European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology

de Leeuw, P. W.; Kroon, A. A.

doi: 10.1007/s002280050459pmid: 9696949

Schmidt, B. M. W.; Janson, C. P.; Wehling, M.

doi: 10.1007/s002280050460pmid: 9696950

Objective: Carvedilol, a β-adrenoceptor blocking agent with additional α1-adrenoceptor blocking properties, has been shown to improve left ventricular function in chronic heart failure (CHF). However, its effect on mortality has recently been the subject of controversial discussion. The aim of this meta-analysis is to review the data on mortality from two large study programs (the US Carvedilol Heart Failure Study and the study by the Australia/New Zealand Heart Failure Research Collaborative Group) on additional carvedilol treatment in CHF standard therapy and to analyse the design and limitations of the individual studies.

Lemm, G.; Küppers, J.; Frey, R.; Wingender, W.; Kuhlmann, J.

doi: 10.1007/s002280050461pmid: 9696951

Objective: The quantitative measurement of urinary marker proteins may improve the sensitivity of monitoring renal function in healthy male subjects in phase I studies. Little is known about the variability of physiological proteinuria in young, healthy male subjects. Thus, the biological and analytical variability of three marker proteins, i.e. albumin, α1-microglobulin and N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase (NAG), were investigated in this population.

Risler, T.; Bohm, R.; Wetzchewald, D.; Nast, H.-P.; Koch, H.-H.; Stein, G.; Erley, C. M.

doi: 10.1007/s002280050462pmid: 9696952

Objective: A clinical definition of a hypertensive emergency is excessively high blood pressure in the presence of symptoms indicating end organ damage. Equally high blood pressure without symptoms is called a hypertensive crisis. Patients with hypertensive crisis or emergency need prompt, effective, and specific therapy and a controlled reduction of blood pressure.

Sasaki, M.; Maeda, A.; Fujimura, A.

doi: 10.1007/s002280050463pmid: 9696953

Objective: The Effect of omeprazole, a proton pump inhibitor, and cimetidine, an H2-receptor antagonist, on plasma aldosterone (PA) response to angiotensin II (AII) were evaluated.

Contin, M.; Riva, R.; Martinelli, P.; Albani, F.; Baruzzi, A.

doi: 10.1007/s002280050464pmid: 9696954

Objective: The aim of the study was to assess the effect of the time of ingestion of a meal on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of a levodopa/carbidopa controlled-release formulation in parkinsonian patients on chronic levodopa therapy.

Bryant, C. A.; Farmer, A.; Tiplady, B.; Keating, J.; Sherwood, R.; Swift, C. G.; Jackson, S. H. D.

doi: 10.1007/s002280050465pmid: 9696955

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the dose-response relationship for psychomotor performance, caffeine and theophylline in healthy elderly volunteers.

Bate, A.; Lindquist, M.; Edwards, I. R.; Olsson, S.; Orre, R.; Lansner, A.; De Freitas, R. M.

doi: 10.1007/s002280050466pmid: 9696956

Objective: The database of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) held by the Uppsala Monitoring Centre on behalf of the 47 countries of the World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Programme for International Drug Monitoring contains nearly two million reports. It is the largest database of this sort in the world, and about 35 000 new reports are added quarterly. The task of trying to find new drug–ADR signals has been carried out by an expert panel, but with such a large volume of material the task is daunting. We have developed a flexible, automated procedure to find new signals with known probability difference from the background data. Method: Data mining, using various computational approaches, has been applied in a variety of disciplines. A Bayesian confidence propagation neural network (BCPNN) has been developed which can manage large data sets, is robust in handling incomplete data, and may be used with complex variables. Using information theory, such a tool is ideal for finding drug–ADR combinations with other variables, which are highly associated compared to the generality of the stored data, or a section of the stored data. The method is transparent for easy checking and flexible for different kinds of search.

van Kraaij, D. J. W.; Jansen, R. W. M. M.; Gribnau, F. W. J.; Hoefnagels, W. H. L.

doi: 10.1007/s002280050467pmid: 9696957

Objective: To examine the indications for prescription and possibilities for withdrawal of loop diuretics in community-dwelling patients aged 75 years or older, as reported by their general practitioners (GPs).

de Jong-van den Berg, L. T. W.; de Walle, H. E. K.; van der Pal-de Bruin, K. M.; Buitendijk, S. E.; Cornel, M. C.

doi: 10.1007/s002280050468pmid: 9696958

Objective: In November 1993, Dutch health authorities advised that women planning a pregnancy should take folic acid in the periconceptional period to reduce the risk of fetal neural tube defects. In the autumn of 1995 a national campaign was organized to inform women and health care professionals in a systematic way.