Empagliflozin in patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (EMPA-PKD): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Introduction: Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is a hereditary condition that causes the formation of cysts primarily in the kidneys. The continuous growth of multiple cysts leads to the destruction of functional parenchyma, which may progress to end-stage kidney disease. Tolvaptan is the only drug specifically approved for slowing down the progression of ADPKD.

Multiple sclerosis disease-modifying therapy use in the department of veteran affairs and Medicare: A comparative analysis.

Background: High-cost disease-modifying therapies (DMT) for multiple sclerosis (MS) have created affordability challenges for people with MS (PwMS) and payers. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is the largest integrated healthcare system in the US and uses a variety of approaches to manage utilization and cost of MS DMT. The objective of this paper is to compare national utilization trends in the VA to the US Medicare program, another large federal public healthcare program.

Chronic Opioid Use After Implementation of Oregon's Medicaid Back Pain Policy.

Introduction: In 2016, Oregon developed an innovative policy to improve care for Medicaid patients with back pain. The objective of this study was to identify the factors associated with dose reduction and discontinuation among Medicaid patients using chronic opioid therapy after implementation of this policy.

Methods: Using Medicaid administrative claims data, this was a retrospective cohort of patients on chronic stable opioid therapy between July and December 2016.

Photon-counting detector CT (PCD-CT) generated iodine maps to characterize parenchymal lung disease: A feasibility study.

Background: With photon-counting CT, spectral imaging is always available, and iodine maps with high spatial and spectral resolution can be generated.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate whether iodine uptake in different parenchymal patterns can be used to characterise parenchymal disease with increased lung attenuation.

Methods: 325 patients were scanned with a photon-counting CT using four scan protocols, all with lung parenchymal contrast.

Association of economic and racial segregation with restricted buprenorphine dispensing in U.S. community pharmacies.

Background: Timely and reliable dispensing of buprenorphine is critical to accessing treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD). Racial and ethnic inequities in OUD treatment access are well described, but it remains unclear if inequities persist at the point of dispensing.

Methods: We analyzed data from a U.