The relevance of obesity on asthma control in identical twins.

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Efficacy of Bacillus clausii spores in the prevention of recurrent respiratory infections in children: a pilot study

Probiotic milk has been previously demonstrated to reduce the number of respiratory infections (RI) among children attending day care centres. Thus, this pilot study was aimed to assess the efficacy and the safety of 3 month treatment with Bacillus clausii in the prevention of recurrent respiratory infections (RRI) in children. Eighty children with RRI were studied: 40 of them were randomly treated with B. clausii for 3 months, and followed up for further 3 months; 40 were included in the control group during the same period. Children treated with B. clausii had shorter duration of RI in comparison with the control group both during the treatment phase (mean 11.7 days vs 14.37; p=0.037) and the follow-up period (mean 6.6 days vs 10.92; p=0.049). This effect was evident also in allergic children during the follow-up. In conclusion, this pilot study provides the first preliminary evidence that B. clausii may exert a significant and persistent impact on RI in children and is safe and well tolerated

Bronchial hyperreactivity and spirometric impairment in polysensitized patients with allergic rhinitis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>We previously demonstrated in a group of patients with perennial allergic rhinitis alone impairment of spirometric parameters and high percentage of subjects with bronchial hyperreactivity (BHR). The present study aimed at evaluating a group of polysensitized subjects suffering from allergic rhinitis alone to investigate the presence of spirometric impairment and BHR during the pollen season.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>One hundred rhinitics sensitized both to pollen and perennial allergens were evaluated during the pollen season. Spirometry and methacholine bronchial challenge were performed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Six rhinitics showed impaired values of FEV1 without referred symptoms of asthma. FEF 25–75 values were impaired in 28 rhinitics. Sixty-six patients showed positive methacholine bronchial challenge. FEF 25–75 values were impaired only in BHR positive patients (p < 0.001). A significant difference was observed both for FEV1 (p < 0.05) and FEF 25–75 (p < 0.001) considering BHR severity.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This study evidences that an impairment of spirometric parameters may be observed in polysensitized patients with allergic rhinitis alone during the pollen season. A high percentage of these patients had BHR. A close relationship between upper and lower airways is confirmed.</p

Clinical assessment of nasal decongestion test by VAS in adolescents.

Nasal airflow, as measured by rhinomanometry, is frequently impaired in allergic rhinitis (AR). The decongestion test evaluates whether the application of an intranasal vasoconstrictor drug increases nasal airflow. The aim of this study was to verify the suitability of the use of the visual analogue scales (VAS) as a surrogate for rhinomanometry in the decongestion test assessment in adolescents with atopic rhinitis. The results show that the use of VAS appears as clinically relevant, in that it allows, with a fair reliability, to perform the decongestion test in the absence of rhinomanometry

Controlled-release pregabalin in the treatment of fibromyalgia

Introduction: Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic disorder whose symptoms of musculo-skeletal pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, and cognitive impairment pervade the personal, occupational, and social aspects of a patient’s life. Together with the antidepressants duloxetine and milnacipran, the anticonvulsant pregabalin (PGB) is one of the three drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of FM. The aim of this narrative review is to summarize the data relating to the efficacy and safety of the controlled-release formulation of PGB (PGB-CR) in patients with FM. Areas covered: Efforts by the pharmaceutical industry have led to the introduction of new formulations of already approved drugs to enhance treatment convenience and adherence. Expert opinion: Although there are no published studies specifically comparing PGB-CR and PGB-IR formulations in FM patients, the efficacy and safety profiles of PGB-CR seem to be similar to those of the IR formulation, and the convenience of once-daily dosing potentially enhances patient compliance. However, the amount of evidence is not sufficient to draw any definite conclusions, and further studies of larger patient samples are needed