News &amp; Updates

A recent collaborative effort has successfully implemented a community pharmacist-led adherence intervention in several independent pharmacies in Buffalo, New York in the US, which has resulted in increased interactions with patients and, in some cases, improved adherence measures, reports a study.

Community pharmacist intervention helps improve medication adherence

Convalescent plasma ineffective for COVID-19

26 Nov 2021 by

A recent Singapore meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCT) has found no clear clinical benefit to using convalescent plasma (CP) for patients with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), especially in those with severe disease.

Convalescent plasma ineffective for COVID-19

26 Nov 2021

Depressive symptoms foretell HFpEF risk in late life

A recent study has shown that depression predicts the risk of developing heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) in late life, and the greater the symptoms, the higher the risk.

Depressive symptoms foretell HFpEF risk in late life

26 Nov 2021

Methylprednisolone improves major kidney outcomes in patients with IgAN

26 Nov 2021 by

Treatment with methylprednisolone reduces the risk of kidney composite outcomes, including kidney failure, 40 percent decline in eGFR, or death due to kidney disease, in patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN), according to the TESTING* study presented at ASN Kidney Week 2021.

Methylprednisolone improves major kidney outcomes in patients with IgAN

6-month single antiplatelet regimen after DAPT post-PCI may reduce GI injury

Among patients who received 6 months of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), switching to a single antiplatelet therapy (SAPT) regimen for another 6 months resulted in less gastrointestinal (GI) injury than continuing DAPT, results of the OPT-PEACE trial showed.

6-month single antiplatelet regimen after DAPT post-PCI may reduce GI injury

Sleep time: What is the golden hour for better heart health?

Sleeping between 10–11 pm is associated with a decreased risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared with earlier or later bedtimes, according to a study — suggesting that this timing represents the optimal sleeping time for better heart health.

Sleep time: What is the golden hour for better heart health?

Lung cancer risk among nonsmoking Chinese women pinned to family history

People who have never smoked in their lives still run the risk of developing lung cancer, and among Chinese women in Singapore, this risk is attributed to a history of lung cancer in the immediate family.

Lung cancer risk among nonsmoking Chinese women pinned to family history

Physical activity decline may predict IPF progression

A decline in daily physical activity (DPA) among patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) over a year is noteworthy and disproportionate to a decline in pulmonary physiology, suggests a recent study, noting that this change in DPA may be used as a prognostic tool to assess disease progression.

Physical activity decline may predict IPF progression

25 Nov 2021

Laparoscopic liver resection safe, feasible for difficult resections

A Singapore study based on a single surgeon’s experience has demonstrated the safe adoption of laparoscopic liver resection (LLR) for resections of all difficulty grades, including major resections and resection of tumours located in the difficult posterosuperior segments with a low open conversion rate.

Laparoscopic liver resection safe, feasible for difficult resections

Bariatric surgery may be the go-to strategy for NASH in the obese

Bariatric surgery significantly lowers the risk of major adverse liver outcomes and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) – the dual primary endpoints – in obese patients with biopsy-driven nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in the SPLENDOR* study.

Bariatric surgery may be the go-to strategy for NASH in the obese