[The effects of nifedipine and captopril on blood pressure, clinical chemical parameters and general health].

The anti-hypertensive effects of slowly absorbable nifedipin in doses of 20-40 mg twice daily and 25-50 mg captopril twice daily were investigated in a randomized cross-over trial on 19 patients with slight to moderate hypertension. Both of these preparations caused significant reduction in the diastolic blood pressure (BT) measured two and 12 hours after the last dose. Nifedipin caused 5% reduction of the diastolic blood pressure measured 12 hours after the last dose more frequently than did captopril.

Lower chronic stimulation threshold in the carbon-tip than in the platinum-tip endocardial electrode: a randomized study.

Seventy-nine patients admitted for VVI pacemaker treatment were randomly given a Siemens-Elema 412 S endocardial electrode (tip material vitreous carbon, tip area 12 mm2) (41 patients) or a Siemens-Elema 415 S endocardial electrode (tip material platinum, tip area 12 mm2) (38 patients). The groups did not differ in age, sex, magnitude of intracardiac signal or indication for pacemaker treatment. Pacing threshold was measured by the vario technique at 3 and 15 months after the implantation.

[Thyrotoxicosis in patients hospitalized because for atrial fibrillation].

The thyroid parameters were investigated in 99 out of 167 patients with atrial fibrillation as the main diagnosis during a period of two years. Out of these, 22 had current or previous thyrotoxicosis. Sixteen patients with thyrotoxicosis out of 93 (17%) had raised thyroid parameters in connection with the present admission with atrial fibrillation.

[Amylase-producing lung tumors].

Raised serum amylase associated with pulmonary tumours is a rare phenomenon. On the basis of two cases, the literature is reviewed and the case histories are compared. The majority of tumours associated with raised serum amylase are adenocarcinomata and, in all of the cases in which determinations of isoenzymes were undertaken, the amylase-isoenzyme was of salivary gland type.

The effect of nifedipine and captopril on platelet activation and prostanoid production in essential hypertension.

Sixteen patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension were randomly allocated to 6 weeks of treatment with nifedipine and captopril in a crossover trial. Nifedipine and captopril lowered blood pressure significantly both 2 and 12 h after the last dose. Apart from an increased heart rate 2 h after the last dose of nifedipine, the heart rate did not change.