Abstract: A balloon catheter device designed to be especially well suited for use in providing medical treatment within a blood vessel, and a method for conducting such medical treatment are provided, wherein the balloon catheter has a central support tube or lumen, and has, near a distal end of the catheter, a plurality of inflatable balloon elements extending along the catheter in helical patterns, with the balloon elements spaced equidistantly around the central support tube. The catheter thus provides the ability to apply pressure, by way of the inflated balloon elements, to center the central support tube in the blood vessel, while at the same time preserving blood flow in the blood vessel past the catheter as well as in side branch blood vessels extending from the blood vessel under repair.

Abstract: Methods for the treatment of metabolic and/or cardiovascular disorders comprising administering to a human in need thereof a therapeutically effective amount of a composition comprising dichloroacetic acid or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or derivative thereof and a pharmaceutically acceptable mixture of carbonate and bicarbonate ions, the weight ratio of dichloroacetic acid, derivative or salt thereof to the mixture of carbonate and bicarbonate ions being in the range of from about 100:1 to about 0.01:1.

Abstract: A balloon catheter device designed to be especially well suited to repair or tack dissections in a blood vessel, and a method for repairing dissections, are provided, wherein the balloon catheter has a central support tube or lumen, and has, near a distal end of the catheter, a plurality of inflatable balloon elements extending along the catheter in helical patterns, with the balloon elements are spaced equidistantly around the central support tube. The catheter thus provides the ability to apply pressure, by way of the inflated balloon elements, to tack a dissection flap against the wall of the blood vessel under repair, while at the same time preserving blood flow in the blood vessel past the catheter as well as in side branch blood vessels extending from the blood vessel under repair. The helical or spiral configuration of the balloon elements provides the device with contact or bearing surfaces which closely approximates the path of spiral dissections which are known to occur in blood vessels.