Tratamientos modificadores de la enfermedad en pacientes con esclerosis múltiple en España / Disease-modifying treatments for patients with multiple sclerosis in Spain

La esclerosis múltiple es una enfermedad desmielinizante crónica del sistema nervioso central y discapacitante a largo plazo. Existen diferentes tratamientos modificadores de la enfermedad. Estos pacientes, a pesar de ser generalmente jóvenes, tienen una elevada comorbilidad y riesgo de polimedicación por su compleja sintomatología y discapacidad. Objetivo principal determinar el tipo de tratamiento modificador de la enfermedad en los pacientes atendidos en servicios de farmacia de hospitales españoles. Objetivos secundarios Conocer los tratamientos concomitantes, determinar la prevalencia de la polifarmacia, identificar la prevalencia de interacciones y analizar la complejidad farmacoterapéutica. Método estudio observacional, transversal y multicéntrico. Se incluyeron todos los pacientes con diagnóstico de esclerosis múltiple y tratamiento modificador de la enfermedad activo a los que se atendió en las consultas de pacientes externos o en los hospitales de día durante la segunda semana de febrero 2021. Se recogieron: el tratamiento modificador, las comorbilidades y los tratamientos concomitantes para determinar el patrón de multimorbilidad, polifarmacia, complejidad farmacoterapéutica (Medication Regimen Complexity Index) e interacciones medicamentosas. Resultados se incluyeron 1.407 pacientes de 57 centros de 15 Comunidades Autónomas. La forma de presentación de la enfermedad más frecuente fue la forma remitente recurrente (89,3%). El tratamiento modificador de la enfermedad más prescrito fue dimetilfumarato (19,1%), seguido de teriflunomida (14,0%). De los tratamientos modificadores parenterales, los 2 más prescritos fueron el acetato de glatiramero y el natalizumab con un 11,1 y 10,8% respectivamente. El 24,7% de los pacientes tenían una comorbilidad y el 39,8% al menos 2 comorbilidades. El 13,3% pertenecía al menos a uno de los patrones definidos de multimorbilidad y el 16,5% pertenecían a 2 o más patrones. ... (AU)

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic demyelinating disease of the central nervous system and long-term disabling. Different disease-modifying treatments are available. These patients, despite being generally young, have high comorbidity and risk of polymedication due to their complex symptomatology and disability.Objective primaryTo determine the type of disease-modifying treatment in patients seen in Spanish hospital pharmacy departments.Secondary objectivesTo determine concomitant treatments, determine the prevalence of polypharmacy, identify the prevalence of interactions and analyse pharmacotherapeutic complexity.MethodObservational, cross-sectional, multicentre study. All patients with a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis and active disease-modifying treatment who were seen in outpatient clinics or day hospitals during the second week of February 2021 were included. Modifying treatment, comorbidities and concomitant treatments were collected to determine multimorbidity pattern, polypharmacy, pharmacotherapeutic complexity (Medication Regimen Complexity Index) and drug-drug interactions.Results1,407 patients from 57 centres in 15 autonomous communities were included. The most frequent form of disease presentation was the relapsing remitting form (89.3%). The most prescribed disease-modifying treatment was dimethyl fumarate (19.1%), followed by teriflunomide (14.0%). Of the parenteral disease-modifying treatments, the two most prescribed were glatiramer acetate and natalizumab with 11.1% and 10.8%. 24.7% of the patients had one comorbidity and 39.8% had at least 2 comorbidities. 13.3% belonged to at least one of the defined patterns of multimorbidity and 16.5% belonged to 2 or more patterns. The concomitant treatments prescribed were psychotropic drugs (35.5%); antiepileptic drugs (13.9%) and antihypertensive drugs and drugs for cardiovascular pathologies (12.4%). ... (AU)

Sclerotherapy and Topical Nasal Propranolol: An Effective and Safe Therapy for HHT-Epistaxis.

OBJECTIVES: Epistaxis is the most frequent clinical manifestation of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT). Several topical, systemic, and surgical treatments have been tried, but none have been completely effective. The aim of the present study is to evaluate whether a combined treatment sclerotherapy and topical therapy with propranolol 0.5% nasal formulation would reduce the epistaxis due to HHT and improve patient's quality of life. METHODS: An observational cross-sectional study was carried out. The primary outcome measure was frequency and severity of epistaxis as measured by the epistaxis severity score (ESS) at baseline (4 weeks before therapy) and at least 4 weeks after the treatment was implemented. Quality of life was analyzed using EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D) scale and visual analogue (VAS) scale before and after treatment. RESULTS: A total of 38 consecutive patients subjected to the combined treatment were evaluated (mean age: 57.2 years, standard deviation [SD] = 13.9; 60.5% women). The mean time of treatment was 37.1 weeks (SD = 14.9). Combined therapy significantly reduces frequency and severity of epistaxis, with an ESS improvement of 5 points from 6.9 ± 2.6 to 1.9 ± 1.3 (P < 0.05); however, the EQ-5D scale increased from 0.66 ± 0.27 to 0.93 ± 0.12 (P < 0.05). The difference in VAS means showed an increase from 44.6 ± 28.3 to 82.5 ± 12.5 (P < 0.05). The increases in quality of life are in line with the drop in ESS. CONCLUSION: The study demonstrated that combined therapy (sclerotherapy and topical nasal propranolol) significantly reduced the epistaxis due to HHT and increased patients' quality of life. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 2c Laryngoscope, 129:2216-2223, 2019.