Low dose oral minoxidil and the conundrum of cardiovascular complications.

In recent months, the general public has become more cognizant of the potential of oral minoxidil to promote hair growth; this was promulgated, in part, by an article published in the New York Times entitled, "An Old Medicine Grows New Hair for Pennies a Day, Doctors Say." Minoxidil was added to the pharmacologic armamentarium as an antihypertensive nearly 60 years ago and was found to trigger hypertrichosis in many patients, but its use dropped sharply as cardiologists observed a number of adverse cardiovascular events including ischemic heart disease, left ventricular hypertrophy, pleural effusions, and pericardial effusions. Studies in the realm of dermatology have explored the utility and safety of low dose oral minoxidil (LDOM) for management of alopecia.

The Usage of Concomitant Beta-Blockers with Vasopressors and Inotropes in Cardiogenic Shock.

Vasopressors and inotropes (Vs/Is) are widely used in the treatment of cardiogenic shock (CS). Despite improvements in hemodynamic variables and end-organ perfusion, these agents have been associated with an increase in mortality, potentially due to the increased risk of tachyarrhythmias-which we hypothesize may be mitigated by beta-blockers (BBs). We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients who received a V/I (dobutamine, milrinone, dopamine, and norepinephrine) for CS.

Predictors of In-hospital Mortality in Cardiogenic Shock Patients on Vasoactive or Inotropic Support.

Background: Though controversial, the short-duration in-patient use of inotropes in cardiogenic shock (CS) remain an ACC/AHA Class IIa indication, and are frequently used in the initial treatment of CS. We evaluated in-patient mortality and effect on mortality risk of commonly used vasoactive inotropic medications for the medical management of SCAI stage B and C cardiogenic shock patients in a tertiary care cardiac care unit: dobutamine, dopamine, milrinone, and norepinephrine.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 342 patients who received dobutamine, milrinone, dopamine, norepinephrine or a combination of these medications for SCAI stage B and C cardiogenic shock.

Amiodarone: A Comprehensive Guide for Clinicians.

Amiodarone is an effective antiarrhythmic medication frequently used in practice for both ventricular and atrial arrhythmias. Though classified as a class III antiarrhythmic, it affects all phases of the cardiac action potential. However, the drug has several side effects, including thyroid abnormalities, pulmonary fibrosis, and transaminitis, for which routine monitoring is recommended.

Review of Direct Oral Anticoagulants and Guide for Effective Drug Utilization.

Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have been developed as a viable and in some cases superior alternative to warfarin. These agents have overcome some of the limitations of warfarin, which has a narrow therapeutic window and many food and drug interactions. DOACs have been demonstrated to have a more predictable and reliable pharmacology and, unlike warfarin, do not require frequent monitoring of anticoagulant effect.

Cardiovascular medications and risk of cancer.

Cardiovascular disease and cancer are 2 of the leading causes of death globally. Certain cardiovascular medications have been linked to an increased risk for cancer. Although individual reviews of specific classes of cardiovascular medications have been published previously, a more complete review of several classes has not been performed.

A comparison of regional and systemic humoral immune responses to a nematode infection.

The kinetics of humoral immune response against Trichinella spiralis (TS) was characterized with immunofluorescence assay. The mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) and the spleen of infected rats were examined for concurrent expression of multiple antibody (Ab) isotypes from day 1 to day 15 after infection. The tissues were processed and stained with either a pan-B cell marker (OX33) conjugated with rhodamine (XRITC) or combinations of dual monoclonal Ab probes plus A secondary Ab conjugated with XRITC or fluorescein (FITC).

Rapidity and multiplicity of synthesis and expression of immunoglobulin isotypes by B lymphocytes in the small intestine.

An immunofluorescence double labeling assay was used to examine the kinetics of intestinal B lymphocytes with concurrent expression of multiple antibody isotypes in the mucosal tissues of rats infected with Trichinella spiralis (TS) muscle larvae for 1 to 15 days. As compared to the uninfected controls (day 0), the non-Peyer's patch tissues of the small intestine contained a significantly increased number of dual antibody-expressing B cells as early as 3 days after infection with a maximum proliferation of these B cells on days 7 and 10. These results indicate the rapidity of B cell response in the small intestine.