The pharmacology and use of H1-receptor-antagonist drugs.
The second-generation H1-antagonist drugs are supplanting their predecessors in the treatment of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and chronic urticaria. Their use can be justified mainly on the basis of a more favorable risk-benefit ratio, because they are less toxic to the central nervous system. Future research into H1 antagonists should include additional dose-response studies in patients with allergic disorders, especially children and the elderly; objective studies of adverse effects; studies of topical mucosal application of H1 antagonists; and studies of H1-antagonist enantiomers and active metabolites. With the cloning of the gene encoding the H1 receptor and increased understanding of the precise structural requirements for H1-receptor activity, H1 antagonists with an even more favorable therapeutic index may be developed.
Simons
F E
FE
Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
Simons
K J
KJ
D000818:Animals; D006634:Histamine H1 Antagonists / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000188:drug therapy
D006634:Histamine H1 Antagonists