Comparison of the Effect of EMLA™ Cream and the Valsalva Maneuver on Pain Severity during Vascular Needle Insertion in Hemodialysis Patients: A Controlled, Randomized, Clinical Trial.

Background: Pain due to vascular needle insertion has been reported in 40-60% of hemodialysis (HD) patients. Evidence suggests that there is typically no single method for relieving the pain of inserting vascular needles in HD patients. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of EMLA cream and Valsalva maneuver (VM) on pain severity during vascular needle insertion in HD patients.

The beneficial effects of metformin on cancer prevention and therapy: a comprehensive review of recent advances.

Metformin is a widely used drug in today's prescriptions by physicians due to its specific effects in treating and curing type II diabetes. Diabetes is a common disease that may occur throughout human life, and can increase the likelihood of the occurrence of various types of cancer, such as colon, rectum, pancreas and liver cancers, compared to non-diabetic patients. Metformin inhibits mTOR activity by activating ATM (ataxia telangiectasia mutated) and LKB1 (liver kinase B1) and then adenosine monophosphate-activated kinase (AMPK), and thus prevents protein synthesis and cell growth.