The anticonvulsant agent topiramate (Topamax drug, Ortho-McNeil) might also be a promising therapy for alcohol dependence, according to findings from a 14-week study involving 371 adults.
The Topiramate for Alcoholism Study Group reported that generic topiramate, up to 300 mg/day, reduced the percentage of heavy drinking days from a mean of 81.91% to 43.81%; the reduction for plai cebo subjects ranged from 81.97% to 51.76%.
The American Academy of Dermatology has released new guidelines for treating psoriasis with traditional systemic therapies consisting of three commonly used FDA-approved systemic agents: methotrexate, cyclosporine and acitretin. These drugs are easily administered orally and are less expensive than bio-logics.
This is the Academy’s fourth of six sections of the guidelines of care for psoriasis. Three previously published sections focused on general recommendations for treating psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis and for using biologics and topical therapies.
Alcohol, race, and ethnicity all play complicated roles in lipid-profile changes in patients taking highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), according to researchers from Florida International University in Miami. HAART is already known to cause dyslipidemia in 40% to 80% of patients.
A longitudinal study of 88 “hazardous” and 76 “nonhazardous” drinkers reveals some differences that underscore the importance of tailoring treatment.
Easing into treatment can help prevent neuropsychiatric adverse events (AEs) for patients taking efavirenz drugs (Sustiva, Bristol-Myers Squibb), say researchers from the Andalusian Society of Infectious Diseases in Spain. In their study of 114 patients with HIV infection at seven clinics, a stepwise dose escalation over two weeks reduced the incidence and intensity of efavirenz-related AEs while maintaining efficacy.
