Publications by authors named "A Lax"

Background: The US Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Defense (VA/DoD) clinical guidelines recommend extended-release naltrexone (XR-NTX) as a treatment option for moderate-to-severe alcohol use disorder (AUD); however, contemporary real-world outcomes related to this guideline are lacking. This retrospective, observational, descriptive study examined treatment patterns and healthcare resource use (HCRU) among veterans with an AUD diagnosis who initiated XR-NTX.

Methods: Veterans with incident AUD who initiated XR-NTX between 8/2014 and 11/2018 were identified.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a musculoskeletal disorder characterized by articular cartilage degeneration and chronic inflammation, affecting one in five people over 40 years old. The purpose of this study was to provide an overview of traditional and novel minimally invasive treatment options and role of artificial intelligence (AI) to streamline the diagnostic process of KOA. This literature review provides insights into the mechanisms of action, efficacy, complications, technical approaches, and recommendations to intra-articular injections (corticosteroids, hyaluronic acid, and plate rich plasma), genicular artery embolization (GAE), and genicular nerve ablation (GNA).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - The study investigates the impact of prostate-specific antigen doubling time (PSADT) on patients with biochemical recurrence (BCR) of nonmetastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer (nmCSPC), analyzing data from the Veterans Health Administration between 2006 and 2020.
  • - Patients were grouped based on rapid (≤9 months) and less rapid (>9 to ≤15 months) PSADT; rapid PSADT correlated with significantly shorter times to first treatment and worse outcomes in terms of metastasis, metastasis-free survival, and overall survival.
  • - The findings suggest that patients with rapid PSADT typically started secondary treatment within a year of BCR, and early treatment appears to yield better outcomes compared to historical data
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Neuromuscular diseases (NMDs) comprise a heterogeneous group of conditions characterized by extreme progressive muscle weakness leading to respiratory failure. Noninvasive mechanical ventilation (NIV) has emerged as a cornerstone in the management of respiratory complications associated with NMDs. This review aims to elucidate the role of NMV in respiratory function, improving quality of life, and prolonging survival in individuals with NMD.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Sleep-related breathing disorders (SBD) are conditions of abnormal and difficult respiration during sleep, including chronic snoring, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), central sleep apnea (CSA), sleep-related hypoventilation disorders and sleep-related hypoxemia. Some of them have a limited impact on health, but others (e.g.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF