Early administration of intravenous magnesium inhibits arterial thrombus formation.

An antiplatelet effect of magnesium has been demonstrated in vitro and ex vivo, and this effect may be advantageous in patients with acute myocardial infarction to inhibit reocclusion after coronary angioplasty or thrombolysis. We investigated the antithrombotic in vivo effect of intravenous magnesium in a placebo-controlled, blinded study in 46 male Wistar rats. Thrombus formation was induced by standardized arteriotomy of the femoral artery and partial inversion of the vessel wall to produce a thrombogenic area.

Applicability of cardiac troponin T and I for early risk stratification in unstable coronary artery disease. TRIM Study Group. Thrombin Inhibition in Myocardial ischemia.

Background: Studies have demonstrated that troponin T is a strong independent indicator of a poor prognosis in patients with unstable coronary artery disease. Up to the present, no study has compared the prognostic value of troponin T with that of troponin I in the same cohort of patients.

Methods And Results: Patients (n=516) suspected of having unstable coronary artery disease were investigated.

Potential proischemic effect of early enalapril in hypotension-prone patients with acute myocardial infarction. The CONSENSUS II Holter Substudy Group.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between early hemodynamic instability and myocardial ischemia and the effect of early intravenous enalapril therapy on this relationship. In patients with myocardial infarction (MI), early treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors is controversial. In hypotensive patients, initiation of treatment may exacerbate myocardial ischemia and thereby affect the clinical outcome.

Myocardial ischemia and ventricular arrhythmias in relation to left ventricular mass and resistance artery structure.

The study comprised 83 patients, mean (+/-SD) age 47 +/- 8 years, with essential hypertension. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure at inclusion were 171 +/- 16 and 110 +/- 7 mm Hg, respectively. Two small resistance arteries were dissected from a subcutaneous gluteal biopsy and mounted in an isometric small vessel myograph for measurement of the media:lumen ratio.

Magnesium inhibits platelet activity--an infusion study in healthy volunteers.

Magnesium (Mg) has shown the ability to inhibit arterial thrombus formation in some experimental animal studies. This effect may be due to an inhibition of platelet reactivity as in vitro studies have demonstrated that Mg inhibits platelet aggregation. In order to evaluate the in vivo effect of Mg in humans measurements of platelet activity, fibrinolytic activity, as well as measurements of prostacyclin (PGI2), and nitric oxide (NO) release were performed after infusion of magnesium sulphate (MgSO4) in healthy volunteers.

Influence of humoral and neurohormonal factors on cardiovascular hypertrophy in untreated essential hypertensives.

In essential hypertension, cardiovascular structure is believed to be influenced by hormonal and by hemodynamic factors. The objective of the present study was, in essential hypertensives, to investigate the relationship between blood pressure (BP) level as well as circulating hormones on the one hand and cardiovascular structure on the other. Seventy-nine untreated essential hypertensives were examined by 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring, echocardiography, microscopy of subcutaneous resistance vessels and analyzes of plasma for angiotensin II (P-Ang II), aldosterone, atrial natriuretic factor and 24-h urinary excretion of catecholamines.

Lipoprotein(a) and oxygen free radicals in survivors of acute myocardial infarction: effects of captopril.

Long-term treatment of survivors of an acute myocardial infarction with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors has a beneficial impact on their long-term outcome. We tested the hypothesis that captopril could reductively cleave the lipoprotein(a) molecule and in addition act as a scavenger of oxygen free radicals. In a double-blind trial, 20 patients were randomized to receive either captopril 50 mg daily or corresponding placebo.

Regression of media-to-lumen ratio of human subcutaneous arteries and left ventricular hypertrophy during treatment with an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor-based regimen in hypertensive patients.

A total of 25 patients with newly diagnosed or poorly controlled essential hypertension were randomly selected from a larger group referred to hospital. Treatment was initiated with perindopril (4-8 mg orally). If normotension was not achieved, isradipine (5-10 mg orally) was added and, if necessary, hydralazine was added.

The relation between peripheral vascular structure, left ventricular hypertrophy, and ambulatory blood pressure in essential hypertension.

The relations between left ventricular mass (LVM), peripheral resistance artery structure, and ambulatory BP were studied in 83 patients with previously untreated or poorly regulated essential hypertension and 20 healthy controls of similar age and sex. LVM was assessed by echocardiography. Signs of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) were present in 67 (81%) of the patients and in none of the controls.

Normalization of structural cardiovascular changes during antihypertensive treatment with a regimen based on the ACE-inhibitor perindopril.

Untreated essential hypertension is associated with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and structural changes in resistance vessels. The aim of this study was to establish the effect of perindopril based antihypertensive therapy on media thickness to lumen diameter (media:lumen) ratio of peripheral resistance vessels and left ventricular mass in essential hypertension. Twenty-five patients with newly diagnosed or poorly regulated essential hypertension were treated with perindopril.

Independent prognostic value of serum creatine kinase isoenzyme MB mass, cardiac troponin T and myosin light chain levels in suspected acute myocardial infarction. Analysis of 28 months of follow-up in 196 patients.

Objectives: We sought to determine the incidence and independent prognostic value of increased serum levels of sensitive serologic markers in patients in whom a conventionally diagnosed acute myocardial infarction had been ruled out.

Background: Increased serum levels of creatine kinase (CK) isoenzyme MB mass and cardiac troponin T in patients with unstable angina pectoris are associated with a poor prognosis.

Methods: We analyzed data from 196 consecutive patients with suspected acute myocardial infarction, which was later ruled out in 124.

Normalization of resistance artery structure and left ventricular morphology with a perindopril-based regimen.

Twenty-five patients with newly diagnosed or poorly regulated essential hypertension were randomly selected from a larger group referred to hospital. Treatment was initiated with perindopril (4 to 8 mg od). If normotension was not achieved, isradipine (5 to 10 mg od) was added and, if necessary, hydralazine was added.

Ventricular arrhythmias in the acute and chronic phases after acute myocardial infarction. Effect of intervention with captopril.

Background: Ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) are independent predictors of mortality in survivors of myocardial infarction (MI), and they are more likely to be induced in dilated hearts with increased wall stress. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors have been shown to prevent progressive dilation of the left ventricle after MI.

Methods And Results: The effects of captopril were evaluated in 58 patients with left ventricular (LV) dysfunction after MI.

Therapeutic effects of captopril on ischemia and dysfunction of the left ventricle after Q-wave and non-Q-wave myocardial infarction.

Treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors has a beneficial effect on myocardial ischemia and left ventricular dysfunction after myocardial infarction. The effect of captopril on myocardial ischemia was evaluated in 58 patients with left ventricular dysfunction (ejection fraction < 45%) after Q-wave or non-Q-wave myocardial infarction in a placebo-controlled, parallel, double-blind study. Patients were randomized on day 7 to either placebo or captopril (50 mg daily) and monitoring for a period of 180 days by serial echocardiography and ambulatory ST-segment monitoring.

Exercise capacity in patients with left ventricular dysfunction following acute myocardial infarction: relation to systolic and diastolic function and intervention with captopril.

Patients with acute or chronic heart disease may have limited exercise capacity if they have reduced left ventricular function. Indexes of reduced left ventricular function during exercise are a predictor of subsequent survival although left ventricular ejection fraction is a poor predictor of physical endurance. We evaluated the effect of captopril on physical endurance in 48 males with left ventricular dysfunction following myocardial infarction.

Human ventricular myosin light chain isotype 1 as a marker of myocardial injury.

A monoclonal enzyme immunoassay for measuring human ventricular myosin light chain isotype 1 (HVMLC1) in serum has been developed. To evaluate the method in patients with suspected myocardial injury, we studied 51 patients (16 acute myocardial infarction (AMI), 19 unstable angina pectoris (UAP), 9 stable angina pectoris, 3 nonischemic heart disease, 4 hip surgery patients), and 190 controls (blood donors). Serial blood-samples were drawn from patients; a single blood-sample from controls.

[Assessment of risk in patients admitted for observation for suspected acute myocardial infarction based on a sensitive immunoanalysis of serum creatine kinase isoenzyme MB].

We evaluated a new sensitive creatine kinase (CK) isoenzyme MB immunoassay with regard to clinical applicability and clinical outcome in 156 patients admitted consecutively to the Coronary Care Unit and suspected of having acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Sixty-five patients (42%) had AMI based on WHO criteria; 65 (42%) had ischemic heart disease (IHD) without AMI, and 26 (16%) had non-IHD. The 65 IHD-patients without AMI could be subdivided into a group of 24 patients with significant changes in serum CK MB levels and 41 patients with stable serum CK MB levels as compared to the non-IHD group.

Effects of captopril on ischemia and dysfunction of the left ventricle after myocardial infarction.

Background: Treatment with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors has been shown to be beneficial in patients with heart failure and myocardial infarction. Experimental studies have shown beneficial effects on the ischemic myocardium.

Methods And Results: The effects of captopril were evaluated in 64 patients with left ventricular dysfunction after myocardial infarction.

Effects of captopril on left ventricular systolic and diastolic function after acute myocardial infarction.

The left ventricle progressively dilates in some patients after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Both systolic and diastolic left ventricular (LV) dysfunction can be of significance in the development of heart failure. Captopril has been shown to prevent dilatation, but the effect on LV diastolic function is unknown.

Risk stratification in suspected acute myocardial infarction based on a sensitive immunoassay for serum creatine kinase isoenzyme MB. A 2.5-year follow-up study in 156 consecutive patients.

This prospective study was an evolution of a new sensitive creatine kinase (CK) isoenzyme MB immunoassay in 156 patients, admitted consecutively to the coronary care unit, suspected of having acute myocardial infarction (MI), with regard to clinical applicability and clinical outcome. 42% of the patients had MI based on WHO criteria. The remaining 91 patients could be divided into a group with ischemic heart disease (IHD) without MI being present (n = 65) and a group with non-IHD (n = 26).

Gradation of unstable angina based on a sensitive immunoassay for serum creatine kinase MB.

A newly developed, highly sensitive immunoassay for creatine kinase MB isoenzyme was evaluated in 68 patients with or without different types of ischaemic heart disease. Patients were classified on the basis of clinical criteria in four groups: no ischaemic heart disease, stable angina, unstable angina, and acute myocardial infarction. Enzyme concentration in patients with stable angina was the same (even during exercise) as seen in the patients without ischaemic heart disease.

Flecainide acetate in atrial flutter and fibrillation. The arrhythmogenic effects.

The arrhythmogenic effects of flecainide in atrial fibrillation and flutter were assessed in a consecutive material of 100 patients without severe heart failure (NYHA class I or II). Severe arrhythmogenic events occurred in 9% (4-16%) of the patients: within the first 5 days of treatment in seven patients, and in two patients after 60 and 240 days of flecainide treatment. Patients with proarrhythmic events tended to be older and to have a longer QRS duration.

Effects of glutamate on exercise tolerance and circulating substrate levels in stable angina pectoris.

The effects of glutamate on exercise tolerance, ischemic threshold and venous substrate concentrations were studied in 20 patients with stable angina pectoris and positive stress tests. Each patient underwent 4 upright bicycle exercise tests on consecutive days. The first and fourth tests were performed without medication while the second and third tests were preceded by a low and high bolus dose of monosodium glutamate, either 0.