OBJECTIVES: To identify genetic variants associated with statin treatment responses among Asian populations with a focus on four commonly prescribed statins: atorvastatin, rosuvastatin, simvastatin, and pravastatin.
METHODS: A literature search was conducted in Medline and Embase databases. Studies published from 2008 to 2021 were included. The title and abstract of each article were screened by two reviewers and verified by another two reviewers. Data charted include information on authors, year of study, study population, statin studied, gene studied, study findings, and data of significant statistical value.
RESULTS: A total of 35 articles were included from the 1,939 original studies related to treatment efficacy and 5 articles out of the 284 original studies related to adverse effects. Genetic variants in transmembrane transporters, cytochrome P450 isoenzymes, and apolipoproteins are the most extensively studied among Asian populations, with a main focus on ethnic Chinese. However, Asia consists of genetically different populations, and the results of this review indicated that there is a paucity of studies on other ethnic groups within Asia.
CONCLUSIONS: Considering the ethnicity of patients could provide a potential value to personalized medicine in statin therapy.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a cross sectional prospective study done in 18 public hospitals in Malaysia from 7/4/2019 to 2/7/2019. Data was collected prospectively with universal sampling. All adult Muslim patients with previous diagnosis of diabetes, who were admitted for hypoglycemia, DKA or HHS were included if they had fasted and had intentions to fast.
RESULTS: 295 admissions for diabetes emergencies were analyzed. The pre-Ramadan period recorded the highest number of admissions (119) followed by during (106) and post-Ramadan (70). Admissions for hyperglycemic emergencies accounted for 2/3 of total admissions. 37% of admissions for hypoglycemia occurred during pre-Ramadan period compared to 32.1% during Ramadan. Contributing factors included use of sulphonylurea (59.6%), presence of nephropathy (54.5%) and past history of hypoglycemia (45.5%). Admissions for DKA were more common than HHS (119 versus 77) and highest during Ramadan period (36.1%). Most of the admissions for hyperglycemic emergencies were among those with Type 2 diabetes (75.9% for DKA and 97.4% for HHS). Only 31.5% of patients admitted for diabetes emergencies recalled having received Ramadan advice in the past.
DISCUSSION: Admissions for diabetes emergencies were highest during pre-Ramadan period followed by Ramadan and post-Ramadan period. This suggests that fasting during Ramadan does not increase admissions for diabetes emergencies.
METHODS: A retrospective observational study was conducted using a telehealth services database in Malaysian community pharmacies. Consultation records from January 2019 to December 2021 were extracted using a data collection form. The study identified the service usage over time, demographic profiles of users and the most common diagnoses and prescribed medications. Diagnoses were classified using the International Classification of Disease, 10th Revision (ICD-10), and medications were classified using the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) system.
RESULTS: The study included 835,826 telehealth service records, with 88.8% being assisted consultations with e-prescriptions and 11.2% direct consultations. The user population consisted of primarily Malaysians (96.9%), with a mean age of 50 ± 21 years. Both telehealth services saw an increase in unique users over the 3-year study period. There was a moderate correlation between active COVID-19 cases and monthly user count. Assisted consultations were more widely used than direct consultations.
CONCLUSION: This study found an increased usage of telehealth services and its potential to remain as a healthcare system feature in community pharmacies. Further investigation into the impact on medication safety, quality and healthcare delivery is warranted.
METHODS: Twenty-six participants were randomly assigned to two groups to investigate the application location (left or right volar forearm) for the placebo and ZER creams. Both creams were topically administered to the volar forearms twice daily over a duration of 4 weeks. Initial skin irritation was assessed before and 30 min after applying creams. The melanin and erythema levels were quantified with Mexameter MX 18.
RESULTS: Twenty participants were included in the analysis. The cream formulation had excellent physical properties and was well-received by the participants. The initial skin irritation study results indicated that neither of the creams elicited an allergic reaction. The administration of ZER cream resulted in a statistically significant reduction in melanin levels (p
METHODS: A cross-sectional population-based study was conducted among Malaysian adults aged ≥ 18 years old. The data was collected by mixed mode self-administered questionnaire from May 2019 to September 2019. Nocturia was defined as one or more voids at night.
RESULTS: There were a total of 4616 respondents with 74.5% of response rate. The overall prevalence of nocturia among Malaysian adults was found to be 57.3%. In multivariate analysis, respondents aged 31-40 (1.91 [1.52-2.40]) or > 60 years old (2.03 [1.48-2.71]), and those who presented with hypertension (2.84 [2.28-3.53]), diabetes mellitus (1.78 [1.42-2.25]), renal disease (3.58 [1.93-6.63]) or overactive bladder (1.61 [1.10-2.35]) were associated with higher prevalence of nocturia. A significantly lower disease prevalence (p
CONCLUSION: The progress of developing a cancer treatment that may successfully and efficiently target mutant p53 is on the verge of development. Mutant p53 proteins not only initiate oncogenesis but also cause resistance in cancer cells to certain chemo or radiotherapies, further endorse cancer cell survival and promote migration as well as metastasis of cancerous cells. With this regard, many mutant p53 inhibitors have been developed, some of which are currently being evaluated at the pre-clinical level and have been identified and discussed. To date, APR-246 is the most prominent one that has progressed to the Phase III clinical trial.