Effectiveness and Safety of Vildagliptin Sustained Release in the Management of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Real-World Evidence in Indian Patients [NOVELTY Study].

Background And Objective: Vildagliptin sustained release (XR), a formulation that provides vildagliptin 100 mg with a once-daily dose administration, is a recent introduction to manage type 2 diabetes mellitus in India. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and tolerability of vildagliptin XR in patients with type 2 diabetes in real-world clinical settings.

Methods: This was an observational, prospective, multicenter, cohort study conducted in India, which included patients with type 2 diabetes uncontrolled on metformin XR monotherapy with glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) > 7.

Effectiveness and Safety of the Telmisartan and Amlodipine Fixed-dose Combination in Managing Hypertension among Indian Patients (TACT India Study): Rationale and Study Design.

The prevalence of hypertension is on the rise, with approximately 200 million individuals affected by this condition in India. Epidemiological studies suggest that one in every three adults in India has hypertension. Fixed-dose combinations (FDCs) present a potential strategy to address the challenge of effective blood pressure control.

Tuberculosis in kidney transplant candidates and recipients.

Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of infectious mortality and morbidity in the world, second only to coronavirus disease 2019. Patients with chronic kidney disease and kidney transplant recipients are at a higher risk of developing TB than the general population. Active TB is difficult to diagnose in this population due to close mimics.

Torsemide in Edema Associated with Hepatic Impairment.

Hepatic edema is caused by decreased hepatic protein synthesis, a consequence of decompensated liver cirrhosis. Fluid accumulation occurs when there is an increase in hydrostatic pressure in the hepatic sinusoids and splanchnic capillaries, as well as low albumin. The first-line treatment for cirrhosis-related ascites is an aldosterone antagonist (spironolactone); however, in severe and recurring ascites, a combination of aldosterone antagonists and loop diuretics (torsemide, furosemide, and bumetanide) is preferable.

Torsemide in Edema Associated with Chronic Kidney Disease.

Torsemide is a loop diuretic used to manage edema associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and acute kidney injury (AKI). It acts by inhibiting sodium and chloride ions reabsorption in the ascending limb of the loop of Henle, thereby increasing urine output and reducing fluid accumulation. Compared to other diuretics, torsemide has an extended duration of action, higher bioavailability, and its elimination route is primarily through the hepatic route, making it effective in patients with CKD and AKI.

Unique Pharmacological Properties and Safety Profiles of Loop Diuretics.

Loop diuretics are regarded as essential for the treatment of edematous conditions in heart failure, cirrhosis, and renal disease. The principal mechanism of action involves inhibiting the reabsorption of ions (Na+, 2Cl-, and K+) from the ascending loop of Henle. The pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) features of the commonly used diuretics (torsemide, furosemide, and bumetanide) influence the selection of diuretics in various disease states and dosing regimens.

Loop Diuretics Unique Mechanism of Action.

Loop diuretics, including torsemide, furosemide, bumetanide, and piretanide, act by inhibiting the sodium-potassium-chloride (Na/K/2Cl) cotransporter in the thick ascending limb of the loop of Henle within the nephron. This mechanism is pivotal in managing fluid retention associated with conditions such as heart failure, cirrhosis, chronic kidney disease, and hypertension. A comprehensive understanding of how these diuretics uniquely target this transporter provides crucial insights into effectively addressing fluid overload across diverse clinical conditions.

Abdominal Pain in a Female with Lupus - Opening the Pandora's Box.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease that can involve multiple organ systems. The most common form of vasculitis seen in SLE is small vessel vasculitis. Aortitis in SLE or antiphospholipid syndrome is an extremely rare complication.

Harnessing Social Media to Enhance Nephrology Academia.

Unlabelled: The process of learning has been confined to the realms of educational institutions. Over the last ten years, the semantics of social media networks have evolved with the use of mobile gadgets. Consequently, nephrologists have realised the potential benefits of using these platforms for their educational and career development.

Mapping the vulnerability of irrigation sand traps in a tropical volcanic basin, Indonesia.

Sand traps in irrigation networks are typically used in mitigating canal sedimentation. In irrigation networks located in basins of high sediment yield due to the presence of volcanoes, it is essential to assess the vulnerability of sand traps. Using sediment yield at irrigation scheme inlets, sand trap vulnerability can be evaluated.

Impact of Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists in the Treatment of Heart Failure: Targeting the Heart Failure Cascade.

Epidemiological data from the Indian subcontinent on the burden of Heart failure (HF) is scarce. Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs) are usually used in the management of HF and hypertension. A consortium of experts reviewed and opined on the pathophysiological role of aldosterone in HF and its cascading effects on the heart in terms of cardiac fibrosis, cardiac hypertrophy, and remodeling, increased propensity to cause arrhythmias in addition to its effect on sodium and water retention.

The Potential Role of Torsemide in Optimizing Loop Diuretic Therapy for Heart Failure Patients.

Heart failure is associated with an increased frequency of hospitalization, reduced life span, and greater risk to public health, thus posing a challenge. In India, torsemide is one of the commonly used loop diuretics for decongestion in heart failure. However, this use of torsemide, including its dosing, and up/down titration, is based on practical experience.

Two-year trends from the LANDMARC study: A 3-year, pan-India, prospective, longitudinal study on the management and real-world outcome in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Introduction: There are limited data on the real-world management of diabetes in the Indian population. In this 2-year analysis of the LANDMARC study, the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and related complications were assessed.

Method: This multicenter, observational, prospective study included adults aged ≥25 to ≤60 years diagnosed with T2DM (duration ≥2 years at enrollment) and controlled/uncontrolled on ≥2 anti-diabetic agents.

Uremic Sarcopenia.

"Uremic sarcopenia" refers to a progressive decrease in muscle mass, strength, and function despite normal skeletal muscle physiology in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Sarcopenia involves multiple risk factors, comprising immunological changes, hormonal, metabolic acidosis, reduced protein intake, and physical inactivity. All these risk factors, along with complex pathophysiological mechanisms including ubiquitin, insulin/IGF-1, myostatin, and indoxyl sulfate, activate downstream pathways that ultimately increase muscle degradation while reducing muscle regeneration.

Reconstructing NDVI and land surface temperature for cloud cover pixels of Landsat-8 images for assessing vegetation health index in the Northeast region of Thailand.

Critical applications of satellite data products include monitoring vegetation dynamics and assessing vegetation health conditions. Some indicators like normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and land surface temperature (LST) are used to assess the status of vegetation growth and health. But one of the major problems with passive remote sensing satellite data products is cloud and shadow cover that leads to data gaps in the images.

Evaluating aquifer stress and resilience with GRACE information at different spatial scales in Cambodia.

Unlabelled: Groundwater exploitation for different sectors in Cambodia is expanding. Groundwater levels have already begun to decline in some parts of the country. Monitoring and assessing groundwater storage (GWS) change, aquifer stress and aquifer resilience will support the proper planning and management of the country's groundwater resources; however, information regarding groundwater in Cambodia is currently scarce.

Downscaling Global Gridded Crop Yield Data Products and Crop Water Productivity Mapping Using Remote Sensing Derived Variables in the South Asia.

Unlabelled: Local scale crop yield and crop water productivity information is critical for informed decision making, crop yield forecasting and crop model calibration applications. In this study, we have attempted to downscale coarse resolution primary season rice yield datasets to a local scale of 500 m using a minimum-median downscaling approach. Sixteen mainland countries in south and southeast Asia region were considered as study region to downscale global rice yield datasets for 2000-2015.

Biosensor for heavy metals detection in wastewater: A review.

Pollution due to heavy metals is a global issue in recent years. Initially, there were fewer contaminants, which has increased exponentially owing to rapid industrialization and various anthropogenic activities. Toxicity due to heavy metals causes a lot of health problems and organ system failure in human beings.

Herpes zoster following vaccination with ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 Coronavirus vaccine (recombinant).

Ever since the emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, science has unraveled much knowledge on SARS-CoV-2 which has led to extraordinary and unprecedented progress in developing COVID-19 vaccines. Several adverse cutaneous reactions, ranging from more common local injection site reaction, neutrophilic and pustular drug reactions to flare-up of preexisting dermatoses, have been reported with currently available vaccines. We report a case series of 7 patients who developed herpes zoster (HZ) following the first dose of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 coronavirus vaccine (recombinant).

Impacts of climate and land use change on groundwater recharge under shared socioeconomic pathways: A case of Siem Reap, Cambodia.

The rapid pace of urbanization blended with climate change has significantly altered surface and groundwater flows. In the context of tourism-driven economic potential areas, these drivers have greater effects, including threatening groundwater availability. This study assessed the combined impacts of climate and land use changes on the groundwater recharge (GWR) in Siem Reap, Cambodia utilizing Phase Six of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) global climate models (GCMs), DynaCLUE land-use model, and Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT).

A Real-World Observational Study of Gla-300 in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes Who Fast During Ramadan in the South Asia Region: A Subgroup Analysis of the ORION Study.

Introduction: In this ORION study subgroup analysis, the safety and effectiveness of insulin glargine 300 U/mL (Gla-300) was evaluated in people from the South Asia region with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) before, during, and after Ramadan, in a real-world setting.

Methods: The ORION study was a real-world, prospective, observational, non-comparative study conducted across 11 countries. The current subgroup analysis included participants from the South Asia region (India and Pakistan) who fasted during Ramadan.

Assessing the future climate change, land use change, and abstraction impacts on groundwater resources in the Tak Special Economic Zone, Thailand.

Groundwater is an important source of water supply in the Tak Special Economic Zone of Thailand. However, groundwater is under stress from climate change, land use change, and an increase in abstraction, affecting the groundwater level and its sustainability. Therefore, this study analyses the impact of these combined stresses on groundwater resources in the near, mid, and far future.