Evaluation of adherence to pharmacological treatments by undocumented migrants with chronic diseases: a 10-year retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the time course of medication adherence and some of the factors involved in this process in undocumented migrants with chronic diseases. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: A big non-governmental organisation in Milano, Italy, giving medical assistance to undocumented migrants. PARTICIPANTS: 1918 patients, 998 females and 920 males, with at least one chronic condition (diabetes, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), mental health disorders) seen over a period of 10 years (2011-2020). Their mean age was 49.2±13 years. RESULTS: Adherence to medications decreased over 1 year in all patients. This was more evident during the first 2 months of treatment. Patients on only one medication were less adherent than those on more than one medication; at 6 months the percentage of patients with high adherence was 33% vs 57% (p<0.0001) for diabetes, 15% vs 46% (p<0.0001) for mental disorders and 35% vs 59% (p<0.0001) for CVDs. Patients with mental disorders had the lowest adherence: 25% at 6 months and 3% at 1 year. Mental disorders, when present as comorbidities, greatly reduced the probability of being highly adherent: risk ratio (RR) 0.72 (95% CI 0.57 to 0.91; p=0.006) at 3 months, RR 0.77, (95% CI 0.59 to 1.01; p=0.06) at 6 months, RR 0.35 (95% CI 0.13 to 0.94; p=0.04) at 1 year. This was especially evident for patients with CVDs, whose percentage of high adherents decreased to 30% (p=0.0008) at 6 months and to 3% (p=0.01) at 1 year. We also noted that highly adherent patients usually were those most frequently seen by a doctor. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions to increase medication adherence of undocumented migrants with chronic diseases are necessary, particularly in the first 2 months after beginning treatment. These should be aimed at people-centred care and include more outpatient consultations. Educational interventions should especially be taken into consideration for patients on monotherapy.

Cost-utility analysis of add-on vericiguat for the treatment of chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction in China.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the cost-utility of the addition of vericiguat for treating chronic heart failure (CHF) in China from the healthcare payer's perspective. METHODS: A Markov model was built to estimate the cost and utility of treating CHF using vericiguat plus standard treatment (vericiguat group) vs. standard treatment alone (standard treatment group). The clinical parameters (mortality of cardiovascular and hospitalization rate of HF) were calculated according to the VICTORIA clinical trial. The HF cost and utility data were obtained from the literature published in China. One-way sensitivity analysis and probability sensitivity analysis were performed. RESULTS: According to the 13-year model, vericiguat was more expensive (155599.07 CNY vs. 259396.83 CNY) and more effective (4.41 QALYs vs. 4.54 QALYs). The incremental cost-utility ratio (ICUR) was 802389.27 CNY per QALY. One-way sensitivity analysis revealed that cardiovascular mortality in the two groups was the parameter that had the greatest impact on the results. The GDP per capita in 2022 in China was 85,700 CNY. The probability sensitivity analysis (PSA) showed that the probability of vericiguat being cost-effective was only 41.7% at the willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold of 3 times GDP per capita (257,100 CNY). CONCLUSIONS: In China, the treatment of CHF with vericiguat is not cost-effective. The drug price could decrease to 145.8 CNY, which could be considered cost-effective.

Integration of persistence in the 5P-medicine approach for age-related chronic diseases.

5P medicine is defined as Personalized, Predictive, Preventive, Participatory, and Population-based. 5P medicine may be improved by including a factor that could provide information about the therapeutic value of a particular drug treatment and measure its effectiveness in clinical practice. We propose that this factor may be treatment persistence, and that its addition to 5P medicine would allow to define a new improved 6P medicine. Persistence is the length of time between initiation and the last dose, which immediately precedes discontinuation, that is, a definitive suspension of the treatment. By including this sixth P, the persistence, we would be able to present the value of a treatment for each individual patient with its own characteristics, state of the disease, with more than one age-related diseases and patient journey. Persistence is a concept of the value of a treatment that includes the three main stakeholders of the pharmacotherapeutic process: Patient, Physician, and Pharmacist. Persistence is becoming a useful measure to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of therapies in real-world setting in chronic diseases. Drug treatments with longer persistence are more likely to provide better disease control and to be amenable to dose adjustment in order to optimize treatment cost in age-related chronic diseases. Long-term persistence could be a measure of a drug´s real-world performance and has been shown to aid in clinical decision-making.

Dietary Influence on Drug Efficacy: A Comprehensive Review of Ketogenic Diet-Pharmacotherapy Interactions.

It is widely acknowledged that the ketogenic diet (KD) has positive physiological effects as well as therapeutic benefits, particularly in the treatment of chronic diseases. Maintaining nutritional ketosis is of utmost importance in the KD, as it provides numerous health advantages such as an enhanced lipid profile, heightened insulin sensitivity, decreased blood glucose levels, and the modulation of diverse neurotransmitters. Nevertheless, the integration of the KD with pharmacotherapeutic regimens necessitates careful consideration. Due to changes in their absorption, distribution, metabolism, or elimination, the KD can impact the pharmacokinetics of various medications, including anti-diabetic, anti-epileptic, and cardiovascular drugs. Furthermore, the KD, which is characterised by the intake of meals rich in fats, has the potential to impact the pharmacokinetics of specific medications with high lipophilicity, hence enhancing their absorption and bioavailability. However, the pharmacodynamic aspects of the KD, in conjunction with various pharmaceutical interventions, can provide either advantageous or detrimental synergistic outcomes. Therefore, it is important to consider the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interactions that may arise between the KD and various drugs. This assessment is essential not only for ensuring patients' compliance with treatment but also for optimising the overall therapeutic outcome, particularly by mitigating adverse reactions. This highlights the significance and necessity of tailoring pharmacological and dietetic therapies in order to enhance the effectiveness and safety of this comprehensive approach to managing chronic diseases.

Could GLP-1 Receptor Agonists Like Semaglutide Treat Addiction, Alzheimer Disease, and Other Conditions?

This Medical News story examines other potential uses of GLP-1 receptor agonists, the popular type 2 diabetes and weight-loss drugs.

Effect of pregabalin initiation on diuretic requirements in patients with chronic heart failure.

BACKGROUND: Literature on pregabalin use in patients with heart failure is largely limited to patient case reports and cohort studies. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of pregabalin initiation on diuretic requirements in patients with heart failure. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of patients with heart failure who were started on pregabalin between January 1, 2014, and September 1, 2021, at the Veterans Affairs North Texas Health Care System was used. The primary objective was to determine the median change in loop diuretic dose, in furosemide dose equivalents, 6 months after pregabalin initiation. RESULTS: Of 58 patients analyzed, there was no statistically significant difference in the primary outcome (P = 0.162). The secondary outcomes were found to be nonstatistically significant, and there was no correlation between pregabalin dose and outcomes. CONCLUSION: This represents the largest analysis of diuretic dose requirements in patients with heart failure after initiation of pregabalin. Although there was no difference in the median change of diuretic dose prescribed, pregabalin should still be used with caution.

Patient activation and medication adherence in adults.

BACKGROUND: Patients' level of medication adherence provides conflicting results in its relationship to patient activation. Multiple factors may be contributing to these mixed results. OBJECTIVES: The primary purpose was to assess the association of patient activation to medication adherence in adults with chronic health conditions and low health literacy (HL). Secondary objectives were to determine whether age, education, gender, and race were associated with activation. METHODS: Participants completed self-report questionnaires regarding chronic disease self-management. Patient activation was measured using Hibbard's Patient Activation Measure (PAM). Self-report of medication adherence was determined using the Gonzalez-Lu adherence questionnaire. Block regressions first assessed the relation of demographic variables and education to adherence and then the added relation of patient activation in a second model. RESULTS: The analyses included 301 participants (mean age 58 years; 53% female; mean chronic conditions of 6.6). Some of the most common chronic conditions included hypertension (60%), arthritis (51%), depression (49%), and hyperlipidemia (43%). The relation of older age to greater medication adherence was significant (P < 0.05) in both models. The addition of PAM was significantly related to better adherence (P < 0.001) and also increased the R squared value from 0.04 to 0.09. This change resulted in a moderate effect size (d = 0.50). CONCLUSION: Evaluating patient activation at baseline may predict those more likely to be medication adherent in patients with low HL.

A aplicabilidade das pics na assistencia de enfermagem em pacientes com doença crônica: revisão integrativa / The applicability of pics in nursing care for patients with chronic disease: integrative review / La aplicabilidad de la pics en los cuidados de enfermería a pacientes con enfermedades crónicas: revisión integradora

A implementação das PICs no Brasil é uma realidade, dessa forma, compreende-se que o enfermeiro é o profissional que em tese deve possuir habilidades para aplicar as técnicas em pacientes. Com base nisso, o objetivo do trabalho foi descrever a atuação da enfermagem através de Planos de ações por intermédio das PICs em individuos com diminuição da qualidade de vida em razão do desenvolvimento de doenças crônicas degenerativas. Dessa forma, o presente artigo trata-se de uma revisão integrativa de literatura. Os resultados obtidos mostram que a aplicabilidade das PICs, está consolidada, sendo uma prática bastante utilizada na intervenção terapêutica de indivíduos portadores de doenças crônicas degenerativas, na qual as mais utilizadas são: plantas medicinais, reiki, homeopatia, acupuntura e auricuoterapia, entretanto, em relação a assistência de enfermagem, foi observado impasses em relação a capacitação profissional. Logo, concluímos que com base nas produções cientificas existentes a respeito das PICs, a prática infere em diversos benefícios ao indivíduo, estas que se convergem a promoção de maior qualidade de vida ao paciente com doenças crônicas, porém, a falta de capacitação profissional revela um impasse ainda persistente.

The implementation of PICs in Brazil is a reality, therefore, it is understood that the nurse is the professional who, in theory, must have the skills to apply the techniques to patients. Based on this, the objective of the study was to describe the role of nursing through Action Plans through PICs in individuals with reduced quality of life due to the development of chronic degenerative diseases. Thus, this article is an integrative literature review. The results obtained show that the applicability of PICs is consolidated, being a practice widely used in the therapeutic intervention of individuals with chronic degenerative diseases, in which the most used are: medicinal plants, reiki, homeopathy, acupuncture and auricutherapy, however, in regarding nursing care, impasses regarding professional training were observed. Therefore, we conclude that based on the existing scientific productions regarding PICs, the practice infers in several benefits to the individual, these that converge to the promotion of a better quality of life for the patient with chronic diseases, however, the lack of professional training reveals a stalemate still persistent.

La implementación de los PICs en Brasil es una realidad, por lo tanto, se entiende que la enfermera es el profesional que, en teoría, debe tener las habilidades para aplicar las técnicas a los pacientes. Con base en esto, el objetivo del estudio fue describir el papel de la enfermería a través de Planes de Acción por medio de PICs en individuos con calidad de vida reducida debido al desarrollo de enfermedades crónico degenerativas. Así, este artículo es una revisión bibliográfica integradora. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que la aplicabilidad de los PICs está consolidada, siendo una práctica ampliamente utilizada en la intervención terapéutica de individuos con enfermedades crónicas degenerativas, en la que las más utilizadas son: plantas medicinales, reiki, homeopatía, acupuntura y auricuterapia, sin embargo, en lo que respecta a los cuidados de enfermería, se observaron impasses en cuanto a la formación profesional. Por lo tanto, concluimos que con base en las producciones científicas existentes en relación a las PICs, la práctica infiere en varios beneficios al individuo, estos que convergen a la promoción de una mejor calidad de vida para el paciente con enfermedades crónicas, sin embargo, la falta de formación profesional revela un impasse aún persistente.

Adesão ao tratamento do diabetes mellitus em pacientes da atenção primária à saúde / Adherence to the treatment of diabetes mellitus in patients in primary health care / Adherencia al tratamiento de la diabetes mellitus en pacientes de atención primaria

O Diabetes Mellitus (DM) é uma doença crônica, que tem elevada prevalência na sociedade e representa um problema de saúde pública devido à natureza de suas complicações, acredita-se que a dificuldade na manutenção do tratamento, pode estar relacionada a deficiência ou falta de adesão. O estudo teve como objetivo relatar à adesão ao tratamento do Diabetes Mellitus na Atenção Primária a Saúde. Trata-se de um estudo descritivo, com abordagem qualitativa, realizado com 30 pacientes diabéticos de uma Unidade de Atenção Primária à Saúde de Guaiúba-CE, no período de agosto a outubro de 2021. A coleta de dados deu-se por entrevista semiestruturada utilizando questões norteadoras sobre adesão ao tratamento, adoção de práticas promotoras de saúde e posteriormente sujeita a análise de conteúdo. Observou-se que a adesão ao tratamento do diabetes envolve inúmeros desafios, relacionados principalmente ao usuário e sistemas de saúde/profissionais. Os maiores desafios encontrados foram em relação a supervalorização do tratamento medicamentoso frente a adoção de hábitos saudáveis e de ações promotoras de autocuidado. Nesse cenário, nota-se a importância de conhecer os fatores que influenciam na adesão ao tratamento com o intuito de se lançar estratégias para aperfeiçoar o planejamento de ações e intervenções a esses pacientes.

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a chronic disease that is highly prevalent in society and represents a public health problem due to the nature of its complications. The study aimed to report on the adherence to treatment of Diabetes Mellitus in Primary Health Care. This is a descriptive study, with a qualitative approach, conducted with 30 diabetic patients from a Primary Health Care Unit in Guaiúba-CE, in the period from August to October 2021. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews using guiding questions about adherence to treatment, adoption of health-promoting practices and later subjected to content analysis. It was observed that diabetes treatment adherence involves numerous challenges, mainly related to the user and health systems/professionals. The biggest challenges found were related to the overvaluation of drug treatment against the adoption of healthy habits and self-care promoting actions. In this scenario, it is important to know the factors that influence treatment adherence in order to develop strategies to improve the planning of actions and interventions for these patients.

La diabetes mellitus (DM) es una enfermedad crónica, que tiene una alta prevalencia en la sociedad y representa un problema de salud pública debido a la naturaleza de sus complicaciones, se cree que la dificultad para mantener el tratamiento puede estar relacionada con la deficiencia o falta de adherencia. El estudio tenía como objetivo informar sobre la adherencia al tratamiento de la Diabetes Mellitus en Atención Primaria. Se trata de un estudio descriptivo con enfoque cualitativo, realizado con 30 pacientes diabéticos de una Unidad de Atención Primaria de Salud de Guaiúba-CE, en el período de agosto a octubre de 2021. La recogida de datos se llevó a cabo mediante entrevistas semiestructuradas en las que se utilizaron preguntas orientativas sobre la adherencia al tratamiento y la adopción de prácticas de promoción de la salud, y posteriormente se sometieron a un análisis de contenido. Se ha observado que el acceso al tratamiento de la diabetes conlleva numerosos desafíos, relacionados principalmente con el usuario y los sistemas de salud/profesionales. Los mayores retos encontrados estaban relacionados con la sobrevaloración del tratamiento farmacológico frente a la adopción de hábitos saludables y acciones de promoción del autocuidado. En este escenario, se constata la importancia de conocer los factores que influyen en la adherencia al tratamiento para poner en marcha estrategias que mejoren la planificación de las acciones e intervenciones para estos pacientes.

Recent Advances of Microneedles and Their Application in Disease Treatment.

For decades, scientists have been doing a lot of research and exploration to find effective long-term analgesic and/or disease-modifying treatments. Microneedles (MNs) are a simple, effective, and painless transdermal drug delivery technology that has emerged in recent years, and exhibits great promise for realizing intelligent drug delivery. With the development of materials science and fabrication technology, the MN transdermal drug delivery technology has been applied and popularized in more and more fields, including chronic illnesses such as arthritis or diabetes, cancer, dermatocosmetology, family planning, and epidemic disease prevention, and has made fruitful achievements. This paper mainly reviews the latest research status of MNs and their fabrication methodology, and summarizes the application of MNs in the treatment of various diseases, as well as the potential to use nanotechnology to develop more intelligent MNs-based drug delivery systems.

Efficacy and safety of gefapixant, a P2X3 receptor antagonist, in refractory chronic cough and unexplained chronic cough (COUGH-1 and COUGH-2): results from two double-blind, randomised, parallel-group, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trials.

BACKGROUND: Gefapixant is an oral P2X3 receptor antagonist that has previously shown efficacy and safety in refractory chronic cough and unexplained chronic cough. We therefore aim to confirm the efficacy and safety of gefapixant in participants with refractory chronic cough and unexplained chronic cough. METHODS: COUGH-1 and COUGH-2 were both double-blind, randomised, parallel-group, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trials. COUGH-1 was done in 156 sites in 17 countries and COUGH-2 in 175 sites in 20 countries. We enrolled participants who were 18 years or older with a diagnosis of refractory chronic cough or unexplained chronic cough of 1 year duration or more. Participants were also required to have a cough severity visual analogue scale score of 40 mm or more at screening and baseline. Eligible participants were randomly allocated (1:1:1), using a computer-generated allocation schedule, to one of three treatment groups: placebo, gefapixant 15 mg twice per day, or gefapixant 45 mg twice per day. All study treatments were given orally. Participants were treated over a 12-week main study period in COUGH-1 and a 24-week main study period in COUGH-2; followed by extension periods for a total of up to 52 weeks of treatment in both trials. The primary outcome was placebo-adjusted mean change in 24-h cough frequency at 12 weeks in COUGH-1 and 24 weeks in COUGH-2. Both studies were registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03449134 (COUGH-1) and NCT03449147 (COUGH-2). FINDINGS: From March 14, 2018, (first participant screened) to July 26, 2019, (last participant screened) 732 patients were recruited in COUGH-1 and 1317 in COUGH-2. COUGH-1 randomly assigned and treated 730 participants (243 [33×3%] with placebo, 244 [33×4%] with gefapixant 15 mg twice per day, and 243 [33×3%] with gefapixant 45 mg twice per day); COUGH-2 randomly assigned and treated 1314 participants (435 [33×1%] with placebo, 440 [33×5%] with gefapixant 15 mg twice per day, and 439 [33×4%] with gefapixant 45 mg twice per day). Participants were mostly female (542 [74×2%] of 730 in COUGH-1 and 984 [74×9%] of 1314 in COUGH-2). The mean age was 59×0 years (SD 12×6) in COUGH-1 and 58×1 years (12×1) in COUGH-2, and the mean cough duration was 11·6 years (SD 9·5) in COUGH-1 and 11·2 years (9·8) in COUGH-2. Gefapixant 45 mg twice per day showed significant reductions in 24-h cough frequency compared with placebo at week 12 in COUGH-1 (18·5% [95% CI 32·9-0·9]; p=0·041) and at week 24 in COUGH-2 (14·6% [26·1-1·4]; p=0·031). Gefapixant 15 mg twice per day did not show a significant reduction in cough frequency versus placebo in both studies. The most common adverse events were related to taste disturbance: ageusia (36 [4·9%] of 730 in COUGH-1 and 86 [6·5%] of 1314 in COUGH-2), dysgeusia (118 [16·2%] in COUGH-1 and 277 [21·1%] in COUGH-2), hypergeusia (3 [0·4%] in COUGH-1 and 6 [0×5%] in COUGH-2), hypogeusia (19 [2·6%] in COUGH-1 and 80 [6·1%] in COUGH-2), and taste disorder (28 [3·8%] in COUGH-1 and 46 [3·5%] in COUGH-2). INTERPRETATION: Gefapixant 45 mg twice per day is the first treatment to show efficacy with an acceptable safety profile in phase 3 clinical trials for refractory chronic cough or unexplained chronic cough. FUNDING: Merck Sharp & Dohme.

Biguanide Pharmaceutical Formulations and the Applications of Bile Acid-Based Nano Delivery in Chronic Medical Conditions.

Biguanides, particularly the widely prescribed drug metformin, have been marketed for many decades and have well-established absorption profiles. They are commonly administered via the oral route and, despite variation in oral uptake, remain commonly prescribed for diabetes mellitus, typically type 2. Studies over the last decade have focused on the design and development of advanced oral delivery dosage forms using bio nano technologies and novel drug carrier systems. Such studies have demonstrated significantly enhanced delivery and safety of biguanides using nanocapsules. Enhanced delivery and safety have widened the potential applications of biguanides not only in diabetes but also in other disorders. Hence, this review aimed to explore biguanides' pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and pharmaceutical applications in diabetes, as well as in other disorders.

Albendazole reduces hepatic inflammation and endoplasmic reticulum-stress in a mouse model of chronic Echinococcus multilocularis infection.

BACKGROUND: Echinococcus multilocularis causes alveolar echinococcosis (AE), a rising zoonotic disease in the northern hemisphere. Treatment of this fatal disease is limited to chemotherapy using benzimidazoles and surgical intervention, with frequent disease recurrence in cases without radical surgery. Elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying E. multilocularis infections and host-parasite interactions ultimately aids developing novel therapeutic options. This study explored an involvement of unfolded protein response (UPR) and endoplasmic reticulum-stress (ERS) during E. multilocularis infection in mice. METHODS: E. multilocularis- and mock-infected C57BL/6 mice were subdivided into vehicle, albendazole (ABZ) and anti-programmed death ligand 1 (αPD-L1) treated groups. To mimic a chronic infection, treatments of mice started six weeks post i.p. infection and continued for another eight weeks. Liver tissue was then collected to examine inflammatory cytokines and the expression of UPR- and ERS-related genes. RESULTS: E. multilocularis infection led to an upregulation of UPR- and ERS-related proteins in the liver, including ATF6, CHOP, GRP78, ERp72, H6PD and calreticulin, whilst PERK and its target eIF2α were not affected, and IRE1α and ATF4 were downregulated. ABZ treatment in E. multilocularis infected mice reversed, or at least tended to reverse, these protein expression changes to levels seen in mock-infected mice. Furthermore, ABZ treatment reversed the elevated levels of interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interferon (IFN)-γ in the liver of infected mice. Similar to ABZ, αPD-L1 immune-treatment tended to reverse the increased CHOP and decreased ATF4 and IRE1α expression levels. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: AE caused chronic inflammation, UPR activation and ERS in mice. The E. multilocularis-induced inflammation and consecutive ERS was ameliorated by ABZ and αPD-L1 treatment, indicating their effectiveness to inhibit parasite proliferation and downregulate its activity status. Neither ABZ nor αPD-L1 themselves affected UPR in control mice. Further research is needed to elucidate the link between inflammation, UPR and ERS, and if these pathways offer potential for improved therapies of patients with AE.

Trend and effects of high-deductible health insurance plans in the health care system: financial access problems in management of cognitive impairment.

BACKGROUND: High-deductible health plans (HDHPs) are characterized by higher deductibles and lower monthly premiums compared with a typical health plan. HDHPs may reduce, or delay, needed care, which will ultimately lead to poorer access to care for chronically affected participants. OBJECTIVES: To (1) investigate the HDHP enrollment trend and (2) determine the effects of HDHPs on financial access problems for individuals with self-reported cognitive impairment. METHODS: Data between 2010 and 2018 were obtained from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). Individuals with cognitive impairment were identified if they were limited by memory difficulties. Problems regarding financial access to health care were assessed based on 6 survey questions from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Multivariable logistic regressions were implemented to evaluate the effects of HDHPs. RESULTS: This study identified 1,148 individuals with cognitive impairment, representing 3.9 million individuals in the United States from 2010 to 2018. A nearly 2-fold increase in HDHP enrollment with cognitive impairment was observed from 2010 (20.9%) to 2018 (41.9%). This increase is similar to that reported for noncognitively impaired individuals. After controlling for possible confounding variables, cognitively impaired individuals with HDPHs were more likely to have overall financial access difficulties compared with those without HDHPs (OR = 1.17, 95% CI = 0.88-1.56, P = 0.271), but this likelihood was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: HDHPs are intended to support effective care options and reduce health care costs. However, our research found that among individuals with cognitive impairment, those with HDHPs experienced some financial access problems, such as affording medical care, follow-up care, and specialists, than those without HDHPs, indicating that HDHPs might have unintended consequences for health care usage. DISCLOSURES: No outside funding supported this study. The authors have no conflicts of interest or financial interests to disclose.

The metabolic syndrome, thiazolidinediones, and implications for intersection of chronic and inflammatory disease.

BACKGROUND: Chronic disease appears connected to obesity. However, evidence suggests that chronic metabolic diseases are more specifically related to adipose dysfunction rather than to body weight itself. SCOPE OF REVIEW: Further study of the first generation "insulin sensitizer" pioglitazone and molecules based on its structure suggests that is possible to decouple body weight from the metabolic dysfunction that drives adverse outcomes. The growing understanding of the mechanism of action of these agents together with advances in the pathophysiology of chronic metabolic disease offers a new approach to treat chronic conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, and their common organ and vascular sequelae. MAJOR CONCLUSIONS: We hypothesize that treating adipocyte dysfunction with new insulin sensitizers might significantly impact the interface of infectious disease and chronic metabolic disease.

Os desafios na adesão ao tratamento do paciente com hipertensão arterial / Challenges in treatment adherence among patients with arterial hypertension

As doenças cardiovasculares são a principal causa de morte e de incapacidade no mundo, com destaque para a hipertensão arterial sistêmica (HAS) como um dos principais fatores de risco. No manejo do paciente com HAS, um dos maiores desafios da prática clinica é a aderência ao tratamento. Tal fato se torna mais desafiador ainda em se tratando de doença crônica e na maioria das vezes assintomática. A falta de adesão ao tratamento ocasiona um mau controle da pressão arterial assim como também se associa a lesões de órgão-alvo, eventos cardiovasculares e morte. Fatores como complexidade do regime terapêutico, desconhecimento sobre a doença e suas complicações, sobrecarga da equipe assistencial e polifarmácia são barreiras importantes à aderência adequada. Entre as potenciais ferramentas a fim de mitigar este problema estão esquemas de medicamentos uma vez ao dia em comprimidos únicos, envolvimento da equipe multidisciplinar e uso de tecnologia digital.O entendimento amplo dos fatores que podem impactar a aderência pode melhorar o cuidado aos pacientes com HAS, com o objetivo de melhorar a qualidade de vida e sobrevida e reduzir a sobrecarga ao sistema de saúde (AU).

Cardiovascular diseases are the main cause of death and disability worldwide, being systemic hypertension among the main risk factors. In the management of patients with hypertension, one of the biggest challenges in clinical practice is treatment adherence. This fact is even more challenging considering the chronic and mostly assymptomatic nature of the disease. The lack of adherence to treatment not only results in poor control of blood pressure but also is associated with target-organ lesion, cardiovascular events and death. Factors such as therapeutic regimen complexity, lack of knowledge about disease complications, excess workload to heatlhcare professionals and polypharmacy are important barriers to adequate adherence. Among the potential tools that are available to mitigate this problem are single pill, once a day regimens; multidisciplinary approach; and digital technologies. The broad understanding of factors that may impact treatment adherence can improve care of patients with hypertension, with the goal of improving quality of life, prolonging survival and decreasing the burden to the health system

Profile of pharmaceutical interventions of a pharmacotherapeutic follow-up model for diabetic patients in a community pharmacy

Abstract The insertion of Pharmaceutical Care in Primary Health Care (PHC) improves patients' clinical outcomes and quality of life. Pharmacotherapeutic follow-up can contribute to the management of chronic diseases such as diabetes, promoting better glycemic control and adherence to therapy. This study aimed to assess the Drug-therapy Problems (DTPs) and Pharmacist Interventions (PIs) on the pharmacotherapeutic management in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in a community pharmacy. A quantitative, retrospective, and cross-sectional study was conducted in a Pharmaceutical Care Program within the PHC in Juiz de Fora (Minas Gerais, Brazil). Inclusion criteria were patients with T2DM above 18, who attended at least three pharmaceutical consultations between July 2016 and October 2018 and presented two or more glycated hemoglobin tests. The study group (n = 17) was largely composed of women (65%), elderly (76%), sedentary (72%), and obese people (52%). The resolution was achieved in 79% of the DTPs identified (n = 115). Most of DTPs were related to administration and adherence to pharmacotherapy (46%). 60% of the 437 PIs involved the provision of information and counseling. In other words, accessible interventions lead to high resolvability. Therefore, clinical actuation of pharmacists could improve the prognosis in diabetes treatment

Resistance pattern of infected chronic wound isolates and factors associated with bacterial resistance to third generation cephalosporins at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital, Uganda.

BACKGROUND: The objectives of this study were; (I) to determine the proportion of pathogens isolated from patients with infected chronic wounds in the surgical ward of MRRH that are resistant to the third-generation cephalosporins and (II) to determine the factors associated with resistance to third-generation cephalosporins in the surgical ward of MRRH. METHOD(S): This study was a descriptive analytical survey of bacterial isolates from infected chronic wounds among patients admitted in the surgical ward of MRRH, Uganda. Seventy five (75) study participants were recruited in the study using convenient sampling technique. Bacterial culture and identification was performed using standard microbiology laboratory procedures whereas broth microdilution method was used to establish the susceptibility of the identified pathogens. Data for objective one (1) was summarized as proportions while the categorized variables were analyzed using logistic regression to determine whether they were associated with the resistance patterns. The level of significance was preset at 5% and p-values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Generally, all isolates had complete susceptibility (100%) to Cefoperazone+Sulbactam 2g except 7.1% of proteus spp that were resistant. Of all the bacterial isolates studied, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacter agglomerans, providencia spp and pseudomonas earuginosa had complete resistance (100%) to Cefopodoxime 200mg while providencia spp and pseudomomas earuginosa had complete resistance (100%) to Cefixime 400mg and cefotaxime 1g. Finally, higher odds of bacterial resistance to more 2 brands of the third generation cephalosporins were observed among participants who had prior exposure to the third generation cephalosporins (OR, 2.22, 95% CI, 0.80-6.14), comorbidities (OR, 1.76, 95% CI, 0.62-4.96) and those who had more than two hospitalizations in a year (OR, 1.39, 95% CI 0.46-4.25). However, multivariate logistic regression was not performed since no factor was significantly associated with resistance to more than two brands of third generation cephalosporins (p >0.05). CONCLUSION: This study found that cefixime and cefpodoixme had high rates of resistance and should not be used in routine management of infected chronic wounds. In addition, the factors investigated in this study were not significantly associated with bacterial resistance to more than two brands of third generation cephalosporins.

The Multifaceted Role of Curcumin in Advanced Nanocurcumin Form in the Treatment and Management of Chronic Disorders.

Curcumin is the primary polyphenol in turmeric's curcuminoid class. It has a wide range of therapeutic applications, such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, antibacterial, and anticancer effects against various cancers, but has poor solubility and low bioavailability. Objective: To improve curcumin's bioavailability, plasma concentration, and cellular permeability processes. The nanocurcumin approach over curcumin has been proven appropriate for encapsulating or loading curcumin (nanocurcumin) to increase its therapeutic potential. Conclusion: Though incorporating curcumin into nanocurcumin form may be a viable method for overcoming its intrinsic limitations, and there are reasonable concerns regarding its toxicological safety once it enters biological pathways. This review article mainly highlights the therapeutic benefits of nanocurcumin over curcumin.