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F Plat

Publications and source records attributed to F Plat.

11 recordsLinked to original sources

Differential effects of fosinopril and enalapril in patients with mild to moderate chronic heart failure. Fosinopril in Heart Failure Study Investigators.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the efficacy and safety of fosinopril in the treatment of chronic heart failure (CHF), patients with mild to moderate CHF and left ventricular ejection fractions <40% were randomly assigned in a double-blind manner to receive fosinopril 5 to 20 mg every day (n = 122) or enalapril 5 to 20 mg every day (n = 132) for 1 year. RESULTS: The event-free survival time was longer (1.6 vs 1.0 months, P= .032) and the total rate of hospitalizations plus deaths was smaller with fosinopril than with enalapril (19.7% vs 25.0%, P= .028). There was consistently better symptom improvement with fosinopril (P< .05). The incidence of orthostatic hypotension was lower in the fosinopril group (1.6% vs 7.6%, P< .05). CONCLUSIONS: Fosinopril 5 to 20 mg every day was more effective in improving symptoms and delaying events related to worsening of CHF and produced less orthostatic hypotension than enalapril 5 to 20 mg every day.

Adult↗

Management of hypertension: the role of combination therapy.

The complementary action of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and diuretics in the treatment of hypertension has been demonstrated in a number of studies of fosinopril and hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ). The combination provides a clinically significant reduction in blood pressure while minimizing the dose-dependent adverse effects of HCTZ, such as hypotension and its metabolic effects on plasma lipoproteins, by keeping the dose of each agent to the minimum. Fosinopril has a unique dual mechanism of elimination and can therefore be used in patients with renal impairment. The efficacy of the combination of fosinopril and hydrochlorothiazide compared with placebo and other agents is reviewed in this article. Studies have demonstrated that the combination is effective in the elderly and in renally impaired patients, regardless of severity. In addition, in non-insulin dependent diabetes, antihypertensive effect is achieved without further affecting carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, which is often the case when thiazide diuretics alone are used. A matrix study was performed to evaluate the optimum dose combination to produce blood pressure normalization and minimize side effects. This study evaluated 17 different dose combinations and demonstrated that the lowest dose combination to produce a clinically significant effect was fosinopril 10 mg and HCTZ 12.5 mg. However, a dose-related antihypertensive effect can be seen, giving the option for the use of 20 mg fosinopril for moderately hypertensive patients. Both combination therapy and fosinopril were significantly more effective than HCTZ alone or placebo. The fosinopril/HCTZ combination has also been shown to have a comparable effect to sustained-release nifedipine and propanolol + HCTZ. The studies reviewed here demonstrate that fosinopril/HCTZ combination treatment has a number of advantages over either agent used alone, providing blood pressure normalization in a broad range of hypertensive patients, including diabetic patients and the elderly.

Adult↗

Postmenopausal patients with node-positive resectable breast cancer. Tamoxifen vs FEC 50 (6 cycles) vs FEC 50 (6 cycles) plus tamoxifen vs control--preliminary results of a 4-arm randomised trial. The French Adjuvant Study Group.

In 1986 the true benefit of adjuvant medical treatment in postmenopausal patients with pathological node-positive breast adenocarcinoma was still controversial. The French Adjuvant Study Group (FASG) initiated a randomised trial to elucidate the respective roles of adjuvant chemo-and/or hormonotherapy in this group of patients. Of the 776 patients who have been included between 1986 and 1990, 741 were fully eligible for evaluation. Inclusion criteria were postmenopausal patients aged between 50 and 70 years with adenocarcinoma of the breast, positive pathological nodes and no distant metastasis. Patients were randomised to 1 of 4 treatment arms: Group A (n = 192) received tamoxifen 30 mg/day orally for 3 years; Group B (n = 183) received FEC 50 (fluorouracil 500 mg/m2, epirubicin 50 mg/m2 plus cyclophosphamide 500 mg/m2) for 6 cycles; Group C (n = 182) received tamoxifen 30 mg/day orally for 3 years plus FEC 50 for 6 cycles; Group D (n = 184) received no medical adjuvant treatment. Surgery was either modified radical mastectomy (n = 363) or tumorectomy (n = 378), and postoperative irradiation was given to all patients. All major prognostic factors were well balanced between the 4 patient groups. Toxicity was evaluated in 348 patients in Groups B and C who received a total of 1983 chemotherapy cycles. Median epirubicin dose intensity (mg/m2/week) was 15.8 in Group B and 15.7 in Group C. Grade 3 to 4 neutropenia was observed in 4.7% of cycles for Group B and 3.7% for Group C. Grade 3 to 4 nausea/vomiting were seen in 18% of treatment cycles in Group B and 15% in Group C.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adenocarcinoma↗

[Methodology of phase II clinical trials of hypocholesteremic drugs: which criteria?].

Phase II is crucial in drug trials: during this period the first patients are exposed to the drug and the results influence the continuation of the development and the success of later trials. This stage is fundamental in lipid lowering drugs considering the costs of development and potential benefits for public health. The choice of pertinent criteria for the design of a lipid lowering drug trial depends on the analysis of data acquired during previous large scale trials. These criteria should demonstrate the potential of the tested drug and the best conditions of its administration. It is especially at this stage that the drug dosage optimising the efficacy/tolerance ratio should be determined. Analysis of large scale prevention trials indicates LDL-cholesterol as the principal criterion. It is related to coronary risk in the major trials of lipid lowering drugs. A reduction of LDL-cholesterol gives a good numerical estimate of the expected reduction of cardiovascular risk. It is then possible to formulate the hypotheses required for the design of these trials, in particular to calculate the size of the treatment group required. The total cholesterol should also be measured above all because of the large amount of data correlating it with cardiovascular risk. The HDL-cholesterol and triglycerides should also be taken into account even though some of the data concerning these parameters is controversial. The discrimination obtained by measuring HDL-cholesterol is without any doubt crude, and future criteria should enable more accurate and rapid evaluation of lipid lowering activity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Anticholesteremic Agents↗

[Combination radiotherapy and chemotherapy in cancer of the pancreas. Review of the literature and prospects].

Overall prognosis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma is still very poor with median survival around 10 months after radical surgery in operable patients, or after full-dose radiation therapy in non-surgical candidates. In metastatic disease, multidrug chemotherapy regimens give a response rate of around 30% with median survival of 10 months. Random trials conducted by the GITSG in inoperable cases have shown improved results for chemoradiation with 5-FU for radiotherapy alone and a doubling of median survival with a 1-year survival of 40% vs 10%. Incorporation of Adriamycin in these combined modality protocols does not improve the results in terms of survival. Chemoradiation also shows improved results compared with chemotherapy alone. In patients amenable to radical surgery, adjuvant post-operative treatment with chemoradiation gave superior results over surgery alone with a doubling of median survival and a significant improvement of a two-year survival rate (42% versus 15%). Intra-operative radiation therapy leads to better local control but without a significant improvement in survival. With a better understanding of radio-chemotherapy interactions and mechanisms of radiosensitization through continuous infusion of fluorouracil and/or cisplatinum, these encouraging results should be confirmed within the next few years.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Influence of training on blood lipids and coagulation.

Even if the effects of physical training on secondary prevention are controversial, it is known that exercise may influence several of the risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD). One of the most important is cholesterol. Studies conducted to determine the influence of training on lipid profile have shown in normals, as well as in CHD patients, a favourable influence: a small decrease in total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and an increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. These results are obtained after prolonged and intensive training. The influence of training on coagulation is more controversial and less well known. During short bouts of exercise the following changes are generally observed: an increase in platelet count and platelet aggregation (the effects on platelet adhesiveness and activation are controversial), potentiation of coagulation with an increase in factor VIII, and an increase in fibrinolytic activity due to an increase in plasminogen activator level. The effects of training have been less well studied. It is supposed that training could diminish the clotting potentiation observed during short exercise. Fibrinolysis is also increased in these conditions. If the influence of training on blood lipid profile may be considered as favourable in secondary prevention, no study has yet assessed the role of training on coagulation factors in secondary prevention.

Blood Coagulation↗

Prognostic significance of angina pectoris recurring soon after myocardial infarction.

The prognostic significance of an early occurrence, or recurrence, of angina pectoris after myocardial infarction was studied in 254 patients (221 male, 33 female; mean age 58 +/- 11 years). During the in-hospital rehabilitation program, 41 patients (16%) had anginal pain. The mean follow-up was 21 months (range 12-33 months). Among the 254 patients, 21 died, five had recurrent myocardial infarction, 13 had unstable angina, and 22 underwent aortocoronary bypass surgery. An early recurrence of angina pectoris was predictive of combined (medical + surgical) events (21 patients, P less than 0.05), medical events (11 patients, P less than 0.05) and surgical events (10 patients, P less than 0.001), but failed to predict individual death (six patients), recurrent myocardial infarction (two patients) or unstable angina (three patients). Of the events that occurred in the 254 patients, 34% were predicted by the early recurrence of angina pectoris. Early post-infarction angina was observed more frequently in older patients and patients with previous history of angina pectoris. This represents an important prognostic factor after myocardial infarction, which defines a high-risk group of patients requiring further investigation and appropriate therapeutic approaches.

Aged↗

[Conservative treatment of anal canal carcinoma with external radiotherapy and interstitial brachytherapy, with or without chemotherapy: long-term results].

PURPOSE: A retrospective analysis of conservative treatment of anal canal cancers with external radiation therapy and interstitial brachytherapy with or without chemotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From 1986 to 1996, 69 patients were treated with external radiotherapy (40 Gy/20 fractions) and interstitial brachytherapy (20 Gy) after a mean interval of six weeks for a localized epidermoid carcinoma of the anal canal. Patients who did not complete the whole therapeutic sequence were not included. Forty-five patients received additional 5-fluorouracil- and/or mitomycin C-based chemotherapy regimen. RESULTS: Acute toxicity was acceptable. Complete response rate was 81%. Actuarial local control rate was at two and five years, 65% and 59% respectively (median follow-up: eight years). At two, five and ten years, actuarial colostomy rate was 26%, 33% and 33% respectively, and colostomy-free survival rates 61%, 47% and 37%. Overall survival at two, five and ten years was 81%, 65% and 53% respectively. Distant metastases occurred in 11 patients (16%). Prognostic factors for overall survival were performance status (PS) (79% survival at five years for patients with PS 0 versus 50% for patients with PS 1-3, P = 0.04) and tumor stage (80% at five years for T1-T2 versus 53% for T3-T4, P = 0.03). Overall treatment time less than 12 weeks and time interval between external radiotherapy and brachytherapy inferior than six weeks were associated with a better local control (P = 0.05). In multivariate analysis, these prognostic factors were not significant. CONCLUSION: These results confirm the efficacy of external radiotherapy and brachytherapy in the treatment of small anal canal cancers, and point out the need for improving treatment outcome of larger tumors.

Adult↗