Diagnosis and treatment of concomitant hypertension and stroke.

There remains nearly a twofold increase in blacks compared with whites for stroke mortality. The death rate from cerebral hemorrhage in blacks approximates twice that of whites. Subarachnoid hemorrhage is a frequent cause of mortality and morbidity in stroke and is also about twice as frequent in blacks. Lacunar strokes occur more in blacks reflecting increased incidence of hypertension and are leading causes of multi-infarct encephalopathy and dementia. Therefore, the concomitant occurrence of hypertension and stroke is most common in African Americans and requires diagnosis of the type of stroke, which then defines the rationale of blood pressure control. Cerebral vascular changes associated with acute, chronic, and reactive hypertension are operative. When to treat, when not to treat, and the appropriateness of specific antihypertensive agents in acute stroke are relevant. A common misconception is that the increased blood pressure is the cause of the stroke when it is likely the result of the stroke. Lowering the blood pressure in all acute stroke patients with elevated blood pressure may worsen the neurologic deficit. Thus, the judicious control of blood pressure is to be stressed in the concomitant occurrence of hypertension and stroke.     

Tailoring antihypertensive drug therapy for the black patient

Blacks experience greater incidence, morbidity, and mortality from hypertension in comparison with whites. Blacks also respond differently to antihypertensive agents. While whites tend to respond in similar fashion to many of the different classes of antihypertensives, blacks consistently have the best response to thiazide diuretics. When a second drug is needed for blood pressure control, there are a number of choices: a beta-blocker, an alpha-beta blocker, an alphablocker, a centrally acting agent, a peripherally acting agent, an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, or a calcium channel blocker. Choosing among these involves considerations of efficacy, likelihood of compliance, and symptomatic and metabolic side effects—all important factors. Clinical experience with the ACE inhibitors, and captopril in particular, has shown the value of adding such a drug to a diuretic regimen, both in terms of controlling blood pressure and reducing metabolic derangements, and subsequently, cardiovascular risk factors. Labetalol, the alpha-beta blocker, and prazosin, the alphablocker, have also produced good results in some studies when combined with a thiazide in black patients.     

Guidelines for the management of hypertension in Japan

Hypertension is one of the most significant risk factors for cerebrovascular and heart diseases, which rank as the second and third most frequent causes of death in Japan. Two guidelines, Guidelines for the Management of Hypertension for General Practitioners(JSH2000) and Guideline for Treatment of Hypertension in the Elderly(2002 Revised Version), are currently available for treatment of hypertension in Japan. Both guidelines include indications for the treatment of hypertension, classification and evaluation of blood pressure(diagnosis), treatment strategy, modification of lifestyle and treatment with antihypertensive drugs. The guidelines are coming into clinical practice as useful references for the control and treatment of hypertension in Japan. They have advantages based on evidence from many recent studies in Japan and on consideration of the unique life style of Japanese, since the treatment guidelines for hypertension previously referenced are essentially guidelines for individuals in Western countries, primarily Caucasians. In Guideline for Treatment of Hypertension in the Elderly(2002 Revised Version), the opinions and criticisms of the Japanese hypertension experts are also incorporated. In future research, there is a need for further observational epidemiological studies and intervention trials in Japanese patients to provide direct evidence about the risks associated with blood pressure and other risk factors, as well as the antihypertensive drug effects.     

Hypertension: diagnostic problem, challenge and dilemmas

An elevated arterial pressure is probably the most important public health problem. The prevalence of hypertension depends on both the racial composition of the population studied and the criteria used to define the condition. Patients with hypertension die prematurely, the most common cause of death is heart disease, stroke, and renal failure. The JNC-7 report has introduced a new classification that includes term "pre-hypertension". The new classification may make a new dilemma in the management since the main treatment of pre-hypertension is the lifestyle changes. What do we recommend to lean patients with pre-hypertension who are already following a prudent lifestyle? The ultimate public health goal of antihypertensive therapy is the reduction of cardiovascular and renal morbidity and mortality. The question is, what should the blood pressure goal be? For patients without any compiling condition, it was assumed that 140/90 mmHg was desired treatment target level. For diabetic patient, it is reasonable to target a blood pressure well within the normal range, at most 130/80 mmHg. Some newer studies suggest that the target of treatment may force the recommended goal even lower, even for the patient without any compiling condition. For elderly individuals, a goal of 140/90 mmHg is appropriate. Hypertension during pregnancy is one of important aspects, since blood pressure during pregnancy may change related to the gestational age. This is always subject of discussion because there is no evidence that pharmacologic treatment results in improved neonatal outcomes, lower blood pressure may, in fact uteroplacental perfusion and thereby jeopardize fetal development. It means that more attention is needed for hypertensive patients not only for treatment regimens choice but also the blood pressure target. The accurate measurement of blood pressure is the sine qua non for successful management of hypertension. The operator should be trained and regularly retrained in the standardized technique, to avoid the chance of mismanagement.     

Long, slow dialysis

Long slow hemodialysis (3 x 8 hours/week) has been used in Tassin for 30 years without significant change in the method. It provides excellent results in terms of morbidity and mortality. The better survival than usually reported on shorter dialysis is mainly due to lower cardiovascular mortality. The nutritional state of the patient is good, as well as the correction of anemia with low doses of EPO. But the main feature concerns blood pressure; hypertension is very well controlled without need for antihypertensive medications. The gentle ultrafiltration provided by a long session time associated with a low salt diet and a moderate interdialytic weight gain allows for normalization of the extracellular fluid space in most patients (dry weight) without important intradialytic morbidity. This low salt diet has paradoxically been forgotten in recent years while shortened dialysis time renders it more necessary than ever.     

Long-term effects of captopril and atenolol in essential hypertension

Fifty patients with mild or moderate essential hypertension were randomized (double-blindly) to treatment with either captopril (n = 26) or atenolol (n = 24). Their mean supine diastolic blood pressure after placebo was 100-125 mmHg. The study included an initial dose finding phase (12 weeks) during which the dosages of captopril and atenolol were increased stepwise every second week in order to obtain normotension (supine diastolic blood pressure less than 95 mmHg). Hydrochlorothiazide was added when necessary. During the second phase of the study the patients were followed on active treatment for 2 years. After the initial 12 weeks of active treatment, recumbent and standing blood pressures had fallen significantly both in the captopril group (by 31/20 and 33/19 mmHg, p less than 0.001) and in the atenolol group (by 24/18 and 30/20 mmHg, p less than 0.01 (systolic), p less than 0.001 (diastolic)). The antihypertensive effect was maintained in both groups during long-term treatment. The antihypertensive effect of both agents was potentiated to the same extent by addition of hydrochlorothiazide. Side-effects were few and mild. It can be concluded that both captopril and atenolol are safe and effective antihypertensive drugs.     

Adducin- and ouabain-related gene variants predict the antihypertensive activity of rostafuroxin, part 2: clinical studies

Twenty years of genetic studies have not contributed to improvement in the clinical management of primary arterial hypertension. Genetic heterogeneity, epistatic-environmental-biological interactions, and the pathophysiological complexity of hypertension have hampered the clinical application of genetic findings. In the companion article, we furnished data from rodents and human cells demonstrating two hypertension-triggering mechanisms--variants of adducin and elevated concentrations of endogenous ouabain (within a particular range)--and their selective inhibition by the drug rostafuroxin. Here, we have investigated the relationship between variants of genes encoding enzymes for ouabain synthesis [LSS (lanosterol synthase) and HSD3B1 (hydroxy-δ-5-steroid dehydrogenase, 3β- and steroid δ-isomerase 1)], ouabain transport {MDR1/ABCB1 [ATP-binding cassette, sub-family B (MDR/TAP), member 1]}, and adducin activity [ADD1 (adducin 1) and ADD3], and the responses to antihypertensive medications. We determined the presence of these variants in newly recruited, never-treated patients. The genetic profile defined by these variants predicted the antihypertensive effect of rostafuroxin (a mean placebo-corrected systolic blood pressure fall of 14 millimeters of mercury) but not that of losartan or hydrochlorothiazide. The magnitude of the rostafuroxin antihypertensive effect was twice that of antihypertensive drugs recently tested in phase 2 clinical trials. One-quarter of patients with primary hypertension display these variants of adducin or concentrations of endogenous ouabain and would be expected to respond to therapy with rostafuroxin. Because the mechanisms that are inhibited by rostafuroxin also underlie hypertension-related organ damage, this drug may also reduce the cardiovascular risk in these patients beyond that expected by the reduction in systolic blood pressure alone.     

Antihypertensive Drugs and Inflammation in Acute Ischemic Stroke as a Predictor Factor of Future Cardiovascular Mortality

The beneficial effects of antihypertensive drugs in secondary stroke prevention could not be based on their effects on lowering hypertension only.In this prospective study, the status of blood pressure, treatment regimens, new atherothrombotic event, blood sampling for hs-CRP and fibrinogen were asked at initial visit, 6th, and 12th months in 226 patients with atherothrombotic stroke.Eighty-seven percent of patients had an antihypertensive regimen, but hypertension control was achieved in 34.1% of patients.Neither use of six different antihypertensive drug regimens nor the change in blood pressure levels showed any difference on new atherothrombotic events, outcomes or survival rates.On the other hand, the higher levels of hs-CRP at baseline were found to be associated with higher mortality rates(p = 0.020).Our findings emphasize the predictive role of inflammation in future cardiovascular mortality in patients with acute ischemic stroke, indicating that inflammatory mediators underlying the atherothrombotic process play a more important role than it is assumed.     

Targeting Ouabain- and Adducin-dependent mechanisms of hypertension and cardiovascular remodeling as a novel pharmacological approach

Essential hypertension is a heterogeneous multifactorial syndrome associated with a high cardiovascular risk. A multiple choice of antihypertensive drugs is available; however, a high individual variability to the antihypertensive therapy is still responsible for a modest reduction of the CV risk and not satisfactory control of blood pressure levels. The success of future hypertension treatment will depend upon the understanding of the genetic molecular mechanisms operating in subsets of patients, and the ability of new drugs to specifically correct such alterations. Two mechanisms, among others, are involved in determining the abnormalities of tubular Na(+) reabsorption observed in essential hypertension: the polymorphism of the cytoskeletal protein alpha-adducin and the increased circulating levels of endogenous ouabain (EO). Both lead to increased activity and expression of the renal Na-K pump, the driving force for tubular Na transport. Morphological and functional cardiovascular alterations have also been associated with adducin and EO. Rostafuroxin is a new oral antihypertensive agent able to selectively antagonize adducin and EO hypertensive and molecular effects. It is endowed with high potency and efficacy in reducing blood pressure and preventing organ hypertrophy in animal models representative of both adducin and EO mechanisms. At molecular level, in the kidney, Rostafuroxin normalizes the enhanced activity of the Na-K pump induced by adducin mutation and antagonizes the EO triggering of the Src-EGFr-dependent signaling pathway leading to renal Na-K pump, and ERK Tyrosin phosphorylation and activation. In the vasculature, it normalizes the increased myogenic tone caused by ouabain. A very high safety ratio and an absence of interaction with other mechanisms involved in blood pressure regulation, together with initial evidence of high tolerability and efficacy in hypertensive patients, indicate Rostafuroxin as the first example of a new class of antihypertensive agents designed to antagonize adducin and EO-hypertensive mechanisms. Currently, a phase II multicenter European clinical trial is ongoing for providing the proof of concept that such a compound is effective in the subset of patients where these two mechanisms are at work.     

The efficacy and tolerability of amlodipine and hydrochlorothiazide in Nigerians with essential hypertension.

The efficacy and safety of the novel calcium antagonist Amlodipine (Pfizer Laboratories, New York, New York) and hydrochlorothiazide were evaluated and compared in a randomized, single-blind, parallel group study in black Africans with essential hypertension. Twenty Nigerians with newly diagnosed mild to moderate essential hypertension were randomized to receive ascending doses of Amlodipine (5 mg and 10 mg) or hydrochlorothiazide (25 mg or 50 mg), and blood pressure and heart rate were measured at baseline and at 2, 4, and 6 weeks of therapy. Both Amlodipine and hydrochlorothiazide significantly reduced supine and erect blood pressure. Supine blood pressure on Amlodipine fell from a mean of 190/104 mm Hg to 150/79 mm Hg, and on thiazide from 180/103 mm Hg to 141/84 mm Hg. There was, however, no significant difference between both drugs in antihypertensive efficacy. Neither drug induced a reflex increase in heart rate. The fall in blood pressure on both agents was associated with an increase in plasma urea. Amlodipine induced no change in plasma potassium, but hydrochlorothiazide caused hypokalemia. Both agents were well tolerated, and Amlodipine should undergo further study in the treatment of hypertension in blacks.     

Hypertension profiling by total body water (TBW) determinations in patients on chronic hemodialysis

Hypertension is an important risk factor in hemodialysis patients. Fluid overload and increased peripheral resistance are considered the two main causes. We studied the relation between volume state and blood pressure in 18 hemodialysis patients. Actual total body water (aTBW) was measured as tritium space and "ideal" total body water (iTBW) by an anthropometric method. The difference between aTBW and iTBW was considered a measure of fluid excess or deficit. Twelve patients were overhydrated, 5%-23%. Their predialysis blood pressure was significantly correlated to their degree of fluid excess; systolic BP:r = 0.71, p = 0.03, diastolic BP:r = 0.73, p = 0.02, mean arterial BP:r = 0.76, p = 0.03. Five of these patients had multiple antihypertensive drugs instead of adequate ultrafiltration. Five patients had a fluid deficit of -3 to -13% and hypertension due to vasoconstriction. Four of these were adequately treated with antihypertensive drugs but had exaggerated ultrafiltration. TBW determination with tritium is simple to perform and gives information on the volume state and thereby on the cause of hypertension in hemodialysis patients. Based on this, appropriate treatment can be chosen.     

Epidemiology of the arterial stiffness.

Aortic stiffening is as much an important risk factor in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, as it serves as reliable surrogate marker for clinical endpoints like myocardial and cerebrovascular incidents. Elevated aortic stiffness induces high systolic blood pressure, augmented pulse pressure with increased ventricular afterload, reduced subendocardial blood flow and augmented pulsatile stress in the peripheral arteries. Factors with relevant impact on the epidemiology of arterial stiffness are widely spread. 3 major groups of parameters influencing the stiffness of the aorta and the large arteries have been studied and described up to now: (i) physiological properties like age, gender, body height, pressure, hormonal state, genetic factors; (ii) environmental factors like nutrition (fish-, salt-, garlic consumption), smoking, performance of sports and aerobic capacity; (iii) diseases like hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, renal failure, Marfan-syndrome, growth hormone deficiency. Close association between several of these factors impedes analyzing them independently from each other. Age and blood pressure were found to be the most prominent predictors of arterial stiffness in normal as well as in disease populations. Physiological and environmental factors can modulate these effects of aging, diseases generally seem to amplify them.     

Oxidative Stress-Related Biomarkers in Essential Hypertension and Ischemia-Reperfusion Myocardial Damage

Cardiovascular diseases are a leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide, with hypertension being a major risk factor. Numerous studies support the contribution of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in the pathogenesis of hypertension, as well as other pathologies associated with ischemia/reperfusion. However, the validation of oxidative stress-related biomarkers in these settings is still lacking and novel association of these biomarkers and other biomarkers such as endothelial progenitor cells, endothelial microparticles, and ischemia modified albumin, is just emerging. Oxidative stress has been suggested as a pathogenic factor and therapeutic target in early stages of essential hypertension. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure correlated positively with plasma F2-isoprostane levels and negatively with total antioxidant capacity of plasma in hypertensive and normotensive patients. Cardiac surgery with extracorporeal circulation causes an ischemia/reperfusion event associated with increased lipid peroxidation and protein carbonylation, two biomarkers associated with oxidative damage of cardiac tissue. An enhancement of the antioxidant defense system should contribute to ameliorating functional and structural abnormalities derived from this metabolic impairment. However, data have to be validated with the analysis of the appropriate oxidative stress and/or nitrosative stress biomarkers.     

Adherence to drug therapy among hypertensive patients attending two district hospitals in Ghana

BackgroundA major drawback to the management of hypertension among patients is poor adherence to pharmacotherapy. Factors that influence non-adherence to antihypertensive drugs could vary, depending on the prevailing condition of patient and setting. Knowledge of adherence patterns and behavior of hypertensive patients to pharmacotherapy could improve health-directed policies towards hypertension management.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to determine factors that influence adherence to oral antihypertensive drugs among patients attending two district hospitals in the Volta Region of Ghana.MethodsThe study was cross-sectional. Respondents were hypertensive patients attending Krachi West District (n=187) and Hohoe Municipal (n=183) hospitals between March 2016 to May 2016. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire and Morisky 8 Item Measurement of adherence scale.ResultsAdherence to oral antihypertensive drugs was 89.2%. However, more than half of these respondents appeared to have uncontrolled blood pressure; and this may be due to self-response bias, blood pressure being measured only on the day of the interview or use of fake drugs (which was not assessed in this study). The strongest predictors of adherence were; knowledge on hypertension, perception of severity of condition and the amount of alcohol consumed in a day by respondents.ConclusionGood adherence to oral antihypertensive drugs was observed in this population despite uncontrolled hypertension in a number of the respondents. The three independent predictors of adherence to antihypertensive medications in this study were respondent''s knowledge about hypertension, perception of severity of their condition and the amount of alcohol consumed in a day. Regular patient education and counseling by medical practitioners should be encouraged in these settings to improve patient adherence.     

焦虑抑郁障碍与血压变异性研究

高血压与焦虑抑郁障碍之间密切相关。焦虑、抑郁可以引起血压昼夜节律变化,促发并加重高血压,降低降压药物的疗效,并可能导致难治性高血压。血压变异性作为新的血压监测参数,能更好地反应血压全天的总体水平、变化规律、昼夜的波动状况,能更好地评估降压治疗的疗效。随着血焦虑抑郁障碍引起异常的血压波动也越来越受重视,现就焦虑障碍与血压变异性之间关系的进行综述。     

腹腔镜下多囊肾去顶减压术的应用分析

目的 探究腹腔镜下多囊肾去定减压术的应用效果,为今后临床治疗提供可靠的经验。方法 选取佳木斯市中心医院泌尿外科2015年2月~2017年2月收治的44例多囊肾患者,随机分为观察组和对照组,每组22例。观察组接受腹腔镜下去顶减压术治疗,对照组采用传统开腹手术方案。观察两组患者术前术后血压,血清尿素氮,肌酐水平等,对治疗结果进行分析。结果 20例术前患有高血压的患者,均口服降压药物治疗,其中12例患者联合服用降压药物,8例单一服用降压药物,术后20例服用高血压药物的患者用药剂量均下降,12例联合服用降压药物的患者,4例改为单一用药,8例维持原来用药种类,但剂量减少。8例单一服药的患者2例停药,6例减少剂量;两组患者术后血压、腰腹疼痛评分、血清尿素氮水平、肌酐均较术前明显降低,差异有统计学意义（P＜0.05）;组间比较上,观察组的术后血压、腰腹疼痛评分、血清尿素氮水平、肌酐均低于对照组,差异有统计学意义（P＜0.05）。结论 腹腔镜多囊肾去顶减压术治疗的效果显著,疼痛轻,术后康复快,值得在临床上推广使用。     

Non-invasive diagnostic and prognostic evaluation of liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension

Cirrhosis is the final stage of most of chronic liver diseases, and is almost invariably complicated by portal hypertension, which is the most important cause of morbidity and mortality in these patients. This review will focus on the non-invasive methods currently used in clinical practice for diagnosing liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension. The first-line techniques include physical examination, laboratory parameters, transient elastography and Doppler-US. More sophisticated imaging methods which are less commonly employed are CT scan and MRI, and new technologies which are currently under evaluation are MR elastography and acoustic radiation force imaging (ARFI). Even if none of them can replace the invasive measurement of hepatic venous pressure gradient and the endoscopic screening of gastroesophageal varices, they notably facilitate the clinical management of patients with cirrhosis and portal hypertension, and provide valuable prognostic information.     

苏州吴江区社区医院2017年降压药使用情况分析

目的 通过收集2017年各类降压药销售金额和患者购买情况,分析各类降压药使用情况,以便进一步优化社区降压药的销售品种。方法 采用回顾性分析的方法,收集社区2017年全年门诊降压药的使用数据。计算各类药物的销售金额、用药频度（DDDs）、药物日均费用（DDDc）,并通过各药的DDDs排序（A）和用药金额排序（B）,计算比值（B/A）。结果 苯磺酸左旋氨氯地平片、厄贝沙坦片、盐酸贝那普利（洛汀新）、缬沙坦分散片（达乐）、非洛地平缓释片（波依定）DDDs值较高,临床对该类药的选择倾向性大,使用频率高。苯磺酸左旋氨氯地平片的B/A值为1.00、尼莫地平胶囊、琥珀酸美托洛尔缓释片、盐酸贝那普利（洛汀新）以及利尿剂的B/A值接近1,这些药同步性较好,药品的价格与患者的接受程度相一致。结论 门诊高血压患者最常用的降压药物是钙拮抗剂,其次为ACEI和ARB,应用最少的是利尿剂。我院降压药的使用情况基本合理,随着医疗卫生体制改革的变化,降压药的使用结构会越发合理。