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Biomedical subjects

M Beaufils

Publications and source records attributed to M Beaufils.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition and diabetic nephropathy.

Hypertension and diabetes mellitus are strongly associated conditions from epidemiologic, genetic, and pathophysiologic points of view. The prevalence of hypertension is high in patients with diabetes, and, conversely, many patients with essential hypertension are glucose intolerant. Proteinuria appears in 40-50% of patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and 20-30% of patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Progressive renal failure occurs in 30-40 and 3-8% of patients, respectively, hypertension being a leading factor in its rate of progression. In various animal experiments, ACE inhibitors are able to prevent proteinuria and glomerular sclerosis, presumably by lowering transglomerular capillary pressure. In the diabetic human, ACE inhibitors are powerful antihypertensive drugs, devoid of metabolic side effects. Clinical studies indicate that ACE inhibitors reduce proteinuria and possibly slow the rate of decline in renal function. Such an effect is not observed with beta-blockers. Large-scale studies are needed to confirm this very important hypothesis.

Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors

[Arterial hypertension in pregnancy. Role of maternal and fetal blood velocimetry].

Gravidic hypertension remains one of the most frequent causes of perinatal mortality and morbidity. There are two aims when investigating this disease: evaluate the gravity, try to find early signs of a risk of pre-eclampsia. This last point has become particularly important over the past few years because of the development of preventive treatment (platelet anti-agregates). Mother and fetal blood velocimetry play a more and more important role. Three measurement sites appear to have different and complementary importance: for long-term prediction, measuring the velocimetric index of the uterin artery seems the most interesting because it schematically explores the type of placentations; for mid-term, measuring the ombilical artery evaluates placenta resistance, an essential factor in chronic fetal suffering; at short-term, measuring the fetal cerebral and carotid vessels explores the hemodynamic reactions of fetal adaptation to fetal suffering.

Adult

Prevention of fetal growth retardation with low-dose aspirin: findings of the EPREDA trial.

The efficacy of low-dose aspirin in preventing fetal growth retardation was tested in a randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial. A secondary aim was to find out whether dipyridamole improves the efficacy of aspirin. 323 women at 15-18 weeks' amenorrhoea were selected at twenty-five participating centres on the basis of fetal growth retardation and/or fetal death or abruptio placentae in at least one previous pregnancy. They were randomly allocated to groups receiving placebo, 150 mg/day aspirin, or 150 mg/day aspirin plus 225 mg/day dipyridamole, for the remainder of the pregnancy. In the first phase of the trial all actively treated patients (n = 156) were compared with the placebo group (n = 73). Mean birthweight was significantly higher in the treated than in the placebo group (2751 [SD 670] vs 2526 [848] g; difference 225 g [95% CI 129-321 g], p = 0.029) and the frequency of fetal growth retardation in the placebo group was twice that in the treated group (19 [26%] vs 20 [13%]; p less than 0.02). The frequencies of stillbirth (4 [5%] vs 2 [1%]) and abruptio placentae (6 [8%] vs 7 [5%]) were also higher in the placebo than in the treated group. The benefits of aspirin treatment were greater in patients with two or more previous poor outcomes than in those with only one. In the second analysis, of aspirin only (n = 127) vs aspirin plus dipyridamole (n = 119), no significant differences were found. There was no excess of maternal or neonatal side-effects in the aspirin-treated patients.

Adult

[Physiopathological elements of pre-eclampsia and the role of the main complementary tests].

The origin of pre-eclampsia lies in uteroplacental ischemia due to an anomaly of the "vascular insertion" of the placenta. Although the cause of this anomaly remains unknown, it would appear to include both a genetic and an immunological origin possibly favourised by special underlying conditions and certain obstetric circumstances. Prostaglandin imbalance (in particular prostacyclins and Thromboxane A2) appears to be one of the chief factors governing these anomalies. One of the consequences of these mechanisms is the onset of hypertension but other disturbances are essential features. In particular, disseminated intravascular coagulation may occur leading to the release of numerous microthrombi which cause placental (leading to chronic fetal distress), renal, hepatic and cerebral lesions.

Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation

[Controlling hypertension in the pregnant diabetic woman].

High blood pressure occurs in many pregnant diabetic patients (30 to 40 p cent), and it is associated with significant impairement of fetal prognosis. Hypertension is no doubt a marker of the vascular diabetic disease, which obviates an adequate placentation. Proper antihypertensive management is necessary in those patients, but its prognostic importance is far less than is that of a perfect glycemic control. Antihypertensive therapy differs in some aspects from what is should be in non-pregnant patients: first, compounds such as angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, or calcium-channel blockers are not considered safe in pregnant women, whereas they are the first choice in non-pregnant diabetics. Second, over-control of blood pressure is very harmful to fetal growth, and should be carefully avoided. Finally, present literature lacks proper controlled studies, which could help in designing the best antihypertensive therapeutic strategy in pregnant diabetic patients.

Female

[Attempts to prevent intrauterine growth retardation using platelet anti-aggregants].

Intrauterine underdevelopment is a frequent complication in pregnancies associated with high blood pressure. It can also happen in the absence of this symptom but in a similar context. During these pregnancies, homeostasis problems were often shown to be at the root of placental abnormalities responsible for the development problems. This is why the authors of this article have tried to prevent intrauterine underdevelopment by prescribing antiplatelet drugs as from the start of the 2nd trimester of pregnancy. They compare their encouraging results with those of other teams and conclude that a larger prospective trial is necessary.

Female

Alterations in renal hemodynamics during chronic and acute beta-blockade in humans.

Renal hemodynamics of hypertensive patients are characterized by an increased renal vascular resistance (RVR), resulting in low renal plasma flow (RPF). Normal glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is maintained through an increased filtration fraction (FF). This pattern may have long term harmful consequences for the kidneys. Propranolol, given in the short- or long-term, lowers both RPF and GFR. Pindolol, as well as so called cardioselective beta-blockers and labetalol, alter renal hemodynamics only slightly, if not at all. In some studies, nadolol has been shown to increase RPF, leaving GFR unchanged. A new beta-blocker, tertatolol, seems to consistently increase RPF and GFR. These different renal actions of various beta-blockers are poorly explained. They may be, however, of clinical significance, in the short term for patients with already impaired renal function, and possibly over the long term for other hypertensive patients.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists

[Compared course of clinical, biologic, echographic and speedometric parameters in retroplancetal hematoma].

The authors have studied 27 cases of Abruptio Placentae (A.P.) (for an observation time of 15 months). These 27 patients where divided into 3 groups: 6 patients without pregnancy follow-up, 5 with a regular follow-up and 16 with an intensive pregnancy follow-up. In this last group following parameters were studied: blood pressure, proteinuria, uricemia, hematocrit, platelet count, FDP, plasma volume, Fetal (umbilical artery) and Maternal (uterine artery velocities with doppler reclude Fetal heart Rate. The total number of intra uterine death and post natal death remained very high: 15 over 27 cases. However this rate was lower in the intensive group, where 10 fetuses with were delivered safely. Studying the evolution of clinical, biological and ultrasonic parameters during the last month before the AP we tried to establish curves of their mean value (every week for the last 4 weeks and every day for the last week). Almost all parameters showed a late significant variation (in the last week). Two of them were modified in the last two days: (FDP and Fetal heart rate acceleration). Two of them were "positive" (in 60 p. 100 of cases) 3 of 4 weeks before the AP: Maternal Plasma volume decrease, Presence of a Notch on the uterine artery doppler curve. In conclusion fetal or neonatal death after AB remains high and even with an intensive follow-up 30 p. 100 of the cases cannot be predicted.

Female

[Measurement of maternal plasma volume during pregnancy].

An increased maternal plasma volume (PV) is a characteristic phenomenon of normal pregnancy, which may be related to a physiological decrease of peripheral resistances. The authors have studied the plasma volume of 1,105 patients distributed as follows: normal (387), permanently hypertensive patients (84), hypertensive patients during pregnancy (390), patients with apparently isolated RCIU (154) or with a pathological past-history during previous pregnancies (90). It appears that the PV is a sign of a severe HBP, and presents a rather early and good predictive value regarding the weight of the fetus and some complications such as severe UCIU and fetal death in utero. In case of pathological past events or pre-existing hypertension, the PV enables to differentiate rather well patients who will be prone to a complicated pregnancy. In view of these results, utilization and interpretation criteria of this parameter during pregnancies with hypertension or pregnancies in which there is a suspicion or a risk of intra-uterine growth delay, are defined.

Adult

Factors predictive of perinatal outcome in pregnancies complicated by hypertension.

Perinatal outcome and various indicators of perinatal risk were analyzed in a prospective study of 268 pregnant women with hypertension. Poor perinatal outcome was defined by stillbirth (n = 13), neonatal death (n = 2), and in surviving babies, by birth before 32 weeks or a birthweight below 1500 g (n = 13). In multivariate analysis, proteinuria and onset of hypertension between the 27th and 36th weeks of amenorrhea were the only two independent indicators of poor outcome (relative risks of 4.0 and 3.7, p less than 0.001 and p less than 0.01 respectively). Both these indicators were more frequent in mothers with no history of pre-pregnancy hypertension.

Adult

Effects of tertatolol in hypertensive patients with chronic renal failure.

Chronic renal failure (CRF) is often associated with hypertension, as a cause or a consequence. We studied the changes in blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), renal function (as measured by creatinine clearance), and plasma renin activity (PRA) in 19 hypertensive patients with CRF before, during and after oral administration once a day for at least 30 days of 5 mg tertatolol, a new beta-blocker. All patients were free of any antihypertensive medication for at least 1 month before administration of tertatolol. The dose of tertatolol given in this study was the same as that commonly used in patients with normal renal function. From day 0 to day 30 of tertatolol, measurements in the supine position were as follows: systolic BP (SBP) decreased from 168.4 +/- 4.6 to 145.3 +/- 4.3 mm Hg (p less than 0.01); diastolic BP (DBP) decreased from 106.1 +/- 2.4 to 87.1 +/- 2.0 mm Hg (p less than 0.01); HR decreased from 77.9 +/- 1.6 to 63.2 +/- 1.7 b.p.m. (p less than 0.01); PRA decreased from 1.816 +/- 0.521 to 1.052 +/- 0.323 ng/ml/h (p less than 0.01). Creatinine clearance remained stable: 37.1 +/- 4.1 versus 37.1 +/- 4.7 ml/min/1.73 m2 (not significant). Similar results (for SBP, DBP, HR and PRA) were obtained in the erect position. It is concluded that tertatolol in hypertensive patients with CRF: significantly lowers BP and HR without excessive bradycardia, significantly lowers PRA, the most important decrease being observed for the highest initial PRA, does not alter renal function, and has a good clinical acceptability.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists

Prevention of pre-eclampsia by early antiplatelet therapy.

102 patients at high risk of pre-eclampsia and/or fetal growth retardation were randomly allocated to treatment with 300 mg dipyridamole and 150 mg aspirin daily from 3 months' gestation onwards (group A) or to the control group (group B, no treatment). Group A was twice as likely as group B to have a normal pregnancy. Pre-eclampsia occurred in 6 patients in group B and none in group A. Major complications (fetal death or severe growth retardation) occurred in 9 patients in group B and none in group A. Platelet count and plasma volume were significantly higher in group A than in group B throughout pregnancy. The treatment did not produce serious adverse effects. Antiplatelet therapy given early in pregnancy to high-risk patients may thus protect against pre-eclampsia and fetal growth retardation.

Adult