A study of the effects of lisinopril when used in addition to atenolol.

A double-blind, parallel group multicentre study was carried out to compare the effects of adding once daily treatment with lisinopril 10 or 20 mg and placebo to the treatment of 100 patients whose blood pressure was inadequately controlled with once daily atenolol 50 mg. Following a two-week run-in period, patients with a lying DBP between 95 mmHg and 115 mmHg were randomised to either lisinopril 10 mg or placebo once daily for four weeks. Blood pressure measurements were made approximately 24 h after the previous dose of study medication. After four weeks' treatment the dose of study medication was doubled for those patients whose lying DBP was greater than or equal to 90 mmHg and a final assessment was made after a further two weeks of treatment. Overall, six weeks' treatment with lisinopril produced a greater fall in lying blood pressures than placebo when added to atenolol therapy. The difference in favour of the additional ACE inhibitor therapy was 7.1 +/- 2.6/5.4 +/- 1.5 mmHg (mean +/- SEM) (P less than 0.01). Standing blood pressures showed similar behaviour in favour of the additional ACE inhibitor treatment (7.6 +/- 2.4/4.7 +/- 1.6 mmHg) (P less than 0.005). Heart rate was not altered significantly by either lisinopril or placebo treatment. The addition of lisinopril to treatment with atenolol produced a slight increase in the reported number of adverse events compared with placebo. The results of this study indicate that the addition of lisinopril 10-20 mg once daily to treatment with a beta-adrenoceptor blocking drug produces a worthwhile decrease in blood pressure in patients not responsive to beta-blocker therapy alone.

Flupenthixol versus diazepam in the treatment of psychosomatic disorders: a double-blind, multi-centre trial in general practice.

In a Finnish general practice 120 patients with psychosomatic disorders, manifest as syndromes of tension headache, cardiac neurosis, dizziness or muscular tension, were randomly allocated to treatment over a 4-week period with either flupenthixol (1 to 2 mg per day) or diazepam (5 to 10 mg mg per day). The 4 syndromes and 12 associated symptoms (anxiety, fatigue, depression, pain, asthenia, muscle fatiguability, tension, dyspnoea, restlessness, palpitations, sleep disorders, and vertigo) were rated on a 4-point scale on entry, at 2 weeks and at 4 weeks. Both drugs reduced significantly the average total scores for syndromes and single symptoms after 2-weeks' treatment. Flupenthixol was the more effective in relieving fatigue and vertigo; diazepam in relieving headache, anxiety, tension, restlessness and sleep disturbance. Cardiac neurosis, palpitations and general muscular tension responded poorly to both drugs. After 4 weeks, relief of vertigo, pain and fatigue was more evident in the flupenthixol group, and of anxiety, tension and restlessness in the diazepam group. Side-effects were complained of at some stage by 17 patients in the flupenthixol group (9 of fatigue, 5 of sleep disturbance, 1 of constipation, 1 of extrapyramidal symptoms, and 1 of weight gain) and by 16 patients in the diazepam group (10 of fatigue, 4 of sleep problems and 2 of diarrhoea).

Occupational skin diseases in shipyard workers.

We have determined the prevalence of skin disorders in shipyard workers by means of an epidemiological cross-sectional study. Of 2057 employees answering a questionnaire, 16% reported present skin lesions. The employees in five chosen trades, altogether 355 persons, were seen by a nurse, who referred all cases of present skin lesions to a dermatologist for further examination. Occupational eczema was found in 11% of the 66 cleaners, 10% of the 94 carpenters, while no case was found among the 71 office workers. Of the 20 cases of occupational eczema, 5 were allergic and 15 irritant. The arms and legs were afflicted as commonly as the hands.