backgroundThe management of warfarin therapy is complicated by a wide variation among patients in drug response. Variants in the gene encoding vitamin K epoxide reductase complex 1 ( VKORC1 ) may affect the response to warfarin. methodsWe conducted a retrospective study of European-American patients receiving long-term warfarin maintenance therapy. Multiple linear-regression analysis was used to determine the effect of VKORC1 haplotypes on the warfarin dose. We determined VKORC1 haplotype frequencies in African-American, European-American, and Asian-American populations and VKORC1 messenger RNA (mRNA) expression in human liver samples. resultsWe identified 10 common noncoding VKORC1 single-nucleotide polymorphisms and inferred five major haplotypes. We identified a low-dose haplotype group (A) and a highdose haplotype group (B). The mean (±SE) maintenance dose of warfarin differed significantly among the three haplotype group combinations, at 2.7±0.2 mg per day for A/A, 4.9±0.2 mg per day for A/B, and 6.2±0.3 mg per day for B/B (P<0.001). VKORC1 haplotype groups A and B explained approximately 25 percent of the variance in dose. Asian Americans had a higher proportion of group A haplotypes and African Americans a higher proportion of group B haplotypes. VKORC1 mRNA levels varied according to the haplotype combination. conclusions VKORC1 haplotypes can be used to stratify patients into low-, intermediate-, and highdose warfarin groups and may explain differences in dose requirements among patients of different ancestries. The molecular mechanism of this warfarin dose response appears to be regulated at the transcriptional level. abstract The New England Journal of Medicine Downloaded from nejm.org at UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI PADOVA on November 4, 2014. For personal use only. No other uses without permission.

The incidence of foot ulcers in this cohort of patients with diabetes was nearly 2.0% per year. For those who developed ulcers, morbidity, mortality, and excess care costs were substantial compared with those for patients without foot ulcers. The results appear to support the value of foot-ulcer prevention programs for patients with diabetes.

Severe financial distress requiring bankruptcy protection after cancer diagnosis appears to be a risk factor for mortality. Further research is needed to understand the process by which extreme financial distress influences survival after cancer diagnosis and to find strategies that could mitigate this risk.

Much has been written about the relationship between a person’s high medical expenses and his or her likelihood of filing for bankruptcy, but the relationship between receiving a cancer diagnosis and filing for bankruptcy is less well understood. We estimated the incidence and relative risk of bankruptcy for people age twenty-one or older diagnosed with cancer compared to people the same age without cancer by conducting a retrospective cohort analysis that used a variety of medical, personal, legal, and bankruptcy sources covering the Western District of Washington State in US Bankruptcy Court for the period 1995–2009. We found that cancer patients were 2.65 times more likely to go bankrupt than people without cancer. Younger cancer patients had 2–5 times higher rates of bankruptcy compared to cancer patients age sixty-five or older, indicating that Medicare insurance and Social Security may mitigate bankruptcy risk for the older group. The findings suggest that employers and governments may have a policy role to play in creating programs and incentives that could help people cover expenses in the first year following a cancer diagnosis.

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PurposeCharacteristics that predispose patients to financial hardship during cancer treatment are poorly understood. We therefore conducted a population-based exploratory analysis of potential factors associated with financial hardship and treatment nonadherence during and following adjuvant chemotherapy for colon cancer.Patients and MethodsPatients diagnosed with stage III colon cancer between 2008 and 2010 were identified from a population-based cancer registry representing 13 counties in Washington state. Patients were asked to complete a comprehensive survey on treatment-related costs. Patients were considered to have experienced financial hardship if they accrued debt, sold or refinanced their home, borrowed money from friends or family, or experienced a 20% or greater decline in their annual income as a result of treatment-related expenses. Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate factors associated with financial hardship and treatment nonadherence.ResultsA total of 284 responses were obtained from 555 eligible patients (response rate, 51.2%). Nearly all patients in the final sample were insured during treatment. In this sample, 38% of patients reported one or more financial hardships as a result of treatment. The factors most closely associated with treatment-related financial hardship were younger age and lower annual household income. Younger age, lower income, and unemployment or disability (which occurred in most instances following diagnosis) were most closely associated with treatment nonadherence.ConclusionA significant proportion of patients undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy for stage III colon cancer may experience financial hardship, despite having health insurance coverage. Interventions to help at-risk patients early on during therapy may prevent long-term financial adverse effects.

This randomized, controlled, within-subjects (crossover design) study examined the effects of immersive virtual reality as an adjunctive analgesic technique for hospitalized pediatric burn inpatients undergoing painful physical therapy. Fifty-four subjects (6-19 years old) performed range-of-motion exercises under a therapist's direction for one to five days. During each session, subjects spent equivalent time in both the virtual reality and the control conditions (treatment order randomized and counterbalanced). Graphic rating scale scores assessing the sensory, affective, and cognitive components of pain were obtained for each treatment condition. Secondary outcomes assessed subjects' perception of the virtual reality experience and maximum range-of-motion. Results showed that on study day one, subjects reported significant decreases (27-44%) in pain ratings during virtual reality. They also reported improved affect ("fun") during virtual reality. The analgesia and affect improvements were maintained with repeated virtual reality use over multiple therapy sessions. Maximum range-of-motion was not different between treatment conditions, but was significantly greater after the second treatment condition (regardless of treatment order). These results suggest that immersive virtual reality is an effective nonpharmacologic, adjunctive pain reduction technique in the pediatric burn population undergoing painful rehabilitation therapy. The magnitude of the analgesic effect is clinically meaningful and is maintained with repeated use.

Glyburide's PK and PD have not been studied in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). The objective was to assess steady-state PK of glyburide as well as insulin sensitivity, beta-cell responsivity and overall disposition indices following a mixed meal tolerance test (MMTT) in GDM (n=40), non-pregnant type 2 diabetic (T2DM) (n=26) and healthy pregnant (n=40, MMTT only) women. At equivalent doses, glyburide plasma concentrations were ~50% lower in pregnancy compared to non-pregnant women. Average glyburide umbilical cord to maternal plasma concentration ratio at the time of delivery was 0.7 ± 0.4. Insulin sensitivity was ~5-fold lower in women with GDM compared to healthy pregnancy. Despite comparable beta-cell responsivity index, average beta-cell function corrected for insulin resistance was >3.5-fold lower in women with glyburide-treated GDM than healthy pregnancy. Women with GDM that fail glyburide may benefit from alternate medication selection or dosage escalation, though fetal safety should be considered.Corresponding Author and Reprint Requests: Mary F. Hebert, Pharm.D., FCCP, University of Washington, Department of Pharmacy, 1959 NE Pacific St., H-375 Health Science Center, Box 357630, Seattle WA 98195-7630, Phone: 206-616-5016, Fax: 206-543-3835, Email: E-mail: mhebert@u.washington.edu. * Current address: Pfizer Global Research and Development, San Diego CA CONFLICT OF INTEREST/DISCLOSURE At the time of study conduct and analysis, the authors declare no conflict of interest. However, since completion of the study, Dr. Vicini's affiliation has become Pfizer Global Research and Development. NIH Public Access Author ManuscriptClin Pharmacol Ther. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2010 June 1. Published in final edited form as:Clin Pharmacol Ther. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) complicates 5-12% of pregnancies and is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Insulin has been the mainstay of pharmacotherapy for GDM. Glyburide's (GLY) advantages include easier route of administration and schedule as well as improved patient satisfaction and adherence. GLY's acceptance has been due to its comparable efficacy with insulin and limited transfer to the fetus.(1,2) However, the pharmacokinetics (PK) of GLY have not been studied in pregnancy and dosage strategies generally follow those used in non-pregnant patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We hypothesized that the PK of GLY would be different during pregnancy, due to the expected changes in metabolism, protein binding, and body composition. In addition, the effects of GLY on the insulin sensitivity and secretion parameters have not been systematically studied. Our objectives were to compare GLY PK in women with GDM and non-pregnant T2DM, to measure fetal exposure to glyburide at delivery and to evaluate insulin sensitivity (SI), beta-cell responsivity index (Φ total ) and disposition index (DI) following a mixed meal tolerance test (MMTT) in women with GDM on GLY therapy, compared with gestational age-matched healthy pregnant ...