Home based telemedicine intervention for patients with uncontrolled hypertension--a real life non-randomized study.

BACKGROUND: Control of blood pressure is frequently inadequate in spite of availability of several classes of well tolerated and effective antihypertensive drugs. Several factors, including the use of suboptimal doses of drugs, inadequate or ineffective treatments and poor drug compliance may be the reason for this phenomenon. The aim of the current non- randomized study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a Home-Based Telemedicine service in patients with uncontrolled hypertension. METHODS: 74 patients were enrolled in a Home Based Telemedicine group and 94 patients in the Usual Care group. At baseline and at the end of the study, patients in both groups were seen in a cardiology office. Patients in Home Based Telemedicine group additionally were followed by a physician-nurse, through scheduled and unscheduled telephone appointments. These patients also received a blood pressure measuring device that could transmit the readings to a central data monitor via secure data connection. RESULTS: During the study period (80 ± 25 days), a total of 17401 blood pressure measurements were taken in the Home Based Telemedicine group corresponding to 236 ± 136 readings per patient and a mean daily measurement of 3 ± 1.7. The scheduled telephone contacts (initiated by the nurse) equaled to 5.2 ± 4.3/patient (370 in total) and the unscheduled telephone contacts (initiated by the patients) were 0.4 ± 0.9/patient (30 in total). The mean systolic blood pressure values decreased from 153 ± 19 mmHg to 130 ± 15 mmHg (p < 0.0001) at the end of the study and diastolic blood pressure values decreased from 89 ± 10 mmHg to 76 ± 11 mmHg (p < 0.0001). In the Usual Care group, the mean systolic blood pressure values decreased from 156 ± 16 mmHg to 149 ± 17 mmHg (p < 0.05) at the end of the study and diastolic blood pressure values decreased from 90 ± 8 mmHg to 86 ± 9 mmHg (p < 0.05). The changes in drug therapy initiated following telephone contacts were 1.81 ± 1.73 per patient. CONCLUSIONS: The addition of a structured physician-nurse approach supported by remote telemonitoring of blood pressure is likely to improve outcome in patients with uncontrolled hypertension.

Telemedicine: the role of specialist second opinion for GPs in the care of hypertensive patients.

RATIONALE: To evaluate the feasibility of a second-opinion consultation in supporting general practitioners (GPs) during the daily diagnosis and therapeutic management of patients with essential hypertension. METHODS: Italian GPs were encouraged to follow-up their patients by the use of the Telemedicine Service. All known hypertensive patients with signs and symptoms (teleconsultation for symptoms) and all asymptomatic patients (teleconsultation for clinical control) undergoing a visit by their GPs were enrolled. During the first visit, the GP performed electrocardiography (ECG), measured blood pressure and required cardiological teleconsultation. RESULTS: 399 GPs examined 1719 consecutive patients (mean age 73±13 years, 38% male). During teleconsultation for a routine control, GPs identified 36% of new episodes of atrial fibrillation in the absence of any symptom and about 70% of patients with uncontrolled blood pressure. In about 50% of the cases, 10 min of teleconsultation helped GP to quicken the solution of the clinical problems, reducing time and number of specialist's visit. In 8% of cases, an emergency department admission was suggested. CONCLUSIONS: Telemedicine applied to hypertensive patients at high risk of cardiovascular problems offers to GPs an easy-to-use tool to control blood pressure by improving connection with second-opinion specialist consultations.

Therapist Driven Rehabilitation Protocol for Patients with Chronic Heart and Lung Diseases: A Real-Life Study.

Therapist driven protocols may help to tailor rehabilitation programs to individual patients. We aimed to test the feasibility, safety, and clinical usefulness of a therapist driven protocol for rehabilitation including exercise training of patients with heart or lung diseases. An internal audit elaborated the Cardio-Respiratory Exercise Maugeri Algorithm (CREMA) based on: (a) standardized baseline assessments, (b) decision-making pathways, and (c) frequency/intensity/time/type (FITT) of prescription for each exercise. Outpatients (n = 620) with chronic heart disease (CHD), recent myocardial revascularization (REVASC), chronic airway (Obstructive), and restrictive lung (Restrictive) diseases underwent exercise training according to CREMA during 4 years. Peripheral muscle strengthening was the most prescribed exercise (83.6%), while arm endurance training was the least frequently (0.75%). Exercise prescription varied widely among the disease groups (interval training 19-47%, balance 35-49%, lower limb muscle training 6-15%). After training, REVASC patients were the best improvers in the 6 min walking distance (+48.7 (56.1) m), maximal inspiratory pressure (+9.6 (15.4) cmH2O), and daily steps (+1087.2 (3297.1) n/day). Quadriceps and biceps strength, maximal expiratory pressure, and balance improved in all groups, without significant differences. Minor side effects were observed in 11.2% of the patients. The CREMA therapist driven protocol was feasible, safe, and useful for prescribing tailored training programs. Exercise prescriptions and training response differed among diseases.

Beta(2)-adrenergic receptor gene polymorphism, age, and cardiovascular phenotypes.

Previous studies suggest that variants of the beta(2)-adrenergic receptor (ADRB2) may differently affect functional responses to adrenergic stimulation, thereby possibly modulating cardiovascular and metabolic phenotypes. We examined the hypothesis that G/R16 and Q/E27 polymorphism of ADRB2, or their haplotypes, may modulate blood pressure, cardiovascular structure, and function or metabolic cardiovascular risk factors in the general population. We examined a random sample of the general population (n=571; age, 35 to 64 years). Neither clinic nor 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure was significantly associated with ADRB2 genotypes in the overall population. Cardiac structure and function were also not influenced by ADRB2 polymorphism. After adjustment for potential confounders, association of the R16 allele with higher systolic blood pressure was observed in the subgroup of younger people (below age of 50 years). Haplotype analysis showed that higher blood pressure values were more specifically associated with the presence of R16-Q27. Younger people carrying the R16-Q27 haplotype also showed a trend toward lower heart rate, higher BMI, lower glycemia, and higher trygliceridemia, which is consistent with the hypothesis of a genetic predisposition to reduced cardiovascular and metabolic response to ADRB2 stimulation. This study does not provide evidence of a major role of ADRB2 gene variability in blood pressure modulation. However, association of ADRB2 polymorphism with cardiovascular and metabolic effects can be observed in younger subjects, before the development of age-related decline of ADRB2-mediated activity. Our study emphasizes the necessity of taking into account (patho)-physiological changes related to aging (in this case, decreased efficiency of ADRB2 signaling) when analyzing phenotypic effects of genetic variants.