Ressenyes

Index de les obres ressenyades: Jaime ALVAR ; Carmen BLÁZQUEZ ; Carlos WAGNER (eds.), Héroes, semidioses y daimone

Satisfaction and compliance in hormonal contraception: the result of a multicentre clinical study on women's experience with the ethinylestradiol/norelgestromin contraceptive patch in Italy

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>For many women finding the right contraceptive method can be challenging and consistent and correct use over a lifetime is difficult. Even remembering to take a birth control pill every day can be a challenge. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate women's experience with a weekly ethinylestradiol/norelgestromin contraceptive patch (EE/NGMN patch), given new technologies recently developed in hormonal contraception to increase women's options in avoiding daily dosing.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In 24 Italian sites, 207 women received the EE/NGMN patch for up to 6 cycles. At study end, overall satisfaction and preference, as well as compliance, efficacy and safety, were evaluated.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>175 women (84.5%) completed the study. The overall satisfaction rate was 88%; convenience and once-a-week frequency of the patch were especially appreciated. At baseline, 82 women (39.4%) were using a contraceptive method, mainly oral contraceptives and barrier methods, but only 45.1% were very satisfied/satisfied; after 6 months with the patch, 86.3% of this subset was very satisfied/satisfied. Considering the method used in the 3 months before the study entry, 78.1% strongly preferred/preferred the patch, for convenience (53.9%), ease of use/simplicity (28.9%), fewer (9.2%) and less severe (2.6%) side effects. Compliance was very high: 1034/1110 cycles (93.2%) were completed with perfect compliance and the mean subject's compliance score was 90%. One on-therapy pregnancy occurred. The patch was safe and well tolerated: adverse events frequency was low, with predominantly single reports of each event. Most of them started and subsided during cycle 1.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study demonstrated that the EE/NGMN patch is associated with high satisfaction levels and excellent compliance. At study end, the majority of women indicated that they would continue using the patch.</p

Statins in unconventional secretion of insulin-degrading enzyme and degradation of the amyloid-β peptide.

Population-based studies demonstrated that statins might decrease the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD). Statins inhibit the 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-coenzyme-A reductase and thereby de novo synthesis of cholesterol. Cell culture and animal studies indicated that cholesterol affects the proteolytic processing of the amyloid precursor protein and the generation of amyloid-β (Aβ). Recently, we have demonstrated that statins can also stimulate the degradation of Aβ. The statin-induced clearance of Aβ could be attributed to increased release of the insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE) via an exosome-related unconventional secretory pathway. Interestingly, this statin-induced secretion of exosome-associated IDE was independent of cellular cholesterol concentrations, but rather caused by impairment of isoprenoid biosynthesis and protein prenylation. We further identified a new hexapeptide sequence in the C-terminal region of IDE, named the SlyX motif that is critically involved in IDE secretion. Taken these findings together, the increased clearance of Aβ by stimulated secretion of IDE might contribute to the protective effects of statins against AD

Increased risk of venous thrombosis by AB alleles of the ABO blood group and Factor V Leiden in a Brazilian population

Most cases of a predisposition to venous thrombosis are caused by resistance to activated protein C, associated in 95% of cases with the Factor V Leiden allele (FVL or R506Q). Several recent studies report a further increased risk of thrombosis by an association between the AB alleles of the ABO blood group and Factor V Leiden. The present study investigated this association with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in individuals treated at the Hemocentro de Pernambuco in northeastern Brazil. A case-control comparison showed a significant risk of thrombosis in the presence of Factor V Leiden (OR = 10.1), which was approximately doubled when the AB alleles of the ABO blood group were present as well (OR = 22.3). These results confirm that the increased risk of deep vein thrombosis in the combined presence of AB alleles and Factor V Leiden is also applicable to the Brazilian population suggesting that ABO blood group typing should be routinely added to FVL in studies involving thrombosis

A framework for mixing methods in quantitative measurement development, validation, and revision: A case study

A framework for quantitative measurement development, validation, and revision that incorporates both qualitative and quantitative methods is introduced. It extends and adapts Adcock and Collier’s work, and thus, facilitates understanding of quantitative measurement development, validation, and revision as an integrated and cyclical set of procedures best achieved through mixed methods research. It also offers a systematic guide concerning how these procedures may be undertaken through detailing key “stages,” “levels,” and practical “tasks.” A case study illustrates how qualitative and quantitative methods may be mixed through the use of the proposed framework in the cross-cultural content- and construct-related validation and subsequent revision of a quantitative measure.The contribution of this article to mixed methods research literature is briefly discussed

Cataract in patients with diabetes mellitus—incidence rates in the UK and risk factors

Aims: To analyze the risk of incident cataract (diagnosis or extraction) in patients with or without diabetes focusing on other comorbid conditions, antidiabetic drug use, and diabetes duration. Methods: The study population comprised newly diagnosed diabetes patients (≥40 years) from the UK-based Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) between 2000 and 2015, and a random sample of the general population matched for age, sex, general practice, and year of diabetes diagnosis. We assessed cataract incidence rates (IRs) and performed a nested case-control analysis in the diabetic cohort to assess potential risk factors for a cataract. Results: There were 56,510 diabetes patients included in the study. IRs of cataract were 20.4 (95% CI 19.8-20.9) per 1000 person-years (py) in patients with diabetes and 10.8 (95% CI 10.5-11.2) per 1000 py in the general population. IRs increased considerably around the age of 80 years and with a concomitant diagnosis of macular edema. The incidence rate ratio (IRR) was highest in patients of the age group of 45-54 years. In the nested case-control study, we identified 5800 patients with cataract. Risk of cataract increased with increasing diabetes duration (adj. OR 5.14, 95% CI 4.19-6.30 diabetes for ≥10 years vs. diabetes <2 years). Conclusions: According to our study, diabetes is associated with an approximately two-fold increased detection rate of cataract. The risk of cataract associated with diabetes is highest at younger ages. Patients with diabetic macular edema are at an increased risk for cataract as well as patients with long-standing diabetes