February is Heart Month in New Orleans
During the month attention will be focused on causes and cures of various heart ailments. During the month also money will be collected to help support the continuing research needed in the battle against' the nation's No. 1 disease-killer.
Before discussing the outstanding heart' research being carried on in New Orleans, we thought it might be a good idea, to talk about some of the things which are causing heart trouble,
As everyone knows high blood pressure is high on the list. When we discussed high blood pressure with Dr.Edgar Hull former vice-
president of the American Heart Association, we were surprised to learn that the outlook for such patients is much brighter,
Cure Is Possible
Time was when it was impossible for doctors to cure high blood pressure. Today you cannot only cure a good many cases but you can help all the rest of the cases.
"Most forms of high blood pressure can be controlled by the use of proper mediation." Dr. Hull| explained, "Effective drugs have been developed during the past 1.51 years, with the majority perfected. during the past five years. Nowadays almost anyone with high blood pressure can expect aid from medicine.n
The genial cardiologist said it was discovered quite reentJythat some of the most, severe forms of high blood pressure are due to a narrowing of the main artery leading to the kidneys or to a narrowing of one of the branches of this main artery.
"There are certain other conditions affecting only one kidney which can lead to high blood pressure, -"Dr. Hull added, "An inflamation of the kidneys, known as pyelonephritis, is one of these' conditions and blockage of smaller arteries inside the kidney is another,"
Tests Are Cited
The cardiologist, who is associate dean of the Louisiana State university medical school, said such conditions can now be recognized with the aid of appropriate tests
"What we do is inject, a radioactive substance into the veins,"; he explained, "This radioactive; substance is then removed from} the blood by the kidneys and becomes concentrated in the kidneys. By using an apparatus, such as a geiger counter, it is possible to determine how quickly the kidneys begin to remove the substance and how long it takes them to remove it, We determine this separately for. each kidney, which helps give us a clue as to whichj
kidney is impaired,"
Dr, Hull said by injecting anj opaque substance into the aorta "one can actually study the size! of the arteries leading to a kidney as well as the size of the arteries inside the kidney."
"If these arteries are narrowed before they enter the kidney surgery can be performed to remove the narrowed
portion or to bypass it."
The LSU professor said if there, is a narrowing of the arteries in-| side the kidney, the high blood pressure can sometimes be cured! by removing a portion of the kidney. He said in some cases, where the high blood pressure is due to pyelonephritis is one kidney, it too can be cured by removal of the involved kidney.
Dr. Hull said there are several other curable forms of high blood pressure.
"There's the type of high blood pressure which involves the adrenal glands" he explained. "As you know these glands are located right above the kidneys. They are the glands which make adrenalin and it is adrenalin which causes blood pressure
The physician said by testing urine for overconcentration of adrenalin and other hormones it is possible to track down this type of high blood pressure.
Tumors Removed
'Such a condition can be cured by removing small tumors from the adrenal glands he explained,
Dr Hull said In the majority of
case's no one knows for sure what]I causes high blood pressure. He said the condition tends to run in families; that it is more common among women than men.
"But women tend to stand it better," he added.
The cardiologist said in young [ people arty blood pressure reading above the 140 over 90 mark would be considered on the high side. For adults of all ages, he added, anything above 170 over 100 should mean a trip to the doctor's office, Untreated high! blood pressure, the physician | warned, 'can lead to heart trouble and strokes. PHOTO: PHYSICIAN STUDIES X-RAY PICTURES OF KIDNEYS Dr Hull says many cases of high blood pressure can now bE cured.
