Update on the treatment of anorexia nervosa: review of clinical trials, practice guidelines and emerging interventions

2012 ◽  
Vol 43 (12) ◽  
pp. 2477-2500 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. J. Watson ◽  
C. M. Bulik

BackgroundAnorexia nervosa is a potentially deadly psychiatric illness that develops predominantly in females around puberty but is increasingly being recognized as also affecting boys and men and women across the lifespan. The aim of this environmental scan is to provide an overview of best practices in anorexia nervosa treatment across the age spectrum.MethodA triangulation approach was used. First, a detailed review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for anorexia nervosa published between 1980 and 2011 was conducted; second, clinical practice guidelines were consulted and reviewed; third, information about RCTs currently underway was sourced. This approach facilitated a comprehensive overview, which addressed the extant evidence base, recent advances in evidence and improvements in treatment, and future directions.ResultsThe evidence base for the treatment of anorexia nervosa is advancing, albeit unevenly. Evidence points to the benefit of family-based treatment for youth. For adults no specific approach has shown superiority and, presently, a combination of renourishment and psychotherapy such as specialist supportive clinical management, cognitive behavioral therapy, or interpersonal psychotherapy is recommended. RCTs have neither sufficiently addressed the more complex treatment approaches seen in routine practice settings, such as multidisciplinary treatment or level of care, nor specifically investigated treatment in ethnically diverse populations. Methodological challenges that hinder progress in controlled research for anorexia nervosa are explained.ConclusionsThe review highlights evidence-based and promising treatment modalities for anorexia nervosa and presents a triangulated analysis including controlled research, practice guidelines, and emerging treatments to inform and support clinical decision making.

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaya Mehta ◽  
Juliana M. Kling ◽  
JoAnn E. Manson

Menopausal hormone therapy (HT) prescribing practices have evolved over the last few decades guided by the changing understanding of the treatment’s risks and benefits. Since the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) trial results in 2002, including post-intervention analysis and cumulative 18-year follow up, it has become clear that the risks of HT are low for healthy women less than age 60 or within ten years from menopause. For those who are experiencing bothersome vasomotor symptoms, the benefits are likely to outweigh the risks in view of HT’s efficacy for symptom management. HT also has a role in preventing osteoporosis in appropriate candidates for treatment. A comprehensive overview of the types, routes, and formulations of currently available HT, as well as HT’s benefits and risks by outcomes of interest are provided to facilitate clinical decision making.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pauline M. Camacho ◽  
Steven M. Petak ◽  
Neil Binkley ◽  
Dima L. Diab ◽  
Leslie S. Eldeiry ◽  
...  

Objective: The development of these guidelines is sponsored by the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) Board of Directors and American College of Endocrinology (ACE) Board of Trustees and adheres with published AACE protocols for the standardized production of clinical practice guidelines (CPG). Methods: Recommendations are based on diligent reviews of the clinical evidence with transparent incorporation of subjective factors, according to established AACE/ACE guidelines for guidelines protocols. Results: The Executive Summary of this 2020 updated guideline contains 52 recommendations: 21 Grade A (40%), 24 Grade B (46%), 7 Grade C (14%), and no Grade D (0%). These detailed, evidence-based recommendations allow for nuance-based clinical decision-making that addresses multiple aspects of real-world care of patients. The evidence base presented in the subsequent Appendix provides relevant supporting information for the Executive Summary recommendations. This update contains 368 citations: 123 (33.5%) EL 1 (highest), 132 (36%) EL 2 (intermediate), 20 (5.5%) EL 3 (weak), and 93 (25%) EL 4 (lowest). New or updated topics in this CPG include: clarification of the diagnosis of osteoporosis, stratification of the patient according to high-risk and very high-risk features, a new dual action therapy option, and transitions from therapeutic options. Conclusion: This guideline is a practical tool for endocrinologists, physicians in general, regulatory bodies, health-related organizations, and interested laypersons regarding the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis.


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 564-570 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pauline M. Camacho ◽  
Steven M. Petak ◽  
Neil Binkley ◽  
Dima L. Diab ◽  
Leslie S. Eldeiry ◽  
...  

Objective: The development of these guidelines is sponsored by the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) Board of Directors and American College of Endocrinology (ACE) Board of Trustees and adheres with published AACE protocols for the standardized production of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs). Methods: Recommendations are based on diligent reviews of the clinical evidence with transparent incorporation of subjective factors, according to established AACE/ACE guidelines for guidelines protocols. Results: The Executive Summary of this 2020 updated guideline contains 52 recommendations: 21 Grade A (40%), 24 Grade B (46%), 7 Grade C (14%), and no Grade D (0%). These detailed, evidence-based recommendations allow for nuance-based clinical decision-making that addresses multiple aspects of real-world care of patients. The evidence base presented in the subsequent Appendix provides relevant supporting information for the Executive Summary recommendations. This update contains 368 citations: 123 (33.5%) evidence level (EL) 1 (highest), 132 (36%) EL 2 (intermediate), 20 (5.5%) EL 3 (weak), and 93 (25%) EL 4 (lowest). New or updated topics in this CPG include: clarification of the diagnosis of osteoporosis, stratification of the patient according to high-risk and very-high-risk features, a new dual-action therapy option, and transitions from therapeutic options. Conclusion: This guideline is a practical tool for endocrinologists, physicians in general, regulatory bodies, health-related organizations, and interested laypersons regarding the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of post-menopausal osteoporosis.


VASA ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 163-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weidenhagen ◽  
Bombien ◽  
Meimarakis ◽  
Geisler ◽  
A. Koeppel

Open surgical repair of lesions of the descending thoracic aorta, such as aneurysm, dissection and traumatic rupture, has been the “state-of-the-art” treatment for many decades. However, in specialized cardiovascular centers, thoracic endovascular aortic repair and hybrid aortic procedures have been implemented as novel treatment options. The current clinical results show that these procedures can be performed with low morbidity and mortality rates. However, due to a lack of randomized trials, the level of reliability of these new treatment modalities remains a matter of discussion. Clinical decision-making is generally based on the experience of the vascular center as well as on individual factors, such as life expectancy, comorbidity, aneurysm aetiology, aortic diameter and morphology. This article will review and discuss recent publications of open surgical, hybrid thoracic aortic (in case of aortic arch involvement) and endovascular repair in complex pathologies of the descending thoracic aorta.


2021 ◽  
pp. 088506662110471
Author(s):  
Zia Hashim ◽  
Zafar Neyaz ◽  
Rungmei S.K. Marak ◽  
Alok Nath ◽  
Soniya Nityanand ◽  
...  

Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19)-associated pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA) is a new disease characterized by secondary Aspergillus mold infection in patients with COVID-19. It primarily affects patients with COVID-19 in critical state with acute respiratory distress syndrome, requiring intensive care and mechanical ventilation. CAPA has a higher mortality rate than COVID-19, posing a serious threat to affected individuals. COVID-19 is a potential risk factor for CAPA and has already claimed a massive death toll worldwide since its outbreak in December 2019. Its second wave is currently progressing towards a peak, while the third wave of this devastating pandemic is expected to follow. Therefore, an early and accurate diagnosis of CAPA is of utmost importance for effective clinical management of this highly fatal disease. However, there are no uniform criteria for diagnosing CAPA in an intensive care setting. Therefore, based on a review of existing information and our own experience, we have proposed new criteria in the form of practice guidelines for diagnosing CAPA, focusing on the points relevant for intensivists and pulmonary and critical care physicians. The main highlights of these guidelines include the role of CAPA-appropriate test specimens, clinical risk factors, computed tomography of the thorax, and non-culture-based indirect and direct mycological evidence for diagnosing CAPA in the intensive care unit. These guidelines classify the diagnosis of CAPA into suspected, possible, and probable categories to facilitate clinical decision-making. We hope that these practice guidelines will adequately address the diagnostic challenges of CAPA, providing an easy-to-use and practical algorithm to clinicians for rapid diagnosis and clinical management of the disease.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Iorfino ◽  
Vanessa Wan Sze Cheng ◽  
Shane P. Cross ◽  
Hannah F. Yee ◽  
Tracey A. Davenport ◽  
...  

Most mental disorders emerge before the age of 25 years and, if left untreated, have the potential to lead to considerable lifetime burden of disease. Many services struggle to manage high demand and have difficulty matching individuals to timely interventions due to the heterogeneity of disorders. The technological implementation of clinical staging for youth mental health may assist the early detection and treatment of mental disorders. We describe the development of a theory-based automated protocol to facilitate the initial clinical staging process, its intended use, and strategies for protocol validation and refinement. The automated clinical staging protocol leverages the clinical validation and evidence base of the staging model to improve its standardization, scalability, and utility by deploying it using Health Information Technologies (HIT). Its use has the potential to enhance clinical decision-making and transform existing care pathways, but further validation and evaluation of the tool in real-world settings is needed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 120-123
Author(s):  
Adam Bedson

The College of Paramedics and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society are clear that they require advanced paramedics, as non-medical prescribers, to review and critically appraise the evidence base underpinning their prescribing practice. Evidence-based clinical guidance such as that published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is recommended as the primary source of evidence on which paramedics should base their prescribing decisions. NICE guidance reflects the best available evidence on which to base clinical decision-making. However, paramedics still need to critically appraise the evidence underpinning their prescribing, applying expertise and decision-making skills to inform their clinical reasoning. This is achieved by synthesising information from multiple sources to make appropriate, evidence-based judgments and diagnoses. This first article in the prescribing paramedic pharmacology series considers the importance of evidence-based paramedic prescribing, alongside a range of tools that can be used to develop and apply critical appraisal skills to support prescribing decision-making. These include critical appraisal check lists and research reporting tools


Author(s):  
Marijn Speeckaert ◽  
Jopis Delanghe

Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) can be measured as the clearance of exogenous or endogenous filtration markers. Practical formulas permit estimation of creatinine clearance or GFR without timed urine collections in many stable patients with CKD. Standardization of serum creatinine is important for all of these estimation methods and implementing traceability of the assays to the new global SRM 967 standard has led to changes in clinical decision-making criteria. Calibration to an IDMS reference produces a lowering of serum creatinine values by 10–30% for most methods. Serum creatinine concentration depends on age, gender and muscle mass. Cystatin C is an alternative marker of GFR, but estimation is more expensive and it is not clear that it has a useful place in routine practice. The MDRD Study equation was validated in the framework of the Modification of Diet in Renal Diseases study. It is superior to the Cockcroft and Gault formula for estimating Creatinine Clearance in most people. In 2009, the CKD Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) formula was introduced, which provides a more accurate estimation for patients with GFR values between 60 and 90 mL/min. In children, the Schwartz formula is frequently used. Some urinary markers of kidney disease are also discussed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (14) ◽  
pp. 3295-3301
Author(s):  
Joaquin Martinez-Lopez ◽  
Sandy W. Wong ◽  
Nina Shah ◽  
Natasha Bahri ◽  
Kaili Zhou ◽  
...  

Abstract Few clinical studies have reported results of measurable residual disease (MRD) assessments performed as part of routine practice. Herein we present our single-institution experience assessing MRD in 234 multiple myeloma (MM) patients (newly diagnosed [NDMM = 159] and relapsed [RRMM = 75]). We describe the impact of depth, duration, and direction of response on prognosis. MRD assessments were performed by next-generation sequencing of immunoglobulin genes with a sensitivity of 10−6. Those achieving MRD negativity at 10−6, as well as 10−5, had superior median progression-free survival (PFS). In the NDMM cohort, 40% of the patients achieved MRD negativity at 10−6 and 59% at 10−5. Median PFS in the NDMM cohort was superior in those achieving MRD at 10−5 vs <10−5 (PFS: 87 months vs 32 months; P < .001). In the RRMM cohort, 36% achieved MRD negativity at 10−6 and 47% at 10−5. Median PFS was superior for the RRMM achieving MRD at 10−5 vs <10−5 (PFS: 42 months vs 17 months; P < .01). Serial MRD monitoring identified 3 categories of NDMM patients: (A) patients with ≥3 MRD 10−6 negative samples, (B) patients with detectable but continuously declining clonal numbers, and (C) patients with stable or increasing clonal number (≥1 log). PFS was superior in groups A and B vs C (median PFS not reached [NR], NR, 55 respectively; P < .001). This retrospective evaluation of MRD used as part of clinical care validates MRD as an important prognostic marker in NDMM and RRMM and supports its use as an endpoint in future clinical trials as well as for clinical decision making.


2019 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 149-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rita Lampignano ◽  
Martin H.D Neumann ◽  
Sabrina Weber ◽  
Vera Kloten ◽  
Andrei Herdean ◽  
...  

Abstract BACKGROUND In cancer patients, circulating cell-free DNA (ccfDNA) can contain tumor-derived DNA (ctDNA), which enables noninvasive diagnosis, real-time monitoring, and treatment susceptibility testing. However, ctDNA fractions are highly variable, which challenges downstream applications. Therefore, established preanalytical work flows in combination with cost-efficient and reproducible reference materials for ccfDNA analyses are crucial for analytical validity and subsequently for clinical decision-making. METHODS We describe the efforts of the Innovative Medicines Initiative consortium CANCER-ID (http://www.cancer-id.eu) for comparing different technologies for ccfDNA purification, quantification, and characterization in a multicenter setting. To this end, in-house generated mononucleosomal DNA (mnDNA) from lung cancer cell lines carrying known TP53 mutations was spiked in pools of plasma from healthy donors generated from 2 different blood collection tubes (BCTs). ccfDNA extraction was performed at 15 partner sites according to their respective routine practice. Downstream analysis of ccfDNA with respect to recovery, integrity, and mutation analysis was performed centralized at 4 different sites. RESULTS We demonstrate suitability of mnDNA as a surrogate for ccfDNA as a process quality control from nucleic acid extraction to mutation detection. Although automated extraction protocols and quantitative PCR-based quantification methods yielded the most consistent and precise results, some kits preferentially recovered spiked mnDNA over endogenous ccfDNA. Mutated TP53 fragments derived from mnDNA were consistently detected using both next-generation sequencing-based deep sequencing and droplet digital PCR independently of BCT. CONCLUSIONS This comprehensive multicenter comparison of ccfDNA preanalytical and analytical work flows is an important contribution to establishing evidence-based guidelines for clinically feasible (pre)analytical work flows.


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