Systemic oxidoreductive balance and vascular function in individuals without clinical manifestation of atherosclerosis.

Introduction: Endothelial dysfunction is recognized as the earliest disorder in the development of atherosclerosis, in the pathogenesis of which oxidative stress plays a crucial role. The aim of this study was to determine the relationships between non-invasive parameters of vascular dysfunction and oxidative stress.

Material And Methods: Forty-eight individuals without clinical manifestation of atherosclerosis were studied.

Does morphology of carotid plaque depend on patient's oxidative stress?

Objectives: This study explored the relationship between oxidative stress biomarkers and stability of carotid plaque. We decided to analyze the broad range of parameters describing oxidative stress in patients with carotid stenosis.

Design And Methods: 124 consecutive patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy were enrolled in the study group.

Improvement in health-related quality of life after therapy with omeprazole in patients with coronary artery disease and recurrent angina-like chest pain. A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of the SF-36 survey.

Background: Many patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) have overlapping gastroenterological causes of recurrent chest pain, mainly due to gastroesophageal reflux (GER) and aspirin-induced gastrointestinal tract damage. These symptoms can be alleviated by proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). The study addressed whether omeprazole treatment also affects general health-related quality of life (HRQL) in patients with CAD.

Treatment with double dose of omeprazole increases β-endorphin plasma level in patients with coronary artery disease.

Introduction: The proton pump inhibitor empirical trial, besides the analysis of symptoms, is the main method in the diagnosis of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease-related chest pain. β-Endorphin acts as an endogenous analgesia system. The aim of the study was verify whether β-endorphin plasma level is affected by omeprazole administration and influences the severity of anginal symptoms and outcome of the "omeprazole test" in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and chest pain of suspected non-cardiac origin.

[Pheochromocytoma--a disease which is worth to keep in mind].

The case of 25 years old male patient with symptoms of hypertensive storm in the course of pheochromocytoma was presented. For some years he had been suffering from moderate increase in arterial blood pressure whose secondary cause was not suspected by physicians examining this patient. In presented case the course of pheochromocytoma has special characteristics, such as: clinical presentation in young age, the course alternate between periods of hypertension and phases of normal blood pressure, physical signs of Marfan's syndrome, increase of troponin level within hypertensive storm, and attributes of malignant hypertension presented as transient proteinuria and glycosuria within normoglycemia.

The effect of double dose of omeprazole on the course of angina pectoris and treadmill stress test in patients with coronary artery disease--a randomised, double-blind, placebo controlled, crossover trial.

Background: Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) and coronary artery disease (CAD) frequently overlap, making the proper diagnosis of chest pain more difficult. GER symptoms may mistake anginal chest pain, and oesophageal acidification may induce myocardial ischaemia both in the rest and in the effort. Increase of oesophageal pH should prevent these conditions.

[Gastroesophageal reflux disease and coronary heart disease--coexistence or interrelationship?].

There is the normal coronary artery appearance in 20-30% of coronarographies, made in patients with chest pain and/or positive noninvasive cardiological tests. The simple explanation of this fact is the presence of diseases which may affect coronary perfusion via mechanism independent to the diameter of main coronary arteries. One of them is gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Suppression of gastric acid production may improve the course of angina pectoris and the results of treadmill stress test in patients with coronary artery disease.

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) and gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) often coexist in the same patients. The aim of this study was to estimate the effects of gastric acid output suppression with rabeprazole on course of angina pectoris and results of the treadmill stress test in patients with CAD.

Material/methods: We studied 34 patients with stable angina pectoris.