A systematic literature review of the clinical and health economic burden of schizophrenia in privately insured patients in the United States.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic literature review on the burden of schizophrenia in privately insured US patients.

Materials And Methods: A systematic literature review of English language peer-reviewed journal articles of observational studies published from 2006 to 2016 was conducted using EMBASE/MEDLINE databases. Abstracts covering substantial numbers of patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (i.

Total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in high-risk patients treated with atorvastatin monotherapy in the United Kingdom: analysis of a primary-care database.

Objective: British clinical guidelines recommend statins as first-line lipid-modifying treatment (LMT) for patients at high risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). We undertook an observational study to assess total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels in high-risk patients who were treated with atorvastatin monotherapy by UK general practitioners.

Methods: This retrospective database study included patients with a prescription for atorvastatin monotherapy between November 30, 2008, and November 30, 2011, with the index date defined as the first atorvastatin prescription during this period.

Correlates of alcohol use in adults with ADHD and comorbid alcohol use disorders: exploratory analysis of a placebo-controlled trial of atomoxetine.

Background: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and substance use disorder are often comorbid in adults. The effects of ADHD treatment on comorbid alcohol use disorder have not been extensively studied.

Objective: To assess correlates of ADHD and alcohol use outcomes in ADHD with comorbid alcohol use disorders, via a post-hoc exploratory subgroup analysis of a previously conducted, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of recently abstinent adults.

Optimizing treatment outcomes with phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors for erectile dysfunction: opening windows to enhanced sexual function and overall health.

Purpose: Phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors have proved to be efficacious, safe, and well tolerated, in clinical trials and practice, for men with erectile dysfunction (ED). However, many patients are not satisfied with treatment and discontinue it prematurely. This review discusses evidence-based strategies that nurse practitioners (NPs) can use to improve diagnosis of ED, optimize patient outcomes, and identify opportunities to detect other potentially serious comorbid conditions.

Time courses of improvement and symptom remission in children treated with atomoxetine for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: analysis of Canadian open-label studies.

Background: The relatively short durations of the initial pivotal randomized placebo-controlled trials involving atomoxetine HCl for the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) provided limited insight into the time courses of ADHD core symptom responses to this nonstimulant, selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor. The aim of this analysis was to evaluate time courses of treatment responses or remission, as assessed by attainment of prespecified scores on the ADHD Rating Scale-IV-Parent Version: Investigator Administered and Scored (ADHDRS-IV-PI) and the Clinical Global Impressions-ADHD-Severity (CGI-ADHD-S) scales, during up to 1 year of atomoxetine treatment in children with ADHD.

Methods: Using pooled data from three Canadian open-label studies involving 338 children ages 6-11 years with ADHD who were treated with atomoxetine for 3, 6 and 12 months, and survival analysis methods for interval-censored data, we estimated the time to: 1) improvement and robust improvement defined by ≥25% and ≥40% reductions from baseline ADHDRS-IV-PI total scores, respectively; and 2) remission using two definitions: a final score of ADHDRS-IV-PI ≤18 or a final score of CGI-ADHD-S ≤2.

Sexual satisfaction in men with erectile dysfunction: correlates and potential predictors.

Introduction: Sexual satisfaction is an important treatment objective for men with erectile dysfunction (ED).

Aims: To evaluate potential associations between International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) satisfaction at study endpoint and a range of baseline, on-treatment, and endpoint variables.

Methods: An exploratory analysis was conducted involving 3,935 subjects with ED randomized to on-demand tadalafil (N = 2,824) or placebo (N = 1,111) in randomized, controlled trials across 28 countries.

Effects of modifying triglycerides and triglyceride-rich lipoproteins on cardiovascular outcomes.

Elevated levels of triglycerides (and triglyceride-rich lipoproteins) are increasingly being recognized as treatment targets to lower cardiovascular risk in certain patient subgroups, including individuals receiving HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins). Evidence suggests that these agents reduce the risk of coronary events more markedly in patients with elevated triglycerides and low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). Further, intensive long-term statin therapy that reduces both low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) to <70 mg/dL and triglycerides to <150 mg/dL results in a decreased risk of cardiovascular events compared with more moderate statin treatment.

Exploiting the antidiabetic properties of incretins to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus: glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists or insulin for patients with inadequate glycemic control?

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is associated with progressive decreases in pancreatic beta-cell function. Most patients thus require increasingly intensive treatment, including oral combination therapies followed by insulin. Fear of hypoglycemia is a potential barrier to treatment adherence and glycemic control, while weight gain can exacerbate hyperglycemia or insulin resistance.

Effects of ezetimibe, simvastatin, atorvastatin, and ezetimibe-statin therapies on non-cholesterol sterols in patients with primary hypercholesterolemia.

Background: Levels of cholesterol are regulated by its synthesis, absorption, and elimination. Plasma levels of phytosterols (e.g.

Effects of a global risk educational tool on primary coronary prevention: the Atherosclerosis Assessment Via Total Risk (AVIATOR) study.

Objective: The use of Framingham equations to determine 10-year absolute coronary risk ('global risk') represents an accepted strategy to target coronary prevention measures and enhance clinical outcomes. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of providing global risk scores to physicians on the prescription of lipid-lowering therapy for patients at increased coronary risk.

Research Design And Methods: This prospective, randomized controlled trial enrolled 368 primary-care patients without a history of coronary heart disease and not on therapy with a hydroxymethylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitor (i.