13 15 While previous studies tried to identify clinical or biochemical baseline characteristics that predicted the HbA1c response to DPP-4 inhibitors as a class, 16 17 predictors of the HbA1c response to individual DPP-4 inhibitors have never been systematically evaluated.
Although we did not identify baseline characteristics that predicted the degree of response to exenatide treatment, our observation that significant weight loss was seen as early as 2 weeks and that high responders could be identified by 4 weeks has important clinical ramifications and demonstrates the value of a short clinical trial to assess the effectiveness in a given individual.
We performed a secondary analysis of data for the 638 participants in our clinical trial comparing different types of acupuncture to usual care to identify baseline characteristics that predicted responses to individualized, standardized, or simulated acupuncture treatments.
HFOV treated patients in experimental trials and in non-experimental prospective and retrospective cohort studies were evaluated to identify baseline characteristics that predicted mortality and pulmonary outcome in patients who were selected for HFOV treatment.
Multivariate linear regression (using SPSS v20) was used to explore baseline patient characteristics that predicted each outcome at 4 months.
Given the small number (N = 60) of patients enrolled in the study, in order to evaluate whether other prognostic factors could potentially explain their short survival, we performed corrections for multiple comparison and checked carefully several known baseline demographic, pathological and biochemical characteristics that predicted PSA decline and survival in previous studies in CRPC [ 27- 29].
Moreover, we could find no preoperative characteristics that predicted remission versus mere improvement in diabetes nor that influenced the kinetics of reduced glycemia, including baseline insulin usage and duration of diabetes.
Collectively, these studies have helped refine the therapeutic role of existing controller medications, establish standard models for side-effect evaluation and risk-benefit models, validate symptom-based assessments for asthma control, and identify baseline characteristics that might predict individual patient responses.
Using these health states, this study identified a small set of baseline characteristics that best predict sustained favorable long-term outcome over a 2-year postbaseline period.
