[Health education as the principal element of prevention in cardiology: methods of intervention. Conclusions and operative suggestions].

: The effects of Ibopamine, a new orally active dopaminergic agent, on cardiac performance were studied both in a group of healthy volunteers and in a group of patients with congestive heart failure (CHF), using non-invasive methods, such as echocardiography and polygraphy. Randomly, and in double-blind fashion, the healthy volunteers received single doses of Ibopamine 50, 100 and 150 mg orally every 3 days. The CHF patients, also randomly and in double-blind fashion, were given single doses of either placebo or Ibopamine 100 or 150 mg every 2 days. Echocardiographic and polygraphic data were recorded in baseline conditions and 3, 6 and 8 hours after the drug administration. The heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were measured at the same time. The following parameters were considered: echocardiography: left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD), left ventricular end-systolic diameter (LVESD), interventricular septum excursion (IVSE), left ventricular posterior wall excursion (LVPWE), per cent fractional fiber shortening (%FS); polygraphy: electromechanical systole (Q-A2), total ejection time (ET), pre-ejection period (PEP), ET/PEP ratio. In CHF patients, body weight and 24-h diuresis were also measured daily. Neither of the two groups showed significant changes in HR, SBP and DBP with any drug dose. A shortening of ET (-2.2%, p less than 0.01) and Q-A2 (-2.8%, p less than 0.001) was found in the group of normal subjects with a dose of 50 mg.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)