Hypertension stands as a pervasive global health challenge, contributing significantly to mortality rates worldwide. Various factors, including lifestyle choices and dietary habits, contribute to the development of hypertension. In recent years, oxidative stress has garnered significant attention as a factor influencing hypertension risk, prompting a shift in research focus towards exploring it as a potential target for prevention and treatment. Antioxidants found in our diet, such as vitamins C, E and carotenoids exhibit the ability to neutralize reactive oxygen species, thereby mitigating oxidative stress. In addition, Vitamin A has an antioxidant effect despite not being an antioxidant itself. Consequently, supplementation or increased intake of these antioxidants has been hypothesized to potentially lower blood pressure levels and aid in the management of hypertension, thereby potentially prolonging life expectancy. Research findings regarding this effect have been diverse. This paper examines the existing literature demonstrating favorable outcomes associated with antioxidant supplementation.
Pancreatic cystic lesions (PCLs) are increasingly diagnosed owing to the wide use of cross-sectional imaging techniques. Accurate identification of PCL categories is critical for determining the indications for surgical intervention or surveillance. The classification and management of PCLs rely on a comprehensive and interdisciplinary evaluation, integrating clinical data, imaging findings, and cyst fluid markers. EUS (endoscopic ultrasound) has become the widely used diagnostic tool for the differentiation of pancreatic cystic lesions, offering detailed evaluation of even small pancreatic lesions with high sensitivity and specificity. Additionally, endoscopic ultrasound–fine-needle aspiration enhances diagnostic capabilities through cytological analysis and the assessment of fluid viscosity, tumor glycoprotein concentration, amylase levels, and molecular scrutiny. These detailed insights play a pivotal role in improving the clinical prognosis and management of pancreatic neoplasms. This review will focus mainly on the latest recommendations for the differentiation, management, and treatment of pancreatic cystic lesions, highlighting their clinical significance.
Crohn’s disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory condition of the digestive tract, driven by an imbalance in immune system regulation, where proinflammatory interleukin-23 (IL-23) plays an essential role. Selective new IL-23 inhibitors, including risankizumab, guselkumab, and mirikizumab, block the IL-23p19 subunit to inhibit the Il-23 action and alleviate inflammation in CD. This review explores the effectiveness, safety, and therapeutic potential of anti-IL-23 treatment in CD management. Risankizumab, guselkumab, and mirikizumab demonstrated considerable effectiveness in inducing clinical remission and promoting endoscopic healing in patients with moderately to severely active CD, including those refractory to anti-TNF therapies. Risankizumab showed favorable results in pivotal trials like ADVANCE, MOTIVATE, and FORTIFY, achieving remission rates of up to 45% and sustained inflammatory biomarkers normalization. Guselkumab and mirikizumab similarly demonstrated substantial efficacy in the induction and maintenance phases, with promising long-term results. The safety profiles of IL-23 inhibitors were favorable, with low rates of serious adverse events, including infections and malignancies. Selective new IL-23 inhibitors represent a targeted and effective therapeutic class for moderately to severely active CD, offering high clinical and endoscopic remission rates, and favorable safety outcomes. Continued research, particularly on long-term efficacy and the selection of patients based on inflammatory biomarkers, will help optimize their role in personalized treatment strategies for refractory CD.
Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is a transmembrane receptor that is a member of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) family. It is best known for being overexpressed in breast cancer, where it serves as a target for specific anticancer drugs such as trastuzumab. While the treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer is well established, less attention has been given to the treatment of other cancers that overexpress HER2, including gastric cancer, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), colorectal cancer, and endometrial cancer. In addition, there is a heterogeneous group of breast cancer with low expression of HER2 (HER2-low) that may also benefit from HER2-targeted treatment. This review will present the current knowledge on the diagnosis and treatment of HER2-positive cancers other than breast cancer with HER2 overexpression, as well as the diagnosis and treatment of HER2-low breast cancer. Keywords: HER2 breast cancer HER2-low gastric cancer NSCLC colorectal cancer endometrial cancer biliary tract cancer bladder cancer