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Query: UMLS:C0018801 (heart failure)
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The pathology of primary familia amyloidosis with polyneuropathy is described on the basis of post-mortem examination of six cases from Northern Sweden. Clinically the disease is characterized by progressive sensory and motor disturbances with loss of sensation, muscular wasting and flaccid paralysis. Impotence, urinary bladder dysfunction, motility disturbances of the gastro-intestinal tract and postural hypotension indicate affection of the autonomic nervous system as well. Malabsorption, cardiac insufficiency and vitreous opacites also occur. As regards the distribution of amyloid, the following findings seemed to be characteristic. Usually there were no gross lesions indicating the amyloid disease. Histopathologically, amyloid deposits were observed in great extent in the peripheral nervous system and in various parts of the peripheral autonomic nervous system as well. It occurred extensively in the walls of blood vessels of various calibres, in the perivascular collagenous connective tissue and adjacent to the smooth musculature. Amyloid deposition was also found more or less abundantly in various other organs and tissues. No deposits, however, or only insignificant amounts, were found in the central nervous system, either in the parenchyma of the liver, in the islets of Langerhans, or in the bone marrow. Clinical manifestations seemed to be related to the local deposition of the amyloid substance. Our clinical and pathological findings in this particular type of familial amyloidosis conformed mostly to those previously described.
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PMID:Postmortem findings in primary familial amyloidosis with polyneuropathy. 115 99

Labetalol is a combined alpha- and beta-adrenoceptor blocking agent for oral and intravenous use in the treatment of hypertension. It is a nonselective antagonist at beta-adrenoceptors and a competitive antagonist of postsynaptic alpha 1-adrenoceptors. Labetalol is more potent at beta that at alpha 1 adrenoceptors in man; the ratio of beta-alpha antagonism is 3:1 after oral and 6.9:1 after intravenous administration. Labetalol is readily absorbed in man after oral administration, but the drug, which is lipid soluble, undergoes considerable hepatic first-pass metabolism and has an absolute bioavailability of approximately 25%. There are no active metabolites, and the elimination half-life of the drug is approximately 6 hours. Unlike conventional beta-adrenoceptor blocking drugs without intrinsic sympathomimetic activity, labetalol, when given acutely, produces a decrease in peripheral vascular resistance and blood pressure with little alteration in heart rate or cardiac output. However, like conventional beta-blockers, labetalol may influence the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and respiratory function. Clinical studies have shown that the antihypertensive efficacy of labetalol is superior to placebo and to diuretic therapy and is at least comparable to that of conventional beta-blockers, methyldopa, clonidine and various adrenergic neuronal blockers. Labetalol administered alone or with a diuretic is often effective when other antihypertensive regimens have failed. Studies have shown that labetalol is effective in the treatment of essential hypertension, renal hypertension, pheochromocytoma, pregnancy hypertension and hypertensive emergencies. In addition, preliminary studies indicate that labetalol may be of value in the management of ischemic heart disease. The most troublesome side effect of labetalol therapy is posture-related dizziness. Other reported side effects of the drug include gastrointestinal disturbances, tiredness, headache, scalp tingling, skin rashes, urinary retention and impotence. Side effects related to the beta-adrenoceptor blocking effect of labetalol, including asthma, heart failure and Raynaud's phenomenon, have been reported in rare instances.
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PMID:Labetalol: a review of its pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, clinical uses and adverse effects. 631 May 29

More than 1200 patients who received pindolol for the treatment of hypertension, angina pectoris, and various arrhythmias in studies conducted in the United States were included in the New Drug Application submitted to the FDA. Nearly 1000 of these patients received pindolol as monotherapy. The side effects reported were generally transient and of mild or moderate severity. The most frequently reported side effects seen after pindolol administration, compared to those seen after placebo, were in decreasing order of incidence: headache, dizziness, insomnia, muscle pain, fatigue, weakness, nervousness, joint pain, edema, nausea, and muscle cramps. Other side effects that occurred more frequently with pindolol than with placebo but at a rather low incidence induced weight gain, bizarre dreams, visual disturbances, lethargy, and diarrhea. Nasal congestion, throat discomfort, nocturia, impotence, pruritus, anxiety, hypotension, bradycardia, and heart failure occurred only rarely. Of the 323 patients who received pindolol alone for the treatment of mild to moderate hypertension, only 20 (6.2%) were withdrawn from the study because of side effects. Overall, 3.4% of the patients treated with pindolol were withdrawn because of side effects, most of which involved the central nervous system, that is, insomnia, anxiety, dizziness, and headache. However, a few patients manifested some edema and weight gain while receiving pindolol alone. Review of the side effects data did not reveal a tendency for the incidence of side effects to be dose related. One placebo-controlled, double-blind study designed to evaluate the fixed dosages of 15, 30, and 60 mg in the treatment of mild to moderate hypertension suggested that only the incidences of insomnia and nervousness increased with increasing doses. However, these side effects were generally transient and of mild or moderate severity. The evidence indicates that pindolol has an acceptable safety profile and that any side effects that appear are generally well tolerated and disappear with continued treatment.
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PMID:Adverse reactions to pindolol administration. 704 82

Timolol has become so populat with ophthalmologists that it is prescribed 44% of the time when an anti-glaucoma drop is needed. This popularity is due to its newness and the publicity it has received, its effectiveness in most types of glaucoma, and the apparent scarcity of side effects. This paper looks at the first 489 patients treated with timolol at Wills Eye Hospital and the side effects encountered. These include blurring of vision, burning and pain, bradycardia and heart failure, hallucinations, dilated pupils, headaches, dizziness, hypotony, allergy, asthma, impotence, drowsiness, anxiety, emotional lability, and nausea.
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PMID:The place of timolol in the practice of ophthalmology. 740 91

Hereditary hemochromatosis is a common disorder of iron metabolism with a prevalence as high as 8 per 1000. Affected individuals absorb excessive amounts of dietary iron and over time, tissue iron deposition results in skin discoloration, arthropathy, hepatic cirrhosis, heart failure, diabetes mellitus and impotence. Early diagnosis and institution of phlebotomy treatments will prevent these manifestations and normalize life expectancy. Once organ damage is established many of the manifestations are irreversible. Since the early manifestations of the disease are subtle, a case can be made for routine screening. This conclusion is supported by cost-effectiveness analysis based on available data. A reasonable screening strategy would start with a serum transferrin saturation. A value > or = 55% should trigger a repeat transferrin saturation in a fasting state and a serum ferritin level. If both these tests are abnormal, a liver biopsy with quantitative iron determination is the currently accepted confirmatory test.
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PMID:Management of hereditary hemochromatosis. 788 27

The chemistry, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, clinical efficacy, adverse effects, and dosage of sotalol hydrochloride are reviewed. The chemical name of sotalol hydrochloride is 4'-[1-hydroxy-2-(isopropylamino)ethyl]methanesulfonanilide monohydrochloride. Sotalol is a class III antiarrhythmic that prolongs the action potential and refractoriness of cardiac tissue and has potent nonselective beta-blocking activity. Sotalol is well absorbed after oral administration. The pharmacokinetics of sotalol can be described by an open, linear, two-compartment model. The drug is eliminated primarily by the kidneys; mean elimination half-life is 12 hours. Sotalol has been found to be effective in controlling life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias, including sustained ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, and premature ventricular complexes. Although sotalol has FDA-approved labeling for use in the treatment of ventricular arrhythmias only, it is also effective against a variety of supraventricular arrhythmias. Noncardiac adverse effects include fatigue, impotence, depression, headache, nausea, diarrhea, and increased triglyceride levels. Cardiovascular adverse effects include atrioventricular block, bradycardia, hypotension, exacerbation of heart failure, and polymorphic ventricular tachycardia. Overall, 11-21% of patients experience adverse effects; 6-18% of these patients have reactions serious enough to warrant the discontinuation of sotalol therapy. The initial dosage of oral sotalol hydrochloride in adults is 80 mg twice daily or 160 mg once daily; the dosage can be increased every three to four days in increments of 40-160 mg/day to a maximum of 480 mg/day. Sotalol is useful in the control of intractable, life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias, as well as a variety of supraventricular arrhythmias, in patients who do not respond to or are intolerant of more conventional antiarrhythmics.
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PMID:Sotalol: a new class III antiarrhythmic agent. 813 5

Approximately 1.5 million persons in the United States are affected by iron overload diseases, which are primarily caused by hereditary hemochromatosis--the most common genetic disorder in the United States. Hereditary hemochromatosis is characterized by increased iron absorption in the gastrointestinal tract, which may cause lifelong excessive iron absorption and accumulation and serious health effects, including arthritis, cirrhosis, diabetes, impotence, heart failure, and death. Hereditary hemochromatosis is an autosomal recessive disease; the estimated prevalence of the homozygous genotype is 1:200 - 1:250 persons, and 10% of persons are carriers. Although the disease was previously believed to affect primarily white males of northern European descent, recent data indicate hereditary hemochromatosis also occurs among blacks. Moreover, iron overload diseases are underdiagnosed among whites and may not be considered in other racial/ethnic groups (e.g., Hispanics) even when compatible symptoms and clinical findings are present. As part of a joint demonstration project during August-October 1995 to determine the overall prevalence of iron overload, CDC reviewed data from a health-maintenance organization (HMO) in San Diego, California; the prevalence among Hispanics appeared similar to that for non-Hispanic whites. This report presents the preliminary findings of an analysis of the prevalence of iron overload among Hispanics and compares these findings with nationally representative data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III). These findings indicate that the prevalence of possible iron overload among Hispanic clients of the HMO based on initial screening was consistent with the nationwide prevalence of possible iron overload based on a single screening test for Hispanics of Mexican descent and non-Hispanic whites.
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PMID:Iron overload disorders among Hispanics--San Diego, California, 1995. 900 7

Universal screening for hereditary hemochromatosis (HH) has been proposed by many experts, with understandable enthusiasm: HH can cause fatal complications, which are preventable with early treatment. The disorder involves excess iron accumulation that can result in tissue iron overload, with secondary cirrhosis, diabetes, heart failure, impotence and arthritis. These complications are preceded by years of iron accumulation, and most are believed to be preventable by removal of excess iron by phlebotomy. Thus, early identification and treatment - the quintessential functions of health screening - seem to make sense for HH. However, the available screening tests are imperfect. While they can identify many persons at increased risk from HH, the proportion that will develop serious clinical manifestations related to iron overload is not known with certainty. DNA-based tests do not provide a simple resolution to these questions.
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PMID:Screening for hereditary hemochromatosis: are DNA-based tests the answer? 1049 10

Spironolactone, a competitive aldosterone receptor antagonist (ARA), has traditionally been the treatment of first choice in idiopathic hyperaldosteronism (IHA) and for preoperative management of aldosterone producing adenoma (APA). Spironolactone is partially absorbed, is extensively metabolized mainly by the liver and its therapeutic properties are attributable to active metabolite canrenone. At therapeutic doses of 25 to 400 mg per day, spironolactone effectively controls blood pressure and hypokalemia in the majority of cases. Endocrine side effect are often associated and mainly consist of gynecomastia, decreased libido and impotence in man and menstrual irregularities in women. Canrenone and the K+ salt of canrenoate are also in clinical use: they avoid the formation of intermediate products with anti-androgenic and progestational actions, resulting in a decreased incidence of side effects. Furthermore, a relatively new selective ARA compound (eplerenone) with reduced affinity for androgen and progesterone receptors, is currently undergoing clinical trials. In essential hypertension aldosterone can contribute to hypertension and increases the incidence of myocardial hypertrophy and cardiovascular events. On the other hand, inhibition of Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System (RAAS) is associated with a decrease in blood pressure, with a regression of left ventricular hypertrophy and a reduction of target organ damage. Thus, ARA have been proposed as complementary treatment associated to ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor antagonists. Aldosterone is also known to play an important role in pathophysiolgy of congestive heart failure (CHF). In vitro and in vivo evidences suggest that aldosterone promotes myocardial fibrosis. This effect reflects direct, extra-epithelial actions of aldosterone via cardiac MR which are counteracted by ARAs in animal models. The RAAS is chronically activated in CHF. Non potassium-sparing diuretics further stimulate the RAAS and cause hypokalemia. Thus, use of ARAs in CHF was first proposed to correct potassium and magnesium depletion. At present ARAs are indicated in the management of primary hyperaldosteronism, in oedematous conditions in patients with CHF, in cirrhosis of the liver accompanied by oedema and ascites, in essential hypertension and in hypokalemic states. Its indication as adjunctive therapy of heart failure is currently under investigation. In fact, it is well known that even high doses of ACE inhibitors may not completely suppress the RAAS; aldosterone 'escape' may occur through non angiotensin II dependent mechanisms. Addition of spironolactone to an ACE inhibitor causes marked diuresis and symptomatic improvement. During the last few years, the RALES study (Randomized Aldactone Evaluation Study) was organized to explore the efficacy of combination therapy with spironolactone and ACE inhibitor in patients with CHF, class III or IV NYHA. The study was stopped 18 months early because the results were so statistically and clinically significant that it would be unethical to continue the trial. It is reported a 30 percent decrease in mortality and hospitalisation for cardiac causes in spironolactone-treated group vs placebo group.
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PMID:Aldosterone antagonists in hypertension and heart failure. 1079 May 93

The American College of Cardiology-American Heart Association Committee recommends first line beta-adrenergic blocking agents for chronic stable effort angina. This article reassesses some critical evidence that is new or could have been neglected by the Committee. In particular, the putative role of calcium channel blocking agents (CCBs) is reexamined. Additional evidence is culled from articles not cited by the Committee, together with added reference to recent trials. Safety, side-effects and tolerability are issues that are evaluated. Mortality data are reviewed with the aid of a meta-analysis of all placebo-controlled trials on long acting CCBs. The advice of the committee may need to be reconsidered in view of recent evidence on the tolerability and benefits in hypertension of newer, longer-acting, second-generation CCBs. Of the older agents, verapamil has been shown to be the best with regard to safety and efficacy. Especially in the elderly, angina is often associated with hypertension, with evidence showing dihydropyridine CCBs and beta-adrenergic blocking agents to be similarly effective. Beta-blockers may have undesirable side effects such impotence and impaired exercise ability, despite their proven protective effects in postinfarct patients and in heart failure. The choice of drug should be keyed to the needs and the pathophysiology of the individual patient.
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PMID:First line drugs in chronic stable effort angina--the case for newer, longer-acting calcium channel blocking agents. 1109 72


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