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Biomedical subjects

A Dukát

Publications and source records attributed to A Dukát.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2003

Acute and 3-month treatment effects of candesartan cilexetil on hemodynamics, neurohormones, and clinical symptoms in patients with congestive heart failure.

BACKGROUND: This study evaluated the short-term and long-term effects of the angiotensin II type 1 receptor antagonist candesartan cilexetil on hemodynamics, neurohormones, and clinical symptoms in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). METHODS: In this multicenter, double-blind, parallel-group study, 218 patients with CHF (New York Heart Association class II or III) with impaired left ventricular function (ejection fraction < or =40%) and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure > or =13 mm Hg were randomly assigned to 12 weeks of treatment with placebo (n = 44) or candesartan cilexetil (2 mg [n = 45], 4 mg [n = 46], 8 mg [n = 39], or 16 mg [n = 44]) once daily after a 2-week placebo run-in period. Hemodynamic measurements were performed by right heart catheterization over a 24-hour period after single (day 1) and repeated (3-month) treatment with the study drug. RESULTS: On regression analysis of the time-response curves, single and multiple doses of candesartan cilexetil produced sustained, significant, and dose-dependent reductions in pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (short-term effect P =.036, long-term effect P =.035) and mean pulmonary arterial pressure (short-term effect P =.031, long-term effect P =.042). Systemic vascular resistance showed a trend toward decreasing with dose on short-term and long-term treatments. No consistent changes were seen in cardiac index. Compensatory increases in plasma renin activity and angiotensin II levels with decreases in aldosterone and atrial natriuretic peptide were dose-dependent and significant. Candesartan cilexetil improved clinical symptoms, stabilized patient New York Heart Association status compared with placebo, and was judged to be an efficacious treatment by the investigators. More patients receiving placebo stopped the trial prematurely because of an adverse event than in any candesartan cilexetil group, and there was no excess of deaths in any treatment group. Candesartan was safe and well tolerated at all dosages. CONCLUSIONS: Candesartan cilexetil demonstrated significant short-term and long-term improvements in hemodynamic, neurohormonal, and symptomatic status and was well tolerated in patients with CHF.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

[The heart and the brain. Aspects of their interrelations].

The objective of the investigation was an attempt to analyze some aspects of the heart-brain relationship. The group was formed by 626 patients with the diagnosis of focal cerebral ischaemia (CI) and 191 patients with the diagnosis of subarachnoidal haemorrhage (SAH). It was revealed that the CI group comprised 77.3% patients with a pathological finding on the heart. Analysis revealed moreover that in the group of patients with "congestive heart failure" there was a significantly higher percentage of patients with a severe neurological deficit as compared to the group with a "normal" ECG (p < 0.001). Atrial fibrillation causes a fivefold increase of the risk of cerebral infarction. The incidence of ECG abnormalities of various types was significantly higher in the group of patients with CI during long-term ECG monitoring, as compared to the results of conventional ECG examination (p < 0.001). The value of long-term ECG monitoring was confirmed also in an investigation of these changes in a group of patients with arterial hypertension, quari potential candidates of cerebral infarction. The relationship between cardiac and cerebral function was tested also in an investigation focused on the incidence of ectopic activity and changes of the QT interval. It was revealed that while the percentage rate of ectopic activity assessed by conventional ECG examination was in the group of "improved" patients 18.0%, long-term monitoring revealed a rate as high as 48.0%, the difference being statistically significant. Similar significant differences were observed also on analysis of the QT interval: in the group of patients with neurological "improvement" the QT interval was significantly shorter, as compared with the group with neurological "deterioration". It was assumed that the prolonged QT interval could be the cause of sudden death. A cardio-cerebral relationship was found also on analysis of changes of the cerebral circulation (CBF) in different forms of cardiac insufficiency. It was revealed that isolated ventricular extrasystoles reduced the CBF by 8.0%, isolated atrial extrasystoles by 12% and in atrio-ventricular tachyarrhythmia the CBF is reduced by as much as 25.0%. The cerebro-cardiac relationship was tested in a group of patients with SAH. ECG abnormalities of a varying type were found in 30.7% of the patients with SAH. They are described in as many as 100% of patients and were detected also other in cerebral disorders, such as contusion of the brain, intraoerebral haemorrhage and cerebral tumours.

Arrhythmias, Cardiac↗
PubMed1992

Follow-up of outpatients with essential hypertension. A comparison of three methods of blood pressure measurement.

Compared with conventional, routine blood pressure measurement in the outpatient department of a hospital, 24-hour blood pressure monitoring provides more comprehensive information about blood pressure values in day-to-day life of the hypertensive patient. The hospital setting with all its stimuli affects the hypertensive patients so that their values will be statistically significantly higher compared with normal ones. Recent years have seen the introduction into clinical practice of self-monitoring by the patients themselves. Comparison of these three methods for blood pressure measurements revealed that self-monitoring may provide fairly accurate values comparable with those obtained by the "standard method", i.e., 24-hour monitoring. In view of the low variability of the mean value of blood pressure over a period of several days, self-monitoring can be employed in groups of selected outpatients on long-term follow-up.

Blood Pressure↗
PubMed1992

[Response to a series of carbon dioxide baths].

The authors investigated 28 patients, mean age 43.6 years, during their stay in spa Dudince. The patients had a daily carbon dioxide bath, thermally indifferent, for a period of 20 minutes. During the first, tenth and twentieth bath the humoral circulatory and renal response was assessed. During every bath a standard reaction developed (decline of plasma renin activity and of the aldosterone level, increased excretion of water and minerals, changes of the blood pressure and heart rate). The influence of the series of baths was manifested by a gradual increase of the diuresis, natriuresis, a more permanent drop of the blood pressure and at the end of the series also of the heart rate. The other investigated parameters did not change significantly during the series of baths, as compared with the reaction to a single bath. The attained results justify the conclusion that a series of carbon dioxide baths had a gradually improving effect which is favourable, in particular in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

ECG changes and exercise tolerance in patients after myocardial infarction.

The aim of the study was to analyse the type of ECG changes in patients after acute myocardial infarction and to compare them with changes in their physical performance. The authors examined 218 patients with acute myocardial infarction after discharge from hospital. Resting ECG and step-wise graded exercise ECG test on a bicycle ergometer was carried out. The technique of examination was in accordance with WHO recommendations. Statistical evaluation was performed by the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney's U-test. The workload in patients showing ECG changes of "transmural" myocardial infarction was not different compared with that of persons with "non-ransmural" lesion (70.00 W versus 71.7 W). When evaluating the relation between the site of ECG changes and the workload, the authors found that the lowest tolerated workload was in cases where ECG changes suggested an extensive damage to the myocardium (53.5 W, p less than 0.05). The authors conclude that the extent of ECG changes after myocardial infarction is a better marker of the level of impairment of physical performance than patient classification to Q or non-Q types.

Electrocardiography↗
PubMed1989

[The significance of longitudinal Holter electrocardiogram monitoring in the differential diagnosis of syncope in elderly patients].

Longitudinal monitoring of the electrocardiogram by Holter's method is indicated in particular for the diagnosis of intermittent dysrhythmia which may be related to the symptom of syncope in elderly patients. Transient dysrhythmia with subsequent cerebral ischemia may be the cause of altered consciousness, vertige, presyncopes, or true syncopes. Transient dysrhythmias may be therefore considered after elimination of other causes of syncopes as their aetiology, in particular in elderly patients and old age groups where organic heart disease is already present. In those instances Holter's ECG is a useful non-invasive examination method which makes it possible to start appropriate treatment, and later by using serial monitoring, it makes it possible to follow up the effectiveness of antiarrhytmic treatment, or to follow up the function of an implanted cardiostimulator (pacemaker).

Aged↗