Harmonwood3319

Objective To compare relapse rates and healthcare costs in MS patients treated with Glatopa 20mg (generic glatiramer acetate) versus Copaxone 20mg in a US managed care population.Methods A retrospective claims study was conducted using the HealthCore Integrated Research Database. Patients with ≥1 Glatopa or Copaxone claim between 04/01/2015 (Glatopa) or 01/01/2013 (Copaxone) and 04/30/2018 were included. Patients with prior Copaxone 40mg use or less then 1 year continuous health plan enrollment were excluded. Patients who switched from Glatopa to Copaxone were censored. Glatopa users were matched to Copaxone users, and outcomes measured at 6-12 months follow-up.Results A total of 357 Glatopa and 2,291 Copaxone patients qualified for inclusion; 158 per cohort were retained after matching. Baseline characteristics were well-balanced (mean age 49.9 years, 75% female, mean 3.8 Copaxone fills). At baseline, 8% of patients had ≥1 relapse with mean annualized relapse rates (ARR) of 0.18; at follow-up, the relapse rates were 8% versus 15% (Glatopa versus Copaxone; p = 0.05), and ARRs were 0.12 versus 0.30 (p=.05). 45% of Glatopa patients switched (back) to Copaxone 20/40mg and were censored at that point. Mean (SD) all-cause medical and pharmacy costs were $51,507 ($28,494) versus $55,085 ($37,061; p=.50). Mean MS-related costs were $45,379 ($24,732) versus $47,949 ($32,615; p=.67), of which mean disease modifying therapy costs were $42,926 ($23,196) versus $44,932 ($28,554; p=.59). Results were similar in sensitivity analyses.Conclusions In this real-world study, MS patients treated with Glatopa experienced similar health outcomes and costs compared to those treated with Copaxone, with a trend towards lower relapse rates (borderline statistically significant) and cost savings (not statistically significant).Prolonged exposure to aluminum through occupational hazards or food/water intake has been linked to the occurrence of Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study aimed at investigating the neuroprotective effects of Gallic Acid (GA) against aluminum-chloride induced AD in adult Wistar rats. Twenty eight (28) adult Wistar rats were divided into four groups (n = 7). Group A received normal saline as placebo; Group B received 200 mg/kg bw of AlCl3 only; Group C received 100 mg/kg bw of GA only and group D received 100 mg/kg bw of GA and 200 mg/kg bw of AlCl3. At the end of the 60 days experiment, blood samples were collected to obtain serum for analysis and the brain was harvested. Neurobehavioural tests (Morris Water maze, Y-Maze), neurotransmitter levels, oxidative stress markers, serum electrolytes, antioxidant enzymes and histological assessment were carried out. There was a significant decrease in antioxidant enzymes (CAT, GSH and SOD), serum electrolyte (except K+) and neurotransmitter levels (except norepinephrine) with corresponding increase in stress markers (MDA, H2O2 and NO) among group B compared to control but was restored nearly to normal after GA administration. Neurobehavioral tests showed decreased spatial memory impairment and learning deficit in group B compared to control but was ameliorated with GA administration. Histological observation showed neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid plaques in the external granular layer of group B but protected by GA administration. Nutritional supplementation of GA preserve the morphological and physiological integrity of the hippocampus against environmental neurotoxins (AlCl3) by mopping up free radicals associated with oxidative stress induced AD.Background Positive distraction involves distracting oneself from a stressor by thinking about or engaging in activities that induce positive emotion. We hypothesized that although it is a disengagement coping strategy, which have been historically viewed as maladaptive (e.g., avoidance), positive distraction can be an adaptive version that predicts positive outcomes.Design To test this hypothesis, we developed a scale to measure positive and neutral distraction (distracting oneself by engaging in daily activities) in response to chronic stressors in 3 samples (MTurk1, N = 206; undergraduate, N = 376; MTurk2, N = 200). We then correlated the use of these strategies with outcomes in these samples and another undergraduate sample (N = 370).Results Exploratory SEM confirmed that the scale consists of two factors corresponding to positive and neutral distraction, which were positively correlated with avoidance. SU11248 nmr However, unlike avoidance, positive distraction (and to a lesser degree neutral distraction) was related to positive outcomes such as higher well-being and positive emotions, and fewer depressive symptoms especially when controlling for avoidance.Conclusions Our results suggest that positive distraction can be an adaptive disengagement coping strategy for chronic stressors when controlling for avoidance and should be incorporated into coping studies and interventions.Objective The majority of cases of the fatal neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are of unknown etiology. A proportion of these cases are likely to be attributable to contaminant exposures, although the specific environmental etiology of ALS remains largely a mystery. Certain forms of the neurotoxic metal mercury readily cross into the central nervous system. Fish is a dietary source of methylmercury, but also of beneficial components, such as omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Prior work using clinic-based studies of toenails and hair as keratinous biomarkers of exposure suggest elevated mercury levels in ALS patients compared with controls. We sought to validate this relationship in a U.S. case-control comparison of mercury levels in nail clippings. Methods We performed trace element analysis using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) on the nail clippings of n = 70 female, geographically representative ALS patients from the National ALS Biorepository and compared them to n = 210 age-matched controls from a set of n = 1216 nationally distributed controls from the Sister and Two Sister Studies. Results Compared to the lowest quartile of nail mercury, moderate levels were associated with decreased risk of ALS (P = 4.18e-6). However, the odds of having nail mercury levels above the 90th percentile were 2.3-fold higher among ALS patients compared with controls (odds ratio (OR) = 2.3, 95% confidence interval 1.10-4.58, adjusted for age and smoking status). Conclusion This finding suggests that excessive mercury exposure may be associated with the neurodegenerative health of aging populations.