[Antiatherosclerotic effect of ACE inhibitor drugs]
CZURIGA István
MARCH 20, 2001
Lege Artis Medicinae - 2001;11(03)
CZURIGA István
MARCH 20, 2001
Lege Artis Medicinae - 2001;11(03)
[Based on animal and human research data, it is likely that renin-angiotensin-aldosteron system has an important role in the pathogenesis and progression of atherosclerosis. It has been demonstrated in several large clinical trials that ACE inhibitors reduce the risk of ischemic events in patients with left ventricular dysfunction. Whereas some benefits of ACE inhibitors may be related to the lowering of blood pressure, other specific effects on vasculature have also been proposed. ACE inhibitors appear to possess unique cardioprotective and vasculoprotective properties even for patients without hypertension or left ventricular dysfunction. Recent data suggest that most patient with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease should be considered for ACE inhibitor therapy, unless they are intolerant or have contraindication for the drug. The goal of this article is to review the data from clinical trials that support the anti-atherosclerotic and antiischemic effects of ACE inhibitors.]
Lege Artis Medicinae
Lege Artis Medicinae
Lege Artis Medicinae
[INTRODUCTION - More and more children affected by cystic fibrosis reach adulthood. The frequency of complications, such as pneumothorax, increases parallel with the long disease course. PATIENTS AND METHODS - The treatment of 17 manifestations of pneumothorax in 10 young adult cystic fibrosis patients in our institute was analysed retrospectively. RESULTS - Depending on the extension of pneumothorax and the clinical state of the patients the first choice of the treatment was observation alone in 6 cases, insertion of pleuracan in 3 cases and tube thoracostomy in 8 cases. Due to ineffective suction, thoracotomy was necessary in 6 patients, bilaterally in 3 cases. CONCLUSION - The outcome of conservative treatment even in "small, circumscribed pneumothorax" cases of symptom-free patients is uncertain and risky. Insertion of a pleuracan is recommended only in urgent, life-threatening cases, but definitive result should not be expected. If possible, chest drainage should be chosen as the first procedure. After 5-7 days of ineffective chest suction, thoracotomy is mandatory. Recurrence of the pneumothorax is direct indication for surgery. Antibiotic treatment is suggested for the duration of drainage, as well as for the surgical procedure.]
Lege Artis Medicinae
Lege Artis Medicinae
Lege Artis Medicinae
[The prevalence of hypertension among patients with chronic kidney disease is high, reaching more than 80%. Hypertension is both one of the main causes and also the most common consequence of chronic kidney disease. It is also a main factor responsible for the high cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in this patient population. Blood pressure control can improve patient outcomes, lower cardiovascular risk and slow down the progression of kidney disease, irrespective of the underlying cause. The optimal therapy should therefore focus not only on blood pressure reduction but also on renoprotection. Basic understanding of the renal pathophysiology in hypertension and renal effects of various medications is of paramount importance. In this review, we summarized cornerstones of the antihypertensive therapy in patients with chronic kidney disease. The management of patients receiving kidney replacement therapies, such as hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis or transplantation requires special knowledge and experience, therefore it is not discussed here. The aim of this review was to allow non-nephrologist physicians to take care of their kidney patients with more confidence and effectiveness.]
Hypertension and nephrology
[Assessment of early atherosclerosis and decreased arterial elasticity to recognise the cardiovascular dysfunction in high-risk patients has gained importance in the past decade. Since 1990, more than 630 papers have been published in the adult and pediatric literature. Methods of early risk assessment in adults are well determined in international recommendations. The aim of the present work is to review the suggestions of the American Heart Association helping us to find the most appropriate method for the non invasive methods of cardiovascular assessment of young adults and children. Furthermore, multicentric studies should be conducted to create a Framingham like score system for pediatric patients, to render cardiovascular risk assessment much easier for the every day routine.]
Lege Artis Medicinae
[INTRODUCTION - An association of Chlamydia pneumoniae (C. pneumoniae) with coronary heart disease has been found with seroepidemiological methods. This organism was demonstrated in atheromatous plaques by electron microscopy, immunohistochemistry, and polymerase chain reaction. MATERIAL AND METHODS - To better understand the significance of the presence of C. pneumoniae in atheromatous plaques, we examined coronary artery segments from young adults (15-34 years) with and without atherosclerosis. 74 samples of left anterior descending artery were examined immunohistochemically for the presence of C. pneumoniae by the monoclonal antibody RR402. RESULTS - C. pneumoniae was identified in the atheroma in 11 of 17 cases (65%) and in preatheroma in 6 of 15 cases (40%), in fatty streak in 7 of 23 cases (30%) and in intimal thickening in 1 of 14 cases (7%). C. pneumoniae was not found in the intimal and medial layer of the normal-appearing coronary arteries. C. pneumoniae was detected in the adventitia in 51 cases (67%) of the coronary arteries: in the normal arteries and initial lesions in 27 of 42 cases (63%), and in the advanced lesions in 24 of 32 cases (75%). Correlation was observed between the C. pneumoniae positive cases and cigarette smoking. CONCLUSION - Our results suggest that C. pneumoniae may relate to the severity of atherosclerosis in the youth, thus may initiate atherosclerotic injury or facilitate its progression along with other risk factors.]
Lege Artis Medicinae
[The beneficial effects of treatment with betablockers in patients with chronic heart failure have been demonstrated in several large, prospective, randomised, placebo-controlled clinical trials. In large trials with mortality as the endpoint, the long-term use of bisoprolol, carvedilol, nevibolol and metoprolol succinate have been associated with a reduction in total mortality, cardiovascular mortality, sudden cardiac death and death due to progression of heart failure in patients of functional classes II-IV. These favorable clinical experiences warrant a recommendation that beta-blockers should be used in all haemodynamically stable heart failure patients with reduced left ventricular systolic function who are on standard treatment, unless contraindicated. In this review, the most important data of clinical trials and practical considerations of therapy with beta-blockers in heart failure are summarized.]
Clinical Neuroscience
[Dizziness and vertigo - like headache - are the most common complaints which leads patients to visit the doctor. In spite of the headache - which may be primary (e.g. migraine) or symptomatic - dizziness and vertigo do not appear to be a separate nosologic entity but rather the symptoms of several neurological disorders. For differential diagnosis, interdisciplinary thinking and activity is needed because the vestibular, neurological and psychiatric disorders might have a common role in the development of symptoms and further overlapping can also occur. The vascular disorders of the vertebrobasilar system are discussed in detail in this review. The importance, occurrence and causes of vertigo as a warning symptom is in the focus. The author draws attention to life-threatening conditions with acute onset in cases of the posterior scale ischemia and emphasizes the importance of the correct and early diagnosis. The author tries to clear up the nihilistic aspect in treating of stroke and stresses the necessity of thrombolysis and interventional radiological procedures which may be the only chance for the recovery of the patients. The pharmacological prevention of recurrent vascular events is also important and obligatory for the clinicians.]
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