Investigation of bioequivalence, safety, and tolerability of a fixed-dose combination of nifedipine GITS and candesartan compared with the corresponding loose-dose combination under fed conditions
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OBJECTIVE: To investigate the bioequivalence, safety, and tolerability of single-dose nifedipine gastrointestinal therapeutic system (GITS) and candesartan as a fixed-dose combination (FDC) relative to the loose combination in healthy males under fed conditions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 48 subjects received nifedipine GITS 60 mg and candesartan 32 mg as an FDC or loose combination in an open-label, 2-way crossover, 2-treatment sequence design, with a washout of at least 5 days between treatments. Study medications were administered following an overnight fast of at least 10 hours, and 30 minutes after ingestion of a high-fat test meal. Plasma samples were collected at intervals over a 48-hour period post-dosing. Safety and tolerability parameters were documented throughout the study. RESULTS: For nifedipine, 90% confidence intervals (CIs) for the ratios of FDC/loose combination were within acceptance limits of bioequivalence (i.e., 80 - 125%) for both AUC0-tlast (91.36%; 111.5%) and Cmax (87.93%; 100.5%). For candesartan, 90% CIs for the ratios of FDC/loose combination were within acceptance limits for AUC0-tlast (112.8%; 124.4%), but not for Cmax (120.5%; 137.8%). There were no serious adverse events (AEs) or AEs leading to treatment discontinuation and no clinically relevant changes in vital signs or laboratory parameters. CONCLUSION: A single dose of the FDC-containing nifedipine GITS 60 mg and candesartan 32 mg, when compared to the corresponding loose combination under fed conditions, met the criterion for bioequivalence based on AUC0-tlast, while the slightly higher Cmax for candesartan is not considered clinically relevant. The FDC displayed safety and tolerability profiles similar to the loose combination.

A multinational, observational study to investigate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of acarbose as add-on or monotherapy in a range of patients: the Gluco VIP study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The burden of type 2 diabetes mellitus is growing rapidly, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region. The aim of this international, large-scale, observational study was to investigate the efficacy and tolerability of the antidiabetic agent acarbose as add-on or monotherapy in a range of patients with type 2 diabetes, including those with cardiovascular morbidities. The majority of practices were included from high-burden regions (predominantly those in the Asia-Pacific region). METHODS: This was an observational study conducted in 15 countries/regions. Adults with pre-treated or untreated type 2 diabetes prescribed acarbose as add-on or monotherapy were eligible. Two-hour postprandial blood glucose (2-h PPG), glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) and fasting blood glucose (FBG) were measured over a 3-month observation period. RESULTS: A total of 15,034 patients were valid for the efficacy analysis and 15,661 for the safety analysis (mean age was 57.6 years and 92.6 % of patients were Asian). Mean (SD) 2-h PPG decreased by -71.9 (62.3) mg/dL, to 170.2 (46.5) mg/dL at final visit (after 12.8 [4.1] weeks). Mean HbA1c decreased by -1.1 % (1.3) to 7.2 % (1.1) and mean FBG decreased by -33.0 (43.3) mg/dL to 124.8 (30.5) mg/dL. Acarbose was effective regardless of the presence of cardiovascular co-morbidities or diabetic complications. The efficacy of acarbose was rated 'very good' or 'good' in 85.5 % of patients, and tolerability as 'very good' or 'good' in 84.9 % of patients. Drug-related adverse events, mainly gastrointestinal, were reported in 490/15,661 patients (3.13 %). CONCLUSION: The results of this observational study support the notion that acarbose is effective, safe and well tolerated in a large cohort of Asian patients with type 2 diabetes.

International noninterventional study of acarbose treatment in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

AIM: To obtain data on efficacy, safety and tolerability of acarbose monotherapy or combination therapy during daily-life treatment. METHODS: This prospective, non-controlled, observational study enrolled patients with type 2 diabetes, whose physician decided that acarbose treatment was appropriate, from China, Middle East, Indonesia, Morocco, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland and Taiwan. The observation period included an initial visit and up to three follow-up visits; an extension of 2 years was realized in Pakistan and Poland. RESULTS: Of 14,574 patients enrolled, 14,418 comprised the intent-to-treat population. At the initial visit, 74.1% of patients had been treated with a glucose-lowering agent. Fasting blood glucose was reduced from 175.2mg/dL at the initial visit to 133.7 mg/dL at the last visit (mean of 11.3 weeks after initial visit; P<0.0001). Mean 2-h postprandial blood glucose decreased from 244.7 mg/dL to 172.4 mg/dL (P<0.0001). HbA1c reduced from 8.4% to 7.4% (P<0.0001). Glycemic efficacy was maintained over the 2-year extension period. There were 432 adverse events in 293 patients (2.03%), mainly gastrointestinal. Physicians assessed efficacy as "very good"/"good" in 85.1% of patients, and were "very satisfied"/"satisfied" with acarbose therapy in 94.3% of cases. CONCLUSION: Acarbose therapy was efficacious and well tolerated in daily life in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Combat veterans: impressions of an analytic observer in a non-analytic setting.

The hallmark presentation of combat trauma-nightmares, waking hallucinations, intrusive traumatic memories, and extreme affective reactions to environmental triggers-may best be conceptualized as part of an adaptive mechanism intended to protect the individual against a repetition of trauma. Combat veterans continuously must cope with the extreme affects that combat induced. Fear, rage, guilt, and grief predominate. Their mental and emotional life is complicated by a conscience split between war zone and civilian morality and by the special group dynamics of combat. Optimal clinical understanding of combat-related trauma, whether in a psychoanalytic or general mental health setting, requires an awareness of the interaction of the personal dynamics of each individual with the specific characteristics of their combat situation.

An unusual cause of dyspnea.

The case of a 71-year-old woman who presented with dyspnea and palpitations is presented. Workup yielded a diagnosis of Fabry's disease, and the patient was referred for therapy. Fabry's disease is a disorder of glycosphingolipid metabolism and has forms that are limited to the myocardium. There is evidence that it has been underrecognized as a cause of cardiac hypertrophy. Because screening can be done with a simple blood test and new treatment options appear promising, we recommend consideration of Fabry's disease in the workup of patients with cardiac hypertrophy.