LongoVital and herpes labialis: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
OBJECTIVE
LongoVital (LV) (DK. Reg. No. 5178/75) is a herbal-based tablet enriched with the recommended daily doses of vitamins. The present study was undertaken to investigate possible prevention of recurrent herpes labialis (RHL) during 4 months' daily intake of LV.


METHODS
Placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomised, clinical trial.


METHODS
Fifty-two patients with a minimum of 4 yearly HL episodes.


METHODS
The patients were given either LV or placebo for 4 months and followed-up for another 4 months. The number, duration and maximal size of lesions were assessed.


RESULTS
Twenty-seven patients (Group A) received LV and 25 patients placebo (Group B). There were no statistically significant differences between Group A and Group B with respect to number, duration and size of lesions. Within Group A, however, there was a decrease in all three parameters after 2 months' intake of LV (P < 0.05). The decrease in the number of HL episodes in Group A lasted during the entire follow-up period (P < 0.05). At the end of the medication period, significantly more patients in Group A than in Group B assessed the number and duration of recurrences to be reduced compared with before the trial (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
LV was not superior to placebo in the prevention of RHL although subjective assessment was in favour of LV, and the LV group had less episodes after 2 months on the tablets.
Pedersen
A
A
The Oral Medicine Clinic, Peblingesøen, Copenhagen, Denmark. anne.l.pedersen@mail.tele.dk
D000328:Adult; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006560:Herpes Labialis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010919:Placebos; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012008:Recurrence; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013607:Tablets; D014815:Vitamins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D004338:Drug Combinations; D010919:Placebos; D013607:Tablets; D014815:Vitamins