Twenty-four hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in young and elderly hypertensive subjects.

The aim of our study was to compare blood pressure (BP) measured by 24-h ambulatory monitoring in young and elderly hypertensives and to find a dependency between left ventricular mass (LVM) and different pressure ratios. We also estimated the calcium ionized concentration and serum lipids in all subjects. Two hypertensive groups divided accordingly by age were studied. The duration of hypertension was similar in both groups. The Oxford Medilog ABP was used for the arterial BP recordings. Mean arterial BP, BP loads and night/day mean arterial pressure ratio were evaluated. In both groups left ventricular mass index (LVMI) were calculated. The serum calcium ionized concentration (Ca++) was estimated and serum lipids were determined. We found 10 non-dippers in the young group and seven non-dippers in the elderly hypertensives. LVM and LVMI were comparable in both groups. We showed the correlation of the nocturnal mean arterial pressure with LVM in elderly hypertensives and the dependency of nocturnal BP load with LVM in this group. Serum calcium ionized concentration was significantly decreased in the elderly patients, and LDL-cholesterol was significantly higher in this group. We found a negative correlation between serum calcium and triglycerides in young and elderly hypertensives. We found more non-dippers in the young hypertensives and a positive correlation between LVM and nocturnal mean arterial pressure and nocturnal BP load in elderly subjects. These results suggest the cardiovascular prognosis is not good in both groups. The prognosis in elderly hypertensives was also worsened by the low serum calcium ionized and high LDL-cholesterol concentrations.

[Endothelin and arterial hypertension]. / Endotelina a nadcisnienie tetnicze.

Endothelins (ETs) are peptides of 21 amino acids synthesized and released by variety of cells. Endothelin (now this peptide is called endothelin-1 (ET-1)) was isolated and identified in 1988 by Yanagisawa et al. Following studies revealed two other isoforms of endothelin': Endothelin-2 (ET-2) and endothelin-3 (ET-3). All of them bind to two types of receptors (A and B (ET-A r, ET-Br). ET-A r are responsible for concentration mediating. Two subtypes of ET-B r are known. ET-B1 r mediates vasorelaxation; ET-B2 vasoconstriction. ETs (especially ET-1) have variety of biological actions but the most important are vasoconstrictor and mitogenic action. Through these two mechanism ETs may participate in the pathogenesis and/or in the maintenance of hypertension in both experimental animal models and human essential hypertension. The intravenous infusion of synthetic ET induces a long-lasting elevation of blood pressure in experimental animals and in healthy humans. Number of studies have shown enhanced responses to ET in hypertensive subjects but decreased responses have also been reported. Similarly, plasma levels of ET-1 are either normal or elevated in experimental and human essential hypertension. Numerous investigators have suggested an interaction between ET and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors through the renin-angiotensin system or through the accumulation of endogenous bradykinin. Also calcium antagonists of different classes prevent endothelin-induced contractions. Endothelin- converting enzyme inhibitor (phosphoramidon) and ET-A/B r antagonists (bosentan, BQ-123, FR139317) may have potential role as vasodilators in the treatment of hypertension.

[Comparison of calcium oxalate values as indicators of risk for calcium oxalate calcinosis and the degree of urine saturation in patients with calcium urolithiasis and in healthy patients]. / Porównanie wartosci wskaznika zagrozenia kamica szczawianowo-wapniowa i stopnia nasycenia moczu szczawianem wapniowym u chorych na wapniowa kamice moczowa i u osób zdrowych.

Daily excretion of calcium, magnesium, oxalates, and citrates together with daily urine output were determined in 37 patients with calcium urolithiasis and in 25 healthy individuals. Basing on the obtained values, a degree of urine saturation with calcium oxalate with Marshall and Robertson technique and a value of risk factor with Tiselius technique were calculated. It was found that daily diuresis and excretion of calcium with the urine are significantly higher in patients with urolithiasis where as daily excretion of citrates with the urine is significantly lower than in healthy individuals. Risk index proved two-fold higher in the examined patients than in the healthy individuals (p greater than 0.001) while the degree of urine saturation with calcium oxalate did not differ significantly in both groups. The authors, discussing causes of seemingly different changes in both tested parameters, stressed diagnostic value of risk index which includes excretion of crystallization inhibitors (magnesium, citrates) and contrary to the degree of urine saturation is independent of daily urine output.

[Osteoporosis in insulin dependent diabetes]. / Osteoporoza w przebiegu cukrzycy insulinozaleznej.

A case of female patient with non-compensated diabetes mellitus is presented. Pathological bone fractures caused by the diabetic osteoporosis were produced in the relatively short period of time. An emphasis is on the role of pathogenetic factors leading to the diabetic osteoporosis, prevention and treatment of this disease are discussed.

[Clinical characteristics of patients with hypertension resistant to antihypertensive drug therapy]. / Charakterystyka kliniczna chorych z nadcisnieniem tetniczym opornym na leczenie hipotensyjne.

Two groups of hypertensive patients: 137 responsive (on one or two drugs) and 162 resistant on antihypertensive treatment in the similar age were compared. Resistant patients (on three or more drugs) characterize by significantly higher body weight and BMI, longer history of hypertension, more frequent hypertension prevalance in family members and lower education. Level of triglycerides in resistant on antihypertensive treatment patients was significantly higher than in responsive patients. Insulin level in blood in 31 patients with essential hypertension was significantly higher than in 36 healthy persons and 20 patients with renovascular hypertension and resistant on antihypertensive therapy. In 14 patients with essential hypertension resistant to treatment insulin level one hour after oral glucose load was significantly (p < 0.01) higher than in 16 patients with essential hypertension responsive to antihypertensive treatment.