Effects of angiotensin antagonism with tasosartan on regional and systemic haemodynamics in hypertensive patients.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the effects of 2 weeks of treatment with tasosartan (1) on cardiac function at rest and during submaximal exercise, (2) on exercise peak oxygen uptake, and (3) on regional haemodynamics at rest in a control condition and during the recovery period of submaximal exercise in patients with essential hypertension. DESIGN AND METHODS: Twenty-four patients with moderate hypertension participated in this randomized, double-blind, crossover, placebo-controlled study. Each patient received tasosartan (100 mg/day) or placebo during two periods of 2 weeks separated by 2 weeks of washout. Ambulatory blood pressure was assessed at the end of each period. Blood pressure, heart rate, cardiac output, stroke volume, total peripheral resistance were measured at rest and during submaximal exercise at the same end points. Regional blood flow and vascular resistance were additionally assessed in the forearm and calf at rest. RESULTS: At rest in the control condition, tasosartan significantly reduced blood pressure although total peripheral resistance, cardiac output and stroke volume as well as forearm and calf vascular resistances were not significantly affected compared to placebo. During submaximal exercise and during the recovery period after submaximal exercise, the reduced blood pressure found with tasosartan was associated with a reduced total peripheral resistance compared to placebo whereas cardiac output, heart rate, or stroke volume were not affected. Peak workload and oxygen uptake were unaffected by tasosartan. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate that antagonism of the AT1 receptor with tasosartan reduces blood pressure at rest and during submaximal exercise but not during maximal exercise. The reduced blood pressure was associated with a reduced total peripheral resistance during submaximal exercise but not at rest in the control condition while cardiac output was unaltered in either condition. Lastly, tasosartan did not impair working capacity as measured from peak workload and oxygen uptake.

[Evaluation of dietary intake of calcium in adult subjects with idiopathic arterial hypertension]. / Avaliação da ingestão dietética de cálcio em indivíduos adultos portadores de hipertensão arterial idiopática.

The calcium-intake relationship with other alimentary and anthropometric variables was investigates in a group of 60 adult (19-75 year-old) subjects, 50 females and 10 males, with essential arterial hypertension (DAP > 90 mmHg). The calcium intake was assessed by three different protocols: 24-hour food intake recall, food-frequency questionnaire and 3 day self-food intake register, repeated along with anthropometric measurements on three different occasions (2-15 month-intervals). The calcium intake assessed by the three methods, as well as the anthropometric data, were statistically similar on all three occasions. The mean data were then compared with those form the control, composed of 75 healthy subjects matched with the hypertensive group by age and sex. The patients ingested less calcium (mean +/- SD) than the controls on the daily (517 +/- 271 x 740 +/- 353 mg/d) and body-weight (8.1 +/- 5.0 x 11.4 +/- 5.9 mg/kg/d) basis. Among the males the calcium intake was the only difference found between groups and could be attributed to the lower intake of calcium-rich foods. The hypertensive females showed also higher lean-body mass (Body-mass index and arm muscle circumference). Thus the calcium intake discriminated both groups being associated with changes in other nutritional parameters only in females.