The effect of oxprenolol on performance has been investigated on a double-blind basis in eight bowlers during a 30 hour continuous bowling competition ("marathon bowling") and in twenty-four pistol shooters in four internal competitions. An administration of 40 mg oxpernolol every six hours during the marathon bowling did not impair the scoring of the bowlers as compared with the subjects receiving placebo. Oxprenolol likewise exerted little influence on the subjective feelings of general tiredness as measured hourly during the bowling on a visual analogue scale. The beta-blockade effectively prevented metabolic changes, such as increases in plasma renin activity and in plasma free fatty acids, evoked by the prolonged physical stress. A single dose of oxprenolol (40 mg) given to pistol shooters 60 minutes prior to internal shooting matches resulted in a significant improvement of the scoring as compared on a double-blind basis with similar placebo matches. Some evidence was obtained to indicate that the latter improvement by oxprenolol might have been associated with a prevention of cardiovascular manifestations (mainly tachycardia) occurring during the shooting competitions. Unwanted effects were not recorded either in bowlers or shooters, by contrast, the beta-blockade appeared to produce a general feeling of well-being as frequently experienced by the shooters.

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We report a 68 yr old woman with hypertension who developed a dry cough on enalapril but not on captopril therapy. Pulmonary function tests, methacholine inhalation challenges, total blood eosinophil counts, and changes in plasma concentrations of prostaglandin E2 and thromboxane B2 did not explain the difference in the adverse reaction between these two angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors.

Abstract. A total of 426 patients admitted with symptoms of acute myocardial infarction have been treated in four hospitals. 219 were treated with streptokinase (SK), 600 000 IU or more, while 207 formed the control group. The patients were followed up as long as they stayed in the hospital, which was approximately three weeks, and by one visit to the outpatient clinic six weeks after their admission to hospital. The total mortality in the SK group during six weeks was 22 and in the control group 17 patients. If only the patients with their first episode of myocardial infarction are considered, 14 of the 156 (9.0%) in the SK group and 15 of the 163 (9.2%) in the control group died. Eight of the 40 patients with a recurrent infarction in the SK group and two of the 24 in the control group died. No differences in the ECG changes were noted between the groups. The serum GOT values in the first 24 h following the infarction were higher in the SK group than in the control group in patients whose infusion had been started within the first 6 hours after the onset of chest pain. In cases with a longer history no difference was observed. The BSR of the SK group fell immediately after the infusion and remained below the values of the control group for the first two weeks. The present study did not support the view that SK would be beneficial in the treatment of myocardial infarction.