Women's experiences of induction of labour with misoprostol tablets compared with vaginal insert.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to compare nulliparous women's experiences with induction of labour using two different regimens of misoprostol.

Methods: We adapted a validated questionnaire regarding experience with induced labour. In two different hospitals, 123 women undergoing medical induction of labour completed a questionnaire after delivery.

Potassium homoeostasis and pathophysiology of hyperkalaemia.

Determination of potassium level is one of the most frequent laboratory tests in clinical medicine. Hyperkalaemia is defined as a potassium level >5.0 mmol/L and is one of the most clinically important electrolyte abnormalities, because it may cause dangerous cardiac arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death.

Protection against severe hypokalemia but impaired cardiac repolarization after intense rowing exercise in healthy humans receiving salbutamol.

Intense exercise induces pronounced hyperkalemia, followed by transient hypokalemia in recovery. We investigated whether the β agonist salbutamol attenuated the exercise hyperkalemia and exacerbated the postexercise hypokalemia, and whether hypokalemia was associated with impaired cardiac repolarization (QT hysteresis). Eleven healthy adults participated in a randomized, counterbalanced, double-blind trial receiving either 1,000 µg salbutamol (SAL) or placebo (PLAC) by inhalation.

Expert consensus document on the management of hyperkalaemia in patients with cardiovascular disease treated with renin angiotensin aldosterone system inhibitors: coordinated by the Working Group on Cardiovascular Pharmacotherapy of the European Society of Cardiology.

Renin angiotensin aldosterone system inhibitors/antagonists/blockers (RAASi) are a cornerstone in treatment of patients with cardiovascular diseases especially in those with heart failure (HF) due to their proven effect on surrogate and hard endpoints. Renin angiotensin aldosterone system inhibitors are also the basis in treatment of arterial hypertension, and they are furthermore indicated to reduce events and target organ damage in patients with diabetes and chronic kidney disease, where they have specific indication because of the evidence of benefit. Renin angiotensin aldosterone system inhibitor therapy, however, is associated with an increased risk of hyperkalaemia.

Gender differences in the effects of cardiovascular drugs.

Although sex-specific differences in cardiovascular medicine are well known, the exact influences of sex on the effect of cardiovascular drugs remain unclear. Women and men differ in body composition and physiology (hormonal influences during the menstrual cycle, menopause, and pregnancy) and they present differences in drug pharmacokinetics (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion) and pharmacodynamics, so that is not rare that they may respond differently to cardiovascular drugs. Furthermore, women are also less often treated with evidence-based drugs thereby preventing optimization of therapeutics for women of all ages, experience more relevant adverse drug reactions than men, and remain underrepresented in most clinical trials.