ABSTRACT
Nitric oxide (NO) is an important regulator of vascular tone, and is also an antithrombotic, anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative, and antiatherogenic factor. Endothelial function is altered in patients with coronary artery disease, stroke, and peripheral artery disease, and endothelial dysfunction correlates with the risk factor profile for a patient. Hypertension and type 2 diabetes are risk factors for vascular disease, and are both pathologies characterized by loss of NO activity. Indeed, endothelial dysfunction is usually present in diabetic and/or hypertensive patients. Tetrahydrobiopterin is an essential cofactor for the NO synthase enzyme, and insufficiency of this cofactor leads to uncoupling of the enzyme, release of superoxide, endothelial dysfunction, progression of hypertension, and finally, proatherogenic effects. Tetrahydrobiopterin is also an important mediator of NO synthase regulation in type 2 diabetes and hypertension, and may be a rational therapeutic target to restore endothelial function and prevent vascular disease in these patients. The aim of this paper is to review the rationale for therapeutic strategies directed to biopterins as a target for vascular disease in type 2 diabetic hypertensive patients.
ABSTRACT
This paper sought to determine if the fixed-dose combination of trandolapril and verapamil is effective in the treatment of hypertensive obese patients resistant to monotherapy. Thirty-six hypertensive obese patients uncontrolled by monotherapy were given the combination of trandolapril-verapamil (2/180 mg) for 12 weeks. Before and after taking the drug, they self-measured their blood pressure. Patients experienced a significant reduction of blood pressure (from 178 +/- 18/100 +/- 12 mm Hg to 135 +/- 14/76 +/- 7 mm Hg, p < 0.001). Eighty percent of patients reached therapeutic goals; one patient suffered from headaches and one had constipation. it was determined that the combination of trandolapril-verapamil is effective and safe for the management of hypertension in obese patients uncontrolled by monotherapy.
Subject(s)
Antihypertensive Agents/therapeutic use , Hypertension/drug therapy , Hypertension/etiology , Indoles/therapeutic use , Obesity/complications , Vasodilator Agents/therapeutic use , Verapamil/therapeutic use , Aged , Antihypertensive Agents/adverse effects , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Drug Combinations , Drug Resistance , Female , Humans , Hypertension/physiopathology , Indoles/adverse effects , Male , Mexico , Middle Aged , Obesity/physiopathology , Vasodilator Agents/adverse effects , Verapamil/adverse effectsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: About 70% of hypertensive patients need more than one drug to control their blood pressure (BP). The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure recommends a two-drug combination as initial drug therapy for patients with stage 2 hypertension. The aim of this study was to determine if a fixed-dose combination of trandolapril-verapamil is effective and safe in the treatment of stage 2 (moderate to severe) hypertension in hypertensive Mexican patients not controlled by monotherapy. METHODS: Forty hypertensive patients with BP >160/100mm Hg despite >6 months of drug treatment were given the fixed-dose combination of trandolapril-verapamil (2mg/180mg) for 12 weeks. Before taking the drug, they measured their own blood pressure (self-measured BP [SMBP]) several times a day for 3 days using a validated Omrom HEM 713C BP measuring device. At the end of the 12-week treatment period, the patients performed a second series of SMBPs in the same way as before treatment. A washout period was not included because the patients did not have an adequate response to previous antihypertensive treatment. Antihypertensive control during the 3-day SMBP period was evaluated. RESULTS: Patients experienced a significant reduction in mean BP (from 180/100mm Hg to 135/78mm Hg; p < 0.001). Seventy-five percent of patients reached their therapeutic goals (BP <140/90mm Hg). The SMBP records showed that BP values were maintained throughout the entire 3 days. One patient experienced headache and one had constipation; no patients discontinued the treatment. CONCLUSION: A fixed-dose combination of trandolapril-verapamil seems to be an effective and safe option for the management of stage 2 hypertension in Mexican patients uncontrolled by monotherapy.
ABSTRACT
Antecedentes: el hígado juega un papel fundamental en el metabolismo de las hormonas tiroideas. Objetivos: evaluar las concentraciones séricas de tiroxina como factor pronóstico en pacientes con cirrosis hepática descompensada. Material y métodos: se evaluaron 30 pacientes con diagnóstico de cirrosis hepática y descompensación aguda. Los sujetos se clasificaron de acuerdo con la escala de Child-Pugh y se les realizó cuantificación sérica de tiroxina. El análisis estadístico se realizó con ANOVA. Resultados: los 30 pacientes tenían algún grado de encefalopatía hepática, 86 por ciento con estadio B o C de la clasificación Child-Pugh. Fallecieron 14 personas; su puntuación Child-Pugh fue, en promedio, de 13 puntos y las concentraciones medias de tiroxina sérica fueron de 3.1 ng/dL, mientras que los pacientes que no fallecieron tenían un puntaje Child-Pugh promedio de 7.4 y concentraciones promedio de tiroxina sérica de 6.4 ng/dL. Se encontró una diferencia estadísticamente significativa (p < 0.05) entre concentraciones séricas de tiroxina disminuidas y la mortalidad. Conclusiones: las concentraciones séricas de tiroxina parecen ser un indicativo seguro y confiable para establecer el pronóstico de los pacientes con cirrosis hepática descompensada, ya que las cifras disminuidas de la hormona se relacionan con un resultado negativo.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Middle Aged , Liver Cirrhosis/physiopathology , Hepatic Encephalopathy/diagnosis , Thyroxine , Prognosis , Thyroid HormonesABSTRACT
La obesidad puede producir resistencia a la terapia antihipertensiva. La nitrendipina es un bloqueador de los canales del calcio de la familia de las dihidropiridinas, es efectivo en el manejo de la hipertensión arterial y ha demostrado mejorar la sensibilidad a la insulina. Para evaluar la eficacia de la nitrendipina en el control de la presión arterial del paciente hipertenso obeso, 20 pacientes adultos no diabéticos, obesos hipertenso obeso, 20 pacientes adultos no diabéticos, obesos hipertensos que no controlaron su presión arterial con modificaciones al estilo de vida pero sin manejo farmacológico, recibieron tratamiento farmacológico con 10 mg de nitrendipina una vez al día durante cuatro semanas. En todos los pacientes se realizó una prueba de tolerancia a la glucosa antes y después del estudio. Todos los pacientes redujeron la presión arterial a las dos semanas, persistiendo el control hasta el final del estudio. (p< 0.0001). La nitrendipina también mejoró significativamente la tolerancia a la glucosa de esos pacientes, especialmente a los 30 (p< 0.0008), 60 (p< 0.009) y 90 (p< 0.09) minutos, aunque no se observó cambio significativo a los 120 minutos (p> 0.2). Estos resultados sugieren que la nitrendipina tiene eficacia terapéutica como monoterapia en sujetos hipertensos obesos, no diabéticos con resistencia a la insulina
