Consumo de medicamentos para el tratamiento de la demencia en la Comunidad Autónoma Vasca durante el periodo 2006-2011 / Dementia drug consumption in the Basque Country between 2006 and 2011

Objetivo: Este estudio evalúa el consumo de medicamentos para el tratamiento cognitivo de la EA y otras demencias en personas mayores de 60 años entre los años 2006 y 2011 en el País Vasco. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio descriptivo retrospectivo. La Dirección de Farmacia del Departamento de Salud del Gobierno Vasco facilitó los datos de prescripción de donepezilo, rivastigmina, galantamina y memantina. Se obtuvieron el número de dosis diarias definidas (DDD) y el número de DDD por 1.000 habitantes/día (DHD). Resultados: El consumo se incrementó un 49,72% durante el periodo 2006-2011, aumento que varió en función del medicamento (donepezilo 13,02%; rivastigmina 93,18%; galantamina 37,79%; memantina 70,40%) y del TTHH (Álava 16,34%; Bizkaia 50,49%; Gipuzkoa 57,37%). El gasto aumentó de 11,5 millones de € en 2006 a 18,1 millones en 2011. Conclusiones: Se observó un aumento en el consumo aunque existen diferencias entre TTHH que pueden deberse a hábitos de prescripción diferentes. El gasto farmacéutico se incrementó paralelamente al aumento en el consumo, ya que el precio de los medicamentos permaneció estable en ese periodo

Objective: We evaluated the consumption of specific medications for treating cognitive symptoms associated with AD and other types of dementia in individuals over 60 years of age between 2006 and 2011 in the Basque Country. Methods: A retrospective descriptive study was conducted. The pharmacy division of the Basque Government Department of Health provided the prescribing data for the following drugs: donepezil, rivastigmine, galantamine, and memantine. The number of defined daily doses (DDDs) and the number of DDDs per 1000 inhabitants/day (DHD) were calculated. Results: Consumption increased by 49.72% between 2006 and 2011. There were marked differences between drugs (13.02% donepezil; 93.18% rivastigmine; 37.79% galantamine; 70.40% memantine) and Basque provinces (16.34% in Áraba; 50.49% in Bizkaia; 57.37% in Gipuzkoa). Likewise, expenditure increased from Euros 11.5 million in 2006 to € 18.1 million in 2011. Conclusions: This study shows increased consumption of these drugs, although there are also marked differences by province which may be due to differences in prescribing habits. Spending for these drugs rose parallel to this increase in consumption; drug prices remained stable throughout the study period

Dementia drug consumption in the Basque Country between 2006 and 2011. / Consumo de medicamentos para el tratamiento de la demencia en la Comunidad Autónoma Vasca durante el periodo 2006-2011.

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the consumption of specific medications for treating cognitive symptoms associated with AD and other types of dementia in individuals over 60 years of age between 2006 and 2011 in the Basque Country. METHODS: A retrospective descriptive study was conducted. The pharmacy division of the Basque Government Department of Health provided the prescribing data for the following drugs: donepezil, rivastigmine, galantamine, and memantine. The number of defined daily doses (DDDs) and the number of DDDs per 1000 inhabitants/day (DHD) were calculated. RESULTS: Consumption increased by 49.72% between 2006 and 2011. There were marked differences between drugs (13.02% donepezil; 93.18% rivastigmine; 37.79% galantamine; 70.40% memantine) and Basque provinces (16.34% in Áraba; 50.49% in Bizkaia; 57.37% in Gipuzkoa). Likewise, expenditure increased from €11.5 million in 2006 to € 18.1 million in 2011. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows increased consumption of these drugs, although there are also marked differences by province which may be due to differences in prescribing habits. Spending for these drugs rose parallel to this increase in consumption; drug prices remained stable throughout the study period.

Microvascular angina in systemic hypertension: diagnosis and treatment with enalapril.

The causes of hypertensive microvascular ischemia are reviewed along with diagnostic factors. Stress/rest thallium-201 scintigraphy is shown to have a predictive value of 78% for a diagnosis of microvascular disease in hypertensive patients with exertional angina and left ventricular hypertrophy. Lack of isotope uptake at peak stress correlates well with the decrease in coronary flow reserve in ischemic segments, which is 2-3 times lower than in normal subjects. Treatment with enalapril produces regression of left ventricular hypertrophy, normalization of thallium-201 uptake, and an increase in exercise capacity in patients with microvascular angina.

Microvascular angina pectoris in hypertensive patients with left ventricular hypertrophy and diagnostic value of exercise thallium-201 scintigraphy.

In a series of 120 hypertensive patients, 60 were found to have echocardiographic left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy (Devereux's method). Of these, 18 (30%) had typical stress-induced angina and underwent coronary angiography, which showed that 11 (61%) had normal coronary arteries, and 7 (39%) (p < 0.05) had coronary stenosis of the epicardial arteries. Stress-rest thallium-201 scintigraphy (Burow's quantitative method) yielded abnormal results in 21 of the 60 patients with LV hypertrophy. Five of 30 (17%) were asymptomatic, 14 of 18 (78%) had angina, and 2 of 12 (17%) had dyspnea on exertion. In 5 normal patients used as a control group, coronary flow reserve after administration of papaverine (10 coronary arteries) was 6.25 +/- 1.4 versus 3.7 +/- 0.8 in 10 thallium-negative, asymptomatic hypertensive patients with LV hypertrophy (p < 0.001). The mean coronary flow reserve of 21 patients with abnormal thallium-201 results was 2.71 +/- 0.96 (p < 0.01 compared with the group with normal thallium-201 findings) and 2.5 +/- 0.6 in the segments with lowest uptake (p < 0.05 compared with normal segments in these same patients). Thus, stress-induced angina pectoris in hypertensive patients with LV hypertrophy was due to small-vessel disease in over half of our patients (62%).

[Two-dimensional color-Doppler in the diagnosis of left ventricle-right atrium shunts]. / Doppler bidimensional en color en el diagnóstico de los cortocircuitos ventrículo izquierdo-aurícula derecha.

Left ventricular to right atrial shunts, known as Gerbode's defects, are a kind of uncommon atrioventricular defect, the diagnostic of which had been always based on hemodynamic and angiographic findings. Although, at the present, this diagnosis can be done easily by color Doppler echocardiography, there are few references in the literature. We show 4 patients in whom the diagnosis was made by this technique, pointing out the aspects to keep in mind in order to avoid erroneous interpretations. The diagnostic criteria were: systolic turbulence and high velocity jet without pulmonary hypertension or right ventricular out flow stenosis.