News &amp; Updates

Zolpidem and zopiclone are among the most frequently prescribed hypnotics. They are the only z-drugs available in Hong Kong. Zopiclone is used in Europe, while eszopiclone, a stereoisomer, is used in the US. The European Medicines Agency determined that there is no advantage of eszopiclone over zopiclone. Both zolpidem and zopiclone are believed to be good substitutes for benzodiazepines, with less tendency for abuse, addiction, dependence or withdrawal. (However, this view is now under dispute.)

Zolpidem and zopiclone: Are they the same?

Excess weight a risk factor for low back pain in young people

Children and adolescents with overweight and obesity may be predisposed to low back pain, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Excess weight a risk factor for low back pain in young people

Aflibercept injection a promising treatment for ROP in preterm infants

Intravitreal aflibercept therapy appears to be safe and efficacious in the management of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) through 2 years of age when compared with laser therapy in children who are born preterm or with low birth weight, according to 2-year data from the nonrandomized FIREFLYE trial.

Aflibercept injection a promising treatment for ROP in preterm infants

Poor DOAC prescriptive practice persists in older AF patients

Prescriptive practice for direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) remains suboptimal among older patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) discharged from acute medical wards, suggests a recent study. This condition is characterized by frequently missed prescription and DOAC underdosage.

Poor DOAC prescriptive practice persists in older AF patients

Folic acid lowers homocysteine levels in T2DM

Folic acid supplementation in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) helps mitigate the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) by way of reducing homocysteine concentrations, according to a meta-analysis.

Folic acid lowers homocysteine levels in T2DM

Breathing in bad air may lead to attention problems in children

Increased exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in the first 2 years of life has been linked to poor attention capacity in childhood.

Breathing in bad air may lead to attention problems in children

04 May 2024

GLP-1 RA plus SGLT-2i better than monotherapy for CV, renal events prevention

Patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) who received combined treatment with glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RA) and sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT-2i) have a much lower risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and serious renal events than those treated with either drug class alone, suggests a recent study.

GLP-1 RA plus SGLT-2i better than monotherapy for CV, renal events prevention

04 May 2024

Plant-based diets help lower risk of prostate cancer progression

04 May 2024

Men with prostate cancer who consume higher amounts of plant-based foods have a lower risk of cancer progression, as shown in a longitudinal observational cohort study.

Plant-based diets help lower risk of prostate cancer progression

04 May 2024

Semaglutide benefits extend to HFpEF patients with T2D

The weight loss and heart failure (HF) benefits of semaglutide extend to patients with obesity-related HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) in the STEP-HFpEF DM trial, fuelling speculation that semaglutide may have cardiovascular effects beyond weight loss.

Semaglutide benefits extend to HFpEF patients with T2D

04 May 2024

High plant-based diet may prevent prostate cancer progression