G. Rubanyi – författare

Advances in Physiological Sciences, Volume 8: Cardiovascular Physiology: Heart, Peripheral Circulation and Methodology presents the proceedings of the 28th International Congress of Physiological Sciences, held in Budapest, Hungary, on July 13–19, 1980. This book examines some of the significant arterial pressure control mechanisms. Organized into 43 chapters, this compilation of papers begins with an overview of the origin of the notion of a vasomotor center controlling the arterial blood pressure. This text then discusses the concept of long-term arterial pressure regulation and some of the basic mechanisms of hypertension. Other chapters consider the sites and mechanisms of capillary control. This book discusses as well the performance of the heart during its excitation–contraction cycle, which is influenced by the movements of ions across the cell membrane. The final chapter deals with the interpretation of in vivo NADH fluorescence measurements. This book is a valuable resource for physiologists and clinicians.

Evidence accumulated over the past decade show that gonadal steroid hormones participate in an important way in the physiological and pa­ thophysiological regulation of the cardiovascular system. The hor­ monal profile appears to put males at a disadvantage biologically in terms of cardiovascular diseases. The incidence of hypertension is higher in men than in pre-monopausal women indicating an influence of gender on the hypertensive disease process. Males and females have equivalent cholesterol levels until puberty but males suffer an ex­ ponential increase in heart disease in their forties, while the female rise does not start until a decade later, after menopause. Animal and human studies provided ample evidence, that estrogens lower the levels of low density lipoproteins and keep high density lipoproteins elevated. These changes may be advantageous in the prevention of heart diesease. Co­ ronary artery atherosclerosis has been shown to be more pronounced in ovarectomized female monkeys as in intact females. Androgen, con­ versely, lowers the high density lipoproteins and elevates low density lipoproteins. Regarding blood pressure, it is well established that hypertension is more severe or develops more rapidly in male than fe­ male rats in several genetic forms of hypertension, and that gonadal steroid hormones are probably playing an important role in explaining this observation. Risk factors of human hypertension and coronary heart dies ease include menopause and ovarectomy.