Cardiac peptides during exercise test in ischemic and non-ischemic heart failure patients.

Background: Cardiac peptides are increased at rest in heart failure patients representing a useful diagnostic tool for this condition. Recently it has been demonstrated that cardiac peptides increase also during myocardial ischemia. Cardiac peptides increase during exercise in heart failure patients, but it has not been established yet if the increase is the same in ischemic and nonischemic patients.

The effect of simvastatin associated with ranitidine and alcohol upon serum lipids.

Statins are highly effective in lowering TC and LDL-C but the increasing of HDL-C is modest and the cost of long-term treatment is too high. On the other hand it is known that the association of H2 receptor blockers increases the plasmatic level of statins, and moderate alcohol consumption increases HDL-C. The purpose of the study was to compare the effect of statins alone and in association with either H2 receptor blockers or alcohol upon serum lipids in dyslipidemic patients.