Correlation between Diastolic Function and Endothelial Function in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes and Hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Endothelial dysfunction may be involved in the pathophysiology of cardiac abnormalities in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). A correlation between endothelial dysfunction and diastolic dysfunction in patients with type 1 DM has been demonstrated, but this relationship has not been well investigated in type 2 DM. OBJECTIVE: Compare groups of patients with type 2 DM and hypertension with and without diastolic dysfunction using endothelial function indexes, and to assess whether correlations exist between the diastolic function and the endothelial function indexes. METHOD: This was a cross-sectional study of 34 men and women with type 2 DM and hypertension who were aged between 40 and 70 years and were categorized based on assessments of their Doppler echocardiographic parameters as having normal (14 patients) and abnormal (20 patients) diastolic function. Flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) assessments of the brachial artery evaluated the patients' endothelial function. RESULTS: The mean maximum FMD was 7.15 ± 2.80% for the patients with diastolic dysfunction and it was 11.85 ± 4.77% for the patients with normal diastolic function (p = 0.004). Correlations existed between the maximum FMD and the E/e' ratio (p = 0.040, r = -0.354) and the early wave velocity (e') at the lateral mitral annulus (p = 0.002, r = 0.509). CONCLUSION: The endothelial function assessed by FMD was worse in hypertensive diabetic patients with diastolic dysfunction. There were correlations between the diastolic function indexes and the endothelial function indexes in our sample.

Massa Ventricular e Tamanho Atrial em Diabéticos Hipertensos em Uso de Losartana ou Benazepril / Ventricular Mass and Atrial Size in Diabetic Hypertensive Patients Using Losartan or Benazepril

Fundamentos: Diabéticos hipertensos apresentam maior probabilidade de desenvolverem hipertrofia ventricular esquerda e fibrilação atrial. Evidências sugerem que bloqueadores do sistema renina-angiotensina-aldosterona devem ser usado neste grupo de pacientes. Objetivo: Avaliar se há diferença entre os efeitos do inibidor da enzima conversora de angiotensina benazepril e do bloqueador de receptor de angiotensina losartana sobre o tamanho atrial esquerdo, a massa ventricular, quando associados ao tratamento de pacientes hipertensos diabéticos em uso de anlodipino. Métodos: Foram randomizados em dois grupos para associação de losartana ou benazepril 34 pacientes hipertensos e diabéticos tipo 2 do serviço de clínica médica da Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, após período de 6 semanas apenas com anlodipino. Ao início e ao término do tratamento combinado, os pacientes foram submetidos a ecocardiograma para medidas de cavidades, espessuras parietais e fluxos. Resultados: Houve redução da massa ventricular esquerda indexada no grupo losartana de 81,1 ± 23,5 para 76,9 ± 23,8 g/m² (p = 0,044), sem diferença no grupo benazepril (de 81,8 ± 10,8 para 79,7 ± 12,1; p = 0,520). O diâmetro atrial esquerdo foi menor ao final de 12 semanas (p = 0,034) no grupo losartana, no qual variou de 2,12 ± 0,23 para 2,03 ± 0,22 cm/m² (p = 0,103), quando comparado ao grupo benazepril, no qual variou de 2,12 ± 0,30 para 2,23 ± 0,29 cm/m² (p = 0,064). Conclusão: A combinação losartana e anlodipino foi melhor que a combinação benazepril e anlodipino para redução de massa ventricular esquerda e tamanho do átrio esquerdo nesta amostra de hipertensos diabéticos tipo 2

Background: Hypertensive diabetic patients are more likely to develop left ventricular hypertrophy and atrial fibrillation. Evidence suggests that renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system blockers should be used in this group of patients. Objective: To evaluate if there are differences between the effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme benazepril and the angiotensin-receptor blocker losartan on left atrial size and ventricular mass when associated to the treatment of diabetic hypertensive patients using amlodipine. Methods: 34 hypertensive type-2 diabetic outpatients from the Internal Medicine service of Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro were randomized into two groups, after a period of 6 weeks receiving only amlodipine, to receive losartan or benazepril. At the beginning and end of the combined treatment, patients were submitted to echocardiography for cavity assessment, wall thickness and flow measurements. Results: There was reduction in left ventricular mass index in the losartan group (from 81.1 ± 23.5 to 76.9 ± 23.8 g/m²; p = 0.044), with no difference in the benazepril group (from 81.8 ± 10.8 to 79.7 ± 12.1 g/m²; p = 0.520). The left atrial diameter index was lower at 12 weeks (p=0.034) in the losartan group, which ranged from 2.12 ± 0.23 to 2.03 ± 0.22 cm/m² (p = 0.103) when compared to the benazepril group, which ranged from 2.12 ± 0.30 to 2.23 ± 0.29 cm/m² (p = 0.064). Conclusion: The losartan and amlodipine combination was better than the benazepril and amlodipine combination for left ventricular mass and left atrial size reduction in this sample of type 2 diabetic hypertensive patients

Esporotricose pulmonar: relato de caso / Pulmonay sporotrichosis: a case report

Os autores relatam o caso de um homem de 49 anos, com quadro de síndrome consumptiva e múltiplas cavitações pulmonares há cinco anos. Foi tratado para tuberculose, em duas ocasiões, sem melhora da sintomatologia. O paciente foi internado com quadro de dispnéia em repouso e febre, sendo sua cultura de escarro positiva para Sporothrix schenckii. O objetivo deste trabalho é apresentar uma forma rara de esporotricose e ressaltar a importância de seu reconhecimento.

A 49 year-old white man was admitted with dyspnea, cough and fever, with a history of consumptive syndrome and pulmonary cavitary disease for the past five years. He was treated twice for pulmonary tuberculosis previously, but without responses. His sputum culture was positive for Sporothrix schenckii. The ocurrence of sporotrichosis as a disease of the lung without cutaneos involvement is rare. So the subject of this report is to describe a case of pulmonary sporotrichosis and show the importance of its recognition.