[Cardiology 1998]

In 1998, nitric oxide (NO) was extensively explored. First studies demonstrating a beneficial effect of inhaled NO in patients with pulmonary hypertension, right ventricular dysfunction and intractable heart failure were published. It was further shown, that, in patients with essential hypertension, impaired vasodilatation can be improved by vitamin C as an antioxidant, an effect that can be reversed by NO-synthase inhibition. Unlike arotinolol, which has no antioxidat effect, carvedilol is a beta- and alpha-blocker with antioxidative properties that may prevent the development of nitrate tolerance. In clinical cardiology, the main focus is on the prevention and therapy of coronary heart disease, heart failure and hypertension: a Task force report on the prevention of coronary heart disease in clinical practice. Proceedings on anticoagulant therapy and Guidelines for antithrombotic management were published in 1998. There is an agreement that in mild hypertension the decision how to treat should be based on the estimate of cardiovascular risk and not on an arbitrary blood pressure threshold. Diuretics and betablockers should be preferred unless they are contraindicated, or there are positive indications for other drug classes. Studies also strongly suggest that therapy with relatively small doses of two different classes of drugs is the effective way to treat the majority of patients and minimize side effects. In heart failure, the evidence for the current treatment with diuretics, ACE-inhibitors and digoxin, in selected patients, is well established.