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Biomedical subjects

L A Ferrara

Publications and source records attributed to L A Ferrara.

96 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Left ventricular mass reduction during salt depletion in arterial hypertension.

Long-term therapy with antihypertensive agents that reduce sympathetic nervous system activity has been demonstrated by echocardiographic measurements to reverse left ventricular hypertrophy. This investigation evaluated the effects of salt depletion obtained by both chlorthalidone (25 mg/day) and severe restriction of salt intake (about 1016 mg Na+/day) on left ventricular mass (LVM) in as short a time as 12 weeks. Before the study, the patients had been off medication and on a balanced diet without salt restriction for at least 2 weeks; they were then randomly allocated to either the diuretic or low-salt regimen for 6 weeks and finally to alternative treatment according to a crossover model. Blood pressure, body weight, myocardial mass, and noninvasive measurements of left ventricular function (LVF) were determined at baseline and at the end of both periods of treatment. Results were evaluated by two-way analysis of variance in randomized blocks. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure and LVM were significantly and similarly reduced by diuretic therapy or salt restriction. A significant correlation was demonstrated between noninvasive measurements of LVM, expressed as cross-sectional area, and systolic blood pressure. No impairment of LVF could be detected over the treatment period.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Cardiovascular response to the cold test in obese subjects. Effect of a hypocaloric, normal sodium diet].

Loss of weight in obese patients, both hypertensive and normotensive, causes a fall in blood pressure (BP) through a mechanism which is still not fully understood. The effects of a low-sodium low-energy diet on BP were assessed in 20 obese subjects (15 M and 5 F; age 26-65 years), 11 of whom were normotensive and 9 hypertensive. Following a period of normocaloric diet, a diet of 600 kcal was prescribed for 6 months. BP and heart rate (HR) were measured at the start and end of hypocaloric diet in resting conditions and during stimulation of the adrenergic nervous system (ANS) obtained by exposure to cold (immersion of the hand in water and ice). A reduction of resting BP (from 137/81 +/- 5/4 to 122/74 +/- 4/4 mmHg, p less than 0.05) was observed in 8 patients who lost at least 30% of excess weight (from kg 107 +/- 6 to 91 +/- 4, p less than 0.001) together with an increase in BP during exposure to cold (from 140/82 +/- 3/3 to 156/95 +/- 7/4 mmHg before and from 120/78 +/- 3/4 to 140/88 +/- 3/3 after the diet, p less than 0.05). No changes were found in the daily urinary excretion of Na during the course of diet therapy. These results demonstrate that a hypocaloric diet, independent of saline restriction, is able to reduce resting BP and pressure peaks during adrenergic stimulation.

Adult↗