Associations between paraoxonase-1 activity and therapeutic drug monitoring indicators in schizophrenia patients treated with olanzapine: A cross-sectional study.

Objective: Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) indicators have been suggested to predict overall outcome responses to olanzapine (OLZ) treatments in terms of efficacy and metabolic syndrome. This study aimed to investigate whether paraoxonase-1 (PON-1) activity can be used to predict schizophrenia patient outcomes.

Methods: Schizophrenic patients ( = 50) aged between 20 and 65 years who received OLZ treatment were recruited, and their Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale scores, PON-1 activity, and olanzapine drug levels normalized by dose (OLZ/D) and its metabolite N-desmethyl-olanzapine (DMO), together with biochemical parameters, were determined.

Low-dose aspirin for prevention of cardiovascular mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease: A real-world nationwide cohort study.

Aims/introduction: Cardiovascular mortality risk is elevated among patients with diabetes and concurrent chronic kidney disease. However, controversy surrounds the use of aspirin for primary prevention within this population. This study aims to assess the effectiveness and safety of low-dose aspirin for primary prevention in patients with diabetes and pre-end-stage renal disease.

Correlation between antibiotic consumption and resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a teaching hospital implementing an antimicrobial stewardship program: A longitudinal observational study.

Background/purpose: The rapid emergence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa resistance made selecting antibiotics more challenge. Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) are urging to implant to control the P. aeruginosa resistance.

Development of a combination antibiogram for empirical treatments of Pseudomonas aeruginosa at a university-affiliated teaching hospital.

Introduction: The significantly higher mortality rate in the critical illness patients with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) infection is linked to inappropriate selecting of empirical treatment. Traditional local antibiogram provides clinicians the resistant rate of a single antimicrobial agent to the pathogen in the specific setting. The information is valuable to the clinicians in selecting suitable empirical antibiotic therapy.

Evaluation of risk adjustment performance of diagnosis-based and medication-based comorbidity indices in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Objectives: This study assessed risk adjustment performance of six comorbidity indices in two categories of comorbidity measures: diagnosis-based comorbidity indices and medication-based ones in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Methods: This was a population-based retrospective cohort study. Data used in this study were sourced from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database.

Effects of various statins on depressive symptoms: A network meta-analysis.

Background: Previous studies have indicated that statins can reduce the severity of depressive symptoms. However, the optimal choice of statin remains unclear. Therefore, we conducted a network meta-analysis to determine the optimal statin for treating depression.

Effectiveness and safety of rivaroxaban versus warfarin in Taiwanese patients with end-stage renal disease and nonvalvular atrial fibrillation: A real-world nationwide cohort study.

Background: The optimal anticoagulant for end-stage renal disease patients for stroke prophylaxis is unknown. The efficacy and safety of warfarin in this population are debatable. In addition, real-world evidence of direct oral anticoagulants in patients with end-stage renal disease is limited.

Utilizing methylglyoxal and D-lactate in urine to evaluate saikosaponin C treatment in mice with accelerated nephrotoxic serum nephritis.

The relationship between methylglyoxal (MGO) and D-lactate during saikosaponin C (SSC) treatment of mice with accelerated nephrotoxic serum (NTS) nephritis was investigated. NTS nephritis was induced by administration of anti-basement membrane antibodies to C57BL/6 mice and three dosages of SSC were administered for 14 days. Proteinuria, blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, renal histology, urinary MGO and d-lactate changes were examined.

Interactions between traditional Chinese medicine and western drugs in Taiwan: A population-based study.

Background: Drug-drug interactions have long been an active research area in clinical medicine. In Taiwan, however, the widespread use of traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) presents additional complexity to the topic. Therefore, it is important to see the interaction between traditional Chinese and western medicine.