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The article discusses the comprehensive evaluations undertaken by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) on the safety of incretin-based drugs on patients with pancreatitis or pancreatic cancer. Topics discussed include a description of the drug incretin, the FDA's study with the drug exenatide on rats with diabetes, and results of two cardiovascular outcome trials. A list of approved incretin-based drugs by FDA and EMA is also provided.

Editorial. Discusses the implications of the study on renal angioplasty for lowering blood pressure by van Jaarsveld et al in the April 6, 2000 issue of the 'New England Journal of Medicine.' Agreement that treatment of antihypertensive drugs is as effective as angioplasty; Strengths and weaknesses of the study; Questions raised by the study, including whether renal angioplasty should be considered for treating patients with atherosclerotic renal-artery stenosis; Patients who might benefit from the surgery.

The article discusses a study on the efficacy of dolutegravir plus Abacavir-Lamivudine in treating human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection. The study involved adult participants who had not received therapy for HIV-1 infection. The authors conclude that dolutegravir plus Abacavir-Lamivudine is more safe and effective through 48 weeks than the regimen with efavirenz-tenofovir disoproxil fumarate-emtricitabine.

A letter to the editor is presented with new treatment options for Bartter's Syndrome.

Background: Vitamin therapy to lower homocysteine levels has recently been recommended for the prevention of restenosis after coronary angioplasty. We tested the effect of a combination of folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 (referred to as folate therapy) on the risk of angiographic restenosis after coronary-stent placement in a double-blind, multicenter trial. Methods: A total of 636 patients who had undergone successful coronary stenting were randomly assigned to receive 1 mg of folic acid, 5 mg of vitamin B6, and 1 mg of vitamin B12 intravenously, followed by daily oral doses of 1.2 mg of folic acid, 48 mg of vitamin B6, and 60 μg of vitamin B12 for six months, or to receive placebo. The angiographic end points (minimal luminal diameter, late loss, and restenosis rate) were assessed at six months by means of quantitative coronary angiography. Results: At follow-up, the mean (±SD) minimal luminal diameter was significantly smaller in the folate group than in the placebo group (1.59±0.62 mm vs. 1.74±0.64 mm, P=0.008), and the extent of late luminal loss was greater (0.90±0.55 mm vs. 0.76±0.58 mm, P=0.004). The restenosis rate was higher in the folate group than in the placebo group (34.5 percent vs. 26.5 percent, P=0.05), and a higher percentage of patients in the folate group required repeated target-vessel revascularization (15.8 percent vs. 10.6 percent, P=0.05). Folate therapy had adverse effects on the risk of restenosis in all subgroups except for women, patients with diabetes, and patients with markedly elevated homocysteine levels (15 μmol per liter or more) at baseline. Conclusions: Contrary to previous findings, the administration of folate, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 after coronary stenting may increase the risk of in-stent restenosis and the need for target-vessel revascularization. N Engl J Med 2004;350:2673-81. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]