Efficacy and safety of single pill combination of amlodipine and valsartan in hypertensive Saudi patients.

OBJECTIVE: A significant global health issue that affects 25.5% of Saudi people is hypertension (HTN). According to international recommendations, most HTN patients require more than one therapy to reach their blood pressure targets (BP). Therefore, it would be preferable to utilize two medications from distinct classes separately or in a predetermined combination. According to recent studies, a single-pill combination (SPC) may be more efficient. This study evaluated the safety and tolerability of Amlodipine/Valsartan (Aml/Val) SPC in Saudi hypertensive patients, as well as the effectiveness of the medication. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Observational research was done prospectively at the King Fahad Armed Forces Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The effectiveness of the treatment and the percentage of 159 hypertensive patients who achieved the target blood pressure values (140/90; 130/80 mmHg) among those with diabetes mellitus (DM), chronic kidney disease (CKD), other cardiovascular disorders, and responders were assessed from the beginning to the endpoint (week 23). RESULTS: According to the results, taking Aml/Val SPC significantly lowered all patients' baseline systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings by -17.97 and 8.58 mmHg, respectively. 43.4% of patients successfully met their BP therapeutic objectives by bringing their blood pressure levels back to normal, including 51.4% of patients under 65, 39.3% of patients with chronic kidney disease, and 26.2% of diabetic patients. Aml/Val 10/160 mg significantly lowers SBP, more than Aml/Val 5/160 mg (-13.32% vs. -9.00%, p<0.050). Vertigo (6.30%), respiratory tract infections (4.0%), and ankle edema (2.50%) were the most frequent adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: Aml/Val SPC therapy effectively lowered BP and had few side effects while being well-tolerated in people with hypertension.

Pharmacological basis of the putative therapeutic effect of Topical Vitamin D3 on the experimental model of atopic dermatitis in mice.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to explore the effect of topical vitamin D3 in atopic dermatitis (AD) induced by ovalbumin (OVA) in contrast with topical betamethasone in mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 35 BALB/c adult male mice, weighing between 25-30 gm were used to induce AD by topically sensitizing the dorsal surface of the skin with the OVA patch. Subsequently, treatments were performed in each group by application of vitamin D3 cream (0.0003%), betamethasone cream (0.1%), or vehicles (QV cream) on the skin. RESULTS: Remarkably, vitamin D3 had a marked improvement in the skin of OVA-induced AD mice. Additionally, vitamin D3 revealed a considerable diminution in the levels of IgE, IL-5, filaggrin, and epidermal thickness, whereas a significant augmentation in the levels of IL-4 and IL-13 was observed when compared with the control group, and histopathological studies had further confirmed these findings. CONCLUSIONS: This study essentially highlighted the anti-inflammatory effect of vitamin D3 by effective alteration in the immunological components responsible for AD. Moreover, this pioneer experimental work represents a new paradigm and sheds a light on the importance of vitamin D3 in the implications of AD. A comprehensive creative approach is crucial to concretely establish and further corroborate vitamin D3 for this therapeutic role.