[Similarities and differences in the renal effects of statins]
ÁBRAHÁM György
OCTOBER 20, 2011
LAM Extra for General Practicioners - 2011;3(04)
ÁBRAHÁM György
OCTOBER 20, 2011
LAM Extra for General Practicioners - 2011;3(04)
[By efficiently reducing serum cholesterol level, statins significantly decrease both cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Decreasing LDL-cholesterol level by 1% reduces coronary mortality risk by 1%, whereas increasing HDL-cholesterol level by 1% reduces the risk by 3%. At the same time, renal failure significantly increases cardiovascular events and/or mortality compared with the population mean. It is an exciting question whether statins are able to prevent and decelerate the deterioration of kidney function deterioration, preserve GFR and decrease albuminuria. Depending on the strength of their effect, statins have different cholesterol-lowering capacity (rosuvastatin and atorvastatin are especially effective). An important question is whether these differences can be detected in the renal function as well. The results of experimental data and major clinical trials (e.g. AURORA, PLANET I-II, SHARP) are often controversial. Nevertheless, statin therapy has advantages for patients with kidney diseases, although to a lesser extent than it has in the normal population.]
LAM Extra for General Practicioners
[Infectious diseases and various infections are the major causes of morbidity and mortality in developing as well as in industrialised countries. Despite the advances in the past decades in our understanding of microbes, efficient treatment of diseases and preventive approaches, more than 13 million people die every year due to infectious diseases. In the past two decades, more and more new pathogens and infections diseases have been emerging and old diseases that were almost forgotten have re-emerged. There are many new diseases for which we do not have or have hardly any efficient antimicrobial drugs and no efficient vaccines. Despite an increasing frequency of multi- and panresistant microbes, the development of new antibiotics to be used against these infections is unlikely to occur in the near future. The big pharmaceutical companies have stopped the research of antibiotics. In this situation, the only option we have is to use antibiotics rationally and to take prevention and control of infections seriously, both in the outpatient system and in hospitals. Preserving the effectiveness of currently used antibiotics is in everyone’s interest and is everyone’s responsibility]
LAM Extra for General Practicioners
[In 60-70% of patients with hypertension, a significant decrease in blood pressure can only be achieved by a combination of antihypertensive drugs. International as well as national guidelines emphasise the numerous advantages and the importance of combination treatment. Fixed combinations are particularly advantageous, as their use improves patients’ compliance. This paper summarises the available information on the possible combinations of the nine major antihypertensive drug groups distributed in Hungary, and for details the results published on the recently approved and introduced fixed combination of telmisartan and amlodipine.]
LAM Extra for General Practicioners
LAM Extra for General Practicioners
[INTRODUCTION - Herpes simplex virus is a rare and severe disease, which is often lethal, especially in children and those who underwent transplantation. Rapid diagnostic help determines therapy and facilitates recovery of the patient. CASE REPORT - The authors present a case of a 46-year-old patient with no underlying disease, in whom the diagnosis of hepatitis caused by herpes simplex-1 virus was suggested after histological evaluation of a blind liver biopsy specimen. The diagnosis was later confirmed by immunomorphological examination. The patient’s hepatitis resolved following acyclovir therapy, but he developed nosocomial pneumonia, sepsis caused by Candida albicans and anuria. The patient recovered due the joint efforts of an infectologist, a pathologist, an intensive care specialist and a nephrologist. CONCLUSION - During examination of the patient, immune suppression was not indicated either by HIV-serology or bone marrow biopsy. thus the findings were presumably explained by a generalised infection in an immunocompetent host. In the case described, histological examination of the liver biopsy was a life-saving procedure, because it allowed timely and efficient treatment.]
Hypertension and nephrology
[Population based studies have proven that serum level of uric acid is a cardiovascular risk factor. Uric acid is produced in the human body as a result of the degradation of endogenous and exogenous purin nucleotids. It is eliminated mainly by the kidneys and in a small amount through the gastrointestinal tract. Serum uric acid can be decreased by some medical therapies. It has been demonstrated that atorvastatin treatment can decrease significantly uric acid level in patients with hyperlipidemia. Other statins do not seem to have such an effect. The uric acid lowering effect of atorvastatin is dose-dependent, and it most likely acts by increasing the renal elimination. The cholesterol, trgiglycerid and uric acid lowering effect of atorvastatin may have an important role in decreasing cardiovascular risk.]
Lege Artis Medicinae
[Controlled clinical studies on statins have produced evidence that the aggressive lowering of LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) level reduces the mortality rate of ischaemic heart disease. About 40% of treated patients achieve the cholesterol target level. The observance of medication instructions on a daily basis (compliance) and willingness for long-term taking of the drug (persistence) are crucially important to avoid severe complications. In the long term, patients take only about 50% of their medicines according to the instructions. As a result of the generally poor compliance and persistence in taking the medications, the decrease in morbidity and mortality observed in clinical studies do not occur under real-life conditions. Patients with poor compliance (<80%) will experience only a minimal health benefit and the cost-effectiveness of the therapy will markedly decrease. For patients with poor persistence who discontinue their treatment before benefits at the clinical endpoints could manifest, the resources invested into the therapy will be lost. Both compliance and persistence deteriorate as the number of concurrently taken medicines increases. Since less than 50% of the programmes aimed at improving patient co-operation are successful, therapeutic decisions should preferably be made by taking into consideration the expected compliance/persistence already at the time of choosing the medication. By widening the use of fixed-dose combination therapies, the efficiency of treatment can substantially be increased in patients who concurrently take several medicines and require aggressive lowering of blood pressure or LDL-C level.]
Lege Artis Medicinae
[The process of atherosclerosis nowadays plays an important role in the health care not just as a major cause of the most common cardiovascular diseases which lead to death, but also as a major factor in the loss of age-related elasticity in the blood vessels. Over the past two decades, large studies have shown that the treatment of high cholesterol levels can reduce the frequency of cardiovascular events and death and have confirmed the ability to reduce the already existing atherosclerotic plaque, which is almost unique in pharmacotherapy. Using lipid lowering therapy, if we do it properly, we can not only prevent vascular events, but can also cure atherosclerosis. Currently there are three drug groups (statins, ezetimibe and PCSK9- inhibitors), which have complete evidence that their use can reduce the number of cardiovascular events and plaque regression can be achieved. Despite many convincing clinical trials, lipid-lowering therapy is on the cardiovascular prevention palette in the just tolerated or forced applied category. In order to take advantage of its potentials at an appropriate level, as doctors, we have to approach to it by considering its importance. We should communicate to our patients that it’s about a life-long treatment, which not only can reduce the possibility of cardiovascular events, but also can slow down the aging process of the arteries. ]
Lege Artis Medicinae
[Hypertension is the leading “silent killer” accounting for 10 million deaths worldwide. It frequently occures together with other metabolic risk factors, including type-2 diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia augmenting the global cardiovascular risk of patients. Their treatment and reaching target blood pressure means a real challenge for practising physicians. According to the recent hypertension guidelines RAAS-inhibitors are the first choice agents which can be excellently combined with diuretics. RAAS-inhibitor based therapy frequently needs to be completed with Ca-antagonist to which statin should be added in the presence of metabolic risk factors. The benefits of amlodipin/atorvastatin fixed combination are multiple: both agents are capable to inhibit the progression of atherosclerosis and to reach blood pressure and LDL target values. In addition the well-known poor statin-adherence can be improved with fixed combination which can contribute to the reduction of risk of these high-risk subjects. ]
Hypertension and nephrology
[Statins represent the most important drug among antilipidemic therapy modalities playing dominant roles against atherosclerotic burden. Statin’s outstanding importance is due partly to cholesterol lowering capacity, however their anti-inflammatoric, antiproliferative, antioxidant and vasodilatative efficacies as a pleiotropic potential indicates much more impact on prompt retardation of atherosclerotic progression. The results concerning statin pleiotropic influence are reviewed which are in association with their new indication in ACS management. The second part of this review delineates suspected side effects of statin use. Only one concern brings safety information: it is a fact that patients being treated with statins may have a small increased risk of increased blood sugar levels and of being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus, but the cardiovascular and mortality benefits of statin therapy exceed the diabetes hazard.]
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