bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Role of "Wave Line" (Doerr; Wellenlinie) of Aorta in Atherosclerosis
Authors: Tanimura Akira , Cho Takanori , Saito Yasuyuki , Nakashima Teruyuki 
Published: November 2007

Some aortas of neonates and of children have intimal wrinkles (wave line) which run closely pucked and horizontally across the longitudinal axis. Fre quently the wave line corresponded with arteriosclerotic lesion. The purpose of this study is about the distribution of this structure and its relation to arteriosclerosis. 180 aortas ranging from neonates to 82 year olds were examined. The frequency of the wave line was 133 of 180 aortas (74%). The wave line already were visible in new born babies and were frequently found in the second and third decades. However, in cases over 30 years old its frequency decreased. It was suggested that this was due to increasing thickness of the intima and development of arteriosclerosis, which tend to obscure the wave line. The wave line could be classified into three patterns of distribution; (A) be ginning from under the closure of the ductus arteriosus of the aorta, (B) begin ning from the posterior wall of the celiac artery in the vicinity of the dia phragma and (C) beginning in the vicinity of the outside of lumbar artery run ning along the outside of each lumbar artery. These three distribution patterns were found in neonates and arteriosclerosis was — with advancing age — apt to correspond to the (C) pattern of wave lines. The histogenesis of the wave line was not clarified. It was apparent that these structures were closely related to arterial branching. Judging from these studies, there seemed to be some relation between the branching and the torsion resulting from the growth of the aorta
Effects of Ethaverine Hydrochloride on the Walking Tolerance of Patients with Intermittent Claudication
Authors: Trainor Frieda S. , Phillips Raymond E. , Michie David D. , Zellner Stephen R. , Hogan Leo , Chubb James M. 
Published: November 2007

The effect of ethaverine hydrochloride on excercise tolerance of patients with intermittent claudication was evaluated in a double-blind, placebo-con trolled study conducted at three sites. Forty-five patients with symptoms of oc clusive arterial insufficiency of the lower extremities were randomly assigned to receive ethaverine 200 mg or placebo four times daily. The patients were evalu ated biweekly for 12 weeks with treadmill claudication tests, patient and investi gator assessments of symptom severity, and reports of adverse reactions. Doppler ankle/brachial pressure ratios were recorded for 26 patients. Walking tolerance improved for patients in both groups during the course of the study. Increases in distance-to-claudication were significantly greater for patients receiving ethaverine after 6, 8, 10, and 12 weeks of therapy. Ankle/ brachial pressure index after exercise was unchanged in both groups. Incidence of adverse reactions was similar for the two groups. Although patients were generally unaware of any improvement in symptoms, the investigators judged significant relief of claudication among those receiving ethaverine compared to those receiving placebo. It was concluded that ethaverine safely increased dis tance-to-claudication in patients with intermittent claudication.
T.I.A. Revisited: New Wine—Old Bottle
Authors: Slade Walter R. , Raguthu S. , Borras R. , Chen J.R. , Alperovich A. 
Published: November 2007

TIA has been accepted as a concept of transient cerebral ischemia. There is an ever enlarging body of literature sparking controversies considering its natu ral history, prognosis, outcomes of clinical trials and usefulness of the concept. Much of the controversy is related to the diverse pathophysiology of TIAs, the selection of patients for clinical trials and the associated risk factor in the stud ied population. The advantages of the concept are (1) a warning of the possibility of future irreversible pathology (2) an opportunity to treat and/or remove risk factors (3) an opportunity to establish a basis for monitoring the patient and making in terim decisions concerning intervention. The risks of the concept are: (1) administering a specific therapy to all pa tients (2 failure to fully evaluate the patient once the diagnosis is made (3) ten dency to rely on "experts" for guidance. TIA is a useful concept if one recognizes: (1) the pathophysiology is polymorphous and multiplex, (2) the concept is a signal for diligent search for the underlying cause or causes, (3) it is more important to treat the risk factors than to give a specific ther apy.
Double-Blind Comparison of Ketanserin with Placebo in Patients with Essential Hypertension
Authors: Wellens D. , Peeters G. , Baeten B. , Sieben G. , Symoens J. 
Published: November 2007

Two double-blind multicenter trials were performed to compare the antihy pertensive action of ketanserin, at an oral dosage of 20 mg three times daily, with that of placebo over a period of four to six weeks. A subset of patients was treated in a crossover fashion for either four weeks (36 patients) or six weeks (24 patients). The patients had essential hypertension, with a diastolic blood pressure ≥ 95 mmHg measured in sitting position at the end of a placebo run-in period of at least one week. In a first trial, 78 of 82 patients completed the four-week study period, where the mean drop of the systolic/diastolic blood pressure was -14/-12 mmHg in the ketanserin group (n = 32) versus — 8/ — 5 mmHg in the placebo group (n=46). This difference is statistically significant (p = 0.05/p < 0.01). In 13 patients who after the initial ketanserin treatment were further treated with placebo in crossover for four weeks, the blood pressure rose slightly (+1/+3 mmHg). In the alternative group (n =23), the blood pressure fell by -10/-7 mmHg after placebo and decreased further by -10/-8 mmHg after ketanserin. In a second trial, 24 patients completed a two by six week crossover treat ment. In 12 patients assigned to the sequence placebo-ketanserin, there was a drop of the systolic/diastolic blood pressure by — 7/ — 4 mmHg after placebo and an additional drop by — 26/ —10 mmHg after ketanserin. In the other 12 pa tients, who received the sequence ketanserin-placebo, the blood pressure de creased by -21/-15 mmHg during ketanserin and rose again by + 11/+8 mmHg during placebo. In both treatment groups, the antihypertensive action of ketanserin was significantly superior to that of placebo. The heart rate was not significantly influenced by ketanserin in any of these groups. Orthostatic hypotension was not observed in any of these patients. It is concluded that ketanserin is a well-tolerated antihypertensive agent, whose blood pressure-lowering effect is significantly superior to that of placebo.
Balloon Rupture During Coronary Angioplasty
Authors: Simpfendorfer Conrad C. , Dimas Alexios P. , Zaidi Adnan , Hollman Jay , Franco Irving , Knezinek Valerie , Hobbs Robert E. 
Published: November 2007

Out of a total of 1,500 percutaneous coronary angioplasties (PTCA), 55 (3.6%) were associated with balloon rupture. Lesion calcification was noticed in 7 of these 55 patients (12.7%). Balloon rupture occurred at a mean pressure of 10.7 atmospheres. All balloons were retrieved without difficulty. Intimal tears were noted in 18 (32.7%) cases. Three patients required bypass surgery. In 29 patients restudied angiographically, the restenosis rate was 38%. Balloon rupture during PTCA does not seem to be associated with detrimen tal consequences.
Effects of Pentoxifylline and Prostaglandin E1 on Cold Blood Perfusion Studied by Red Blood Cell Deformability
Authors: Sakai Akira , Kikuchi Yuji , Ohshima Norio , Hori Motokazu 
Published: November 2007

The effects of pentoxifylline and prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) on red blood cell deformability during cold blood perfusion were studied by means of a filtration method. The deformability of normal red blood cells decreased with the temperature transition from 20° to 15°C (transit time: 3.5, 5.8, 25, and 99 seconds at 37°, 20°, 15°, and 10°C respectively). The effects of both pentoxifylline and PGE1 were not noticeable at 37°C but became significant with hypothermia (5.0, 12, and 48 seconds at 20°, 15°, and 10°C, respectively, in samples with pentoxifylline of 0.3 mg/ml; 5.3, 13, and 46 seconds at 20°, 15°, and 10°C, respectively, in those with PGE1 of 40 ng/ml). The results in this study suggest that pretreatment of blood by pentoxifylline or PGE1 could improve coronary microcirculation perfused with cold blood cardioplegic solutions owing to significant improvement of the deformability of red blood cells.
An Unusual Case of Occlusive Thromboaortopathy (Takayasu's Disease)—A Case Report
Authors: Disler Laurence , Hide Gareth 
Published: November 2007

A case of Takayasu's disease presenting in a young man as a solid abdominal mass is described. The literature is reviewed and classifications of the disease are discussed. Occlusive thomboaortopathy, also known as "pulseless disease" or Takayasu's disease, was first described in 1908 by Takayasu, who observed cataracts and peculiar arteriovenous anastamoses around the optic papillae in a young woman.1 It is a vasculitic disorder of uncertain etiology occurring mainly in young women and may involve part or most of the aorta, as well as the pulmonary artery. Early features include fever, malaise, weight loss, and a high ESR, and, later on, absent pulses, aneurysms, hypertension, and heart failure may occur. The authors describe an unusual case of Takayasu's disease in a young black South African man.
Evolutionary Trends in Carotid Atherosclerotic Plaques: Results of a Two-Year Follow-up Study Using an Ultrasound Imaging System
Authors: Senin Umberto , Parnetti Lucilla , Mercuri Michele , Lupattelli Graziana , Susta Adelaide , Ciuffetti Giovanni 
Published: November 2007

A two-year follow-up on 118 atherosclerotic lesions of the extracranial carotid tract observed in 70 patients was carried out using real-time high-reso lution echotomography. The following plaque characteristics were monitored: the echogenic patterns (soft, intermediate, hard, and mixed), the surface aspects, and the degree of stenosis. The aim of the study was to evaluate plaque evolution, in relation both to the degree of vessel stenosis produced and to the echostructural characteris tics of the lesion. After two years 68% of the lesions remained unchanged while the degree of vessel stenosis increased in 32%; no case of regression was ob served. Intrinsic factors appearing to condition an increase in degree of stenosis were "mixed" and "hard" echogenic pattern, an irregular lesion surface, and an initial degree of stenosis of more than 50%. A modification in the echogenic pattern, which generally tended to progress toward more highly reflecting echo genic levels was observed in 27% of the lesions studied.
Circulatory Effects of Intravenous and Oral Atenolol in Acute Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Midtbø K. , Silke B. , Verma S.P. , Reynolds G.W. , Hafizullah M. , Taylor S.H. 
Published: November 2007

The hemodynamic dose-response effects of intravenous (0.05 and 0.10 mg/kg) and oral (50 and 100 mg) atenolol were compared in a randomized between-group study of 24 men within seventeen hours of an acute uncompli cated myocardial infarction; 6 subjects were evaluated in each of the four groups. Hemodynamic variables were determined over a one-hour control per iod, following which the randomized dose of atenolol was administered and measurements repeated at 15 (intravenous therapy only), 30, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300, and 360 minutes. The peak hemodynamic effect was similar and independent of either the dosage or route of administration. In all groups atenolol reduced heart rate and cardiac and stroke volume indices. The pulmonary artery occluded pressure and systemic vascular resistance index were transiently increased. Mean arte rial pressure was significantly reduced only in the oral group with the highest pretreatment pressure. Maximum changes developed between fifteen and thirty minutes after intravenous dosing and between two and three hours after oral dosing. However, substantial reductions in cardiac index (-0.6 L/min/m2; p < 0.05) were already achieved at sixty minutes following oral dosing. The dura tion of pharmacodynamic activity was for two to three hours following intraven ous and for the study duration (four to six hours) after oral dosing. These data confirm the hemodynamic safety of atenolol after acute myocardial infarction.
Surgonomics: The Costs of Ruptured Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
Authors: Munoz Eric , Kassan Martin A. , Chang John B. 
Published: November 2007

Surgical care costs continue to rise at a rate greater than overall U.S. eco nomic growth. Government and industry have vowed to slow the growth of health care spending. Prospective payment systems using the Diagnostic Related Group (DRG) mechanism are being phased in for payment of in-patient hospital care. One expected effect of the DRG payment scheme is a more careful finan cial analysis of the components of surgical care. The purposes of this study were to examine a vascular procedure, ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (RAAA), performed at a large teaching hospital during a ten-year period; to characterize patients by cost (hospital charges ex clusive of physician fees) and outcome; and to test the hypothesis that an IDEN TIFIER, here the presence or absence and duration of hypotension (less than 90 mm Hg systolic), could predict differences in cost and outcome. The results, in conjunction with historic data, were used to quantify aggregate hospital ex penditures for this condition by survivor and the identifier. The results indicate: (1) mortality is higher for the hypotensive patient than for the normotensive patient (p < 0.05) and is related to the duration of hypoten sion ; (2) lowest mean charges per patient were in the hypotensive more than thirty minutes group ($5,587) followed by normotensive ($28,298), then hypo tensive less than thirty minutes ($43,876); and (3) the mean charges for each survivor were $42,447 for normotensive patients versus $107,572 for hypoten sive patients. These data suggest that the hypotensive identifier may predict: (a) lower charges per patient in one group (ie, hypotensive more than 30 minutes), since this group tends to have a rapidly fatal outcome; (b) increased charges per survivor for all hypotensive patients; and (c) higher mortality for RAAA. Ag gregate annual expenditures (hospital charges) for RAAA in the United States using our model were $167,517,000 in 1983; however, the aggregate expendi tures necessary to yield 609 survivors annually with RAAA and hypotension less than thirty minutes were $30,671,806 (ie, $50,364 per survivor), whereas the aggregate annual expenditures to yield 202 survivors with RAAA and hypoten sion more than thirty minutes were $56,712,257 (ie, $280,753 per survivor).
Study on Reaction of Subpapillary Venous Plexus in Patients with Arterial Occlusive Diseases of Lower Extremity by Reflective Spectrophotometry
Authors: Kimura Tadahiro , Tsushima Nobuko , Yoshizaki Satoshi , Nakayama Ryu 
Published: November 2007

The reactions of the subpapillary venous plexus were observed by analyzed fractional blood volume of tissue (Vb) in patients with arterial occlusive dis eases, Fontaine's stage I-II, using the reflective spectrophotometer. The sole skin of 11 normal subjects, 17 patients with arteriosclerosis obli terans (ASO), and 14 patients with thromboangiitis obliterans (TAO) were scanned by the light reflectance of four specially selected wavelengths, including isobestic points (586 and 569 nm) and peaks in the spectra of oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin (577 and 560 nm) in referring to time. Sampling area was the subpapillary venous plexus histologically because the depth for receiving reflectance is about 1.0 mm from the sole skin surface. One series observations was divided into five steps depending on the modes of combination of the ap plied pressure to ankle cuff and tilting. The Kubelka-Munk equation was uti lized to calculate blood volume (Vb). It is concluded that the patients with ASO might have a dysfunction, not of the subpapillary venous plexus, but of the venular valve, whereas patients with TAO might have a dysfunction of both the subpapillary venous plexus and venu lar valve.
Transcutaneous Oxygen Tension (TcPO2) Measurement as a Diagnostic Tool in Patients with Peripheral Vascular Disease
Authors: Lusiani Luigi , Visona Adriana , Nicolin Patrizia , Papesso Barbara , Pagnan Antonio 
Published: November 2007

Transcutaneous oxygen tension (TcPO2) was measured through Clark's elec trode at the dorsum of the foot in 52 healthy controls whose ages ranged from twenty to sixty-five years (mean 45.05 ±14.09) and 36 nondiabetic patients with peripheral vascular disease (PVD) (5 stage I, 16 stage II, 4 stage III, 11 stage IV), under standardized conditions at rest and during recovery from limb ische mia obtained with pneumatic cuff compression for 3 minutes. At rest the TcPO2 averaged 71.20±14.26 mm Hg (range 46-92) in the con trols and 51.56±26.38 in the PVD patients (p < .01). A wide overlap was ob served between the two groups and among the different stages of the disease, and consequently, the diagnostic value of TcPO2 at rest was limited (sensitivity equal to 32%). During the recovery from ischemia the time constant (recovery half-time, T½) averaged 38.01±7.23 sec in the controls and 55.84 ± 19.82 in the PVD patients (p < .01). The T½ added to the diagnostic value of the method, making it more sensitive (55%), especially for stage II patients. The TcPO2 at rest was lower with increasing severity of the disease; both the TcPO2 at rest and the T½ correlated with the ankle-arm pressure index in the diseased limbs (r = .48 and - .41 respectively, p < .001). The method showed a limited degree of reproducibility in the controls when the right and the left lower extremity were compared in each subject; in fact, the intrasubject variance of TcPO2 and T½ was of the same magnitude as the intersubject variance (F=1.73 and 1.26 respectively), and the standard devia tions of the difference between lower extremities was elevated (13.32 mm Hg for TcPO2 and 7.80 sec for T½). Moreover, the T½ decreased with increasing age in the controls (r = - .47, p < .001). The authors conclude that, although it is a good indicator of the severity of PVD, the TcPO2 has a limited diagnostic value in this kind of patients, owing to the wide range of normalcy, to the low degree of reproducibility in a single individual, and to the influence of the age factor.
Disturbances of Cutaneous Microcirculatory Autoregulation in Arterial Occlusive Disease
Authors: Van den Brande Pierre 
Published: November 2007

Skin blood flux at the dorsum of the foot was measured during local heating — by use of laser Doppler flowmetry — in 6 healthy subjects, 6 claudicants, and 6 patients with rest pain. Significantly different flux increases were noted among the three groups during the first six minutes of heating. Healthy subjects showed an initial rapid increase, followed by an abrupt reduction in flux through a probable myogenic autoregulatory microcirculatory control mechanism. In patients the flux in crease was slow and continuous, well correlated with the distal perfusion pres sure ; autoregulatory control was diminished or absent. With less than 100 mmHg perfusion pressure the microvessels are probably constantly dilated through a reduced sympathetic vasoconstriction tone, and further autoregulatory mechanisms are impaired. Measuring of functional behavior of cutaneous microcirculation under low arterial inflow pressure could represent a method for sensitive diagnosis of arte rial insufficiency.
Electromagnetic Field Focusing Probe (EFFP) — A New Angioplasty Tool
Authors: Yamanashi William S. , Yassa Nabil A. , Hill Deborah L. , Lewis John E. , Patil Angelo A. , Lester Patrick D. 
Published: November 2007

An electromagnetic field focusing probe (EFFP) consists of a radiofrequency generator, solenoidal coil, and a hand-held or catheter probe. The probe is oper ated in the near field (distance within one wave length of an electromagnetic field source) of a coil, which induces eddy current in a biological tissue. The induced eddy current is converged maximally at the tip of the probe upon con tact of the tip with the tissue. The probe produces very high temperatures de pending on the wattage selected. In this study, the EFFP was used to evaporate atheromatous plaques in hu man cadaver abdominal aorta specimens, which were then studied histologi cally. Gas produced by this technique was analyzed and the volume found to be related to power delivered, but in such small amounts as to be of no embolic significance. While temperature varied with wattage and time of application, it was maximal at the probe tip and easily controlled, resulting in clean oblitera tion of plaque.
Comparison of the Subacute Hemodynamic Effects of Atenolol, Propranolol, Pindolol, and Nebivolol
Authors: De Crée Jean , Cobo Carlos , Geukens Hedwig , Verhaegen Herman 
Published: November 2007

In an observer-blind four-way crossover study, 7 healthy volunteers received in random sequence, one month apart, atenolol 100 mg od, propranolol (slow release) 160 mg od, pindolol 5 mg tid, and nebivolol 5 mg od for a period of seven days, followed by a single-blind placebo washout period of seven days. The decrease of peak exercise heart rate and systolic blood pressure was significant (p = 0.02) and comparable for the four drugs studied and varied between 15% and 23% for heart rate and between 15% and 20% for systolic blood pressure. Although no statistically significant difference was observed among the four drug regimens, the decrease of peak exercise heart rate was less pronounced with nebivolol than with the three reference beta-blocking agents. The ratio of the preejection period (PEPc) to the left ventricular ejection time (LVET c), an indirect measure of left ventricular performance, tended to increase with atenolol and propranolol and remained unchanged with pindolol. PEP c/LVETc progressively and significantly improved with nebivolol from a control value of 0.37 ± 0.012 to 0.31 ± 0.009 (p = 0.03) after seven days of treatment, owing to a decrease in PEPc and an increase in LVETc, suggestive of a combined effect both on preload and afterload. Postexercise LVETc, an index of the intrinsic positive inotropy of exercise, was significantly suppressed by atenolol, propranolol, and pindolol, but not during treating with nebivolol. These data suggest that nebivolol is a β1-selective adrenergic antagonist with an unusual hemodynamic profile, probably improving left ventricular compliance.
Do Vasospasms Provoke Ocular Diseases?
Authors: Gasser P. , Flammer J. , Guthauser U. , Mahler F. 
Published: November 2007

Vasospasms in the eye are often combined with digital vasospasms, as can be diagnosed with a nailfold capillaroscopic local cooling test. In 16 patients with a history of cold hands and feet the presence of peripheral vasospasms without any underlying disease was demonstrated by means of nailfold video-capillaroscopy. These patients showed the phenomenologic diagnosis of low-tension glaucoma with visual field defects characteristic of glaucoma even though intraocular pressure above 21 mmHg was excluded. The visual field defects were not homonymous, indicating a prechiasmal location of the vascular disturbance. Ocular vasospasms cause visual field damage that can be aggravated or provoked by cooling one hand in cold water and that often improves after treatment with the calcium channel blocker nifedipine. The results suggest that vasospasms not only are present in Raynaud's disease, migraine, and Prinzmetal's variant angina but also may be an important factor in the genesis of low-tension glaucoma. This is a new finding and may be related to a general vasospastic syndrome.