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Biomedical subjects

F Avanzini

Publications and source records attributed to F Avanzini.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

[Usefulness of exertion tests in the evaluation of the effectiveness of antihypertensive therapy].

Aim of this study was to assess the reliability of blood pressure (BP) response to exercise compared with the occasional BP measurements in evaluating the efficacy of an antihypertensive therapy. We have studied 40 subjects (22 M, 18 F mean age 33.3 +/- 6.6) with essential hypertension (19 with mild hypertension, 8 with moderate hypertension, 13 with severe hypertension). Every patient underwent a maximum graded exercise test in the supine position on a bicycle ergometer before starting the antihypertensive treatment. An exercise test was repeated with the same procedure after resting BP had been normalized for at least six months. Both systolic and diastolic BP at peak exercise were significantly reduced (systolic BP from 212.13 +/- 25.79 mmHg to 194.38 +/- 21.58 mmHg; diastolic BP from 128.00 +/- 16.52 to 114.1 +/- 11.02 mmHg) during the second test. An excessive BP increase (above the 95% confidence limits of the BP response to exercise in a group of normotensives) was observed in 32 subjects during the first test. A "hypertensive" response to stress persisted in 13 subjects during the second test even if the resting BP values were normalized. Our data support the value of stress testing in both the evaluation of the hypertensive patient and the assessment of the individual response to treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Left ventricular structure and function in normotensive adolescents with a genetic predisposition to hypertension.

It has been suggested that the heart plays an active role in the pathogenesis of arterial hypertension. If this is true, there must be early cardiac involvement in young normotensive subjects who develop hypertension later in life and differences in cardiac morphology or function may exist between young normotensive subjects with different risks of developing hypertension. M-mode echocardiography was performed in 51 normotensive male adolescents with at least one hypertensive parent (SHT). These subjects were compared with 55 normotensive sons of normotensive parents (SNT) and with 25 adolescents with borderline hypertension (BH). Control groups were matched for sex and age. The following morphologic parameters were significantly greater in the SHT group than in the SNT group: interventricular septum (0.54 +/- 0.08 vs 0.49 +/- 0.09 cm/m2; p less than 0.01) and posterior wall (0.54 +/- 0.11 vs 0.50 +/- 0.08 cm/m2; p less than 0.05) thickness, left ventricular mass (125.0 +/- 29.1 vs 109.2 +/- 25.4 gm/m2; p less than 0.005), and cross-sectional area (9.9 +/- 1.8 vs 8.9 +/- 1.6 cm2/m2; p less than 0.005). No significant differences between SHT and BH subjects were observed. Excursion of left ventricular posterior wall was significantly higher in the BH group. No differences were observed between SHT and SNT subjects. These data show that the same kinds of changes in cardiac morphology are present in normotensive subjects with a family history of hypertension and in subjects with borderline hypertension, suggesting that cardiac involvement may precede elevation of blood pressure.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Homes for the elderly in Liguria.

A survey of 55 old people's homes in Liguria, a region in northern Italy, was carried out to investigate some social and demographic characteristics of the residents, their level of dependence and management. A total of 1666 residents was randomly selected and information was obtained from the records and from an interview with the care staff. Homes admitting only independent people were smaller than those admitting both dependent and independent people. Private homes tended to admit only independent people. The resident population showed relatively high geographical stability and a fair amount of outside support. Nearly half the residents were fully independent and 75% were prescribed at least one drug. 'Cerebroactive' drugs, psychotropic drugs, diuretics, and cardiac glycosides were extensively prescribed. Drug treatment was almost the only therapeutic intervention.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1985

Role of blood pressure response to provocative tests in the prediction of hypertension in adolescents.

To assess the value of exercise stress testing and of mental stress as predictors of hypertension, we studied 130 normotensive males 14-18 years of age. Sixty-five had at least one hypertensive parent (SHT), while 65 had normotensive parents (SNT). Systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure, rate-pressure product (RPP) and 12-lead ECG were recorded at rest, throughout the tests and during the recovery phase. The two groups were not significantly different at rest for the examined variables. However, the SHT group showed a greater average SBP than the SNT group (198.4 +/- 18.7 vs 189.5 +/- 14.9 mmHg; P less than 0.05) at the peak of exercise. A significantly higher proportion of SHT subjects (40.0% vs 18.5%: P less than 0.01) had SBP greater than 200 mmHg. No difference in the ECG pattern between the two groups was observed. During mental stress, no significant differences in the examined variables between the two groups were noted, although SBP, DBP, HR and RPP were slightly higher in SHT than in SNT subjects. These data suggest that the SBP response to dynamic exercise may be a good predictor of hypertension in subjects at risk.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Long-term efficacy of screening for hypertension in a community.

Screening for hypertension in the community leads to the identification of hypertensive people not previously detected, and those detected but inadequately treated or not treated at all. The aim of the present study was to assess the long-term efficacy of screening for blood pressure control in a general population. During 1981, 2139 parents of high school students were invited to our institute for a blood pressure measurement; 1533 persons (71.7%) attended the screening; 239 of them (15.6%) were found to be hypertensive (diastolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 95 mmHg or already receiving antihypertensive treatment). Among the hypertensives, 42.3% did not know that they had high blood pressure, and only 7.5% had their blood pressure controlled by treatment. After being informed about the importance of lowering their blood pressure levels, all hypertensives were invited again to the institute for a further evaluation. Two hundred and two persons (84.5%) attended the re-examination. Of these, 154 (76.2%) were still hypertensive. Of the 202, 151 (74.7%) had contacted their physicians. The most common advice was to make further measurements of blood pressure over a period of time, followed by laboratory tests. The proportion of treated hypertensives rose from the initial 33.1% to 53.9%, but in about half the patients normalization of blood pressure was not achieved. Physicians tended to treat only people with moderate to severe hypertension.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1985

[Index of left ventricular hypertrophy in adolescents genetically predisposed to the development of arterial hypertension].

Experimental studies on strains of normotensive rats genetically prone to hypertension and investigations on humans with borderline hypertension have shown an early involvement of the heart, mainly consisting in a trend to ventricular hypertrophy. To assess whether such alterations may preceed or follow the elevation of blood pressure, subjects who will develop hypertension, but whose blood pressure is currently normal must be studied. For this reason, we studied by means of M-mode echocardiography 51 normotensive males aged 14-19 years with family history for hypertension (at least one hypertensive parent; SHT). Fifty-five normotensive subjects with both normotensive parents (SNT), matched for sex and age, were the controls. Average values of the following parameters were significantly higher in SHT than in SNT subjects: interventricular septum (5.4 +/- 0.8 versus 4.9 +/- 0.9 mm/m2; p less than 0.01) and posterior wall (5.4 +/- 1.1 versus 5.0 +/- 0.8 mm/m2; p less than 0.05) thickness, left ventricular mass (125.0 +/- 29.1 versus 109.2 +/- 25.4 g/m2; p less than 0.005) and cross sectional area (10.0 +/- 1.8 versus 8.9 +/- 1.6 cm2/m2; p less than 0.005). No significant difference between the two groups was observed in the indexes of left ventricular function. The existence of alterations of cardiac morphology in normotensive adolescents with genetic risk of hypertension shows that the cardiac involvement may preceed the development of high blood pressure.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

[Echocardiographic evaluation of the left ventricular morphology and function in adolescents with mild arterial hypertension].

A few studies have been carried out in humans on the morphology and function of the cardiovascular system in the early phases of hypertension. Furthermore, the data which have been provided are controversal and, in particular, a hyperkinetic status has been found only by some authors. For this reason, we planned to study the type and degree of cardiac involvement in 25 male adolescents with mild hypertension, by means of M-mode echocardiography. The control group consisted of 100 normotensive males matched for age and sex. The following indices of left ventricular hypertrophy were significantly higher in cases than in controls: posterior wall thickness (10.4 +/- 1.0 vs 9.1 +/- 1.7 mm; p less than 0.001), cross sectional area (18.3 +/- 2.7 vs 16.6 +/- 3.2 cm2; p less than 0.02) and left ventricular mass (230.9 +/- 46.7 vs 206.2 +/- 54.0 g; p less than 0.05). After normalizing for body surface area, only posterior wall thickness was still significantly greater in cases (5.7 +/- 0.6 vs 5.2 +/- 1.0 mm/m2; p less than 0.01). Among the indices of left ventricular function, only the posterior wall excursion was significantly greater in mild hypertensives than in controls. Our data do not confirm the existence of a hyperkinetic status in subjects with mild hypertension. The type of morphological alterations we found and their modest correlation to blood pressure suggest that factors besides an increased afterload are involved in the development of left ventricular hypertrophy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

[Association between arterial pressure and other cardiovascular risk factors in adolescence].

A screening for hypertension and other cardiovascular risk factors was carried out during 1981 in a population of 1142 subjects (675 males and 467 females) aged 14-18 years. Aim of the study was to analyze the distribution of blood pressure values and of variables possibly associated with hypertension in a population of adolescents. The mean value of systolic blood pressure was higher in males than in females, slightly increasing with age in males and decreasing in females. The diastolic blood pressure was similar, and increased with age in both sexes. The prevalence of individuals with systolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 140 mmHg resulted of 16.1% in males and of 5.6% in females; the prevalence of adolescents with diastolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 90 mmHg was much lower, being of 2.5% and 1.5% respectively. The average value of heart rate was higher in females and decreased with age in both sexes. Males showed significantly greater height and weight, but the body mass index was nearly equal in the two sexes; females had thicker skinfolds. All these variables only in males were clearly associated with age. Among anamnestic variables, only smoking habits, alcohol consumption and physical activity were significantly different in the two sexes. A positive family history for hypertension was present in 31.4% of the adolescents in whom an objective assessment was possible. In both sexes the systolic blood pressure appeared significantly related to heart rate, body weight, body mass index and skinfold thickness.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

[Neurofibroma of the tongue: a clinical case].

The Authors report a case of neurofibroma of the tongue, observed by them. Its peculiarities and the differential diagnosis with neurinoma and other affections are discussed, mostly pointing out its rarity, epidemiological data and histogenesis. After a review of the literature concerning these forms, the Authors dwell upon the histopathologic characters of neurofibroma, the peculiarities of the case reported by them, considering the real rareness of an isolated report of neurofibroma, typical element of Recklinghausen's disease.

Humans↗