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.     

动态血压监测指导腹膜透析患者高血压治疗的临床观察

目的　探讨动态血压监测指导腹膜透析患者高血压治疗的意义。方法　使用非侵入性的动态血压监测仪监测 34例腹膜透析 (CAPD)合并有高血压的患者 ,通常从早上 9:0 0开始每 30分钟记录 1次血压 ,共监测 2 4小时。结果　所有病人 2 4小时的平均血压是 14 5 6 / 91 3mmHg ,39 6 %收缩压记录超过 15 0mmHg ,4 8 7%的舒张压记录超过 90mmHg。糖尿病肾病患者 (12例 )平均血压是 15 7 3/ 88 8mmHg ,5 8 5 %的收缩压记录和 4 4 6 %的舒张压记录超过 15 0 / 90mmHg。平均血压、心率和血压负荷白天和夜间没有显著性差异。结论　大多数的CAPD患者伴有高血压的病人其血压控制不佳 ,糖尿病患者血压控制情况更差。大多数CAPD患者血压 2 4小时节律性消失 ,白天和夜间高血压控制不佳并没有区别 ,使用动态血压监测仪评估血压可以指导降压治疗和增加降压达标。     

Associations of toenail arsenic, cadmium, mercury, manganese, and lead with blood pressure in the normative aging study

Background: Arsenic, cadmium, mercury, and lead are associated with cardiovascular disease in epidemiologic research. These associations may be mediated by direct effects of the metals on blood pressure (BP) elevation. Manganese is associated with cardiovascular dysfunction and hypotension in occupational cohorts.Objectives: We hypothesized that chronic arsenic, cadmium, mercury, and lead exposures elevate BP and that manganese lowers BP.Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of associations between toenail metals and BP among older men from the Normative Aging Study (n = 639), using linear regression and adjusting for potential confounders.Results: An interquartile range increase in toenail arsenic was associated with higher systolic BP [0.93 mmHg; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.25, 1.62] and pulse pressure (0.76 mmHg; 95% CI: 0.22, 1.30). Positive associations between arsenic and BP and negative associations between manganese and BP were strengthened in models adjusted for other toenail metals.Conclusions: Our findings suggest associations between BP and arsenic and manganese. This may be of public health importance because of prevalence of both metal exposure and cardiovascular disease. Results should be interpreted cautiously given potential limitations of toenails as biomarkers of metal exposure.     

Distribution of blood pressure, body mass index and smoking habits in the urban population of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and associations with socioeconomic status

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the distribution of blood pressure (BP), body mass index (BMI), smoking habits and their associations with socioeconomic status (SES) in an urban population in early epidemiological transition. METHODS: Cross-sectional survey of the entire population aged 25-64 years in five branches of Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) through visits to all homes in the study area. Blood pressure was based on the mean of the second and third readings with an automated device. Socioeconomic status was estimated with indicators of education, occupation and wealth. RESULTS: In all 9254 people were examined. Age-adjusted prevalence (%) among men/ women aged 35-64 years was 27.1/30.2 for BP > or = 140/90 mmHg or antihypertensive medication, 13.1/17.7 for BP > or = 160/95 mmHg or antihypertensive medication, 28.0/27.4 for BMI of 25.0-29.9 kg/m(2), 6.9/17.4 for BMI > or = 30 kg/m(2), and 22.0/2.6 for smoking (> or = 1 cigarette per day). Prevalence of categories of drinking frequency and history of diabetes are also reported. After adjustment for covariates, SES was associated inversely with BP and smoking and directly with BMI. Body mass index was associated positively with BP (1.01 and 0.91 mmHg systolic BP per 1 kg/m(2) BMI in men and women, respectively) and inversely with smoking (-1.14 kg/m(2) in male smokers versus non-smokers). Hypertension treatment rates were low, particularly in people of low SES. CONCLUSIONS: High prevalence of several cardiovascular risk factors in the urban population of a low-income country stresses the need for early public health interventions and adaptation of the health care infrastructure to meet the emerging challenge of cardiovascular disease. The direct SES-BMI association may drive increasing BMI and BP while the population becomes more affluent.     

CBO guideline 'High blood pressure' (revision)]

The revised CBO guideline 'High blood pressure' details the present scientific knowledge about the detection, diagnosis and treatment of elevated blood pressure as well as the implementation of this knowledge in practice. For both systolic and diastolic increased blood pressure the risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality gradually increases. The blood pressure is considered to be elevated if the systolic pressure is > or = 140 mmHg and/or the diastolic pressure is > 90 mmHg. For individuals aged 60 years and over, without diabetes, familiar hypercholesterolaemia or overt cardiovascular disease, 160 mmHg is the cut-off value for elevated systolic pressure. Depending on age or blood pressure level, the diagnosis 'elevated blood pressure' is established after 3 or 5 measurements over a period of some weeks (3 measurements) to 6 months (5 measurements). Where elevated blood pressure is diagnosed, lifestyle recommendations should be considered first and only if these provide insufficient results should medicinal treatments be adopted. The indication area for treatment is laid down in the case of elevated blood pressure and an absolute cardiovascular risk of 20% per 10 years. When the absolute cardiovascular risk is between 10% and 20% per year, treatment may be considered. For treatment the target value is the same as the criterion for elevated blood pressure.     

Adult male all-cause, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular mortality in relation to ethnic group, systolic blood pressure and blood glucose concentration in Trinidad, West Indies

In a prospective survey of 1342 Trinidadian men aged 35 to 69 years at recruitment, age-adjusted mean blood pressures were highest in those of African descent, intermediate in Indians and mean of Mixed origin, and lowest in Europeans. Age-adjusted fasting blood glucose concentrations were highest in Indians and lowest in men of European descent. Relative risks of all-cause, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular mortality increased progressively with increasing systolic pressure, whereas for fasting blood glucose concentration the associations were U-shaped. No ethnic differences were apparent in relative risks. For systolic pressure, mortality from all-causes and cardiovascular diseases respectively were about two and three times higher at 180 mmHg or more than at pressures below 130 mmHg. For blood glucose, all-cause and cardiovascular mortality were about four times higher at fasting concentrations greater than 7.7 mmol/l than in the lowest risk group (4.2-4.6 mmol/l). All-cause population attributable mortality rates for systolic pressures of 130 mmHg or more were 1.3 to 2.8 times higher in Indian men than in other groups. For blood glucose in excess of 4.6 mmol/l, population attributable mortality was between 2.9 and 6.9 times higher in Indians than in other groups. The findings emphasized the high mortality in men of Indian descent, partly due to an apparent underlying predisposition to cardiovascular disease, and partly to their high prevalence of diabetes mellitus.     

Prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension in Japanese rural communities]

BACKGROUND: In Japan, a national survey indicated that only 7% of hypertensive patients had a blood pressure less than 140/90 mmHg. There have been no reports of studies investigating all of the prevalence of hypertension, the percentage of subjects who are aware of hypertension, the percentage being treated, and the percentage that are well-controlled (awareness, treatment and control, respectively) among hypertensives in the Japanese general population. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of hypertension, and awareness, treatment and control of hypertension among hypertensives in a Japanese rural population. DESIGN: A cross-sectional analysis of base-line data of the Jichi Medical School Cohort Study. SETTING: Twelve rural communities is 8 prefectures in Japan. PARTICIPANTS: Community-dwelling people who participated in the health examination program in 1992-1995. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Blood pressure (BP) measured once in the sitting position after a 5-minute rest using oscillometric automatic BP monitors (BP203RV-II; Nippon Colin, Japan), and history of hypertension assessed using a self-administered questionnaire. RESULTS: We analyzed data from 11,302 subjects (4,415 men and 6,887 women). The mean (standard deviation) age was 55(12) years for men and 55(11) years for women. Mean systolic BP and diastolic BP levels were, respectively, 131(21) mmHg and 79(12) mmHg for men and 128(21) mmHg and 76(12) mmHg for women. Prevalence of hypertension (systolic BP > or = 140 mmHg or diastolic BP > or = 90 mmHg or on antihypertensive medication) was 37% for men and 33% for women. Percentages for awareness (on medication or present past history), treatment and control (both systolic BP < 140 mmHg and diastolic BP < 90 mmHg) were, respectively, 39%, 27% and 10% for men and 46%, 38% and 13% for women. CONCLUSIONS: About one third of the study popUlation were hypertensive, and awareness, treatment and control of hypertension among the hypertensives were 43%, 34% and 12%, respectively. Less than half of the hypertensives were well-controlled even when measurement bias was considered. In the rural Japanese population, improvements are required with regard to awareness, treatment and control of hypertension.     

Comparison of cardiovascular risk factors in obese blacks and whites

Blacks are known to have higher blood pressure levels, a higher prevalence of hypertension, and higher body weights than whites. However, the interrelationships of these and other cardiac risk factors have not been analyzed in an obese population. We compared blood pressure (BP) and lipid levels in 174 obese blacks and 939 obese white patients who were entering a weight loss program; we also assessed the effects of weight loss on these factors. Prevalence of treated hypertension was similar in blacks and whites (28% vs. 25%, respectively). In patients not taking BP medication, black women weighed more (108 kg) than white women (102 kg) and black and white males' weights were similar (135 kg vs. 131 kg). Systolic and diastolic BP were similar in black and white women; black males had similar SBP but a significantly lower DBP than white males (83 mmHg vs. 89 mmHg, respectively). Lipid levels were similar in black and white women except black women had lower triglycerides (1.30 mmol/L) than white women (1.58 mmol/L, p < 0.05); and black males compared to white males had significantly lower total cholesterol (4.76 mmol/L vs. 5.56 mmol/L), LDL-cholesterol (3.15 mmol/L vs. 3.52 mmol/L) and triglycerides (1.31 mmol/L vs. 2.17 mmol/L, p < 0.05). Adult-onset obesity adversely affected a number of cardiovascular risk factors in whites, but not in blacks. Blacks lost significantly less weight (-13 kg) than whites (-19 kg). However, controlling for the difference in weight loss, blacks sustained comparable improvement in lipids and blood pressure, except for TC/HDL-C (whites improved significantly more, -0.36 kg/m2, than blacks, 0.03 kg/m2). Thus, the impact of obesity on cardiovascular risk factors seems ameliorated in blacks compared to whites.     

Intra-individual postural blood pressure variability and stroke in elderly nursing home residents

Orthostatic hypotension (OH) is a potential risk factor for adverse cardiovascular events, but OH is highly variable and may not be detected on a single occasion. To assess the relation between intra-individual variability of systolic orthostatic blood pressure change (DeltaSBP) and cardiovascular outcomes, an algorithm was developed to identify DeltaSBP instability using repeated supine and standing BP measurements. A cohort of 673 nursing home residents underwent baseline postural BP measurements (supine to 1 minute of standing, four times in a single day) and were followed for up to 2 years. Two groups (stable vs. unstable) were identified based on an analysis of DeltaSBP variance components. Differences in outcomes were compared via Cox survival analysis. At baseline 12.6% were unstable, defined as a one standard deviation difference of at least 20.2 mmHg between DeltaSBP readings. Unstable subjects were more likely to have OH on at least one measurement (systolic BP drop of 20 mmHg or more; 85% vs. 36%, respectively) and to be on psychotropic medication at baseline (47% vs 35%) (P-values <0.001). Other characteristics (including previous stroke) did not differ. During a mean follow-up of 10.3 months, stroke incidence was higher in unstable subjects (13.1% vs. 4.9%; P = 0.012), but ischemic heart disease and mortality rates were not significantly different (respectively, 13.5% vs. 7.4%, P = 0.115; 14.8% vs. 10.7%, P = 0.178). Survival analyses (adjusted for age, sex, psychotropic medications, body mass index, ischemic heart disease, and supine systolic pressure) confirmed a higher risk of stroke in unstable subjects (relative risk = 3.7, 95% CI: 1.6-8.4). Highly variable orthostatic BP measures may reflect impaired BP regulatory mechanisms in elders with occult cerebrovascular disease, or may directly affect cerebral blood flow. Orthostatic BP variability may be a better indicator of future stroke than a single supine or orthostatic change measure.     

Opposing effects of particle pollution, ozone, and ambient temperature on arterial blood pressure

Background: Diabetes increases the risk of hypertension and orthostatic hypotension and raises the risk of cardiovascular death during heat waves and high pollution episodes.Objective: We examined whether short-term exposures to air pollution (fine particles, ozone) and heat resulted in perturbation of arterial blood pressure (BP) in persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).Methods: We conducted a panel study in 70 subjects with T2DM, measuring BP by automated oscillometric sphygmomanometer and pulse wave analysis every 2 weeks on up to five occasions (355 repeated measures). Hourly central site measurements of fine particles, ozone, and meteorology were conducted. We applied linear mixed models with random participant intercepts to investigate the association of fine particles, ozone, and ambient temperature with systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial BP in a multipollutant model, controlling for season, meteorological variables, and subject characteristics.Results: An interquartile increase in ambient fine particle mass [particulate matter (PM) with an aerodynamic diameter of ≤ 2.5 μm (PM_2.5)] and in the traffic component black carbon in the previous 5 days (3.54 and 0.25 μg/m³, respectively) predicted increases of 1.4 mmHg [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.0, 2.9 mmHg] and 2.2 mmHg (95% CI: 0.4, 4.0 mmHg) in systolic BP (SBP) at the population geometric mean, respectively. In contrast, an interquartile increase in the 5-day mean of ozone (13.3 ppb) was associated with a 5.2 mmHg (95% CI: –8.6, –1.8 mmHg) decrease in SBP. Higher temperatures were associated with a marginal decrease in BP.Conclusions: In subjects with T2DM, PM was associated with increased BP, and ozone was associated with decreased BP. These effects may be clinically important in patients with already compromised autoregulatory function.     

老年高血压合并体位性低血压患者靶器官损害及最佳血压水平的研究

目的研究老年高血压合并体位性低血压患者靶器官损害情况及最佳的血压水平。方法选取2010年3月~7月进行体检的长期居住广州的军队离退休老干部中的原发性高血压患者849例,对其进行健康问卷调查,并测量卧位及立位后0、2 min血压和心率,对体位性低血压的发生率进行统计,同时分析体位性低血压组与非体位性低血压组患者靶器官损害情况。结果老年高血压患者体位性低血压的发生率随着高血压分级升高而增加;体位性低血压组的左室肥厚及微量白蛋白尿的发生率均高于非体位性低血压组;血压控制在130~139/70~79 mm Hg时体位性低血压的发生率最低。结论老年高血压合并体位性低血压发生靶器官损害的危险较高,130~139/70~79 mm Hg可能是老年高血压合并体位性低血压患者最佳的血压范围。     

The inter-arm blood pressure difference and peripheral vascular disease: cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: A blood pressure (BP) difference between the upper limbs is often encountered in primary care. Knowledge of its prevalence and importance in the accurate measurement of BP is poor, representing a source of error. Current hypertension guidelines do not emphasize this. OBJECTIVES: To establish the prevalence of an inter-arm blood pressure difference (IAD) and explore its association with other indicators of peripheral vascular disease (PVD) in a hypertensive primary care population. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study. Primary care, one rural general practice, was the setting of the study. The methods were controlled simultaneous measurement of brachial BPs, ankle-brachial pressure index (ABPI) and tiptoe stress testing in 94 subjects. RESULTS: In all, 18 of 94 [19%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 11-27%] subjects had mean systolic inter-arm difference (sIAD) > or =10 mmHg and seven of 94 (7%, 95% CI 2-12%) had mean diastolic inter-arm difference (dIAD) > or =10 mmHg. Nineteen of 91 (20%, 95% CI 12-28%) had a reduced ABPI <0.9. There was negative correlation between systolic (Pearson's correlation coefficient - 0.378; P = 0.01) and diastolic (Pearson's correlation coefficient - 0.225; P = 0.05) magnitudes of IAD with ABPI. On tiptoe testing, 9/90 subjects (10%, 95% CI 4-16%) had a pressure drop > or =20%. CONCLUSIONS: An IAD and asymptomatic PVD are common in a primary care hypertensive population. Magnitude of the IAD is inversely correlated with ABPI, supporting the hypotheses that IADs are causally linked to PVD, and that IAD is a useful marker for the presence of PVD. Consequently, detection of an IAD should prompt the clinician to screen subjects for other signs of vascular disease and target them for aggressive cardiovascular risk factor modification.     

Blood pressure normalization by fixed perindopril/indapamide combination in hypertensive patients with or without associate metabolic syndrome: results of the OPTIMAX 2 study

The aim of the observational pharmaco-epidemiological study Optimax II was to seek whether the pre-existence of a metabolic syndrome (MS) defined by the NCEP-ATP III criteria impacts blood pressure (BP) control in hypertensive patients receiving a fixed perindopril/indapamide combination therapy. The primary objective of the study was to compare in patients with and without MS the rate of BP control defined as a systolic BP < or = 140 mmHg and a diastolic BP < or = 90 mmHg. Patients were prospectively included and the follow-up lasted 6 months. The study population consisted of 24,069 hypertensive patients (56% men; mean age 62 +/- 11 years; 18% diabetics; mean BP at inclusion 162 +/- 13/93 +/- 9 mmHg). MS was found in 30.4% of the patients (n = 7322): 35.2% women and 20.1% men. Three therapeutic subgroups were constituted: Group A, previously untreated, received the combination therapy as initial treatment; Group B, previously treated but with unsatisfactory results and/or treatment intolerance, had its previous treatment switched to perindopril/indapamide; and Group C, previously treated, with good treatment tolerance but uncontrolled BP, received the study treatment in adjunction to the previous one. The normalization rate was 70.3% in group A, 68.4% in Group B, and 64.1% in Group C (p < 0.0001). The pre-existence of MS did not show any significant influence on these rates since BP lowering was -22.7 +/- 13.7 (SBP) and -12.0 +/- 10.0 mmHg (DBP) in patients without MS and 22.6 +/- 13.3 (SBP) and -12.1 +/- 9.7 (DBP) in those with MS. The results of this study show a significant effect of perindopril/indapamide treatment on systolic BP lowering, whatever the treatment status: initiation, switch, or adjunctive therapy, and independently from the presence or not of MS. This effect may be related to the specific vascular effect of the perindopril/indapamide combination, which has recently demonstrated in the ADVANCE trial its ability to reduce mortality, and cardiovascular and renal complications in diabetic patients.     

Blood pressure and heart murmurs in a rural population in the United Republic of Tanzania.

Hypertension, congestive heart failure, and valvular heart disease are frequently seen among hospital inpatients in the United Republic of Tanzania. A population survey was therefore carried out to determine the prevalence of hypertension and cardiac murmurs in a random sample of people aged 25-64 years living in an undeveloped rural area. Standard cardiovascular survey methods as recommended by WHO were used. Only mean systolic blood pressure in women increased with age; even so, the difference in mean levels between those aged 25-34 and 55-64 years was only about 1.6 kPa (12 mmHg). Hypertension was found to be uncommon, only 2% of subjects having blood pressures ≥ 21.3/ 12.7 kPa (≥ 160/95 mmHg). By means of multiple regression analysis, less than 10% of the variance in blood pressure levels could be explained by age and anthropometric measurements. Murmurs of grade 2 or more were detected in 17% of the men and 22% of the women, being most commonly heard at the apex (54%) and the left lower border of the sternum (31%). Mitral valve diastolic murmurs were heard in 4 of 275 women and these were asymptomatic. The cause of the high prevalence of systolic murmurs is unknown.     

Low-fat dairy products and blood pressure: follow-up of 2290 older persons at high cardiovascular risk participating in the PREDIMED study

High blood pressure (BP) has been ranked as the most important risk factor worldwide regarding attributable deaths. Dietary habits are major determinants of BP. Among them, frequent intake of low-fat dairy products may protect against hypertension. Our aim was to assess the relationship between low-fat dairy product intake and BP levels and their changes after 12-month follow-up in a cohort of asymptomatic older persons at high cardiovascular risk recruited into a large-scale trial assessing the effects of Mediterranean diets on cardiovascular outcomes. Data from 2290 participants, including 1845 with hypertension, were available for analyses. Dairy products were not a specific part of the intervention; thus, data were analysed as an observational cohort. Dietary information was collected with validated semi-quantitative FFQ and trained personnel measured BP. To assess BP changes, we undertook cross-sectional analyses at baseline and at the end of follow-up and longitudinal analyses. A statistically significant inverse association between low-fat dairy product intake and systolic BP was observed for the 12-month longitudinal analysis. In the longitudinal analysis, the adjusted systolic and diastolic BP were significantly lower in the highest quintile of low-fat dairy product intake (-4.2 (95% CI -6.9, -1.4) and -1.8 (95% CI -3.2, -0.4) mmHg respectively), whereas the point estimates for the difference in diastolic BP indicated a modest non-significant inverse association. Intake of low-fat dairy products was inversely associated with BP in an older population at high cardiovascular risk, suggesting a possible protective effect against hypertension.     

Treated hypertensives with good medication compliance are still in a state of uncontrolled blood pressure in the Japanese elderly

Objectives Blood pressure (BP) is poorly controlled in many countries. Poor compliance was suggested as the main cause for poor BP control. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between compliance and the control of both casual blood pressure (BP) and 24-hr ambulatory BP in a Japanese elderly population. Methods The study was a cross-sectional survey. Casual BP and 24-hr ambulatory BP were measured at home. Hypertension was defined as casual systolic BP (SBP)≧140 and/or diastolic BP (DBP)≧90 mmHg, or as treated hypertension. A compliance rate of greater than 80% by the pill count method was defined as good compliance. Results Of the 178 treated hypertensives, 82.6% showed good compliance. Between the treated hypertensives with good compliance and those with poor compliance, no significant difference was found in either casual BP or ambulatory BP. Of the treated hypertensives with good compliance, the prevalence of achieved target ambulatory BP, i.e., daytime BP<135/85 mmHg, nighttime BP<120/75 mmHg, and 24-hr BP<125/80 mmHg, was, respectively, 35.4%, 43.5%, and 20.4%. Conclusions Casual BP and 24-hr ambulatory BP were poorly controlled in the community-living elderly although many of the treated hypertensives showed good compliance. It is unlikely that this inadequate control of hypertension is due to poor compliance on the part of the subjects.     

Residential and GPS-Defined Activity Space Neighborhood Noise Complaints,Body Mass Index and Blood Pressure Among Low-Income Housing Residents in New York City

Little is known about how neighborhood noise influences cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk among low-income populations. The aim of this study was to investigate associations between neighborhood noise complaints and body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure (BP) among low-income housing residents in New York City (NYC), including the use of global positioning system (GPS) data. Data came from the NYC Low-Income Housing, Neighborhoods and Health Study in 2014, including objectively measured BMI and BP data (N?=?102, Black?=?69%), and 1 week of GPS data. Noise reports from “NYC 311” were used to create a noise complaints density (unit: 1000 reports/km²) around participants’ home and GPS-defined activity space neighborhoods. In fully-adjusted models, we examined associations of noise complaints density with BMI (kg/m²), and systolic and diastolic BP (mmHg), controlling for individual- and neighborhood-level socio-demographics. We found inverse relationships between home noise density and BMI (B?=??2.7 [kg/m²], p?=?0.009), and systolic BP (B?=??5.3 mmHg, p?=?0.008) in the fully-adjusted models, and diastolic BP (B?=??3.9 mmHg, p?=?0.013) in age-adjusted models. Using GPS-defined activity space neighborhoods, we observed inverse associations between noise density and systolic BP (B?=??10.3 mmHg, p?=?0.019) in fully-adjusted models and diastolic BP (B?=??7.5 mmHg, p?=?0.016) in age-adjusted model, but not with BMI. The inverse associations between neighborhood noise and CVD risk factors were unexpected. Further investigation is needed to determine if these results are affected by unobserved confounding (e.g., variations in walkability). Examining how noise could be related to CVD risk could inform effective neighborhood intervention programs for CVD risk reduction.     

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.     

Lowering of diastolic blood pressure < or = 90 mmHg should not be attempted, except in type 2 diabetics; the 'Hypertension optimal treatment' (HOT) trial]

Recently the 'Hypertension optimal treatment' (HOT) study was reported. In this study 18,790 patients with diastolic blood pressure between 100 and 115 mmHg were randomly assigned target pressures of < or = 90, < or = 85 and < or = 80 mmHg respectively, and treated with a felodipine-based antihypertensive regimen. In all three groups an impressive fall in both diastolic and systolic blood pressures, and as a consequence very few major cardiovascular events (the primary endpoint of the study) were observed, but there was no difference in endpoint scores among the three groups. Type 2 diabetic patients fared substantially better than non-diabetic patients and they are likely to profit if their diastolic pressure is decreased below 80 mmHg. In the remaining patients rigorous maintenance of present-day standards (diastolic pressure < or = 90 mmHg) is advised. The addition of 75 mg aspirin 1 dd resulted in a modest but significant reduction of major cardiovascular events, but at the cost of increased gastrointestinal bleedings.     

Mixed models showed no need for initial response monitoring after starting antihypertensive therapy

ObjectiveTo demonstrate how mixed models may be used to estimate treatment effects, and inform decisions on the need for monitoring initial response.Study Design and SettingMixed models were used to analyze data from the Perindopril Protection Against Recurrent Stroke Study (PROGRESS), which examined the effects of perindopril and indapamide in 6,105 patients at high risk of a cerebrovascular event.ResultsThe mean effect of perindopril was to lower blood pressure (BP) (systolic/diastolic) by 6/3 mmHg. The mean effects of perindopril/indapamide varied according to baseline BP, and lowering of BP ranged from 9/5 to 14/5 mmHg (for individuals with a baseline systolic BP <140 and >150 mmHg, respectively). We found no variation in the effects of treatment on BP for either perindopril alone or in combination with indapamide. The effects of treatment on the individual can be predicted from the mean effect of treatment for the group (perindopril) or baseline systolic BP subgroup (perindopril/indapamide).ConclusionMonitoring initial treatment response is unnecessary for antihypertensives similar to those examined in this study. To address this issue for other therapies, we suggest that trials should report estimates of treatment effects from mixed models, and the CONSORT statement should be expanded to include this item.