Single-pill combination for treatment of hypertension: Just a matter of practicality or is there a real clinical benefit?

Elevated blood pressure (BP) is the largest contributor to the incident cardiovascular disease worldwide. Despite explicit guideline recommendations for the diagnosis and management of hypertension, a large proportion of patients remain undiagnosed, untreated, or treated but uncontrolled. Inadequate BP control is associated with many complex factors including patient preference, physician's inertia, health systems disparities, and poor adherence to prescribed antihypertensive drug treatment. The primary driver for reduced cardiovascular morbidity and mortality is lowering of BP ''per se'' and not class effects of specific pharmacotherapies. The recent ESH guidelines recommend the use of four major classes of drugs including renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAS) blockers (angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) or angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi)), calcium channel blockers (CCB), thiazide and thiazide-like diuretics, and betablockers. Initiation of treatment for hypertension with a two-drug regimen, preferably in a single pill combination (SPC), is recommended for most patients. Preferred combinations should comprise a RAS blocker (either an ACEi or an ARB) with a CCB or thiazide/thiazide-like diuretic. These strategies are supported by robust evidence that combination therapy produces greater BP reductions than monotherapy, reduces side effects of the individual components, improves therapeutic adherence and long-term persistence on treatment, and permits achievement of earlier BP control.

Pre-surgical socket analysis for immediate implant placement.

BACKGROUND: Traditional protocols for implant surgery suggest a healing period of 2-3 months from dental extraction to implant placement. Based on all the volumetric modifications produced by that approach, there are authors who advocate for immediate implantology. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of different sockets, and the dimensions of the bone around the upper anterior incisors and canines, to determine the predictability of immediate implants in our population. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This is an observational, cross-sectional study based on cone-beam computed tomography images of the anterior maxila of patients attending the Odontological Hospital of the University of Barcelona (OHUB) and requesting for implant treatment. Different measurements were performed on every analyzed tooth, and also they were categorized by using the main dental sockets classifications. RESULTS: Bone attachment levels and cortical thickness are lower in women compared to men in all three types of teeth (the difference in the bone attachment levels ranges from 4.68%-8.63% and in the bone thickness goes from 0.02-0.58mm). Bone attachment level gradually reduces with age. The reductions observed in all the measurements are higher in the case of canines, compared with the other teeth. The differences from patients <45 years old and patients between 55-64 years old are 13.58±14.55mm in the case of central incisors, 10.04±5.52 in the case of lateral incisors and 22.39±13.65mm in the case of canines. CONCLUSIONS: According to our results, the canines are the teeth with the greatest complexity when it comes to immediate implantology treatments. Furthermore, that kind of treatment is more complex as age increases, since we observed a gradual percentage of unfavourable sockets in older patients.

[Translated article] A systematic review of the literature: The use of metaphyseal sleeves in revision total knee arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to analyse the indications, complications, survivorship and clinical/functional outcome of metaphyseal sleeves as a treatment option in revision total knee arthroplasty. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A systematic review was made following the PRISMA recommendations on the use of metaphyseal sleeves for revision total knee arthroplasty. We included prospective and retrospective studies published in the last 10 years looking at implant survivorship, clinical and functional outcome with a minimum follow-up of 2 years. RESULTS: The included studies showed good both functional and clinical outcomes. The overall reoperation rate was 16.2%, with an overall survival rate of 92.2% and aseptic survivorship of 98.2%. CONCLUSIONS: Metaphyseal sleeves are a good treatment option for this surgery, especially in AORI II or III type bone defects, achieving good intraoperative and primary stability of the implant, with good and rapid osseointegration.

A systematic review of the literature: The use of metaphyseal sleeves in revision total knee arthroplasty. / Una revisión sistemática de la literatura: el uso de vainas metafisarias en cirugía de revisión de artroplastia de rodilla.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to analyze the indications, complications, survivorship and clinical/functional outcome of metaphyseal sleeves as a treatment option in revision total knee arthroplasty. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A systematic review was made following the PRISMA recommendations on the use of metaphyseal sleeves for revision total knee arthroplasty. We included prospective and retrospective studies published in the last 10 years looking at implant survivorship, clinical and functional outcome with a minimum follow-up of 2 years. RESULTS: The included studies showed good both functional and clinical outcomes. The overall reoperation rate was 16.2%, with an overall survival rate of 92.2% and aseptic survivorship of 98.2%. CONCLUSIONS: Metaphyseal sleeves are a good treatment option for this surgery, especially in AORI II or III type bone defects, achieving good intraoperative and primary stability of the implant, with good and rapid osseointegration.

Role of selected salivary inflammatory cytokines in the diagnosis and prognosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma. A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is gradually increasing its incidence in our society. Unfortunately, this entity is diagnosed at an advanced stage in most patients, a fact that implies greater difficulty in its treatment and a worse prognosis. This systematic review aims to assess whether the cytokines IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α are potential salivary biomarkers that allow early diagnosis of cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An electronic search was performed in three databases (Pubmed, Scopus and Web of Science). We used the following keywords: "salivary cytokines", "saliva cytokines", "salivary interleukins", "biomarkers", "oral squamous cell carcinoma" and "diagnosis", combined with the Boolean operators "AND" and "OR". RESULTS: 128 publications were found and finally 23 articles were included in the review and 15 in the meta-analysis. It has been observed that the majority of OSCC patients express higher salivary concentrations of IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α compared to the control (CL) and premalignant lesion (OPML) groups. It has also been observed that the different premalignant lesions do not have statistically significant differences in the salivary concentration of the cytokines, and on the other hand, differences have been observed between the different TNM stages. The meta-analysis has shown that the difference in concentration of IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α is statistically significant between the CL group and the OSCC, and also between the CL group and OPML. CONCLUSIONS: There is sufficient evidence to affirm that IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α are useful salivary cytokines in the early diagnosis and prognosis of OSCC. Although future studies are necessary to establish greater reliability of these biomarkers and thus be able to develop a valid diagnostic test.

Treatment of recurrent aphtous stomatitis: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Recurrent Aphtous Stomatitis (RAS) is the most common process affecting the oral mucosa. It is painful, multifactorial and generally recurrent. The aim of this systematic review is to know the last treatment approaches and their effectivity. MATERIAL AND METHODS: we compared the outcome of different kind of treatments in terms of the improvement of the lesions, reduction of the size of those lesions and the time needed for their healing. Inclusion criteria were: clinical trials, articles written in English or Spanish and published less than 5 years ago. RESULTS: we used the following keywords: "treatment", "aphtous stomatitis", "canker sores"; combined with Boolean operators AND y OR. We selected 28 articles for reading the whole text, and after applying the eligibility criteria, we selected 17 articles for our revision. Among all the treatments, we emphasize the barrier method based in compound of cellulose rubber and a calcium/sodium copolymer PVM/MA, with which the difference in the 3rd and 7th day was of -6,29 ± 0,14 points in the pain score. The treatment with insulin and chitosan gel, brought a pain suppression on the third day, with no reactivation of the pain during the whole study. The application of a film composed of polyurethane and sesame oil with chitosan, brought a reduction in the size of the lesions of 4,54 ± 2,84mm on the 6th day compared with the situation before the beginning of the treatment. The different kinds of laser, which produced a reduction in the pain score just at the beginning of the treatment up to 8,1 ± 1,6 points, and a reduction of the size of the lesions of 4,42 ± 1,02mm on the 7th day. CONCLUSIONS: Besides the classic treatments for RAS, we have to take into account other treatment modalities, above all the different kinds of laser.

Incidence rate of metastases in the oral cavity: a review of all metastatic lesions in the oral cavity.

BACKGROUND: Metastases in the oral cavity are rare and account for only 1 to 3% of all malignant lesions in this area. The primary location from which most metastases have been described in the oral cavity in adult patients include lungs, breasts, kidneys and colon. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A systematic search of the literature was carried out following the PRISMA statement in PubMed database. Clinical trials and case series published in the last 10 years [2010-2020] were eligible to be selected. The headings and keywords used in the searches were "cancer" AND "oral metastases", "incidence" AND "oral metastases", "oral metastases" AND "jaw bone", "oral metastases" AND "soft tissue". RESULTS: For the study of the incidence of metastases in the oral cavity, 9 reports of clinical trials and 7 retrospective studies of case series have been included in this article. The primary locations from which more metastases have been described in the oral cavity are lungs (30.6% or 183 cases), breasts (22.2% or 133 cases), liver (15.5% or 93 cases), prostate (9 % or 54 cases), thyroid glands (8.1% or 49 cases), kidneys (7.3% or 44 cases), skin (2.3% or 14 cases), soft tissues (2% or 12 cases), colon (2% or 12 cases) and gastrointestinal (0.6% or 4 cases). These metastases have a predilection for hard tissues. The clinical presentation of these lesions varies from painless granulomatous lesions to lytic areas in the jaws. CONCLUSIONS: Although metastases in the oral cavity is an uncommon pathology, early diagnosis is needed so that in the event that it is the first manifestation, it allows the primary tumor to be diagnosed as soon as possible.

Postsurgical Prosthetic Rehabilitation after Mandibular Ameloblastoma Resection: A 7-Year Follow-Up Case Report.

Ameloblastomas are benign but locally invasive odontogenic tumors most frequently located in the mandible. The gold standard of treatment is the surgical resection of the tumor with safety margins. Postsurgical defects generate a significant morbidity that needs reconstruction and oral rehabilitation to restore the oral functions. This case report describes the prosthetic rehabilitation of a 42-year-old male after resection of a mandibular ameloblastoma. Excision of the lesion by segmental mandibulectomy and mandibular reconstruction by microvascularized fibula flap was performed. After placement of 6 dental implants, the patient was rehabilitated with a lower hybrid prosthesis fabricated using computer-aided design-computer-aided manufacturing. During a 7-year and 5-month follow-up, some clinical complications were observed.

Transoral robotic surgery vs open surgery in head and neck cancer. A systematic review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: TORS has become one of the latest surgical alternatives in the treatment of oropharynx squamous cell carcinomas (OPSCC) and has become increasingly accepted by surgeons as a treatment option. Surgical robots were designed for various purposes, such as allowing remote telesurgery, and eliminating human factors like trembling. The study aimed to compare systematic review of the available literature in order to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Transoral Robotic Surgery (TORS) compared with open surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We performed a systematic review of the available literature in order to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of TORS compared with open surgery. We compared TORS and open surgery based on 16 outcomes divided in to 3 groups: intra-operative complications, post-operative complications, and functional and oncologic outcomes. An electronic search of observational studies was carried out using the following databases: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Oral Health Group Trials Register, and Scielo. Data analysis was carried out in accordance to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Metanalysis (PRISMA) and the quality of the studies were evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. No language restrictions were imposed. RESULTS: From the 4 studies identified (Newcastle-Ottawa Scale mean score 6.5), 371 patients were revised (186 patients were treated with TORS and 185 with conventional surgery). Overall, TORS, when compared with open surgery, appears to have better functional results (less hospital time, decannulation) and fewer intraoperative and post-operative complications. There is no significant difference when assessing the oncological outcomes (positive margins, survival rate) when comparing both techniques. CONCLUSIONS: TORS has an overall better functional outcome, and less intraoperative and postoperative complications with no difference in positive margins and survival rate when compared with conventional therapy.

Horizontal augmentation of the maxillary alveolar ridge to change the prosthetic profile: Clinical and radiological results of a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: In this retrospective study, we aimed to analyze the clinical and radiological results of compensating the long-term deficiencies in hard and soft tissues of edentulous patients by placing dental implants and performing a horizontal ridge augmentation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We treated patients with edentulous maxillaries (Cawood-Howell type III or IV) by combining 4 implants, or 6 implants, or using zygomatic and conventional anterior implants as appropriate. Simultaneously, horizontal ridge augmentation was performed by combining autologous bone with Bio-Oss and membranes. RESULTS: A total of 14 zygomatic and 80 standard implants were used for the rehabilitations in 16 edentulous patients. The success rates were 93.75% and 85.71% for the standard and zygomatic implants, respectively. Also, respective gains of 5.79mm and 3.25mm were obtained at the levels of the midsagittal line and canines, with respective resorption rates of 10% and 8.6% after 20months. CONCLUSION: The millimeters gained by performing a horizontal augmentation optimizes the relation between the implant position and the prosthetic profile. This allows the different prostheses to be selected and for rehabilitation to be optimized. In this way, mucosal coverage can be avoided and fixed prosthetic design can be enhanced.

Quality of life related to oral health and its impact in adults.

Oral health is part of general health, and is recognized as an essential component of quality of life (QoL). For years, oral health was determined solely by the clinic, which did not allow an evaluation of the true impact of oral diseases on the patients' daily lives. The development of instruments for assessing QoL related to oral health has occurred due to the urgency of determining the effects of changes in the oral cavity of individuals. This study aims, through a bibliographical survey, to describe issues involving the relationship between QoL and oral health focusing on methodological and conceptual aspects as well as considering how oral health of adult individuals affects their QoL in a general way. Research in this area has developed the concept of "quality of life related to oral health", which comprises four categories: functional factors, psychological factors, social factors and existence of discomfort or pain. The negative impacts that poor oral health of the population have on their QoL makes this issue a relevant problem for public health. Although most oral problems do not represent an immediate risk of death, they are responsible for decreasing the QoL of individuals as they prolong states of pain and suffering, and cause functional, aesthetic, nutritional and psychological problems. Actions focused on health education with emphasis on self-perception, self-protection and self-care should be explored. Programs based on equity seeking to reduce inequalities and their negative effects on people's QoL should also be explored.

Periodontal treatment on patients with cardiovascular disease: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is the main cause of mortality in developed countries. It is a chronic and systemic inflammatory disease with a multifactorial etiology. Periodontal disease is one of the many factors that contribute to its development. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the effects of periodontal treatment on cardiovascular risk parameters in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. METHODS: A systematic research was conducted in the Pubmed/Medline databases for clinical trials published up to and including the year 2017. RESULTS: Ten articles were included for analysis. Periodontal treatment reduced C-reactive protein levels (77.8% of clinical trials), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (66.7%), interleukin-6 (100%) and leukocytes (50%). Fibrinogen levels also improved considerably (66.7%). Effects on lipid parameters were more limited, whereby only oxidized low density lipoprotein and very low density lipoprotein cholesterol decreased significantly. Meta-analysis showed a statistically significant decreased in C-reactive protein and leukocytes values when patients were submitted to non-surgical periodontal treatment in contrast to receiving no treatment at all (mean difference 1.199 mg/L, 95% confidence interval: 1.100-1.299, p<0.001; and mean difference 0,79 g/L, 95% confidence interval: 0.717-0.879, p<0.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Periodontal treatment has a beneficial effect on some of the biochemical parameters considered to represent cardiovascular risk. Further randomized clinical trials are necessary, with longer follow-up periods including regular periodic monitoring, in order to determine the extent of the impact of periodontal treatment.

Coffee is protective against oral and pharyngeal cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Coffee is one of the most popular and consumable drinks worldwide. However, there are conflicting results on the influence of this drink in oral and pharyngeal cancer risk. To clarify this, we aimed to systemically review and carry out a meta-analysis of the relevant literature on the association between coffee and oral and pharyngeal cancer. STUDY DESIGN: We carried out an electronic search of publications up to August 2016 from PubMed, National Library of Medicines Medline, Embase, Science Direct and the Cochrane Central Register. The Newcastle-Ottawa scale was used to address the quality of the studies a meta-analysis was carried out using random-effects models. RESULTS: From the 22,515 entries identified in the search, 13 case-control and 4 cohort studies were selected. With regards to quality on the Newcastle-Ottawa scale, an overall value of 6.06 was obtained. The analysis for oral and pharyngeal cancer grouped together indicated a pooled OR of .69 (95% CI of .57-.84; p<.001) for high versus low coffee consumption with a moderate heterogeneity (I2: 50.3%; p=.009). Regarding studies on oral cavity cancers we observed a pooled OR of 0.82; 95% CI =.58-1.16; p=.257) and for pharyngeal cancers a pooled OR of .72 (95% CI of 0.54-.95; p=.019). There was no significant publication bias. CONCLUSION: The results show an inverse association between high coffee consumption and the risk of oral and pharyngeal cancers, which indicates that coffee may have a protective role against these cancers. Further larger prospective observational cohort studies are needed to address any effect of other possible co-factors.

Osteomyelitis of the jaw (with pathological fracture) following extraction of an impacted wisdom tooth. A case report.

Osteomyelitis is an infection and inflammation associated with the bone structures: bone marrow, cortical bone, periosteum, blood vessels and nerves. Although it does not have a frequent presentation, it can sometimes lead to complications such as pathological fractures or even septicemia. We present a clinical case study, to assess the relationship between osteomyelitis of the jaw and pathological fractures, after the extraction of an impacted wisdom tooth. This case highlights a rare complication following the surgical removal of mandibular third molar; a slow evolution of the pathology following an extraction should lead to close monitoring of the patient both clinically and radiographically, albeit osteomyelitis is a rare complication, it should be included as one of the differential diagnosis of persistent post-extraction pain.

Dental caries status of patients with schizophrenia in Seville, Spain: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to assess the dental status (DMFT) in patients with schizophrenia compared with a control group. MATERIAL: In this case-control study, 50 patients with schizophrenia attended in the Psychiatric Unit at the Virgen Macarena University Hospital of Seville were compared with 50 people (without systemic diseases and not taking psychotropic drugs) in a control group attended in the School of Dentistry of Seville. Decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT) were assessed according to the World Health Organization WHO criteria. RESULTS: Patients with schizophrenia showed a decayed teeth (DT) score of 7.26 ± 5.69 compared with 6.50 ± 4.37 for patients the control group. These differences were significant and suggest that dental caries are most prevalent in patients with schizophrenia. People who smoked showed significantly higher DT scores in both groups. Among patients with schizophrenia, smokers scored 9.34 ± 5.42 compared with 4.38 ± 4.82 for non-smokers. Among the healthy controls, smokers scored 6.88 ± 4.85 compared with 6.12 ± 3.85 for non-smokers (p < 0.05). Patients with schizophrenia showed a missing teeth (MT) score of 9.10 ± 8.56 compared with 5.38 ± 5.14 in control patients. MT scores increased significantly with age and with smoking in both groups of patients (p < 0.05). Patients with schizophrenia showed a filled teeth (FT) score of 1.38 ± 2.70 compared with 2.34 ± 3.48 in control patients. FT differences in gender and smoking habits between patients with schizophrenia and healthy control subjects were statistically significant (p < 0.05). This data, along with the DT scores, suggests that patients with schizophrenia have extensive untreated dental disease. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with schizophrenia constitute a high risk population for dental health. This group showed a greater prevalence of decayed and missing teeth and more extensive treatment needs.

Inflammatory papillary hyperplasia: A systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Inflammatory papillary hyperplasia (IPH) is a benign lesion of the palatal mucosa. It is usually found in denture-wearers but also has been reported in patients without a history of use of a maxillary prosthesis use. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to review the literature to assess the prevalence of denture stomatitis and inflammatory papillary hyperplasia and the etiological factors associated. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A search was carried out in PubMed (January 2005 to October 2015) with the key words "inflammatory papillary hyperplasia", "denture stomatitis", "granular stomatitis" and "Newton's type III" The inclusion criteria were studies including at least a sample of 50 apparently healthy patients, articles published from 2005 to 2015 written in English. The exclusion criteria were reviews and non-human studies. RESULTS: Out of the 190 studies obtained initially from the search 16 articles were selected to be included in our systematic review. The prevalence of denture stomatitis was 29.56% and 4.44% for IPH. We found 5 cases of denture stomatitis among non-denture-wearer individuals. All IPH cases were associated with the use of prosthesis. Smoking and continued use of ill-fitting dentures turned out to be the most frequent risk factors for developing IPH. CONCLUSIONS: IPH is a rare oral lesion and its pathogenesis still remains unclear. Its presentation among non-denture-wearers is extremely unusual.

Subfoveal perfluorocarbon liquid. Removal after three months. / Perfluorocarbono líquido subfoveal. Extracción después de 3 meses.

CLINICAL CASE: A case of surgical removal of a subfoveal perfluorocarbon liquid (PFCL) bubble that remained trapped inside the subretinal space. PFCL bubble extraction was performed by performing a therapeutic and vacuum PFCL bubble macular retinal detachment. DISCUSSION: The elapsed time before subfoveal PFCL extraction seems to influence the visual result. There are other factors which could influence the final visual acuity significantly, nevertheless it is possible to achieve useful vision, as long as the fovea is not damaged and iatrogenic injuries are avoided during PFCL bubble extraction.

Antimicrobial prophylaxis in dentistry.

Use of antibiotics both in humans and animals runs along with effects that can contribute to the spread of antibiotic resistance. Although several available guidelines for antibiotic treatment have been published to date, clinical practice in dentistry and particularly in oral surgery is not free from controversies regarding antibiotic prophylaxis. Antibiotic coverage to prevent infectious endocarditis, joint prostheses infections or local infections requires a careful evaluation of the patient condition, associated risks and other aspects that could influence the decision. It is of great relevancy for oral surgeons and for dentists in general to know exactly what they are up against. Here we review the literature regarding prophylactic use of antimicrobials in dentistry.