Current medical research and opinion
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical Trial
Comparison of diabetic control in type 2 (non-insulin dependent) diabetic patients treated with different sulphonylureas.
Diabetic control was compared in groups of Type 2 (non-insulin dependent) diabetic patients treated concurrently for 1 year with five different sulphonylurea drugs: chlorpropamide (21), glipizide (24), gliquidone (22), gliclazide (22) and glibenclamide (23). Glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1) levels decreased in all groups over the first 2 months, but tended to level off or increase thereafter. ⋯ Only the glibenclamide group had a significant change in weight (p less than 0.05). There may be differences between different sulphonylureas which could be of clinical advantage in certain patients.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Comparison of flunisolide and beclomethasone dipropionate in seasonal allergic rhinitis.
Sixty-nine patients were entered into a randomized, single-blind, parallel group study. Patients had a history of moderate to severe seasonal allergic rhinitis and all patients commenced treatment before the start of the pollen season. Treatment was with either flunisolide or beclomethasone dipropionate, both being administered as 2 sprays to each nostril twice daily for 7 weeks. ⋯ Analysis of results did not reveal any statistically significant differences between the treatments. Minor side-effects were reported by 1 patient from each treatment group. Both treatments proved to be effective in the treatment of hay fever and were equally well tolerated.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Effect of a combination of orphenadrine/paracetamol tablets ('Norgesic') on myalgia: a double-blind comparison with placebo in general practice.
The clinical efficacy and tolerability of a combination preparation ('Norgesic') of 35 mg orphenadrine plus 450 mg paracetamol was compared with that of placebo in a controlled double-blind, parallel group, 7-day study comprising 44 patients suffering from pain due to tension of the cervical and upper thoracic musculature. The patients were allocated at random into two homogeneous groups, stratified by sex and initial pain intensity. One group received the combination, the other placebo. ⋯ Despite the low dosage used, orphenadrine/paracetamol produced statistically significant pain relief from initial levels by and from the second day of the study. Comparison between the groups showed that the analgesic efficacy of the combination was significantly superior to that of placebo from the third day of treatment. These results confirm the efficacy of a combination of orphenadrine/paracetamol in patients suffering from myalgia nuchae.
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Seven hundred and fifty cycles of treatment with a new triphasic oral contraceptive (WL-49(50). 'Trinordiol') containing the lowest quantity of steroids of all available preparations were evaluated in 75 healthy young women (mean age 19.6 years), 70% of whom had regular, normal cycles. Sixty-five percent had not used contraception before; the others had previously been on combined or progestagen-only oral contraceptives or had an IUD. The mean length of treatment with the triphasic preparation was 10 cycles. ⋯ Complaints of oestrogen-related symptoms such as breast tenderness and digestive disorders were probably due to the reduced progestagen content of the preparation compared with combined low fixed daily dose oral contraceptives. However, no increases in dysmenorrhoea and/or premenstrual tension were noted. It is concluded that the triphasic preparation provides effective contraception with excellent cycle control and minimal side-effects, which should help to increase the acceptability of low-dose combined oral contraceptives.
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A retrospective analysis was performed of 405 patients, over the age of 65 years, who had been admitted with proven myocardial infarction to a coronary care unit, to investigate the relationship between the serum potassium level on admission and the incidence of cardiac arrhythmias. On admission, 173 (42.7%) patients had a serum potassium of less than 4.0 mmol/l. During the first 24 hours in hospital, 57% of all patients exhibited a disturbance of cardiac rhythm. ⋯ The difference in incidence of this arrhythmia was highly significant (p less than 0.001). No patient who experienced ventricular fibrillation was on existing cardiac medication with either a diuretic, beta-adrenoreceptor blocking drug or digoxin. There was no significant difference in the occurrence of other cardiac arrhythmias between low and normal serum potassium groups.