Ipratropium bromide nasal spray 0.03% provides additional relief from rhinorrhea when combined with terfenadine in perennial rhinitis patients; a randomized, double-blind, active-controlled trial.

Medical treatment of perennial rhinitis is aimed at providing symptomatic relief of individual symptoms. Multiple agents are administered when no single agent provides complete relief. Studies assessing the benefit/risk of combined therapy are important, especially for newly available agents such as ipratropium bromide nasal spray, a topical anticholinergic agent approved for the treatment of rhinorrhea in allergic and nonallergic perennial rhinitis.

Comparative study of cetirizine and terfenadine versus placebo in the symptomatic management of seasonal allergic rhinitis.

Background: Cetirizine is a new antihistamine with greater selectivity for the histamine H1 receptor and a low rate of hepatic metabolism. Cetirizine once daily is effective in the symptomatic treatment of seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis and chronic idiopathic urticaria.

Objective: The efficacy and safety of cetirizine 10 mg qd, terfenadine 60 mg bid, and placebo were compared in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis.

Comparison of efficacy, safety, and skin test inhibition of cetirizine and astemizole.

Background: Astemizole, an H1-histamine-receptor antagonist prescribed for seasonal allergic rhinitis, has a slow onset of action and a strong suppressive effect on the wheal and flare reaction, which interferes with skin testing results. The newer antihistamine cetirizine appears to have a rapid onset of action and a low potential to interfere with posttreatment skin testing results.

Objective: To compare the efficacy, safety, and skin test inhibition of astemizole and cetirizine in the treatment of seasonal allergic rhinitis.

Once daily intranasal fluticasone propionate is effective for perennial allergic rhinitis.

The efficacy of intranasal fluticasone propionate 200 micrograms once daily or 100 micrograms twice daily in treating perennial allergic rhinitis was evaluated in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 24 weeks' duration in 365 patients. Clinician-rated and patient-rated total nasal symptom severity scores were improved within 1 week of treatment with either regimen of fluticasone propionate and improvement was maintained over the 24-week treatment period. Clinician-rated overall evaluation indicated a significantly better response in the two fluticasone propionate groups compared with the placebo group.

Double-blind assessment of azelastine in the treatment of perennial allergic rhinitis.

Azelastine is a chemically novel multifunctional antiallergy investigational drug capable of inhibiting mast-cell activation and the synthesis and/or release of chemical mediators of the upper and lower airway inflammatory response. In previous controlled clinical trials, azelastine was shown to be effective in treating the symptoms of both seasonal allergic rhinitis and perennial allergic rhinitis. The objective of this 8-week double-blind trial was to evaluate further azelastine's efficacy and safety in improving the symptoms of perennial allergic rhinitis over a prolonged period of treatment.

A randomized, controlled trial comparing diltiazem, hydrochlorothiazide, and their combination in the therapy of essential hypertension.

Study Objectives: To compare the efficacy of combination therapy with sustained-release diltiazem and hydrochlorothiazide (DTZ SR-HCTZ) with that of monotherapy with DTZ SR, HCTZ, or placebo in the treatment of essential hypertension; and to determine whether the addition of a diuretic to diltiazem at apparent optimum doses of each agent significantly enhances their antihypertensive effects.

Design: Multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial with a 6-week treatment phase.

Setting: Private and university-based clinics.

Safety and efficacy of terfenadine/pseudoephedrine versus clemastine/phenylpropanolamine in the treatment of seasonal allergic rhinitis.

A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel trial was conducted to compare the efficacy and safety of terfenadine, 60 mg (immediate-release)/pseudoephedrine hydrochloride, 120 mg (controlled-release) (T/Ps) and clemastine fumarate, 1.34 mg (immediate-release)/phenylpropanolamine, 75 mg (sustained-release) (C/Ph) in a combination tablet b.i.

Effects of cetirizine versus terfenadine in seasonal allergic rhinitis.

The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of cetirizine, 10 mg, once daily in the morning to terfenadine, 60 mg, BID in the treatment of seasonal allergic rhinitis. The multicenter, single-blind, parallel study involved 160 patients, who were all included in the safety and efficacy analysis. The results of the study showed that both cetirizine, 10 mg, QD and terfenadine, 60 mg, BID used for 1 week are safe and effective in the management of allergic rhinitis.

Multicenter evaluation of the efficacy and safety of sustained-release diltiazem hydrochloride for the treatment of hypertension.

In a double-blind study, patients with mild-to-moderate hypertension were randomly assigned to receive placebo or increasing daily doses of a new sustained-release formulation of diltiazem: 180 mg, 360 mg, and 540 mg, each once daily for two weeks. The numbers of evaluable patients were 26 in the placebo group and 81 in the diltiazem group at week 2, 24 and 75 at week 4, and 23 and 65 at week 6. Changes from baseline in mean supine trough (before drug administration) systolic/diastolic blood pressures were +1.