Background: Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) is an extremely rare autoimmune, necrotizing granulomatous disease of unknown etiology affecting small and medium-sized blood vessels. Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) is a rare fungal infection with high morbidity and mortality that usually affects immunocompetent or mildly immunosuppressed patients with underlying respiratory disease. Antifungal agents (voriconazole, itraconazole) are the mainstay of therapy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: In clinical research involving acromegalic patients naïve to somatostatin-receptor ligands (SRLs), 19 and 31% of those receiving the SRLs octreotide LAR and pasireotide LAR, respectively, achieved GH < 2.5 ng/mL + normalized IGF-1 concentrations. The proportions achieving control appeared higher in the post-surgery compared with the de-novo setting with pasireotide, but more similar with octreotide.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAndrogenic-anabolic steroids (AAS) are potent and widely used performance-enhancing substances (PES). Since the International Olympic Committee (IOC) began testing athletes for AAS in the 1970s, athletes and their teams have endeavored to beat the system to avoid doping violations and/or sanctions derived from positive test results. This review will discuss the strategies used to avoid detection based on the pharmacology, biochemistry, and genetics of AAS metabolism and testing principles.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMetformin is the recommended first-line oral glucose-lowering drug initiated to control hyperglycemia in type 2 diabetes mellitus. It acts in the liver, small intestines, and skeletal muscles with its major effect on decreasing hepatic gluconeogenesis. It is safe, inexpensive, and weight neutral and can be associated with weight loss.
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