A meta-analysis of the incidence of malignancy in adult patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Introduction: The risk of malignancies in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has raised some concern, particularly with immunosuppressive approaches to disease management.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis characterizing the associated risk of overall malignancy and four site-specific malignancies (lymphoma, lung, colorectal, and breast cancer) in patients with RA. A Medline search from 1990 to 2007 was conducted using specified search terms and predefined inclusion criteria for identification of relevant observational studies that provide estimates of relative risk of malignancy associated with RA.

The risk of hospitalized infection in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: To determine whether patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are at increased risk of hospitalized infection and whether the risk varies by RA treatment.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from a medical and pharmacy claims managed-care database from 1999 to 2006. A total of 24,530 patients were included in the RA cohort; a random sample of non-RA patients served as a comparison cohort (n = 500,000).

The risk of herpes zoster in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Objective: To determine whether the incidence of herpes zoster is elevated in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and whether herpes zoster is associated with use of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) in patients with RA.

Methods: Two retrospective cohort studies were conducted using data from a US integrated managed care database (PharMetrics claims database) from 1998-2002 and the UK General Practice Research Database (GPRD) between 1990-2001. Rates of herpes zoster among patients with RA and randomly sampled non-RA patients were compared.

The relationship between health perception and utility in heart failure patients in a clinical trial: results from an OVERTURE substudy.

Background: Cost-effectiveness analyses should be based on incremental years of life gained adjusted with a health status measure known as a utility. Measuring utilities for all subjects in a large-scale randomized trial, however, would be prohibitively cumbersome. We therefore sought to estimate utilities for all subjects from results obtained in a subset of patients.

The cost-effectiveness of irbesartan in the treatment of hypertensive patients with type 2 diabetic nephropathy.

Background: End-stage renal disease (ESRD)-related health care costs are substantial. Improving clinical outcomes in patients at risk of progression to ESRD could lead to considerable health care savings.

Objective: We estimated the cost-effectiveness of irbesartan compared with placebo or amlodipine in the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and overt nephropathy.

Vasopeptidase inhibitor reduces inhospital costs for patients with congestive heart failure: results from the IMPRESS trial. Inhibition of Metallo Protease by BMS-186716 in a Randomized Exercise and Symptoms Study in Subjects With Heart Failure.

Background: The Inhibition of Metallo Protease by BMS-186716 in a Randomized Exercise and Symptoms Study in Subjects With Heart Failure (IMPRESS) clinical trial randomized patients with congestive heart failure to a daily regimen of either omapatrilat or lisinopril. At 24 weeks, patients randomized to omapatrilat had a significant reduction in the combined end point of death, hospitalization, or discontinuation of study drug for worsening heart failure when compared with patients randomized to lisinopril. They also had significantly fewer serious cardiac adverse events.