A mini review of Liparis species: an ornamental genus with considerable medicinal value.

The genus Liparis, a group of perennial ornamental herbs in the family Orchidaceae, is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions. Many species of the genus Liparis have been commonly used as traditional herbal medicines for the treatment of menorrhagia, haemoptysis, traumatic bleeding, snake bites, and pneumonia. This review describes the ornamental value of plants of the genus Liparis and summarises the chemical constituents and pharmacological activities reported during the last decade. The main chemical constituents of this genus are phenolic acids, alkaloids, flavonoids, etc. Most phenolic acids and alkaloids have a nervogenic acid skeleton, and most alkaloids also have a pyrrolizidine skeleton. Extracts from the genus Liparis plants showed significant haemostatic, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, hypolipidemic, antioxidant, and antibacterial activities. This paper proposed ideas and research directions for the future study of plants in the genus Liparis, providing valuable information for the development of new drugs and promoting their utilisation.

Underuse of ß-blockers in heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

OBJECTIVE: Although ß-blockers are an established therapy in heart failure (HF) guidelines, including for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), there remain concerns regarding bronchoconstriction even with cardioselective ß-blockers. We wished to assess the real-life use of ß-blockers for patients with HF and comorbid COPD. METHODS: We evaluated data from the Optimum Patient Care Research Database over a period of 1 year for co-prescribing of ß-blockers with either an ACE inhibitor (ACEI) or angiotensin-2 receptor blocker (ARB) in patients with HF alone versus HF+COPD. Association with inhaler therapy was also evaluated. RESULTS: We identified 89 861 patients with COPD, 24 237 with HF and 10 853 with both conditions. In patients with HF+COPD, the mean age was 79 years; 60% were male, and 27% had prior myocardial infarction. Of patients with HF+COPD, 22% were taking a ß-blocker in conjunction with either ACEI/ARB (n=2416) compared with 41% of patients with HF only (n=10 002) (adjusted OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.51 to 0.58, p<0.001). Among HF+COPD patients taking inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) with long-acting ß-agonist (LABA) and long-acting muscarinic antagonist, 27% of patients were taking an ACEI/ARB with ß-blockers (n=778) versus 46% taking an ACEI/ARB without ß-blockers (n=1316). Corresponding figures for those patients taking ICS/LABA were 20% (n=583) versus 48% (n=1367), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate a substantial unmet need for patients with COPD who should be prescribed ß-blockers more often for concomitant HF.