Health-related quality of life impact of a triple combination of olmesartan medoxomil, amlodipine besylate and hydrochlorotiazide in subjects with hypertension.

Background: A post-hoc analysis was performed on the data from a 54 weeks phase III study (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00923091) to measure changes in the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of 2,690 patients aged ≥18 with moderate-to-severe hypertension who received one of six doses of olmesartan/amlodipine/hydrochlorothiazide (OLM/AML/HCTZ), using the MINICHAL and EQ-5D instruments.

Methods: Descriptive statistics were used to assess blood pressure and HRQoL scores over the study period.

A rat model of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease 1A recapitulates disease variability and supplies biomarkers of axonal loss in patients.

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease is the most common inherited neuropathy and a duplication of the peripheral myelin protein 22 gene causes the most frequent subform Charcot-Marie-Tooth 1A. Patients develop a slowly progressive dysmyelinating and demyelinating peripheral neuropathy and distally pronounced muscle atrophy. The amount of axonal loss determines disease severity.

Olmesartan medoxomil plus amlodipine increases efficacy in patients with moderate-to-severe hypertension after monotherapy: a randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, multicentre study.

Background And Objective: Hypertension remains a major global health problem, and evidence suggests that the majority of patients will require two or more antihypertensive agents in order to reach specified BP targets. Combining two drugs from different classes has the potential to target different aspects of hypertension, which may result in additional BP decreases compared with either agent used alone. This randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, multicentre trial in patients with moderate-to-severe hypertension (systolic BP [SBP]/diastolic BP [DBP] > or =160/100 mmHg) investigated the additional efficacy in BP reduction and BP goal rates (<140/90 mmHg for patients without diabetes mellitus, <130/80 mmHg for patients with diabetes) achieved by adding amlodipine 5 or 10 mg/day to olmesartan medoxomil (hereafter olmesartan) 20 mg/day in patients not adequately controlled on olmesartan monotherapy.

Efficacy and safety of a stepped-care regimen using olmesartan medoxomil, amlodipine and hydrochlorothiazide in patients with moderate-to-severe hypertension: an open-label, long-term study.

Background: Treatment guidelines recommend combination therapy to control blood pressure (BP) in the majority of hypertensive patients. This long-term open-label study assessed a treatment algorithm based on olmesartan medoxomil (hereafter olmesartan), amlodipine and hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ).

Methods: Patients with moderate-to-severe hypertension who were inadequately controlled with amlodipine 5 mg/day monotherapy and who subsequently completed 16 weeks of double-blind combination treatment with olmesartan and amlodipine entered a 28-week open-label phase in which all patients initially received olmesartan/amlodipine 40/5 mg/day.

Efficacy and tolerability of olmesartan medoxomil combined with amlodipine in patients with moderate to severe hypertension after amlodipine monotherapy: a randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, multicentre study.

Background And Objectives: Cerebrovascular and cardiac adverse events can be significantly reduced by effective antihypertensive therapy; however, BP control rates remain poor. The objective of this randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, multicentre study was to determine the efficacy and safety of olmesartan medoxomil/amlodipine combination therapy in patients with moderate to severe hypertension who had failed to respond to treatment with 8 weeks of open-label amlodipine.

Methods: A total of 1017 patients entered the open-label amlodipine monotherapy stage; mean BP at week 0 was 164/102 mmHg.

[Lithostar Multiline. A multi-function lithotripter for ESWL and endourology: initial clinical experiences].

After > 10,000 treatments-our HM3/4 and MPL 9000 have been replaced by the Siemens Lithostar multiline. As a ESWL center with ESWL as the primary treatment indication for all types of stones in kidney and ureter we report our initial experience with this new multifunctional lithotripter. The system consists of an electromagnetic shock-wave emitter (Focus 80 x 5 mm) and a digital fluoroscopy unit.

Knowledge representation for computer-aided planning of controlled clinical trials: the PATriCIa project.

The main thesis of the PATriCIa project is that a knowledge-based system can provide efficient and reliable support for biometricians as well as physicians involved in planning of controlled clinical trials, resulting in a higher quality of medical research. Structure and contents of study protocols are analyzed, and an object-oriented method for formally representing biometric knowledge is proposed. A study protocol can be generated from this formal representation.

The Fourth Monitoring Report of the Early vs. Late Infantile Strabismus Surgery Study: The Early vs. Late Infantile Strabismus Surgery Study Group.

The Early vs. Late Infantile Strabismus Surgery Study Group is a group of strabismologists and orthoptists from 58 clinics in 11 European countries. They investigate whether early or late surgery is preferable in infantile strabismus, in a non-randomized, prospective, multi-center trial.

Expression of bcl-2--protein in small cell lung cancer.

The expression of the proto-oncogene bcl-2, whose main function appears to be an inhibition of apoptosis, was investigated in 164 cases of primary small cell lung cancer by means of immunohistochemistry in a retrospective analysis. One-hundred twenty-five cases (76%) demonstrated expression of bcl-2. There was no difference in serum LDH levels and proliferative activity between the two groups.

The Third Monitoring Report of the Early vs. Late Infantile Strabismus Surgery Study.

The Early vs. Late Infantile Strabismus Surgery Study Group is a group of strabismologists and orthoptists from 58 clinics in II European countries. They investigate whether early or late surgery is preferable in infantile strabismus, in a non-randomised, prospective, multi-centre trial.

Impact of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy in pediatric patients: complications and long-term follow-up.

Objective: Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) of urinary stones is a well-established treatment modality applied to adult patients. We report on the technique, complications, and long-term results of ESWL in pediatric patients.

Methods: Between 1987 and 1994, 27 children with stones distributed throughout the urinary tract were treated with ESWL.

Effect of extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy on gallbladder emptying in patients with solitary and multiple gallbladder stones.

In a prospective study, we investigated the effect of extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy (ESWL) on gallbladder contractility and on fasting and residual gallbladder volume in patients with solitary and multiple gallbladder stones with stone densities < 100 Hounsfield units (HU) and adequate gallbladder function. Twenty-five patients (seven males and 18 females, mean age 48.5 +/- 11.

Left ventricular wall thickness measurements by magnetic resonance: a validation study.

Left ventricular (LV) wall thickness was determined by magnetic resonance (MR) in 15 patients (7 controls and 8 patients with coronary artery disease). End-diastolic (ed) and end-systolic (es) wall thickness were measured in a short axis view perpendicular to the LV long axis. Wall thickness measurements were compared to data obtained by digital subtraction angiography (DSA) and M-mode echocardiography (Echo).