Analysis of medication-induced xerostomia in elderly Japanese patients

Objectives To determine the general condition of elderly xerostomia patients, we collected their background and medication data in order to potentially treat their xerostomia. It is critical to identify the drugs causing xerostomia in elderly patients. A total of 521 patients who were examined at the Xerostomia Clinic of Osaka University Dental Hospital were included in the study. We obtained patients’ data on age, sex, number of primary illnesses, Saxon test scores, oral moisture test, subjective symptoms, and drug types from their clinical records. Results The mean age of the patients was 65.2 ± 13.3 years. Although all patients exhibited xerostomia symptoms, there were a lot of patients without hyposalivation. With respect to medication, each elderly xerostomia patient took an average of 6.8 ± 4.4 medicines. A total of 26.1% of patients in their 70 s took more than ten number of drugs. In addition, the number of frequently used medication medicine was different between elderly and young patients. Most of the medicines had xerostomia as a side effect in medical package inserts. Moreover, the quantity of salivation significantly decreased in patients who took more than seven drugs in comparison with the patients who did not take medicine. Conclusions As patients age, the number of medications they take tends to increase, subsequently increasing their risk of xerostomia. For the health of the patients, it is critical that an accurate diagnosis is made. Clinical relevance To establish therapeutic strategies for treatment of xerostomia, this study provides new and important information that will help in the development of xerostomia medical treatment.

A randomized phase II/III study comparing carboplatin and irinotecan with carboplatin and etoposide for the treatment of elderly patients with extensive-disease small cell lung cancer (JCOG1201/TORG1528).

8571 Background: Carboplatin and etoposide is the current standard treatment for elderly extensive-disease small-cell lung cancer (ED-SCLC). The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of carboplatin and irinotecan compared with carboplatin and etoposide in elderly Japanese patients with ED-SCLC in a randomized phase II/III design. Methods: Eligibility included histologically or cytologically proven SCLC, no previous systemic chemotherapy, performance status of 0 to 2, and aged 71 years or older. Patients received carboplatin (AUC 5 mg/ml/min on day 1) and etoposide (80 mg/m2 on day 1 to 3) (CE) every 3 weeks for 4 cycles or carboplatin (AUC 4 mg/ml/min on day 1) and irinotecan (50 mg/m2 on day 1 and 8) (CI) every 3 weeks for 4 cycles. In the phase II part, the primary endpoint was the objective response rate of the CI arm and the secondary endpoint was adverse events. In the phase III part, the primary endpoint was overall survival, and the secondary endpoints were progression-free survival, objective response rate, adverse events, and symptom score. This study was designed to confirm the superiority of CI arm in terms of overall survival over CE arm. The median survival time with CI arm was expected to be increased by 3.5 months with hazard ratio (HR) of 0.750 (10.5 vs. 14.0 months). The sample size was set at 250 to observe the required number of events of 227 with one-sided alpha level of 0.05, a power of 70%, an accrual period of 6.5 years, and a follow-up period of 1.5 years. Results: Between December 2013 and June 2019, 258 patients were randomized (CE arm, 129 patients; CI arm, 129 patients). The median age was 75 (range, 71-90). The characteristics of the patients were well balanced between CE arm and CI arm. Overall survival, progression-free survival, and objective response rate of CE arm vs. CI arm were 12.0 (95% CI, 9.3-13.7) vs. 13.2 (95% CI, 11.1-14.6) months (HR, 0.848 (95% CI, 0.650-1.105)) (one-sided P=0.11), 4.4 (95% CI, 4.0-4.7) vs. 4.9 months (95% CI, 4.5-5.2) (HR, 0.851 (95% CI, 0.664-1.090)) (two-sided P=0.21), and 59.7% (77 of 129) vs. 64.3% (83 of 129), respectively. Symptom score showed no significant difference between the arms. Higher incidences of myelosuppression of grade 3 or worse occurred with CE arm, whereas higher incidences of gastrointestinal toxicity of grade 3 or worse occurred with CI arm. Three treatment-related deaths including lung infection in CE arm and lung infection and sepsis in CI arm were observed. Conclusions: Efficacy tended to be favorable in carboplatin and irinotecan arm, but there was no statistically significant difference. These results indicate that carboplatin and etoposide is a still standard treatment in elderly Japanese patients with ED-SCLC. Clinical trial information: 000012605.

Rationale and design of the EMPA-ELDERLY trial: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 52-week clinical trial of the efficacy and safety of the sodium–glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor empagliflozin in elderly Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes

IntroductionElderly people (≥65 years) with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are becoming increasingly prevalent, notably in Japan. As cardiovascular (CV) risk increases with age and sodium–glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors reduce CV risk, elderly patients with T2DM are increasingly likely to be prescribed these glucose-lowering drugs. There is controversy surrounding the effects of SGLT2 inhibitors on muscle mass, particularly in elderly patients for whom loss of muscle is especially undesirable; however, robust evidence on this important issue is lacking. Consequently, we have designed a clinical trial of the SGLT2 inhibitor empagliflozin in elderly Japanese patients with T2DM (Empagliflozin in Elderly T2DM Patients (EMPA-ELDERLY)) to assess its effects on body composition as well as glycaemic control. EMPA-ELDERLY will be the first randomised clinical trial of an SGLT2 inhibitor in elderly patients with T2DM to evaluate effects on skeletal muscle mass, muscle strength and physical performance concurrently.Methods and analysisEMPA-ELDERLY is a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group clinical trial to be conducted in Japan. Patients with T2DM aged ≥65 years are eligible if they are Japanese with a body mass index of ≥22 kg/m2 and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) levels from ≥7.0% to ≤10.0% from either diet and exercise alone or treatment with oral glucose-lowering drugs. Approximately 128 participants will be randomised 1:1 to once per day, oral, double-blind treatment with empagliflozin 10 mg or matching placebo for 52 weeks. The primary endpoint is the change in HbA1c level from baseline at week 52. Secondary endpoints include changes from baseline to 52 weeks in body composition, including muscle mass and body fat, measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis, as well as skeletal muscle index, grip strength and time in the five-time chair stand test. Other endpoints include changes in patient-reported outcomes (including quality of life), cognitive function and safety.Ethics and disseminationWe will submit the trial results to conferences and peer-reviewed journals.Trial registration numberNCT04531462.