Clinical therapeutics
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Clinical therapeutics · Feb 2007
ReviewTherapeutic options for the management of hot flashes in breast cancer survivors: an evidence-based review.
Women with breast cancer may experience treatment-induced menopausal symptoms or natural menopause. Menopausal symptoms, particularly hot flashes, are reported at a high frequency in this group and tend to be more severe, distressing, and of greater duration than in controls. Because of the contribution of sex hormones to breast cancer, the use of hormonal agents for the control of hot flashes is problematic in these women. Safer nonhormonal alternatives are recommended for this patient group. ⋯ Centrally active agents (eg, venlafaxine, paroxetine, gabapentin) are regarded as the most promising nonhormonal treatments for hot flashes in breast cancer survivors. Nonpharmacologic and complementary alternative medicine therapies have limited effectiveness.
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Clinical therapeutics · Feb 2007
Multicenter StudyA 26-week, prospective, open-label, uncontrolled, multicenter study to evaluate the effect of an escalating-dose regimen of trandolapril on change in blood pressure in treatment-naive and concurrently treated adult hypertensive subjects (TRAIL).
This study evaluated the effectiveness of an escalating-dose regimen of trandolapril in subjects with stage 1 or stage 2 hypertension. ⋯ A titration-based, escalating-dose regimen of trandolapril was effective and well tolerated in the management of these subjects who were antihypertensive-treatment naive or whose disease was uncontrolled on a diuretic or a calcium channel blocker in this open-label, uncontrolled, multicenter study. Overall, 73.4% of subjects achieved their target blood pressure goal (<140/90 mm Hg).
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Clinical therapeutics · Feb 2007
Identification of adverse reactions that can occur on substitution of generic for branded lamotrigine in patients with epilepsy.
The aim of this study was to characterize outcomes in patients with epilepsy who experienced adverse reactions on switching from branded to generic lamotrigine and who were subsequently switched back to the branded formulation. ⋯ The results of this small case-series investigation suggest that some patients may experience loss of seizure control when generic lamotrigine is substituted for the branded formulation. The degree of risk was not assessable based on available data, which are merely suggestive because of the observational nature of the study.
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Clinical therapeutics · Feb 2007
Findings from a 1000-patient internet-based survey assessing the impact of morning symptoms on individuals with allergic rhinitis.
Although the severity of allergic rhinitis symptoms might depend on the degree of exposure to the triggering allergen, it has also been noted that symptom severity varies over the course of the day. ⋯ Based on the results from this large Internet-based survey, the morning symptoms of allergic rhinitis have a negative impact on individuals, both emotionally and in terms of disruption of daily activities. Medication used for treating allergic rhinitis was reported as not always effective for the whole time interval between doses. This suggests that it might be important, when considering management options in allergic rhinitis, to select medications that offer sustained effectiveness throughout the 24-hour period.