Age-related characteristics of ambulatory blood pressure load and mean blood pressure in normotensive subjects.

Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring has become increasingly popular for diagnosing and treating hypertension. However, data from normotensive subjects are needed for interpretation of hypertensive readings. Ambulatory blood pressure was monitored in 126 normotensive subjects (age range, 20 to 84 years).

Intrapartum intervention and delivery outcome in low-risk pregnancy.

A retrospective cohort study of 1597 low-risk pregnancies assessed the effects of obstetrical intervention using logistic regression. Both maternal and neonatal morbidity were low (15.2 percent and 3.

Late potentials on signal-averaged electrocardiograms and patency of the infarct-related artery in survivors of acute myocardial infarction.

This study evaluated the relation between patency of the infarct-related artery and the presence of late potentials on the signal-averaged electrocardiogram (ECG) in 124 consecutive patients (98 men, 26 women; mean age 59 years) with acute myocardial infarction receiving thrombolytic therapy, acute percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty or standard care. All patients were studied by coronary angiography, measurement of ejection fraction and signal-averaged ECG. The infarct-related artery was closed in 51 patients and open in 73.

Reproducibility of ambulatory blood pressure load.

Twenty-two hypertensive patients were monitored during two separate drug-free occasions with a Del Mar Avionics ambulatory device. Blood pressure loads (percentage of systolic and diastolic readings more than 140 and 90 mmHg, respectively) and mean BP were measured both to determine their reproducibility and to examine how they correlate with each other. The systolic and diastolic mean awake BPs for day 1 and day 2 were 140/93 mmHg and 140/91 mmHg, respectively, and BP loads were 45%/55% and 43%/54%.

Assessment of functional gastrointestinal disease: the bowel disease questionnaire.

A need exists for a self-report questionnaire that reliably and accurately measures symptoms and that distinguishes patients with functional gastrointestinal disease from those with other conditions. We have developed such an instrument, the bowel disease questionnaire, and herein describe details of its discriminatory validity. Data from 399 subjects were analyzed.

Diagnostic value of the Manning criteria in irritable bowel syndrome.

Because unexplained 'functional symptoms' are a major cause of referral to gastroenterologists, the efficiency of the medical history to lead to a positive diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome, without resorting to the use of expensive tests, remains a key question. Whilst the six criteria of Manning et al are widely used, data on their validity in discriminating irritable bowel syndrome from healthy controls, irritable bowel syndrome from non-ulcer dyspepsia and especially among irritable bowel syndrome subgroups, are not available. To evaluate this, we studied 361 outpatients who completed a bowel disease questionnaire, which objectively measured Manning's (and other) criteria.

A patient questionnaire to identify bowel disease.

Although functional gastrointestinal symptoms are seen frequently by internists and are the commonest reason for patients to be referred to gastroenterologists, no validated self-report questionnaire is available for their diagnosis. To differentiate among non-ulcer dyspepsia, the irritable bowel syndrome, organic gastrointestinal disease, and health, we developed a self-report questionnaire. Our bowel disease questionnaire, which evaluated 46 symptom-related items was completed prospectively by 361 subjects before their clinical evaluation as outpatients.

Blood pressure load--a better determinant of hypertension.

Noninvasive ambulatory blood pressure monitoring was used to evaluate the diagnosis of hypertension in 168 untreated patients with essential hypertension. On the basis of overall office blood pressure--the mean of 12 measurements, 2 in each of three positions (supine, sitting, and standing) on 2 consecutive days--133 patients were diagnosed as having hypertension (diastolic blood pressure of 90 mm Hg or higher) and 35 as having borderline hypertension (diastolic blood pressure of less than 90 mm Hg). The mean blood pressures for those with hypertension and borderline hypertension were 149/99 and 135/87 mm Hg, respectively.