Contextualizing the Psychosocial Well-being of Military Members and Their Partners: The Importance of Community and Relationship Provisions.

Evidence of the impact of communities has been documented for a variety of individual and relational outcomes, including mental and physical health as well as the quality of romantic and parent-child relationships. The military represents a rather unique work context; in that, it is generally considered a lifestyle with a distinct culture and community. Yet, military families are also members of their broader, comprehensive community.

Inhaled mometasone furoate reduces oral prednisone requirements while improving respiratory function and health-related quality of life in patients with severe persistent asthma.

Background: Inhaled corticosteroid therapy in severe persistent asthma has been shown to reduce or eliminate oral corticosteroid (OCS) use while retaining effective asthma control.

Objective: We sought to evaluate the ability of mometasone furoate (MF) delivered by means of dry powder inhaler to reduce daily oral prednisone requirements in OCS-dependent patients with severe persistent asthma.

Methods: We performed a 12-week, double-blind, placebocontrolled trial (21 centers, 132 patients) comparing 2 doses of MF (400 and 800 microg administered twice daily) with placebo, followed by a 9-month open-label phase in which 128 patients received treatment with MF.

A randomized trial of itraconazole in allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis.

Background: Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis is a hypersensitivity disorder that can progress from an acute phase to chronic disease. The main treatment is systemic corticosteroids, but data from uncontrolled studies suggest that itraconazole, an orally administered antifungal agent, may be an effective adjunctive therapy.

Methods: We conducted a randomized, double-blind trial of treatment with either 200 mg of itraconazole twice daily or placebo for 16 weeks in patients who met immunologic and pulmonary-function criteria for corticosteroid-dependent allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis.

A 1-year study of salmeterol powder on pulmonary function and hyperresponsiveness to methacholine.

Background: Long-acting beta(2)-sympathomimetic agonists such as salmeterol have been proved safe and effective for the treatment of asthma. However, controversy still exists as to the appropriateness of scheduled long-term therapy with these agents.

Objective: This study assessed the degree of bronchodilation provided by treatment with salmeterol for a period of 52 weeks and evaluated bronchial hyperresponsiveness to methacholine during and after the treatment period.