Interferon beta-1a and glatiramer acetate are commonly prescribed for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), but no published randomised trials have directly compared these two drugs. Our aim in the REGARD (REbif vs Glatiramer Acetate in Relapsing MS Disease) study was to compare interferon beta-1a with glatiramer acetate in patients with RRMS.

BACKGROUND: Angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are known to reduce proteinuria. Their combination might be more effective than either treatment alone, but long-term data for comparative changes in renal function are not available. We investigated the renal effects of ramipril (an ACE inhibitor), telmisartan (an ARB), and their combination in patients aged 55 years or older with established atherosclerotic vascular disease or with diabetes with end-organ damage.

Atypical (second-generation) antipsychotics are considered standard treatment for children and adolescents with early-onset schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. However, the superiority of second-generation antipsychotics over first-generation antipsychotics has not been demonstrated. This study compared the efficacy and safety of two second-generation antipsychotics (olanzapine and risperidone) with a first-generation antipsychotic (molindone) in the treatment of early-onset schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder.

In some countries extracts of the plant Hypericum perforatum L. (popularly called St. John’s wort) are widely used for treating patients with depressive symptoms.

To investigate whether extracts of hypericumaremore effective than placebo and as effective as standard antidepressants in the treatment of major depression; and whether they have fewer adverse effects than standard antidepressant drugs.

Large observational studies, small prospective studies and post-hoc analyses of randomised clinical trials have suggested that statins could be beneficial in patients with chronic heart failure. However, previous studies have been methodologically weak. We investigated the efficacy and safety of the statin rosuvastatin in patients with heart failure.

Hyperlipidemia has been suggested as a risk factor for stenosis of the aortic valve, but lipid-lowering studies have had conflicting results.

Objective To determine whether aspirin and antioxidant therapy, combined or alone, are more effective than placebo in reducing the development of cardiovascular events in patients with diabetes mellitus and asymptomatic peripheral arterial disease.

Design Multicentre, randomised, double blind, 2x2 factorial, placebo controlled trial.

Setting 16 hospital centres in Scotland, supported by 188 primary care groups.

Background

Probiotics have been proposed as an effective treatment for eczema, and recently a number of clinical trials have been undertaken.

Objectives

To assess the effects of probiotics for the treatment of eczema

Search strategy

Background. Drug-related adverse events are an underappreciated consequence of antibiotic use, and the national magnitude and scope of these events have not been studied. Our objective was to estimate and compare the numbers and rates of emergency department (ED) visits for drug-related adverse events associated with systemic antibiotics in the United States by drug class, individual drug, and event type.