Nitric oxide

• These findings indicate that the net benefits of a high intensity statin and EPA, compared to statin alone, on expression of detoxification proteins during inflammation may contribute to reduced atherothrombotic risk in outcome trials.
• The beneficial effects of a high intensity statin and EPA on endothelial dysfunction may contribute to reduced atherothrombotic risk in outcome trials.
• Elevated Lp(a) levels are an independent and causal risk factor for cardiovascular (CV) disease with limited treatments available.
• The potent antioxidant actions of EPA may contribute to reduced CV events in REDUCE-IT, including among those subjects with elevated Lp(a).

• Historically, this required patients to take multiple pills because no single-tablet combination therapy targeting two or more pathways was available," said Kelly Chin, M.D., Professor of Internal Medicine and Director of the Pulmonary Hypertension Program at UT Southwestern Medical Center, and an investigator in the A DUE study.
• The FDA's approval of OPSYNVI® is based on the results from the pivotal Phase 3 A DUE study , in which OPSYNVI® demonstrated greater reduction in Pulmonary Vascular Resistance (PVR) after 16 weeks versus tadalafil or macitentan monotherapy.
• "People with PAH often live with the burden of taking many pills each day, which can pose challenges," said James F. List, M.D., Ph.D., Global Therapeutic Area Head, whose team oversees a portfolio of programs including Pulmonary Hypertension at Johnson & Johnson.
• "We're thrilled to bring this single-tablet combination therapy to patients, as it has the potential to optimize disease management and fulfill a significant unmet need in supporting recently updated treatment guidelines that call for initial or early combination treatment."

• Tongue scraping has long been part of daily hygiene routines in many parts of the world.
• But while there’s some evidence to back these claims, the practise could also come with risks.
• Poor oral health can lead to a build-up of biofilms containing certain bacterial species which cause dental decay (cavities), gum disease and bad breath.
• But there’s less evidence showing whether these techniques are also effective for preventing tongue biofilms and bad breath.

Tongue scraping

• However, these reviews did find that the benefits of tongue scraping were shortlived and needed to be done using a specific technique to be effective.
• There are other caveats when it comes to tongue scraping.
• In these instances, tongue scraping will do little to solve bad breath.

• One study has suggested that tongue scraping may actually enrich the amount of nitrate-reducing bacteria on the tongue.
• It will be important for further research to be done with more participants to better determine both the potential benefits and harms of tongue scraping.

Should I use a tongue scraper?

• It’s also likely that the benefits and downsides of using a tongue scraper would differ for each person.
• Good oral hygiene will probably be enough to fix bad breath – and aggressive tongue scraping may actually risk making your tongue bleed.
• We also don’t yet fully know how tongue scraping will affect good bacteria on you tongue.
• Scrape your tongue, or clean your tongue with a toothbrush, with care, if you must.

Zoe Brookes does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

• This study evaluated eNOfit™, a miniaturized, portable inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) generator and delivery system for the ambulatory treatment of patients suffering from pulmonary hypertension (PH) associated with Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD).
• “The successful completion of our EFS which validated the safe and practical use of our eNOfit™ system, enables us to confidently move into larger randomized placebo-controlled safety and efficacy studies.
• Importantly, this value creating milestone will trigger the final funding of Third Pole’s Series B investment round.” said Bill Athenson, CEO of Third Pole.
• Inhaled nitric oxide relaxes smooth muscle within the pulmonary vasculature, increasing the diameter of pulmonary arteries and decreasing their resistance to blood flow.