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Biomedical subjects

C Luca

Publications and source records attributed to C Luca.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1991

Discontinuous transdermal nitroglycerin as treatment for stable angina in the elderly: a double-blind multicentre study. The Transdermal TNG Trial Group of Istituto Nazionale Ricovero e Cura Anziani (I.N.R.C.A.).

A transdermal nitroglycerin (TNG) patch (10 mg.24 h-1), using a daily overnight 8-h free interval, was assessed by means of a multicentre trial in 96 elderly patients with stable angina (age greater than or equal to 65 years). The main entry requirement was a reproducible exercise-induced ST depression (greater than or equal to 1 mm) appearing at a load of 60 to 90 W, during an incremental bicycle ergometer test (10 W.min-1). During the study only one other antianginal drug and sublingual TNG tablets were allowed. The protocol consisted of a run-in period (mean 10 days), followed by a double-blind, randomized, parallel, placebo-controlled 28-day phase and a single-blind active treatment phase of the same duration. The exercise test parameters, the number of spontaneous anginal attacks and any unwanted effects were evaluated at the end of every study phase. In the double-blind phase, no ergometric values changed with placebo while transdermal TNG significantly improved total workload and double product by 36.4% and 7.7% at the maximal workload respectively and by 49.8% and 13.5% at the time to onset of 1 mm ST depression respectively and reduced ST depression (-58.8%) at the equivalent baseline workload. Anginal attacks decreased by 61.5% and 30.8% with TNG patch and placebo respectively. A similar trend was seen at the end of the single-blind active treatment period in patients who had received placebo in the double-blind phase. Nine patients failed to complete the study; six for unwanted effects (four in the active group and two in the placebo group) and three for other reasons.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Administration, Cutaneous↗
PubMed1990

[Tolerance and effectiveness of transdermal nitroglycerin in angina pectoris. A multicenter study. Adesitrin Italian Study Group].

A multicenter open study was carried out in order to evaluate the tolerability and antianginal efficacy of the nitroglycerin "multilayer transdermal system". Forty eight cardiologic centers enrolled 506 outpatients (123 females and 383 males), mean age: 61 +/- 8 (SD) years, with effort angina (43%), angina at rest (17%) and mixed angina (40%), not well controlled by their previous antianginal therapy (greater than or equal to 2 anginal attacks a weeks). The duration of the treatment with 5 or 10 mg/die was 10 weeks with a control every 2 weeks. At the end of the study, the weekly frequency of anginal attacks was reduced by 88%, and 60% of the patients were free from anginal attacks. In 117 patients, studied by ergometer test, the exercise time increased by 31% (p less than 0.001) and the ST depression decreased by 63% (p less than 0.001). The treatment was interrupted in 9.1% of the patients: in 4.55% for unwanted effects (headache and/or local intolerance) and in 4.55% for other reasons. The same unwanted effects, but of mild or moderate severity, were observed in 18.4% of the patients, most of them during the first 2 weeks of the treatment. In conclusion, the "multilayer system" for delivering transdermal nitroglycerin showed a good clinical and ergometer efficacy and was well tolerated and accepted by the anginal patients in study.

Administration, Cutaneous↗
PubMed1988

Resting and exertional haemodynamic effects of buccal nitroglycerin: acute and chronic discontinuous treatment in post-myocardial infarction patients with heart failure.

The resting and exertional haemodynamic effects of acute and chronic discontinuous (one tablet every 6 h) treatment with 5 mg of buccal nitroglycerin (BN) have been assessed in nine postinfarction heart failure patients. At rest, pulmonary artery (PAP), pulmonary wedge (PWP), and right atrial pressures (RAP) were reduced by 42%, 55% and 77%, respectively, after the first dose and by 26%, 32% and 45%, respectively, after the chronic (three weeks) treatment with BN. During exercise, at the same workload, PAP, PWP and RAP were significantly reduced by 44%, 54% and 62%, respectively, after acute treatment and by 28%, 34% and 44%, respectively, after chronic treatment. The maximal workload (Kgm) increased by 179% and 166% and the exercise time increased by 78% and 71% after acute and chronic therapy, respectively. At the maximal workload, after acute BN, overall haemodynamics were better than in the basal state. PAP, PWP and RAP were still reduced by 19%, 31% and 31%, respectively, after acute treatment, while after chronic phase the results did not differ from control. The severity of cardiac failure, according to the Weber classification, was reduced by acute and chronic therapy. We can conclude that the buccal nitroglycerin showed clear efficacy in improving overall haemodynamic parameters both at rest and during exercise in post-myocardial infarction patients with heart failure. The discontinuous treatment maintained the effect of nitroglycerin without clear evidence of tolerance during chronic therapy.

Administration, Buccal↗
PubMed1987

Synthesis and calcium antagonistic activity of a new class of 1,4-dihydropyridines having an alkoxyimino group in position 3.

The synthesis of new 1,4-dihydropyridines having an alkoxyimino group in position 3 is described. Pharmacological evaluation included calcium antagonistic activity in the guinea pig Taenia coli test, acute toxicity and oral antihypertensive activity in SHR. The compounds had a remarkable calcium antagonistic activity in vitro and low toxicity, but no antihypertensive activity in vivo, probably due to an unfavourable pharmacokinetic profile.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Atrial flutter with inapparent flutter waves on the surface electrocardiogram.

A case with inapparent flutter waves on surface electrocardiogram are described. Typical atrial flutter activity could be seen on right atrial monophasic action potential recordings, His bundle electrograms and echocardiograms. During long pauses induced by carotid sinus massage the atrial activity on endocavitary tracings and echocardiograms was unchanged while isoelectric lines were recorded on the twelve surface electrocardiographic leads.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

Complete atrio-ventricular block due to cardiac echinococcosis.

A 33-year-old man presented a complete antrio-ventricular block due to two hydatid cysts localized in the interventricular septum and interrupting both bundle branches. Intracardiac rupture within the right ventricle led to extensive pulmonary hydatidosis and death.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Sinoventricular conduction during acute myocardial ischemia.

A case with sinoventricular conduction and sinus bradycardia during unstable angina pectoris is presented. Although His bundle electrogram showed atrial and His bundle deflection no P waves could be observed in any surface leads even when effective high right atrial pacing was performed. It may be assumed that the electric or sinus impulses are conducted over the specialized atrial tracts while atrial muscle is in a refractory state due to myocardial ischemia.

Aged↗
PubMed1978

The sick sinus syndrome. Clinical and electrocardiographic spectrum of nine patients.

The paper presents a report on the clinical and electrographic spectrum of nine patients with the sick sinus syndrome with severe symptoms of clinical disturbances and serious disorders of impulse formation and conduction. Seven patients had syncope associated with sinus bradycardia, sinoatrial block or atrial fibrillation with slow ventricular rate. Prolonged episodes of atrial and ventricular asystole occurred and were interrupted by junctional escape beats. Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and flutter were foun in three patients and infrahisian block in four. Atropine induced a slight acceleration of the heart rate in all the patients studied while the post-suppression S-A node recovery time was prolonged in four.

Arrhythmias, Cardiac↗
PubMed1977

Accelerated atrioventricular conduction during acute myocardial infarction.

Three cases are described in which accelerated atrioventricular conduction occurred during an acute myocardial infarction. The first patient, an 82-year-old woman, developed a WPW syndrome suggesting posterior right ventricular preexcitation, a pattern which persisted for four months until her death. An accessory bundle was found on autopsy. Fibrotic changes, associated with acute lesions (hemorrhage, polymorphonuclear infiltrates) were present in the atrioventricular node and His-Purkinje system. Two men, of 47 and 74 years, developed a short PR interval associated with supraventricular tachycardia during the course of an acute myocardial infarction. The PR interval returned to its initial value in one case and remained unchanged for three months in the other. Accessory atrioventricular connections which became functional during myocardial ischemia may explain the various electrocardiographic patterns of preexcitation.

Aged↗
PubMed1977

Parasystole associated with fixed coupling ventricular ectopic activity.

In 5 patients ventricular parasystole and fixed coupling ectopic beats were recorded. In two cases ventricular parasystole and bigeminism acted intermittently. In one case the spontaneous transition from ventricular parasystole into parasystolic tachycardia with "reverse coupling" and finally to ventricular bigeminy could be illustrated. In all these cases ventricular parasystole and fixed coupling extrasystolic activity seems to be a close related mechanism. In other two cases there was a mathematical relationship between the sinus and parasystolic discharge rate which explained the periodic fixed coupling of ectopic beats. In one of these cases His bundle electrography was helpful in documenting the ventricular origin of ectopic beats.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1976

Monophasic action potentials of right atrium and electrophysiological properties of AV conducting system in patients with hypothyroidism.

In 12 patients with manifest hypothyroidism right atrial monophasic action potentials showed a significant prolongation in comparison with data from normal or euthyroid patients. Atrial effective refractory periods were also significantly prolonged. After thyroid treatment the monophasic action potential duration and the effective refractory period of the right atrium were within normal ranges. In 6 hypothyroid patients studies of AV conduction with the aid of His bundle electrography and atrial pacing showed a supraHisian conduction delay which was manifest in one case and latent in another two. InfraHisian conduction delay was encountered in 2 cases.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed1976

Ventricular activity during atrial fibrillation. Studies with His bundle electrography.

His bundle electrograms were recorded in 12 patients with atrial fibrillation. In all cases but one, the dominant rhythm was atrial fibrillation. In 1 case the dominant rhythm was fascicular tachycardia due probably to digitalis overdosage. However ventricular, fascicular and junctional beats could be often recognized on His bundle tracings, even when QRS configuration was similar to supraventricular conducted beats due to atrial fibrillation. In the patients in whom sinus rhythm occurred, the H-V interval was unchanged. Although it is admitted that during atrial fibrillation the zone of concealment of A-V conduction is in the A-V nodal area, concealed penetration of atrial impulses in the fascicular system may be encountered in patients not treated with digitalis.

Adult↗