Hypertension Research最新文献

Although the benefits of anti-hypertensive treatment are well known, the proportion of hypertensive patients with controlled blood pressure (BP) remains suboptimal. The present study aimed to compare BP control conditions in a hypertension-specialized clinic and non-hypertension-specialized clinics. This cross-sectional study used data from 379 treated patients who measured home BP in the Ohasama study between 2016 and 2019 (men: 43.0%, age: 71.6 years). Of those, 172 patients were managed at the hypertension-specialized clinic where physicians distributed home BP devices to each patient, evaluated the home BP data, and adjusted medications to maintain home BP values according to the recent Japanese guidelines. When we set morning home systolic/diastolic BP of <135/ < 85 mmHg as controlled BP, 93.6% of patients fulfilled the controlled home BP range, compared to 43.0% in non-specialized clinics (n = 207). The proportion of the patients with home morning BP < 125/ < 75 mmHg was 73.3% in the hypertension-specialized clinic and 20.8% in the non-hypertension-specialized clinics. Hypertension-specialized clinics prescribed three or more anti-hypertensive drug classes to 41.9% of patients, compared to 15.2% in non-specialized clinics. In the hypertension-specialized clinic, angiotensin II receptor blockers were most commonly prescribed (86.6%), followed by dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers (77.9%), thiazide (including thiazide-like) diuretics (30.2%), mineralocorticoid receptor blockers (23.8%), and beta- and alpha-beta blockers (10.5%). In conclusion, the proportion of patients with controlled home BP was excellent in the hypertension-specialized clinic. Home BP-based hypertension practices, as recommended in the current Japanese guidelines, may be the key to achieving sufficient BP control.

Cardiac remodeling and diastolic dysfunction in patients with aldosterone-producing adenomas (APA) can be improved after adrenalectomy. However, the effect of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (MRA) treatment remains unclear. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of MRA on cardiac remodeling and diastolic dysfunction in patients with PA. We prospectively enrolled patients with APA from 1993 to 2023, who either received medical treatment with MRAs or underwent adrenalectomy. Biochemical characteristics and echocardiographic findings were collected at baseline and one year after treatment. Propensity score matching was conducted based on baseline biochemical characteristics, left ventricular mass index (LVMI), and diastolic function. A total of 467 APA patients were enrolled in the study. After propensity score matching, 159 patients who underwent adrenalectomy were matched with 159 patients who received MRAs. After therapy, patients who received MRAs showed significant improvement in diastolic function after one year of treatment but not LVMI. Compared to the MRA group, the adrenalectomy group had greater improvement in systolic blood pressure, plasma aldosterone concentration, plasma renin activity, aldosterone-to-renin ratio, and LVMI. In multivariable regression analysis, pretreatment echocardiographic values were significantly associated with changes in both LVMI and E/e', while the treatment strategy showed a significant association with changes in LVMI. Thus, one year after therapy, both adrenalectomy and MRA are effective in improving diastolic function in patients with APA. However, adrenalectomy is more effective than MRA treatment in reversing cardiac remodeling in patients with APA.

Cerebral microbleeds are associated with events that are among the highest mortality and disability events combined worldwide, as well as with hypertensive vasculopathy. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between a marker of hypertensive vasculopathy, arterial stiffness assessed by pulse wave velocity, and cerebral microbleeds. A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, according to the Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) and Cochrane Collaboration Handbook statements. Data extraction, quality assessment and statistical analyses were performed following pre-established criteria. Twenty-one studies involving 18,436 participants were included. Higher levels of pulse wave velocity were associated with a higher presence of cerebral microbleeds p-OR = 1.26 (95% CI; 1.09-1.45), with considerable heterogeneity; even adjusting for potential confounding variables p-OR = 1.12 (95% CI, 1.05-1.20), with substantial heterogeneity. Only the percentage of women was related to p-OR in the adjusted model. Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of our results. Adjusted models showed publication bias. Higher levels of arterial stiffness are associated with greater presence of cerebral microbleeds. This phenomenon may be caused by damage to the brain under higher blood flow loads, in turn due to age-induced reversal of the stiffness gradient between large and small vessels. As the world's population is undergoing demographic ageing, our results underline the importance of establishing pulse wave velocity as a cardiovascular marker for early screening and delaying the onset of the characteristic signs of both diseases.

We examined if lower intensity isometric handgrip (IHG) training than usual load could significantly reduce home blood pressure (HBP) in treated Japanese hypertensive patients. Sixty patients (mean age, 66.9 years; 44.6% men) with high blood pressure to grade 1 hypertension level were randomly assigned to an IHG or control group. The IHG group performed IHG training for 12 weeks, followed by a 12 weeks of detraining. The control group did not any IHG training. The IHG training comprised four sets of 2-min isometric contractions at 15% of maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) or half than usual, including 1 min of rest between sets, for ≥3 days a week. At the end of the former phase, both morning and evening systolic HBP (HSBP) and evening diastolic HBP (HDBP) were significantly higher than those at baseline in the control group while neither morning nor evening HSBP remained unchanged in the IHG group. Morning HBPs increased at the end of the latter phase than those at the end of the former phase in the IHG group and remained unchanged in the control group. The change (Δ) in morning HSBP from baseline to the end of the former phase was smaller in the IHG group than that in the control group (Δ4.1 mmHg vs. Δ0.0 mmHg, p = 0.05). A similar tendency was observed after adjusting baseline HSBP and seasonal variation (p = 0.06). In conclusion, a 12-week IHG training at 15% of MVC significantly lowered morning HSBP by approximately 4.0 mmHg in treated Japanese hypertensive patients. This study showed that a 12-week IHG training at 15% of MVC lowered morning HSBP by about 4.0 mmHg in treated Japanese hypertensive patients. Continuous low-intensity IHG training may provide a stable hypotensive effect in high blood pressure to grade 1 hypertensive population.

Digital therapeutics (DTx) intervention is an emerging therapy for the treatment and long-term management of hypertension. We aim to systematically evaluate the overall effect of DTx intervention on improving hypertension management. The systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs was conducted and the PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library were searched to identify eligible RCTs published between Jan 1, 1982 and Sep 10, 2023. Random-effect models were utilized to pool estimates of net changes in systolic blood pressure (BP), diastolic BP, BP control rate, body mass index, weight, waist circumference, and physical activity between the DTx group and control group. 15 RCTs were included with a total of 3789 participants. Compared with the control group, DTx intervention was associated with significant changes in systolic BP, diastolic BP, and BP control rate of -3.75 mmHg(95% CI -5.74 to 1.77), -1.79 mmHg (95% CI -2.81 to -0.77) and 1.47% (95% CI 1.10 to 1.95), respectively. In addition, DTx intervention was statistically significant for improving other risk factors such as lower BMI (-0.5 kg/m2, 95% CI -0.86 to -0.15), increased physical activity (66.73 min/week, 95%CI 49.64 to 83.81), and reduced waist circumference (-2.91 cm, 95% CI -5.15 to -0.66). No difference between groups was demonstrated in weight (P = 0.30). Subgroup analyses revealed consistent effects of the change in SBP and DBP across study duration, age, sample size, patient baseline status, and intervention scenario settings(P > 0.05). DTx intervention may be useful for lowering BP and long-term management of hypertension. More large-size trials providing evidence on the same product are needed.