Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0018681 (headache)
 56,091 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Long-acting somatostatin analogues are extensively used for the treatment of acromegalic patients who have not been cured by surgery or for whom surgery is contraindicated or hazardous. Such an analogue, Sandostatin, has been approved for this indication in various countries and to date an overall review is feasible. From the literature and our experience, clinical response of acromegaly is attained in 60% to 70%, with mainly a reduction in headaches, arthralgias, and acral growth. Hormonal response, evaluated on plasma growth hormone (GH) levels, is observed in more than 80% of the patients. In 36% to 45% of the patients, plasma GH levels are reduced to near-normal values, and in 50% of the patients, the percentage of reduction is greater than 50% of pretreatment values. The major source of concern is the occurrence of gallstones during the treatment; its frequency is evaluated differently. From the largest well-documented series, we retain a percentage of 12.5% of newly occurring cholelithiasis and in most cases they remain asymptomatic. Tumor shrinkage is minor in most cases.
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PMID:The role of Sandostatin in acromegaly. 151 32

Side effects of octreotide may be local, biochemical, gastroenterological, or endocrinological. Local pain at the injection site occurs frequently, but rarely lasts more than 15 minutes and often resolves with continued therapy and may be improved if the vial is warmed prior to injection. No long-term hematological or biochemical abnormalities have been described. Despite initial diarrhea in some patients, no change in circulating fat-soluble vitamins has been consistently reported. Antibodies to octreotide have been described, but are rare. Abdominal pain or diarrhea can occur at the beginning of therapy. These symptoms rarely persist and are minimal if the injections are timed between meals, but this may increase the incidence of gallstones. Gallstones occur with increased frequency. Gastritis has been described as being an invariable consequence of long-term treatment with octreotide. We have found the incidence to be increased in patients on octreotide, but this is not invariable. Hypoglycemia may be exacerbated in some patients with insulinoma because of glucagon suppression. Small numbers of patients on octreotide for acromegaly have developed hypoglycemic. Conversely, carbohydrate tolerance may temporarily worsen because of insulin suppression and rarely oral hypoglycemia drug therapy may become necessary. Most frequently, carbohydrate tolerance does not deteriorate. In some patients with acromegaly, pituitary tumor size may continue to increase despite continued therapy. Last, there is the theoretical risk of addiction to a compound which may act through opiate receptors and considerably alleviates headache in some patients with pituitary tumor. Overall, despite the multiplicity of theoretical side effects, the majority of patients tolerate octreotide well, with no serious untoward effects.
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PMID:Proceedings of the discussion, "Tolerability and safety of Sandostatin". 151 39

Ten patients (seven women, three men) with active acromegaly, five previously treated and five newly diagnosed, were included in an open-label prospective trial of 3 daily subcutaneous injections of the long-acting somatostatin analogue SMS 201-995 (Sandostatin) at increasing doses in order to obtain maximum growth hormone (GH) suppression. Four patients had received surgery, radiotherapy or bromocriptine. SMS 201-995 doses were increased in a stepwise fashion from 100 micrograms every 8 h (three times daily) to 200, 300 and finally 500 micrograms three times daily at monthly intervals if mean serum GH values failed to decrease to undetectable levels in over 75% of the samples. The optimal dose was maintained for up to 28 months. Significant clinical improvement of headache, soft tissue swelling, facial features, hyperhidrosis and paraesthesia occurred in all patients. Mean 12-h GH levels were significantly suppressed in four patients and fell to normal values in four. Suppression of GH levels was not achieved in two patients. Comparison of the mean interindividual GH values shows that the optimal efficacious dose is 100 micrograms t.i.d. in 7/10 patients. Somatomedin-C (SM-C) was also significantly reduced to below 50% of pretreatment levels in nine patients in whom it was measured. The subsequent increments of SMS 201-995 up to 500 micrograms three times daily did not produce further clinically relevant GH or SM-C suppression. Pituitary tumour shrinkage occurred in five patients. Thyroid function remained normal. Impaired glucose tolerance occurred in four patients. Side-effects (diarrhoea, abdominal discomfort) were mild and transient. Asymptomatic gallstones occurred in three patients on 1500 micrograms/day and one patient on 600 micrograms/day after 6-12 months treatment. This dose-finding study shows that 100 micrograms three times daily SMS 201-995 is an effective therapy for most of the acromegalic patients we treated.
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PMID:Clinical and biochemical effects of incremental doses of the long-acting somatostatin analogue SMS 201-995 in ten acromegalic patients. 220 Jun 20

Fenofibrate is a lipid-regulating drug which is structurally related to other fibric acid derivatives, such as clofibrate. At the recommended dosage of 200 to 400 mg daily, it produces substantial reductions in plasma triglyceride levels in hypertriglyceridaemic patients and in plasma total cholesterol levels in hypercholesterolaemic patients. High density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol levels are generally increased in patients with low pretreatment values. Fenofibrate appears to be equally effective in diabetic patients with hyperlipoproteinaemia without adversely affecting glycaemic control. The influence of fenofibrate on the plasma lipid profile is sustained during long term (2 to 7 years) treatment. Comparative studies conducted to date have involved only small groups of patients--in overall terms fenofibrate was at least as effective as other fibrates, but larger comparative studies are needed before valid conclusions on its relative efficacy compared with nonfibrate lipid-lowering drugs can be drawn. The influence of fenofibrate on morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular disease has not been studied. Clinical adverse reactions to fenofibrate have mainly consisted of gastrointestinal disturbances, headache and muscle cramps. Transient elevations in transaminase and creatine phosphokinase levels commonly occur. Isolated cases of hepatitis with substantially elevated transaminase levels have been reported. Fenofibrate induces hepatomegaly, peroxisome proliferation and hepatic carcinomas in rodents, but this type of hepatotoxicity has not been observed in humans. The biliary lithogenic index is increased by fenofibrate, but this has not been shown to have increased the incidence of gallstones in treated patients. Thus, fenofibrate offers an effective and well tolerated alternative to clofibrate or other fibric acid derivatives, but its relative efficacy and tolerability compared with other types of lipid-lowering drugs, and its effect on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, remain to be clarified.
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PMID:Fenofibrate. A review of its pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties and therapeutic use in dyslipidaemia. 222 16

To establish the diagnostic safety and the prognosis in outpatients with non-organic upper abdominal pain, 37 patients were followed up 5-7 years after the index investigation. In only one case had the diagnosis been changed during the follow-up period. This was in a man who erroneously had not been examined sufficiently before entry. He turned out to have gallstones. Eighty-one per cent still had abdominal pain, but 51% had improved (P less than 0.005). At the index investigation back pain was reported by 76% and headache by 60%. At the follow-up study back pain was unchanged in severity, but headache was significantly improved. The course of abdominal pain was significantly correlated with the course of back pain and headache. At the index investigation a psychic symptom score indicating vulnerability was significantly higher than in a matched patient group with well-defined pain. It was unchanged high at the follow-up study and unrelated to the course of the abdominal pain. Fifty-four per cent of the patients had symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, but the course of the abdominal pain was unrelated to this.
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PMID:Chronic non-organic upper abdominal pain: diagnostic safety and prognosis of gastrointestinal and non-intestinal symptoms. A 5- to 7-year follow-up study. 247 Dec 56

Since the introduction of fenofibrate to European clinical practice in 1975, some 6.5 million patient-years of experience in the treatment of hyperlipidemia have been accumulated. A review of results of clinical trials shows fenofibrate to have a broad spectrum of lipid-lowering activity, reducing the total cholesterol level by 20-25% in type IIa patients and triglycerides by 40-60% in type IIb and IV patients. High levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol are reduced and, where low at baseline, high-density lipoprotein levels are increased. An associated activity is a 10-28% reduction in serum uric acid levels. Adverse reactions in the mostly open clinical trials ranged from 2-15%; mild gastrointestinal problems dominated, and occurred with much the same frequency in the placebo-treated groups of controlled trials. There are also reports of fatigue, headache, loss of libido, dizziness, and insomnia. Some excess of skin rash emerged as the only statistically significant unwanted clinical effect in one placebo-controlled trial. Biochemically, there are occasional fluctuations in serum transaminase values, while gamma-glucuronyl transferase and alkaline phosphatase are often decreased, all without apparent clinical significance. Lithogenicity of the bile is often increased above pretreatment levels, but there is no evidence from trials or postmarketing surveillance that the use of fenofibrate is associated with an increase of gallstone formation.
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PMID:Review of European clinical experience with fenofibrate. 265 20

Two hundred hospital patients with gallstones who had been cholecystectomized on account of typical biliary colics were investigated for migraine, headache, malaise, vertigo, flatulence, diarrhoea or constipation 2, 6, 12 and 24 months after the operation. The study showed that these symptoms are common in patients with biliary lithiasis, particularly women, and that their frequency increases with the duration of the disease. The beneficial effects of cholecystectomy are uncertain and appear to decrease with time ; only 30% of the patients seemed to improve after surgery. It is concluded that these symptoms betray real functional disorders, that cholecystectomy is not the appropriate treatment for them and that any improvement observed may be credited to the placebo effects of the operation.
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PMID:[Effects of cholecystectomy on functional signs associated with cholelithiasis]. 293 99

Mechanism of action, indications, side effects and contraindications of oral contraceptive agents (OCA) are reviewed. OCA can be divided into two groups: consecutive and combined agents. Combined OCA contain both estrogens and gestagens and are taken for 3 weeks, while consecutive OCA contain only estrogens and are taken for 2 weeks followed by 1 week of combined OCA until the onset of menstruation. Biological activity of synthetic gestagens is estimated by a dosage which results in a delay of menstruation by 2 weeks. Gestagens norethindrone and norethynodrel were shown to be equally effective, while ethinodiol diacetate and norgestrel were 15-30 times more effective. Estrogen component of OCA is represented by ethinyl estradiol or mestranol. Combined OCA are more effective than consecutive OCA; probability of undesirable pregnancy during administration of combined OCA does not exceed 0.2%. The most frequent side-effects of OCA include nausea, headache, uterine hemorrhage, and changes in libido. OCA can affect the endocrine and reproductive systems. Major endocrine effects of OCA include changes in the cortisol metabolism in the adrenal glands, increase in the level of thyroid-binding globulin in the thyroid gland, changes in the glucose metabolism in the pancreas, inhibition of the luteinizing hormone releasing hormone in the hypothalamus with simultaneous decrease in the production of pituitary gonadotropins and inhibition of the ovulation. The most serious side-effects of OCA include cholelithiasis, thrombophlebitis, thromboembolism, liver adenoma, and myocardial infarction. Absolute contraindications to the use of OCA include hypertension, hyperlipidemia, breast or endometrial cancer, pregnancy, cardio-vascular diseases, liver diseases, and kidney insufficiency.
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PMID:[Principles of the use of oral contraceptive preparations]. 307 80

It is estimated that there are approximately six million patient-years of clinical experience with fenofibrate among physicians outside of the United States. A review of the European literature and unpublished studies supplied by the manufacturer (Laboratoires Fournier, Dijon, France) has been compiled with the data recently reported from a double-blind, placebo-controlled study completed in the United States. In general, fenofibrate has been found to reduce serum triglyceride levels by 30 to 60 percent in patients with type II B and IV hyperlipoproteinemia. Serum cholesterol levels were also reduced by 20 to 25 percent in this group of hypertriglyceridemic patients. A similar reduction in serum cholesterol levels was also found in type II A patients (normal triglyceride levels). Low-density lipoprotein levels were usually reduced in those patients with elevated levels and high-density lipoprotein levels increased when baseline levels were low. Fenofibrate also produced a 10 to 28 percent reduction in uric acid that was sustained for years. The incidence of unwanted effects ranged from 2 to 15 percent in the open trials lasting from a few months up to six years. Gastrointestinal problems (abdominal discomfort, diarrhea, and constipation) are most common, occurring in approximately 5 percent of patients. Reports including fatigue, headache, loss of libido, impotence, dizziness, and insomnia were grouped as neurologic and occurred with a total incidence of 3 to 4 percent. In about 1 percent of patients, muscle tenderness developed, often accompanied by elevated creatine phosphokinase levels. These and the gastrointestinal problems occurred with a similar frequency in the placebo-treated cohort in controlled studies. In approximately 2 percent of patients, a skin rash developed, an incidence that appears significantly higher than that of placebo control groups. Liver changes in rodents have included marked peroxisome proliferation and increased hepatic carcinomas with very high doses. In humans, only a small increase in incidence of elevated levels of serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase and serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase seems to be present and is not clearly different from that of the control groups. Alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, and bilirubin levels are often decreased with no known undesirable effects. Investigations into the lithogenicity of bile indicated a significant increase in five studies. However, there has been no evidence of a significant rise in the incidence of cholelithiasis in the clinical trials completed to date.
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PMID:Comparative toxicity and safety profile of fenofibrate and other fibric acid derivatives. 331 50

There is little absolute data in the form of prospective studies in patients with specific illnesses who are on oral contraceptives (OCs). Consequently, the clinician must depend on well-founded empiric decisions in prescribing the pill for these patients. The basis for the decision should be a firm understanding of the pathophysiology and laboratory effects of OCs. This needs to be juxtaposed with an understanding of the efficacy and effects of the estrogen and progestational components of the birth control pill and their interactions with maintenance medications. Available evidence is reviewed for the following medical disorders: central nervous system disorders (depression, Wilson's disease, headaches, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, and the eye); immunologic and connective tissue diseases; diseases of the endocrine system, the gastrointestinal system, the genitourinary system, the memopoietic system; and skin disorders. 7% of women on OCs have increased or newly reported depression. Whether these are primarily psychogenic or metabolically derived is yet to be definitively determined. Wilson's disease can be exacerbated by OCs because of increased plasma ceruloplasmin and increased absorption of copper from the gastrointestinal tract. Headaches can be either a vague or a specific symptom, such as migraines, but 1/3 of these patients will become worse on OCs. There is good evidence that the headaches are caused by falling estrogen levels. There is no good evidence that epilepsy, in general, becomes worse on OCs. OCs have relatively no effect on the longterm prognosis in multiple sclerosis. Increased corneal sensitivity has been observed with OC use, and this has usually presented an intolerance to the use of contact lenses. This is primarily the result of increased edema of the cornea and changing of its contour. By inference, OCs cause some basic universal changes in the immunologic system. OCs have been reported as a cause of a rare form of rheumatoid arthritis, but the Royal College reports a decrease in incidence of cell-mediated immunologic disease, specifically rheumatoid arthritis in its more familiar form. There is no evidence that OCs markedly influence thyroid disease, but they do markedly alter thyroid function testing. OCs do not produce a chronic addisonian state nor do they inhibit the ability of the adrenal-pituitary axis to respond to stress. OCs can be used in thyroid disease but with some caution in hypothyroid states. They should not be used in patients with Cushing's syndrome and are not recommended in patients with adenomas. In general, estrogen works as an irritant to the gastric mucosa, but there is no increase in peptic ulcer diseases associated with OC use, and the incidence of duodenal ulcer disease is decreased. The most striking liver disease seen with OCs is cholelithiasis. The incidence is increased 2-fold. OCs should not be prescribed for patients with chronic renal disease because of the vascular effects as well as the reported increased risk of urinary tract infection. The Royal College report has shown a decreased incidence of iron deficiency anemia in patients on OCs. Various skin changes have been reported in women using OCs. The most common of these is chloasma. In all the diseases studied thus far, the use of OCs has not precipitated a catastrophic change.
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PMID:The use of birth control pills in women with medical disorders. 702 14


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