Home About us Contact
|
Home About us Contact | ||
|
|
||
Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality (rhinoconjunctivitis + quality)
Selected AbstractsDesloratadine relieves nasal congestion and improves quality-of-life in persistent allergic rhinitisALLERGY, Issue 11 2009K. Holmberg Background:, Symptoms of allergic rhinitis (AR), particularly nasal congestion, can impair quality-of-life (QoL). However, only a modest correlation exists between these symptoms and Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ) scores, suggesting that both be evaluated for a complete assessment of health. Methods:, Subjects with a ,2-year history of moderate-to-severe AR to dust mite or cat dander were randomized to desloratadine 5 mg/day (n = 293) or placebo/day (n = 291) for 28 days. Primary endpoint was change from baseline in a.m./p.m. nasal congestion score. Secondary outcomes included change from baseline in total nasal symptom score, individual symptom scores and RQLQ scores (completed on days 1, 7, and 28). Results:, The Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma criteria for persistent allergic rhinitis (PER) were fulfilled by 99% of subjects in the placebo arm. Between-treatment difference in a.m./p.m. nasal congestion score, observed from day 8 onward, significantly favored desloratadine (P = 0.0003). Desloratadine significantly improved a.m./p.m. nasal congestion and RQLQ scores after 1 week and at treatment end (P < 0.05). Improvements in 5 of 7 RQLQ domain scores exceeded the minimal important difference. On days 7 and 28, desloratadine was also significantly superior to placebo in mean change from baseline in a.m./p.m. total nasal symptom score and rhinorrhea score (both P , 0.01). Symptomatic benefit was primarily driven by improvement in nasal congestion and rhinorrhea. Conclusions:, Desloratadine 5 mg/day significantly improved symptoms associated with PER, including nasal congestion, and provided significant improvement in QoL after 1 week of treatment. [source] Agreement of efficacy assessments for five-grass pollen sublingual tablet immunotherapyALLERGY, Issue 1 2009A. Didier Background:, The optimal dose of five-grass pollen sublingual tablet immunotherapy (SLIT) was established recently by the primary criteria Rhinoconjunctivitis Total Symptom Score (RTSS) from the first treatment season. Secondary and exploratory criteria, such as RTSS at peak pollen season, exploratory combined symptom and rescue medication use score, quality of life and immunological markers are calculated and described in this analysis. Methods:, Six hundred and twenty-eight patients with grass pollen rhinoconjunctivitis (,2 years duration) were randomized in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial conducted in Europe. Patients received once-daily SLIT (Stallergenes, Antony, France) of 100IR, 300IR, 500IR or placebo, starting 4 months before grass pollen season and throughout the 2005 season. Patients were instructed to take rescue medication only if symptoms were severe and record symptom severity on using the RTSS. Results:, Both 300IR and 500IR doses significantly reduced mean RTSS at pollen peak (P = 0.0005 and P = 0.0014, respectively) and the exploratory combined score (P = 0.0001 and P = 0.0026, respectively) compared with placebo. Compared with patients in the placebo group, those who were taking the 300IR and 500IR doses reported significantly improved quality of life using the mean Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire scores during the peak of the pollen season (P < 0.0001) and at the end of the pollen season (P = 0.0031 and P , 0.0001, respectively). Specific immunoglobulin G4 increased significantly depending on the SLIT dose (P < 0.0001). Conclusions:, All secondary efficacy criteria, including efficacy at pollen peak, combined score, quality of life and immunological changes, indicate that 300IR tablets represent the optimal dose and suggest it is appropriate for use in clinical practice. [source] Effect of grass pollen immunotherapy with Alutard SQ® on quality of life in seasonal allergic rhinoconjunctivitisALLERGY, Issue 11 2007R. J. Powell Background:, Treatment of allergic rhinitis with subcutaneous allergen immunotherapy is effective in terms of reductions in symptoms and seasonal use of reliever medication. Its effect on quality of life (QoL), reflecting the impact of symptoms on work/school performance and leisure activities is, however, important and often overlooked. Aims of the study:, To assess effect on QoL of specific immunotherapy with two doses of Alutard SQ®Phleum pratense in patients with moderately to severe seasonal allergic rhinoconjunctivitis inadequately controlled by standard drug therapy. Methods:, Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study of 410 patients with seasonal allergic rhinoconjunctivitis. Participants were randomized (2 : 1 : 1) to receive Alutard SQ®P. pratense (ALK-Abelló) at maintenance doses of 100 000 SQ-U (203 subjects), 10 000 SQ-U (104 subjects) or placebo (103 subjects) given by subcutaneous injections. The groups were well matched for demographics and baseline symptoms. Quality of life was assessed using the Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire which covers seven domains of health before and in the peak of the pollen season. Results:, While all domain scores were significantly improved when comparing 100 000 SQ-U with placebo, two domain scores were significantly improved when comparing 10 000 SQ-U with placebo. When comparing 100 000 SQ-U with 10 000 SQ-U, four domain scores were significantly improved. Conclusion:, Treatment with Alutard SQ® significantly improved the seasonal QoL of patients suffering from allergic rhinoconjunctivitis. The improvement was more pronounced and wider ranging in patients who received the higher 100 000 SQ-U maintenance dose. [source] Development and validation of an electronic version of the Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life QuestionnaireALLERGY, Issue 9 2007E. F. Juniper Background:, As clinicians and pharmaceutical companies move from paper versions of health status questionnaires to electronic versions, it cannot be assumed that adaptations to other media will produce valid data. Aims:, The aims of this study were to (1) adapt the Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire [RQLQ(S); standardized version], for the Palm Treo 650, (2) test the device for ease and accuracy of understanding and (3) examine the validity of the electronic version by comparing it with the original paper version of the RQLQ(S). Methods:, Seventy adults with current rhinoconjunctivitis symptoms completed the electronic and paper versions of the RQLQ(S). They were randomized to complete either the paper or the electronic version first. After a 2-h break, they completed the other version. Results:, Concordance between paper and electronic versions for the overall RQLQ(S) score was acceptable with an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.95 and there was no evidence of bias (P = 0.13). Concordance for the seven individual domains ranged from 0.86 to 0.94. A small but significant bias was observed in the activity and sleep domains (P = 0.02). Completion times were quicker with paper (4.1 vs 4.9 min, P < 0.0001). About 51% of patients preferred electronic, 17% preferred paper and 31% had no preference. Conclusions:, This electronic version of the RQLQ(S) was easy for patients to use and the concordance between paper and this version on the Palm Treo 650 provides evidence of the validity of this electronic version. [source] Effects of high-dose sublingual immunotherapy on quality of life in patients with cypress-induced rhinitis: a placebo-controlled studyCLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL ALLERGY REVIEWS, Issue 3 2006V. Di Rienzo Summary The efficacy of specific immunotherapy and particularly of sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) in subjects allergic to Cupressaceae pollen is well defined, but no study assessed its effects on quality of life (QoL). We evaluated the effectiveness of SLIT with a standardized, high-dose extract of Juniperus ashei in patients with cypress-induced rhinitis, using QoL as the major outcome measure. Thirty-four patients, 20 males and 14 females, mean age 33.8 years, with allergic rhinitis (AR) from cypress pollen were randomly assigned to receive an allergen extract standardized in index of reactivity (IR) of J. ashei (19 patients) or a placebo (15 patients). The schedule was pre-coseasonal, with a build-up phase in 12 days and a maintenance treatment with 300 IR a day up to the end of the cypress pollen season. All patients registered in diary cards their symptoms, drug consumption and side-effects. The QoL was measured before and after SLIT by the Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ) by Juniper during the peak of the cypress pollen season. QoL significantly improved in respect to baseline in actively (P=0.017) but not in placebo-treated patients, and there was a significant difference in favour of actively treated patients during the pollen season (P=0.02). Actively and placebo-treated patients had comparable symptom,medication scores in the period from 15 February to 15 March, corresponding to the peak pollen season, but placebo-treated patients showed an uneven drug consumption compared with actively treated patients. Side-effects were relatively common, but mostly with local short-lasting symptoms, and no systemic reaction was reported. These findings show that SLIT with high doses of J. ashei in subjects with cypress-induced rhinitis significantly improves QoL and confirm previous observations on the disagreement between QoL , which assesses patient's perception , and medical parameters used in trials. [source] Sustained effect of SQ-standardized grass allergy immunotherapy tablet on rhinoconjunctivitis quality of lifeALLERGY, Issue 6 2010L. Frølund To cite this article: Frølund L, Durham SR, Calderon M, Emminger W, Andersen JS, Rask P, Dahl R. Sustained effect of SQ-standardized grass allergy immunotherapy tablet on rhinoconjunctivitis quality of life. Allergy 2010; 65: 753,757. Abstract Background:, The prevalence of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis has increased significantly over the past decades with grass pollen being a common trigger. The impact of allergy on patient's quality of life is substantial. Aim:, To investigate the sustained effect on quality of life during the grass pollen season 1 year after 3 years of treatment with the SQ-standardized grass allergy immunotherapy tablet (AIT), Grazax® (Phleum pratense 75,000 SQ-T/2800 BAU; ALK, Denmark). Methods:, The trial was a randomized, parallel-group, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in adult subjects with a history of moderate-severe grass pollen induced rhinoconjunctivitis inadequately controlled by symptomatic medications. Subjects received 3 years of grass AIT (n = 157) or placebo (n = 126), followed by 1 year of follow-up. Quality of life assessments were based on the standardized rhinoconjunctivitis quality of life questionnaire (RQLQ(S)); completed weekly during the entire grass pollen season. Results:, During follow-up, the overall RQLQ(S) score for the entire grass pollen season was significantly improved in the active group (relative difference to placebo: 23%, P = 0.004). The improvement was higher during the peak pollen season (28%, P = 0.001). The treatment effect of grass AIT during the follow-up year and the previous three treatment years was similar. Improvements were found in all seven RQLQ(S) domains. The RQLQ(S) as a function of the weekly average pollen counts showed a clear separation between the treatment groups (P < 0.001). Conclusion:, In subjects inadequately controlled by symptomatic medications, grass AIT provided sustained and clinically relevant improvements in rhinoconjunctivitis quality of life compared to placebo. The effect increased with increasing grass pollen exposure. [source] Comparison of the efficacy and safety of bilastine 20 mg vs desloratadine 5 mg in seasonal allergic rhinitis patientsALLERGY, Issue 1 2009C. Bachert Background:, Bilastine is a novel, nonsedating H1 -antihistamine developed for symptomatic treatment of Allergic Rhinitis and Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria. The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of bilastine 20 mg vs placebo and desloratadine 5 mg in subjects with seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR). Methods:, This randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group multicentre study evaluated the effect of 2 weeks' treatment with bilastine 20 mg, desloratadine 5 mg or matched placebo once daily, in 12,70 years old symptomatic SAR patients. All subjects assessed the severity of nasal (obstruction, rhinorrhoea, itching, and sneezing) and nonnasal (ocular itching, tearing, ocular redness, itching of ears and/or palate) symptoms on a predetermined scale to provide a total symptom score (TSS), composed of nasal and nonnasal symptom scores (NSS and NNSS, respectively). The primary efficacy measure was the area under the curve (AUC) for the TSS over the entire treatment period. Results:, Bilastine 20 mg significantly reduced the AUC of TSS to a greater degree from baseline compared to placebo (98.4 with bilastine vs 118.4 with placebo; P < 0.001), but not compared to desloratadine 5 mg (100.5). Bilastine 20 mg was not different from desloratadine 5 mg but significantly more effective than placebo in improving the NSS, NNSS, and rhinitis-associated discomfort scores (P < 0.05), and rhinoconjunctivitis quality of life questionnaire total (P < 0.005) and four out of seven individual domain (P < 0.05) scores. The incidence of treatment emergent adverse events was similar for bilastine (20.6%), desloratadine (19.8%), and placebo (18.8%). Conclusion:, Bilastine 20 mg once daily was efficacious, safe and not different from desloratadine 5 mg once daily in the treatment of SAR symptoms. [source] Treatment of perennial allergic rhinitis with lactic acid bacteriaPEDIATRIC ALLERGY AND IMMUNOLOGY, Issue 2 2004Ming Fuu Wang Probiotics are perceived to exert beneficial effects in the prevention and treatment of allergic diseases via modifying the gut ecosystem. The aim of this study was to assess whether ingestion of fermented milk containing Lactobacillus paracasei-33 (LP-33), a strain newly isolated from the human intestinal tract, can improve the quality of life of patients with perennial allergic rhinitis. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, we gave patients fermented milk with (n = 60) or without (n = 20) the addition of LP-33 (2 × 109 colony-forming units per bottle) for 30 days. A modified questionnaire concerning pediatric rhinoconjunctivitis quality of life was administered to all subjects or their parents at each clinical visit. Scores for the overall quality of life significantly decreased in the LP-33 group as compared with the placebo group, in both frequency (,16.02 ± 2.14 vs. ,7.27 ± 3.55, respectively; p = 0.037) and level of bother (,16.35 ± 2.33 vs. ,6.20 ± 3.13, respectively; p = 0.022) after the 30-day treatment. Subjects reported no severe adverse effects such as fever, abdominal pain, or diarrhea. The results suggest that ingestion of LP-33-fortified fermented milk for 30 days can effectively and safely improve the quality of life of patients with allergic rhinitis, and may serve as an alternative treatment for allergic rhinitis. [source] | ||||||||||