Arginine dentifrices significantly reduce childhood caries, clinical trial finds

A study in JDR Clinical & Translational Research demonstrates that arginine dentifrices reduce dental caries in children with active caries as effectively as or more effectively than a sodium fluoride dentifrice, depending on the arginine concentration.

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Specialized imaging improves overall prostate cancer survival by identifying benefits of salvage radiotherapy

A study from Denmark shows for the first time that men with biochemically recurrent prostate cancer who undergo PSMA PET/CT before salvage radiotherapy have improved survival rates compared to those who do not.

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For professional fighters, childhood disadvantage is linked to more brain changes later

Athletes who participate in combat sports like boxing and mixed martial arts and grow up in disadvantaged neighborhoods may be more likely to show signs of brain changes associated with neurodegeneration than athletes from affluent neighborhoods, according to a study published on August 13, 2025, in Neurology Open Access.

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How small changes in walking technique may help treat knee osteoarthritis

Gait analysis and pain measures show that subtly adjusting the angle of the foot during walking may reduce knee pain caused by osteoarthritis. This approach may also slow progression of the condition, an incurable disease in which the cartilage cushion inside a joint breaks down.

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Routine AI assistance may lead to loss of skills in health professionals who perform colonoscopies

The introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) to assist colonoscopies is linked to a reduction in the ability of endoscopists (health professionals who perform colonoscopies) to detect precancerous growths (adenomas) in the colon without AI assistance, according to a paper published in The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology.

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Patients still view doctor’s white coat as symbol of professionalism and trust, review suggests

Patients are still more likely to trust doctors and consider them more professional when they wear white coats, although women doctors in this attire are often misidentified as nurses or medical assistants, finds a review of the available research on the topic, published in the open-access journal BMJ Open.

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Taste and price, not calories, key drivers for online takeout orders, survey suggests

Taste and price, rather than calorie content, seem to be the key considerations for those ordering takeouts online, despite calorie labeling legislation designed to help consumers make healthier food choices, suggests an analysis of survey responses, published in the open-access journal BMJ Nutrition Prevention & Health.

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No Clear Winner: Three Dual-Drug Hypertension Therapies Work Equally Well in Indian Adults, TOPSPIN Trial Finds

India: A large multicentre clinical trial conducted in India has found that three commonly prescribed dual-drug regimens for high blood pressure are equally effective and well-tolerated in South Asian adults. The findings, published in Nature Medicine, provide important evidence to guide hypertension management in the region, where cardiovascular disease remains a major cause of illness and death.

Led by Dorairaj Prabhakaran and colleagues from the Centre for Chronic Disease Control in New Delhi, the study aimed to address a significant evidence gap in optimising combination therapy for South Asian patients. While dual therapy is often recommended when single medications fail to achieve adequate blood pressure control, there has been little comparative data on which combinations work best in this population.

The trial enrolled 1,981 Indian adults aged 30 to 79 years, with a mean age of 52 years. Participants had either a sitting systolic blood pressure (SBP) of 150–179 mmHg while untreated, or an SBP of 140–159 mmHg while already on a single medication. They were randomly assigned, in equal proportions, to receive one of three single-pill combinations: amlodipine–perindopril, perindopril–indapamide, or amlodipine–indapamide. The primary goal was to measure changes in 24-hour ambulatory SBP after six months of treatment.

The study led to the following findings:

  • A total of 1,637 participants completed the 24-hour blood pressure monitoring.
  • All three treatment combinations resulted in similar and significant reductions in ambulatory and clinic blood pressure readings.
  • Average reduction in 24-hour ambulatory BP was about 14 mmHg systolic and 8 mmHg diastolic.
  • Office BP decreased by roughly 30 mmHg systolic and 14 mmHg diastolic.
  • Approximately 70% of participants in each group achieved target BP control, defined as sitting BP below 140/90 mmHg, after six months.
  • Secondary outcomes, including daytime and nighttime BP readings, hypertension control rates, and tolerability, showed no significant differences among the treatment groups.
  • All three regimens were well-tolerated, with no unexpected safety issues observed.

The trial, known as the TOPSPIN trial, is one of the largest head-to-head comparisons of dual therapy in Indian patients. According to the authors, the results suggest that any of these combinations—amlodipine–perindopril, perindopril–indapamide, or amlodipine–indapamide—can be considered equally valid first choices for initiating dual therapy in South Asian adults with hypertension.

Given that elevated blood pressure is a leading risk factor for heart attacks, strokes, and kidney disease, the researchers believe the findings will help clinicians tailor treatment strategies without being restricted to one specific combination. The comparable efficacy and safety profiles of these regimens may also allow flexibility based on patient preferences, cost, and availability.

By providing robust, region-specific evidence, the study addresses a critical gap in hypertension management for South Asians, both in India and across the global diaspora, potentially improving blood pressure control and reducing cardiovascular disease burden.

Reference:

Prabhakaran, D., Roy, A., Chandrasekaran, A. M., Kondal, D., Mukherjee, S., Kiru, G., Singh, K., Salwa, H., Sobitharaj, E. C., Lobo, A. S., Mahajan, G., Mohan, B., Khanna, A., Malviya, A., Patil, S. G., Abichandani, V. K., Singh, B., Gupta, B. K., Yellapantula, B., . . . Poulter, N. R. (2025). Comparison of dual therapies for hypertension treatment in India: A randomized clinical trial. Nature Medicine, 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-025-03854-w

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Obese surgical patients can safely use GLP-1 therapy to reduce risk of complications, study concludes

Overweight patients waiting for operations could safely use a particular type of weight-loss treatment to reduce the risk of surgical complications linked to their obesity, a new study reveals.

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Rilzabrutinib reduces itch and hives in patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria: JAMA

A new study published in the Journal of American Medical Association found that Rilzabrutinib decreased itching and hives while preserving a positive risk-benefit profile, indicating that it might be a useful therapy for individuals with moderate to severe chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) that is resistant to antihistamines.

The primary cause of CSU is the activation of cutaneous mast cells via a variety of pathways. B cells and mast cells contain the protein bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK), which is essential for several immune-mediated disease processes. Thus, this research evaluated the effectiveness and risk profile of rilzabrutinib, a covalent, oral, reversible, next-generation BTK inhibitor, in the treatment of patients with CSU.

The Rilzabrutinib Efficacy and Safety in CSU (RILECSU) randomized clinical trial was a 52-week phase 2 research that included a 40-week open-label extension after a 12-week double-blind, dose-ranging, placebo-controlled period. From November 24, 2021, until April 23, 2024, the trial was held.

12 countries across Asia, Europe, North America, and South America, 51 centers recruited and randomly assigned participants. Adults with moderate to severe CSU (weekly Urticaria Activity Score [UAS7] of 16 or more; weekly Itch Severity Score [ISS7] of 8 or higher) who were not well managed with H1-antihistamine medication were enrolled in the experiment. This ranged in age from 18 to 80 and the patients were randomized 1:1:1:1 to 400 mg of rilzabrutinib, 400 mg once a day in the evening, 800 mg twice daily, 1200 mg three times daily, or a matched placebo.

160 omalizumab-naive and omalizumab-incomplete responders (mean [SD] age, 44.1 [13.4] years; 112 [70.0%] females) were randomly assigned. Only the 143 individuals who had never used omalizumab were part of the primary analysis population. ISS7 (least squares [LS] mean, −9.21 vs −5.77; difference, −3.44 [95% CI, −6.25 to −0.62]; P =.02) and UAS7 (LS mean, −16.89 vs −10.14; difference, −6.75 [95% CI, −12.23 to −1.26) showed significant decreases at week 12 when rilzabrutinib, 1200 mg/d, was compared to placebo from baseline.

Improvements were also seen in the weekly Angioedema Activity Score (AAS7) and weekly Hives Severity Score (HSS7). As early as week 1, ISS7, UAS7, HSS7, and AAS7 showed improvements. At week 12, CSU-related biomarkers, such as immunoglobulin (Ig)-G antithyroid peroxidase, soluble Mas-related G protein–coupled receptor X2, IgG anti-Fc-ε receptor 1, and interleukin-31, were lower than placebo.

Overall, along with an acceptable adverse event profile, the RILECSU randomized clinical trial findings showed that rilzabrutinib, 1200 mg/d, was effective and had a quick start of action over a 12-week period. 

Reference:

Giménez-Arnau, A., Ferrucci, S., Ben-Shoshan, M., Mikol, V., Lucats, L., Sun, I., Mannent, L., & Gereige, J. (2025). Rilzabrutinib in antihistamine-refractory chronic spontaneous urticaria: The RILECSU phase 2 randomized clinical trial: The RILECSU phase 2 randomized clinical trial. JAMA Dermatology (Chicago, Ill.), 161(7), 679–687. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamadermatol.2025.0733

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