Long-term safety and efficacy of the selective aldosterone blocker eplerenone in patients with essential hypertension.

Background: Even within the normal range, aldosterone levels are linked to end-organ toxicity and mortality in patients with hypertension. Treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin-receptor blockers does not sufficiently reduce plasma aldosterone levels.

Objective: This study was conducted to assess the long-term safety profile and efficacy of the selective aldosterone blocker eplerenone.

Acute thrombocytopenia in patients treated with the oral glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors xemilofiban and orbofiban: evidence for an immune etiology.

Thrombocytopenic episodes occurring in 18,845 patients treated with the GPIIb/IIIa inhibitors xemilofiban and orbofiban ("fibans") were analyzed by a blinded review panel and 73 patients were classified as having "possible fiban-induced thrombocytopenia". When the treatment codes were broken, a significant association between drug exposure and assignment to this group was found (p <0.001).

Comparison of thromboembolic events in patients treated with celecoxib, a cyclooxygenase-2 specific inhibitor, versus ibuprofen or diclofenac.

It has been hypothesized that cyclooxygenase 2 specific inhibitors may increase the risk of cardiovascular (CV) thromboembolic events because of their inhibition of vascular prostacyclin synthesis and lack of an effect on platelet thromboxane A(2) production and aggregation. Thus, we analyzed the data for celecoxib and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) from the Celecoxib Long-term Arthritis Safety Study to determine the incidences of serious CV thromboembolic events. This trial included 3,987 persons randomized to celecoxib 400 mg twice daily (2,320 person-years of exposure) and 3,981 persons randomized to either ibuprofen 800 mg 3 times daily or diclofenac 75 mg twice daily (2,203 person-years).