Use of dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors and fracture risk compared to use of other anti-hyperglycemic drugs.

Introduction: Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP4-Is) are a new class of anti-hyperglycemic drugs which might have a potential beneficial effect on bone metabolism. Data on the effect of DPP4-I use and fracture risk is limited and conflicting. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between use of DPP4-Is and fracture risk.

The effect of orofacial myofunctional treatment in children with anterior open bite and tongue dysfunction: a pilot study.

Objectives: Insufficient attention is given in the literature to the early treatment of anterior open bite (AOB) subjects receiving orofacial myofunctional therapy (OMT), which aims to harmonize the orofacial functions. This prospective pilot study investigates the effects of OMT on tongue behaviour in children with AOB and a visceral swallowing pattern.

Materials And Methods: The study comprised of 22 children (11 boys, 11 girls; age range: 7.

Persistence, adherence, and medication-taking behavior in women with postmenopausal osteoporosis receiving denosumab in routine practice in Germany, Austria, Greece, and Belgium: 12-month results from a European non-interventional study.

Unlabelled: Persistence with and adherence to osteoporosis therapy are critical for fracture reduction. This non-interventional study is evaluating medication-taking behavior of women with postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMO) receiving denosumab in Germany, Austria, Greece, and Belgium. Patients were representative of the PMO population and highly persistent with and adherent to denosumab at 12 months.

Hypophosphatemic osteomalacia: an unusual clinical presentation of multiple myeloma.

An unusual case of a 75-year-old man is presented who had multiple stress fractures due to adult onset hypophosphatemic osteomalacia, which was the result of Fanconi syndrome, with light chain cast proximal tubulopathy due to multiple myeloma. A 75-year-old man presented with diffuse pain and muscle weakness. He had multiple stress fractures, low serum phosphate, decreased renal tubular reabsorption of phosphate, and normal PTH and FGF23, indicating adult onset hypophosphatemic osteomalacia.

A hybridization approach to efficient TiO2 photodegradation of aqueous benzalkonium chloride.

TiO2 get positively charged upon UV-irradiation and repel the cationic pollutants away from the surface. Hybridization of AC onto TiO2 (ACT) tends catalyst surface negatively charged besides providing highly favorable adsorptions sites for cationic pollutants. The photodegradation of benzalkonium chloride (BKC), a quaternary ammonium surfactant and a pharmaceutical, is investigated with ACT.

Hemodynamic targets during therapeutic hypothermia after cardiac arrest: A prospective observational study.

Aim: In analogy with sepsis, current post-cardiac arrest (CA) guidelines recommend to target mean arterial pressure (MAP) above 65 mmHg and SVO2 above 70%. This is unsupported by mortality or cerebral perfusion data. The aim of this study was to explore the associations between MAP, SVO2, cerebral oxygenation and survival.

An observational near-infrared spectroscopy study on cerebral autoregulation in post-cardiac arrest patients: time to drop 'one-size-fits-all' hemodynamic targets?

Aims: A subgroup of patients with ROSC after cardiac arrest (CA) with disturbed cerebral autoregulation might benefit from higher mean arterial pressures (MAP). We aimed to (1) phenotype patients with disturbed autoregulation, (2) investigate whether these patients have a worse prognosis, (3) define an individual optimal MAP per patient and (4) investigate whether time under this individual optimal MAP is associated with outcome.

Methods: Prospective observational study in 51 post-CA patients monitored with near infrared spectroscopy.

Fracture incidence in pre- and postmenopausal women after completion of adjuvant hormonal therapy for breast cancer.

Introduction: Although the effect of hormonal therapy (HT) on fracture risk during treatment of breast cancer is established, information about fracture incidence after completion of HT is scarce. In this hospital based observational study we evaluated fracture rates after completion of HT in pre- and postmenopausal women with breast cancer.

Methods: All women diagnosed with breast cancer in the VieCuri Medical Center between 1998 and 2005 who started adjuvant HT with aromatase inhibitors or tamoxifen were included (n = 289).

Effectiveness of body awareness interventions in fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives: Patients with long-lasting pain problems often complain of lack of confidence and trust in their body. Through physical experiences and reflections they can develop a more positive body- and self-experience. Body awareness has been suggested as an approach for treating patients with chronic pain and other psychosomatic conditions.

ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction patients randomized to a pharmaco-invasive strategy or primary percutaneous coronary intervention: Strategic Reperfusion Early After Myocardial Infarction (STREAM) 1-year mortality follow-up.

Background: In the Strategic Reperfusion Early After Myocardial Infarction (STREAM) trial, a pharmaco-invasive (PI) strategy was compared with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) in ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction patients presenting within 3 hours after symptom onset but unable to undergo pPCI within 1 hour. At 30 days, the PI approach was associated with a nominally but nonstatistically significant lower incidence of the composite primary end point of death, shock, congestive heart failure, and reinfarction when compared with pPCI. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of these strategies on 1-year mortality.

Use of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors for type 2 diabetes mellitus and risk of fracture.

Introduction: Although patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus have an increased bone mineral density as compared to healthy patients, their risk of fracture is elevated. Incretins, new anti-diabetic drugs, may have a protective effect on bone mineral density. However, data on the effect of incretins on fracture risk are limited.

Accuracy of continuous thermodilution cardiac output monitoring by pulmonary artery catheter during therapeutic hypothermia in post-cardiac arrest patients.

Purpose: Thermodilution continuous cardiac output measurements (TDCCO) by pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) have not been validated during therapeutic hypothermia in post-cardiac arrest patients. The calculated cardiac output based on the indirect Fick principle (FCO) using pulmonary artery blood gas mixed venous oxygen saturation (FCO-BG-SvO2) is considered as the gold standard. Continuous SvO2 by PAC (PAC-SvO2) has also not been validated previously during hypothermia.

Serum 25(OH)D response to vitamin D3 supplementation: a meta-regression analysis.

Objective: The aim of this study was to review factors that influence serum 25(OH)D when patients are given vitamin D supplements.

Methods: From a comprehensive search of all randomized controlled clinical trials with vitamin D3 supplementation available on PubMed up to November 2011, we selected 33 with 43 treatment arms that included at least 30 adult participants. The achieved pooled mean difference (PMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using the random-effects models.

Abuse liability assessment in preclinical drug development: predictivity of a translational approach for abuse liability testing using methylphenidate in four standardized preclinical study models.

Objectives: Preclinical abuse liability assessment of novel clinical CNS-active candidates involves several tests, addressing different aspects characteristic for abuse potential, which are considered predictive for substance abuse of these candidates, thus ensuring an appropriate translational approach. To demonstrate how such a strategy could work, a known drug of abuse, methylphenidate was evaluated in a full rodent test battery, comprising four test models, and in accordance with the requirements of the FDA, ICH and EMA guidelines.

Methods: Methylphenidate was tested orally at 2.

Established and forthcoming drugs for the treatment of osteoporosis.

Purpose Of Review: The aim of treatment in patients at high risk for fractures is to reduce the risk of a first or a subsequent fracture. New data are available on the antifracture effects and side-effects of antiresorptive and osteoanabolic drugs, and new emerging therapies with new modes of action are on the horizon.

Recent Findings: Calcium and vitamin D intake should be sufficient, but not too high.

The utility of absolute risk prediction using FRAX® and Garvan Fracture Risk Calculator in daily practice.

Objectives: There are two commonly used fracture risk prediction tools FRAX(®) and Garvan Fracture Risk Calculator (GARVAN-FRC). The objective of this study was to investigate the utility of these tools in daily practice.

Study Design: A prospective population-based 5-year follow-up study was conducted in ten general practice centres in the Netherlands.

Comparing tolerability and efficacy of generic versus brand alendronate: a randomized clinical study in postmenopausal women with a recent fracture.

Introduction: An increasing number of generic alendronate formulations have become available. Although expected to have the same tolerability and efficacy, head-to head comparison of generic and brand alendronate was never performed. Therefore, we compared the tolerability and efficacy of generic and brand alendronate.

Clinical outcome after radical excision of moderate-severe endometriosis with or without bowel resection and reanastomosis: a prospective cohort study.

Objective: To assess the clinical outcome of women requiring laparoscopic excision of moderate-severe endometriosis in women with and without bowel resection and reanastomosis.

Methods: Two hundred three patients with laparoscopically excised moderate (n = 67) or severe (n = 136) endometriosis (rAFS: revised endometriosis classification of the American Fertility Society) were prospectively followed during a median of 20 months (1-45 months) using a CONSORT-inspired checklist. Patients completed the EHP30 Quality-of-Life Questionnaire and visual analogue scales (VAS) for dysmenorrhea, chronic pelvic pain, and deep dyspareunia and answered questions about postoperative complications, reinterventions/recurrences, and fertility outcome 1 month before and 6, 12, 18, and 24 months after surgery.

Rhabdomyolysis after cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy: a case report.

Gastric cancer with peritoneal carcinomatosis is a disease with a poor prognosis. Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal perioperative chemotherapy (HIPEC) can improve prognosis, although in most cases this should still be considered as a palliative treatment. Therefore, morbidity has to be avoided at all cost as quality of life is of utmost importance.

Prevalence of atrial fibrillation in adults participating in a large-scale voluntary screening programme in Belgium.

Objective: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common arrhythmia in clinical practice. AF fulfils many of the criteria for a screening programme. No data about the prevalence of AF in non-hospitalized patients are available in Belgium.

DISCRISET: a battery of tests for fast waste classification--application of tests on waste extracts.

The Hazardous Waste Directive (HWD, Council Directive 91/689/EC, 1991) provides a framework for classification of hazardous waste, based on 15 Hazard (H)-criteria. For complex wastes the HWD foresees the application of toxicity tests on the waste material itself to assess its toxic properties. However, these proposed test methods often involve mammalian testing, which is not acceptable from an ethical point of view, nor is it feasible economically.

Improving patient safety culture.

Purpose: Improving hospital patient safety means an open and stimulating culture is needed. This article aims to describe a patient safety culture improvement approach in five Belgian hospitals.

Design/methodology/approach: Patient safety culture was measured using a validated Belgian adaptation of the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (HSOPSC) questionnaire.

Therapeutic hypothermia and traumatic brain injury.

Purpose Of Review: Therapeutic hypothermia after traumatic brain injury (TBI)? For the last 10 years, no topic has been more popular and more controversial among neurointensivists. This article reviews the most current findings (experimental, clinical, adult and pediatric TBI), as well as the clinical management of therapeutic hypothermia.

Recent Findings: Despite ample experimental evidence, the clinical utility of therapeutic hypothermia has still to be conclusively demonstrated in terms of reduced mortality or improved functional recovery after TBI (even in pediatric TBI).

Naproxcinod, a new cyclooxygenase-inhibiting nitric oxide donator (CINOD).

Background: COX-inhibiting nitric oxide donators (CINODs) are a new class of drugs that combine the actions of the parent COX inhibitor with nitric oxide (NO), with the aim of reducing potential toxicity of the parent drug, while maintaining its analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. AZD3582 (Naproxcinod) is the first in the class of CINODs.

Objective/methods: To review the effects of NO donation, CINODS in general and naproxen in osteoarthritis (OA), based on literature in PubMed.