Prescription appropriateness of anti-diabetes drugs in elderly patients hospitalized in a clinical setting: evidence from the REPOSI Register

Diabetes is an increasing global health burden with the highest prevalence (24.0%) observed in elderly people. Older diabetic adults have a greater risk of hospitalization and several geriatric syndromes than older nondiabetic adults. For these conditions, special care is required in prescribing therapies including anti- diabetes drugs. Aim of this study was to evaluate the appropriateness and the adherence to safety recommendations in the prescriptions of glucose-lowering drugs in hospitalized elderly patients with diabetes. Data for this cross-sectional study were obtained from the REgistro POliterapie-Società Italiana Medicina Interna (REPOSI) that collected clinical information on patients aged ≥ 65 years acutely admitted to Italian internal medicine and geriatric non-intensive care units (ICU) from 2010 up to 2019. Prescription appropriateness was assessed according to the 2019 AGS Beers Criteria and anti-diabetes drug data sheets.Among 5349 patients, 1624 (30.3%) had diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. At admission, 37.7% of diabetic patients received treatment with metformin, 37.3% insulin therapy, 16.4% sulfonylureas, and 11.4% glinides. Surprisingly, only 3.1% of diabetic patients were treated with new classes of anti- diabetes drugs. According to prescription criteria, at admission 15.4% of patients treated with metformin and 2.6% with sulfonylureas received inappropriately these treatments. At discharge, the inappropriateness of metformin therapy decreased (10.2%, P < 0.0001). According to Beers criteria, the inappropriate prescriptions of sulfonylureas raised to 29% both at admission and at discharge. This study shows a poor adherence to current guidelines on diabetes management in hospitalized elderly people with a high prevalence of inappropriate use of sulfonylureas according to the Beers criteria

Clinical significance of different effects of static and pulsed electromagnetic fields on human osteoclast cultures

Electromagnetic fields are known to affect the bone metabolism by modifying some relevant physiologic cell parameters of cells, even though the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of both static magnetic fields (SMFs) of the same intensity of the one generated by spinal metal devices and pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) of the same intensity used for the management of nonunion on human osteoclasts cell culture. Primary osteoclast cells were isolated from primary human osteoclast precursors and were exposed to SMFs and to PEMFs. Morphology and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) activity were evaluated in the osteoclast cultures after 7, 10, and 14 days of exposure. The SMF-exposed cells show a more differentiated phenotype and a significantly higher TRAP activity after 7 and 10 days of treatment with respect to a sham control. PEMF-exposed cells have a less-differentiated phenotype after 7 days of exposure compared with the relative sham control, while the TRAP activity shows no statistically significant differences between exposed and control cells at any observation time. Our results indicate that SMFs of the same intensity of the one generated around spinal devices can affect osteoclast differentiation and activity. Aseptic loosening around titanium implants might be due in part to an increased osteoclast activity and differentiation. PEMFs of the same intensity than the one used for the management of nonunions can affect osteoclasts phenotype after 7 days of exposure, while osteoclasts TRAP activity is not affected by this kind of electromagnetic fields

Multiple osteochondroses of bilateral knee joints: a case report

Knee injuries in young athletes include not only the typical adult bone injuries, ligament and cartilage, but also the growth plate lesions. Osteochondroses are idiopathic, self-limited disturbance of enchondral ossification in which a rapid growth spurt is present. The patella could be affected by two different kinds of osteochondroses: Kohler syndrome and Sinding-Larsen-Johansson. Here we are reporting the first case of simultaneous location of ostechondroses of the two ossification centers of both patella. A 9-year-old boy, competitive skater, presented a history of anterior knee pain involving both knees. Standard X-rays, axial patellar view, MRI and arthro-MR were performed. In order to follow the natural history of the pathology and the evolution of the healing, examinations at 2 years were repeated. We proposed the young skater a medical and a physiotherapeutic treatment based on unloading, isometric exercises, NSAID. As the symptoms improve a gradual return to competitive sports activity was allowed. The case mentioned above can be considered an atypical case because the patient suffered for a bilateral knee osteochondroses, involving simultaneously the primary ossification centre (Kohler syndrome) and the secondary ossification centre (Larsen syndrome) of the patella

Correction to: Prescription appropriateness of anti-diabetes drugs in elderly patients hospitalized in a clinical setting: evidence from the REPOSI Register

No abstract availabl

Statins, ACE/ARBs drug use, and risk of pneumonia in hospitalized older patients: a retrospective cohort study

: The aims of this study is to evaluate the association between angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACE-I), angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARBs) and/or statin use with the risk of pneumonia, as well as and with in-hospital and short-term outpatient mortality in hospitalized older patients with pneumonia. Patients aged 65 years or older hospitalized in internal medicine and/or geriatric wards throughout Italy and enrolled in the REPOSI (REgistro Politerapuie SIMI-Società Italiana di Medicina Interna) register from 2010 to 2019 were screened to assess the diagnosis of pneumonia and classified on whether or not they were prescribed with at least one drug among ACE-I, ARBs, and/or statins. Further study outcomes were mortality during hospital stay and at 3 months after hospital discharge. Among 5717 cases included (of whom 18.0% with pneumonia), 2915 (51.0%) were prescribed at least one drug among ACE-I, ARBs, and statins. An inverse association was found between treatment with ACE-I or ARBs and pneumonia (OR = 0.79, 95% CI 0.65-0.95). A higher effect was found among patients treated with ACE-I or ARBs in combination with statins (OR = 0.67, 95% CI 0.52-0.85). This study confirmed in the real-world setting that these largely used medications may reduce the risk of pneumonia in older people, who chronically take them for cardiovascular conditions