Chronomics, neuroendocrine feedsidewards and the recording and consulting of nowcasts--forecasts of geomagnetics

A multi-center four-hourly sampling of many tissues for 7 days (00:00 on April 5-20:00 to April 11, 2004), on rats standardized for 1 month in two rooms on antiphasic lighting regimens happened to start on the day after the second extremum of a moderate double magnetic storm gauged by the planetary geomagnetic Kp index (which at each extremum reached 6.3 international [arbitrary] units) and by an equatorial index Dst falling to -112 and -81 nT, respectively, the latter on the first day of the sampling. Neuroendocrine chronomes (specifically circadian time structures) differed during magnetically affected and quiet days. The circadian melatonin rhythm had a lower MESOR and lower circadian amplitude and tended to advance in acrophase, while the MESOR and amplitude of the hypothalamic circadian melatonin rhythm were higher during the days with the storm. The circadian parameters of circulating corticosterone were more labile during the days including the storm than during the last three quiet days. Feedsidewards within the pineal-hypothalamic-adrenocortical network constitute a mechanism underlying physiological and probably also pathological associations of the brain and heart with magnetic storms. Investigators in many fields can gain from at least recording calendar dates in any publication so that freely available information on geomagnetic, solar and other physical environmental activity can be looked up. In planning studies and before starting, one may gain from consulting forecasts and the highly reliable nowcasts, respectively.

Opportunity of detecting pre-hypertension: worldwide data on blood pressure overswinging

Overswinging or CHAT (brief for Circadian Hyper-Amplitude-Tension), that is an excessive circadian variation in blood pressure (BP), has been associated with a large increase in cardiovascular disease risk, present even in the absence of an elevated BP itself. This usually asymptomatic condition is usually overlooked by current practice based on spot-checks, because to be diagnosed, measurements need to be taken around-the-clock, preferably for 7 days at the outset. Once diagnosed, however, a usual circadian BP pattern can be restored by means of certain non-pharmacologic or pharmacologic interventions timed appropriately. Thereby, it is possible to reduce the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, cerebral ischemic events and nephropathy in particular. For the preparation of guidelines regarding the diagnosis of BP disorders and for the institution of primary as well as secondary preventive measures, it is important to know what the incidence of CHAT is on a global basis. We found 191 cases of CHAT among 1602 mostly 7-day/24-h BP profiles, obtained from several centers in different countries participating in an ongoing project on the BIOsphere and the COSmos (BIOCOS). CHAT incidence is about the same between men and women, but it is diagnosed more often among patients with borderline hypertension or with glucose intolerance. It is also more common among MESOR-hypertensive than among MESOR-normotensive individuals. Priority should be given to the development of an unobtrusive and affordable device to automatically monitor BP and to analyze the data as-one-goes, so that cardiovascular disease risk can be prevented.