ABSTRACT
Introduction: Hypertension is a long term medical conditionin which blood pressure in the arteries is persistently elevatedand it is a major health care burden. Long standing hypertensionleads to cardiovascular complications and cerebrovascularaccidents. It also causes neuronal disturbances affecting theautonomic nervous system. Isometric handgrip exercise testis a non-invasive physiological test which is done using ahandgrip dynamometer. It can be used to detect the impairmentin the autonomic activity which is seen in individuals who areprone to develop hypertension in the future. Thus, the aim ofthe present study was to assess the efficacy of isometric handexercise on blood pressure in identification of hypertensiverisk individuals and also to determine the role of handgripDynamometer in identifying hypertensive risk individuals.Material and methods: The present study was a cross-sectionalstudy done among 100 healthy normotensive individuals wastaken in the study. All participants were apparently healthy atthe time of isometric handgrip test. Cardiovascular parameterslike systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and heartrate were measured before the exercise after following allstandard precautions. The subjects were asked to perform theisometric handgrip exercise using the handgrip dynamometer.Blood pressure was recorded at three occasions– before thetest, during the test and 5 minutes after the test.Results: In the present study, out of 100 individuals, themean age was found to be 55 years among the hypertensiveindividuals. The mean weight was found to be around 78.4±15.0. The mean value of height was found to be 1.42± 0.06.The mean value of increase in SBP and the DBP duringisometric handgrip exercise was significantly higher than thebaseline values. The mean difference for SBP was 9.85 withp value 0.0003 which was observed to be highly significant.Conclusion: Isometric handgrip exercise test was found to beuseful as a screening test in identification of individuals at riskof developing hypertension.
ABSTRACT
Preterm delivery is an important cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality. This study was conducted with an objective to assess the effect of ritodrine on perinatal mortality as compared to isoxsuprine and the effect of ritodrine on maternal morbidity and neonatal morbidity in comparison to isoxsuprine with the extent to which delivery was delayed. A randomized study with 25 patients with ritodrine treatment [Group-1] and 25 patients to isoxsuprine treatment [Group-2] were studied. Rajah Muthiah Medical College and Hospital, Annamalai University, India Tocolysis was reported to be successful for more than 72 hours in 96% in ritodrine group and 84% in isoxsuprine group. Ritodrine was found superior because of lesser incidences of side effects [56%] with ritodrine and [64%] with isoxsuprine, In terms of effectiveness of tocolysis number of patients failed cases were 16% with isoxsuprine when compared to 4% with ritodrine. The mean birth weight of neonate was 3115.38 gm +/- 642.3 in ritodrine groups and 2786.53 gm +/- 673.43 is isoxsuprine group. Ritodrine is more efficacious in delaying delivery and increasing fetal maturity as compared to isoxsuprine