The concentration of ionic calcium (Ca²⁺ in the smooth muscular cells of the resistance vessels is a determining factor of their contraction. It depends on the influx of Ca²⁺ to the interior of the cells through the calcium channels in the sarcolemma. The effect of a specific Ca²⁺-channel blocking agent – nifedipine – on arterial hypertension in a group of 18 patients with chronic renal hypertension is reported in this study. The combination of nifedipine and propranolol in the control of hypertension in 6 of these patients in a long-term follow-up was also studied. It was concluded: (1) Ca²⁺ blockade had a rapid and powerful antihypertensive effect in all patients; (2) the antihypertensive effect was higher with high initial blood pressure levels; this fact was especially evident and appeared particularly useful in hypertensive emergencies; (3) in some patients, the action of nifedipine was dose-dependent; (4) nifedipine had a short-lived action; (5) the combination nifedipine-propranolol was efficient in the long-term control of hypertension.

The objectives of our study were to characterize nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients in the Portuguese Institute of Oncology Hospital in Lisbon (IPOLFG) and identify the main factors that interfere with patients survival rate. We performed a retrospective study involving 157 patients (65% male and 35% female) between the years 2000 and 2005, and a histological classification according to Health World Organization. We constructed a Kaplan-Meier survival curve for the studied patients and evaluated the significance of the different studied factors with a Pearson correlation study. With an average age of 53 years, most of the carcinomas were type III (58%), followed by type II (30%) and at last type I (8%). Fifty-one of carcinomas were in stage IV at time of diagnosis. Ninety-five patients (60%) had remission. Five-year actuarial survival rate of all patients was 65.1%. There was a significant difference (P = 0.033) in the actuarial survival rate of staged IV patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy. Undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma is the most frequent type in our geographic area. Chemotherapy improves survival rate, mainly in late stages.

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