The Medical journal of Australia
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Vasodilator drugs counteract the major haemodynamic abnormality of hypertension, namely, arteriolar constriction. As a group, they tend to cause tachycardia and fluid retention, but these side-effects are variable within the group. ⋯ With increasing recognition of the necessity of treatment in mild asymptomatic hypertension, those vasodilator drugs which can be used on their own, such as prazosin and calcium antagonists, are attractive as initial therapy, because they do not have adverse effects on the levels of atherogenic lipids and other risk factors for vascular disease. The major current use of vasodilator drugs in combination with a thiazide and a beta-adrenoreceptor-blocking drug is in the treatment of moderate-to-severe hypertension.
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The effect of exogenous hormones and reproductive factors on the risk of melanoma in women was investigated in a case-control study. Data from 91 women, aged from 15 to 81 years, and 91 matched controls were analysed in relation to use of oral contraceptives (OC), parity, age at the birth of the first child, and calculated length of ovulatory life. ⋯ An unexplained association between melanoma and ovulatory life of greater length than 20 years was observed. The general findings of this study suggest that neither hormonal nor reproductive factors increase the risk of melanoma in women.