COMPARISON OF EFFECTS OF ENALAPRIL AND UNCONTROLLED ANTIHYPERTENSIVE THERAPY ON INSULIN RESISTANCE, ENDOTHELIUM FUNCTION, MARKERS OF INFLAMMATION AND PLATELET ACTIVITY IN PATIENTS WITH METABOLIC SYNDROME

Aim. To assess influence of enalapril and uncontrolled antihypertensive therapy on insulin resistance, endothelium function, markers of inflammation, and platelet activity in patients with metabolic syndrome (MS). Material and methods. 41 patients with MS (21 women and 20 men, aged 58±2 years) were included into open parallel controlled study. MS was defined according to III report of USA Educational Program on cholesterol (2001). Patients were divided into 2 groups. Patients of the 1st group received enalapril (Enam, Dr. Reddy’s) 10 mg daily with further dose titration to 20 mg daily. Patients of the  2nd group continued receiving the same antihypertensive therapy as before (15% - inhibitors of angiotensin converting enzymes, 15% - в-blockers, 15% - diuretics, and 20% of patients - combined therapy). Study duration was 12 weeks. Results. Therapy with enalapril during 3 months resulted into significant decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) by 13 and 9% respectively. BP level decreased insignificantly (by 4,5 and 2% respectively) in controlled group. Ratio of plasma concentration of glucose to insulin in the 1st group increased by 14% before glucose load, and by 25% (p<0,05) 2 hours after peroral glucose load, while in the 2nd group decrease in these figures was noted by 12 and 5% respectively. This shows that treatment with enalapril, unlike uncontrolled antihypertensive therapy, lead to decrease in insulin resistance. Cuff test revealed significant increase in growth of brachial artery diameter in the group of patients, who received enalapril (12% before treatment, and 17% after treatment). Regular antihypertensive therapy didn’t change this parameter significantly (13 and 13,8% respectively). C-reactive protein level decreased by 48% (p<0,05) in the 1st group. Insignificant increase of this marker’s level was observed in the 2nd group. Platelet functional activity in both groups didn’t change significantly. Conclusion.  Together with strong antihypertensive effect, enalapril monotherapy is more efficient than regular antihypertensive therapy in reducing insulin resistance and chronic subclinical inflammation, as well as it has priority in improving endothelium depending vasodilatation

Assessment of the clinical status and behavioral risk factors in patients with cardiovascular and other noncommunicable diseases in Russia and neighboring countries during quarantine and self-isolation

Aim. To carry out a comparative assessment of the clinical status and behavioral risk factors in patients with cardiovascular (CVD) and other noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in Russia and neighboring countries during quarantine and selfisolation in the context of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.Material and methods. The study involved patients from Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Kyrgyzstan. A total of 351 men and women aged 30- 69 years with one or more NCDs were included, including hypertension (HTN), coronary artery disease with or without myocardial infarction, type 2 diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease/ asthma, and cancer that were in quarantine self-isolation. To assess the clinical status and risk factors, patients underwent a questionnaire and examination. The changes in health status was assessed using the EQ-5D questionnaire.Results. During self-isolation and quarantine, 40% of patients noted a decrease and limitation of physical activity. An increase in food frequency and amount was registered in 35% of individuals. During quarantine, every third patient with HTN had hypertensive crises, and every fifth increased the doses of the drugs taken. In the examined cohort, exertional angina (30%) took second place among NCDs. In the group of Azerbaijan patients, every second had exertional angina, while in the Russian cohort — 33%, and in the Lithuanian group — every fourth patient. In general, health status deterioration among people with angina was noted in 6% of cases. In the examined group, type 2 diabetes was detected in 25% of cases. During quarantine, changes in hypoglycemic therapy were carried out in an average of 34% of patients. COVID-19 was registered in 22% of patients in the examined cohort. The largest number was found in the group from Kazakhstan — 57%, while the second place was taken by the Azerbaijan group — 40%. General condition deterioration was detected in 55% of cases in groups from Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. In Russia, this was reported by 28,8% of patients, while in the group from Lithuania, every fourth patient noted a worsening of the health status. The lowest deterioration was registered in the Kyrgyzstan group (14%).Conclusion. During quarantine and self-isolation among patients with NCDs, a decrease in physical activity, an increase in food consumption and smoking was noted. There was health status deterioration in patients with various NCDs, primarily with CVDs, which required therapy changes. Taken together, this was reflected in general condition worsening in patients with chronic NCDs. It is obvious that the development of comprehensive preventive measures in conditions of selfisolation and quarantine is required

EPR spectra of a GdMnO3 thin film on a SrTiO3 substrate

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra of a GdMnO3/SrTiO3 thin film in the X band have been measured in the temperature interval from 200 to 450 K. Signals from two types of paramagnetic centers have been observed in the spectra. The first paramagnetic center is a subsystem of Gd3+ ions, in the EPR spectrum of which the fine structure lines are resolved below 350 K. The second paramagnetic center is a system of manganese and gadolinium ions, in the EPR spectrum of which an exchange-narrowed line is observed with the width ΔH several times less than the width ΔH of an exchange-narrowed line observed in the GdMnO3 single crystal. Unusual magnetic properties are due to the mismatch of the lattice parameters of the GdMnO3 thin film and the SrTiO3 substrate. © 2013 Pleiades Publishing, Inc

Magnetization of manganite thin films on ferroelectric substrates

© 2016 Elsevier B.V.Here we report the magnetic susceptibility measurements of magnetron sputtered orthorhombic manganite RMnO3 (R=Yb, Gd) thin films deposited on dielectric LaAlO3 and ferroelectric SrTiO3, LiNbO3 substrates. We observed that all of investigated o-RMnO3 films show a splitting in the temperature dependence of ZFC and FC magnetization curves. We found that the substrate can impact on the splitting temperature ZFC-FC curves and absolute value of the magnetization of thin films

Behavioral risk factors and clinical course of cardiovascular diseases and other noncommunicable diseases during quarantine in various regions of Russia

Aim. To assess the behavioral risk factors and the clinical course of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and other noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) during quarantine in various regions of Russia.Material and methods. This multicenter cohort cross-sectional study included 205 men and women from 6 Russian cities. Further, 4 of them (Saransk, Nizhny Novgorod, Penza, Ulyanovsk) were combined into one group — the Volga region. The study included men and women aged 30-69 years with one or more NCDs (hypertension, coronary artery disease with or without myocardial infarction, type 2 diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease/asthma and cancer in patients receiving chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy) who were self-isolated during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. For all patients, a questionnaire was used, which included socio-demographic parameters, behavioral risk factors, status of the underlying disease, incidence of COVID-19 and its complications. Self-assessment of the state of health was carried out using the European Quality of Life Questionnaire.Results. In every third Muscovite, the intensity of physical activity decreased, and in the groups of patients from Omsk and the Volga region, it was 45% and 43%, respectively. An increase in meal frequency and an impairment of eating habits in Moscow and Omsk was noted in 18,2% and 18,7% of participants, while in Volga region subjects, these parameters were 2 times higher (42,4%). At the same time, no significant changes of alcohol consumption and smoking was revealed in the cohorts. Hypertensive crises during a pandemic were noted in all three subgroups, but more of them were recorded in the Volga region — in every third patient (p< 0,05 compared to Moscow), in the Omsk group — in every fourth patient, and among Muscovites — no more than 5%. Clinical deterioration in patients with angina was noted in 15% of cases, while the smallest number was noted in Omsk subjects (5,3%), three times less than in other subgroups. Changes in intensity and regimen of hypoglycemic therapy were noted in patients from Omsk, while 30% of them (p< 0,05 compared with the Volga region) increased the doses of medications taken. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was registered in the group with the largest number of Volga region patients — 14,1% (p< 0,05 compared to Omsk), while 17% of patients in this group increased the dose of drugs. Any cancer was recorded in 13,6% of Muscovites, while in the other two groups — about 5%. The largest number of patients from the Volga region noted a health decline over the past year (30,8%), while every fifth patient from Omsk (19,6%) and 13,6% of Muscovites reported health changes.Conclusion. During quarantine and self-isolation, changes in dietary habits and physical activity decline were noted among patients with NCDs, while alcohol consumption and smoking remained practically unchanged. The change in clinical status was characterized by an increase in hypertensive crisis incidence, an increase in doses of antihypertensive and hypoglycemic medication. Depending on the region, the health decline was noted by 13-31% of patients with NCDs

Magnetization of manganite thin films on ferroelectric substrates

© 2016 Elsevier B.V.Here we report the magnetic susceptibility measurements of magnetron sputtered orthorhombic manganite RMnO3 (R=Yb, Gd) thin films deposited on dielectric LaAlO3 and ferroelectric SrTiO3, LiNbO3 substrates. We observed that all of investigated o-RMnO3 films show a splitting in the temperature dependence of ZFC and FC magnetization curves. We found that the substrate can impact on the splitting temperature ZFC-FC curves and absolute value of the magnetization of thin films