Fracture Incidence, Quality of Life, and Back Pain during 18-Months Treatment with Teriparatide in Greek Postmenopausal Women with Osteoporosis: Results from the European Forsteo Observational Study

Objective. To evaluate fracture incidence, effects on health-related quality of life(QoL), back pain (BP) occurrence and treatment compliance in Greek post-menopausal osteoporotic women treated with teriparatide (TPTD) for up to 18 months, in a naturalistic setting. Methods. 301 patients provided baseline information on demographic characteristics, fracture history, osteoporosis-related medication and risk factors. During treatment, QoL and BP severity were evaluated. Results. Mean (SD) age was 69.5 (±8.5) years. Fracture history was reported by 92.5% of patients. Incidence of fractures (per 10,000 patients/years) ranged from 402 during 0–6 months of treatment, to 346 during 12–18 months. All 5 dimensions of QoL showed improvement. At baseline and 18 months, BP was reported by 93.2% and 64.2% of patients, respectively. BP and limitation of activities were quantified as moderate or severe by 89.9% and 62.3% of patients at baseline versus 32.4% and 14.8% at 18 months. Patients on treatment at 6, 12, 17, and 18 months were 92.6%, 88.3%, 79.6%, and 36.5%, respectively. Conclusions. In the Greek EFOS study cohort, patients prescribed TPTD were severely osteoporotic, with considerable health-related problems. Significant improvements in QoL and BP together with low fracture rates and high compliance have been recorded during treatment

Sensitivity Calculations on New Particle Formation Parameterizations Using a Modal Aerosol Dynamics Model.

Abstract not availableJRC.(ISIS)-Institute For Systems, Informatics And Safet

Management of cardiovascular risk factors with pioglitazone combination therapies in type 2 diabetes: An observational cohort study

Background: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is strongly associated with cardiovascular risk and requires medications that improve glycemic control and other cardiovascular risk factors. The authors aimed to assess the relative effectiveness of pioglitazone (Pio), metformin (Met) and any sulfonylurea (SU) combinations in non-insulin-treated T2D patients who were failing previous hypoglycemic therapy.Methods: Over a 1-year period, two multicenter, open-labeled, controlled, 1-year, prospective, observational studies evaluated patients with T2D (n = 4585) from routine clinical practice in Spain and Greece with the same protocol. Patients were eligible if they had been prescribed Pio + SU, Pio + Met or SU + Met serving as a control cohort, once they had failed with previous therapy. Anthropometric measurements, lipid and glycemic profiles, blood pressure, and the proportions of patients at microvascular and macrovascular risk were assessed.Results: All study treatment combinations rendered progressive 6-month and 12-month lipid, glycemic, and blood pressure improvements. Pio combinations, especially Pio + Met, were associated with increases in HDL-cholesterol and decreases in triglycerides and in the atherogenic index of plasma. The proportion of patients at high risk decreased after 12 months in all study cohorts. Minor weight changes (gain or loss) and no treatment-related fractures occurred during the study. The safety profile was good and proved similar among treatments, except for more hypoglycemic episodes in patients receiving SU and for the occurrence of edema in patients using Pio combinations. Serious cardiovascular events were rarely reported.Conclusions: In patients with T2D failing prior hypoglycemic therapies, Pio combinations with SU or Met (especially Pio + Met) improved blood lipid and glycemic profiles, decreasing the proportion of patients with a high microvascular or macrovascular risk. The combination of Pio with SU or Met may therefore be recommended for T2D second-line therapy in the routine clinical practice, particularly in patients with dyslipidemia. © 2011 Rodríguez et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd

Study comparing the effect of pioglitazone in combination with either metformin or sulphonylureas on lipid profile and glycaemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes (ECLA)

Objective: To explore whether the improvement of lipid profile and glycaemic control observed in randomized control trials with pioglitazone (PIO) is replicated under conditions of general clinical practice. Research design and methods: We studied 2388 patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) not adequately controlled by monotherapy on either metformin (MET) or sulphonylurea (SU). Addition of a second drug, according to the treating physician's choice, resulted in three groups, PIOMET, PIOSU and METSU, followed for twelve months, while efficacy and safety parameters were measured at baseline, at six and at twelve months. Results: A total of 2116 (88.6) patients completed the study. Diabetic control and lipid profile improved in all three groups, but the improvement was always greater in the two PIO groups. At 12 months PIOSU and PIOMET groups compared to SUMET showed greater increase in HDL cholesterol (8.3 and 9.2 versus 4.3 p<0.001) and greater decrease in HbA1c (1.53 and 1.46 versus 0.97, p<0.001 for both), in triglycerides (20.7 and 21.5 versus 15.2, p<0.001) and in LDL cholesterol (15.2 and 14.6 versus 11.3, p<0.001 and p<0.01, respectively). All changes were greater in patients already taking hypolipidaemic drugs. As ECLA was an observational study, the major limitation is the introduction of confounding bias which, however, was accounted for in the statistical analysis. Conclusions: Since improvement of both glycaemic control and lipid profile are considered main targets in the management of the diabetic patient, the results of the present study, conducted under conditions of everyday clinical practice, show that pioglitazone may be considered a potential choice for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, when lifestyle and metformin fail. © 2011 Informa UK Ltd All rights reserved

Correction to: Conducting an observational study during an economic crisis: analysis of the treatment and follow-up phase of Greek patients participating in the ExFOS study (Hormones, (2018), 17, 4, (531-540), 10.1007/s42000-018-0077-6)

Unfortunately in the original publication, the affiliation of the author N. Papaioannou was incorrectly provided. The correct affiliation for N. Papaioannou should read as follows: 4 Laboratory for the Research of Musculoskeletal System, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece. © 2019, Hellenic Endocrine Society

Dynamics of fine particles and photo-oxidants in the Eastern Mediterranean

Summarization: As part of the European project SUB-AERO, comprehensive aerosol and gaseous pollutant measurement campaigns were performed at the Finokalia station (July 2000 and January 2001) on the island of Crete (Greece) in combination with boat measurements in the eastern part of the Mediterranean area. The measurements were performed with the participation of nine European research institutions. The objective of the measurement campaigns was to evaluate and assess the spatial and temporal variability of photochemical pollutants and fine particles. The current overview paper presents the framework and main results of the measurements and modelling studies performed during the project. Extensive measurements of gaseous and atmospheric-aerosol physical, chemical and optical characteristics were performed during the measurement campaigns in conjunction with detailed chemical analyses of the aerosol species. Along with the experimental work mesoscale modelling, using a combination of the UAM-AERO air quality model together with the RAMS prognostic meteorological model, was used to reveal the dynamics of particulate matter and photo-oxidants. Furthermore, regional chemistry transport models were applied to determine the background and initial conditions for the mesoscale modelling.Presented on: Atmospheric environmen

Behaviour of indoor aerosols

Μη διαθέσιμη περίληψηNot available summarizationΠαρουσιάστηκε στο: 6th Czech and Slovak Conference "Ovzdus 200

Dynamics of fine particles and photo-oxidants in the Eastern Mediterranean (SUB-AERO)

As part of the European project SUB-AERO, comprehensive aerosol and gaseous pollutant measurement campaigns were performed at the Finokalia station (July 2000 and January 2001) on the island of Crete (Greece) in combination with boat measurements in the eastern part of the Mediterranean area. The measurements were performed with the participation of nine European research institutions. The objective of the measurement campaigns was to evaluate and assess the spatial and temporal variability of photochemical pollutants and fine particles. The current overview paper presents the framework and main results of the measurements and modelling studies performed during the project. Extensive measurements of gaseous and atmospheric-aerosol physical, chemical and optical characteristics were performed during the measurement campaigns in conjunction with detailed chemical analyses of the aerosol species. Along with the experimental work mesoscale modelling, using a combination of the UAM-AERO air quality model together with the RAMS prognostic meteorological model, was used to reveal the dynamics of particulate matter and photo-oxidants. Furthermore, regional chemistry transport models were applied to determine the background and initial conditions for the mesoscale modelling. © 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Modeling of combined aerosol and photooxidant processes in the Mediterranean area

The combined UAM-AERO/RAMS modeling system has been applied to study the dynamics of photochemical gaseous species and particulate matter processes in the eastern Mediterranean area between the Greek mainland and the island of Crete. In particular, the modeling system is applied to simulate atmospheric conditions for two periods, i.e., 13-16 July 2000 and 26-30 July 2000. The spatial and temporal distributions of both gaseous and particulate matter pollutants have been extensively studied together with the identification of major emission sources in the area. New pre-processors were developed for the UAM-AERO model for evaluating detailed emission inventories for biogenic compounds, resuspended dust and sea salt. Comparison of the modeling results with measured data was performed and satisfactory agreement was found for a number of gaseous species. However, the model underestimates the PM10 measured concentrations during summer. This is mainly due to the considerable underestimation of particulate matter emissions and in particular dust resuspension, the effect of forest fire emissions and the contribution of Saharan dust episodes. © 2004 Kluwer Academic Publishers