Article
Early cineole administration during common cold reduces severity and promotes faster symptom decline compared to delayed treatment
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Authors
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Peter Kardos
- Lung Centre Maingau, Deutschland
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Kim Goldenstein
- MCM Klosterfrau Vertriebsgesellschaft mbH, Klosterfrau Healthcare Group, Deutschland
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Ludger Klimek
- Centre for Rhinology and Allergology, Deutschland
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Jürgen Palm
- ENT practice, Deutschland
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Johannes Stöckl
- Medical University of Vienna, Institute of Immunology, Vienna, Österreich
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Andreas Michalsen
- Immanuel Hospital Berlin, Department of Internal, Integrative and Complementary Medicine, Berlin, Deutschland
| Published: | September 15, 2022 |
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Outline
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Hintergrund: Cineole is a monoterpene with anti-inflammatory properties and established efficacy in symptomatic treatment of acute respiratory conditions. Since common cold (CC) symptoms stem from an inflammatory response and mostly peak within two days, early administration of cineole might be beneficial.
Fragestellung: We investigated the impact of cineole treatment timing on CC. Adequate early treatment and monitoring complete CC episodes were enabled by our novel trial design with enrolment of healthy participants prior to CC onset.
Methoden: 522 adults aged 18 to 70 years with at least one CC during previous winter were enrolled in our phase IV, exploratory, open-label, non-randomized, multicenter clinical trial in Germany, of which 329 subsequently developed a CC. 200 mg cineole (Soledum®, CNL-1976) were taken t.i.d. for up to 15 (± 2) days. We report here on secondary outcomes addressing symptom severity and progression based on the patient-reported Wisconsin Upper Respiratory Symptom Survey (WURSS-11) and the investigator-reported Jackson Symptom Score (JSS). Data analysis strata corresponded to treatment onset: ≤ 12h, > 12 to ≤ 24h, and > 24h.
Ergebnisse: Early treatment reduced the time to symptom severity peak by one day, from 2 days (1 to 11) with > 24h to 1 day (1 to 9) with ≤ 12h to treatment onset, as well as overall symptom burden apparent from an approximately 4-point decrease in the median symptom severity peak. Faster symptom improvement was also consistently reflected in the individual WURSS-11 item scores including physical symptoms and accomplishing daily activities, as well as the JSS assessment.
Diskussion: Enrolling initially healthy patients enables early intervention and more accurate comparison of CC progress. Consistency in patient- and investigator-reported outcomes underlines the relevance of cineole treatment timing.
Take Home Message für die Praxis: In CC treatment, early administration of cineole shows distinct clinical benefits over later treatment initiation.
