Trandolapril/verapamil combination in hypertensive diabetic patients

Cardiovascular diseases are directly affected by arterial hypertension. When associated with diabetes mellitus, the potential deleterious effects are well amplified. Both conditions play a central role in the pathogenesis of coronary artery disease, heart failure, stroke, and renal insufficiency. Prevalence of hypertension is much higher among diabetic than non-diabetic patients, and the hypertensive patient is more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. Current international guidelines recommend aggressive reductions in blood pressure (BP) in hypertensive patients with additional risk factors, including cardiovascular risk factors, and emphasize the relevance of intensive reduction in patients with diabetes mellitus; a goal of 130/80 mm Hg is required. To achieve BP target a combination of antihypertensives will be needed, and the use of long-acting drugs that are able to provide 24-hour efficacy with a once-daily dosing confers the noteworthy advantages of compliance improvement and BP variation lessening. Lower dosages of the individual treatments of the combination therapy can be administered for the same antihypertensive efficiency as that attained with high dosages of monotherapy. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and calcium-channel blockers as a combination have theoretically compelling advantages for vessel homeostasis. Trandolapril/verapamil sustained release combination has showed beneficial effects on cardiac and renal systems as well as its antihypertensive efficacy, with no metabolic disturbances. This combination can be considered as an effective therapy for the diabetic hypertensive population.     

Hypertension in the nursing home

Hypertension in a nursing home patient is a systolic blood pressure of 140 mm Hg or higher and 130 mm Hg or higher in a patient with diabetes mellitus or chronic renal insufficiency, or a diastolic blood pressure of 90 mm Hg or higher and 80 mm Hg or higher in a patient with diabetes mellitus or chronic renal insufficiency. Numerous prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled studies have demonstrated that antihypertensive drug therapy reduces the development of new coronary events, stroke, and congestive heart failure in older persons. The goal of treatment of hypertension in elderly persons is to lower the blood pressure to less than 140/90 mm Hg and to less than 130/80 mm Hg in older persons with diabetes mellitus or chronic renal insufficiency. Elderly persons with diastolic hypertension should have their diastolic blood pressure reduced to 80 to 85 mm Hg. Diuretics should be used as initial drugs in the treatment of older persons with hypertension and no associated medical conditions. The selection of antihypertensive drug therapy in persons with associated medical conditions depends on their associated medical conditions. If the blood pressure is more than 20/10 mm Hg above the goal blood pressure, drug therapy should be initiated with 2 antihypertensive drugs, one of which should be a thiazide-type diuretic. Other coronary risk factors must be treated in patients with hypertension.     

Risk factors to be considered at the beginning of antihypertensive therapy in diabetes mellitus

The treatment of hypertension in diabetic patients due to its high prevalence rate belongs to the everyday clinical practice of internists, diabetologists and general practitioners. The main points of the initiation on of antihypertensive treatment in diabetic patients are reviewed. In order to decrease the target organ damages the treatment of early recognized cardiovascular risk factors are of great importance. The target value of antihypertensive treatment in diabetic patients is < 130/80 mmHg (in case of proteinuria > 1 g daily: < 125/75 mmHg). The global cardiovascular risk is high or very high in diabetic patients both with grade I-III hypertension and with high normal blood pressure, therefore, treatment with antihypertensive drug (besides life style optimalisation) should be initiated promptly in these cases. In case of micro- or macroalbuminuria antihypertensive drug (mainly with characteristics of blocking the renin-angiotensin-system) should be given to each diabetic subject irrespective of actual blood pressure values. Success of antihypertensive treatment in diabetic patients could be achieved mainly with combination therapy only. It is reasonable to initiate antihypertensive therapy primarily with a low dose combination of two agents in diabetic patients with hypertension.     

Manidipine-delapril combination in the management of hypertension

High blood pressure (BP) is the major cardiovascular risk factor and the main cause of death around the world. Control of blood pressure reduces the high mortality associated with hypertension and the most recent guidelines recommend reducing arterial BP values below 140/90 mmHg for all hypertensive patients (130/80 in diabetics) as a necessary step to reduce global cardiovascular risk, which is the fundamental objective of the treatment. To achieve these target BP goals frequently requires combination therapy with two or more antihypertensive agents. Although the combination of a diuretic and an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) is the most commonly used in the clinical practice, the combination of an ACEI and a calcium channel blocker may have an additive antihypertensive effect, a favorable effect on the metabolic profile, and an increased target organ damage protection. The new oral fixed combination manidipine 10 mg/delapril 30 mg has a greater antihypertensive effect than both components of the combination separately, and in non-responders to monotherapy with manidipine or delapril the average reduction of systolic and diastolic BP is 16/10 mmHg. The combination is well tolerated and the observed adverse effects are of the same nature as those observed in patients treated with the components as monotherapy. However, combination therapy reduces the incidence of ankle edema in patients treated with manidipine.     

老年高血压患者血压控制不佳与认知相关因素调查

目的探讨老年高血压控制不佳的相关因素。方法对862例高血压患者问卷调查血压控制情况与认知相关因素。结果本组平均血压值为（142.7±12.0）/（81.5±9.4）mmHg,收缩压和舒张压控制理想分别为47.3%和71.6%。文盲及小学文化患者的药物错服率明显高于初中、高中和大学组（P〈0.05）;11.6%的病例不能遵医嘱服用降压药物;10.8%患者不能回答出最新高血压的诊断标准;3.8%的患者不知道降压药物需要持续服用。结论老年高血压患者对高血压病及降压治疗的认知程度较低,总体血压控制不佳,应加强高血压知识的宣教和指导。     

The applicability of home blood pressure measurement in clinical practice: a review of literature

Purpose

To review the literature on home blood pressure measurement (HBPM), to examine its validity and applicability for clinical practice and to provide recommendations regarding HBPM assessment.

Findings

HBPM can eliminate the white coat effect and offers the possibility to obtain multiple measurements under standardized conditions, which increases knowledge of overall blood pressure value. Although it is not entirely capable of replacing ambulatory blood pressure measurement (ABPM), HBPM correlates better with target organ damage and cardiovascular mortality than office blood pressure measurement (OBPM), it enables prediction of sustained hypertension in patients with borderline hypertension, and proves to be an appropriate tool for assessing drug efficacy. Additional advantages of HBPM are that it may increase drug compliance and patient’s awareness of hypertension. Overall, OBPM yield higher blood pressure values than HBPM. Differences between OBPM and HBPM tend to increase with age and are generally higher in patients without antihypertensive treatment than in patients with antihypertensive treatment.

Recommendations

Measurements should be performed according to accepted guidelines and recordings should be performed with a memory equipped automatic validated device. From the data reviewed here, we recommend that HBPM be assessed monthly by taking two measurements in the morning within 1 hour after awakening and two in the evening for three consecutive days, the data from the first day should be dismissed. A subject should be labeled hypertensive if his/her HBPM value is equal to or greater than 137 mmHg systolic and/or 84 mmHg diastolic.     

Olmesartan medoxomil: current status of its use in monotherapy

Olmesartan medoxomil is an angiotensin II receptor antagonist. In pooled analyses of seven randomized, double-blind trials, 8 weeks' treatment with olmesartan medoxomil was significantly more effective than placebo in terms of the response rate, proportion of patients achieving target blood pressure (BP) and mean change from baseline in diastolic (DBP) and systolic blood pressure (SBP). Olmesartan medoxomil had a fast onset of action, with significant between-group differences evident from 2 weeks onwards. The drug was well tolerated with a similar adverse event profile to placebo. In patients with type 2 diabetes, olmesartan medoxomil reduced renal vascular resistance, increased renal perfusion, and reduced oxidative stress. In several large, randomized, double-blind trials, olmesartan medoxomil 20 mg has been shown to be significantly more effective, in terms of primary endpoints, than recommended doses of losartan, valsartan, irbesartan, or candesartan cilexetil, and to provide better 24 h BP protection. Olmesartan medoxomil was at least as effective as amlodipine, felodipine and atenolol, and significantly more effective than captopril. The efficacy of olmesartan medoxomil in reducing cardiovascular risk beyond BP reduction is currently being investigated in trials involving patients at high risk due to atherosclerosis or type 2 diabetes.     

Hypertension and 24-hours blood pressure monitoring in kidney diseases

Hypertension is common in most types of kidney diseases and it may lead to end-stage renal failure. The pathogenesis of hypertension in kidney disease is multifactorial. High blood pressure may accelerate the progression of kidney diseases, and it has major contribution to the high cardiovascular risk of these patients. Twenty-four hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring makes the diagnosis of hypertension faster and more accurate and enables the diagnosis of "white-coat hypertension". It makes possible to study the diurnal blood pressure rhythm and the effect of the antihypertensive medication. In the majority of kidney diseases the normal diurnal blood pressure rhythm is lost. Hypertension and abnormal circadian blood pressure rhythm accelerates the development of end-stage renal disease and they are major contributors of the high cardiovascular mortality of patients with renal disorders. Therefore, ambulatory blood pressure monitoring should be part of the routine evaluation of patients with renal disorders.     

Circadian rhythm of blood pressure in hypertension treated with enalapril and other drugs]

Twenty-four-hour "ambulatory blood pressure monitoring" (ABPM) was performed during the day at every 30 min and during the night at every 60 min in 38 persons admitted to the hospital. The subjects were divided into four groups: Group 1. healthy subjects (11); Group 2. essential hypertensive patients (7) before and during enalapril treatment; Group 3. patients with essential hypertension (10) treated with different antihypertensive drugs and Group 4. renal patients treated as in Group 3. Normal circadian rhythm was found in the healthy subjects and in the patients with essential hypertension, but no rhythm could be demonstrated in the renal patients. The high blood pressure decreased in response to enalapril in 7 patients without any decrease in the circadian rhythm. It was concluded that antihypertensive therapy does not abolish the circadian rhythm if there is any--and does not restore if it is lacking. The chances of the diagnostic use of circadian blood pressure rhythm are not impaired by the antihypertensive treatment.     

高血压患者治疗后血压昼夜节律及影响因素的调查

目的了解高血压病患者经治疗血压达标后血压昼夜节律及影响因素.方法采用横断面调查的方法,采用进入法进行非条件logistic回归分析.结果共纳人208例患者,呈勺型曲线者79例(占38%),非勺型曲线者129例(占62%).logistic回归分析显示,年龄在70岁以上及60～69之间者24 h动态血压曲线呈非勺型的比例分别是60岁以下者的3.3倍(P=0.009)和2.3倍(P=0.031);有早发心血管疾病家族史的患者,其动态血压曲线形态呈非勺型的比例为无相应家族史患者的3.7倍(P=0.029);超重(BMI＜28)与肥胖(BMI≥28)者24 h动态血压曲线呈非勺型的比例分别是正常体重(BMI＜24)者的3.0倍(P=0.003)和4.8倍(P=0.009);与单独应用长效钙离子拮抗剂(CCBs)治疗相比,单用血管紧张素转换酶抑制剂(ACEIs)或血管紧张素Ⅱ受体阻滞剂(ARBs)治疗者动态血压曲线呈非勺型的机会较少(OR=0.139,P=0.010),采用包含ACEIs或ARBs(但不包括利尿剂)的联合用药方案的患者有较少非勺型曲线的趋势,但二组之间差异无显著性(OR=0.453,P=0.118);采用包括利尿剂(但无ACEIs或ARBs)的联合用药方案以及同时包含利尿剂与ACEIs或ARBs的联合用药方案的患者均有较少非勺型曲线的机会(OR值分别为0.378和0.273,P值分别为0.030和0.011).结论高血压患者经治疗血压达标后,有近三分之二的患者呈异常的血压昼夜节律.年龄、早发心血管疾病的家族史、超重或肥胖、降压药物治疗方案等4个因素与24 h血压曲线形态有关.与单用长效CCBs比较,利尿剂、ACEIs或ARBs可能有利于保持正常的血压昼夜节律.     

Multivariate risk assessment and risk score cards in hypertension

Cardiovascular disease represents the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Western countries, and hypertension-related cardiovascular events affect about 37 million people per year, worldwide. In this perspective, hypertensive patients are at increased risk to experience cardiovascular events during life-long period, and treatment of high blood pressure represents one of the most effective strategies to reduce global cardiovascular risk. However, due to its multifactorial pathophysiology and its frequent association with other relevant risk factors and clinical conditions, treatment of hypertension requires an integrated approach, including life-style measures, antihypertensive drugs and other therapies. Yet, worldwide general practitioners continue to focus their attention on the management of a single risk factor, eg, blood pressure, rather than to global cardiovascular risk profile. In this view, modem strategies of cardiovascular prevention in hypertensive patients should move from a single risk factor based approach toward a more comprehensive risk evaluation in the individual patient. In other words, it is important to define the global cardiovascular risk to manage hypertensive patients at high-risk, rather than to focus on the high level of a single risk factor, for reducing cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in the general population, as well as in hypertensive population.     

The role of health care practitioners in the detection and control of hypertension

It is well established that pharmacologic treatment of sustained diastolic blood pressure elevation can reduce the risk of subsequent cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. One problem confronting health care workers is to ensure that the maximum number of people who would benefit from antihypertensive treatment actually are brought under treatment and good control. Because hypertension is asymptomatic, it has been suggested that routine blood pressure measurement by a wide variety of health care practitioners would help to increase coverage. A community blood pressure survey was done to estimate detection and control rates. Information also was collected on recency of attendance to seven categories of health care practitioners. Nearly 90% of the population had seen a physician within the previous two years. Although nearly all subjects had visited a dentist, only 75% had visited within the last two years. For the other categories, population coverage was much lower. There was no evidence that undetected or untreated hypertensive persons were more likely to be seen by nonphysicians. These results do not identify a role for nonphysicians in hypertension detection or monitoring. Rather, routine blood pressure measurement on all patients by physicians should be adequate to ensure high detection and treatment rates.     

江苏省心血管病高危人群中高血压患者血压控制的随访研究

目的 探讨心血管病高危人群中高血压患者血压随访控制情况,为高血压及心血管病防治提供理论依据和参考。方法 选取2016―2019年参与项目的心血管病高危人群中20 091名高血压患者作为研究对象,对研究对象进行两次随访。采用广义估计方程对血压控制情况进行分析。结果 在心血管病高危人群中,第1次随访血压控制率为37.8%,第2次随访血压控制率为32.8%。吸烟者、城市居民以及受教育程度越高和家庭年收入越高的人群血压越易控制,而高血压知晓者、饮酒者和BMI高者血压均不易得到控制(均有P<0.05)。结论 江苏省心血管病高危人群中高血压患者的血压控制水平还有待于提高,应加强重点人群的血压防控工作,且需进行规范化的血压管理和有效的干预措施来提高控制效果。     

Overweight, obesity, and blood pressure: the effects of modest weight reduction

Several large epidemiological studies have shown an association between body mass index and blood pressure in normal weight and overweight patients. Weight gain in adult life especially seems to be an important risk factor for the development of hypertension. Weight loss has been recommended for the obese hypertensive patient and has been shown to be the most effective nonpharmacological treatment approach. However, long-term results of weight loss programs are disappointing with people often regaining most of the weight initially lost. In recent years, a modest weight loss, defined as a weight loss of 5% to 10% of baseline weight, has received increasing attention as a new treatment strategy for overweight and obese patients. A more gradual and moderate weight loss is more likely to be maintained over a longer period of time. Several studies have confirmed the blood pressure-lowering effect of a modest weight loss in both hypertensive and nonhypertensive patients. A modest weight loss can normalize blood pressure levels even without reaching ideal weight. In patients taking antihypertensive medication, a modest weight loss has been shown to lower or even discontinue the need for antihypertensive medication. In patients with high normal blood pressure, a modest weight loss can prevent the onset of frank hypertension. The blood pressure-lowering effect of weight loss is most likely a result of an improvement in insulin sensitivity and a decrease in sympathetic nervous system activity and occurs independent of salt restriction. In conclusion, a modest weight loss that can be maintained over a longer period of time is a valuable treatment goal in hypertensive patients.     

Sexual function in hypertensive patients receiving treatment

In many forms of erectile dysfunction (ED), cardiovascular risk factors, in particular arterial hypertension, seem to be extremely common. While causes for ED are related to a broad spectrum of diseases, a generalized vascular process seems to be the underlying mechanism in many patients, which in a large portion of clinical cases involves endothelial dysfunction, ie, inadequate vasodilation in response to endothelium-dependent stimuli, both in the systemic vasculature and the penile arteries. Due to this close association of cardiovascular disease and ED, patients with ED should be evaluated as to whether they may suffer from cardiovascular risk factors including hypertension, cardiovascular disease or silent myocardial ischemia. On the other hand, cardiovascular patients, seeking treatment of ED, must be evaluated in order to decide whether treatment of ED or sexual activity can be recommended without significantly increased cardiac risk. The guideline from the first and second Princeton Consensus Conference may be applied in this context. While consequent treatment of cardiovascular risk factors should be accomplished in these patients, many antihypertensive drugs may worsen sexual function as a drug specific side-effect. Importantly, effective treatment for arterial hypertension should not be discontinued as hypertension itself may contribute to altered sexual functioning; to the contrary, alternative antihypertensive regimes should be administered with individually tailored drug regimes with minimal side-effects on sexual function. When phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors, such as sildenafil, tadalafil and vardenafil, are prescribed to hypertensive patients on antihypertensive drugs, these combinations of antihypertensive drugs and phosphodiesterase 5 are usually well tolerated, provided there is a baseline blood pressure of at least 90/60 mmHg. However, there are two exceptions: nitric oxide donors and alpha-adrenoceptor blockers. Any drug serving as a nitric oxide donor (nitrates) is absolutely contraindicated in combination with phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors, due to significant, potentially life threatening hypotension. Also, a-adrenoceptor blockers, such as doxazosin, terazosin and tamsulosin, should only be combined with phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors with special caution and close monitoring of blood pressure.     

Hypertension control and related factors at primary care located in the west side of the city of São Paulo, Brazil

The objective of this study was to characterize blood pressure control of 440 hypertensive patients. The subjects were interviewed and had their blood pressure measurement by means of an automatic device. The results showed that 45.5% had an adequate blood pressure control. People under control were different (p<0.05) from those without control: the ones under blood pressure control were mainly women, younger, with a shorter time of disease, with previous treatment for hypertension, less interruptions in treatment and more conscious about the importance of physical activities. They also rarely forgot to take the medicines in the right time, generally using less than, 3 or more antihypertensive drugs, with family history of cardiovascular diseases, reporting physical activity more frequently and less sadness. The multivariate analysis revealed a statistically significant association of uncontrolled hypertension with previous treatment (OR = 2.26; IC 95%, 1.4-3.6), no family history of cardiovascular diseases (OR = 2.2; IC 95%, 1.3 3.5) and unaware of the importance of physical activities for blood pressure control (OR = 3.5; IC 95%, 1.1 10.8). Blood pressure control was associated with biological variables, behavior and information about hypertension as a risk factor and its treatment.     

Misleading advertising claims about the indication of doxazosin (Cardura) for type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension

A number of Dutch medical journals have carried an advertisement promoting doxazosin in the treatment of hypertension in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. No long-term randomised clinical trials have examined the cardiovascular outcomes of the alpha-adrenergic blockers to which doxazosin belongs. The drug was removed from the largest study into blood pressure and cholesterol reduction ever performed until now (the antihypertensive and lipid-lowering treatment to prevent heart attack trial), due to an increased incidence of cardiovascular events and in particular congestive heart failure. The clinical significance of its insulin-sensitivity improving and lipid-neutralising effects in small-scale, short-term, small patient-group studies are ambiguous. Accordingly, national and international guidelines omitted the drug in their treatment recommendations. The advertisement claims are therefore misleading.     

氯沙坦和非洛地平治疗中老年高血压合并高尿酸血症的疗效观察

[目的 ]　比较氯沙坦和非洛地平对中老年高血压合并高尿酸血症的疗效。　 [方法 ]　 60例中老年高血压合并高尿酸血症患者随机分成两组 ,分别服用氯沙坦 (氯沙坦组 ,n =3 0例 )和非洛地平 (非洛地平组 ,n =3 0例 ) ,分别测定两组患者治疗前后的血压、2 4h动态血压、血尿酸、空服血糖、血脂和肝肾功能。　 [结果 ]　氯沙坦和非洛地平均有明显的降压效果 (P <0 .0 1) ,两组的降压效果相似 (P <0 .0 5 ) ,但氯沙坦降低血尿酸的效果优于非洛地平 (P <0 .0 0 1) ,对血糖、肝肾功能、血脂均无明显作用 ,未发生明显不良反应。　 [结论 ]　氯沙坦治疗中老年高血压安全、有效 ,与非洛地平相似 ,并且有降低高血尿酸作用     

非洛地平对老年高血压患者平稳降压的效果观察

目的观察非洛地平对老年高血压患者平稳降压的效果。方法对52例经过常规检查符合入选标准的原发性高血压患者,给予非洛地平为基础联合小剂量的氢氯噻嗪的降压治疗24周,于治疗前、治疗后进行动态血压监测,并超声检测其左室射血分数、左室质量指数及颈动脉内膜-中层厚度。结果非洛地平治疗24周后,患者平均收缩压和舒张压降低;血压变异率和血压负荷均较治疗前减少,谷峰比值及夜间血压下降率较治疗前增加;射血分数明显增加,左室质量指数和颈动脉内膜-中层厚度均减小。结论老年高血压患者应用以非洛地平为基础的治疗可达到平稳降压的效果,并可改善靶器官的损害。