Effects of captopril chronic intake on the aerobic performance and muscle strength of normotensive trained subjects.

Fifteen normotensive athletes specializing in dynamic sports took part in a randomized double-blind and cross-over study: captopril (50 mg/24 h) vs placebo. Each treatment lasted one month. Maximal exercise tests on cycle ergometer were performed at the end of each period. No significant differences were observed in the maximal values of oxygen uptake, power, heart rate or blood lactate value. The anaerobic threshold, defined as the exercise intensity which corresponded to a 4 mmol.l-1 blood lactate level was unchanged. With captopril, the end-of-exercise systolic and diastolic BP were slightly altered (NS). Lower limb muscle strength, as explored with a Cybex isokinetic system, was not modified by captopril intake. The results indicate that maximal aerobic performance and isokinetic strength of the lower limbs are not altered by captopril chronic administration (50 mg/day) in normotensive trained subjects.

Once vs twice daily administration of a fixed combination of captopril plus hydrochlorothiazide in essential hypertension: a double-blind crossover study in known responders to a standard combination.

The purpose of this randomized, double-blind, crossover trial was to compare the hypotensive effects of a fixed combination of captopril (C) 50 mg and hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) 25 mg (C 50/HCTZ 25) once daily with those of a fixed combination of C 25 mg and HCTZ 12.5 mg (C 25/HCTZ 12.5) twice daily. We studied 199 patients (108 M, 91 F) with mild to moderate essential hypertension whose BP was already controlled by the co-administration of C 25 mg and HCTZ 12.5 mg twice daily. They were randomly assigned to either C 25/HCTZ 12.5 twice daily during the first 6 weeks and C 50/HCTZ 25 once daily during the second 6 weeks or C 50/HCTZ 25 once daily followed by C 25/HCTZ 12.5 twice daily. Both regimens showed comparable efficacy on office diastolic BP (91.6 vs 91.3 mm Hg). Systolic BP was slightly but significantly higher (P = 0.02) with the once daily formulation (141.2 vs 139.1 mm Hg). Fixed combinations once daily and twice daily resulted in identical working ambulatory BP (133.7 +/- 13/83.6 +/- 8 mm Hg vs 132.4 +/- 11/83.3 +/- 7 mm Hg) without affecting heart rate. Adverse events were reported by 16% of patients and cough was the most common occurring in 7%. In conclusion, these results indicate that the fixed combination of C 50/HCTZ 25 given once daily controls office and working BP as well as the fixed combination C 25/HCTZ 12.5 given twice daily in patients with mild to moderate hypertension.

[Physiological limits of variations in heart rate measured by the Holter method in 134 normal subjects]. / Etude des limites physiologiques des variations de la fréquence cardiaque par la méthode de Holter chez 134 sujets normaux.

Ambulatory 24 hour electrocardiography by the Holter method was carried out in 134 normal subjects (59 men, 75 women, mean age: 42.5 +/- 14 years). The average heart rate over 24 hours was 75 +/- 9 bpm, 82 +/- 10 bpm during the daytime and 64 +/- 8 bpm at night. Maximal and minimal momentary variations (over 5 minutes) were small during the night (+23% and -7%) and greater during the daytime (+47% and -16%). The heart rate slowed progressively over a two hour period before going to bed an increased progressively over a three hour period, reaching a peak and then slightly falling before getting up. The average heart rates of women were faster than in men (+5 bpm). The average heart rate fell with age from 30 years onwards (-0.4 bpm per year). Tobacco consumption did not seem to affect the heart rate. Supraventricular extrasystoles were observed in 68% of subjects during the day, and in 50% during the night; ventricular extrasystoles occurred in 42% of subjects by day and in 23% by night. Only 22% of subjects had no extrasystolic activity. Tobacco consumption and sex were unrelated to the incidence and frequency of extrasystoles. On the other hand, the incidence and frequency of extrasystoles were very significantly related to age.

[A method of processing information on cineangiography of the right ventricle]. / Méthode d'exploitation informatique de la ciné-angiographie du ventricule droit.

This paper describes our experience in making a programme for computer processing of biplane right ventricular cineangiography for the measurement of volumes and analysis of wall motion. The volumes were determined by a method of integration to the geometric model of a triangular pyramid i.e. trunco-pyramidal (IM.TP). The classical ellipsoidal integration method i.e. trunco-conal (IM.TC) and biplane and monoplane planimetry based on the model of a triangular pyramid (PM.TP) were used as references. Nineteen post-mortem RV casts were used to validate the programme. The correlations between the true volumes and the angiographic measurements were excellent (r = greater than 0.99) with both methods of integration, very good (r = 0.99) using the biplane PM.TP and very satisfactory (r = 0.91) with the monoplane PM.TP. The line of regression was very close to unity with the IM.TP and 0.9 with the PM.TP; this indicates the excellent adaptation of the triangular pyramid model to the shape of the RV. The IM.TP was used in a group of 20 right ventriculographies of patients without cardiac disease: the following results were obtained: EDV = 70.3 +/- 6.6 cm3/m2; ESV = 31.7 +/- 3.9 m3/m2; systolic index = 38.6 +/- 4.5 cm3/m2; ejection fraction = 0.55 +/- 0.04. The correlation of the values of systolic index by cineangiography and thermodilution (39.9 +/- 5.7 cm3/m2) was good (r = 0.86; p less than 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)