Drug–drug interactions (DDIs) can either enhance or diminish the positive or negative effects of the associated drugs. Multiple drug combinations create difficulties in identifying clinically relevant drug interactions; this is why electronic drug interaction checkers frequently report DDI results inconsistently. Our paper aims to analyze drug interactions in cardiovascular diseases by selecting drugs from pharmacotherapeutic subcategories of interest according to Level 2 of the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification system. We checked DDIs between 9316 pairs of cardiovascular drugs and 25,893 pairs of cardiovascular and other drugs. We then evaluated the overall agreement on DDI severity results between two electronic drug interaction checkers. Thus, we obtained a fair agreement for the DDIs between drugs in the cardiovascular category, as well as for the DDIs between drugs in the cardiovascular and other (i.e., non-cardiovascular) categories, as reflected by the Fleiss’ kappa coefficients of $\kappa =0.3363$ and $\kappa =0.3572$, respectively. The categorical analysis of agreement between ATC-defined subcategories reveals Fleiss’ kappa coefficients that indicate levels of agreement varying from poor agreement ($\kappa <0$) to perfect agreement ($\kappa =1$). The main drawback of the overall agreement assessment is that it includes DDIs between drugs in the same subcategory, a situation of therapeutic duplication seldom encountered in clinical practice. Our main conclusion is that the categorical analysis of the agreement on DDI is more insightful than the overall approach, as it allows a more thorough investigation of the disparities between DDI databases and better exposes the factors that influence the different responses of electronic drug interaction checkers. Using categorical analysis avoids potential inaccuracies caused by particularizing the results of an overall statistical analysis in a heterogeneous dataset.

Common Juniper (Juniperus communis L.) is a gymnosperm that stands out through its fleshy, spherical female cones, often termed simply “berries”. The cone berries and various vegetative parts (leaves, twigs and even roots) are used in traditional phytotherapy, based on the beneficial effects exerted by a variety of secondary metabolites. While the volatile compounds of Juniperus communis are known for their aromatic properties and have been well-researched for their antimicrobial effects, this review shifts focus to non-volatile secondary metabolites—specifically diterpenes, lignans, and biflavonoids. These compounds are of significant biomedical interest due to their notable pharmacological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anticancer effects. The aim of this review is to offer an up-to-date account of chemical composition of Juniperus communis and related species, with a primary emphasis on the bioactivities of diterpenes, lignans, and biflavonoids. By examining recent preclinical and clinical data, this work assesses the therapeutic potential of these metabolites and their mechanisms of action, underscoring their value in developing new therapeutic options. Additionally, this review addresses the pharmacological efficacy and possible therapeutic applications of Juniperus communis in treating various human diseases, thus supporting its potential role in evidence-based phytotherapy.

Purpose: Romania has a high prevalence of hypertension (45.1% in 2016). Whether this is attributable to a low rate of treatment adherence—which can aggravate the pathology and reduce patients’ quality of life (QoL)—is unknown. To address this point, the present study investigated the factors that influence short- and long-term adherence and QoL in patients with arterial hypertension using a specially designed questionnaire. Patients and Methods: The study enrolled 289 patients at different stages of hypertension with or without comorbidities. The diagnosis of hypertension was established by the cardiologist, and treatment regimens were communicated by patients to the clinical pharmacist who administered the questionnaire, which comprised 7 domains with variable numbers of items. Results: The majority of surveyed patients (57.43%) considered that their capacity for effort was decreased because of their hypertension, with 65.05% reporting that they were affected by symptoms associated with high blood pressure (eg, headache and dizziness). Most patients (71.28%) understood the consequences of discontinuing their medication and the severe complications of hypertension, and 69.55% indicated that they would not stop treatment if they experienced side effects. For 53.28% of patients, social activity was significantly affected by their condition. Only 47.05% of patients underwent regular mandatory medical examinations and 55.36% periodically monitored their blood pressure at home. A regression analysis revealed correlations between specific questionnaire items and patient characteristics. Conclusion: Nonpharmacologic factors that were shown to influence patients’ adherence to treatment and QoL included the level of health education and knowledge of disease complications, self-monitoring of hypertension, and consultation with medical and pharmaceutical healthcare providers regarding hypertension and its treatment.

Breast cancer faces significant therapeutic challenges, particularly for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), due to limited targeted therapies and drug resistance. Drug repositioning leverages existing safety and pharmacokinetic data to expedite the identification of new indications with cost-effective benefits compared to de novo drug discovery. In this critical narrative review, we examine recent advances in computational repositioning strategies for breast cancer, focusing on network-based methods, computer-aided drug design, artificial intelligence and machine learning, transcriptomic signature matching, and multi-omics integration. We highlight key case studies that have progressed to preclinical validation or clinical evaluation. We assess comparative performance metrics, experimental validation outcomes, and real-world success rates. We also present critical methodological challenges, including data heterogeneity, bias in real-world data, and the need for study reproducibility. Our review emphasizes the importance of window-of-opportunity trials and the need for standardized data sharing and reproducible pipelines. These insights highlight the groundbreaking potential of in silico repositioning in addressing unmet needs in breast cancer therapy.

Compounds of plant origin have increasingly emerged as anticancer agents through direct cytotoxicity and sensitizing mechanisms. Melanoma remains the most aggressive form of skin cancer that exhibits a steadily increasing number of new cases globally each year, thus urgently requiring more effective therapeutic strategies. Therefore, phytochemicals can be considered promising candidates, particularly when used in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors. Their ability to optimize therapeutic efficacy and strengthen antitumor immune responses is mediated through various mechanisms that include the stimulation of T cell activity, the regulation of the TME, the activation of intrinsic immune responses and cytokine signaling, and the regulation of immune checkpoints such as PD-1/PD-L1, CTLA-4, and LAG-3. Additionally, these compounds can alter key signaling pathways that control immune regulation. Nevertheless, the extrapolation of preclinical studies to clinical applications remains limited by insufficient clinical evidence, the lack of standardized therapeutic protocols, and poor pharmacokinetic behavior. Consequently, further studies are required in order to clarify their actual efficacy and to better define their role in modern oncology. This article aims to review the mechanisms that underlie the anticancer sensitizing activity of major classes of plant-derived compounds such as polyphenols, flavonoids, terpenoids, alkaloids, and isothiocyanates. The available preclinical and clinical evidence were reported together with their potential synergistic effects when combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors. An important aspect related to the anticancer effects of these compounds lies in their ability to simultaneously target multiple signaling pathways. Furthermore, advanced formulations such as nanoparticulated delivery systems are discussed as strategies to optimize their clinical application and therapeutic outcomes.