Quality of life in normotensives compared to hypertensive men treated with isradipine or methyldopa as monotherapy or in combination with captopril: the LOMIR-MCT-IL study.

Quality of life (QOL) measures were assessed in a multi-center, double-blind, case-controlled trial of 1 year's duration. A total of 368 hypertensive male patients were randomly assigned to monotherapies of either isradipine, methyldopa or placebo. If normotension was not achieved, captopril was added.

Complementary organ expression of IL-1 vs. IL-6 and CSF-1 activities in normal and LPS-injected mice.

The specific expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines may affect the functioning of organs in different ways. The results of specific cytokine bioassays used in this study show a distinct pattern of tissue expression of IL-1 IL-6 and CSF-1. Cytokine activity was assessed in conditioned media (CM) and lysates (LYS), obtained from different organs of control or lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-injected mice; LPS representing a potent inflammatory stimulus.

Long-term prognosis of low-risk, post-MI patients: the importance of subjective perception of disease.

In 1980, 87 male patients (age range 34-60 years), hospitalized after their first myocardial infarction (MI), were asked why they believed they got the infarct and what would help them cope with it. In a multiple regression analysis, their causal attributions accounted for 15% of the explained variance in their physical, sexual, social and work functioning after 6 and 18 months, their level of education accounted for 25% and the severity of their infarct for 10%. This result was replicated in a cross-cultural study.

Evaluation of the electrocardiogram in hypertensive patients: the LOMIR-MCT-IL study experience.

Electrocardiograms (ECGs) of hypertensive men enrolled into the LOMIR-MCT-IL study were evaluated at entry and after 1 year of follow-up. The sensitivity of a modified version of the Minnesota Code (MC) to detect ECG abnormalities was compared with the diagnosis of the treating physician. Changes in the ECG were related to blood pressure and heart rate.

Does the combination of ACE inhibitor and calcium antagonist control hypertension and improve quality of life? The LOMIR-MCT-IL study experience.

The LOMIR-MCT-IL study was designed to investigate the effects of different antihypertensive drugs on the quality of life (QoL) of men with mild-to-moderate hypertension. This report focuses on the subgroup of patients treated with the combination of the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor captopril and the calcium antagonist isradipine. The LOMIR-MCT-IL was a double-blind multicenter, placebo-controlled, one-year follow-up study in which 368 hypertensive men, aged 40-65 years, were randomly allocated to receive either isradipine, methyldopa or placebo at three titration levels.

A multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study of isradipine and methyldopa as monotherapy or in combination with captopril in the treatment of hypertension. The LOMIR-MCT-IH Research Group.

This multicenter, double-blind, randomized trial of 1 year's duration compared the safety and efficacy of isradipine, methyldopa, and placebo in 368 men, aged 40 to 65 years, with mild-to-moderate essential hypertension. Initial treatment with isradipine (1.25 mg twice daily), methyldopa (250 mg twice daily), or placebo was started after a wash-out and single-blind placebo period.

The use of transdermal clonidine in the hypertensive patient with chronic renal failure.

The efficacy of transdermally administered clonidine was evaluated in twenty-four patients with mild-to-moderate hypertension (seated diastolic blood pressure 95-115 mmHg) and renal impairment. Patients were initially treated with oral clonidine; the dose was titrated until the seated diastolic pressure fell below 90 mmHg or a minimum 10% reduction in baseline was achieved. Oral clonidine produced a significant decrease in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure; mean seated diastolic blood pressure decreased 16.

Shift from left to right axis deviation during ischemia.

A case report of a patient with persistent left anterior hemiblock admitted with acute ischemic heart disease is described. At effort during follow-up evaluation, the patient complained of retrosternal pain when the heart rate was 124 beats/min. No pathological ST-T changes were demonstrated at this time.

Cardiovascular diseases, blood rheology, and dihydropyridine calcium antagonists.

Over the last 10 years, accumulating evidence has confirmed the ability of dihydropyridine calcium antagonists to improve red blood cell deformability. In this review of the literature, particular attention is paid to results obtained with isradipine, a second-generation derivative of the 1,4-dihydropyridine family. Isradipine appears to be more selective in various pharmacological properties, well tolerated, easy to administer, and effective in controlling blood pressure and reducing the frequency of ischemic events.

Effects of mental and physical stress on plasma catecholamine levels before and after beta-adrenoceptor blocker treatment.

In a study in mild hypertensives, the impact of mental and physical stress on plasma epinephrine (E), norepinephrine (NE), and on their ratio (NE/E) was evaluated. The effect of two beta-adrenoceptor blocking drugs, atenolol and bopindolol, on plasma catecholamine levels was also examined. Each stressful stimulus significantly increased the NE and E levels compared to rest.

Response to mental and physical stress before and during adrenoreceptor blocker and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor treatment in essential hypertension.

The effects of mental, static and dynamic stresses on physiologic parameters before and after beta-blocker (n = 24) and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (n = 29) treatment were examined. Mental stress induced similar elevation in systolic and diastolic blood pressures (BPs) with and without beta-blocker treatment. During angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor treatment, the change in systolic BP was significantly greater (p less than 0.

The relationship between causal attribution and rehabilitation in patients after their first myocardial infarction. A cross cultural study.

Full rehabilitation of a patient following myocardial infarction (MI) involves resumption of work and the restoration of quality of life. Two groups of patients (87 Israeli and 98 Swedish) were admitted to the CCU and followed up after their first MI. To evaluate the patients' own perception of events ('causal attribution theory'), sequential interviews were scheduled.

Effect of isradipine on factors affecting blood viscosity.

The objective of the study was to investigate the effect of isradipine on red blood cell filtrability in 20 men with mild-to-moderate hypertension. In this prospective, double-blind study, parallel groups of hypertensive male patients were randomized to receive either isradipine (n = 11) or placebo (n = 9). An additional group of nine normotensive age-matched volunteers served as controls.

Energy expenditure in normal labor.

The energy expenditure in 23 healthy parturient women during spontaneous labor was assessed by continuous measurement of their O2 consumption and CO2 production. Due to the intermittent character of uterine contractions, normal labor and delivery did not impose high energy demands on the parturient, whereas a prolonged labor and delivery in which energy input was high led to maternal metabolic disturbances.

Isotonic and isometric responses of blood pressure and heart rate in mild to moderate hypertension with isradipine and propranolol.

The objectives of this study were (a) to evaluate the dose-response effect of isradipine, a dihydropyridine calcium antagonist, on the heart rate and blood pressure of males with mild to moderate hypertension; and (b) to compare these results with those obtained with propranolol, a beta-adrenoceptor blocker, on a matched patient population. Twenty-four patients entered a single-blind study, beginning with a 2-week washout placebo period followed by a forced-titration period. Treadmill and hand-grip tests were also performed.

Study of the factors affecting blood viscosity in patients with thromboangiitis obliterans. A preliminary report.

Hematocrit values, plasma fibrinogen levels, and erythrocyte deformability are well-recognized factors affecting blood viscosity. We studied the incidence of abnormalities in these factors among 17 patients suffering from thromboangiitis obliterans (Buerger's disease) compared with 14 normal age- and sex-matched control subjects. Hematocrit values and fibrinogen levels were higher, whereas the erythrocyte filterability index was lower among the patients with Buerger's disease (p less than 0.

Cardiovascular drugs and exercise interactions.

An appreciation of the hemodynamic and biochemical changes induced by drugs is critical for a logical diagnostic interpretation of graded stress tests and the evaluation of the projected exercise prescription and exercise programs that a patient is asked to follow. Drug therapy is clearly not a contraindication to acute or chronic exercise as long as the potential benefits and complications of exercise and drug interaction are considered.

Isotonic (dynamic) and isometric (static) effort in the assessment and evaluation of diastolic hypertension: correlation and clinical use.

We compared the effect of two exercise stress tests on blood pressure in normal and borderline populations. The aim of the trial was to determine if isometric exercise testing by handgrip can replace the isotonic exercise test in population screening for the detection of mild and latent hypertension. The study involved 150 subjects; 62 were normotensive and 88 were borderline hypertensive.

Efficacy of clonidine as transdermal therapeutic system: the international clinical trial experience.

Worldwide clinical trial data concerning the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic characteristics of the clonidine transdermal therapeutic system (TTS) are reviewed with reference to its antihypertensive efficacy. The amount of clonidine delivered to the systemic circulation is a direct function of TTS size. After initial patch application, there is a delay of 2 to 3 days before the onset of action, but after removal of the patch, plasma clonidine levels decline slowly, at an elimination half-life of about 20 hours.

Serum amyloid A concentrations during the course of acute ischaemic heart disease.

Serum amyloid A concentrations were determined in serial serum samples of 41 patients with confirmed acute myocardial infarction (10 with acute ischaemia and two with myocarditis). A sharp increase in serum amyloid A concentration was observed early at onset of infarct; it peaked on the third day (up to 2200 fold of normal values) and declined towards normal during the following days, if no complications occurred. Different patterns were observed in patients with acute ischaemia or myocarditis.