Longitudinal trajectories of the Scleroderma Health Assessment Questionnaire (SHAQ) visual analogue scales: a retrospective cohort study.

Objective: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is disabling. However, the different factors contributing to this disability and how these change over time have been little studied. Our aim was to examine the trajectories over time of the six visual analogue scales (VAS) of the scleroderma HAQ (SHAQ), associations of disease-related factors with these trajectories, and relationships with overall functional ability.

Protocol of a feasibility randomised controlled trial of Empowered Conversations: training family carers to enhance their relationships and communication with people living with dementia.

Background: Communication difficulties can cause frustration, low mood, and stress for people living with dementia and their carer. Carers should be offered training on adapting their communication skills. However, it is not common for skills-based education to examine emotional aspects of care and the effect of dementia on relationships.

Prognosis of naevoid melanomas.

Introduction: There appear to be several variants of naevoid melanoma suspected as having different outcomes, but follow-up studies have been few. We aimed to assess the prognosis of naevoid melanomas in a multi-centre study.

Material And Methods: From histopathology records we ascertained patients in the UK, Australia and Italy diagnosed with maturing naevoid melanoma (n = 65; 14; 7 respectively) and nodular/papillomatous naevoid melanoma (12; 6; 0), and patients with superficial spreading melanoma (SSM) from UK (73) and Australia (26).

Standardised self-management kits for children with type 1 diabetes: pragmatic randomised trial of effectiveness and cost-effectiveness.

Objective: To estimate the effectiveness of standardised self-management kits for children with type 1 diabetes.

Design: Pragmatic trial with randomisation ratio of two intervention: one control. Qualitative process evaluation.

Neprilysin inhibition for pulmonary arterial hypertension: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, proof-of-concept trial.

Background And Purpose: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is an incurable, incapacitating disorder resulting from increased pulmonary vascular resistance, pulmonary arterial remodelling, and right ventricular failure. In preclinical models, the combination of a PDE5 inhibitor (PDE5i) with a neprilysin inhibitor augments natriuretic peptide bioactivity, promotes cGMP signalling, and reverses the structural and haemodynamic deficits that characterize PAH. Herein, we conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to assess the efficacy and safety of repurposing the neprilysin inhibitor, racecadotril, in PAH.