Plasma atrial natriuretic peptide concentrations during the normal menstrual cycle in healthy volunteers

This study investigated whether the concentration of atrial natriuretic peptide [ANP] changes during the normal menstrual cycle and whether the changes parallel the known fluctuation of aldosterone and female sex hormones or not. Plasma ANP concentrations rose from 19.83 +/- 9.56 [range 10-58 pg/ml] in the menstrual phase to 24.94 +/- 17.21 [range 10-81 pg/ml] in the follicular phase [p = 0.1605] and decreased to 15.04 +/- 8.74 [range 5.8-44 pg/ml] in the luteal phase [p = 0.0067] in 30 normal menstruating healthy volunteers. The reduced level of ANP in the luteal phase could be a compensatory response to the natriuretic effect of the increased progesterone. Aldosterone value was highest when ANP value was lowest

Glycosylated haemoglobin and one-hour oral glucose screen for gestational diabetes

A prospective study was undertaken to evaluate the use of glycosylated haemoglobin [Hb A[1]] as a screening tool for the detection of gestational diabetes in 30 women. At 24 - 38 weeks, these patients had an Hb A[1] determination prior to diabetes secreening with a 1-hour serum glucose after 50 gm of oral glucose load. 27 out of 30 [90%] high-risk women had normal I-hour serum glucose [< 140 mg%]. 13 out of these 27 women [48.15%] had an abnormal Hb A[1] [>8.8%]. 3 out of 30 [10%] high-risk women had abnormal 1-hour glucose screen. All of them had abnormal Hb A[1]. So abnormal Hb A1 had been documented in 16 out of 30 [53.33%] studied risk cases. It can be concluded that Hb A[1] screen is more reliable than I-hour glucose screen