Budesonide/formoterol in a single inhaler was compared with budesonide alone, and with concurrent administration of budesonide and formoterol from separate inhalers, in patients with asthma, not controlled with inhaled glucocorticosteroids alone.In this 12-week, double-blind, randomized, double-dummy study, 362 adult asthmatics (forced expiratory volume in one second 73.8% of predicted, inhaled glucocorticosteroid dose 960 mg?day -1 ) received single inhaler budesonide/formoterol (Symbicort1 Turbuhaler1) 160/4.5 mg, two inhalations b.i.d., or corresponding treatment with budesonide, or budesonide plus formoterol via separate inhalers.There was a greater increase in morning peak expiratory flow (PEF) with singleinhaler (35.7 L?min -1 ) and separate-inhaler (32.0 L?min -1 ) budesonide and formoterol, compared with budesonide alone (0.2 L?min -1 ; pv0.001, both comparisons); the effect was apparent after 1 day (pv0.001 versus budesonide, both comparisons). Similarly, evening PEF, use of rescue medication, total asthma symptom scores and percentage of symptom-free days improved more with both single inhaler and separate inhaler therapy than with budesonide alone, as did asthma control days (y15% more, pv0.001 versus budesonide, both comparisons, with a marked increase in the first week). All treatments were well tolerated and the adverse event profile was similar in all three treatment groups.It is concluded that single inhaler therapy with budesonide and formoterol is a clinically effective and well-tolerated treatment for patients with asthma that is not fully controlled by inhaled glucocorticosteroids alone.

Insulin sensitivity and autonomic cardiac control are related independently of physical fitness in young men.

One hundred and seven consecutive patients with hematemesis and/or melena and a diagnosis of duodenal, gastric, or esophageal ulcers were interviewed immediately before or after endoscopy about the use of non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and symptoms before the hemorrhage. If the patients admitted no symptoms of abdominal pain or discomfort, nausea, vomiting, or heartburn, they were classified as having no ulcer symptoms before the hemorrhage. Patients who had not taken NSAIDs during the last 48 h before the hemorrhage were classified as not having taken NSAIDs. Significantly fewer patients had ulcer symptoms in the group that had used NSAIDs than in the other group (p less than 0.01). This may be interpreted as a possible masking effect by NSAIDs on ulcer symptoms. Physicians and patients should be aware of this possible effect of NSAIDs.