Eggs: Clearing the Charges; Exploring the Potential

Of all the various kinds of foods; an egg is special for its combination of all essential food nutrients in one item. However for much of the past 40 years; the public has been warned away from eggs because of concerns that they increase the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke and a claim that they raise the blood pressure by causing vasoconstriction. In Tanzania; up to date there are some cultures that forbid women in general or pregnant women in particular from eating eggs due toa belief that they will get bald babies or have problems during delivery. Several studies over the years have examined egg intake and its relationship with coronary outcome. When dietary confounders were considered; no association was seen between egg consumption and the risk of coronary heart disease in non-diabetic men and women. Recent researches have not only linked eggs with biological functions beyond basic nutrition but to a huge potential in the medical field. Eggs are now linked to fetal brain development and boosting of the immune system thus consequently lowering the risk of getting breast cancer; colon and lung cancer. For already developed cancer; eggs show potential for the development of promising anticancer drugs through the production of Monoclonal antibodies. They are also proven to prevent cataract and macular degeneration and protect against heart attacks and strokes by preventing arteriosclerosis and facilitating fat metabolism. Moreover researchers now not only prove eggs do not increase your blood cholesterol; but also link eggs to lowering high blood pressure by acting like an antihypertensive through an ACEI like inhibiting mechanism. Components in eggs were also found to be active as anti-adhesives; microbiocidals and as chelators in metal poisoning

The Use of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors in General Medicine

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are a class of drugs commonly used in the management of hypertension; congestive heart failure; cerebrovascular disease; stable coronary heart disease and diabetes-associated nephropathy. ACE inhibitors are divided into three classes; namely sulphydryl-containing ACE inhibitors structurally related to captopril; carboxyl-containing ACE inhibitors structurally related to enalapril; and phosphorus-containing ACE inhibitors structurally related to fosinopril. Though these classes of drugs are important in the treatment of the above conditions; they are not without side-effects. It is very important for clinicians to be aware of these side-effects so that patients can be warned; and compliance can be improved

Preconditioning and Postconditioning: from Bench to Bedside

"Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death world-wide. Since 1990; more people in the world have died from CHD than from any other disease (World Health Organisation; WHO). ""Conditioning"" the heart to render it more resistant to the detrimental effects of acute ischaemiareperfusion injury harnesses the endogenous ability of the heart to protect itself. This can be achieved using various mechanical strategies including the application of brief episodes of ischaemia and reperfusion to either the heart itself (ischaemic preconditioning) or an organ/tissue remote from the heart (remote ischaemic preconditioning) prior to the tained ischaemic insult. Importantly; this form of protection can be mimicked by pharmacological agents capable of recapitulating the protective effect of IPC (pharmacological reconditioning). Preconditioning-induced protection is clearly restricted to patients undergoing an anticipated ischaemic insult such as in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. In contrast; the other major form of ""conditioning"" termed postconditioning can be implemented in patients presenting with an acute myocardial infarction after the onset of the sustained ischaemic insult. In this setting; myocardial reperfusion is interrupted with intermittent short-lived episodes of myocardial ischaemia applied to the heart itself (ischaemic postconditioning) or an organ or tissue remote from the heart (remote ischaemic postconditioning) - an effect which can again be mimicked by pharmacological agents (pharmacological postconditioning). This article will briefl y review these various forms of ""conditioning"" examining the underlying mechanistic pathways and their clinical application."

Coronary Care Unit Design; Staffing and Organization

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A study of the effect of nifedipine in reversing left ventricular hypertrophy in hypertensive patients

Using WHO hypertensive criteria; 184 patients with hypertension were chosen (102 male; 82 female); aged 58-78 years old. Other heart diseases were ruled out by physical examination; electrocardiographic examination; chest-ray and echocardiography. All the cases had one or more criteria of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH): Interventricular septal thickness at diastole; left ventricular posterior wall thickness at end diastole and left ventricular mass index. The findings in this study imply that it is good practise to include nifedipine in the treatment regimen of patients whose hypertension is complicated with LVH and (or) ischaemic heart disease