A randomized placebo-controlled trial of varenicline for smoking cessation allowing flexible quit dates.

INTRODUCTION: Current smoking cessation guidelines recommend setting a quit date prior to starting pharmacotherapy. However, providing flexibility in the date of quitting may be more acceptable to some smokers. The objective of this study was to compare varenicline 1 mg twice daily (b.i.d.) with placebo in subjects using a flexible quit date paradigm after starting medication. METHODS: In this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled international study, smokers of ≥10 cigarettes/day, aged 18-75 years, and who were motivated to quit were randomized (3:1) to receive varenicline 1 mg b.i.d. or placebo for 12 weeks. Subjects were followed up through Week 24. Subjects were instructed to quit between Days 8 and 35 after starting medication. The primary endpoint was carbon monoxide-confirmed continuous abstinence during Weeks 9-12, and a key secondary endpoint was continuous abstinence during Weeks 9-24. RESULTS: Overall, 493 subjects were randomized to varenicline and 166 to placebo. Continuous abstinence was higher for varenicline than for placebo subjects at the end of treatment (Weeks 9-12: 53.1% vs. 19.3%; odds ratio [OR] 5.9; 95% CI, 3.7-9.4; p < .0001) and through 24 weeks follow-up (Weeks 9-24: 34.7% vs. 12.7%; OR 4.4; 95% CI, 2.6-7.5; p < .0001). Serious adverse events occurred in 1.2% varenicline (none were psychiatric) and 0.6% placebo subjects. Fewer varenicline than placebo subjects reported depression-related adverse events (2.3% vs. 6.7%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Varenicline 1 mg b.i.d. using a flexible quit date paradigm had similar efficacy and safety compared with previous fixed quit date studies.

Efficacy and safety of inhaled human insulin (Exubera) compared to subcutaneous insulin in children ages 6 to 11 years with type 1 diabetes mellitus: results of a 3-month, randomized, parallel trial.

AIM: To compare the efficacy and safety of Exubera (EXU) with subcutaneous (SC) insulin in children, ages 6-11 years, with type 1 diabetes mellitus. DESIGN AND METHODS: 121 children were randomized to receive EXU or SC insulin, plus intermediate/long-acting insulin for 12 weeks. Change in HbA1c was the primary efficacy endpoint. RESULTS: Decreases from baseline HbA1c were comparable between treatment groups (difference between adjusted mean decrease from baseline [EXU-SC insulin], -0.23 [95% CI, -0.49, 0.03]). Differences between groups on pulmonary function tests were small and not significant. Mild to moderate cough occurred in 24.6% of EXU versus 6.8% of SC insulin patients. The risk for hypoglycemia was comparable between EXU and SC insulin (relative risk 0.88 [95% CI, 0.71, 1.11]). Increased insulin antibodies with EXU were not associated with clinical findings. CONCLUSION: The efficacy and safety profiles shown in this study are the foundation for further investigation of EXU in this population.

Two-year pulmonary safety and efficacy of inhaled human insulin (Exubera) in adult patients with type 2 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the 2-year pulmonary safety of inhaled human insulin (Exubera [EXU]) in 635 nonsmoking adults with type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Patients were randomly assigned to receive prandial EXU or subcutaneous insulin (regular or short-acting) plus basal (intermediate- or long-acting) insulin. The primary end points were the annual rate of decline in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV(1)) and carbon monoxide diffusing capacity (DL(CO)). RESULTS: Small differences in FEV(1) favoring subcutaneous insulin developed during the first 3 months but did not progress. Adjusted treatment group differences in FEV(1) annual rate of change were -0.007 l/year (90% CI -0.021 to 0.006) between months 0 and 24 and 0.000 l/year (-0.016 to 0.016) during months 3-24. Treatment group differences in DL(CO) annual rate of change were not significant. Both groups sustained similar reductions in A1C by month 24 (last observation carried forward) (EXU 7.7-7.3% vs. subcutaneous insulin 7.8-7.3%). Reductions in fasting plasma glucose (FPG) were greater with EXU than with subcutaneous insulin (adjusted mean treatment difference -12.4 mg/dl [90% CI -19.7 to -5.0]). Incidence of hypoglycemia was comparable in both groups. Weight increased less with EXU than with subcutaneous insulin (-1.3 kg [-1.9 to -0.7]). Adverse events were comparable, except for a higher incidence of mild cough and dyspnea with EXU. CONCLUSIONS: Two-year prandial EXU therapy showed a small nonprogressive difference in FEV(1) and comparable sustained A1C improvement but lower FPG levels and less weight gain than seen in association with subcutaneous insulin in adults with type 2 diabetes.

Should troponin and creatinine kinase be routinely measured after vascular surgery?

The current guidelines for the evaluation and prediction of adverse cardiovascular events (CVEs) following vascular surgery in high-risk patients recommends serial electrocardiograms (ECGs) but not biomarkers such as cTn-I and CK-MB. The objective of this study was to determine whether biomarkers should be routinely measured in high-risk patients undergoing vascular surgery. A multicenter, prospective study with investigators blinded to core laboratory results was conducted. cTn-I and CK-MB were obtained on the day of surgery, as well as 24 hours, 72 hours and 120 hours after surgery, 24 hours prior to planned hospital discharge and at the onset of symptoms of a suspected CVE. The CVE was adjudicated by an endpoint committee using ECG, biomarker and symptoms data and was defined as cardiac death or myocardial infarction (MI) occurring up to 30 days after surgery. A total of 784 patients, with a mean age of 70.1 (SD +/- 9.8), underwent vascular surgery. Of the 83 patients with a CVE, cTn-I was positive in 42 and CK-MB was positive in 29 on or before the day of the CVE. The number of patients not classified as having a CVE but positive for elevation of cTn-I or CK-MB was 64 and 20, respectively. cTn-I was more sensitive than CK-MB (50.6% versus 34.9%) for predicting a CVE. The optimum time for measuring cTn-I after surgery with the highest positive predictive value was 24 hours. In conclusion, these data support routine serial measurement of cTn-I after vascular surgery.

Efficacy of zoniporide, an Na/H exchange ion inhibitor, for reducing perioperative cardiovascular events in vascular surgery patients.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether a novel Na+/H+ exchange ion inhibitor, zoniporide, is associated with reduced perioperative myocardial ischemic injury in high-risk surgery patients. DESIGN: Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled multidose trial. SETTING: Multicenter worldwide (105 centers) trial. PARTICIPANTS: Patients with known or multiple risk factors for coronary artery disease undergoing noncardiac vascular surgery. INTERVENTIONS: Four parallel groups received 1 of 3 doses of zoniporide or placebo, delivered as a 60-minute loading dose immediately before surgery, and followed by a continuous intravenous infusion for up to 7 days. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: A total of 824 subjects were randomized into the study from 105 centers worldwide. Of these, 784 subjects received study drug infusion in the 3-mg/kg/d, 6-mg/kg/d, and 12-mg/kg/d groups and the placebo group, and 769 satisfied the criteria for the primary efficacy analysis population. This is 68% of the planned sample size of 1125 subjects. Anesthetic management and perioperative cardiac medications were at the discretion of the attending anesthesiologists, surgeons, and cardiologists. The proportion of subjects who experienced the composite endpoint event (death, myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, arrhythmia) by postsurgical day 30 was 18.5% in the 12-mg/kg/d group, compared with 15.7% in the placebo group, resulting in a relative risk (RR) of 1.17% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.80-1.72; p = NS) favoring placebo. The proportions in the lower 2 zoniporide dose groups were slightly lower than in the placebo group, although the sample size is inadequate to reach any firm conclusions. CONCLUSIONS: The results fail to demonstrate the efficacy of zoniporide in reducing the proportion of patients at high risk undergoing noncardiac vascular surgery who experience a composite cardiovascular endpoint, which led the corporate sponsor to stop enrollment early on the basis of a futility analysis of the chance of demonstrating efficacy with a larger sample size.