Angiology

In a study of physical and nutritional characteristics of cases of coronary heart disease, it was found that a large number of patients had low intake of fat, about 50 gm per day, and their carbohydrate intake was high. As a result high-carbohydrate diet was considered to be a possible factor in atherosclerosis. Yudkin also incriminated sugars in the causation of coronary atherosclerosis. Therefore a study was planned to assess the effect of high-carbohydrate diet on coronary arteries of rabbits. In this experiment it was decided to study the effect of high-carbohydrate diet alone on lipid fractions in the blood and the effects on coronary arteries and aorta when added fats are not given.

A direct relationship between the level of renin in the blood and the height of the blood pressure in humans has not been definitely established. Hitherto, the development of methods of measurement of renin has been fraught with great technical difficulties. Recently, Gould et al. developed a sensitive method for the assay of renin in human serum. The use of this method has enabled us to undertake a study of the relationship of the level of circulating renin in the blood to the height of the blood pressure under various conditions in patients with essential hypertension. The main purpose of this study was to determine whether there is a relationship between the level of circulating renin in the blood and the fall of blood pressure which occurs as a result of hospitalization and reduction of dietary sodium.