CONTEXT: Pregabalin has shown efficacy in the treatment of multiple chronic pain syndromes.
OBJECTIVES: The objective was to evaluate the overall safety and tolerability of pregabalin in the treatment of a several neuropathic pain syndromes in a naturalistic setting using a flexible dosage regimen.
METHODS: Patients aged >- 18 years with neuropathic pain of various etiologies participated in an open-label, non-comparative study at 95 sites in the Philippines. Treatment included pregabalin for 4 weeks, with upward dosage titration to 600 mg/day at investigator discretion. Efficacy was rated with an 11-point pain visual analog scale (VAS). Physicians and patients rated pregabalin on treatment satisfaction, efficacy and safety using a Clinical Global Impression (CGI) rating scale. Descriptive statistics were used for quantitative variables and categorical frequency counts for qualitative variables.
RESULTS: The efficacy analysis (intent-to-treat) included 1603 patients. Mean VAS pain score improved from baseline (7.2 +- 1.6) to 3.8 +- 1.8 at second visit and 2.3 +- 1.4 at last visit. Physicians' and patients' impression of pregabalin regarding treatment satisfaction, efficacy and safety using a CGI rating scale showed> 75% who gave a rating of excellent at second visit gave the same rating at final visit. Adverse events (AEs) were generally mild to moderate, with dizziness and somnolence most frequently reported.
DISCUSSION: Improvement in mean VAS pain scores as well as physicians' and patients' overall satisfaction with tolerability and efficacy support the usefulness of pregabalin in the treatment of various neuropathic pain syndromes in Asian patients.
WHAT'S KNOWN? Pregabalin is effective for the treatment of chronic pain syndromes, including painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy, postherpetic neuralgia, spinal cord injury and fibromyalgia.
WHAT'S NEW? This open-label, non-comparative study demonstrates safety, tolerability and efficacy for neuropathic pain syndromes in Asian patients.

Human ; Male ; Female ; Aged ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Adolescent ; Neuralgia, Postherpetic ; Pregabalin ; Dizziness ; Fibromyalgia ; Chronic Pain ; Neuralgia ; Pain Measurement ; Diabetic Neuropathies ; Spinal Cord Injuries

OBJECTIVE: To obtain reference values of bone mineral density (BMD) for Filipino women in order to make a population-specific diagnosis of osteoporosis.
SETTING: Osteoporosis Unit, Joint and Bone Center, Section of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, University of Santo Tomas Hospital, Manila, Philippines.
PARTICIPANTS: 442 healthy Filipino women volunteers recruited from the outpatient department, Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology Clinic of the University of Santo Tomas Hospital and from within the University of Santo Tomas campus. Subjects with known underlying illness or conditions or intake of drugs that predispose to osteoporosis were excluded from the study.
INTERVENTION: Bone mineral density (BMD) measurements, expressed in grams per square centimenter of the lumbar spine, non-dominant femur and non-dominant forearm were done in 442 consecutive healthy Filipino women using the LUNAR DPX-IQ machine.
RESULTS: Means and standard deviations of BMD measurements at each site were calculated using Kwikstat software Version 3.6, Release 7. Results were grouped in decades to serve as reference per decade.
CONCLUSION: BMD of these 442 healthy Filipino women may serve as an initial reference guide for the diagnosis of osteoporosis in Filipino women.

Human ; Female ; Aged ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Young Adult ; Osteoporosis ; Femur ; Forearm ; Chronic Pain ; Delivery Of Health Care ; Bone Density ; Body Mass Index

Background: An accurate, quantifiable assessment of hand grip strength (HGS) can predict overall strength and health with a good predictor for identifying populations at higher risk for any medical conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, neuromuscular diseases and stroke that helps clinicians establish realistic treatment goals and provides treatment outcome data. The purpose of the study is to determine the percentile scores of HGS of healthy adult individuals of various age groups using Jamar dynamometer and modified sphygmomanometer. Methods: This descriptive study measures HGS using Jamar dynamometer and modified sphygmomanometer obtained from one hundred twenty healthy participants 20 years old and above. Comparative analyses of the 2 apparatuses were conducted using One-Way ANOVA. The reference intervals at different percentiles were calculated using the Clinical and Laboratory Standard Institute (CLSI) guidelines. Results: Grip strength (GS) using Jamar dynamometer (JD) and modified sphygmomanometer (MS) among younger (20- 29 years old) participants, the 50th percentile (Q2) JD score was 28.29 kg with an equivalent MS score of 161.38 mmHg, were significantly higher compared to those across older age groups especially among the ≥70 years old with a JD Q2 score of 16.74 kg and MS Q2 score of 101.33 mmHg. These findings suggest that HGS decreases with increasing age. Conclusion Scores obtained from this study can serve as preliminary baseline values or guide for interpreting GS measurements.
Hand Strength ; Sphygmomanometers