Dental Practice Websites in Germany-How Do They Inform about Fluoridation?

Fluoridation (Fl) is effective in preventing caries; however, it is unclear to what extent its use is counteracted by misinformation on the internet. This study aimed to evaluate the information provided on professional websites of German dental practices regarding fluoridation. A systematic search was performed by two independent examiners, utilizing three search engines, from 10 September 2021 to 11 December 2021.

Does information about MIH on dental homepages in Germany offer high quality? A systematic search and analysis.

Purpose: The internet is increasingly used to seek health information. A dental condition of increasing concern and public interest is molar incisor hypomineralisation (MIH), why we evaluated the information quality of German dentists 'websites on the topic of MIH.

Methods: A systematic search was performed by two independent investigators using three search engines.

Community indicators for mental health in Europe: a scoping review.

Background: Community indicators may predict and influence individuals` mental health, and support or impede mental health management. However, there is no consensus on which indicators should be included in predictions, prognostic algorithms, or management strategies for community-based mental health promotion and prevention approaches. Therefore, this scoping review provides an overview of relevant community-level indicators for mental health in the general as well as risk populations in a European context.

Association between bisphosphonate use and COVID-19 related outcomes.

Background: Although there are several efficacious vaccines against COVID-19, vaccination rates in many regions around the world remain insufficient to prevent continued high disease burden and emergence of viral variants. Repurposing of existing therapeutics that prevent or mitigate severe COVID-19 could help to address these challenges. The objective of this study was to determine whether prior use of bisphosphonates is associated with reduced incidence and/or severity of COVID-19.

Concomitant Drug Use among Opioid-Dependent Patients with and without Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Does Methylphenidate Merit a Trial?

Introduction: Concomitant drug use is common among opioid-dependent patients in maintenance therapy. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a common comorbidity among opioid users, is associated with a higher risk of concomitant drug use. Earlier studies showed that methylphenidate (MPH) can reduce cocaine consumption among patients with ADHD.

Single and combined use of fall-risk-increasing drugs and fracture risk: a population-based case-control study.

Background: while many drug groups are associated with falls in older people, less is known about absolute increases in risk and how these risks vary across different groups of drugs or individuals.

Method And Design: we conducted a population based nested case-control study among people aged ≥65 years in the Scottish regions of Tayside and Fife. Cases were individuals hospitalised with a fracture between 2010 and 2020, to whom we matched up to 10 controls.

Association of Aldosterone with Mortality in the General Population.

Introduction: Aldosterone excess is linked to cardiovascular events and mortality as well as to low-grade inflammation in the context of metabolic diseases. Whether mildly elevated aldosterone levels in the general population promote cardiovascular risk is still under debate. We analyzed the association of plasma aldosterone concentrations with incident cardiovascular events, cardiovascular and all-cause mortality as well as with biomarkers of subclinical inflammation in the population-based KORA F4 study.

The Association of Social Connectivity and Body Weight With the Onset of Type 2 Diabetes: Findings From the Population-Based Prospective MONICA/KORA Cohort.

Objective: Low levels of social connectivity are related to the onset of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D), and this study investigates the role of body weight in this association.

Methods: In a sample of 9448 participants followed for a mean of 15.3 years (186,158.

Prescribing cascades in community-dwelling adults: A systematic review.

The misattribution of an adverse drug reaction (ADR) as a symptom or illness can lead to the prescribing of additional medication, referred to as a prescribing cascade. The aim of this systematic review is to identify published prescribing cascades in community-dwelling adults. A systematic review was reported in line with the PRISMA guidelines and pre-registered with PROSPERO.

Prescribing Cascades: How to Detect Them, Prevent Them, and Use Them Appropriately.

Background: A prescribing cascade is the treatment of an adverse drug reaction (ADR) with another drug. In this review, we discuss (a) the different types of prescribing cascade and (b) the measures that can be taken so that they will be recognized and dealt with appropriately, both in the hospital and in the outpatient setting.

Methods: This review is based on pertinent publications retrieved by a selective literature search.

European Society of Clinical Pharmacy definition of the term clinical pharmacy and its relationship to pharmaceutical care: a position paper.

Many definitions of the term clinical pharmacy exist, but a number of ambiguities remain. In order to clarify the European Society of Clinical Pharmacy (ESCP) position on what defines clinical pharmacy, a consultation exercise was conducted among ESCP members with the findings used as the basis for an updated definition. The updated definition clarifies that clinical pharmacy (1) represents both a professional practice and field of research, (2) aims to optimise the utilisation of medicines in order to achieve person-centered and public health goals, (3) as a practice encompasses cognitive, managerial and interpersonal activities targeting all stages of the medicines use process, and as a field of research generates knowledge that informs clinical decision-making, health care organisation or policy, (4) as a practice is restricted to pharmacists, (5) can be practiced regardless of setting, and (6) encompasses pharmaceutical care but is not restricted to it.

Non-random relations in drug use expressed as patterns comprising prescription and over-the-counter drugs in multimorbid elderly patients in primary care: Data of the exploratory analysis of the multicentre, observational cohort study MultiCare.

Background: The elderly population deals with multimorbidity (three chronic conditions) and increasinged drug use with age. A comprehensive characterisation of the medication - including prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs - of elderly patients in primary care is still insufficient.

Objectives: This study aims to characterise the medication (prescription and OTC) of multimorbid elderly patients in primary care and living at home by identifying drug patterns to evaluate the relationship between drugs and drug groups and reveal associations with recently published multimorbidity clusters of the same cohort.

The moderating effects of social support and depressive symptoms on pain among elderly multimorbid patients-data from the multicentre, prospective, observational cohort study MultiCare.

Objectives: Depressive symptoms and chronic pain are common among patients with multimorbidity creating a complex medical condition for both the patient and the general practitioner. Perceived social support may function as a protective measure.

Unlabelled: To examine the impact of perceived social support as a potential moderator between depressive symptoms and pain intensity and pain disability in daily activities in multimorbid patients aged 75+.

Trajectories of depression in sepsis survivors: an observational cohort study.

Background: Advances in critical care medicine have led to a growing number of critical illness survivors. A considerable part of them suffers from long-term sequelae, also known as post-intensive care syndrome. Among these, depressive symptoms are frequently observed.

Medical students' knowledge and attitudes regarding vaccination against measles, influenza and HPV. An international multicenter study.

Introduction: Inaccurate information leads to increased scepticism concerning vaccinations among health care workers. Therefore, a proper education of medical students on vaccination is important.

Methods: During summer term 2015, we performed a paper-based survey to identify the knowledge and attitudes of medical students on vaccinations against measles, influenza and HPV in seven medical schools in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Genetically Predicted Midlife Blood Pressure and Coronary Artery Disease Risk: Mendelian Randomization Analysis.

Background Elevated blood pressure is a major cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. However, it is not known whether midlife blood pressure affects later life cardiovascular risk independent of later life blood pressure. Methods and Results Using genetic association estimates from the UK Biobank and CARDIoGRAMplusC4D consortium, univariable mendelian randomization was performed to investigate the total effect of genetically predicted mean arterial pressure (MAP) at age ≤55 years on coronary artery disease (CAD) risk, and multivariable mendelian randomization was performed to investigate the effect of genetically predicted MAP on CAD risk after adjusting for genetically predicted MAP at age >55 years.

Correlating Dose Variables with Local Tumor Control in Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Early-Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Modeling Study on 1500 Individual Treatments.

Background: Large variation regarding prescription and dose inhomogeneity exists in stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer. The aim of this modeling study was to identify which dose metric correlates best with local tumor control probability to make recommendations regarding SBRT prescription.

Methods And Materials: We combined 2 retrospective databases of patients with non-small cell lung cancer, yielding 1500 SBRT treatments for analysis.

Cost-effectiveness of Practice Team-Supported Exposure Training for Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia in Primary Care: a Cluster-Randomized Trial.

Background: Primary care is the main treatment setting for panic disorder and should be supplemented by collaborative care programs. However, shortage of mental health professionals prevents collaborative care programs from being effectively implemented. The PARADISE study showed the efficacy of a self-managed, cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT)-oriented exposure training for patients with panic disorder with or without agoraphobia in primary care delivered by the family practice team.

Health behaviour, social support, socio-economic status and the 5-year progression of multimorbidity: Results from the MultiCare Cohort Study.

Background: Multimorbidity in elderly patients is a major challenge for physicians, because of a high prevalence of and associations with many adverse outcomes. However, the mechanisms of progressing multimorbidity are not well-understood. The aim of our study was to determine if the progression of multimorbidity is influenced by health behaviour and social support and to analyse if the patients' socio-economic status had an effect on these prognostic factors.

Impact of medicines regulatory risk communications in the UK on prescribing and clinical outcomes: Systematic review, time series analysis and meta-analysis.

Aims: Regulatory risk communications are important to ensure medication safety, but their impact is poorly understood. The aim was to quantify the impact of UK risk communications on medication use and other outcomes.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review of studies reporting prescribing/health outcome data relevant to UK regulatory risk communication.

Estimation of the α/β ratio of non-small cell lung cancer treated with stereotactic body radiotherapy.

Background: High-dose hypofractionated radiotherapy should theoretically result in a deviation from the typical linear-quadratic shape of the cell survival curve beyond a certain threshold dose, yet no evidence for this hypothesis has so far been found in clinical data of stereotactic body radiotherapy treatment (SBRT) for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A pragmatic explanation is a larger α/β ratio than the conventionally assumed 10 Gy. We here attempted an estimation of the α/β ratio for NSCLC treated with SBRT using individual patient data.

Symptom trajectories in patients with panic disorder in a primary care intervention: Results from a randomized controlled trial (PARADISE).

This analysis aims to identify and characterize symptom trajectories in primary care patients with panic disorder with/without agoraphobia (PD/AG) who participated in a primary care team based training involving elements of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Growth Mixture Modeling was used to identify different latent classes of change in patients with PD/AG (N = 176) who underwent treatment including CBT elements. We identified three patient classes with distinct similar trajectories.

The allocation of resources in the care for patients with panic disorder in Germany: an excess cost analysis informing policy and science.

Background: Panic disorder is a mental disorder of high prevalence, which frequently co-occurs with agoraphobia. There is a lack of studies measuring excess costs of panic disorder patients with and without agoraphobia. We compared costs of panic disorder patients with or without agoraphobia with costs of the anxiety-free population in Germany.

Ontogeny of platelet function.

Although the hemostatic potential of adult platelets has been investigated extensively, regulation of platelet function during fetal life is less clear. Recent studies have provided increasing evidence for a developmental control of platelet function during fetal ontogeny. Fetal platelets feature distinct differences in reactive properties compared with adults.