Percutaneous 17 beta-estradiol replacement therapy in hypertensive postmenopausal women

The present study evaluated the short-term effects of percutaneous 17Beta-estradiol on blood pressure, metabolic profile and hormonal levels in postmenopausal women with systemic arterial hypertension. After a wash-out period of 15 days, 10 hypertensive patients were treated with guanabenz acetate to control blood pressure, followed by 17Beta-estradiol in the form of hydroalcoholic gel administered for 21 of 28 days of each cycle, for 3 cycles. Patients were evaluated before, during and 2 months after estrogen administation. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure or heart rat did not present any significant change in any patient when compared to those periods with the antihypertensive drug only (pretreatment period and 60 days after estrogen therapy was discontinued). Plasma biological markers of hepatic estrogenic action (plasma renin activity, antithrombin III, triglycerides, total cholesterol and lipoproteins) also remained unchanged during the study. Hormone treatment was effective, as indicated by the relief of menopausal symptoms, a decrease in FSH levels (73.48 + 27.21 to 35.09 + 20.44 IU/I, P<0.05), and an increase in estradiol levels (15.06 + 8.76 to 78.7 + 44.6 pg/ml, P<0.05). There was no effect on LH (18.0 + 9.5 to 14.05 + 8.28 IU/I). Hormone levels returned to previous values after estrogen treatment was discontinued. The data indicate that short-term percutaneous 17Beta-estradiol replacement therapy, at the dose used, seems to be a safe hormone therapy for hypertensive menopausal women. Nevertheless, a controlled, prospective, randomized clinical assay with a larger number of subjects is needed to definitely establish both the beneficial and harmful effects of hormone replacement therapy in hypertensive women.

Cirurgia de revascularização miocárdica em pacientes jovens / Surgical myocardial revascularization in young patients

Objetivo - avaliar os resultados imediatos e tardios da cirurgia de revascularizaçäo em pacientes jovens. Métodos - foram estudados retrospectivaemnte 73 pacientes com idades inferiores a 40 anos e submetidos a cirurgia de revascularizaçäo miocárdica no período de 1975 a 1989, utilizando-se a revisäo dos prontuários e o contato telefônico com os pacientes e/ou médicos-assitentes. Resultados - todos os pacientes foram acompanhados por um período de 2 a 185 (média 59, 9 +/- 41,0) meses. Dentre os fates de risco, o tabagismo foi o mais frequente (89,0 por cento). Dezesseis (21,9 por cento) pacientes apresentavam lesäo coronariana uniarterial, 26 (35,6 por cento) tinham doença biarterial e 32 (43,8 por cento) apresentavam doença triarterial. A revascularizaçäo foi considerada completa em 93, 2 por cento dos casos, sendo que 12,3 por cento foram também submetidos à aneurismectomia do ventrículo esquerdo. Desenvolveram infarto agudo do miocárdio perioperatório 7 (9,5 por cento) doentes, tendo ocorrido móbito hospitalar (1,3 por cento). Tardiamente, 6 (8,3 por cento) pacientes faleceram perfazendo probabilidade de sobrevida de 89, 1 por cento em 15 anos e probabilidade de sobrevida livre de eventos de 68,3 por cento em 10 anos. Encontram-se assintomáticos 80,3 dos pacientes, sendo que 72,7 por cento retornaram ao trabalho. Conclusäo a cirurgia de revascularizaçäo miocárdica em pacientes jovens, associada ao tratamento clínico, mostrou bons resultados a curto e longo prazo, com lata percentagem de pacints sobreviventes, assintomáticos e reassumindo suas atividades trabalhísticas.

Purpose - To determine early and late results of surgical myocardial revascularization (SMR) in young patients. Methods - We studied retrospectively 73 patients aging less than 40 years and submitted to SMR between 1975 and 1989. The method used was patient card review and thelephone contact with the patient or his physician. Results - Follow-up was obtained in all cases in a period of 2 to 185 (59.9±41.0) months. Of the coronary risk factors smoking was the most frequent. One vessel coronary artery disease was observed in 16 (21.9%) patients, 2 and 3 vessel coronary artery disease in 26 (35.ó%) and 32 (43.8%) patients respectively. SMR was considered complete in 68(93.2%) patients. An associated procedure was performed on 10 cases: Left ventricular aneurysm repair in 9 (12.3%) and mitral valve replacement in one (1.4%). Perioperative myocardial infarction occured in 7 (9.5%) patients and one of them died (operative mortality: 1.4%). During follow-up, 6 (8.3%) patients died with an actuarial survival rate of 89.1 % at 15years. An eventfree survival rate of 68.3% was observed at 10 years. From 66 survivors,53 (80.3%) were asymptomatic at late follow-up and 48 (72.7%) patients returned to work Conclusion - Surgical myocardial revascularization in young patients associated with medical treatment, has good early and late results with a high percentage of patients asymptomatic and reemployed at a late follow-up

Epidemiologia das doenças respiratórias obstrutivas em relaçäo com o hábito de fumar / Epidemiology of obstructive respiratory diseases related to the smoking habit

Realizou-se uma amostragem entre a populaçäo de Porto Alegre, Brasil, com a finalidade de se conhecer a relaçäo do hábito tabágico com o fluxo respiratório de fumantes, ex-fumantes e näo fumantes

Doenca de Kawasaki: uma abordagem cardiologica. / Kawasaki's disease: a cardiac approach

Os autores revisam os aspectos etiopatogenicos, clinicos, de investigacao e de terapeutica da doenca de Kawasaki, com enfase especial no envolvimento cardiovascular e na sua abordagem cardiologica

Avaliacao radiologica convencional da dupla via de saida do ventriculo direito, da conexao atrio-ventricular univentricular e da drenagem venosa pulmonar anomala total. / Conventional radiologic evaluation of double outlet right ventricule, univentricular atrioventricular conexion and total anomalous pulmonary venous drainage

Os autores apresentam revisao dos sinais radiologicos convencionais mais frequentes na dupla via de saida do ventriculo direito, na conexao atrio-ventricular e na drenagem venosa pulmonar anomala total, enfatizando as diferencas observadas nos diversos subgrupos morfo-funcionais de cada uma dessas cardiopatias