[Study on serial changes in blood pressure, obesity and blood chemistry and cardiovascular disease in the long-term hospitalized patients with sequela of acute carbon monoxide poisoning].

The arteriosclerotic diseases and their risk factors were retrospectively investigated in 44 patients with chronic state of acute carbon monoxide intoxication who had been admitted since November 1963. The lack of elevations of systolic and diastolic blood pressure, serum cholesterol, fasting blood glucose and obesity index with advancing age was shown in these patients. During the observation period (mean 23.3 years), cardiovascular diseases developed in three patients, (brain hemorrhage, brain infarction, and myocardial infarction in each) but none of the patients died from such diseases. Therefore, the morbidity and mortality of arteriosclerotic diseases were less frequent than those reported in the community population. This observation seems to be attributable to the dietary and environmental control of risk factors during the long-term hospitalization. On the other hand, total protein, hematocrit, cardiothoracic ratio and calcification of the aorta on the chest X-ray, echocardiographic findings, plasma renin activity and plasma aldosterone concentration at the final examination in 1993 were similar to those seen in the community population. These findings indicate that long-term control of risk factors by hospitalization results in the lack of blood pressure increase with age and less prevalence of arteriosclerotic diseases.