Participants also had to keep used tissues when they sneezed and blew their noses. The tissues were collected in plastic bags and weighed to gauge severity of symptoms. Researchers found that patients with the lightest bags of used tissues were those who had taken Singulair.
"We found that the cold symptoms and runny nose, as well as the duration of the cold, were cut in half in the group that took Singulair," Dr. Deborah Gentile, the lead investigator, said in a press release. "Singulair works by blocking the effects of leukotrienes, chemicals that are produced by our body during episodes of inflammation or swelling and are linked to the development of cold symptoms and runny nose."
Gentile added: "The results of our study suggest that blocking leukotrienes may reduce or prevent these conditions."
She noted that future studies will look at whether the allergy drug can prevent cold complications such as ear and sinus infections, wheezing and asthma.
The study was presented February 27 in San Diego at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.
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