Our aim was identify brain areas involved in the premonitory phase of migraine using functional neuroimaging. To this end, we performed positron emission tomography scans with H2(15)O to measure cerebral blood flow as a marker of neuronal activity. We conducted positron emission tomography scans at baseline, in the premonitory phase without pain and during migraine headache in eight patients. W...

AIMS Despite the importance of both lipid metabolism and physical activity to cardiovascular health, few studies have examined the effect of exercise training on vascular function in hypercholesterolaemic humans. METHODS AND RESULTS A randomized, cross-over design investigated the effect of 8 weeks of combined aerobic and resistance exercise training on conduit and resistance vessel function ...

Nine patients with severe coronary artery disease and disabling angina receiving either regular metoprolol or oxprenolol, together with glyceryl trinitrate tablets as required for chest pain, were studied. Nifedipine 10 mg three times per day was compared to placebo in a double blind randomized control trial, using patient diary cards and exercise tests. The number of recorded episodes of angin...

In order to evaluate peripheral endothelial function in patients with vasospastic angina (VSA), we measured flow-mediated dilation (FMD) of the brachial artery in patients with VSA and compared it with FMD in patients without VSA. Endothelial dysfunction is considered one of the mechanisms underlying VSA. However, its exact role remains to be clarified. The study included 30 patients with posit...

The close chemical relationship between glyceryl trinitrate and erythrol tetranitrate suggests that these 2 drugs, despite clinical evidence to the contrary, should be equally effective in preventing attacks of angina pectoris. This proved to be true when the drugs were administered by the same route. Thus, erythrol tetranitrate when administered sublingually (instead of being swallowed, as is ...

BACKGROUND Chronic anal fissure is a common and painful condition associated with internal anal sphincter hypertonia. Reduction of this hypertonia improves the local blood supply, encouraging fissure healing. Surgical sphincterotomy is very successful at healing these fissures but requires an operation with associated morbidity. Temporary reduction in sphincter tone can be achieved on an outpat...