Drugs online research references
Circulation. 2004 Jan 6;109(1):53-8. Epub 2003 Dec 29.
Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme a reductase in cardiac Syndrome X: role of superoxide dismutase activity.
Pizzi C, Manfrini O, Fontana F, Bugiardini R.
Dipartimento di Medicina Interna, Cardioangiologia, Epatologia, University of Bologna, Via Massarenti 9, Bologna 40138, Italy.
BACKGROUND: Morbidity of patients with Syndrome X (SX; chest pain and normal coronary angiograms) is high and is associated with continuing episodes of chest pain and hospitalization. Impairment of microvascular endothelial function caused by increased oxidative stress has been suggested to be a mechanism of the disease. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is the major antioxidant enzyme system of the vascular wall. This study sought to establish whether combination treatment with ACE inhibitors and statins reduces oxidative stress and improves quality of life of patients with cardiac SX. METHODS AND RESULTS: Forty-five patients with SX were randomly assigned to receive either a combination of ramipril (10 mg/d) and atorvastatin (40 mg/d) or placebo for 6 months. We determined the activity of extracellular SOD and its relation to flow-dependent endothelium-mediated dilation (FMD) and quality of life (exercise capacity and score with Seattle Angina Questionnaire [SAQ]) before and after treatment. After 6 months, patients with SX who received atorvastatin and ramipril had significantly reduced (P=0.001) SOD levels (188.1+/-29.6 U/mL). No significant changes were seen on placebo (262.9+/-48.8 U/mL). Reduction of SOD after therapy was negatively correlated with FMD (r=0.38; P=0.01) and positively with total cholesterol (r=-0.56; P<0.001). At follow-up, patients taking atorvastatin and ramipril improved their quality of life both in terms of exercise duration (by 23.46%) and SAQ (by 64.1%). CONCLUSIONS: Six months of therapy with atorvastatin and ramipril improves endothelial function and quality of life of patients with SX. Reduced SOD activity may reflect low superoxide anion production. Benefits of these drugs may be related to reduction of oxidative stress.
online pharmacy ref source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=14699004&dopt=Abstract [PubMed - in process]
Orv Hetil. 2003 Dec 7;144(49):2419-23.
[In Process Citation]
[Article in Hungarian]
Matos L.
Fovarosi Szent Janos Korhaz, Kardiologiai Jarobeteg-rendeles.
The use of angiotensin-receptor blockers has already been outlined in cardiology and diabetology. In extending clinical indications of this drug class their pleiotropic actions might play a role: they are improving endothelial function, and their antiatherogenic effect is not related to antihypertensive action. It may also be important that while some antihypertensive agents are impairing sexual function, angiotensin-receptor blocking agents seem to improve sexual activity in hypertensive men. As there is alternative route for angiotensin II synthesis, there are patients in whom blockade of angiotensin II actions do need more aggressive treatment for proper therapeutic results. The discovery of angiotensin-receptor blocking agents made possible to produce this blockade in the tissues as well, and suggested combined administration of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers for better clinical results. In patients with congestive heart failure data from an earlier pilot study (RESOLVD) suggested that combined use of these two drug classes would lead for a more complete blockade of the renin-angiotensin system with better clinical results, especially in those patients in the higher dose ranges. Recent results showed that using this drug combination cardiovascular mortality and hospitalization because of worsening heart failure could significantly be decreased (CHARM-Added study). More important data are expected from the ongoing ONTARGET program (Ongoing Telmisartan Alone and in combination with Ramipril Global Endpoint Trial).
online pharmacy ref source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=14725209&dopt=Abstract [PubMed - in process]
Am J Cardiovasc Drugs. 2003;3(2):113-6.
Spotlight on ramipril in the prevention of cardiovascular outcomes.
Warner GT, Perry CM.
Adis International Inc., Langhorne, Pennsylvania, USA.
Ramipril (Altace((R))Use of tradenames is for product identification purposes only and does not imply endorsement.), an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, is a prodrug which is rapidly hydrolyzed after absorption to the active metabolite ramiprilat. Earlier trials have shown that ACE inhibitors, when given to patients with low ejection fractions, have reduced the relative risk of myocardial infarction (MI) and other ischemic events by 14-23%. Subsequently, the double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, multicenter Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation (HOPE) study has shown that, in patients who are not known to have low ejection fraction or heart failure but are at increased risk for developing cardiovascular events, ramipril reduced the incidence of stroke, MI and death due to cardiovascular disease.Results from the HOPE study, in which 9297 patients were randomized to receive either ramipril 10 mg/day or placebo for a mean of 4.5 years, indicate that ramipril reduced the relative risk of the composite outcome of MI, stroke and cardiovascular death by 22%. The incidence of the composite outcome was significantly lower in the ramipril group than in the placebo group (14.0% vs 17.8%). Patients who received ramipril, compared with placebo recipients, had a significantly decreased incidence of stroke, MI or death due to cardiovascular disease (3.4% vs 4.9%, 9.9% vs 12.3% and 6.1% vs 8.1%, respectively). The relative risk of death from any cause was reduced among patients who received ramipril. In addition, treatment with ramipril reduced as the incidence of revascularization procedures, and, among patients with diabetes mellitus, ramipril reduced the incidence of complications related to diabetes mellitus, including the development of overt nephropathy. Moreover, in patients without a previous diagnosis of diabetes mellitus, ramipril, compared with placebo, significantly reduced the development of diabetes mellitus. Furthermore, compared with patients receiving placebo, patients receiving ramipril had a reduced rate of progression of carotid artery wall thickness.CONCLUSION: Ramipril 10 mg/day can significantly reduce the incidence of MI, stroke or death from cardiovascular causes in patients aged >/=55 years who are at increased risk for the development of ischemic cardiovascular events due to a history of stroke, coronary artery disease (with controlled blood pressure), diabetes mellitus plus at least one other risk factor or peripheral vascular disease but no heart failure or low ejection fraction. Therefore, in addition to dietary and lifestyle modifications, ramipril should be an integral part of secondary prevention therapy in patients at increased risk for the development of cardiovascular events.
online pharmacy ref source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=14727938&dopt=Abstract [PubMed - in process]
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