Alcohol consumption and hypertension.

The effect of acute alcohol consumption was studied in healthy subjects (Group-I) and in nondrinking hypertensive (Group-II) and in regularly drinking hypertensive patients (Group-III). All subjects consumed alcohol (1gm/kg body weight daily) for 5 days, then abstained for 5 days. Blood pressure was recorded in standing and supine position every morning. Group-I showed no significant difference in blood pressures during and after alcohol consumption. Group-II showed a statistically significant increase in the supine and standing systolic/diastolic and mean blood pressure when consuming alcohol (P < 0.01) as compared to the period of abstinence. In Group-III, hypertensive patients who drank regularly showed significant decrease in systolic blood pressure in the period of abstinence during standing (p < 0.02) as well as in supine position (p < 0.001) and diastolic and mean blood pressure reduction in standing and supine position (p < 0.01) as compared to the period of drinking.

Rheumatic heart disease: a school survey in a rural area of Rajasthan.

Thirty four of 10168 school going children were found to have rheumatic heart disease (RHD) in a school survey conducted in the rural areas of Churu district in Rajasthan. The prevalence rate was 3.34/1000. A high prevalence of RHD was found in 11 to 15 year age group. Maximum prevalence of RHD was in low socioeconomic group. Out of these thirty four cases of RHD, isolated mitral stenosis was present in sixteen, isolated mitral regurgitation in four, combined mitral stenosis and mitral regurgitation in ten patients.