Patient Satisfaction and Efficacy of Full-Facial Rejuvenation Using a Combination of Botulinum Toxin Type A and Hyaluronic Acid Filler.

BACKGROUND: Combination treatments using hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers and botulinum toxin Type A (BoNT-A) are common in aesthetic medicine; however, this has been evaluated in only a few clinical studies. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate subject satisfaction, efficacy, and safety of BoNT-A (Speywood Unit; s.U) and a range of HA fillers for full-facial aesthetic rejuvenation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 6-month, multicenter, open-label clinical study, using BoNT-A (s.U) and 5 HA fillers to treat up to 13 facial zones. Subject satisfaction questionnaires were administered 3 weeks and 6 months after the last injection. Global aesthetic improvement and improvement on each treated zone as well as safety were evaluated. RESULTS: A high level of satisfaction was achieved throughout the study, with 96.5% of subjects at least satisfied with the full-facial aesthetic outcome at 3 weeks, and 92.9% at 6 months. More than 91% considered the treatment outcome to meet or surpass their expectations, and more than 94% would recommend the treatment to others. At Week 3, subject and investigator assessment showed aesthetic improvement for all subjects. The treatment was well tolerated. CONCLUSION: The combination of BoNT-A (s.U) and HA fillers results in high patient satisfaction and in an overall improvement of aesthetic outcomes and quality of life.

The effect of an information leaflet upon knowledge and awareness of COPD in potential sufferers. A randomized controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is markedly under-diagnosed, which may be related to the under-reporting of symptoms and poor awareness of the disease. We hypothesized that written information on COPD may help increase awareness of the disease in people at risk of developing it. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the impact of an information leaflet sent by postal mail on the level of knowledge of COPD in subjects with or at risk of COPD. METHODS: A total of 860 subjects with or at risk of COPD were selected by using a phone questionnaire. All subjects who reported a known diagnosis of COPD, a chronic cough and sputum production, or a smoking history of at least 15 pack-years were eligible for selection. Their knowledge of COPD was assessed during a telephone interview (baseline). They were randomized into 2 groups, with only 1 group receiving the information leaflet, and were then contacted 3 months later for a second interview. The changes in the knowledge of COPD from baseline were compared between subjects who reported receiving and reading the leaflet (true sensitized group) and subjects to whom the leaflet was not sent (control group). RESULTS: At the follow-up interview, the proportion of patients who spontaneously mentioned 'respiratory difficulties', when asked about the meaning of COPD, significantly increased in the true sensitized group (+11.9%) compared with the control group (+2.6%, p < 0.05). In addition, the frequency of patients who cited lung function test as the primary diagnostic tool for COPD increased by +14.4% in the true sensitized group versus+2.0% in the control group (p < 0.05). However, there was no short-term leaflet-dependent improvement in smoking behaviour or utilization of health-care resources. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that an information leaflet sent by postal mail to subjects with or at risk of COPD can significantly improve their knowledge of COPD; however, it has no significant impact on their behaviour.

Endothelin-1 levels and cardiovascular risk factors in renal transplant patients.

OBJECTIVE: Circulating endothelin-1 (ET-1) levels have been reported to be associated with vascular complications and endothelial dysfunction in nontransplanted patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between ET-1 levels and major cardiovascular (CV) risk factors in renal transplant (RTX) patients with stable graft function. METHODS: ET-1 levels were determined in 156 RTX patients and the relationship between circulating ET-1 levels and CV risk factors including age, gender, kidney function, blood lipids, diabetes, and hypertension was studied. RESULTS: Circulating ET-1 levels were found to be positively correlated with creatinine (r = 0.25, p < 0.01) and systolic blood pressure (r = 0.20, p < 0.05) and inversely correlated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels (r = -0.27, p < 0.01). Patients with high and intermediate total cholesterol/HDL-C ratios (TC/HDL-C) had significantly higher ET-1 levels when compared to patients with low ratios (7.02 +/- 3.74, 6.79 +/- 2.67, and 5.37 +/- 3.04 pg/ml, respectively, p < 0.002). Only creatinine, HDL-C, and age >40 years were shown to be independent correlates for ET-1 levels according to multivariate analyses. Interestingly, ET-1 levels were significantly higher (+26%, p < 0.03) in RTX patients with documented CV disease, as compared to those without, when matched for age, gender, and presence of diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: Increased circulating ET-1 levels are associated with low HDL-C and documented CV disease in RTX. This is likely a reflection of vascular endothelial damage and dysfunction and therefore may represent an increased risk for atherosclerosis.

Dry eye disease in French elderly subjects: the Alienor Study.

PURPOSE: To describe dry eye disease in French elderly subjects. METHODS: The Alienor Study is a population-based study on age-related eye disease in 963 residents of Bordeaux (France), aged 73 years or more. Self-reported dry eye disease and use of artificial tears were documented through face-to-face interview. Dry eye symptoms were assessed using the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire and tear film stability by tear break-up time measurements (TBUT). Definite dry eye disease was defined as self-reported dry eye, confirmed by use of artificial tears and/or OSDI greater or equal to 22. RESULTS: Nine hundred and fifteen subjects, with mean age of 80 ± 4 years, returned the OSDI questionnaire. Of these, 271 (29.6%) subjects reported a dry eye disease and 135 (14.7%) were using artificial tears. An OSDI score > 22 was found in 359 (39.2%) subjects and a TBUT < 5 seconds in 335/746 (44.9%) subjects. Overall, definite dry eye affected 21.9% of subjects and was more frequent in women (27.1%) than in men (13.6%). After multivariate adjustment, dry eye disease was also significantly less frequent in subjects with high educational level (odds ratio (OR) = 0.49, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.31-0.78 for long secondary school) and more frequent in subjects with ocular hypertension (OR = 1.61, 95% CI: 1.02-2.57) and those using anxiolytics (OR = 1.53, 95% CI: 1.02-2.29). CONCLUSIONS: This large observational study confirmed the high prevalence of dry eye symptoms among elderly subjects and confirmed some of the previously identified risk factors (in particular female gender and use of anxiolytics).

Effects of prednisone withdrawal on the new metabolic triad in cyclosporine-treated kidney transplant patients.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality after renal transplantation. Prednisone (Pred) maintenance therapy is associated with risk factors for atherosclerosis. Therefore, we were interested in quantifying the effects of Pred withdrawal on body weight and waist circumference as well as on metabolic markers of coronary heart disease risk. METHODS: Twenty-six cyclosporine-treated renal transplant patients (13 men and 13 women) were evaluated before and after at least 11 months (16 +/- 2.9 months) of Pred withdrawal. A complete fasting lipoprotein-lipid profile as well as anthropometric measurements were obtained from each patient. RESULTS: Pred withdrawal was associated with a 6.0% reduction of body weight (-4.34 +/- 5.40 kg; P < 0.05) and with a 7.7% decrease in waist girth (-7.13 +/- 5.75 cm; P < 0.005) in women, whereas no change in these variables were observed in men. In both genders, plasma low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations were unaffected by Pred withdrawal, whereas plasma high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels decreased by 14.0% in women (-0.22 +/- 0.22 mmol/L; P < 0.005) and 22.0% in men (-0.36 +/- 0.28 mmol/L; P < 0.005). Pred withdrawal was associated with a significant reduction in plasma apolipoprotein B concentrations in both women (-0.28 +/- 0.15 g/L; -24.6%; P < 0.0001) and men (-0.22 +/- 0.19 g/L; -20.5%; P < 0.005). A significant reduction in fasting insulin was observed in both women (-27.8 +/- 27.9 pmol/L; -25.3%; P < 0.005) and men (-25.0 +/- 32.8 pmol/L; -21.4%; P < 0.05), whereas the LDL peak particle size was unaffected by Pred withdrawal. CONCLUSIONS: Pred withdrawal modifies several anthropometric and metabolic cardiovascular risk factors in renal transplant patients. Furthermore, female patients may derive further benefits of Pred withdrawal resulting from the concomitant loss of body weight and abdominal fat.