Ulcerative colitis: A review on drug delivery strategies

Ulcerative colitis is one of the two major forms of inflammatory bowel disease which has unforeseeable clinical course, marked by a chronic inflammation of the colon and remission of the disease. The treatment of Ulcerative colitis is managed by the administration of anti-inflammatory or immunosuppressive drugs that are ingested orally. However, the efficacy of the drug via oral route remains unclear as the release of drugs takes place in the upper gastrointestinal tract that allows inadequate amount of drug release to the colon thereby causing various adverse effects. Therefore, the advancement of disease targeted drug delivery strategies offers numerous gains over non-targeting by granting more effective therapy and diminishing the systemic adverse effect. In this review, we investigate and discuss various approaches that assist in targeting mechanism of the respective drugs to the colon for the hindrance and management of colonic ailments.

Prevalence of Osteoporosis and Its Risk Factors in Men with COPD in Qazvin

Introduction. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Proper diagnosis of osteoporosis as a systemic adverse effect of COPD is of significant importance. The present study aimed at evaluating the prevalence of osteoporosis and its risk factors in men suffering from COPD in Qazvin (2014).Methods. This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 90 patients with COPD using random sampling. Anthropometric data and results from physical examination were collected. Pulmonary function test and bone mineral densitometry were done for all participants as well.Results.The prevalence of osteopenia and osteoporosis in COPD patients was 31.5 and 52.8 percent, respectively. Bone mineral density (BMD) at the femoral neck was associated significantly with body mass index (BMI), increased severity of COPD, and use of oral corticosteroid (P<0.05).Conclusion.The results showed that patients’ BMI and severity of COPD are two valuable risk factors for osteoporosis screening in COPD patients.