Pharmacological treatment of hypertension guided by peripheral or central blood pressure: a comparison between the two strategies.

Background: Arterial hypertension treatment guided by central blood pressures (CPB) rather than peripheral blood pressures (PBP) measurement has the potential to show greater effectiveness in preventing or even regressing stiffness and target organ damage (TOD). Objective: This study aimed to compare the parameters of CBP and PBP measurements, arterial stiffness, TOD and renal profile in patients with anti-hypertensive treatment guided by CBP or PBP targets. Methods: A randomized clinical trial was conducted in central group (CG) and peripheral group (PG). Patients were randomized, evaluated every 3 months for BP and antihypertensive adjustments during a one-year follow up. The procedures in V1 and V5: anthropometric assessment; CBP/PBP measurements, carotid ultrasound; echocardiography; laboratory tests. Paired and unpaired t-tests and the χ2 were used (significance level: 5%). Results: The study evaluated 59 participants (30CG/29PG). The augmentation index (AIx) was higher in the CG (27.3% vs. 20.3%, p = 0.041). Intergroup analysis has found central diastolic BP lower in the CG (78.9 vs. 84.3 mmHg, p = 0.024) and the Alx difference between groups ceased to exist after a one-year follow-up. Intragroup comparisons, after intervention, showed a lower frequency of changed PWV (p < 0.001) and LVMI (p = 0.018) in the CG. The PG showed a higher frequency of changed PWV (p < 0.001) and LVMI (p = 0.003). Conclusion: The intervention guided by central BP reduced the central diastolic BP and AIx compared to the PG. There was a reduction in the frequency of changed PWV and LVMI in the CG.

A SAGE score cutoff that predicts high-pulse wave velocity as measured by oscillometric devices in Brazilian hypertensive patients.

We aimed to identify the optimal cutoff SAGE score for Brazilian hypertensive patients who had their pulse wave velocity (PWV) measured with oscillometric devices. A retrospective analysis of patients who underwent central blood pressure measurement using a validated oscillometric device, the Mobil-O-Graph® (IEM, Stolberg, Germany), between 2012 and 2019 was performed. Patients with arterial hypertension and available data on all SAGE parameters were selected. An ROC curve was constructed using the Youden index to define the best score to identify patients at high risk for high PWV. A total of 837 patients met the criteria for SAGE and diagnosis of hypertension. The median age was 59.0 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 47.0-68.0), and 50.7% of the patients were women. The following comorbidities and conditions were present: dyslipidemia (37.4%), diabetes (20.7%), a body mass index score ≥30 kg/m2 (36.6%), use of antihypertensive drugs (69.5%), and smoking (18.3%). The median peripheral blood pressure was 128 mmHg (IQR: 117-138 mmHg) for systolic and 81 mmHg (IQR: 73-90 mmHg) for diastolic blood pressure. The median PWV was 8.3 m/s (7.1-9.8 m/s), and the prevalence of high PWV (≥10 m/s) was 22.9% (192 patients). A cutoff SAGE score ≥8 was effective at identifying a high risk of PWV ≥ 10 m/s, achieving 67.19% sensitivity (95% CI: 60.1-73.8) and 93.95% specificity (95% CI: 91.8-95.7). With this cutoff point, 1 out of every 5 treated hypertensive patients would be referred for a PWV measurement. A SAGE score of ≥8 identified Brazilian hypertensive patients with a high risk of future cardiovascular events (PWV ≥ 10 m/s).

Hormonal assessment of participants in a long distance walk.

BACKGROUND: Exercise can disrupt homeostasis and trigger many adaptive responses in different hormonal axes. The study of hormonal interactions with physical activity is highly complex due to the number of variables, such as exercise duration, exercise intensity, individual level of training, circadian rhythm, nutritional status, and environmental conditions. METHODS: This study was performed to assess daily variations of thyroid hormones, cortisol, testosterone, insulin and glucose during moderate to high intensity aerobic physical activity for 5 consecutive days. Sample collection was performed at baseline in the morning and in the evening, immediately after finishing the activity, on the 4 initial days of the activity. Statistical analysis was performed using software STATA V14. Continuous variables are presented as means and standard deviations, while categorical variables are presented as absolute and percentage values. We used Shapiro-Wilk, Wilcoxon Sign, Mann-Whitney and Student's T test, according the needs. RESULTS: The adrenocorticotropic axis showed an initial increase in the evening cortisol level compared to the baseline level in the morning (17.46 µg/dL and 15.97 µg/dL, respectively) and then exhibited a significant reduction between the 1st and 4th day of activity (17.46 µg/dL and 8.39 µg/dL, respectively; P = 0.001). The same pattern was observed for free thyroxine (T4) between the 1st and 4th day (1.31 and 1.14, respectively; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Moderate to intense long duration physical activity resulted in little variation in the hormones assessed, with a trend toward reduced levels of cortisol and free T4. These findings highlight an adaptive hormonal mechanism in response to stress that is repeated daily, as shown by cortisol and thyroid function in our study.

Comparison Between Supervised and Partly Supervised Cardiac Rehabilitation Protocols in Hypertensive Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension (HTN) is the main cause of cardiovascular diseases accounting for one-third of global mortality. Physical exercise reduces the incidence and prevalence of HTN and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Exercises recommended for hypertensive patients include supervised cardiac rehabilitation, which occurs in rehabilitation centers, and partly supervised rehabilitation, with the individual prescription of exercises conducted at patients' residences. OBJECTIVE: Compare clinical and functional parameters of hypertensive patients subjected to two cardiac rehabilitation protocols: supervised and partly supervised. METHOD: Hypertensive patients stage I or II were randomly divided into group one (G1) (partly supervised cardiac rehabilitation) and group two (G2) (supervised cardiac rehabilitation). All patients performed a warm-up, aerobic exercise, strength training and cool-down. Participants' assessments conducted before and after intervention included: physical examination, six-minute walk test, cardiac stress test, metabolic tests, and central and peripheral blood pressure measurements. RESULTS: A total of 61 patients (mean age 60.3±11.3 years, 78.7% women) were randomized (30 in G1 and 31 in G2). At the end of the intervention, G1 increased 30.6 meters (p=0.004) and G2 increased 55.0 meters (p>0.001) the distance covered in the six-minute walk test. G2 showed an increase in the maximum oxygen consumption from 24.7±8.6 mlO2/Kg/min to 28.4±7.5 mlO2/Kg/min (p=0.003). Compliance with the intervention was similar in G1 and G2 (77.5±11% x 82±10%; p=0.654). CONCLUSION: Participants from both groups improved their physical fitness and showed satisfactory compliance and tolerability to the interventions. The supervised exercise was more effective in improving muscle strength and some physical fitness parameters.