ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The primary objective of this multicentre, prospective, observational study was to assess whether there is improvement in the patients' quality of life under treatment with rivastigmine transdermal patch, as it is evaluated both by patients and their caregivers. Compliance to treatment and safety were secondary endpoints. METHODS: In total, 1509 patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease, already treated with rivastigmine transdermal patch 4.6 or 9.5 mg/24 h, were enrolled within a 2.4-month period and prospectively followed up for 2 months on an outpatient basis. The 'Quality of Life in Alzheimer's disease (QOL-AD): Patient and Caregiver Report' questionnaire was used to evaluate quality of life as an effectiveness measure. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: A significant improvement in quality of life, as indicated by a change of 2.7 and 2.5 points in the mean patients' and caregiver's QOL-AD: Patient and Caregiver Report score respectively (both p < 0.001) from baseline to end of study was recorded. No serious adverse events were reported. Compliance was high, with 100% compliance reported for almost 9 out of 10 patients at study end.
ABSTRACT
We electrophysiologically evaluated the autonomic function (AF) in a consecutive series of patients with beta-thalassemia and in normal individuals. Six quantitative autonomic function tests (AFTs) were used: tilt test, hand grip test and sympathetic skin response for sympathetic function; R-R interval, inspiration-expiration difference and 30/15 ratio for parasympathetic function. The prevalence of impaired AF was higher in beta-thalassemia patients (13%, n = 5) than in control subjects (0%, n = 0; p = 0.026). Subclinical autonomic dysfunction appeared to be more prevalent in beta-thalassemia patients compared to controls in our series. Further independent validation of this finding is required in larger cohorts of beta-thalassemia patients.
