Use of digital health tools in inflammatory bowel disease. / Uso de herramientas digitales en salud en enfermedad inflamatoria intestinal.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the characteristics and use of digital health tools (DHT) in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). METHODS: We performed a qualitative study based on a narrative literature review, a questionnaire and on the opinion of 3 expert gastroenterologists. Several searches were carried out until September 2022 through Medline to identify articles on the use of DHT in IBD by healthcare professionals. A structured questionnaire was designed to be answered by health professionals involved in the care of patients with IBD. The experts generated a set of recommendations. RESULTS: There are multiple DHT for IBD with different characteristics and contents. We received 29 questionnaires. Almost 50% of the participants were 41-50 years old, the majority were women (83%) and 90% were gastroenterologists. A total of 96% reported the use of several DHT, but 20% used them occasionally or infrequently. Web pages were found the most used (62%). DHT are mostly used to get information (80%), followed by clinical practice issues (70%) and educational purposes (62%). G-Educainflamatoria website is the best known and most used HDS (96% and 64%, respectively). The main barriers to the use of DHT in IBD were the lack of time (55%), doubts about the benefit of DHT (50%) and the excess of information (40%). CONCLUSIONS: Healthcare professionals involved in the care of patients with to IBD frequently use DHT, although actions are needed to optimize their use and to guarantee their efficient and safe use.

Safety Profile and Tolerability of Topical Phosphodiesterase 4 Inhibitors for the Treatment of Atopic Dermatitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: Evaluate the safety profile and tolerability of topical phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) inhibitors versus vehicle as treatment for atopic dermatitis in published studies. Methods: A search was performed in Medline/PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases on September 27, 2021, by 1 evaluator, without restrictions on publication dates or languages. Terms such as atopic dermatitis, phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitors, calcineurin inhibitors, and randomized controlled trials were included. The database searches were carried out by 1 evaluator. The titles and abstracts were reviewed for the identification and evaluation of potentially eligible studies. Study selection was made by two reviewers, so there was no intra-examiner statistic at the study selection step. The full-text articles were reviewed to determine whether or not they would be included in the systematic review. Global analyses, which included studies with both unclear and low risk of bias and subanalyses of studies with a low risk of bias were performed. Results: Out of 237 identified articles, 14 clinical trials were included in the meta-analysis. In global analyses of studies with low and unclear risk of bias, topical treatment with PDE4 inhibitors did not differ from vehicle treatment in global treatment emergent adverse events (relative risk = 0.99; 95% CI, 0.87-1.14; P = 0.94) or in serious emergent adverse events appearance (relative risk = 0.92; 95% CI, 0.39-2.20; P = 0.86). In subanalyses of studies with a low risk of bias, a reduced rate of atopic dermatitis exacerbation was observed in PDE4 inhibitors compared with the vehicle (relative risk = 0.62; 95% CI, 0.39-0.98; P = 0.04) and risk of pain at the application site was confirmed (relative risk = 2.59; 95% CI, 1.27-5.28; P = 0.01). Conclusions: PDE4 inhibitors did not show differences from vehicle treatment in treatment emergent adverse events or serious emergent adverse events incidence. In studies with low risk of bias, PDE4 inhibitors had a statistically significant risk of producing pain and reduced occurrence of atopic dermatitis exacerbation.

Do patient characteristics predict which patients with overactive bladder benefit from a higher fesoterodine dose?

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: We sought to determine whether baseline characteristics predict which overactive bladder (OAB) patients benefit from fesoterodine 8 mg versus 4 mg. METHODS: In double-blind, placebo-controlled, flexible-dose trials, baseline characteristics of OAB patients with ≥ 1 urgency urinary incontinence (UUI) episodes/24 h who escalated from fesoterodine 4 mg to 8 mg were evaluated. Possible dose-escalation predictors (age; sex; previous antimuscarinic use; UUI, micturitions, and urgency episodes/24 h; race; body mass index; time to dose escalation; OAB duration) were compared in escalators versus non-escalators. Patients from fixed-dose trials with dose-escalator characteristics were identified (matched dose-escalator sample) to assess changes from baseline with fesoterodine 4 mg, 8 mg, and placebo. RESULTS: In flexible-dose trials, significant predictors of fesoterodine dose escalation were younger age (≤ 65.8 years), greater number of baseline micturitions (≥ 13.1) and urgency episodes/24 h (≥ 10.9), greater OAB duration (≥ 9.1 years), and more frequent previous antimuscarinic use (58.3%), but not baseline UUI episodes/24 h. In the matched dose-escalator sample (fesoterodine 4 mg: n = 215; 8 mg: n = 198; placebo: n = 217), change from baseline in UUI episodes significantly improved with fesoterodine 8 mg versus 4 mg (P = 0.043) and with both doses versus placebo (P < 0.001). Dry mouth and constipation rates were higher with fesoterodine 8 mg. CONCLUSIONS: Dose-escalator patients had a significantly greater UUI response with fesoterodine 8 mg versus 4 mg. Given the potential for adverse events, fesoterodine 4 mg is recommended to start; however, patients with UUI and identified predictors may benefit from initial treatment with fesoterodine 8 mg or rapid dose escalation.

A pooled analysis of the efficacy of fesoterodine for the treatment of overactive bladder, and the relationship between safety, co-morbidity and polypharmacy in patients aged 65 years or older.

Background: overactive bladder (OAB) is a common condition in older persons. Antimuscarinic treatment remains the mainstay of treatment of OAB but clinicians have been reluctant to prescribe this to older patients. This study examined efficacy and safety information from patients >65 in fesoterodine trials to reaffirm efficacy and to explore the relationships between treatment emergent adverse events (TEAEs), coexisting medication and co-morbidity. Methods: data from 10 double-blind, placebo-controlled studies were analysed. A logistic regression analysis, where TEAE incidence was predicted by treatment, prior antimuscarinic treatment, number of coexisting medications, number of concomitant diseases and all possible combinations of two-way interaction terms with treatment was conducted. Results: of 4,040 patients who participated in trials; fesoterodine treatment was associated with statistically significant reductions in all disease-related and patient-reported outcomes compared to placebo. There was a significant increase in the likelihood of reporting a TEAE in association with the number of coexistent medications (odds ratio (OR) = 1.028, 95% CI: 1.0143-1.044, P < 0.003). The OR of having a TEAE with increase in the number of concomitant diseases was 1.058 (95% CI: 1.044-1.072, P < 0.0001). Central nervous system (CNS) events were few. Discussion: fesoterodine treatment led to clinically meaningful improvements across all included patient reported outcomes. The number of concomitant conditions had the greatest influence on the likelihood of an adverse event being reported. CNS TEAE were not associated with fesoterodine dose and were low across all categories of concomitant disease and coexisting medication.

Factors associated with dose escalation of fesoterodine for treatment of overactive bladder in people >65 years of age: A post hoc analysis of data from the SOFIA study.

AIM: To investigate factors which may influence dose escalation of antimuscarinics for overactive bladder (OAB) in older patients and how dose escalation affects treatment efficacy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A post hoc analysis of data from the 12-week randomized, placebo controlled phase of the SOFIA study investigating treatment with fesoterodine in older people with OAB. Predictors and outcomes in patients aged ≥65 years with OAB who did or did not choose to escalate from fesoterodine 4 to 8 mg before the first dose-escalation choice point (week 4) and at the end of the study (week 12) were assessed. RESULTS: Variables which significantly increased likelihood of dose escalation were, at baseline, body mass index (OR: 1.06, 95% CI 1.01, 1.12; P = 0.0222), and male gender (OR: 2.06, 95% CI 1.28, 3.32; P = 0.0028) and at week 4, change from baseline in urgency episodes (OR: 1.12, 95% CI 1.05, 1.20; P = 0.0008), patient perception of bladder control (PPBC) (OR: 1.44, 95% CI 1.12, 1.84; P = 0.004). At week 12, dose escalation was associated with slightly reduced treatment outcomes compared to week 4 non-escalators. CONCLUSIONS: No baseline disease related factor associated with dose escalation was identified. Magnitude of change in urgency episodes and reduction in PPBC at 4 weeks were associated with dose escalation. These data may be of use to healthcare providers as they allow judgement to be made in individual patients, allowing treatment decisions to be made. At end of treatment, improvements in efficacy and quality of life were achieved in both escalators and non-escalators.

Safety and Effectiveness of Oral Anticoagulants in Atrial Fibrillation: Real-World Insights Using Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning.

Background/Objectives: We assessed the effectiveness and safety of vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) versus direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) using artificial intelligence techniques. Methods: This is a retrospective study in 15 Spanish hospitals (2014-2020), including adult AF patients with no history of anticoagulation, thrombosis events, rheumatic mitral valvular heart disease, mitral valve stenosis, or pregnancy. We employed EHRead® technology based on natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning (ML), along with SNOMED-CT terminology, to extract clinical data from electronic health records (EHRs). Using propensity score matching (PSM), the effectiveness, safety, and hospital mortality of VKAs versus DOACs were analyzed through Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression. Results: Out of 138,773,332 EHRs from 4.6 million individuals evaluated, 44,292 patients were included, 79.6% on VKAs and 20.4% on DOACs. Most patients were elderly [VKA 78 (70, 84) and DOAC 75 (66, 83) years], with numerous comorbidities (75.5% and 70.2% hypertension, 47.2% and 39.9% diabetes, and 40.3% and 34.8% heart failure, respectively). Additionally, 60.4% of VKA and 48.7% of DOAC users had a CHA2DS2-VASc Score ≥4. After PSM, 8929 patients per subgroup were selected. DOAC users showed a lower risk of thrombotic events [HR 0.81 (95% CI 0.70-0.94)], minor bleeding [HR 0.89 (95% CI 0.83-0.96)], and mortality [HR 0.80 (95% CI 0.69-0.92)]. Conclusions: Applying NLP and ML, we generated valuable real-world evidence on anticoagulated AF patients in Spain. Even in complex populations, DOACs have demonstrated a better safety and effectiveness profile than VKAs.

Prediction model for major bleeding in anticoagulated patients with cancer-associated venous thromboembolism using machine learning and natural language processing.

PURPOSE: We developed a predictive model to assess the risk of major bleeding (MB) within 6 months of primary venous thromboembolism (VTE) in cancer patients receiving anticoagulant treatment. We also sought to describe the prevalence and incidence of VTE in cancer patients, and to describe clinical characteristics at baseline and bleeding events during follow-up in patients receiving anticoagulants. METHODS: This observational, retrospective, and multicenter study used natural language processing and machine learning (ML), to analyze unstructured clinical data from electronic health records from nine Spanish hospitals between 2014 and 2018. All adult cancer patients with VTE receiving anticoagulants were included. Both clinically- and ML-driven feature selection was performed to identify MB predictors. Logistic regression (LR), decision tree (DT), and random forest (RF) algorithms were used to train predictive models, which were validated in a hold-out dataset and compared to the previously developed CAT-BLEED score. RESULTS: Of the 2,893,108 cancer patients screened, in-hospital VTE prevalence was 5.8% and the annual incidence ranged from 2.7 to 3.9%. We identified 21,227 patients with active cancer and VTE receiving anticoagulants (53.9% men, median age of 70 years). MB events after VTE diagnosis occurred in 10.9% of patients within the first six months. MB predictors included: hemoglobin, metastasis, age, platelets, leukocytes, and serum creatinine. The LR, DT, and RF models had AUC-ROC (95% confidence interval) values of 0.60 (0.55, 0.65), 0.60 (0.55, 0.65), and 0.61 (0.56, 0.66), respectively. These models outperformed the CAT-BLEED score with values of 0.53 (0.48, 0.59). CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows encouraging results in identifying anticoagulated patients with cancer-associated VTE who are at high risk of MB.

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Abrocitinib Compared with Other Systemic Treatments for Severe Atopic Dermatitis in Spain.

INTRODUCTION: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic, inflammatory skin disease characterized by itchy, painful, and dry skin. Despite the great number of available therapies, economic evaluations are still needed to provide evidence on their cost efficiency. This research aimed to evaluate the cost effectiveness of the Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor abrocitinib (200 mg) compared with dupilumab (300 mg), tralokinumab (300 mg), baricitinib (2 and 4 mg), and upadacitinib (15 and 30 mg) for the treatment of patients with severe AD from the Spanish National Health System (NHS) perspective. METHODS: A hybrid model consisting of a decision tree linked to a Markov model was developed to estimate costs, quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), total years in response and incremental cost-per-QALY gained (willingness-to-pay [WTP] threshold: €25,000/QALY). Adults with severe AD entered the decision tree and response (75% reduction in baseline Eczema Area and Severity Index score, EASI-75) was considered at 16 and 52 weeks. After this time, patients entered the Markov model (remainder of the 10-year time horizon), which consisted of three health states: maintenance with active therapy, subsequent treatment, or death. All costs were presented in 2022 euros (€). Additionally, cost per number-needed-to-treat (NNT) was calculated for abrocitinib and dupilumab based on a head-to-head post-hoc analysis. RESULTS: Abrocitinib 200 mg was dominant (i.e., lower incremental costs and higher incremental benefit) compared with all studied alternatives (dupilumab 300 mg, tralokinumab 300 mg, baricitinib 2 and 4 mg, upadacitinib 15 and 30 mg) with a QALYs gain of 0.49, 0.60, 0.64, 0.43, 0.45, and 0.08, respectively, and per-person costs savings of €22,097, €24,140, €14,825, €7,116, €12,805, and €45,189, respectively. Considering the WTP threshold, abrocitinib was dominant or cost effective compared with all alternatives for most simulations. Additionally, abrocitinib was dominant compared with all alternatives when evaluating the cost effectiveness over a 5-year time horizon. NNT showed that abrocitinib was dominant versus dupilumab. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the study show that abrocitinib is a cost-effective therapy compared with other JAK inhibitors and biological therapies from the Spanish NHS perspective.

Effects of drug cessation after flexible-dose fesoterodine in patients with overactive bladder.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the course of overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms after 4 weeks of no treatment following a 12-week study of the efficacy and safety of flexible-dose fesoterodine in patients with OAB who were enrolled in the UK healthcare system. There are limited data available on the natural time course of OAB symptoms after the cessation of treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In the open-label UK Study Assessing Flexible-dose Fesoterodine in Adults trial, patients aged ≥18 years with self-reported OAB symptoms for ≥3 months, a mean of at least eight micturitions per 24 h and three or more urgency episodes per 24 h on a 3-day bladder diary at baseline, and at least moderate bladder-related problems reported on the Patient Perception of Bladder Condition (PPBC) at baseline, were treated with fesoterodine for 12 weeks. All patients received fesoterodine 4 mg once daily for the first 4 weeks, at which time they could choose to increase the dose to 8 mg once daily, based on a discussion of treatment efficacy and tolerability with the investigator, or they could remain on fesoterodine 4 mg for the remaining 8 weeks. The 12-week treatment period was followed by a 4-week follow-up period of no fesoterodine treatment. Patients completed 3-day bladder diaries and the PPBC at baseline, week 4, end of treatment (week 12) and end of the follow-up period (week 16); the King's Health Questionnaire at baseline, end of treatment (week 12) and end of the follow-up period (week 16); and the Benefit, Satisfaction and Willingness to Continue questionnaire at week 12. RESULTS: After 12 weeks of fesoterodine treatment, patients had clinically meaningful improvements in bladder diary variables and King's Health Questionnaire domains; 79% (254/322) of patients reported an improvement on the PPBC. After 4 weeks of no treatment, most patients deteriorated back to week 4 levels or worse on all bladder diary and patient-reported outcomes. Patients who expressed a benefit from fesoterodine treatment, satisfaction with their treatment or a willingness to continue treatment showed greater improvement from baseline to week 12 and greater deterioration from week 12 to week 16 than patients who did not respond positively on the Benefit, Satisfaction and Willingness to Continue questionnaire. Both men and women showed a meaningful deterioration in bladder diary variables and patient-reported outcomes at week 16; baseline symptom severity, age and week 4 dose escalation status did not appear to affect outcome deterioration at week 16. CONCLUSIONS: At 4 weeks after fesoterodine was discontinued, patients showed an increase in the frequency of OAB symptoms, an increase in the severity of bladder-related problems and a reduction in health-related quality of life. Many patients with OAB who respond to antimuscarinics may require treatment for more than 12 weeks because symptoms recur as early as 4 weeks after the cessation of therapy.

Predicting self-perceived antimuscarinic therapy effectiveness on overactive bladder symptoms using the Overactive Bladder 8-Question Awareness Tool.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: This work was designed to explore the ability of the self-administered Overactive Bladder 8-Question Awareness Tool (OAB-V8) to predict patient self-assessed effectiveness of antimuscarinic therapy on OAB symptoms in daily practice. Also, the ability of the tool to predict clinician evaluation of improvement was explored. METHODS: Patients of both genders, >18 years, with symptomatic OAB (score >8 on OAB-V8), and able to understand patient-reported outcome instruments were enrolled in this 3-month study. Patients were prescribed treatment with an antimuscarinic drug according to usual practice. Treatment effectiveness was assessed by the clinician and patient using the Clinical Global Impression of Improvement and Treatment Benefit Scale and by improved self-perceived quality of life using the Overactive Bladder Questionnaire Short Form (OAB-q SF) 3 months after initiating or changing an antimuscarinic therapy. Multivariate linear and logistic regression models were applied to explore the predictive validity of OAB-V8 scores at the baseline visit. RESULTS: A total of 246 patients (57.7 years, 67 % women) were analyzed. Based on baseline OAB-V8 scores, logistic regression models were capable of predicting clinical improvement and patient self-perceived treatment benefit in 70 % of cases. OAB-V8 scores significantly correlated with OAB-q SF domains at baseline: 0.790 and - 0.659 for symptom bother and health-related quality of life domains, respectively (p < 0.001 in both cases). Baseline OAB-V8 score was able to predict changes in both domains of the OAB-q SF: R (2) = 0.212 and 0.162 for symptom bother and health-related quality of life, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The OAB-V8 scale showed evidence of predictive validity for antimuscarinic effectiveness in daily practice based on physician assessment and patient self-assessment of improved quality of life and treatment benefit.

Dose and aging effect on patients reported treatment benefit switching from the first overactive bladder therapy with tolterodine ER to fesoterodine: post-hoc analysis from an observational and retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Previous randomized studies have demonstrated that fesoterodine significantly improves the Overactive Bladder (OAB) symptoms and their assessment by patients compared with tolterodine extended-release (ER). This study aimed to assess the effect of aging and dose escalation on patient-reported treatment benefit, after changing their first Overactive Bladder (OAB) therapy with tolterodine-ER to fesoterodine in daily clinical practice. METHODS: A post-hoc analysis of data from a retrospective, cross-sectional and observational study was performed in a cohort of 748 OAB adults patients (OAB-V8 score ≥8), who switched to fesoterodine from their first tolterodine-ER-based therapy within the 3-4 months before study visit. Effect of fesoterodine doses (4 mg vs. 8 mg) and patient age (<65 yr vs. ≥65 yr) were assessed. Patient reported treatment benefit [Treatment Benefit Scale (TBS)] and physician assessment of improvement with change [Clinical Global Impression of Improvement subscale (CGI-I)] were recorded. Treatment satisfaction, degree of worry, bother and interference with daily living activities due to urinary symptoms were also assessed. RESULTS: Improvements were not affected by age. Fesoterodine 8 mg vs. 4 mg provides significant improvements in terms of treatment benefit [TBS 97.1% vs. 88.4%, p < 0.001; CGI-I 95.8% vs. 90.8% p < 0.05)], degree of worry, bother and interference with daily-living activities related to OAB symptoms (p <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: A change from tolterodine ER therapy to fesoterodine with dose escalation to 8 mg in symptomatic OAB patients, seems to be associated with greater improvement in terms of both patient-reported-treatment benefit and clinical global impression of change. Improvement was not affected by age.

Characteristics and management of patients with stroke and major hemorrhagic episodes with atrial fibrillation under vitamin K antagonist therapy. EVENTHO study.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: In Spain, vitamin K antagonists (VKA) remain the standard treatment for the prevention of thromboembolic and hemorrhagic complications in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), despite the high risks of suffering adverse effects. The objective of this study was to characterize the profile of VKA-treated patients suffering from stroke/systemic embolism (SE) or major hemorrhagic episodes, their evolution and the actions taken after those episodes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: EVENTHO was an observational multicenter study conducted in 22 Anticoagulation Spanish Units. The study included patients ≥18 years with AF who suffered major hemorrhagic episodes (67.8%) or stroke/SE (32.1%) during 2016 whileon VKA treatment [acenocoumarol (98.2%) or warfarin (1.8%)]. Time in therapeutic range (TTR) was calculated according to the Rosendaal method based on the international normalized ratio (INR) values of the previous 6 months. RESULTS: The study included 585 patients (median age [range] 82.3 [43.6-96.2] years; 51.1% men; mean [95% confidence interval, CI] CHA2DS2-VASc: 4.3 [4.2-4.4] and HAS-BLED: 2.2 [2.1-2.3]). Poor anticoagulation and VKA maintenance were higher in patients with major hemorrhagic episode (p<0.0001). The most common situations after hospital discharge were: functional dependence, neurological sequelae and death. CONCLUSIONS: In the sample studied, half of the AF patients who suffered stroke/SE or major hemorrhagic episode had inadequate TTR and, despite this, after hospital discharge, they restarted treatment with VKA. These results highlight the need to evaluate safer and effective therapeutic alternatives in AF patients with poor TTR control after suffering a stroke/SE or major hemorrhagic episode.

Cost-effectiveness of direct oral anticoagulants compared to low-molecular-weight-heparins for treatment of cancer associated venous thromboembolism in Spain.

AIM: Recent studies have compared the efficacy and safety of direct-acting oral anticoagulants (DOAC) and low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) for cancer-associated venous thromboembolism (VTE). However, there is no available cost-effectiveness analysis comparing DOAC and LMWH. The study aimed to conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis of DOAC (apixaban, edoxaban, and rivaroxaban) vs. LMWH for the treatment of cancer-associated VTE in Spain from the Spanish healthcare system perspective. METHODS: We developed a Markov model with a 12-month time horizon. The states included pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis, major and non-major bleeding, chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, post-thrombotic syndrome, and death. The use of medical resources and drug costs were obtained from the 2021 Spanish Ministry of Health database, and the main references for obtaining the outcomes were derived from Caravaggio, Hokusai VTE Cancer, ADAM VTE, and SELECT-D trials. We performed a deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analysis to validate the robustness. The Incremental Cost-Effectiveness Ratio (ICER) scores cost per life-year (€/LY) gained and cost per quality-adjusted life-year (€/QALY) gained. RESULTS: The 12-month cost of DOAC was 1,994€ (apixaban 1,944€, edoxaban 1,968€, rivaroxaban 2,122€) and 2,152€ for LMWH. The amount of QALY for DOAC was 0.54 (apixaban 0.55, rivaroxaban 0.53, and edoxaban 0.52) and 0.53 for LMWH. We observed similar results for LYs. ICER scores in terms both of €/LY and €/QALY show that DOAC is dominant over LMWH and apixaban showed the best profile. LIMITATIONS: Our research is based on an indirect comparison of a short-term clinical trial. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that DOAC is cost-effective and cost-saving compared to LMWH in treating VTE.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of antimuscarinics in the treatment of patients with overactive bladder in Spain: a decision-tree model.

BACKGROUND: Fesoterodine, a new once daily antimuscarinic, has proven to be an effective, safe, and well-tolerated treatment in patients with overactive bladder (OAB). To date, no analysis has evaluated the economic costs and benefits associated with fesoterodine, compared to antimuscarinics in Spain. The purpose of this analysis was to assess the economic value of OAB treatment with fesoterodine relative to extended release tolterodine and solifenacin, from the societal perspective. METHODS: The economic model was based on data from two 12-week, randomized, double-blind, and multicenter trials comparing fesoterodine and tolterodine extended released (ER). Treatment response rates for solifenacin were extracted from the published literature. Discontinuation and efficacy were based on the results of a 12-week multinational randomized clinical trial extrapolated to 52 weeks. Changes in health related quality of life were assessed with the King's Health Questionnaire, which was transformed into preference-based utility values. Medical costs included (expressed in € 2010) were antimuscarinics, physician visits, laboratory tests, incontinence pads and the costs of OAB-related comorbidities, fractures, skin infections, urinary tract infections, depression, and nursing home admissions associated with incontinence. Time lost from work was also considered. Univariate sensitivity analyses were also performed. RESULTS: At week 12, continents accounted for 50.6%, 40.6% and 47.2% of patients in the fesoterodine, tolterodine, and solifenacin groups, respectively. By week 52, the projected proportions of patients remaining on therapy were 33.1%, 26.5% and 30.8%, respectively. The projected quality- adjusted life years (QALY) gain (compared to baseline) over the 52-week simulation period were 0.01014, 0.00846 and 0.00957, respectively. The overall treatment cost was estimated at €1,937, €2,089 and €1,960 for fesoterodine, tolterodine and solifenacin, respectively. Therefore, treatment with fesoterodine resulted in similar overall costs and greater QALY gain than treatment with either tolterodine or solifenacin. Sensitivity analysis showed that these results were robust to all changes performed. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this economic analysis suggest that fesoterodine is a cost-effective alternative to tolterodine and solifenacin for the treatment of patients with OAB in Spain. Fesoterodine provides additional health benefits while maintain a similar level of costs being a cost-effective treatment strategy from a societal perspective.

[Prevalence of urinary incontinence and hyperactive bladder in the Spanish population: results of the EPICC study]. / Prevalencia de incontinencia urinaria y vejiga hiperactiva en la población española: resultados del estudio EPICC.

BACKGROUND: Despite the growing interest on Urinary Incontinence (UI) in our country, nocturnal enuresis and Overactive Bladder (OAB), there are no epidemiologic studies on the prevalence of these health problems in the different affected groups of the general population. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is an epidemiologic, observational, multicentre and national study. Data were collected by means of personal interviews in 5 representative areas from Spain and in 4 groups of population: 1) working women (25- 64-years-old); 2) working men (50- 64-years-old); 3) children attending primary school (6- 11-years-old); and 4) elderly institutionalized subjects (over 65-years-old) with no mental impairment. The Interview addressed to adult population included two parts: 1) socio-demographic variables and clinical history; and 2) data about OAB and UI symptoms. The Interview addressed to children included socio-demographic variables and questions about liquid intake and urine control. RESULTS: Percentage of answer to interview in the different groups varied between 79.7% and 98%. Prevalence of isolate OAB and UI in working women were 2.69% and 4.01% respectively; in men were 3.55% and 0.56%; in elderly were 9.14% and 15.16%. In total, 9.94% (95%CI = 8.9-11.04) of the women under study suffer one or both health problems; this percentage was 5.14% (95% CI= 3.89-6.63) in men and 53.71% (95% CI= 50.56-56.85) in elderly. Prevalence of nocturnal enuresis in children was 7.82% (95% CI= 6.62-9.17). CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence of OAB and/or UI in Spain is near 10% of women between 25 and 64 years, is around 5% in men between 50 and 64 years and it is over 50% in persons over 65 years; prevalence of nocturnal enuresis in children between 6 and 11 years is around 8%.

Characteristics of antimuscarinic responders versus suboptimal responders in a randomized clinical trial of patients with overactive bladder symptoms.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the characteristics of tolterodine extended-release (ER) 4 mg responders and suboptimal responders (≤50% decrease in UUI episodes/24 h) among patients with overactive bladder (OAB), including urgency urinary incontinence (UUI), and identify predictors of a >50% UUI response with fesoterodine 8 mg in tolterodine suboptimal responders. METHODS: Adult patients with OAB symptoms for ≥6 months and ≥8 micturitions, and ≥2 and <15 UUI episodes/24 h at week -2 received open-label tolterodine ER 4 mg during a 2 week run-in. Suboptimal responders after tolterodine treatment (week 0) were randomized to fesoterodine (4 mg for 1 week, 8 mg for weeks 2-12) or placebo once daily. Post-hoc analyses compared the percentage change from week -2 to week 0 in UUI episodes/24 h in tolterodine responders versus suboptimal responders and identified significant predictors of a UUI response at week 12 with fesoterodine 8 mg among tolterodine suboptimal responders. RESULTS: Of 897 patients, 610 (68%) were UUI suboptimal responders during the run-in period. UUI episodes/24 h at week -2 were similar in tolterodine responders and suboptimal responders (4.2 vs. 4.3), but responders showed a significantly greater median percentage decrease in UUI episodes/24 h after tolterodine treatment at week 0 (80.0% versus 15.3%; p < .0001). During double-blind treatment, the percentage of patients with a UUI response at week 12 was significantly greater with fesoterodine (69.9%) than placebo (57.0%; p = .0027). Fesoterodine (vs. placebo), no previous antimuscarinic use before tolterodine run-in, and less UUI severity at baseline were significant predictors of a UUI response. CONCLUSIONS: For patients with OAB, including UUI, who were treated initially with tolterodine and showed a suboptimal UUI response, nearly 70% demonstrated a UUI response with second-line fesoterodine 8 mg. No antimuscarinic use before tolterodine and fewer baseline UUI episodes were significant predictors of a UUI response with fesoterodine.

Development of a predictive model for urgency urinary incontinence.

The ability to set realistic expectations of treatment response in patients with overactive bladder (OAB) can have an impact on patient engagement and adherence to study medication. In order to help set treatment expectations for OAB, a Physician Predictive Tool has been developed based on predictive modelling. Models have been developed utilizing data from eight Phase 3 and 4 fesoterodine clinical trials and these models enable the prediction of individual treatment response in subjects with OAB, based on various baseline characteristics. The data utilized and covariates that were hypothesized to influence treatment response are described. The model selection and development process are also outlined, and the final model and some example results utilizing this model are presented. Finally, we discuss the potential benefits and limitations of such a predictive tool.

Profile of oab patient on treatment with flexible-dose antimuscarinic drugs in daily clinical practice. / Perfil del paciente con vejiga hiperactiva tratado con dosis flexible de antimuscarínicos en la práctica clínica diaria.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the profile of the overactive bladder (OAB) patient on treatment with flexible-dose antimuscarinic treatment in daily clinical practice. METHODS: This was an observational, retrospective and multicenter study, carried out at 88 public and private hospitals. Adult patients diagnosed with OAB who initiated flexible-dose antimuscarinic treatment. Type of antimuscarinic, dose, concomitant treatments, treatment benefit and treatment adherence were recorded. RESULTS: This was a pluripathological (83.5% and polymedicated 73.4%) population, comprised of 846 patients, mostly women (74.5%) with a mean (SD) age of 61.3 (12.1) years and more than one year of OAB evolution. Main initially prescribed antimuscarinics were fesoterodine (66.5%) and solifenacine (30.0%). Overall, 68.2% of the patients started treatment with the low dosage; at the follow-up visit 47.0% changed the dosage (84.2% increased the dosage, 15.8% decreased the dosage). Patients who changed the dosage showed a significantly greater morbidity, worse OAB symptoms, greater health resources use, and worse adherence to treatment compared with those that maintained the high dosage all the time. CONCLUSION: No differences were found regarding the demographic or clinical characteristics that allow us to identify which patients should receive the different options of available dose of antimuscarinic drugs, although greater benefits seem to be achieved with the use of the highest or the lowest dose from the outset than with the change of dose.

Review of the efficacy and safety of fesoterodine for treating overactive bladder and urgency urinary incontinence in elderly patients.

Overactive bladder (OAB) is a common condition, with prevalence rates increasing with advancing age. Symptoms of OAB, including urgency urinary incontinence (UUI), are associated with various co-morbidities in elderly individuals (e.g., falls and fractures, functional impairment, and depression). The current mainstay of pharmacological therapy for OAB is antimuscarinic agents. Until recently, few studies had specifically evaluated the efficacy and safety of antimuscarinics in the treatment of OAB symptoms in elderly patients. This review summarises available evidence from the medical literature on the efficacy and safety of fesoterodine in elderly patients with OAB symptoms, including UUI. The data from unique placebo-controlled fesoterodine trials of elderly and vulnerable elderly patients, together with age-stratified data from post hoc analyses of fesoterodine trials, demonstrate that treatment with fesoterodine 4 or 8 mg results in statistically and clinically significant improvements in OAB symptoms and patient-reported outcomes in many elderly patients. The data indicate that the efficacy of fesoterodine in elderly patients is comparable with that in younger patients. Fesoterodine is generally well tolerated in elderly and vulnerable elderly patients, with low rates of urinary retention and little evidence of central nervous system events or impaired cognition. The data support a favourable benefit-to-risk ratio for fesoterodine in elderly and medically complex vulnerable elderly patients with OAB.

Fesoterodine clinical efficacy and safety for the treatment of overactive bladder in relation to patient profiles: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: To summarize published evidence on the pharmacology, efficacy, and safety of fesoterodine for the treatment of overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms in relation to patient clinical and demographic profiles. METHODS: A systematic review of published articles on fesoterodine was conducted via a PubMed search. Articles were identified using the search term fesoterodine, with limits of human species and abstract available. Review and meta-analysis articles, validation studies, articles focused on treatment compliance/adherence, meeting abstracts, and articles not focused on oral fesoterodine administration in human subjects were excluded. Data from retained articles were summarized descriptively. RESULTS: Of 137 articles identified, 61 (15 articles on the pharmacology and 46 articles on the efficacy and/or safety of fesoterodine) met inclusion criteria. Superiority trials demonstrated the additional efficacy of fesoterodine 8 mg versus fesoterodine 4 mg and tolterodine extended release 4 mg in treating OAB. Prospective trials in specific patient populations indicated beneficial effects of fesoterodine in elderly patients, vulnerable elderly patients, patients dissatisfied with or with a suboptimal response to previous antimuscarinic therapy, patients with urge urinary incontinence (UUI) or nocturnal urgency, and men with persistent LUTS during alpha-blocker treatment. With two effective doses, the fesoterodine dose can be adjusted to achieve optimal efficacy and tolerability in individual patients. The most common adverse events during fesoterodine treatment are dry mouth and constipation. CONCLUSIONS: Extensive evidence demonstrates the efficacy and safety of fesoterodine in relieving OAB symptoms, including urgency, urinary frequency, UUI, and nocturnal urgency, in patients with various clinical and demographic profiles. Trial results provide valuable information on fesoterodine treatment in specific patient populations, including both elderly and vulnerable elderly patients. Potential limitations of this review are that only English language articles in PubMed were searched and included.