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Biomedical subjects

J F May

Publications and source records attributed to J F May.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

Captopril compared to atenolol in mild to moderate hypertension in a randomized double-blind controlled trial.

After screening a local population in the northern part of The Netherlands for hypertension, 125 patients (116 of whom had not previously used antihypertensive drugs) with a five times elevated diastolic pressure (DP) of between 95 and 130 mmHg were randomized and treated daily either with atenolol 50 mg o.d. (n = 62) or with captopril 25 mg b.i.d. (n = 63) for 2 months under double-blind conditions. During this period the DP fell by 9 mm under atenolol (from 107 +/- 8 to 98 +/- 8) and by 8 mm under captopril (from 107 +/- 7 to 99 +/- 9). The number of responders with a DP = less than 90 mmHg was 21% and 20%, respectively. After 2 months the double-blind period was ended and the patients were submitted to a medication protocol for another 4 months in which an increased dose and additional nifedipine were given to non-responders. The response rate rose to 76% (atenolol/nifedipine combination) and to 60% (captopril/nifedipine combination) - NS. It is concluded that low doses of atenolol and captopril are equally effective in lowering blood pressure in uncomplicated mild to moderate hypertension.

Adult

Quality of life on antihypertensive therapy: a randomized double-blind controlled trial of captopril and atenolol.

A randomized double-blind study lasting 2 months was performed with either 25 mg captopril twice a day or 50 mg atenolol once a day in 125 patients with established diastolic hypertension (diastolic blood pressure greater than 95 mmHg) identified during a population screening programme of subjects aged less than 65 years. Quality of life was assessed from self-completed questionnaires. A significant fall in diastolic blood pressure occurred with both captopril (106.7 +/- 7.0 to 98.6 +/- 8.6 mmHg) and atenolol (107.4 +/- 7.5 to 98.2 +/- 8.1 mmHg) but there was no difference between the two drugs in the size of the fall. A measure of the number of symptomatic complaints, the symptom complaint rate, decreased with both drugs, by 1.3% for captopril and 3.1% for atenolol, but the difference between the drugs was not significant [1.8%; 95% confidence interval (Cl) - 1.3%, 4.9%]. There was a significant increase in the reporting of cough and runny nose in those on captopril compared with atenolol. A health index increased by 1.1% with captopril in comparison with no change on atenolol (difference 1.1%; 95% Cl - 2.0%, 4.2%). Psychological well-being was measured using the Symptom Rating Test. The improvement in total score was 1.4% with captopril and 2.3% with atenolol. The difference of 0.9% was not statistically significant (95% Cl - 1.2%, 3.0%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Affect

Aspects of normal and dystrophic chicken muscle grown in vitro.

Pectoral muscle from normal and dystrophic New Hampshire chicken embryos was dissociated and grown in vitro. Marked differences between the two types of cell cultures were observed with the light and electron microscopes during early myogenic stages. The diseased myoblasts assumed a polarized affect and fused into smaller and fewer myotubes. Pseudostraps rather than true muscle straps were often seen in diseased cultures. There was also a delay in the appearance of myosin containing thick myofilaments in differentiating dystrophic muscle cells.

Animals

Prognosis in severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

A long-term prognostic study of 129 patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (initial value for forced expiratory volume in 1 sec [FEV1] smaller than or equal to 1,000 ml) is reported. Data from the patients (72 per patient) were obtained in a clinically stable phase during the first hospital admission and subsequent regular outpatient visits; the data were processed using multiple regression and discriminant analysis. Five- and 10-year cumulative survival rates were 69 and 40 per cent, respectively. Prediction of survival rate was determined mainly by the rate of decrease in initial FEV1 per year and the degree of increase of initial FEV1 after administration of thiazinamium, a bronchodilator. Initial FEV1 values per se contributed to prediction only when they were less than 450 ml. Study of the data from the individual patients showed the presence of different types of decrease in FEV1: linear, exponential, combined linear-exponential, and phasic. FEV1 sometimes remained unchanged for several years or even showed an increase. No sudden decreases were observed. The better survival rate in patients with greater reversibility of airway obstruction after administration of thiazinamium has important bearing on treatment policy. The hypothesis is put forward that the better survival rate in the present study might be the result of continuing medical care. Comprehensive treatment, provided it includes a component directed at preventing and treating reversible airway obstruction, may be of major importance in determining survival in patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The value of so-called dominant, survival-predicting factors is considered to be of secondary importance; their main function is to alert the physician to the fact that prognosis as concerns survival may be unfavorable and that preventive and therapeutic measures should be taken without delay.

Blood Pressure

A computer program for ECG classification according to the Minnesota code.

A program for the automated generation of Minnesota-codes from the standard 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) recorded at rest has been developed. The program has been written as a part of the Modular TNO ECG/VCG Processing System. Results of the program on two sets of ECG'S (279 predominantly normal recordings and 286 consecutive recordings from a Cardiological Department) are presented. These electrocardiograms were also coded by hand by different ECG technicians. An agreement of 83% between hand and computer coding was obtained. One-third of the disagreements (6% of the cases) is caused by small differences (less than 5%) in the measurements between technicians and computer.

Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted

The induction of atherosclerotic plaque-like mounds in cultures of aortic smooth muscle cells.

Smooth muscle cells harvested from the tunica media of piglet aortae were maintained in continous culture for 10 months. When grown in the presence of 95% air and 5% CO2 they maintained a mature morphology as evaluated ultrastructurally. As these populations became confluent, the cells became oriented parallel to each other. When grown in the presence of 4% O2, 91% N2, and 5% CO2, this polarized pattern was disrupted. Focal areas of lipid accumulation were observed, succeeded by mound formation at these sites. The mound stained positive with PAS, aldehyde fuchsin, and oil red O. They were surrounded by 2-4 layers of intact cells. The centers of the mound were composed of extracellular material and cell debris.

Animals