ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Statins by their anti-inflammatory and endothelial stabilizing effect can be beneficial in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and pulmonary hypertension (PH). The present study was done to evaluate the effect of rosuvastatin on pulmonary functions and quality of life (QOL) in patients with concomitant COPD and PH. MATERIALS AND METHODS: It was a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, study conducted in patients with COPD and PH. A total of sixty patients were assigned to receive either rosuvastatin 10 mg or placebo once a day in addition to their conventional treatment for 12 weeks. Routine blood investigations, pulmonary functions, echocardiogram, exercise capacity, and QOL using a questionnaire were assessed at the baseline and after 12 weeks. RESULTS: In patients of rosuvastatin group, there was a statistically significant increase in peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) (P = 0.04) but no significant change in other pulmonary functions: Forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume at 1 s (FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC), and echocardiogram parameters. There was a significant increase in 6-min walk test (6-min walk distance) (P = 0.03) at the end of 12 weeks. On comparing with placebo, rosuvastatin showed a significant reduction (P = 0.045) in COPD exacerbations while adverse effects did not differ. CONCLUSION: Statins have a favorable effect on patients with COPD and PH regarding the improvement in PEFR, COPD exacerbations, and exercise capacity. Such effects can be beneficial in these patients and more so in patients with concomitant coronary artery disease or hyperlipidemia where long-term benefits of statins have been established.
Subject(s)
Anti-Inflammatory Agents/therapeutic use , Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors/therapeutic use , Hypertension, Pulmonary/drug therapy , Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/drug therapy , Rosuvastatin Calcium/therapeutic use , Aged , Double-Blind Method , Echocardiography/drug effects , Female , Forced Expiratory Volume/drug effects , Humans , Hypertension, Pulmonary/physiopathology , Male , Middle Aged , Peak Expiratory Flow Rate/drug effects , Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/physiopathology , Quality of Life , Treatment Outcome , Vital Capacity/drug effects , WalkingABSTRACT
Letrozole is used as first line drug in postmenopausal women with early-stage or advanced hormone-sensitive breast cancer. Letrozole has favourable tolerability profile when administered once daily and significant adverse reactions occur rarely. The objective of this report is to describe a case of eczematous skin eruption that occurred during letrozole treatment. A 61-year-old female patient was admitted with lump in the left breast. FNAC, HPE were done and the patient was diagnosed to have invasive ductal breast carcinoma. After a month of completing CT and EBRT, the patient was given 2.5 mg OD tab. letrozole at night. She developed itchy skin lesions over the right thigh that later generalised, at 6- weeks of treatment. The lesion has been defined as eczematous moderate to severe drug eruption. These lesions were attributed to letrozole therapy and recurred within 24h after rechallenge. Drug eruption is associated with many drugs but this is the first such report with letrozole. We suggest of being aware of such reactions during letrozole usage.
