Although it is a commonly held belief that micturition and defecation can precipitate
the onset of acute cardiovascular diseases, such circumstances remain among the most
poorly investigated possible external triggers. Earlier observational studies have
related toilet activities to the onset of acute pulmonary thromboembolism (APTE) [
1
,
2
], acute myocardial infarction [
3
,
4
,
5
], sudden cardiac death [
[4]
] and subarachnoidal hemorrhage [
[6]
]. In the February issue of the journal, an interesting study by Yamada et al. [
[7]
] further described clinical features of these external triggers and reported their
frequent occurrence before the onset of APTE among Japanese patients.To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
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References
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- Influence of continuous, isobaric rectal distention on smooth muscle tone and cardiovascular activation in healthy volunteers.Folia Med Cracov. 1999; 40: 107-114
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: August 22, 2005
Accepted:
April 21,
2005
Received:
March 12,
2005
Identification
Copyright
© 2005 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
