Early maximum extent of paleoglaciers from Mediterranean mountains during the last glaciation.

Mountain glaciers respond directly to changes in precipitation and temperature, thus their margin extent is a high-sensitivity climate proxy. Here, we present a robust (10)Be chronology for the glacier maximum areal extent of central Spain paleoglaciers dated at 26.1 ± 1.3 ka BP. These glaciers reached their maximum extent several thousand years earlier than those from central Europe due to the increased precipitation within a cold period between 25 to 29 ka BP, as confirmed by a local speleothem record. These paleoclimate conditions impacted the maximum extent of mountain glaciers along the western and central Mediterranean region. The cause and timing of the enhanced precipitation implies a southward shift of the North Atlantic Polar Front followed by storm tracks in response to changes in insolation via orbital parameters modulation. Thus, these mountain paleoglaciers from the Mediterranean region record an ocean-continent climate interaction triggered by external forcing.

Eficácia do diltiazem em hipertensos moderados. Avaliaçäo utilizando parâmetros obtidos pela monitoraçäo ambulatorial da pressäo arterial em 24h (M.A.P.A.) / Efficacy of diltiazem in moderate arterial hypertension. Evaluation through 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM)

Os parâmetros obtidos pela MAPA foram analisados em 15 pacientes portadores de hipertensäo arterial primária, de forma moderada, sem prévio tratamento, e comparados com aqueles obtidos após 4 semanas em uso de diltiazem, 180 mg (formulaçäo Retard) diários, ingeridos às 8h da manhä. Observou-se reduçäo significativa dos níveis tensionais (sistólicos e diastólicos ) e da carga pressórica, importante atuaçào no descenso noturno (restaurando o ritmo circadiano noturno) e significativa açäo na ascensäo tinal, propiciando rampa de ascensäo mais suave e significativa reduçäo do duplo produto, principalmente no horário das 6h às 7h. Näo foi observada modificaçäo significativa quanto ao índice de reatividade vascular, e houve aumento da variabilidade sisto-diastólica após uso da medicaçäo.

Efficacy of verapamil in patients resistant to other antihypertensive therapy.

A solution of verapamil in sequential intravenous infusion was used in patients with severe arterial hypertension who were resistant to various antihypertensive drug regimens. The infusion--25-mg verapamil diluted in 100-ml glucose and slowly injected over 10 minutes--was given daily until a diastolic pressure less than 100 mm Hg was sustained for more than 24 hours. Then patients were maintained on their conventional oral medication alone. This trial involved 11 patients, 10 of whom had primary hypertension and 1 a renovascular type of secondary hypertension. Normal pressure was maintained in all patients with the conventional medication after the verapamil infusions, which varied from 2 to 10; surprisingly, this situation continued from 30 to 120 days and this result was attributed to resetting of the baroreceptors. To confirm this theory, another group of patients underwent baroreceptor testing with angiotensin before and after the use of verapamil; the baroreceptors were functioning at a lower threshold of excitability after verapamil. We conclude that verapamil is capable of resetting the baroreceptors to a lower level, rendering them responsive to increases in blood pressure.

Comportamento da curva tensional ao esforco ergometrico, em hipertensos tratados e nao tratados. / Behavior of the blood pressure curve during ergometric stress test, in treated and non-treated hypertensive patients

Os autores analisam o comportamento da curva tensional ao esforco ergometrico em um grupo de hipertensos nao tratados e depois no mesmo grupo quando submetido ao uso de tres drogas hipertensoras distintas: metil-dopa, propranolol e verapamil. Concluem que apesar de haver normalizacao das cifras tensionais apos o tratamento, o comportamento da curva pressorica ao esforco ergometrico tende a ser o mesmo dos hipertensos nao tratados respeitando-se os valores absolutos das cifras tensionais, nao havendo diferencas estatisticamente significativas entre as curvas obtidas com as 3 drogas hipotensoras utilizadas

Avaliacao do efeito anti-hipertensivo do verapamil estudado a longo prazo. / Evaluation of the antihypertensive effect of verapamil, a long-term study

Os autores mostraram os efeitos anti-hipertensivos do verapamil, utilizado por via oral em associacao com diuretico e/ou outras drogas anti-hipertensivas, em um grupo de 109 pacientes cujo periodo de observacao foi de ate 47 meses. Referem-se a boa tolerabilidade da droga, e seu nitido efeito anti-hipertensivo