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Biomedical subjects

M Alton

Publications and source records attributed to M Alton.

10 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Comparable effects of inhaled fluticasone propionate and budesonide on the HPA-axis in adult asthmatic patients.

This randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, multicentre cross-over study compared the effects on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis of fluticasone propionate (750 microg twice daily given via the Diskus) and budesonide (800 microg twice daily given via the Turbuhaler). Two treatment periods of 2 weeks each were preceded by a 2-week run-in period and separated by a 2-week washout period. During run-in and washout, patients received beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) or budesonide at a constant dose of 1500-1600 microg day(-1). Sixty patients aged 18-75 years with moderate to severe asthma not fully controlled by treatment with 1500-1600 microg day(-1) budesonide or BDP entered run-in and 45 completed the study. HPA axis suppression was assessed by morning serum cortisol (area under the curve from 08.00 to 10.30 hours) and 12-h nocturnal urinary cortisol excretion, measured at the end of run-in (baseline 1), at the end of washout (baseline 2), and at the end of each treatment period. Neither budesonide nor fluticasone produced significant suppression of either parameter compared to baselines. Only a few patients had serum-cortisol and urinary cortisol values below the normal range, before and after treatment. This shows that the patients did not have adrenal suppression before entering the study. The ratio between the AUC serum cortisol measured after fluticasone treatment and after budesonide treatment was 0.99 (95% CI 0.92-1.06), indicating equivalent effects on the HPA axis. This result was achieved after having omitted two patients' results, due to their very sensitive reaction to budesonide, but not to fluticasone. Two exacerbations of acute asthma occurred during budesonide treatment and none during fluticasone treatment. Both treatments were well tolerated. In conclusion, budesonide 1600 microg day(-1) via Turbuhaler and fluticasone propionate 1500 microg day(-1) via Diskus had no clinical effects on the HPA axis in patients with moderate to severe asthma.

Administration, Inhalation↗
PubMed1998

Domiciliary liquid oxygen versus concentrator treatment in chronic hypoxaemia: a cost-utility analysis.

Whether long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) improves quality of life in chronic hypoxaemia has been questioned. LTOT with an oxygen concentrator (C/C) and gas cylinders for ambulation is considered cumbersome compared to mobile liquid oxygen equipment (L). The hypothesis for this study was that LTOT with liquid oxygen treatment (L) improves patients' health-related quality of life, but that it is also more expensive compared to concentrator (C/C) treatment. A prospective, randomized multicentre trial comparing C/C with L for LTOT was conducted during a six-month period. Fifty-one patients (29 on L and 22 on C/C) with chronic hypoxaemia, regularly active outside the home, participated in the study initially. Costs for oxygen were obtained from the pharmacies. Patient diaries and telephone contacts with members of the healthcare sector were used to estimate costs. Health-related quality of life was measured by the Sickness Impact Profile (SIP) and the EuroQol, instruments at the start and after 6 months. The average total cost per patient for group C/C for the six-month period was US$1,310, and for group L it was US$4,950. Health-related quality of life measured by the SIP instrument showed significant differences in favour of group L in the categories/dimensions of physical function, body care, ambulation, social interaction and total SIP score. In conclusion, liquid-oxygen treatment was more expensive compared to concentrator treatment. However, treatment effects showed that liquid oxygen had a better impact on quality of life.

Chronic Disease↗
PubMed1995

Effect of protriptyline, 10 mg daily, on chronic hypoxaemia in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

A daily dose of 20 mg of protriptyline can improve daytime arterial blood gas tensions in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Its usefulness is limited by anticholinergic side-effects. This study examined whether a daily dose of 10 mg of protriptyline improved daytime arterial oxygen tension (PaO2) and quality of life in patients with stable mild or moderate hypoxaemia caused by COPD. Twenty six patients were randomized to receive protriptyline or placebo in a double-blind parallel-group trial for 12 weeks, following a run-in period of 4 weeks, in order to assess the stability of hypoxaemia. Patients with a change in PaO2 of > 0.7 kPa during the run-in were excluded. Spirometry, quality of life and dyspnoea score were measured at randomization and after 12 weeks, whilst arterial blood gas tensions were also measured 2 and 6 weeks after randomization. No improvement in arterial blood gas tensions, spirometry values, dyspnoea score, or quality of life was found in either the protriptyline or the placebo group. The majority of patients receiving protriptyline experienced anticholinergic side-effects, which necessitated the withdrawal of the drug in one patient. We conclude that there was no evidence that a daily dose of 10 mg of protriptyline had a significant effect on daytime arterial oxygen tension in stable mild and moderate hypoxaemia caused by COPD. Despite the low dose, anticholinergic side-effects occurred in most patients.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

Comparison of dose-response effects of inhaled beclomethasone dipropionate and budesonide in the management of asthma.

The dose-response effects of inhaled beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) and budesonide (BUD) administered b.i.d. with the aid of metered dose aerosols were studied in 128 patients (67 men and 61 women, mean age 53 years) suffering from asthma bronchiale. The study was designed as a multi-centre, double-blind, four-period cross-over study, followed by a single-blind double placebo period. BDP was administered in doses of 400 and 1000 micrograms, and BUD in doses of 400 and 800 micrograms. The results in terms of peak expiratory flow (PEF) in the morning and evening, daily symptoms score and use of inhaled beta 2-agonists did not reveal any clinically significant differences between the drugs or between high (800 micrograms BUD, 1000 micrograms BDP) and low (400 micrograms BUD/BDP) doses. However, statistically significant differences were recorded for the corresponding parameters when comparing the placebo with preceding steroid periods. Adverse effects consisting mainly of oropharyngeal candidiasis, hoarseness and cough occurred in 54 of 468 treatment months (12%). The carry-over effects of inhaled steroids are longer lasting than was previously assumed.

Administration, Inhalation↗
PubMed1986

Effect of increasing levels of hard wheat fiber on fecal weight, minerals and steroids and gastrointestinal transit time in healthy young women.

Hard red wheat bran (HRWB) baked in a yeast-leavened bread was fed to 36 healthy young college women consuming a basal diet of traditional foods, which contained 15 +/- 3 g/d dietary fiber (DF). Three levels of HRWB were added supplying, respectively, 5.7, 17.1 and 28.5 g/d DF; an additional treatment group did not receive any HRWB. Fecal collections were carried out in the last 5 d of treatment. Fecal wet weight, fecal dry weight and fecal ash increased significantly for each increase in HRWB (P less than 0.05). Fecal dry matter percent changed significantly only at the highest level of HRWB (P less than 0.05). After accounting for the minerals in the HRWB, there was an increased fecal loss of Ca, but not of Zn, Cu, Fe or Mg compared to the women fed no HRWB. HRWB at a level of 17.2 g/d induced faster transit times (TT) than no HRWB and 66 g/d HRWB induced faster TT than either 17.2 or 39.6 g/d HRWB (P less than 0.05). Total daily fecal steroids were not altered by changes in HRWB. Daily total bile acid excretion increased significantly (P less than 0.05) at the two higher levels of HRWB due primarily to higher excretion of chenodeoxycholic acid.

Adolescent↗