Osteoporosis is a skeletal disorder characterized by impaired bone turnover and compromised bone strength, thereby predisposing to increased risk of fracture. Preclinical research has shown that compounds produced by the olive tree (Olea europaea), may protect from bone loss, by increasing osteoblast activity at the expense of adipocyte formation. The aim of this exploratory study was to obtain a first insight on the effect of intake of an olive extract on bone turnover in postmenopausal women with decreased bone mass (osteopenia). For that, a double blind, placebo-controlled study was performed in which participants were randomly allocated to either treatment or placebo groups. 64 osteopenic patients, with a mean bone mineral density (BMD) T-score between −1.5 and −2.5 in the lumbar spine (L2–L4) were included in the study. Participants received for 12 months daily either 250 mg/day of olive extract and 1000 mg Ca (treatment) or 1000 mg Ca alone (placebo). Primary endpoints consisted of evaluation of bone turnover markers. Secondary endpoints included BMD measurements and blood lipid profiles. After 12 months, the levels of the pro-osteoblastic marker osteocalcin were found to significantly increase in the treatment group as compared to placebo. Simultaneously, BMD decreased in the placebo group, while remaining stable in the treatment group. In addition, improved lipid profiles were observed, with significant decrease in total- and LDL-cholesterol in the treatment group. This exploratory study supports preclinical observations and warrants further research by showing that a specific olive polyphenol extract (Bonolive®) affects serum osteocalcin levels and may stabilize lumbar spine BMD. Moreover, the improved blood lipid profiles suggest additional health benefits associated to the intake of the olive polyphenol extract.

Tigecycline is a glycylcycline often used in critically ill patients as the antibiotic of last resort. The pharmacokinetics (PK) of tigecycline in intensive care unit (ICU) patients can be affected by severe pathophysiological changes so that standard dosing might not be adequate. The aim of this study was to describe population PK of high-dose tigecycline in patients with sepsis or septic shock and evaluate the relationship between individual PK parameters and patient covariates. The study population consisted of 37 adult ICU patients receiving a 200-mg loading dose of tigecycline followed by multiple doses of 100 mg every 12 h. Blood samples were collected at 0.5, 2, 4, 8, and 12 h after dose administration. A two-compartment model with interindividual (IIV) and interoccasion (IOV) variability in PK parameters was used to describe the concentration-time course of tigecycline. The estimated values of mean population PK parameters were 22.1 liters/h and 69.4 liters/h for elimination and intercompartmental clearance, respectively, and 162 liters and 87.9 liters for volume of the central and peripheral compartment, respectively. The IIV and IOV in clearance were less than 20%. The estimated values of distribution volumes were different from previously published values, which might be due to pathophysiological changes in ICU patients. No systematic relationship between individual PK parameters and patient covariates was found. The developed model does not show evidence that individual tigecycline dosing adjustment based on patient covariates is necessary to obtain the same target concentration in patients with sepsis or septic shock. Dosing adjustments should be based on the pathogens, their susceptibility, and PK targets.

Evidence for the benefit of antioxidants' based therapeutic intervention in dementia are inconsistent. Parallel studies in disease forms of dementia different than Alzheimer's are even less conclusive. In this study, the role of serum levels of homocysteine (tHcy), lipids and antioxidants in predicting the risk of cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease (AD) versus non-Alzheimer's dementias (n-AD). The objective was to add to the ongoing cumulative research to establish the biochemical baseline for potential nutri-therapeutic intervention in different forms of dementia.