Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0043352 (xerostomia)
 4,250 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

We report on the distress associated with physical symptoms in 761 male hypertensive patients enrolled in a clinical trial of the effects of captopril, methyldopa or propranolol on quality of life. Educational level at entry into the trial showed a negative association with a series of physical symptom distress items among patients not previously treated with antihypertensive medications but no association with symptoms among the previously treated. Over the 24 weeks of therapy captopril as monotherapy was associated with no change from baseline in distress in all symptoms examined. In contrast, distress increased in the methyldopa treated patients for dry mouth and blurred vision. Propranolol treated patients had increased "trouble getting breath," bradycardia, shortness of breath or wheezing, and blurred vision. Between group comparisons revealed significant differences favorably comparing captopril to both methyldopa and propranolol in regard to fatigue, and blurred vision, as well as to methyldopa alone for dry mouth and "feeling worn out." There were significant differences as well between captopril and propranolol with patients on propranolol worsening in bradycardia. Other comparisons of patients on propranolol and methyldopa monotherapy showed propranolol patients worsening in bradycardia and loss of taste, but methyldopa patients reported more dry mouth and feeling worn out than those on propranolol. The addition of hydrochlorothiazide to therapy worsened total physical symptom distress scores for methyldopa and propranolol patients. This study confirms the value of methods which assess the degree of distress associated with symptoms commonly reported by hypertensive patients receiving antihypertensive medications. This approach can be useful in establishing a treatment regimen least likely to cause distress and can be of value in preserving quality of life, preventing noncompliance, and withdrawal from treatment.
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PMID:Self-reported side effects from antihypertensive drugs. A clinical trial. Quality of Life Research Group. 240 65

An open study was carried out in 74 wheezy infants and children, average age 16 months, to assess the efficacy and tolerance of ketotifen given in the form of a syrup at a dosage of 0.02 to 0.03 mg/kg body weight twice daily over a period of 12 weeks. Treatment was assessed as being successful, by both parents and physician, in 62 (84%) of the patients. Wheeze completely disappeared in 42 (57%) patients, cough in 50 (67%) and bronchial hypersecretion in 47 (64%). Patients who developed a superimposed respiratory infection during the treatment period had milder symptoms than usual; these lasted for a shorter time and in most patients it was not necessary to give antibiotics. Forty-one of the 62 patients who had responded successfully to ketotifen suffered a relapse when treatment was withdrawn at the end of the trial period. Ketotifen was well-tolerated by the majority of patients. The side-effect most frequently reported by the parents was dry mouth, which occurred in 21 patients.
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PMID:Treatment of wheezy infants and children with ketotifen. 635 29

Xerostomia due to chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) or total-body irradiation (TBI) is an important cause of morbidity after BMT. The ophthalmic or oral form of pilocarpine, a parasympathomimetic agent with predominantly muscarinic activity, was given orally to 13 patients with moderate (n = 6) or severe (n = 7) xerostomia due to chronic GVHD (n = 7) or TBI (n = 6). The duration of 19 courses of therapy was 7-245 days (median 73). Ten patients (77%) noticed significant improvement in salivation and relief of symptoms which reached its maximum after 7-186 days (median 46). Difficulty in eating and speaking reduced, and there was a beneficial effect on the oral mucosa and teeth. Xerophthalmia improved in one of six patients. Five patients had adverse reactions: wheezing (n = 1), and increased sweating without (n = 3) or with (n = 1) abdominal cramps (n = 1): leading to discontinuation of pilocarpine in one. Three patients stopped pilocarpine, became symptomatic again, but the benefits were reproducible on restarting pilocarpine. The ophthalmic preparation was as effective as the oral, and was one-tenth the cost of the oral. We conclude that oral pilocarpine is effective in relieving xerostomia associated with chronic GVHD and TBI. The time taken for a response to be seen is variable, and unless significant adverse effects are encountered, pilocarpine should be continued for 6-8 weeks before it is considered to have failed.
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PMID:Pilocarpine hydrochloride for symptomatic relief of xerostomia due to chronic graft-versus-host disease or total-body irradiation after bone-marrow transplantation for hematologic malignancies. 908 44

We investigated symptoms suggestive of swallowing problems in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis, some of whom displayed features of sicca complex. A prospective study of 95 consecutive patients with primary biliary cirrhosis was conducted at a single teaching hospital using a questionnaire administered over the telephone. Some symptoms of sicca complex (dry mouth and/or dry eyes) were found in 65 patients (68.4%). Subjective xerostomia alone was present in 45 patients (47.4%). The questionnaire revealed an increase in incidence of dysphagia in xerostomia subjects, affecting 21 of 45 patients, compared with 6 of 50 non-xerostomia patients. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that confounding factors such as age, obesity, cigarette smoking, and medications associated with a dry mouth could not explain these findings. Twenty-eight patients complained of hoarseness, 23 of coughing, and 14 of wheezing, all of which were significantly more frequent than in the 50 patients without xerostomia. Heartburn affected 17 xerostomia patients and 15 non-xerostomia patients, indicating no difference in frequency between these two groups, even after age, obesity, cigarette smoking, and medications associated with heartburn were considered in the multivariate analysis. Acid regurgitation, nausea, and vomiting were also similar in frequency between patients with and without xerostomia. Swallowing problems, manifested primarily as dysphagia, are common in primary biliary cirrhosis patients who have subjective xerostomia.
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PMID:Primary biliary cirrhosis, sicca complex, and dysphagia. 919 Jan 3

Although chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a highly prevalent and disabling illness, few empirical studies have evaluated the impact of the disease on symptom distress, functional status, and quality of life. These outcomes were explored in a prospective survey of 100 patients with advanced COPD. Patients were recruited from two academic centers. The mean forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) was 24.4% (standard deviation=3.9). Validated instruments were used to assess symptom distress (Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale [MSAS]), mental health (Mental Health Inventory [MHI]-5), functional status (Sickness Impact Profile [SIP]), quality of life (Multidimensional Index of Life Quality [MILQ]), spirituality (Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy [FACIT] Spirituality Scale), and comorbid conditions (Charlson Comorbidity Index). The most prevalent symptoms were dyspnea (94%), fatigue (71%), xerostomia (60%), coughing (56%), and anxiety (51%). Other symptoms with high prevalence were drowsiness (47%), irritability (42%), feeling nervous (40%), and wheezing (40%). Significant pain was reported in about one-third of patients. Patients reported relatively high levels of overall functional impairment (SIP median=24.0) and modest impairment in overall quality of life (MILQ median=52). Overall, psychological well-being was relatively unimpaired (median=24.5), and the comfort derived from faith was intact (FACIT median=2.5). Impairment in quality of life was strongly associated with symptom distress (MSAS-GDI; r=-0.74, P<0.001), functional impairment (SIP total; r=-0.59, P<0.001), female sex (r=-0.26, P=0.01), and poor psychological well-being (MHI-5; r=0.68, P<0.001). In multivariate analyses, poor quality of life was strongly correlated with higher total symptom distress, sickness-related dysfunction, and lower levels of psychological well-being (R(2)=0.66). In addition, two specific psychological symptoms-worrying and feeling irritable-were independently predictive of poor quality of life. Patients with advanced COPD have multiple distressing symptoms and a high prevalence of disturbances in mood, functional status, and quality of life. A focus on ameliorating prevalent physical symptoms and psychological distress may lead to an improvement in the overall quality of life in this patient population.
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PMID:Symptom distress and quality of life in patients with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. 1923 93

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) impairs quality of life and presents symptoms that affect the lives of patients. Our study analysed the degree of concordance between the patients and their pulmonologists in the perception of the severity of symptoms. A cross-sectional, descriptive, multicentre study was conducted in patients with COPD. From a list of 10 symptoms (cough, dry mouth, chest pain, expectoration, wheezing/whistling in the lungs, depression/sadness/discouragement, fatigue/tiredness/general lack of energy, anxiety/nervousness, breathlessness/shortness of breath upon exertion and difficulty sleeping/sleep disorders) each investigator and patient assessed those which, in their opinion, most concerned or affected the patient. A total of 450 patients were included in the study (91.3% males, 66.7 years old (SD = 10.2), FEV1(%) 51.7% (SD = 12.7%)). At an aggregate level, breathlessness/shortness of breath, fatigue/tiredness and coughing were identified by patients and physicians as being the most relevant symptoms. However, according to the concordance analysis conducted with individual pairs (each pulmonologist with his/her patient), only 52.8% coincided when identifying the symptom that most concerned or affected the life of the patient. The concordance analysed by the Kappa index between patients and physicians was poor (<0.42). The degree of physician-patient concordance was greater in patients with more severe COPD. The patients and their pulmonologists identified the same three main symptoms of COPD but showed low concordance when assessing the impact of the symptoms of the illness.
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PMID:Differences between physician and patient in the perception of symptoms and their severity in COPD. 2389 Sep 59