Background: The recent development of various effective drugs, such as epoprostenol, sildenafil, and bosentan, has improved the prognosis for patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH). This study sought to determine survival rates and to identify predictive prognostic factors in patients with IPAH in the current era of combination therapy with new and more effective vasodilators.
Methods And Results: In 65 consecutive IPAH patients treated from 2004 to 2009, hemodynamic parameters were significantly improved and brain natriuretic peptide was significantly decreased by combination therapy (observation period: 35±18 months). The Kaplan-Meier survival curves were determined, and 22 prognostic variables, including 9 hemodynamic variables and 6 biomarkers, were evaluated to obtain the best variables. The 1-year and 3-year survival rates were 98% and 86%, respectively. Only the platelet level was correlated with death (P<0.05), and the platelet level was significantly correlated with mean pulmonary arterial pressure (P<0.01). Patients with a lower platelet level (<20×10(4)/µl (median value)) before treatment had a higher mortality rate compared to the other patients (78% vs. 95% for 3-year survival, P<0.01).
Conclusions: Combination therapy contributed to an improvement in the prognosis of IPAH patients. Platelet level is a significant prognostic predictor in this new treatment era.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1253/circj.cj-11-1223 | DOI Listing |
Background: Opioids are still being prescribed to manage acute postsurgical pain. Unnecessary opioid prescriptions can lead to addiction and death, as unused tablets are easily diverted.
Methods: To determine whether combination nonopioid analgesics are at least as good as opioid analgesics, a multisite, double-blind, randomized, stratified, noninferiority comparative effectiveness trial was conducted, which examined patient-centered outcomes after impacted mandibular third-molar extraction surgery.
CNS Drugs
January 2025
Department of Cardiology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.
Background: Early neurological deterioration (END) is associated with a poor prognosis in acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Effectively lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) can improve the stability of atherosclerotic plaque and reduce post-stroke inflammation, which may be an effective means to lower the incidence of END. The objective of this study was to determine the preventive effects of evolocumab on END in patients with non-cardiogenic AIS.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOrphanet J Rare Dis
January 2025
Department of Neuromuscular Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1 Ogawa-Higashi, Kodaira, Tokyo, 187-8502, Japan.
Background: Sarcoglycanopathies (SGPs) are limb-girdle muscular dystrophies (LGMDs) that can be classified into four types, LGMDR3, LGMDR4, LGMDR5, and LGMDR6, caused by mutations in the genes, SGCA, SGCB, SGCG, and SGCD, respectively. SGPs are relatively rare in Japan. This study aims to profile the genetic variants that cause SGPs in Japanese patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRadiat Oncol
January 2025
Department of Respiratory Medicine and Medical Oncology, Yokohama Municipal Citizen's Hospital, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.
Introduction: Stage IV non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) with oligometastases is potentially curable by radical treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for thoracic disease, including the primary lesion and lymph node metastases, combined with local consolidative therapy (LCT) for oligometastases.
Methods: This was a multicenter Phase II trial for patients with Stage IV NSCLC with oligometastases for whom CRT for thoracic disease was feasible.
Microb Cell Fact
January 2025
Microbiology and Immunology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt.
Background: The healthcare sector faces a growing threat from the rise of highly resistant microorganisms, particularly Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MDR P. aeruginosa). Facing the challenge of antibiotic resistance, nanoparticles have surfaced as promising substitutes for antimicrobial therapy.
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