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Biomedical subjects

A Montecinos

Publications and source records attributed to A Montecinos.

10 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

[Comparison of the effects of digoxin or enalapril in the treatment of heart failure due to mitral insufficiency].

BACKGROUND: There is not much evidence about the usefulness of digoxin or enalapril in the treatment of heart failure due to mitral insufficiency. AIM: To compare digoxin and enalapril in the treatment of heart failure due to mitral insufficiency. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with mitral insufficiency, in sinus rhythm, with a heart failure grade II or III and with echocardiographic left ventricular dilatation were eligible for the study. They received sequentially, during 12 weeks each, digoxin 0.25 mg/day or enalapril in doses up to 20 mg/day, with a washout in-between period of 2 weeks. The order of the sequence was determined randomly. At the start and end of treatment, functional class according to NYHA and maximal exercise tolerance in the treadmill were assessed and a color Doppler echocardiogram was done to measure ventricular dimensions, function and degree of mitral insufficiency. RESULTS: Nine patients on enalapril and 12 on digoxin improved their functional capacity. Digoxin improved exercise time in 76 +/- 168 sec (p = 0.022), whereas this change was not significant with enalapril (38 +/- 158 sec; p = 0.2). With enalapril treatment, ventricular diastolic dimension decreased from 59.3 +/- 8.1 to 58 +/- 9.3 mm and the area of mitral insufficiency decreased from 8.1 +/- 3.5 to 6.6 +/- 3.1 cm2. Digoxin did not induce any significant echocardiographic change. CONCLUSIONS: In these patients, digoxin and enalapril improved functional class. Digoxin improved exercise time and enalapril reduced ventricular dimensions and mitral insufficiency.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Incidence of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in the IX region of Chile: ethnic differences.

We studied the incidence of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) among children up to 15 years old of Caucasian and Mapuche origin, in the IX Region of Chile between 1980 and 1993. The Mapuche, or native Chileans, have their own culture, language an distinctive ethnic characteristics. Data were collected according to the methods recommended by the Diabetes Epidemiology Research International Group. We diagnosed IDDM in 47 children, 22 boys and 25 girls. The average annual incidence was 1.27/100,000 inhabitants (95% confidence intervals (C.I.) 0.83-1.71/100,000). The highest incidence along this period was during winter and spring. There was significant difference (P < 0.0016) in the IDDM incidence in Caucasians (1.58/100,000, 95% C.I. 1.11-2.04) compared with Mapuche (0.42/100,000, 95% C.I. 0-0.95). These results show that Mapuche children have less chance of developing diabetes.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

[Comparison between digoxin and atenolol in chronic atrial fibrillation].

The benefits of digoxin in patients with atrial fibrillation may be reduced due to its limited effect on atrioventricular conduction. The aim of this work was to compare digoxin and atenolol on functional class, resting and exercise heart rate and exercise capacity in patients with atrial fibrillation. Thirteen subjects with this condition, normal echocardiographic left ventricular function and size, a resting heart rate less than 80 beats/min and with no contraindication for beta blocker or digoxin use were studied. Patients were randomly assigned to receive initially digoxin 0.25 mg o.d. or atenolol 100 mg o.d. in a double blind fashion. The doses were adjusted to obtain a heart rate between 60 and 80 beats/min at the end of the first week of treatment. After two weeks of treatment, outcomes were assessed, patients were left without treatment for one week and crossed over to the other drug after that. Resting heart rates achieved with digoxin and atenolol were similar (67 +/- 11 and 65 +/- 23 beats/min respectively). However, maximal exercise heart rates and maximal exercise time were higher during digoxin treatment (166 +/- 23 vs 135 +/- 27 beats/min and 9.95 +/- 1.68 vs 8.5 +/- 2 min respectively). NYHA functional class deteriorated in three patients receiving atenolol. We conclude that atenolol achieves a better control of heart rate during exercise but also reduces maximal exercise capacity.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

[Digoxin is effective in th treatment of patients with heart failure and sinus rhythm].

Due to differences in treatment effect in studies on the effectiveness of digoxin in patients with congestive heart failure in sinus rhythm, a cross-over placebo-controlled, randomized double blind clinical trial was performed. Thirty one patients, without previous treatment with digoxin, in New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class II to IV, with a dilated left ventricle and/or ventricular systolic dysfunction were included. Patients received digoxin, adjusted for blood levels, or placebo, during an 8 week period, prior to crossing over to the other treatment for another 8 weeks. The order of treatments was randomly allocated. Outcome measurement were performed at the end of each 8 week period. Digoxin, compared with placebo, improved NYHA class, 6.9% vs 41.4% (p = 0.013) and increased the treadmill exercise time, 406 +/- 204 s vs 484 +/- 185 s (p = 0.003). During the digoxin treatment the left ventricular and systolic diameter was reduced from 52.9 +/- 8.9 to 50.1 +/- 9.7 mm (p = 0.016) and the shortening fraction increased from 21.4 +/- 8.3 to 24.8 +/- 8.1% (p = 0.009). No significant difference was observed in the left ventricular end diastolic diameter (LVED) of the left ventricle and in a estimation of quality of life. In conclusion, digoxin treatment produced a significant improvement in functional capacity, exercise time, and left ventricular performance.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

[Podalic version in multiparae. Vaginal or cesarean?].

A review of maternal and perinatal results of multiparous patients with breech presentation was done during two period; two years before and two years after establishing the rule of cesarean section for all multi-parous with breech presentation. Seventy cases were considered at the first period in which 47.1% were vaginal delivery, proportion that significantly decreased (15%) at the second period. No significant differences on maternal results by delivery form were found and the same was found in perinatal results at comparing vaginal delivery and cesarean section. A different situation was reported studying only elective cesarean section, in which a significant decrease of severe neonatal depression was found comparing to vaginal delivery (24.2% and 0%). Because of rapid recovery there were no differences at fifth minute. As a conclusion, it appears as an exaggeration the option of cesarean section for all multiparous with breech presentation. Secondly, the adequate selection of cases to resolve by vaginal delivery may not produce adverse maternal and perinatal results.

Apgar Score↗
PubMed1989

Secretion of multiple forms of human luteinizing hormone by cultured fetal human pituitary cells.

Previous studies of the heterogeneity of human LH have employed LH stored within the pituitary gland. In this study we characterized LH secreted by dispersed fetal human pituitary cells. Chromatofocusing across a pH 9-6 gradient of the medium in which fetal pituitary cells had been grown yielded at least eight distinct peaks of LH immunoreactivity. The more basic LH peaks bound more strongly to Concanavalin-A-Sepharose than did the more acidic ones, suggesting that the more basic LH molecules contain more hybrid oligosaccharides, in which one antenna terminates in a mannose, and that the more acidic human LH molecules contain more complex oligosaccharides, in which both antennae terminate in negatively charged groups, sialic acid and/or N-acetylgalactosamine-sulfate. The biological/immunological activity (B/I) ratios of the secreted LH varied directly and dramatically with the pI, from 8.1 at pI 8.4 to 1.1 at pI 6.3. Secreted LH, therefore, exhibits similar heterogeneity of glycosylated forms as does stored LH, raising the possibility that the hormones that control overall LH secretion could affect the secretion of some isohormones more than others and thereby influence LH biological activity to a degree not predicted by measuring total LH immunoreactivity.

Binding Sites↗