Th. Friis

Oestrogens and Post-menopausal Osteoporosis

ConclusionPre-menopausal women compared to untreated post-menopausal women: Alkaline phosphatase in serum and calcium/creatinine-index were higher, BMC of the forearm and calcaneus and 3rd metacarpal-index lower in the untreated post-menopausal group compared to the pre-menopausal group.Serum calcium and serum ionized calcium tended to be higher in the untreated post-menopausal group. Post-menopausal women treated with oestrogens compared to untreated post-menopausal women: Calcium/creatinine-index tended to be lower and BMC of the forearm significantly higher in the treated group compared to the untreated post-menopausal group.Serum calcium and serum ionized calcium were significantly higher in the treated groups compared to the pre-menopausal group.In these studies the oestrogens seem to have a slightly protective effect against post-menopausal osteoporosis.

Changes in blood pressure, heart rate and thyroid hormones after sudden withdrawal of pindolol and atenolol in hypertensive patients

In a double-blind study 19 patients with mild and uncomplicated arterial hypertension were randomized to treatment with either pindolol 10 mg or atenolol 100 mg once daily for 4 weeks. After abrupt withdrawal a minor overshoot of free-T3 was seen in both groups. This was, however, statistically significant in the pindolol group only. The only overall haemodynamic changes which was observed after the withdrawal was an overshoot in heart rate in the standing position in the atenolol group. Great inter-individual differences in the haemodynamic parameters were found, however, and changes suggestive for withdrawal syndrome were found in 14 patients (pindolol = 7). The time for this overshoot varied considerably from 48-132 h post-drug in both groups. No correlation between the alterations in free-T3 and the cardiovascular parameters was found.

URINARY EXCRETION OF 3,3′,5′-TRIIODOTHYRONINE (REVERSE T3)

A simple and sensitive radioimmunoassay for reverse T3 in urine using small Sephadex G25 fine columns is described. The recovery of rT3 added to urine was on average 101.0 ± 4.2% (mean ± SEM). Detection limit was 4 pg/column. Urine excretion of rT3 (mean ± SD) was 72.0 ± 32.1 ng/24 hin 61 healthy euthyroid subjects with a slight increase with age (P < 0.05), 28.8 ± 18.2 ng/24 h in 12 hypothyroid patients and 183.6 ± 79.7 ng/24 h in 25 hyperthyroid patients.