Claims-based Prevalence of Disease Progression among Patients with Fibrosing Interstitial Lung Disease Other than Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis in the United States.

Chronic fibrosing interstitial lung disease (ILD) with a progressive phenotype is a clinical concept describing the broad group of ILDs characterized by progressive pulmonary fibrosis. The prevalence of progressive fibrotic ILDs other than idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is not well understood. We used a novel algorithm to estimate the prevalence range of disease progression among patients with non-IPF fibrotic ILD in a U.

Patient-Reported Symptoms Over 48 Weeks Among Participants in Randomized, Double-Blind, Phase III Non-inferiority Trials of Adults with HIV on Co-formulated Bictegravir, Emtricitabine, and Tenofovir Alafenamide versus Co-formulated Abacavir, Dolutegravir, and Lamivudine.

Background: Integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs) are recommended for first-line antiretroviral therapy in combination with two nucleos(t)ide reverse transcriptase inhibitors. Co-formulated bictegravir, emtricitabine, and tenofovir alafenamide (B/F/TAF), a novel, INSTI-based regimen, is currently approved in the US and EU for the treatment of HIV-1 infection and recommended as first-line treatment in current guidelines. In our current analysis, we aimed to determine changes in patient-reported symptoms over time among HIV-1-infected adults who initiated or switched to B/F/TAF versus another INSTI-based regimen, co-formulated abacavir, dolutegravir, and lamivudine (ABC/DTG/3TC).

Economic impact on US Medicare of a new diagnosis of myelodysplastic syndromes and the incremental costs associated with blood transfusion need.

Background: Recent retrospective studies suggest myelodysplastic syndromes (MDSs) are more common than previously recognized and patients who develop transfusional dependence may be at risk for increased comorbid complications.

Study Design And Methods: A retrospective review was undertaken of Medicare claims focusing on costs associated with patients with a new claim listing ICD-9-CM Diagnosis Code 238.7 in first quarter of 2003.

Potential clinical utility of gene-expression profiling in identifying tumors of uncertain origin.

Aim: To evaluate the potential impact of a gene-expression-based test on the diagnosis of primary tumors in difficult-to-diagnose cases.

Materials & Methods: The Tissue of Origin Test uses 2000 gene measurements to classify the most likely primary tumor. We categorized 284 consecutive samples by pretest diagnosis, then recategorized the samples using test results to identify cases with changes in diagnosis.

The burden of disease of retinal vein occlusion: review of the literature.

Retinal vein occlusion (RVO) is the second most common cause of vision loss due to retinal vascular disease. A literature review was undertaken to understand the epidemiology, clinical consequence, current practice patterns, and cost of RVO. Pertinent articles were identified by computerized searches of the English language literature in MEDLINE supplemented with electronic and manual searches of society/association proceedings and bibliographies of electronically identified sources.