Opicapone as adjunct to levodopa in treated Parkinson's disease without motor complications: A randomized clinical trial.

Background: Catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT) inhibitors are routinely used to manage motor fluctuations in Parkinson's disease (PD). We assessed the effect of opicapone on motor symptom severity in levodopa-treated patients without motor complications.

Methods: This was a randomized, double-blind, 24-week, placebo-controlled study of opicapone 50 mg as adjunct to levodopa (NCT04978597).

Association of systemic inflammation and long-term dysfunction in COVID-19 patients: A prospective cohort.

COVID-19 has significant long-term impacts, including a chronic syndrome known as long-COVID, characterized by persistent symptoms post-recovery. The inflammatory response during acute infection is hypothesized to influence long-term outcomes. This study aimed to identify inflammatory biomarkers predictive of functional outcomes one year after hospital discharge.

Causal Mediation Analysis of Foodborne Outbreaks in the United States: Serotypes and Food Vehicles.

Various serotypes have caused numerous foodborne outbreaks associated with food vehicles in different categories. This study provides evidence on the occurrence and inter-relations between serotypes and the number of deaths mediated by the number of illnesses and hospitalizations. Confirmed foodborne outbreaks of serotypes (n = 2868) that occurred between 1998 and 2021 were obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Outbreak Reporting System.

P2Y12 inhibitors plus aspirin versus aspirin alone in patients with ischemic cerebrovascular events: An updated meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: The efficacy and safety of P2Y12 inhibitors (P2Y12i) with aspirin in patients with non-cardioembolic ischemic cerebrovascular events remains a topic of ongoing debate. Therefore, we conducted an updated meta-analysis to compare these drugs with aspirin alone.

Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Central for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the two treatment regimens in patients with ischemic cerebrovascular events.