Assessment of gastric emptying of maltodextrin, coffee with milk and orange juice during labour at term using point of care ultrasound: a non-inferiority randomised clinical trial.

Labouring women have been shown to have slower gastric emptying than non-pregnant subjects, and this argument is sometimes used to recommend fasting guidelines such as nil-by-mouth during labour. We performed a parallel group, randomised non-inferiority trial, comparing gastric emptying of 450 ml isocalorically-adjusted maltodextrin, coffee with milk or pulp-free orange juice, with 18 women in each group. The women were initially fasted for 2 h for clear fluids, 6 h for a light meal and 8 h for a high fat or high protein meal. We performed gastric ultrasound in the semirecumbent-right lateral decubitus position. Gastric antral area was measured at baseline and at 5 min, 30 min, 60 min, 90 min and 120 min. Gastric emptying of maltodextrin was significantly faster than coffee with milk (p < 0.001) and orange juice (p < 0.001). There was no statistically significant difference between pulp-free orange juice and coffee with milk (p = 0.97). The estimated gastric residual volume was lower than baseline from 90 min after drinking maltodextrin. In labouring women, maltodextrin is cleared from the stomach faster than coffee with milk and orange juice. Gastric emptying depends on other factors besides the caloric load and volume of the drink.

Acyl ghrelin improves cognition, synaptic plasticity deficits and neuroinflammation following amyloid ß (Aß1-40) administration in mice.

Ghrelin is a metabolic hormone that has neuroprotective actions in a number of neurological conditions, including Parkinson's disease (PD), stroke and traumatic brain injury. Acyl ghrelin treatment in vivo and in vitro also shows protective capacity in Alzheimer's disease (AD). In the present study, we used ghrelin knockout (KO) and their wild-type littermates to test whether or not endogenous ghrelin is protective in a mouse model of AD, in which human amyloid ß peptide 1-40 (Aß1-40 ) was injected into the lateral ventricles i.c.v. Recognition memory, using the novel object recognition task, was significantly impaired in ghrelin KO mice and after i.c.v. Aß1-40 treatment. These deficits could be prevented by acyl ghrelin injections for 7 days. Spatial orientation, as assessed by the Y-maze task, was also significantly impaired in ghrelin KO mice and after i.c.v. Aß1-40 treatment. These deficits could be prevented by acyl ghrelin injections for 7 days. Ghrelin KO mice had deficits in olfactory discrimination; however, neither i.c.v. Aß1-40 treatment, nor acyl ghrelin injections affected olfactory discrimination. We used stereology to show that ghrelin KO and Aß1-40 increased the total number of glial fibrillary acidic protein expressing astrocytes and ionised calcium-binding adapter expressing microglial in the rostral hippocampus. Finally, Aß1-40 blocked long-term potentiation induced by high-frequency stimulation and this effect could be acutely blocked with co-administration of acyl ghrelin. Collectively, our studies demonstrate that ghrelin deletion affects memory performance and also that acyl ghrelin treatment may delay the onset of early events of AD. This supports the idea that acyl ghrelin treatment may be therapeutically beneficial with respect to restricting disease progression in AD.

High sucrose consumption induces memory impairment in rats associated with electrophysiological modifications but not with metabolic changes in the hippocampus.

High sugar consumption is a risk factor for metabolic disturbances leading to memory impairment. Thus, rats subject to high sucrose intake (HSu) develop a metabolic syndrome and display memory deficits. We now investigated if these HSu-induced memory deficits were associated with metabolic and electrophysiological alterations in the hippocampus. Male Wistar rats were submitted for 9 weeks to a sucrose-rich diet (35% sucrose solution) and subsequently to a battery of behavioral tests; after sacrifice, their hippocampi were collected for ex vivo high-resolution magic angle spinning (HRMAS) metabolic characterization and electrophysiological extracellular recordings in slices. HSu rats displayed a decreased memory performance (object displacement and novel object recognition tasks) and helpless behavior (forced swimming test), without altered locomotion (open field). HRMAS analysis indicated a similar hippocampal metabolic profile of HSu and control rats. HSu rats also displayed no change of synaptic transmission and plasticity (long-term potentiation) in hippocampal Schaffer fibers-CA1 pyramid synapses, but had decreased amplitude of long-term depression in the temporoammonic (TA) pathway. Furthermore, HSu rats had an increased density of inhibitory adenosine A1 receptors (A1R), that translated into a greater potency of A1R in Schaffer fiber synapses, but not in the TA pathway, whereas the endogenous activation of A1R in HSu rats was preserved in the TA pathway but abolished in Schaffer fiber synapses. These results suggest that HSu triggers a hippocampal-dependent memory impairment that is not associated with altered hippocampal metabolism but is probably related to modified synaptic plasticity in hippocampal TA synapses.

Does previous chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting predict postoperative nausea and vomiting?

BACKGROUND: Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) remains a problem in the postoperative period. Previous PONV in oncology patients has recently been associated with chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV). We assessed if CINV could improve Apfel's heuristic for predicting PONV. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of 1500 consecutive patients undergoing intermediate or major cancer surgery between April and July 2011. PONV was assessed in the first postoperative day during post-anaesthesia care. The assigned anaesthetist completed an electronic medical record with all of the studied variables. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to assess whether any of the variables could add predictive ability to Apfel's tallying heuristic, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were modelled. The areas under the curve (AUC) were used to compare the model's discriminating ability for predicting patients who vomited from those who did not vomit. RESULTS: The overall incidence of PONV was 26%. Multiple logistic regressions identified two independent predictors for PONV (odds ratio; 95% CI), Apfel's score (1.78; 1.23-2.63) and previous chemotherapy-induced vomiting (3.15; 1.71-5.9), Hosmer-Lemeshow's P < 0.0001. Previous CINV was the most significant predictor to be added to Apfel's heuristic in this population. CONCLUSIONS: A history of chemotherapy-induced nausea vomiting was a strong predictor for PONV and should be investigated as an added risk factor for PONV in the preoperative period of oncology surgery in prospective studies.

Hormonal and cardiovascular reflex assessment in a female patient with pure autonomic failure.

We report the case of a 72-year-old female with pure autonomic failure, a rare entity, whose diagnosis of autonomic dysfunction was determined with a series of complementary tests. For approximately 2 years, the patient has been experiencing dizziness and a tendency to fall, a significant weight loss, generalized weakness, dysphagia, intestinal constipation, blurred vision, dry mouth, and changes in her voice. She underwent clinical assessment and laboratory tests (biochemical tests, chest X-ray, digestive endoscopy, colonoscopy, chest computed tomography, abdomen and pelvis computed tomography, abdominal ultrasound, and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring). Measurements of catecholamine and plasmatic renin activity were performed at rest and after physical exercise. Finally the patient underwent physiological and pharmacological autonomic tests that better diagnosed dysautonomia.

Autonomic abnormalities demonstrable in young normotensive subjects who are children of hypertensive parents.

Although a slightly elevated office blood pressure (BP) has been reported in several studies, little is known about the prolonged resting blood pressure, heart rate (HR) and baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) of prehypertensive subjects with a family history of hypertension. Office blood pressure, prolonged resting (1 h) BP and HR were measured in 25 young normotensives with a positive family history of hypertension (FH+) and 25 young normotensives with a negative family history of hypertension (FH-), matched for age, sex, and body mass index. After BP and HR measurements, blood samples were collected for the determination of norepinephrine, plasma renin activity and aldosterone levels, and baroreflex sensitivity was then tested. Casual BP, prolonged resting BP and heart rate were significantly higher in the FH+ group (119.9 +/- 11.7/78.5 +/- 8.6 mmHg, 137.3 +/- 12.3/74.4 +/- 7.9 mmHg, 68.5 +/- 8.4 bpm) compared to the FH- group (112.9 +/- 11.4/71.2 +/- 8.3 mmHg, 128.0 +/- 11. 8/66.5 +/- 7.4 mmHg, 62.1 +/- 6.0 bpm). Plasma norepinephrine level was significantly higher in the FH+ group (220.1 +/- 104.5 pg/ml) than in the FH- group (169.1 +/- 63.3 pg/ml). Baroreflex sensitivity to tachycardia (0.7 +/- 0.3 vs 1.0 +/- 0.5 bpm/mmHg) was depressed in the FH+ group (P<0.05). The FH+ group exhibited higher casual blood pressure, prolonged resting blood pressure, heart rate and plasma norepinephrine levels than the FH- group (P<0.05), suggesting an increased sympathetic tone in these subjects. The reflex tachycardia was depressed in the FH+ group.

Autonomic abnormalities demonstrable in young normotensive subjects who are children of hypertensive parents

Although a slightly elevated office blood pressure (BP) has been reported in several studies, little is known about the prolonged resting blood pressure, heart rate (HR) and baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) of prehypertensive subjects with a family history of hypertension. Office blood pressure, prolonged resting (1 h) BP and HR were measured in 25 young normotensives with a positive family history of hypertension (FH+) and 25 young normotensives with a negative family history of hypertension (FH-), matched for age, sex, and body mass index. After BP and HR measurements, blood samples were collected for the determination of norepinephrine, plasma renin activity and aldosterone levels, and baroreflex sensitivity was then tested. Casual BP, prolonged resting BP and heart rate were significantly higher in the FH+ group (119.9 + or - 11.7/78.5 + or - 8.6 mmHg, 137.3 + or - 12.3/74.4 + or - 7.9 mmHg, 68.5 + or - 8.4 bpm) compared to the FH- group (112.9 + or - 11.4/71.2 + or - 8.3 mmHg, 128.0 + or - 11.8/66.5 + or - 7.4 mmHg, 62.1 + or - 6.0 bpm). Plasma norepinephrine level was significantly higher in the FH+ group (220.1 + or - 104.5 pg/ml) than in the FH- group (169.1 + or - 63.3 pg/ml). Baroreflex sensitivity to tachycardia (0.7 + or - 0.3 vs 1.0 + or - 0.5 bpm/mmHg) was depressed in the FH+ group (P<0.05). The FH+ group exhibited higher casual blood pressure, prolonged resting blood pressure, heart rate and plasma norepinephrine levels than the FH- group (P<0.05), suggesting an increased sympathetic tone in these subjects. The reflex tachycardia was depressed in the FH+ group

Evolução a longo prazo e complicaçöes da hipertensão arterial após transplante cardíaco / Long-term follow-up and complications of arterial hypertension after cardiac transplantation

OBJETIVO - Avaliar a evolução da hipertensão arterial (HA), e suas conseqüências, em pacientes submetidos a transplante cardíaco (TC) em uso de ciclosporina (CL). MÉTODOS - Em 65 pacientes submetidos a TC ortotópico, avaliamos a pressão arterial, creatinina sérica e níveis sangüíneos de CL nos períodos pré-operatório (15 dias antes do TC), pós-operatório precoce (15 e 30 dias) tardio (6, 12, 24, 48 e 60 meses); em 20 pacientes analisamos índice cardíaco e resistência vascular no pré, 15 e 30 dias, 6 e 12 meses após TC; em 33 pacientes, estudamos estrutura e função ventricular ao ecocardiograma, 24ñ13 meses após Tc. RESULTADOS - Após 30 dias, a HA estava presente em 58,5 'por cento' dos pacientes (50 'por cento'leve), enquanto na evolução tardia, a incidência da HA aumentou significativamente para 93 'por cento' após um ano (85 'por cento'moderada a grave). A creatinina sérica aumentou progressivamente do pré-TC (1,43ñ0,5mg/dl) até após um ano (1,83ñ0,9mg/dl). Não houve correlação entre a HA, creatinina sérica e níveis de CL. O índice cardíaco aumentou na fase precoce, enquanto a resistência periférica diminuiu no início e aumentou significativamente aos 12 meses. Ao ecocardiograma, 54 'por cento' dos pacientes apresentavam hipertrofia de ventrículo esquerdo com função normal. Dos 31 pacientes que faleceram durante a evolução, dois tiveram a causa mortis diretamente relacionada a HA. CONCLUSÄO - A HA em pacientes submetidos a TC em uso de CL ocorre precocemente, aumenta em prevalência e gravidade com tempo e é mediada por aumento da resistência periférica, não se correlacionando com a nefrotoxicidade e com os níveis sangüíneos da CL, podendo agravar a insuficiência renal ou comprometer a longevidade do transplante, induzindo hipertrofia ventricular.

Lipid metabolism alterations in normotensive subjects with positive family history of hypertension.

Metabolic abnormalities are usually reported in hypertensive patients. These metabolic alterations seem to begin in childhood. The young offspring of hypertensive parents have not been studied thoroughly for metabolic alterations. The aim of this study was to examine the level of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, VLDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, uric acid, glycemia, aldosterone, and plasma renin activity in a population of 42 young, slender normotensive subjects with positive family history of hypertension (FH+) or negative family history of hypertension (FH-). Measurements were made in 20 young normotensive subjects (age 21.1+/-2.2 years, 11 males, 15 white, 5 oriental, body mass index of 22.1+/-2.3 kg/m2) with FH+ and 22 young normotensive subjects (age 19.9+/-1.4 years, 17 males, 17 white, 5 oriental, body mass index of 22.1+/-2.3 kg/m2) with FH-. The total cholesterol (4.47+/-0.8 versus 3.95+/-0.6 mmol/L), LDL cholesterol (2.74+/-0.63 versus 2.36+/-0.61 mmol/L), VLDL cholesterol (0.5+/-0.25 versus 0.35+/-0.09 mmol/L), and triglycerides (2.52+/-1.26 versus 1.76+/-0.5 mmol/L) were significantly elevated (P<.05) in the FH+ group compared with the FH- group. The total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol ratio was significantly higher in the group with a positive family history of hypertension (3.75+/-0.02 versus 3.11+/-0.02, P<.05). Glycemia was slightly elevated in the FH+ group (2.16+/-0.29 mmol/L) but was not significantly different from that of the FH- group (2+/-0.2 mmol/L). Uric acid, plasma renin activity, and aldosterone were similar in both groups. We conclude that young, slender normotensive subjects with a positive history of hypertension show alterations in lipid metabolism, suggesting a positive correlation between lipid metabolism and hypertension heredity.

[Long-term course and complications of arterial hypertension after heart transplantation]. / Evolução a longo prazo e complicações da hipertensão arterial após transplante cardíaco.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the progression of arterial hypertension (AH) and its consequences, in patients submitted to cardiac transplantation (CT) in use of cyclosporine (CY). METHODS: In 65 patients submitted to orthotopic CT, we evaluated blood pressure, serum creatinine and blood levels of CY before, 15 and 30 days, and 6, 12, 24, 48 and 60 months after CT; in 20 patients we analyzed cardiac index and systemic vascular resistance pre-CT, 15 and 30 days, 6 and 12 months after CT; in 33 patients, we studied anatomic and functional modifications by echocardiography, 24 +/- 13 months after CT. RESULTS: Thirty days after CT, AH was present in 58.5% (50% mild), and after one year, 93% of patients were hypertensives (85% moderate-to-severe), remaining unchanged during the rest of follow-up. The serum creatinine progressively increased, reaching values significantly higher than those pre-CT after one year, persisting with a mild increment until 60 months. Echocardiography showed left ventricle hypertrophy in 54% of patients, all of which had normal function. Two patients died as a direct consequence of hypertensive complications. CONCLUSION: AH in patients submitted to CT on CY use occurs early, increases in prevalence and severity during the follow-up and is mediated by an increase in vascular resistance. Also, the AH does not correlate to CY blood levels or nefrotoxicity, but it can impair renal function and compromise longevity of transplantation by inducing ventricular hypertrophy.

[A false diagnosis of hypertrophic myocardiopathy in pheochromocytoma]. / Falso diagnóstico de miocardiopatia hipertrófica em feocromocitoma.

A 24 year-old man was admitted with hypertensive crises and diagnosis hypothesis of neurofibromathosis and pheochromocytoma with blood pressure of 150 x 110mmHg and in use of anti-hypertensive drugs. The electrocardiogram (EKG) showed left ventricle hypertrophy. An echocardiogram showed interventricular septum (IVS) thickness of 16mm, posterior wall (PW) thickness of 11mm (ratio IVS/PW was 1.4). Diastolic ventricular diameter was 39mm with gradient of 52mmHg and mild mitral-valve murmur by pulsate Doppler. Increased vanillylmandelic acid and metanephrines in a 24-hour sample of urine has confirmed diagnosis of pheochromocytoma within was localized by 131I metaiodobenzyl-guanidine scan and computerized axial tomography. The patient was submitted to right adrenalectomy. Blood pressure was normalized. Evaluation an year later revealed a healthy man with normal laboratory exams, EKG and echocardiogram. It seems that the hypertrophy was consequence of the hypertension and pheochromocytoma, was not hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Cardiac and neurologic complications in malignant hypertension due to oral contraceptive use.

Malignant hypertension is a rare consequence of contraceptive use. We report here on two young women with malignant hypertension secondary to contraceptive use whose main symptomatology was neurological. Both patients had renal failure, severe left ventricle hypertrophy, and hemorrhagic stroke, all reversible after control of blood pressure and discontinuation of the contraceptive pill.

PIP: Although an association between oral contraceptives (OCs) and arterial hypertension has been well-documented, most studies have found only mild or moderate hypertension with reversal to normal levels 3 months after OC discontinuation. This paper presents two cases in which young women developed severe left ventricular hypertrophy and renal failure due to OC-induced malignization of hypertension. The first patient, a 23-year-old, was admitted to the hospital with a 3-day history of headache, mental confusion, and aggressiveness. 6 months before presentation, severe arterial hypertension had been diagnosed. At that time, she was advised to discontinue OCs (30 mcg of ethinyl estradiol and 150 mcg of levonorgestrel), which she had been taking for a year; she did not comply with this directive. The second patient, 21 years old, was admitted with accelerating hypertension. She had initiated OC use (30 mg of ethinyl estradiol and 150 mcg of levonorgestrel) 6 months earlier. 3 months after starting OC use, she developed headache and fatigue. Both women had a hemorrhagic cerebral accident as a complication of malignant hypertension. All neurologic, renal, and cardiovascular complications were reversible after OC discontinuation. OC-related malignant hypertension can be averted through effective control of blood pressure in OC users.

[The role of hypertrophy and left ventricular function on the occurrence of ventricular arrhythmias in arterial hypertension]. / Papel da hipertrofia e da função ventricular esquerda sobre a ocorrência de arritmias ventriculares na hipertensão arterial.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the role of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), left ventricular systolic function an other clinical parameters on prevalence and complexity of ventricular arrhythmias in hypertension. METHODS: Ventricular arrhythmias were studied in 39 hypertensives by 24 hours ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring. Frequency and complexity of ventricular arrhythmias were compared among 3 groups: A and B, respectively without and with LVH, both with normal left ventricular function; and C with LVH and systolic dysfunction. LVH and systolic dysfunction were established echocardiographically. Linear regression analysis was performed in order to identify an independent correlation between clinical parameters and presence of arrhythmias. RESULTS: Group C patients were older and had significantly higher systolic and diastolic blood pressures, greater mass index, diastolic posterior wall thickness and end-systolic stress and increased prevalence of electrocardiographic strain. Left ventricular diastolic diameter in C group patients was increased only when compared to A group. Frequencies of cases with more than 10 ectopic ventricular beats/hour, pairs and nonsustained ventricular tachycardia episodes were all significantly increased in C when compared to B and to A. However, only left ventricular mass index or diastolic posterior wall thickness identified independently patients with ventricular arrhythmias. CONCLUSION: Left ventricular hypertrophy is the main predictor of potential high risk rhythm disturbances in hypertension.

[Role of blood pressure in rest and exercise conditions and importance of clinical factors in left ventricular hypertrophy in arterial hypertension]. / Papel da pressão arterial casual e do exercício e a influência de fatores clínicos sobre a hipertrofia ventricular esquerda na hipertensão arterial.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the role of casual and exercise blood pressure as well as the importance of clinical factors on the presence and degree of left ventricular hypertrophy in hypertension. METHODS: Fifteen normotensives (control group) and 30 hypertensives, 14 of them with and 16 without left ventricular hypertrophy (groups with LVH and without LVH, respectively) were studied. LVH diagnosis was established when mass index was higher than 2 standard-deviations of the mean values calculated for each sex in control group. Resting, casual determined, and bicycle exercise systolic and diastolic blood pressures along with age, body surface area, sex and race distribution were compared between groups. In addiction, their relation with mass index as independent variables were also tested. RESULTS: Hypertensives in group with LVH had higher diastolic septal, posterior wall, and relative wall thicknesses. No significant statistical difference was observed neither in sex and race distribution, nor in age and body surface area between groups. Otherwise, there were significant differences in both resting and exercise blood pressure. In the entire population studied, left ventricular mass index significantly correlated with age (r=0,33, p=0,03) as well as with both casual (systolic - r=0,72, p=0,0001; diastolic - r=0,69, p=0,0001) and exercise (systolic - r=0,62, p=0,0001; diastolic - r=0,66, p=0,0001) blood pressures. However, linear regression analysis demonstrated that only resting systolic (p=0,0001) and exercise diastolic (p=0,0303) blood pressures were significant and independent determinants of mass index. CONCLUSION: Resting and exercising blood pressures are the main determinants of left ventricular hypertrophy in hypertension.

[Percutaneous angioplasty and surgical revascularization in renovascular hypertension: experience in treatment and long-term follow up in 124 patients]. / Angioplastia percutânea e revascularização cirúrgica em hipertensão renovascular. Experiência no tratamento e seguimento de longo prazo em 124 pacientes.

PURPOSE: To report the experience in the treatment and long-term follow-up of patients with renovascular hypertension submitted to angioplasty and/or surgical revascularization, and to compare blood pressure and renal function responses to both treatment. METHODS: One hundred and twenty-four patients diagnosed with renovascular hypertension, divided, according to the etiology, as atherosclerosis (76 patients), fibromuscular dysplasia (32) and arteritis (16), were submitted to isolated or associated treatment of renal revascularization by percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (71 patients) or surgery (84). The patients were followed-up during 2.5 +/- 1.5 years and we evaluate blood pressure response and renal function preservation. In relation to blood pressure control, the patients were considered as cured when normotensives without antihypertensives, improved when normotensives with fewer drugs than previously, and unchanged, when out of these criteria. RESULTS: From 124 patients, 20% were considered cured, 54% improved and 26% unchanged, after a mean follow-up of 2.5 +/- 1.5 years. Patients with atherosclerosis and fibromuscular dysplasia presented a higher rate of care and improvement after surgery. The blood pressure and the number of antihypertensive drugs decreased significantly during the follow-up among patients that cured or improved arterial hypertension, either after angioplasty (190 +/- 26/115 +/- 14 mmHg vs 130 +/- 34/85 +/- 7 mmHg. 2.70 vs 1.60 drugs) or after surgery (194 +/- 17/115 +/- 16 mmHg vs 143 +/- 18 mmHg vs 88 +/- 8 mmHg, 1.88 vs 1.51 drugs). It was also observed a significant decrease of serum creatinine among these patients. CONCLUSION: Renal revascularization in patients with renovascular hypertension, either by angioplasty or surgery, is beneficial to control blood pressure and to preserve renal function in the majority of patients.

[Hypertension and complex ventricular arrhythmias. Evolution following a long-term blood pressure treatment]. / Hipertensão arterial e arritmias ventriculares complexas. Evolução após tratamento de longo prazo da pressão arterial.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of long-term antihypertensive treatment in the frequency as well as in the complexity of ventricular arrhythmias in arterial hypertension. METHODS: Twenty three patients, 14 males and 11 whites, with mean age of 46 years, were submitted to 24 hours ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring and echocardiographic studies before and 9 months after antihypertensive treatment. RESULTS: There was no significant serum potassium level alteration, but significant reductions of both systolic (from 192 +/- 29mmHg to 161 +/- 25mmHg) and diastolic (from 122 +/- 17mmHg to 99 +/- 16mmHg) blood pressure. Left ventricular percent of fiber shortening significantly increased, even though only from 26 +/- 9% to 30 +/- 9%, and end-systolic wall stress did not change at all (before 258 +/- 94 10(3) dyn/cm2, after 255 +/- 101 10(3) dyn/cm2). Left ventricular mass index showed significant but also a discrete reduction from 211 +/- 75g/m2 to 196 +/- 70g/m2. Ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring did not show any significant decrease in neither ventricular ectopic beats nor in couplets. Non-sustained ventricular tachycardia episodes remained unchanged too. Four out of 8 patients with more than 30 ventricular ectopic beats per hour reduced it by more than 70%. On the other hand, the number of patients with couplets was reduced from 10 to 8 whilst those with non-sustained ventricular tachycardia increased from 5 to 7. Furthermore, in 7 patients reevaluated 24 months thereafter results were not expressively dissimilar. CONCLUSION: In hypertensive patients with either severe degree of left ventricular hypertrophy or myocardial dysfunction, long-term blood pressure treatment that produce no impressive changes in these abnormalities also do not modify complex ventricular arrhythmias, in spite of a great reduction in the increase blood pressure.

[Primary hyperaldosteronism and adrenal tumors. Clinico-surgical experience with 9 patients]. / Hiperaldosteronismo primário e tumores adrenais. Experiência clínico-cirúrgica em nove pacientes.

PURPOSE: To report seven patients with diagnosis of primary aldosteronism, five of them due to aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA) and two due to idiopathic hyperaldosteronism (IHA), and two patients with adrenal non-producing tumors in order to discuss our experience on differential diagnosis and treatment of this hypertensive disease. METHODS: Hypokalemia and higher values of urinary potassium in the absence of diuretics were useful to the screening diagnosis of primary aldosteronism, reinforced by suppressed plasma renin activity either at rest and after deambulation and by higher values of plasma aldosterone. Computerized tomography in all patients and selenium-cholesterol scintigraphy were used to make the localization of tumors and differential diagnosis between APA and IHA. RESULTS: The patients with adrenal tumors were submitted to surgical treatment and the two patients with IHA were submitted to spironolacone therapy. After 1 to 5 years of follow-up, we observed cure of hypertension and hypokalemia in three patients after surgery and improvement of blood pressure control and normalization of serum potassium in the six others. CONCLUSION: The diagnosis of primary aldosteronism is important, besides its rarity, because surgical or appropriated clinical treatment provide cure of hypertension or improvement of blood pressure control in most of patients.

[Proteinuria in patients with congestive heart failure. Role of arterial hypertension]. / Proteinúria em pacientes com insuficiência cardíaca congestiva. Papel da hipertensão arterial.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the role of arterial hypertension (AH) in the development of proteinuria in patients with decompensated congestive heart failure (CHF). METHODS: Twenty-four-hour urinary protein determinations were obtained from 30 patients with decompensated CHF, before and after therapy of CHF. The patients were divided in two groups according with the presence of AH as cause of CHF: group A, 18 patients with CHF due to AH and group B, 12 patients with CHF due to idiopathic dilated or chagasic cardiomyopathy without previous AH. RESULTS: There was no differences between the groups concerning age, sex, renal function and duration of CHF. Before treatment, 88% of group A presented proteinuria exceeding 150 mg/24h compared to 25% of group B (p < 0.01). After treatment of CHF, proteinuria > 150 mg/24 h remained in 38% of group A and in none of group B. Proteinuria did not reverse after 6 months of follow-up in 2 patients, one of them showed benign nephrosclerosis in renal biopsy. CONCLUSION: Patients with decompensated CHF, unrelated to AH, presented mild proteinuria reversible after the treatment, that improved renal function. In patients with CHF due to AH, proteinuria was more frequent, more severe and did not improve after the treatment, suggesting renal lesion.

[Pheochromocytoma. Its diagnostic and therapeutic characteristics]. / Feocromocitoma. Peculiaridades diagnósticas e terapêuticas.

Pheochromocytoma is a cause of hypertension that frequently can be cured by surgery. The aim of this paper, based on 5 cases of pheochromocytoma, is to relate our experience in diagnosis and treatment in this pathology. In four of 5 patients with pheochromocytoma we observed unusual characteristics of the disease. Association with neurofibromatosis in one case, with rheumatic mitral regurgitation in another; and in a third case the tumor was malignant. One patient had catecholamine-mediated electrocardiographic changes which disappeared with treatment. Since symptoms of adrenergic hyperactivity were present in all cases, the rise in the levels of vanilmandelic acid and urinary metanephrines were useful in confirming the diagnosis. Computed tomography and I-131 meta-benzylguanidine for radioisotopic imaging, displayed not only all tumoral masses but also bone metastases in the malignant case. During the follow-up period, from the sixth month to the fourth year after surgery, four patients were asymptomatic, and have normal urinary catecholamine metabolite levels. The patient with a malignant form of pheochromocytoma continued to show elevated catecholamines release and remained hypertensive in spite of adrenal mass resection.

Essential hypertension and histocompatibility antigens. An association study.

Data from a previous study concerning the distribution of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) haplotypes in siblings with essential hypertension suggested that at least one of the genes responsible for the genetic susceptibility to this disease is located in or near the HLA complex. The objective of the present study was to investigate if a given HLA-A, B, or DR gene could represent a marker for susceptibility to essential hypertension at the population level. Thus, the frequencies of HLA antigens were determined in Caucasian patients with essential hypertension (HLA-A and B antigens were determined in 89 cases, 85 of which were also typed for HLA-DR antigens). The results showed an increased frequency (p = 0.00064) of HLA-DR4, which was present in 34% of the patients and in 16% of local ethnically matched control subjects. We conclude that HLA-DR4 may represent a marker for susceptibility to essential hypertension in the Brazilian Caucasian population.