Effects of losartan on left ventricular mass: a three-year follow-up in elderly hypertensives with myocardial hypertrophy despite successful conventional antihypertensive treatment.

Objective: Reversal of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in hypertensive patients appears to be a desirable goal to the reduction cardiac risk. The Renin-Angiotensin System (RAS) seems to play a major role in the establishment and maintenance of LVH through the activated systemic RAS and the Intracardiac Angiotensin System (IAS). We focused on the effects of a three-year treatment with losartan supplement in hypertensive patients with LVH not responding to eight years of an effective previous antihypertensive pharmacological treatment.

A rare combination consisting of aldosterone-producing adenoma and adrenal myelolipoma in a patient with heterozygosity for retinoblastoma (RB) gene.

Various pathological disorders have been associated with primary aldosteronism, including glucagonoma, phaeochromocytoma and primary hyperparathyroidism. In this report, a case of adrenal myelolipoma (a rare non-functioning tumour composed of mature adipose tissue and normal haematopoietic elements similar to bone marrow cells), aldosterone-producing adenoma and a pituitary microadenoma coexisting in a 62-year-old man with a 15-year history of arterial hypertension, previous ablation of an autonomously-functioning thyroid adenoma, multiple lipomas and an heterozygosity of the retinoblastoma (RB) susceptibility gene is reported. We believe that this case probably represents another variant of the multiple neoplasia syndrome and we speculate that structural alteration of the RB gene may play a role in the tumorogenesis.

The prevention of dementia with antihypertensive treatment: new evidence from the Systolic Hypertension in Europe (Syst-Eur) study.

Background: After the double-blind, placebo-controlled Systolic Hypertension in Europe (Syst-Eur) trial ended in February 1997, randomized patients were offered active study medication for a further period of observation.

Objective: To refine the estimates of the long-term effects of antihypertensive therapy on the incidence of dementia.

Methods: Eligible patients had no dementia and were at least 60 years old.

Quality of life on randomized treatment for isolated systolic hypertension: results from the Syst-Eur Trial.

Objective: To compare quality of life in elderly patients with isolated systolic hypertension allocated randomly to groups to receive placebo or active treatment in the Systolic Hypertension in the Elderly Trial.

Design: Double-blind randomized controlled trial.

Methods: Patients aged 60 years were allocated randomly to groups to receive first-line treatment with nitrendipine (with second- and third-line enalapril and hydrochlorothiazide) or placebo.

Prevention of dementia in randomised double-blind placebo-controlled Systolic Hypertension in Europe (Syst-Eur) trial.

Background: Systolic hypertension increases the risk of dementia in elderly people. The vascular dementia project, set up in the framework of the double-blind placebo-controlled Systolic Hypertension in Europe (Syst-Eur) trial, investigated whether antihypertensive drug treatment could reduce the incidence of dementia.

Methods: Eligible patients had no dementia, were at least 60 years old, and had a blood pressure when seated of 160-219 mm Hg systolic and below 95 mm Hg diastolic.