The random variation of BP and the intraindividual variation in the BP response to treatment cause considerable difficulties in the evaluation of the dose-response relationship of antihypertensive drugs. Thus, failures in finding the optimal dose of antihypertensive drugs have not been uncommon. The notion that angiotensin receptor antagonists (angiotensin receptor blockers) have a relatively flat dose-response relationship also appears to be due to limitations of dose-finding studies. The conventional method of office BP measurement that is typically used in dose-finding studies is poorly reproducible and is subject to the white coat effect, placebo effect, and observer bias. These problems can be overcome by using ambulatory or home BP monitoring, which are known to improve the accuracy of studies aiming to detect BP changes. A crossover design study allows all participants to receive all treatments (doses) and paired comparisons are performed. Thus, this design significantly enhances the power to detect differences between doses, compared with the typical parallel-group dose-finding study. A separate analysis of the dose-response relationship exclusively in subjects with a good BP response to the drug (responders) can provide clear insight about the drug effect when it actually works. These measures improve the accuracy of drug trials investigating the dose-response relationship and might prevent misleading information at an early stage of clinical development.

The optimal schedule for home blood pressure monitoring should represent the usual level of home blood pressure, give a reproducible value, and have prognostic ability. Therefore, outcome studies, as well as short-term trials assessing the reproducibility of home blood pressure, its stability over time and its relationship with ambulatory blood pressure should be taken into account. A review of this evidence suggests that the optimal schedule should be based on 12-14 measurements, and even more measurements up to 25 are desirable. Morning and evening measurements should be obtained, with at least duplicate measurements per occasion. Measurements on the initial day should preferably be discarded.

Cardiovascular and renal diseases share many of the same risk factors. In fact, renal failure is usually accompanied by an increased global cardiovascular risk. Thus, preservation of kidney function might simultaneously protect the heart and the brain and, conversely, addressing cardiovascular risk factors might safeguard the kidney. This review considers the evidence supporting this approach, focusing on the protective effect of blood-pressure lowering and the ancillary actions of antihypertensive agents on renal protection. We review recent evidence on renal protection in individuals with and without diabetes, and the importance of offering a high standard of care also to those with the metabolic syndrome or prediabetes in order to prevent initial forms of renal, and as a consequence, cardiovascular damage. Intervention may be appropriate even in individuals with high-normal blood pressure, if they already have early renal and/or cardiovascular risk markers. As a consequence of these insights, thresholds for starting antihypertensive therapy are gradually falling, whereas awareness of the need for an early intervention in patients at high risk of developing renal damage and simultaneously cardiovascular disease is growing.

Unilateral or bilateral dislocation of the TMJ is frequent. Usually it can be treated by the method described by Hippocrates. If conservative treatment (splint therapy, biofeedback, etc.) does not succeed related to recurrent fixed TMJ-dislocation, surgical therapy strategies become necessary. Above all mentally retarded or patients with neuromuscular disorders may necessitate surgical treatment. The two surgical main procedures are: 1. Removal of mechanical obstacles by reduction of the eminentia. 2. Creation of a mechanical obstacle towards the anterior condylar translation. The here presented case shows the treatment of a reccurent, fixed anterior TMJ-dislocation using a miniplate which enables a absolut heightening of the articular tubercle in a 76 years old lady with Morbus Alzheimer and Parkinson. Due to the high incidence of plate fractures, this well discribed therapy, known as miniplate eminoplasty, can not be considered as the treatment of choice for mandibular dislocation. It can be indicated in non-compliant patients or in patients with neuromuscular disorders or in the combination of both as in our case.

The cemento-ossifying fibromas (COF) of the jaws are well circumscribed, generally slow-growing, benign lesions which enlarge in an expansive manner. On occasion, they may reach a large size and may result in considerable deformity. The histological pattern of these lesions varies with the stages. In most reported cases ossifying and cemento-ossifying fibromas occur as a solitary lesion. Multiple occurrence of such lesions is rare. The term"cemento-ossifying fibroma"is used to describe fibrous lesions containing calcifications with strong similarity between bone and cementum. Although WHO and some authors regard the cementifying fibroma (CF) as an odontogenic tumor and consider ossifying fibroma (OF) separately as non-odontogenic neoplasm, there is general agreement that CF and OF represent only histologic variants of the same lesion. The case of a 36-year old woman with multiple cemento-ossifying fibromas of the mandible and maxilla demonstrates the diagnostic procedures and a possible therapeutic strategy for this rare lesion.

This study aimed to investigate independent determinants of arterial stiffness and evaluate the association of arterial stiffness with the presence of metabolic syndrome (MS). Demographic characteristics, hemodynamic parameters, and cardiovascular (CV) risk factors were assessed in Greek food industry employees with no history of diabetes or CV disease in order to isolate multiple correlates of arterial stiffness as assessed by pulse wave velocity (PWV). Subsequently, logistic regression analysis was performed using as end point the presence of MS, defined according to the National Cholesterol Education Program. Data from 424 participants (mean age 45.3 -/+ 15.5 years, 298 [70.3%] males, average PWV 8.5 -/+ 3.6 m/s) were analyzed. PWV was higher in men (8.8 -/+ 3.1 m/s) compared to women (7.7 -/+ 2.9 m/s, p < 0.01). Age, systolic blood pressure, and heart rate were isolated as multivariate determinants of PWV (adjusted R2 0.511 [p < 0.0001] in men and 0.538 [p < 0.0001] in women). The overall prevalence of the MS was 14.6%, being similar in both genders. Four variables were shown to be independent predictors of the presence of MS: waist circumference >102 cm (men)/88 cm (women) (OR 8.6, [95% CI 2.8, 20.6], p < 0.001), insulin resistance (homeostasis model assessment >4) (6.3, [2.1, 17.6], p < 0.001), total cholesterol >240 mg/dL (5.5, [1.7, 12.4], p < 0.01), PWV >9 m/s (4.1, [1.5, 9.9], p < 0.01). High PWV, which was found to be mostly determined by advanced age, elevated systolic BP, and accelerated heart rate, appeared to exhibit a strong independent association with the presence of MS together with adiposity and insulin resistance. This index should be considered as a useful marker for CV risk stratification.

Combination pharmacotherapy with two or more drugs is required in order to reach the currently recommended blood pressure goals in the majority of hypertensive patients, particularly those with a goal of <130/80 mm Hg. Further to the potentiation of the antihypertensive effects, benefits of combination therapy include the potential of fewer adverse affects and of improvement of patients' compliance. Current guidelines recommend that combination pharmacotherapy might also be considered as initial treatment in patients with significant elevation of blood pressure and evidence of complications. Several effective and well-tolerated antihypertensive drug classes available today offer multiple options for combination therapy. The choice of antihypertensive agents should be made on the basis of current recommendations regarding first line drugs and compelling indications. Specific drug combinations might have additional beneficial or detrimental long-term metabolic effects, beyond their effects on blood pressure. However, more outcome data comparing antihypertensive drug combinations are required. The implementation of an intensive up-titration treatment strategy, together with a systematic use of full doses of multiple drug combinations, is expected to achieve optimal blood pressure control in the vast majority of hypertensive patients.

The purpose of this study was to compare several diltiazem-based antihypertensive drug combinations and assess the usefulness of home blood pressure monitoring in the evaluation of the efficacy of combination pharmacotherapy. Sixteen general practitioners recruited hypertensive subjects uncontrolled on diltiazem monotherapy, who were randomized to receive eight weeks of add-on therapy with a diuretic (chlorthalidone), a dihydropyridine calcium antagonist (felodipine), an ACE inhibitor (lisinopril), or an angiotensin blocker (valsartan). Sitting office and home blood pressure was measured using electronic devices A&D 767. A total of 211 patients were randomized, and 185 completed the study. Of 52 subjects randomized to felodipine, 15 were withdrawn due to ankle edema. The additional antihypertensive effect of the second drug was smaller in 18 subjects with a white coat effect (p < 0.01). All combinations produced a significant decline in office (21.2 +/- 14.8 / 7.7 +/- 9.7 mmHg) and home (17.1 +/- 11.9 / 6.0 +/- 7.0) blood pressure (systolic / diastolic, p < 0.001). There were no differences in the efficacy of the four combinations assessed using office or home blood pressure monitoring. These data suggest that diuretics, dihydropyridines, ACE inhibitors, and angiotensin receptor blockers provide significant additional antihypertensive effects in hypertensive patients uncontrolled on diltiazem monotherapy. The diltiazem-dihydropyridine combination is often intolerable because of ankle edema. Home blood pressure monitoring is useful in the assessment of the efficacy of combination pharmacotherapy and also allows for the detection of subjects who do not require treatment intensification.

The use of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in addition to the conventional office measurements makes possible the detection of individuals with white-coat hypertension and masked hypertension. In children referred for elevated blood pressure, both these phenomena appear to be common (10-15% for each). In a population of healthy children, white-coat hypertension appears to be as common as hypertension, whereas masked hypertension appears to be more common than white-coat hypertension or hypertension. In children with persistent white-coat or masked hypertension, assessment of target organ damage by echocardiography is required. Preliminary evidence suggests that, in contrast to white-coat hypertension, which is not associated with target organ damage, masked hypertension in children is associated with increased left ventricular mass. Children with masked hypertension should be followed up and possibly treated for hypertension if the phenomenon persists or there is evidence of target organ damage.