Atenolol in the treatment of essential hypertension.

In a large, open-label study of 522 patients diagnosed as essential hypertensives, atenolol was both effective and well tolerated. In 392 patients whose blood pressure was measured at the initial visit and after at least four weeks of atenolol therapy, average reductions of 21 mm Hg and 14 mm Hg, were noted in the systolic and diastolic blood pressure respectively. Forty-three patients stopped taking atenolol because of side-effects.

Antiarrhythmic therapy: clinical pharmacology update.

Currently available antiarrhythmic agents are limited by side effects and the potential for increasing arrhythmias. In addition, drug interactions, altered disposition of drug as a result of changes in protein binding or concomitant disease processes, active metabolites, and poorly defined therapeutic ranges with great interpatient variability are some of the factors which complicate therapy. An awareness of the possible contribution of these factors in the use of antiarrhythmics is invaluable in both the choice of agent and the establishment of an optimum benefit-to-risk ratio for the patient.

Antiinflammatory properties of a hydroperoxide compound, structurally related to acetylsalicylic acid.

3-Hydroperoxy-3-methylphthalide (3-HMP), a structural analog of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), was found to have some antiinflammatory properties which are distinct from those of ASA. 3-HMP inhibits human platelet aggregation and ATP release in response to low concentrations of collagen but is less effective than ASA. 3-HMP inhibits prostaglandin and thromboxane production from exogenous [14C]arachidonic acid by human platelet lysates in vitro and does so at lower concentrations than ASA (3-HMP IC50 = 10 microM; ASA IC50 = 50 microM).

Effects of oral contraceptives on lipoprotein lipids: a prospective study.

One hundred sixty-nine healthy women, aged 17 to 29 years, nonsmokers or light smokers (fewer than ten cigarettes per day), were assigned randomly to take one of five oral contraceptives: 1) 100 micrograms mestranol plus 0.5 mg ethynodiol diacetate (100 M + 0.5 ED); 2) 100 micrograms mestranol plus 1.

Pharmacology, electrophysiology, and pharmacokinetics of mexiletine.

Mexiletine is a class I antiarrhythmic agent that is active after both oral and intravenous administration and similar in structure and activity to lidocaine. It decreases phase O maximal rate of depolarization (Vmax) by fast sodium channel blockade. The marked rate dependence of Vmax depression may explain mexiletine's lack of effect on normal conduction and its efficacy against ventricular tachyarrhythmias.