Levodopa use in Australia: an analysis of Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme 10% data.

Background: Levodopa remains the mainstay of treatment of Parkinson's disease, however, over time motor fluctuations and levodopa-induced dyskinesia develop, requiring add-on therapies to control emerging symptoms. To date, however, there is no clear consensus in Australia, or elsewhere, at which dose of levodopa that add-on therapies should be considered.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the treatment patterns of patients with Parkinson's disease in Australia, with particular focus on levodopa doses at the time of first add-on.

Medium- to long-term persistence with non-vitamin-K oral anticoagulants in patients with atrial fibrillation: Australian experience.

Objective: Long-term anticoagulant therapy with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF) is essential to prevent thromboembolic complications, especially ischemic stroke. This study examines medium-term persistence in AF patients using a non-vitamin-K antagonist oral anticoagulant drug (NOAC).

Research Design And Methods: We assessed national Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme records December 2013 through September 2016 for initial prescription of a NOAC in a 10% random sample of concessional patients.

Improved persistence with non-vitamin-K oral anticoagulants compared with warfarin in patients with atrial fibrillation: recent Australian experience.

Objective: Long-term anticoagulant therapy in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF) is essential to prevent thromboembolic complications, especially ischemic stroke, but treatment persistence with warfarin is poor. This study examines Australian nationwide persistence in AF patients using a non-vitamin-K oral anticoagulant (NOAC) drug.

Research Design And Methods: We assessed national Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme records November-December 2013 through March 2015 for prescription of NOAC drugs in a 10% random sample of long-term concession card holders.

Pacing strategy from high-frequency field data: more evidence for neural regulation?

Introduction: We demonstrate a methodology that uncovers an athlete's true pacing strategy from high-frequency (≤1 km) split field data, even if affected by high gradient variation on course. The method thus opens up the analysis of many previously opaque but popular undulating professional and amateur races to scientific scrutiny.

Methods: The method is relatively simple to use in any standard statistical package, and execution only requires the addition of the altitude-distance trace of the event to a runner's split times (e.