Show U r Veterans News N VS e Six Veterans Administration hospitals have started Investigating ling ting high blood pressure mans man's greatest killer through large- large scale drug research The study Is aimed at determInIng determining determining ining how well newer drugs control control con con- trot high blood pressure and whether they can prevent harden Ing of the arteries heart attacks strokes and other complications of f the disease The drugs under test are reser- reser vIne pIne a tranquilizer a powerful dilator of blood vessels vessels vessels ves ves- sels and three synthetic compounds com coma pounds that block transmission of nerve Impulses to the blood vessels Upon admittance to the hospital hos pital evaluations of t the e high high- blood pressure blood pressure patients' patients condition including laboratory and X-ray X procedures are made In accordance accord ance with their medical needs a single drug or combinations of the five Is given After the patients patients pa pa- return to their homes rec rec- of or blood pressure will be betaken betaken betaken taken daily dally and frequent visits will be made by the patients to hospitals where Improvement will willbe willbe be checked At tho the end of a year patients will return to the hospitals where Lye te various laboratory procedures will be repeated to determine the effects A great value of the VA study is that the agency has the Ute clinical clinical clini cal and laboratory resources nee nee- to scientifically test the benefits of the drugs VA is uniquely uniquely uni uni- quely qualified to carry out such drug s udies because of its large number of or patients many hospitals hospitals hospitals hos hos- uniformity of or approach and opportunity for term long-term fol fol- up low-up of patients Results Result of or the study VA said are expected to be reported to the medical profession and the Ute public at the end of or two years |