The Bucharest multifactorial prevention trial of coronary heart disease. General methodology and risk factor correction after five year follow-up (1971-1977).

Both the intervention and the control group included each 5000 men aged 40-60 years, randomly selected by their home address in five districts of the city of Bucharest. The intervention group underwent an "at entry" examination for risk factor detection (high serum cholesterol, high blood pressure, overweight, diabetes, minor ECG abnormalities, family history) and subsequently a five-year multifactorial intervention aimed to reduce the risk factors. Both groups were followed up in this lapse of time for major end-points: myocardial infarction, stroke, sudden death. The qualitative analysis of the results used ten evolution indices based on a quantal counting and lead to a classification of risk factors which allowed the setting up of a strategy for their correction. The quantitative analysis showed the following decreases between the first and the last examination in the intervention group: for serum cholesterol greater than or equal to 250 mg/dl -17%; for cigarettes/day greater than or equal to 15-53%; for overweight greater than or equal to 30% - 13.57%; for high blood pressure -8%; for the overall risk computed by multiple regression -33.8%.

Circadian variations of certain blood components currently investigated.

The circadian variations of serum components such as: cholesterol, LDH, GOT, alkaline phosphatase, proteins, bilirubin, ferrous ions and creatinine were investigated. Blood collection was made two times in 24 hrs.: 5-6 p.m. and 7-8 a.m. on the next day. The data obtained allowed the classification of the subjects into two groups: stable and variable. The most interesting observations were: evening decrease of cholesterol, evening increases of LDH with a tendency of intensification of the LDH5 fraction in the zymogram and evening decreases of ferrous ion.

Variations of salivary amylase as a test of internal irradiation in man.

The hypothesis of the parotid gland radiosensitivity has suggested to the authors to follow up the effect of therapeutic internal irradiation on the serum, urine and salivary alpha-amylase activity in man. The assay and visualization of alpha-amylase isoenzymes on agar gel zymograms by using the "Phadebas amylase test" tablets has demonstrated in some cases increases of salivary alpha-amylase activity expressed by the ratio of the optical density after internal irradiation to that before administration of radioisotopes.