Drug-Drug Interactions and Their Association With Quality of Life in Patients With Hypertension.

Introduction This study aimed to evaluate drug-drug interactions (DDIs) and their association with the quality of life in patients with hypertension. Materials and methods This cross-sectional study included 123 patients with hypertension. DDIs were evaluated using the Medscape Drug Interaction Checker Database (Medscape, New York, NY).

How COVID-19 changed clinical research strategies: a global survey.

Objective: Clinical research has faced new challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to excessive operational demands affecting all stakeholders. We evaluated the impact of COVID-19 on clinical research strategies and compared different adaptations by regulatory bodies and academic research institutions in a global context, exploring what can be learned for possible future pandemics.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional online survey and identified and assessed different COVID-19-specific adaptation strategies used by academic research institutions and regulatory bodies.

Turkish inappropriate medication use in the elderly (TIME) criteria to improve prescribing in older adults: TIME-to-STOP/TIME-to-START.

Purpose: To improve prescribing in older adults, criterion sets have been introduced from different countries. While current criterion sets are useful to some extent, they do not meet the need in some European countries. Turkish inappropriate medication use in the elderly (TIME) criteria was planned to meet this need.

Legal and ethical framework for global health information and biospecimen exchange - an international perspective.

Background: The progress of electronic health technologies and biobanks holds enormous promise for efficient research. Evidence shows that studies based on sharing and secondary use of data/samples have the potential to significantly advance medical knowledge. However, sharing of such resources for international collaboration is hampered by the lack of clarity about ethical and legal requirements for transfer of data and samples across international borders.

Evaluating the relationship of blood pressure, plasma angiotensin peptides and aldosterone with cognitive functions in patients with hypertension.

Renin Angiotensin Aldosterone System (RAAS) plays an important role in the development of hypertension. On the other hand, hypertension is a well-known and independent risk factor for cognitive impairment. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship of blood pressure control, plasma angiotensin peptides and aldosterone with cognitive functions.

Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system blockers and cardiovascular outcomes: a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.

Objective: Hypertension is the most prevalent modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular (CV) and cerebrovascular morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to assess the effects of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) blockade on CV outcomes.

Methods: This study was designed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systemic reviews and Meta-Analyses statement.

Renin inhibitors in diabetes and hypertension: an update.

The coexistence of hypertension and diabetes increases the incidence of cardiovascular events and long-term morbidity and mortality. Blood pressure should be controlled with the most appropriate drugs as well as tight blood glucose control in patients with diabetes and hypertension. RAAS (Renin Angiotensin Aldosterone System) blockers have an important role in the treatment of these patients, in this sense, ACEi and ARB remained the major treatment option in hypertension guidelines.

Aliskiren: review of efficacy and safety data with focus on past and recent clinical trials.

Aliskiren is the newest antihypertensive drug and the first orally active direct renin inhibitor to become available for clinical use. Clinical data have substantiated that the antihypertensive effectiveness of aliskiren is similar to that of the other major antihypertensive agents. Furthermore, aliskiren has a similar safety profile to placebo.

The efficacy and safety of triple vs dual combination of angiotensin II receptor blocker and calcium channel blocker and diuretic: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Many hypertensive patients require ≥2 drugs to achieve blood pressure targets. This study aims to review and analyze the clinical studies conducted with dual or triple combination of angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), calcium channel blockers (CCBs), and diuretics. Medical literature between January 1990 and April 2012 was reviewed systematically and data from eligible studies were abstracted.

Potential adjuvant effects of Nigella sativa seeds to improve specific immunotherapy in allergic rhinitis patients.

Objective: To investigate the effects of Nigella sativa seed supplementation on symptom levels, polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) functions, lymphocyte subsets and hematological parameters of allergic rhinitis.

Subjects And Methods: Twenty-four patients randomly selected from an experimental group of 31 (mean age 34 years) sensitive to house dust mites with allergic rhinitis and a control group of 8 healthy volunteers (mean age 23 years) were treated with allergen-specific immunotherapy in conventional doses for 30 days. After a month of immunotherapy, 12 of the 24 patients and the 8 healthy volunteers were given N.

Efficacy and safety of the direct renin inhibitor aliskiren and ramipril alone or in combination in patients with diabetes and hypertension.

Objective: To assess the antihypertensive efficacy and safety of the combination of the direct renin inhibitor aliskiren and ramipril in patients with diabetes and hypertension.

Methods: In this double-blind, multicentre trial, 837 patients with diabetes mellitus and hypertension (mean sitting diastolic blood pressure [BP] > 95 and < 110 mmHg) were randomised to once-daily aliskiren (150 mg titrated to 300 mg after four weeks; n=282), ramipril (5 mg titrated to 10 mg; n=278) or the combination (n=277) for eight weeks. Efficacy variables were cuff mean sitting diastolic BP (msDBP) and mean sitting systolic BP (msSBP); 24-hour ambulatory BP, plasma renin activity (PRA) and plasma renin concentration (PRC) were also assessed.

Effects of valsartan on stress-induced changes of serum vascular endothelial growth factor and nitric oxide in mice.

This study investigated the effects of renin-angiotensin system (RAS) blockade on stress-induced changes of serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and nitric oxide (NO) in mice. Chronic stress increased the serum NO levels significantly compared to control group (p = .0172).

Influence of polymerization method, curing process, and length of time of storage in water on the residual methyl methacrylate content in dental acrylic resins.

This study compared the influence of different polymerization methods (heat, auto-, and microwave energy), different curing processes (in the case of heat- and autopolymerized specimens), and length of storage of the polymerized specimens in distilled water at 37 degrees C on the residual methyl methacrylate (MMA) content in dental acrylic resin specimens. Residual MMA of 120 resin specimens were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography. For the heat-polymerized resins, the lowest residual MMA content was obtained when they were given a long-term terminal boil and then stored in the distilled water for at least 1 day.

Losartan may prevent the elevation of plasma glucose, corticosterone and catecholamine levels induced by chronic stress.

Introduction: Stress is a stimulus that activates the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis and sympathetic nervous system (SNS). Increased activity of the SNS causes to increment or impairment in blood pressure, heart rate, body temperature and plasma glucose and adreno- corticotrophic hormone (ACTH) levels. Angiotensin II (Ang II), which is a product of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), is an important factor affecting the activity of the SNS and responses to stress.

Alpha rhythm of the EEG modulates visual detection performance in humans.

The effects of the changes in the frequency spectrum of the electroencephalogram (EEG) on the perception of near-threshold visual stimuli and on the event-related potentials (ERPs) produced by these stimuli were investigated on 12 healthy volunteers. The stimulus intensity, at which each subject could detect 50% of the presented stimuli, was defined as the sensory threshold for that subject. Single ERP trials were separated into two groups: trials with detected and undetected stimuli.

Effects of nitrendipine on reference and working memory of rats in three-panel runway.

This study was designed to investigate whether calcium-channel blocker, nitrendipine affects memory of rats in three-panel runway test. Nitrendipine (2-4 mg kg(-1), intra peritoneally (i.p.

Losartan may prevent the elevation of plasma glucose levels induced by chronic stress.

The effect of angiotensin II antagonist, losartan, on chronic stress-induced elevation of blood glucose levels was investigated in rats. Chronic immobilization stress caused an increase in blood glucose levels in rats. Administration of losartan (3 mg/kg, po) before stress exposure significantly prevented this increment.

A model of pharmacology education: the experience of Istanbul Medical Faculty.

This article describes the pharmacology education program that has been applied since 1990 at the Istanbul Medical Faculty. In Turkey, medical education lasts 6 years after 11 years of general training. Each year, approximately 350 students join the Istanbul Medical Faculty.

Comparison of the effects of specific and nonspecific inhibition of nitric oxide synthase on morphine analgesia, tolerance and dependence in mice.

The effects of L-Canavanine, a selective inducible nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor and N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), a nonselective NOS inhibitor, on pain threshold and morphine induced analgesia, tolerance and dependence in mice were investigated and compared. Morphine was administered by subcutaneous implantation of a pellet containing 40 mg free base and withdrawal was precipitated by intraperitoneal (i.p.