Use of text messages to promote medication adherence and reduce blood pressure in patients with hypertension: the ESSENCE study.

The ESSENCE study evaluated the effect of sending text messages with and without reminders of the time of medication use on adherence to medication treatment and the reduction of blood pressure in patients with hypertension. This was a randomized, crossover, double-blind, active-controlled clinical trial, which included patients aged 30-69 years, followed up at a community pharmacy. Messages were automatically sent using a software and were received on the participants' smartphones.

A Meal with Ultra-Processed Foods Leads to a Faster Rate of Intake and to a Lesser Decrease in the Capacity to Eat When Compared to a Similar, Matched Meal Without Ultra-Processed Foods.

: It is unknown whether the negative health effects associated with ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are due to their nutritional composition or to the extent of food processing itself. We evaluated the impact of a test meal composed only of UPF, according to the NOVA classification, compared to a similar meal without UPF in adults with obesity. : This is a parallel, randomized trial.

Statins as potential disease-modifying therapy of Parkinson's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis with trial sequential analysis.

Background: Recent evidence indicates that statins have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, leading to several investigations of whether statins have a neuroprotective effect and may benefit patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the potential mechanisms of this class of medications as modifiers of the course of PD in already diagnosed patients is still unclear.

Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of statins as modifiers of established PD.