Effects of an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ramipril) on inflammatory markers in secondary prevention patients: RAICES Study.

AIMS: To evaluate the hypothesis that angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor therapy with ramipril reduces baseline levels of C-reactive protein in patients at high cardiovascular risk. METHODS: Secondary prevention patients were screened for eligibility and treated with ramipril for 6 month. Baseline and 6-month highly sensitive C-reactive protein levels were determined. RESULTS: A total of 77 patients were analyzed. The median highly sensitive C-reactive protein concentration at baseline was 2.17 mg/l (interquartile interval 0.97-4.54); whereas in post-treatment, the median was 1.70 mg/l (interquartile interval 0.88-3.41), P=0.0009. Patients were stratified according to risk level determined by baseline highly sensitive C-reactive protein levels: low-risk (<1 mg/l), intermediate risk (1-3 mg/l) and high risk (>3 mg/l) The reduction in highly sensitive C-reactive protein occurred at the expense of the high-risk group (baseline 5.02 mg/l, post-treatment 3.3 mg/l, P<0.0001), with no differences in the other groups. In multiple regression analysis, the reduction observed in the high-risk group could not be explained by baseline treatment or change in any of the variables analyzed. CONCLUSION: Highly sensitive C-reactive protein levels were reduced after a 6-month ramipril therapy in secondary prevention patients, suggesting an anti-inflammatory effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors. Future investigations will be done to confirm these results, and to investigate how angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor treatment elicits anti-inflammatory effects.

Iniciativa menos sal, más vida: estrategia para la reducción de la ingesta de sodio en Argentina / Less salt, more life initiative: strategy to reduce sodium intake in Argentina

La ingesta elevada de sodio se asocia a una mayor incidencia de eventos cardiovasculares y muertes. Lareducción de esa ingesta resulta una intervención sanitaria costo-efectiva para la prevención. A través de un enfoque multisectorial, la iniciativa “Menos Sal, Más Vida” logró disminuir el contenido de sodio de losalimentos más consumidos en Argentina con un beneficio sanitario significativo.

Administracion de creatina monohidrato como suplemento energetico en jugadores de futbol profesional: evaluacion de rendimiento y toxicidad / Creatine monohydrate supplementation in soccer professional players

Con el objeto de confirmar las ventajas de la administracion de monohidrato de creatina como suplemento energetico para deportistas, descriptas en una amplia bibliografia, se planeo en marzo de 1998 realizar un ensayo con futbolistas profesionales del plantel superior del Club Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata. Paralelamente se realizaron todos los estudio medicos y bioquimicos para corroborar la ausencia de toxicidad a nivel hepatico y renal de la creatina. El protocolo comprendio un total de 8 deportistas sanos que se dividieron en 2 grupos de 4, elegidos en forma randomizada. El grupo A recibio creatina como suplemento energetico y el grupo B un placebo, bajo regimen doble ciego. Este sistema de trabajo consiste en brindar la misma informacion y conducta a ambos grupos (resumen truncado)