Dietary nitrate prevents progression of carotid subclinical atherosclerosis through blood pressure-independent mechanisms in patients with or at risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Aims: To test if 6 months' intervention with dietary nitrate and spironolactone could affect carotid subclinical atherosclerosis and stiffness, respectively, vs. placebo/doxazosin, to control for blood pressure (BP).

Methods: A subgroup of participants in our double-blind, randomized-controlled, factorial VaSera trial had carotid imaging.

Impact of EMA regulatory label changes on hydroxyzine initiation, discontinuation and switching to other medicines in Denmark, Scotland, England and the Netherlands: An interrupted time series regression analysis.

Background: Hydroxyzine is indicated for the management of anxiety, skin and sleep disorders. In 2015, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) concluded that hydroxyzine was pro-arrhythmogenic and changes to the product information were implemented in Europe. This study aimed to evaluate their impact in Denmark, Scotland, England and the Netherlands.

Impact of EU regulatory label changes for diclofenac in people with cardiovascular disease in four countries: Interrupted time series regression analysis.

Objective: Due to cardiovascular safety concerns, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommended new contraindications and changes to product information for diclofenac across Europe in 2013. This study aims to measure their impact among targeted populations.

Method: Quarterly interrupted time series regression (ITS) analyses of diclofenac initiation among cohorts with contraindications (congestive cardiac failure [CHF], ischaemic heart disease [IHD], peripheral arterial disease [PAD], cerebrovascular disease [CVD]) and cautions (hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, diabetes) from Denmark, the Netherlands, England and Scotland.

A randomised, factorial trial to reduce arterial stiffness independently of blood pressure: Proof of concept? The VaSera trial testing dietary nitrate and spironolactone.

Aims: To test if spironolactone or dietary nitrate from beetroot juice could reduce arterial stiffness as aortic pulse wave velocity (PWVart), a potential treatment target, independently of blood pressure.

Methods: Daily spironolactone (≤50 mg) vs doxazosin (control ≤16 mg) and 70 mL beetroot juice (Beet-It ≤11 mmol nitrate) vs nitrate-depleted juice (placebo; 0 mmol nitrate) were tested in people at risk or with type-2 diabetes using a double-blind, 6-month factorial trial. Vascular indices (baseline, 12, 24 weeks) were cardiac-ankle vascular index (CAVI), a nominally pressure-independent stiffness measure (primary outcome), PWVart secondary, central systolic pressure and augmentation.

Cardiac effects of 6 months' dietary nitrate and spironolactone in patients with hypertension and with/at risk of type 2 diabetes, in the factorial design, double-blind, randomized controlled VaSera trial.

Aims: The aims of the present study were to explore whether a long-term intervention with dietary nitrate [(NO ), a potential tolerance-free source of beneficial vasoactive nitric oxide] and spironolactone (to oppose aldosterone's potential deleterious cardiovascular effects) improve cardiac structure/function, independently of blood pressure (BP), in patients with/at risk of type 2 diabetes (a population at risk of heart failure).

Methods: A subsample of participants in our double-blind, randomized, factorial-design intervention (VaSera) trial of active beetroot juice as a nitrate source (≤11.2 mmol) or placebo (nitrate depleted) beetroot juice, and either ≤50 mg spironolactone or ≤16 mg doxazosin (control), had transthoracic cardiac ultrasounds at baseline (n = 105), and at 3 months and 6 months (n = 87) after the start of the intervention.

Spironolactone use and risk of incident cancers: a retrospective, matched cohort study.

Aims: Spironolactone is widely used to treat heart failure, hypertension and liver disease with increased usage in recent years. Spironolactone has endocrine effects that could influence cancer risks and historical reports suggest possible links with increased risk of certain types of cancer. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of spironolactone exposure on cancer incidence.

Increased sexual dysfunction in men with storage and voiding lower urinary tract symptoms.

Introduction: Sexual dysfunction (SD) and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are highly prevalent in men and increase with age. Previous studies have shown that LUTS and SD are highly associated in men, but most have not distinguished between voiding and storage LUTS. Aims.

Prevalence and treatment of isolated and concurrent hypertension and hypercholesterolaemia in the United Kingdom.

What Is Already Known About This Subject: The 1998 and 2003 Health Survey for England revealed a high prevalence of hypertension and hypercholesterolaemia in the population of England. Major changes in the reimbursement of primary care for the management of both hypertension and hypercholesterolaemia have occurred in the UK.

What This Study Adds: Using a GP database we have examined the proportion of subjects diagnosed and treated for hypertension and hypercholesterolaemia over time.

Factors that predict changing the type of phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor medication among men in the UK.

Objective: To evaluate predictors of changing the type of phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitor (switching) among men with erectile dysfunction (ED) in the UK, the largest consumer of PDE5 inhibitors in Europe, as switching medication is often associated with higher resource use, and there are three oral PDE5 inhibitor medications currently available.

Patients And Methods: Patients were identified from The Health Improvement Network database in the UK; men initiating therapy with sildenafil, tadalafil or vardenafil from May 2003 to August 2004 with >/= 6 months of prescription history before and after their initial PDE5 inhibitor prescription were included. Switching was evaluated as the proportion of second PDE5 inhibitor prescriptions that were for a drug differing from the first.