Given the accumulating evidence that people with underlying heart disease are a particularly vulnerable group for triggers like changing meteorological parameters, the objective of this longitudinal study was to analyze the influence of weather parameters on blood pressure, arrhythmia and ischemia in cardiovascular patients. A panel study with repeated measurements was conducted in a rehabilitation clinic in Timmendorfer Strand (Baltic Sea, Germany) with 872 cardiovascular patients. Heart rate, blood pressure and electrocardiography changes were measured during repeated bicycle ergometries. Generalized Estimating Equations were used for regression analyses of immediate, delayed and cumulative influences of the daily measured meteorological data. For men, a decrease in air temperature and in water vapor pressure doubled the risk of ST-segment depression during ergometry [odds ratio (OR) for 1 day delay: 1.88 (1.24; 2.83) for air temperature] with a delay of 1-2 days. For women, an increase of their heart rate before the start of the ergometry [same day: 4.36 beats/min (0.99; 7.74) for air temperature] and a 2- to 3-fold higher risk for ventricular ectopic beats [1 day delay: OR 2.43 (1.17; 5.05) for air temperature] was observed with an increase in temperature and water vapor pressure in almost all analyzed time-windows. The study indicates that meteorological parameters can induce changes in heart function which may lead to adverse cardiovascular events especially in susceptible, diseased individuals. The observed effect on ST-segment depression could be a link between the association of weather changes and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.

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The main aim of this study was to investigate whether a new slow-release formation of nicardipine can control hypertension and whether its antihypertensive effect is manifest throughout the dose intervals. In a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled study, the antihypertensive effect of two calcium antagonists (Type II) was investigated in two independent groups of hypertensive patients with coronary artery disease. One group of patients received 40 mg nicardipine slow-release b.i.d. and the other 20 mg nifedipine slow-release b.i.d. The effect of the active drugs on blood pressure (BP), heart rate, and hemodynamics was compared with placebo within each group. In addition, a group comparison was made to establish whether nicardipine had any advantage over nifedipine. Twenty-eight patients [27 female, 1 male; 55 (41-72) years old], 18 with previous myocardial infarction (MI) entered the study (nicardipine, 15 patients; nifedipine, 13 patients). A placebo period of 3 days was followed by a 13-day drug treatment period. From the first to last trial day, BP and heart rate were measured three times daily. At the end of the placebo and the active drug periods, the following measurements were carried out: ambulatory BP monitoring by half-hourly recording for 12.5 hours with the Remler system, ergometric tests with ECG, and right heart catheterization. Both drugs lowered the BP at rest, during exercise, and during usual daily activities. The antihypertensive effect of nicardipine was significant for the daytime mean arterial BP (MAP) and for systolic BP and diastolic BP at various stages of the exercise tests. The difference between the effect of nicardipine and nifedipine was not significant.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Die perirenale Kontrastmittel-lnstillation bei der perkutanen Nierenbiopsie ;eit zwanzig Jahren ist die perkutane Nierenbiopsie ein ester Bestandteil der klinischen Nierendiagnostik (1, 4). fechnische Verbesserungen in dieser Zeit betrafen die Sirt der Biopsienadel (7, 11, 15) einerseits, die Loka-* Abbildungen 2-4 und 6-8 siehe Tafel Seite 1666 und 1671.

No abstract