Levodropropizine: Comprehensive Review of the Peripheral Antitussive.

In Indian primary care settings, cough is the second most common presenting symptom, only after fever. Despite cough being just a symptom of an underlying condition, it can be distressing and impact quality of life (QoL). Hence, symptomatic treatment of cough may be prudent along with definitive treatment directed at the underlying etiology.

Treatment Preferences for Novel Type 2 Diabetes Oral Medications: Insights from the Asian Diabetes Patient Preference Study.

Introduction: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a global health concern with significant mortality rate associated with comorbidities like diabetic kidney disease (DKD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Thus, treatment guidelines recommend first-line treatment with sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2Is) and/or glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonists for T2DM with comorbidities. However, in patients when these treatments are not tolerated, contraindicated, or considered expensive, dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors (DPP4Is) serve as an add-on or alternative for glycemic control without hypoglycemia risk.

Cost-benefit analysis of a quadrivalent influenza vaccine in India.

Background: In India, influenza presents a significant burden of disease to the population at large. Influenza vaccination is a cost-effective means of preventing the disease, with quadrivalent vaccines providing broader protection against influenza by covering more strains, but generally at a higher list price, than older trivalent vaccines.

Research Design And Methods: Broadly, the economic burden of influenza can be categorized into treatment and productivity costs.

Revisiting Diabetes Classification: Insights Challenges and Clinical Relevance of the ANDIS Framework in the Indian Context.

Diabetes mellitus exhibits significant heterogeneity in clinical presentation, progression, and treatment response, rendering the traditional binary classification into type 1 and type 2 diabetes increasingly inadequate. The All New Diabetics in Scania (ANDIS) framework, introduced in 2018, proposed a novel data-driven classification system that stratifies adult-onset diabetes into five distinct subgroups based on clinical and biochemical characteristics. This manuscript critically examines the scientific rationale, methodology, and clinical implications of the ANDIS classification, while evaluating its utility through evidence drawn from Indian (INSPIRED and WellGen) and global validation studies (DEVOTE, LEADER, DD2, NHANES, and FoCus cohorts).

Role of Pneumococcal Vaccination as a Preventative Measure for At-risk and High-risk Adults: An Indian Narrative.

Pneumococcal disease (PD) remains a significant public health concern, particularly in adults aged >50 years and individuals with comorbidities. India bears approximately 23% of the global burden of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). The highest rates of morbidity and mortality are linked to Streptococcus pneumoniae-related invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in adults aged >50 years.

Guillain-Barré Syndrome in India: A Call for Learning and Cohesive Action.

In January 2025, a Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) outbreak was reported in Pune, which quickly spread to other states of India. Though GBS is a rare immune-mediated polyradiculoneuropathy, it is the most common cause of acute flaccid paralysis globally. Initially described in 1859, knowledge on pathophysiology, disease spectrum, and management has evolved with time.

Revisiting the Cardiorenal Safety of Sitagliptin in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Literature Review.

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a major public health problem globally, with significant socioeconomic ramifications for healthcare systems. Diabetes unquestionably contributes to both cardiovascular disease (CVD) and chronic renal disease. Hospitalization, low quality of life, and high mortality rate are inevitable in patients with this dual burden.

Consensus to Reduce Withdrawal and Improve Adherence with SGLT2i: Consensus TWO SGLT2i Adherence Group.

Background: Sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) are a class of medications that have shown significant efficacy in regulating blood glucose levels and providing additional benefits, such as cardiorenal protection. This study aims to analyze the factors leading to nonadherence and discontinuation of SGLT2i treatment and to identify strategies that can enhance patient compliance and reduce withdrawal rates.

Materials And Methods: This consensus involved an expert committee comprising 14 leading opinion leaders, chosen for their profound expertise and experience in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) and SGLT2i therapy.

Prehyperuricemia Deserves More Attention in this Era of Metabolic Explosion: A Review.

The global population is experiencing a metabolic explosion, with the prevalence of hyperuricemia (HU) as a metabolic disorder and a causal factor for noncommunicable diseases (NCD) increasing rapidly worldwide over the last 2 decades. This rise is attributed to diets high in purine, alcohol, red meat, high-fructose foods, and lifestyle changes. The connection between HU and various NCDs is now stronger than ever.

An Indian Consensus on Sarcopenia: Epidemiology, Etiology, Clinical Impact, Screening, and Therapeutic Approaches.

The burden of sarcopenia in India continues to be of significant concern. Its diagnosis is challenging due to the lack of standardized cutoffs for assessing muscle strength, quantity, and function among Indians. This consensus aims to identify features of sarcopenia in Indians and provide culturally relevant recommendations for its management.

Vonoprazan in Management of Refractory Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: An Indian Expert Group Consensus Statements.

Background: Approximately, 40% of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) patients experience insufficient symptom relief from proton-pump inhibitors (PPI), resulting in PPI-refractory GERD (rGERD).

Objective: To review the existing literature and develop an Indian expert group consensus statement on the place of vonoprazan in the management of rGERD.

Materials And Methods: A panel of 35 leading Indian gastroenterologists extensively reviewed the literature to develop consensus statements for the management of rGERD in Indian patients, with a focus on the newly available potassium-competitive acid blocker (P-CAB), vonoprazan.

Nimesulide: Critical Appraisal of Safety and Efficacy in Acute Pain.

Nimesulide, a potent nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), has garnered attention for its distinct mechanism of action, characterized by its selective inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and multifaceted pharmacological properties. Extensive clinical evidence supports its safety and efficacy in addressing acute pain syndromes. In this comprehensive review, we undertake a thorough examination of various dimensions surrounding nimesulide, encompassing its historical evolution, intricate mode of action, pharmacokinetic attributes, clinical efficacy in managing acute pain, and notably its safety profile.

Hypoxia-Inducible Factor Prolyl Hydroxylase Inhibitors for Treatment of Anemia in Chronic Kidney Disease: Guidelines for South Asia.

This guideline addresses the use of hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitors (HIF-PHIs) in patients >18 years with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and anemia in South Asia (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka). It also summarizes recommendations for anemia treatment for individual HIF-PHI molecules under two categories: dialysis-dependent and non-dialysis-dependent CKD patients. The recommendations do not apply to pediatric (≤12 years) and adolescent (12 to 18) patients or those with primary anemia or anemia secondary to other causes such as blood loss, cancer (any type), polycystic kidney disease and infectious diseases.

Association of Physicians of India Consensus Recommendations for Vonoprazan in Management of Acid Peptic Disorders.

The suppression of gastric acid secretion has long been the cornerstone of treatment for acid peptic disorders (APDs). Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) have played a central role in managing these conditions, but their effectiveness can be hindered by notable limitations such as refractoriness or treatment failure due to inadequate acid suppression in some gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) patients, nonadherence to prescribed regimens due to the complexity of dosing, variability of response, and nocturnal acid breakthrough, etc. Vonoprazan is a first-in-class potassium-competitive acid blocker (P-CAB), recently introduced in India and also approved in several countries such as Japan, South Korea, and the USA.

Biomarkers of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: Mechanisms, Advances, and Clinical Utility.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) continues to pose a significant challenge to maternal and fetal health, driving the need for advanced diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Biomarker discovery has proven essential for early detection, mechanistic insights, and targeted interventions. This review provides an in-depth examination of biomarkers related to GDM, focusing on glucose metabolism, insulin resistance, inflammatory signaling, adipokines, oxidative stress markers, and genetic/epigenetic determinants.

Erdosteine: Reigniting a Thiol Mucolytic for Management of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major health burden globally and in India. Oxidative stress plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of COPD, causing mucus hypersecretion, bronchoconstriction, and accelerated lung function decline. An important class of pharmacological agents that are often less discussed are the thiol mucolytic agents, which have a two-pronged effect of serving as both a mucolytic and an antioxidant.

A Prospective, Active-controlled, Randomized, Double-blind, Multicenter, Phase III Study to Compare the Safety and Efficacy of Biosimilar Denosumab vs Reference Denosumab in the Treatment of Postmenopausal Osteoporosis.

Objective: Denosumab, a human monoclonal antibody that exhibits strong affinity and specificity for the receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B ligand (RANK-L), is essential in regulating bone turnover. Its inhibition of RANK-L decreases bone resorption by preventing the development, function, and survival of osteoclasts. The objective of the study was to evaluate and compare the efficacy and safety of biosimilar denosumab with the reference product, Prolia (denosumab), in Indian women suffering from postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Call to action for clinicians in the South-East Asian regions on primary prevention of diabetes in people with prediabetes- A consensus statement.

Primary prevention of diabetes still remains as an unmet challenge in a real world setting. While, translational programmes have been successful in the developed nations, the prevailing social and economic inequities in the low and middle income countries, fail to integrate diabetes prevention into their public health systems. The resulting exponential increase in the prevalence of diabetes and the cost of treatment has put primary prevention in the back seat.

Olmesartan: 360-degree Perspectives Befitting an Angiotensin Receptor Blocker.

India has a high burden of hypertension (HTN), which is often poorly controlled, leading to hypertension-mediated organ damage (HMOD). In the management of HTN, angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) assume prime importance, being first-line agents for most patient subgroups. Olmesartan is a highly efficacious ARB that demonstrates sustained blood pressure (BP) reduction over 24 hours.