Effects of eprosartan on diastolic function and neurohormones in patients with hypertension and diastolic dysfunction.

Objective: To compare the effects of an angiotensin receptor blocker(ARB)-based regimen versus a non-ARB based regimen on diastolic function and neurohormones in patients with hypertension and diastolic dysfunction.

Methods: 97 patients with a systolic blood pressure (SBP) > or =140 mmHg, a left ventricular ejection fraction >0.50, and echocardiographic evidence of diastolic dysfunction were randomly assignment to open-label treatment with eprosartan (with other anti-hypertensives; n = 47) or other anti-hypertensives alone (n = 50).

Leukocyte activation by triglyceride-rich lipoproteins.

Objective: Postprandial lipemia has been linked to atherosclerosis and inflammation. Because leukocyte activation is obligatory for atherogenesis, leukocyte activation by triglyceride-rich lipoproteins (TRLs) was investigated.

Methods And Results: The expression of CD11b and CD66b after incubation with glucose and native and artificial TRLs (NTRL and ATRL) in vivo and in vitro was evaluated by flowcytometry.

The metabolic syndrome in relation to complement component 3 and postprandial lipemia in patients from an outpatient lipid clinic and healthy volunteers.

We investigated the relationship between complement component 3 (C3), fasting and postprandial lipemia and the metabolic syndrome (MetabS). Herefore fasting and postprandial samples after an acute oral fat load were obtained in 40 MetabS+ (50+/-8 years) and 70 MetabS- (48+/-7 years) subjects. Fasting C3 was higher in MetabS+ (1.

Daytime triglyceridemia in normocholesterolemic patients with premature atherosclerosis and in their first-degree relatives.

Postprandial hypertriglyceridemia tested under metabolic ward conditions with unphysiological high fat loads has been reported in CAD patients and their relatives even in the presence of normal fasting lipids. It is unclear whether this also occurs in the daytime situation. Twenty-seven normocholesterolemic, non-obese and nondiabetic patients with premature coronary artery disease (CAD) and 56 first-degree relatives without CAD measured daytime capillary triglyceride profiles (TGc-AUC) as an estimate of postprandial lipemia.

Endothelial dysfunction in patients with coronary artery disease: a comparison of three frequently reported tests.

Background: Endothelial dysfunction is useful in predicting future cardiovascular disease. At present several tests are available to test endothelial function: coronary diameter response to acetylcholine, forearm bloodflow (FBF) response to acetylcholine, and brachial artery flow-mediated dilative (FMD) response to postischemic hyperemia. This study aimed to compare the three most frequently reported endothelial function tests.