Novel Pulse Waveform Index by Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring and Cardiac Function: A Pilot Study.

Background: A simple ambulatory measure of cardiac function could be helpful for monitoring heart failure patients. Objectives: The purpose of this paper was to determine whether a novel pulse waveform analysis using data obtained by our developed multisensor-ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) device, the 'Sf/Am' ratio, is associated with echocardiographic left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Methods: Multisensor-ABPM was conducted twice at baseline in 20 heart failure (HF) patients with HF-reduced LVEF or HF-preserved LVEF (median age 66 years, male 65%) and over a 6- to 12-month follow-up after patient-tailored treatment. We assessed the changes in the pulse waveform index Sf/Am and LVEF that occurred between the baseline and follow-up. The Sf/Am consists of the area of the ejection part in the square forward wave (Sf) and the amplitude of the measured wave (Am). We divided the patients into the recovered (n = 11) and not-recovered (n = 9) groups defined by a ≥10% increase in LVEF. Results: Although the ambulatory BP levels and variabilities did not change in either group, the Sf/Am increased significantly in the recovered group (baseline 21.4 ± 4.5; follow-up, 25.6 ± 3.7, P = 0.004). The not-recovered group showed no difference between the baseline and follow-up. The follow-up/baseline Sf/Am ratio was significantly associated with the LVEF ratio (r = 0.469, P = 0.037). The Sf/Am was significantly correlated with the LVEF in overall measurements (n = 40, r = 0.491, P = 0.001). Conclusions: These results demonstrated that a novel noninvasive pulse waveform index, the Sf/Am measured by multisensor-ABPM is associated with LVEF. The Sf/Am may be useful for estimating cardiac function.

Impact of nocturnal blood pressure dipping on recurrence of atrial fibrillation after pulmonary vein isolation.

Lack of the typical nocturnal blood pressure (BP) fall, i.e non-dipper, has been known as a cardiovascular risk. However, the influence of non-dipper on atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) has been unclear. We investigated the clinical impact of non-dipping as evaluated by 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring on the long-term outcome of AF recurrence post-PVI in 76 AF patients with a history of increased BP. The PVI procedure was successful in all 76 patients (mean age, 66±9years; antihypertensive medication, 89%; non-paroxysmal AF, 24%). Twenty patients had AF recurrence during a median follow-up of 1138 days. There was no difference in BP levels between the AF recurrence and non-recurrence groups (average 24 h systolic BP:126 ± 17 vs.125 ± 14 mmHg; P = 0.84). On the other hand, the patients with non-dipper had a higher AF recurrence than those with dipper (38.9% vs.15.0%; P = 0.018). In Cox hazard analysis adjusted by age, non-paroxysmal AF and average 24-hr systolic BP level, the non-dipper was an independent predictor of AF recurrence (HR 2.78 [95%CI:1.05-7.34], P = 0.039). Non-dipper patients had a larger left atrial (LA) volume index than the dipper patients (45.9 ± 17.3 vs.38.3 ± 10.2 ml/m2, P = 0.037). Among the 58 patients who underwent high-density voltage mapping in LA, 11 patients had a low-voltage area (LVA) defined as an area with a bipolar voltage < 0.5 mV. However, there was no association of LVA with non-dipper or dipper (22.2% vs.16.1%, P = 0.555). Non-dipper is an independent predictor of AF recurrence post-PVI. Management of abnormal diurnal BP variation post-PVI may be important.

The WHO Global report 2023 on hypertension warning the emerging hypertension burden in globe and its treatment strategy.

Thirty-year % increase of adults with hypertension in the European/ Americas and South-East Asia/ Western Pacific (WHO region). Create using the data from: World Health Organization. Global report on hypertension: the race against a silent killer. Geneva, Switzerland: 2023.

Hypertension facilitates age-related diseases. ~ Is hypertension associated with a wide variety of diseases?~.

Hypertension, a disease whose prevalence increases with age, induces pathological conditions of ischemic vascular disorders such as cerebral infarction and myocardial infarction due to accelerated arteriosclerosis and circulatory insufficiency of small arteries and sometimes causes hemorrhagic conditions such as cerebral hemorrhage and ruptured aortic aneurysm. On the other hand, as it is said that aging starts with the blood vessels, impaired blood flow associated with vascular aging is the basis for the development of many pathological conditions, and ischemic changes in target organs associated with vascular disorders result in tissue dysfunction and degeneration, inducing organ hypofunction and dysfunction. Therefore, we hypothesized that hypertension is associated with all age-related vascular diseases, and attempted to review the relationship between hypertension and diseases for which a relationship has not been previously well reported. Following our review, we hope that a collaborative effort to unravel age-related diseases from the perspective of hypertension will be undertaken together with experts in various specialties regarding the relationship of hypertension to all pathological conditions.

Home systolic blood pressure time in therapeutic range and cardiovascular risk: the practitioner-based nationwide J-HOP study extended.

Time in therapeutic range (TTR) for office systolic blood pressure (SBP) is an independent predictor of major cardiovascular events. However, the clinical implications of TTR for home SBP have not yet been investigated. This study determined the association between TTR of home SBP and cardiovascular events in individuals with ≥1 cardiovascular risk factor who were enrolled in The Japan Morning Surge-Home Blood Pressure (J-HOP) study. The therapeutic range for home SBP was defined as home SBP of 100-135 mmHg during the 13-day baseline period of the J-HOP study. Participants were divided into subgroups based on quartiles of TTR for home SBP, and the risk of cardiovascular events was determined in each quartile. During a mean 6.3 years of follow-up in 4070 participants (mean age 65 years), cardiovascular events included stroke in 92, coronary artery disease in 119, heart failure in 41 and aortic dissection in 8. The adjusted hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) for the risk of total cardiovascular events in participants with home SBP TTR in the lowest (100%) versus highest quartile (<15.3%) was 1.74 (1.16-2.61); the corresponding hazard ratio for stroke events was 2.11 (1.06-4.21). A 10% decrease in home SBP TTR was associated with a 4% increase in the risk of total cardiovascular events (p = 0.033) and a 9% increase in the risk of stroke (p = 0.004). The significant association seen between home SBP TTR and the occurrence of cardio- and cerebrovascular events highlights the importance of achieving stable reductions in home SBP and minimizing day-by-day home BP variability.Clinical Trial Registration: University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry, UMIN000000894 (J-HOP study).

Potential Long-Term Benefit of Home Systolic Blood Pressure Below 125 mm†Hg for Cardiovascular Risk Reduction: The J-HOP Study Extended.

BACKGROUND: The long-term benefit of achieving the Japanese Society of Hypertension home systolic blood pressure (SBP) target of <125 mm Hg has not been fully evaluated. This study investigated the long-term risk of cardiovascular disease events in individuals with home SBP <125 versus 125 to <135 or ≥135 mm Hg who participated in the J-HOP study (Japan Morning Surge-Home Blood Pressure). METHODS: The J-HOP study enrolled outpatients with ≥1 cardiovascular risk factor between 2005 and 2012, with follow-up until March 2015 and extended follow-up from December 2017 to May 2018. Cardiovascular disease events (stroke, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, and aortic dissection) were compared between home SBP subgroups. RESULTS: During mean 5.9 years of follow-up in 4231 participants (mean age, 65 years), cardiovascular events included stroke (n=89), coronary artery disease (n=116), congestive heart failure (n=37), and aortic dissection (n=8). The adjusted 10-year risk of total cardiovascular disease was slightly higher, and stroke risk was significantly higher when baseline home SBP was ≥135 versus <125 mm Hg (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.39 [95% CI, 0.97-2.00] for overall cardiovascular disease and 2.68 [95% CI, 1.34-5.38] for stroke; this was largely due to between-group differences in the first 5 years of follow-up, which were maintained over the subsequent 5 years). Findings were similar in the subgroup of high-risk patients (those with diabetes or stroke history). CONCLUSIONS: These data highlight the potential long-term benefit of strict home SBP control and validate this as an appropriate Japanese Society of Hypertension guideline target although confirmation in larger populations is needed. REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr/; University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry; Unique identifier: UMIN000000894 (Japan Morning Surge-Home Blood Pressure study).

Home blood pressure measurement consistency and cognitive impairment.

Cognitive function tends to decline with age, and individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) often have difficulty completing established self-management tasks. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the number of days within a 5-and-a-half-day period that patients took their home blood pressure (BP) as instructed and MCI assessed by the Japanese version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-J) in an elderly clinical population. We analyzed 303 ambulatory patients (mean age 77.3 ± 8.2 years) in whom MoCA-J had been assessed, who were instructed to take home BP for 1 evening and twice a day for the next five days, and who had at least one morning home BP measurement. After accounting for patient characteristics including age, sex, body mass index, drinking, smoking, prevalent cardiovascular disease, morning systolic BP and diastolic BP, and the use of antihypertensive drugs, the number of days home BP was measured was independently associated with both total MoCA-J score (estimate, 0.82; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.43-1.21; P < 0.001) and the lowest quartile of MoCA-J score (13 or below) (odds ratio [OR], 0.72; 95%CI, 0.59-0.87; P = 0.001). Home BP measurement noncompliance (<5 days' measurement) was also independently associated with the total MoCA-J score (estimate, -2.56; 95%CI, -4.09 to -1.03; P = 0.001) and the lowest quartile of MoCA-J score (OR, 3.32; 95%CI, 1.59-6.96; P = 0.001). In conclusion, poor compliance with home BP monitoring was associated with cognitive impairment in elderly cases who had been specifically instructed to perform home BP monitoring during a designated period.

Nighttime blood pressure and glucose control impacts on left ventricular hypertrophy: The Japan Morning Surge Home Blood Pressure (J-HOP) Study.

Several studies investigated the association between nighttime blood pressure (BP) and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in diabetes, but since most of these studies were conducted in diabetes populations only, they did not compare differences in the impact of nighttime BP on LVH in subjects without diabetes. Moreover, data about the impact of glucose control in diabetes on the relationship between nighttime BP and LVH are sparse. We classified 1277 adults (age 64.7 ± 11.8 years) performing ambulatory BP monitoring while enrolled as part of the Japan Morning Surge Home Blood Pressure (J-HOP) study into groups according to the control status of daytime BP (systolic BP [SBP] < 135 mmHg or ≥135 mmHg), nighttime BP (SBP < 120 mmHg or ≥120 mmHg), and diabetes (HbA1c < 7.0% or ≥7.0%). LVH was assessed by echocardiography. LVH according to echocardiographic criteria was identified in 33.7% of the participants. The group with poorly controlled diabetes plus uncontrolled nighttime BP (n = 90) had a 2.1-fold higher risk of LVH compared to the group with controlled nighttime BP and non-diabetes (n = 505) (odds ratio [OR] 2.10, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.29-3.44). No association was observed between uncontrolled daytime BP and diabetes for LVH. In the participants with poorly controlled diabetes (n = 146), uncontrolled nighttime BP posed a 3.1-fold higher risk of LVH compared to controlled nighttime BP (OR 3.12, 95%CI: 1.47-6.62). This association was not found in controlled diabetes. Uncontrolled nighttime BP was associated with a risk of LVH, especially among individuals with poorly controlled diabetes.

Systemic hemodynamic atherothrombotic syndrome: from hypothesis to evidence.

Hypertension is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, the association between blood pressure (BP) and CVD events has been based on mean BP alone. BP variability (BPV) is associated with increased organ damage and CVD events independently or beyond average home BP. To explain this association, we propose the systemic hemodynamic atherothrombotic syndrome (SHATS) hypothesis. The SHATS hypothesis indicates that hemodynamic stress increases vascular disease and vice versa, leading to a vicious cycle of the association between hemodynamic stress and a vascular disease; this association provides not only the risk but also the trigger for CVD events. The evidences of SHATS were gradually accumulating. We showed arterial stiffness synergistically amplified the association between hemodynamic stress and cardiac overload / CVD events in patients with at least one CVD risk factor.

2023 update and perspectives.

Total 276 manuscripts were published in Hypertension Research in 2022. Here our editorial members picked up the excellent papers, summarized the current topics from the published papers and discussed future perspectives in the sixteen fields. We hope you enjoy our special feature, 2023 update and perspectives in Hypertension Research.

Prognosis of a malignant phenotype of obesity defined by a cardiac biomarker in hypertension: the Japan Morning Surge-Home Blood Pressure study.

Obesity with increased high-sensitive cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) has been reported to be more likely to progress cardiovascular disease (CVD) events, which suggests that hs-cTnT may identify a "malignant" phenotype of obesity. We classified 3513 hypertensive patients from the Japan Morning Surge-Home Blood Pressure (J-HOP) study into groups based on body mass index (BMI) (normal weight: <25 kg/m2, overweight: 25-29.9 kg/m2, obesity: ≥30 kg/m2) and elevations in biomarker levels (hs-cTnT ≥3 ng/mL: 51.3%, 54.9%, 53.3%, and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide [NT-ProBNP] ≥55 pg/mL: 51.1%, 40.7%, 36.0% in each BMI category). We evaluated the independent and combined associations of BMI and each hs-cTnT/NT-proBNP or both with CVD events (fatal and nonfatal coronary artery disease, stroke, and hospitalized heart failure). During the mean 6.4 ± 3.9-year follow-up, 232 CVD events occurred. Obesity with elevated hs-cTnT was associated with a risk of CVD events compared to normal weight without elevated hs-cTnT (hazard ratio 3.22, 95% confidence interval: 1.83-5.68). A similar pattern of results was also observed across the status of obesity and elevated NT-proBNP. There was a significant interaction between hs-cTnT and CVD events according to the obesity status (p = 0.039), while this association was marginal in NT-proBNP (p = 0.060). The magnitude of the mediation of hs-cTnT for the association between obesity and CVD risk was 41.2%, and that for NT-proBNP was 8.1%. In this Japanese hypertensive population, the elevation of hs-cTnT identified obese patients at particularly high risk for developing CVD events, suggesting that hs-cTnT may identify a 'malignant' phenotype of obesity.

Cognitive impairment in heart failure patients: association with abnormal circadian blood pressure rhythm: a review from the HOPE Asia Network.

Cognitive impairment (CI) is frequently a comorbid condition in heart failure (HF) patients, and is associated with increased cardiovascular events and death. Numerous factors contribute to CI in HF patients. Decreased cerebral blood flow, inflammation, and activation of neurohumoral factors are all thought to be factors that exacerbate CI. Hypoperfusion of the brain due to decreased systemic blood flow, cerebral venous congestion, and atherosclerosis are the main mechanism of CI in HF patients. Abnormal circadian BP rhythm is one of the other conditions associated with CI. The conditions in which BP does not decrease sufficiently or increases during the night are called non-dipper or riser BP patterns. Abnormal circadian BP rhythm worsens CI in HF patients through cerebral congestion during sleep and atherosclerosis due to pressure overload. Interventions for CI in HF patients include treatment for HF itself using cardiovascular drugs, and treatment for fluid retention, one of the causes of abnormal circadian rhythms. Proposed pathways of cognitive impairment in heart failure through abnormal circadian blood pressure rhythm.