Evaluation of self-measured home vs. clinic intra-arterial blood pressure.

Home blood pressure (BP) monitoring is useful in the clinical management of patients with hypertension and the identification of those with "white-coat" hypertension; i.e. high readings in the clinic but normal BP at home.

[Can treatment of hypertension prevent myocardial infarction? New controlled clinical trials are proposed].

The only antihypertensive treatment regimen with documented effect on morbidity and mortality from stroke and coronary heart disease is based on diuretics and/or beta-blockers. However, new antihypertensive drugs are now widely used. These compounds may also prevent cardiovascular complications, but, as yet, this has not been proven.

[Osteosuturing with the Mitek anchor system--experiences from the first 17 operations].

In September 1990, the Mitek Anchor System was introduced commercially in Denmark. Since the introduction of the system in our department in October 1991 and until June 1992, we have collected data consecutively from all operations, in which the anchors have been used. The registration has included pre-operative history, type of operation and findings per- and post-operatively.

Sex differences in essential hypertension.

A group of 41-year-old hypertensive men (n = 35, blood pressure (BP) 149.9 +/- 2.1/98.

Progesterone reduces sympathetic tone without changing blood pressure or fluid balance in men.

There is scant information on the effects of progesterone on circulation. Changes in catecholamine levels, blood pressure and transcapillary fluid balance were measured in 12 men before and during administration of natural progesterone (Utrogestan). Before administration, systolic blood pressure was significantly correlated with venous adrenaline (r = 0.

Mild essential hypertension in nonobese premenopausal women is characterized by low renin.

The pathophysiological mechanisms in hypertension may differ in men and women. Plasma renin activity was measured in 27 premenopausal, never-treated hypertensive women (blood pressure 141 +/- 2/93 +/- 1 mm Hg) and in 18 age-matched normotensive women (blood pressure 113 +/- 2/71 +/- 2 mm Hg). All subjects were unaware of their blood pressure status.

[Treatment of hypertension in the elderly].

The effect of treating hypertension in the elderly (aged 60-65 years and above), and isolated systolic hypertension in particular, has not been adequately documented. In three recent studies, however, a good effect in respect of cardiovascular end points has been observed in this group of patients. We have previously suggested pharmacological treatment of a diastolic blood pressure above 100mm Hg after three to six months' observation and non-pharmacological intervention.

Does blood pressure reduction necessarily compromise cardiac function or renal hemodynamics? Effects of the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor quinapril.

Clinical studies indicate that the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor quinapril is an effective antihypertensive agent when administered once daily. At the end of a 4-week, double-blind crossover trial comparing quinapril and placebo, patients were admitted for a hemodynamic profile study 12 hours after taking the previous dose. A final 20 mg dose of quinapril had no additional effect on blood pressure.

[Treatment of hypertension in Norway. Indications, therapeutic intensity and economic aspects].

The Norwegian Society of Hypertension held its third scientific meeting in February 1991. One of the issues discussed was when to initiate drug treatment of uncomplicated essential hypertension and what level of blood pressure should be the goal of treatment. The American guidelines suggest that a blood pressure of 140/90 mm Hg or higher should be treated pharmacologically, whereas WHO suggests 160/95 mm Hg.

Haemodynamic and neurohumoral effects of cold pressor test in severe heart failure.

The effect of a cold pressor test (CPT) on haemodynamics in relation to general and regional sympathetic activity and arginin vasopressin (AVP), was studied in eleven patients with severe congestive heart failure (CHF). Compared to an age-matched control group (C), resting arterial plasma noradrenaline (NA) (419 +/- 77 vs. 182 +/- 15 pg ml-1), and adrenaline (A) (142 +/- 28 vs 54 +/- 10 pg ml-1) were higher (P less than 0.

The sympathetic nervous system may modulate the metabolic cardiovascular syndrome in essential hypertension.

The association between blood pressure and coronary artery disease may be caused by a concurrence of atherogenic biochemical abnormalities in hypertensive patients, i.e., the metabolic cardiovascular syndrome (increased total cholesterol, triglycerides, and insulin; decreased high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol; and insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, and blood platelet dysfunction).

[Ambulatory non-invasive 24-hour blood pressure measurement--do we need it?].

The introduction of non-invasive, portable, automatic blood pressure measurement devices enables characterization of the blood pressure profile throughout the day in an ambulatory setting. The article advises against uncritical use. 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure measurements have become a valuable tool in scientific research, however, especially in studies dealing with antihypertensive efficacy.

The epinephrine-blood platelet connection with special reference to essential hypertension.

About three decades ago it was shown by an aggregometer that epinephrine activated blood platelets, and it was proposed that platelets could be the link between stress and cardiovascular disease. During the past 10 years this hypothesis has been tested in clinical studies. It has been found that subjects with hypertension consistently have raised plasma catecholamine levels and in particular elevated epinephrine levels.

Faster and more reliable absorption of adrenaline by aerosol inhalation than by subcutaneous injection.

1. The aim of the present study was to compare absorption of adrenaline given by aerosol spray inhalation with absorption after subcutaneous injection. 2.

Hyperkinetic borderline hypertension in Tecumseh, Michigan.

Of 691 healthy (untreated) villagers of Tecumseh, Michigan (average age 32.6 years), 99 had a clinical blood pressure exceeding 140/90 mmHg. Thirty-seven per cent of these borderline hypertensives had increased heart rate, cardiac index, forearm blood flow and plasma norepinephrine.

Platelet function during antihypertensive treatment with quinapril, a novel angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor.

The effect of various antihypertensive medications on platelet function is of increasing interest. Conflicting effects of captopril on platelet function are reported and the impact of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors not containing a sulfhydryl group such as enalapril, lisinopril, and quinapril on platelet function remains unstudied. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to examine the effect of antihypertensive treatment with quinapril, a novel ACE inhibitor not containing a sulfhydryl group, on platelet function.

"White coat" versus "sustained" borderline hypertension in Tecumseh, Michigan.

During a survey of young subjects not receiving treatment for hypertension in Tecumseh, Michigan, clinic and self-monitored blood pressures taken at home (14 readings in 7 days) were obtained in 737 subjects (387 men, 350 women, average age 31.5 years). Hypertension in the clinic was diagnosed if the clinic blood pressure exceeded 140 mm Hg systolic or 90 mm Hg diastolic.

Increased arterial adrenaline is related to pain in uncomplicated myocardial infarction.

Plasma levels of catecholamines, beta-thromboglobulin (BTG) and arginine vasopressin (AVP), and degree of pain were examined in 22 patients with suspected uncomplicated myocardial infarction within 24 h following onset of chest pain. Sixteen patients developed infarction with peak creatine phosphokinase at 1280 Ul-1 (range 293-3770 Ul-1). Fifteen healthy men served as controls (C).

Renal haemodynamic and sympathetic responses to head-up tilt in essential hypertension.

Nine mild-to-moderate hypertensive patients (HT), aged 41 +/- 0.6 years (mean +/- SEM) and nine age-matched normotensive control subjects (NT) were tilted to 60 degrees for 10 min. During tilt, both systolic (S) blood pressure (BP) (p less than 0.

Awareness of hypertension increases blood pressure and sympathetic responses to cold pressor test.

The present study was aimed at examining the effects of awareness of hypertension on blood pressure and sympathetic responses to the cold pressor test. Nineteen-year-old men with similarly elevated mean blood pressure at a medical screening, but without knowledge of this, were randomized into two groups. The first group (n = 16) was sent a letter saying that their pressure was too high, and the second (n = 13) was sent a neutral letter.

Correlations between psychological and physiological responses to acute flight phobia stress.

Exposure of phobic subjects to real-life psychological stress may induce a high level of anxiety and be better than laboratory experiments for studies of physiological responses to psychological stress in human research. Therefore, by introducing natural psychological stress, i.e.

Hemodynamic effects of quinapril, a novel angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor.

The hemodynamic effects of quinapril, a novel nonsulfhydryl-containing angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, were assessed in 10 patients with mild-to-moderate essential hypertension. Compared with placebo, quinapril (20 mg) administered twice daily for 4 weeks significantly lowered blood pressure by decreasing total peripheral resistance without producing tachycardia, an increase in cardiac output, or a rise in plasma catecholamines. Quinapril significantly reduced renal, but not forearm, vascular resistance.

Increased erythrocyte magnesium in never treated essential hypertension.

In the present study we aimed at evaluating the intracellular concentrations of magnesium, potassium and sodium in 50-year-old, otherwise healthy white men with never treated, essential hypertension (n = 12) and in normotensive control subjects (n = 12) matched for age, sex, race, height, weight and smoking habits. Intraerythrocyte magnesium was significantly increased in the hypertensive group (P less than .001) and correlated positively and significantly to blood pressure in the total group (P less than .