In the present study, we observed the relation-ship among hypertension, cardiovascular accident, obesity, and hyperlipemia. (1) Factors elevating blood pressure seem to differ, by district or by occupation. (2) Hypertension, which is frequent in traditional rural areas, has little association with obesity or abnormal lipid metabolism, and it tends to develop into cerebral apoplexy. (3) In the special groups of men in urban areas, there exists relationship between obesity and hypertension, and the incidence of apoplexy is relatively low, but the Incidence of ischemic heart diseases is highest in all groups examined.

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Patterns of the regional contraction sequence of the LV was studied with cineangiocardiography in 5 control subjects and in 16 patients with valvular or myocardial diseases. The long axis and 3 transverse widths of the LV cavity were sequentially measured at 25 msec. intervals. The circumferential shortening velocity and total extent of shortening were calculated to estimate the systolic changes of the LV dimension. In normal LV, the shortening of the 3 widths was synchronized, but the shortening velocity and total extent of shortening were the largest at the apical width. In mitral insufficiency and IHSS, an earlier onset and/or more rapid shortening of the basal width was observed. In aortic insufficiency, the shortening of the apical width was reduced. Heterogeneity of the regional Con-traction was marked in myocardial disease. Possible factors influencing the regional Contraction sequences were briefly discussed.

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In forty-five patients with various heart diseases, geometric changes and time course of wall stress were studied by the use of angiographic technique. 1) Relative wall thickness in diastole was signiflcantly decreased in mitral insufficiency. 2) Ejected fraction was reduced in the cases with ventricular hypertrophy inappropriate to dilatation. 3) Ejected fraction was reduced in the subjects where stress at end-ejection was higher than at the onset of ejection. 4) In left ventricular failure the duration of peak stress was longer and time to peak stress was prolonged . 5) After digitalization, peak stress was lowered and time to peak stress was shortened. 6) To analyze the myocardial contractile state, the time course of wall stress during con-traction can be one of the essential factors, and the systolic ejected fraction might be considered an expression of myocardial condition.

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In order to evaluate the response of the circulatory system that occurs when the venous return to the right heart is acutely impeded by a balloon in the right atrium, measurements were made of the mean circulatory pressure (MCP), cardiac out-put and other circulatory parameters in open-chest dogs before and during acute artificial "venous congestion" produced by the right atrial balloon. The results were as follows: (1) When the venous return was acutely impeded, there occurred a marked increase in the MCP, while blood volume decreased slightly or remained unchanged. This means that the capacity of the circulatory system has decreased. (2) This response was abolished markedly, but not completely, when the animals were pretreated with a ganglion-blocking agent, pentolinium tartrate (Ansolysen), although the "venous congestion" after ganglionic blockade was comparable with that obtained before ganglionic blockade with respect to cardiac output and central and peripheral venous pressures. (3) This study showed that there are at least two mechanisms by which the venous pressure is elevated in acute impediment to the venous return, (a) impaired "cardiac function" and (b) increased vasomotor tone. (4) When the venous return was impeded, the peripheral venous pressure rose nearly in parallelism with the MCP, but the venous pressure tended to approach the numerical value of MCP when the impediment to venous return was severe. Possible mechanisms responsible for this tendency were discussed.

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Positive inotropic action of the sympathetic nerve stimulation on the myocardium and the cardiac reflex of which efferent limb is in sympathetic nerves were demonstrated in anesthetized dogs and cats. Sympathetic nerve impulses were markedly reduced by aortic occlusion and, in contrast, were augmented by acute haemorrhage. The changes in sympathetic activity were inhibited after de-nervation of the buffer nerves and further prevented after additional vagotomy.

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