) AND Cardiac Toxicity Of Cancer Chemotherapy – US Cardiology Review (free)
Study: Reductions in Acute Gastroenteritis–Related Hospitalizations and Associated Costs After Implementation of Rotavirus Vaccines
22 Aug, 2017 | 19:06h | UTCCommentary: Rotavirus vaccines continue to reduce diarrhea hospitalizations, medical costs in US kids – Medical News Today (free) AND Study: Rotavirus vaccine cuts healthcare costs in US children – CIDRAP (free)
Cancer treatment: sorting the good news from the hype
22 Aug, 2017 | 14:20h | UTCCancer treatment: sorting the good news from the hype – The Guardian (free)
“The newspapers love a cancer research story, but many are misleading or won’t affect patients for many years. But there is plenty of progress worth reporting”
Study: Dexamethasone vs Placebo on Acute Sore Throat in Adults
22 Aug, 2017 | 15:00h | UTCMultimedia: Author Interview (free) AND JAMA Report Video (free)
Commentaries: Study Examines Effectiveness of Steroid Medication for Sore Throat – The JAMA Network (free) AND Corticosteroids for sore throat: a mixed bag of results – Clinical Advisor (free)
Source: ACP Journal Club ($)
Dexamethasone increased complete symptom resolution at 48 hours (35.4% vs 27.1%), but not at 24 hours. Trade-offs between the benefits and risks of dexamethasone in this situation are uncertain.
Study: Gastrointestinal safety of celecoxib versus naproxen in patients with cardiothrombotic diseases and arthritis after upper gastrointestinal bleeding
22 Aug, 2017 | 15:19h | UTCGastrointestinal safety of celecoxib versus naproxen in patients with cardiothrombotic diseases and arthritis after upper gastrointestinal bleeding (CONCERN): an industry-independent, double-blind, double-dummy, randomised trial – The Lancet (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Source: ACP Journal Club
In this study, patients at high risk of both cardiovascular and gastrointestinal events who required concomitant aspirin and NSAID, celecoxib associated with a proton pump inhibitor led to less recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding when compared to naproxen associated with a proton pump inhibitor (5.6% vs 12.3%).
Viewpoint: Considerations on the Off-Label Use of Ketamine as a Treatment for Mood Disorders
22 Aug, 2017 | 14:33h | UTCViewpoint: Considerations on the Off-Label Use of Ketamine as a Treatment for Mood Disorders – JAMA (free)
Systematic Review: Benefits and Harms of Osteoporosis Medications in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease
22 Aug, 2017 | 15:32h | UTCBenefits and Harms of Osteoporosis Medications in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis – Annals of Internal Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Benefits and harms of osteoporosis medications unclear for patients with CKD – Medical News Today (free) AND Benefits and harms of osteoporosis medications unclear for patients with CKD – 2 Minute Medicine (free)
Source: ACP Journal Club ($)
Guideline: Opioid Use and Opioid Use Disorder in Pregnancy
22 Aug, 2017 | 14:16h | UTCGuideline: Opioid Use and Opioid Use Disorder in Pregnancy – American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (free)
See also: Summary
Perspectives on Cognition-Enhancing Drugs
22 Aug, 2017 | 13:05h | UTCMedical News & Perspectives: Chess Study Revives Debate Over Cognition-Enhancing Drugs – JAMA (free)
Related: Growing use of smart drugs by students could be a recipe for disaster – The Conversation (free) AND Brain Hackers Seeking Peak Performance Use Risky Chemical Cocktails: “Smart drugs” are not clinically proven and could be dangerous – Scientific American (free) AND Universities must do more to tackle use of smart drugs, say experts – The Guardian (free) AND Tweaking brains with ‘smart drugs’ to get ahead in Silicon Valley – The Washington Post (free) AND Professors take same ‘smart drugs’ as students to keep up with workloads, claims academic – Independent (free)
Guideline: Safe Medication Use in the ICU
21 Aug, 2017 | 01:44h | UTCClinical Practice Guideline: Safe Medication Use in the ICU – Critical Care Medicine (free)
See also: Executive Summary (free)
Meta-analysis: Acute Kidney Injury After Computed Tomography
21 Aug, 2017 | 01:41h | UTCAcute Kidney Injury After Computed Tomography: A Meta-analysis – Annals of Emergency Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentary: When kidneys are injured, CT contrast isn’t the culprit – Health Imaging (free)
Related article: Risk of Acute Kidney Injury After Intravenous Contrast Media Administration – Annals of Emergency Medicine (free)
Source: Hospital Medicine Virtual Journal Club
Compared with noncontrast CT, contrast-enhanced CT was not significantly associated with either acute kidney injury, need for renal replacement therapy, or all-cause mortality.
Study: probiotics can prevent sepsis in newborns
17 Aug, 2017 | 21:41h | UTCA randomized synbiotic trial to prevent sepsis among infants in rural India – Nature (free PDF)
Commentaries: At Last, a Big, Successful Trial of Probiotics – The Atlantic (free) AND Probiotic Bacteria Could Protect Newborns From Deadly Infection – NPR Goats and Soda (free) AND Seeding the Gut Microbiome Prevents Sepsis in Infants – The Scientist (free)
Too Many Drug Trials, Too Few Patients
17 Aug, 2017 | 17:37h | UTCA Cancer Conundrum: Too Many Drug Trials, Too Few Patients – The New York Times (10 articles per month are free)
Cardiac Toxicity Of Cancer Chemotherapy
17 Aug, 2017 | 16:40h | UTCReview: Cardiac Toxicity Of Cancer Chemotherapy – US Cardiology Review (free)
Related Guidelines and Reviews: Prevention and Monitoring of Cardiac Dysfunction in Survivors of Adult Cancers: American Society of Clinical Oncology Clinical Practice Guideline (free) AND 2016 ESC Position Paper on cancer treatments and cardiovascular toxicity developed under the auspices of the ESC Committee for Practice Guidelines (free) AND Canadian Cardiovascular Society Guidelines for Evaluation and Management of Cardiovascular Complications of Cancer Therapy (free) AND Cardiotoxicity of anticancer treatments: Epidemiology, detection, and management – CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians (free) AND Radiation Associated Cardiac Disease – American College of Cardiology, Latest in Cardiology (free)
New 8-Week Treatment Approved for All Hepatitis C Genotypes
17 Aug, 2017 | 15:42h | UTCNew 8-Week Treatment Approved for All Hepatitis C Genotypes – Physician’s First Watch (free)
See also: FDA News Release
Standard treatment length was previously 12 weeks or more.
Benefits and safety of gabapentinoids in chronic low back pain
16 Aug, 2017 | 23:04h | UTCCommentaries: Gabapentinoids Seem to Offer Little Benefit, Substantial Risks in Low Back Pain – Physician’s First Watch (free) AND Evidence does not support the use of gabapentinoids for chronic low back pain – PLOS, via Science Daily (free) AND Gabapentinoids for Chronic Low Back Pain? Not So Fast – Practical Pain Management (free)
Pregabalin and gabapentin have significant risk of adverse effects without any demonstrated benefit in chronic low back pain.
Pioglitazone may increase bladder cancer risk
16 Aug, 2017 | 15:07h | UTCComparative safety of pioglitazone versus clinically meaningful treatment alternatives concerning the risk of bladder cancer in older US adults with type 2 diabetes – Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Another Study Ties Pioglitazone to Bladder Cancer Risk – MedPage Today (free registration required) AND Diabetes Treatments Compared for Bladder Cancer Risk – MPR (free)
An Automated, Pharmacist-Driven Initiative Improves Quality of Care for Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia
16 Aug, 2017 | 15:11h | UTCAn Automated, Pharmacist-Driven Initiative Improves Quality of Care for Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia – Clinical Infectious Diseases (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Automating antimicrobial stewardship – ACP Hospitalist (free) AND Automated intervention aids treatment of Staph aureus bacteremia – CIDRAP (free)
SGLT2 agents may reduce cardiovascular risk in diabetics
16 Aug, 2017 | 12:52h | UTCCardiovascular mortality and morbidity in patients with type 2 diabetes following initiation of sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors versus other glucose-lowering drugs (CVD-REAL Nordic): a multinational observational analysis – The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Related article: Lower Risk of Heart Failure and Death in Patients Initiated on SGLT-2 Inhibitors Versus Other Glucose-Lowering Drugs: The CVD-REAL Study – Circulation (free PDF)
Commentary: SGLT2 Agents Cut CV Events in ‘Real-World’ Analysis – MedPage Today (free registration required) AND Cardiovascular disease and mortality appear lower in patients on SGLT2 inhibitors – ACP Diabetes (free)
Another observational study suggests this class of drugs may reduce cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in patients with diabeties.
Special issue: 60 years of metformin use
16 Aug, 2017 | 13:11h | UTCSpecial issue: 60 years of metformin use – Diabetologia (Source: ACP Diabetes Monthly)
– Editorial: 60 years of metformin use: a glance at the past and a look to the future (free)
– Metformin: historical overview (free)
– The mechanisms of action of metformin (free)
– Metformin: clinical use in type 2 diabetes (free)
– A new perspective on metformin therapy in type 1 diabetes (free)
– Metformin use in pregnancy: promises and uncertainties (free)
– Metformin and ageing: improving ageing outcomes beyond glycaemic control (free)
– Repurposing metformin for the prevention of cancer and cancer recurrence (free)
– The pharmacogenetics of metformin (free)
– Metformin therapy for the reproductive and metabolic consequences of polycystic ovary syndrome (free)
– The effects of metformin on gut microbiota and the immune system as research frontiers (free)
The Effects of Cannabis Among Adults With Chronic Pain
15 Aug, 2017 | 22:25h | UTCRelated article: Benefits and Harms of Plant-Based Cannabis for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Systematic Review – Annals of Internal Medicine (free)
Commentaries: Evidence on cannabis for chronic pain and PTSD – American College of Physician’s, via EurekAlert (free) AND Evidence Lacking on Benefits of Cannabis for Treating Chronic Pain, PTSD – Physician’s First Watch (free) AND Limited evidence available to determine effectiveness and safety of cannabis to treat chronic pain – 2 Minute Medicine (free) AND Little evidence that marijuana helps chronic pain, PTSD, studies find – CNN (free text and video)
Risk traumatic brain injuries associated with antidepressant use among patients with Alzheimer’s disease
15 Aug, 2017 | 20:40h | UTCCommentary: Antidepressant use increases risk of head injuries among persons with Alzheimer’s disease – University of Eastern Finland, via EurekAlert (free)
Pharma Phantasy: The $30 Billion PCSK9 Inhibitor Market
15 Aug, 2017 | 16:41h | UTCPharma Phantasy: The $30 Billion PCSK9 Inhibitor Market – Cardiobrief (free)