Alcohol in the city: wherever and whenever.

Alcohol urban environment has been associated with individual alcohol behaviors. We are constantly exposed to a wide variety of alcohol products, its marketing and promotion and signs of alcohol consumption that may influence alcohol-drinking behaviors. In this photo-essay, we include photographs that visually explain the exposure to alcohol in the urban streetscape of Madrid. These photographs show the pervasiveness of alcohol products in this city, which can be found everywhere at any time

Relative efficacy and safety of simeprevir and telaprevir in treatment-naïve hepatitis C-infected patients in a Japanese population: a Bayesian network meta-analysis

Aim: Simeprevir (SMV) is an oral, once‐daily protease inhibitor for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 infection. In phase II/III randomized controlled trials (RCT) conducted in Japan, SMV, in combination with peginterferon‐α and ribavirin (PEG IFN/RBV), demonstrated potent efficacy in HCV genotype 1‐infected patients relative to PEG IFN/RBV and was generally well tolerated. Telaprevir (TVR) in combination with PEG IFN/RBV is licensed for the treatment of HCV in Japan. In the absence of head‐to‐head comparisons of TVR and SMV in a Japanese population, we undertook a network meta‐analysis (NMA) to examine the relative efficacy and safety of SMV and TVR in combination with PEG IFN/RBV. Methods: A systematic review identified SMV and TVR RCT in Japanese treatment‐naïve patients. Bayesian NMA was performed assuming fixed study effects. Results: Three studies met our inclusion criteria: two SMV and one TVR. SMV showed a higher mean odds ratio (OR) of achieving SVR versus TVR (OR, 1.68 (95% credible interval 0.66–4.26)). SMV showed a lower mean OR of discontinuation: overall, 0.35 (0.12–1.00); and due to AE, 0.87 (0.23–3.34) versus TVR. SMV showed a lower mean OR of experiencing anemia 0.20 (0.07–0.56) and rash 0.41 (0.17–0.99) but a higher mean OR of experiencing pruritus 1.26 (0.46–3.47) versus TVR. Conclusion: In this indirect treatment comparison, SMV, in combination with PEG IFN/RBV, showed a favorable risk–benefit profile compared with TVR with PEG IFN/RBV in Japanese treatment‐naïve HCV patients

Living under the influence: normalisation of alcohol consumption in our cities

Harmful use of alcohol is one of the world's leading health risks. A positive association between certain characteristics of the urban environment and individual alcohol consumption has been documented in previous research. When developing a tool characterising the urban environment of alcohol in the cities of Barcelona and Madrid we observed that alcohol is ever present in our cities. Urban residents are constantly exposed to a wide variety of alcohol products, marketing and promotion and signs of alcohol consumption. In this field note, we reflect the normalisation of alcohol in urban environments. We highlight the need for further research to better understand attitudes and practices in relation to alcohol consumption. This type of urban studies is necessary to support policy interventions to prevent and control harmful alcohol use