Alcohol dependence is a major health problem associated with substantial social and healthcare costs. Until recently, the only available management options for maintaining abstinence in alcohol-dependent patients after detoxification were psychosocial/behavioural therapies (including self-help...

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a serious genetically inherited multisystem disease, characterised by symptoms of pancreatic insufficiency, meconium ileus, obstruction/absence of the vas deferens and chronic obstruction, infection and inflammation of the lower respiratory tract. Lung disease,...

Parkinson's disease, a movement disorder caused by degeneration of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra, is characterized by resting tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia and postural instability. For over 30 years levodopa has been considered as the first-line treatment for this...

Alzheimer's disease is associated with a large cost burden, of which institutionalised care constitutes a major component. Therefore, the decision to move a patient from the community to institutionalised care is associated with a significant increase in direct costs. About three-quarters of...

Dyslipidaemias are major modifiable risk factors for the development of atherosclerosis and its sequelae, namely coronary heart disease (CHD) and peripheral vascular disease. CHD is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in men and women in Western countries; the costs associated with this...

Olanzapine is an atypical antipsychotic agent which is at least as effective as the conventional agent haloperidol and the atypical agent risperidone. Olanzapine may be superior to haloperidol in some respects, including treatment of negative symptoms. A major advantage of olanzapine over...

Efavirenz is a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) used in the treatment of patients with HIV infection. Both US and British treatment guidelines for HIV infection recommend NNRTI- or protease inhibitor-based combinations [i.e. with nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors...

The availability of new atypical antipsychotics, such as risperidone, that have higher acquisition costs than conventional treatments has prompted pharmacoeconomic evaluation of their costs and benefits. Risperidone is reported to have superior efficacy to haloperidol and similar efficacy to...

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a common cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide and places a large burden on medical and economic resources, particularly if hospitalization is required. Indeed, it has been estimated that annual costs of inpatient treatment of patients with CAP...

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy affecting women and imposes a substantial economic burden on society. Estrogen is thought to play a major role in both the initiation and promotion of hormone dependent breast cancer, and a number of well recognized risk factors for breast cancer...