Postoperative cognitive dysfunction and mortality following lung transplantation.

Preliminary evidence suggests that postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is common after lung transplantation. The impact of POCD on clinical outcomes has yet to be studied. The association between POCD and longer-term survival was therefore examined in a pilot study of posttransplantation survivors. Forty-nine participants from a prior randomized clinical trial underwent a neurocognitive assessment battery pretransplantation and 6 months posttransplantation, including assessments of the domains of Executive Function (Trail Making Test, Stroop, Digit Span), Processing Speed (Ruff 2 and 7 Test, Digit Symbol Substitution Test), and Verbal Memory (Verbal Paired Associates, Logical Memory, Animal Naming, and Controlled Oral Word Association Test). During a 13-year follow-up, 33 (67%) participants died. Greater neurocognition was associated with longer survival (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.49 [0.25-0.96], P = .039), and this association was strongest on tests assessing Processing Speed (HR = 0.58 [0.36-0.95], P = .03) and Executive Function (HR = 0.52 [0.28-0.97], P = .040). In addition, unadjusted analyses suggested an association between greater Memory performance and lower risk of CLAD (HR = 0.54 [0.29-1.00], P = .050). Declines in Executive Function tended to be predictive of worse survival. These preliminary findings suggest that postoperative neurocognition is predictive of subsequent mortality among lung transplant recipients. Further research is needed to confirm these findings in a larger sample and to examine mechanisms responsible for this relationship.

Psychosocial Predictors of Mortality Following Lung Transplantation.

Lung transplantation has become an increasingly common treatment for patients with end-stage lung disease. Few studies have examined psychosocial risk factors for mortality in transplant recipients, despite evidence suggesting that elevated levels of negative affect are associated with greater mortality following major cardiac surgery. We therefore examined the relationship between negative affect early after lung transplantation and long-term survival in a sample of 132 lung transplant recipients (28 cystic fibrosis, 64 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, 26 idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, 14 other) followed for up to 13.5 years (median 7.4 years) following transplantation. Patients underwent both medical and psychosocial assessments 6 months following transplantation, which included the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), Spielberger Anxiety Inventory, and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). Over the course of follow-up, 80 (61%) participants died. Controlling for demographic factors, native lung disease, disease severity, family income, education level, social support, and frequency of posttransplant rejection, elevated symptoms of depression (BDI-II: HR = 1.31, p = 0.011) and distress (GHQ: HR = 1.28, p = 0.003) were associated with increased mortality. Higher levels of depression and general distress, but not anxiety, measured 6 months following lung transplantation are associated with increased mortality, independent of background characteristics and medical predictors.

Exploratory secondary analyses of a cognitive-behavioral intervention for knee osteoarthritis demonstrate reduction in biomarkers of adipocyte inflammation.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of pain coping skills training (PCST) and a lifestyle behavioral weight management (BWM) program on inflammatory markers and biomarker associations with pain and function in the OA LIFE study. METHOD: Serum samples were available from a subset (N = 169) of the overweight or obese knee OA participants in the OA LIFE study that evaluated: PCST, BWM, combined PCST + BWM, or standard care (SC). Inflammatory markers (hsCRP, IL-1ra, IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, TNFRI, TNFRII, and hyaluronic acid (HA)), and adipokines (leptin and adiponectin) were measured before and after the 24-week treatment period. Biomarkers were assessed for effects of treatment and for associations with change in weight, pain and disability (unadjusted and adjusted for age, race, sex, baseline body mass index (BMI), and baseline biomarker concentration). RESULTS: PCST + BWM was associated with significant reductions in hsCRP (P = 0.0014), IL-6 (P = 0.0075), and leptin (P = 0.0001). After adjustment, there was a significant effect of PCST + BWM on changes in leptin (b = -0.19, P = 0.01) and IL-6 (b = -0.25, P = 0.02) relative to SC. Reductions in leptin and IL-6 were significantly correlated with reductions in weight, BMI and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) pain; reductions in IL-6 were correlated with improvements in WOMAC and Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales (AIMS) physical function. By mediation analyses, weight loss was responsible for 54% of the change in IL-6 and all of the change in leptin. CONCLUSIONS: OA-related inflammatory markers were reduced by a 24-week combined PCST + BWM intervention. This suggests that the inflammatory state can be successfully modified in the context of a readily instituted clinical intervention with a positive clinical outcome.

Work and home stress: associations with anxiety and depression symptoms.

BACKGROUND: In the evolving work environment of global competition, the associations between work and home stress and psychological well-being are not well understood. AIMS: To examine the impact of psychosocial stress at work and at home on anxiety and depression. METHODS: In medically healthy employed men and women (aged 30-60), serial regression analyses were used to determine the independent association of psychosocial stress at work and at home with depression symptoms, measured using the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), and anxiety symptoms, measured using the Spielberger Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Psychosocial stress at work was measured using the Job Content Questionnaire to assess job psychological demands, job control, job social support and job insecurity. Psychosocial stress at home was assessed by 12 questions including stress at home, personal problems, family demands and feelings about home life. RESULTS: Serial regression analyses in 129 subjects revealed that job insecurity and home stress were most strongly associated with depression and anxiety symptoms. Job insecurity accounted for 9% of the variation both in BDI-II scores and in STAI scores. Home stress accounted for 13 and 17% of the variation in BDI-II scores and STAI scores, respectively. In addition, job social support was significantly and independently associated with STAI scores but not BDI-II scores. CONCLUSIONS: Work and home stress were associated with anxiety and depression symptoms in both men and women. Both work and home stress should be considered in studies evaluating anxiety and depression in working populations.

Changes in neurocognitive functioning following lung transplantation.

Although neurocognitive impairment is relatively common among patients with advanced lung disease, little is known regarding changes in neurocognition following lung transplantation. We therefore administered 10 tests of neurocognitive functioning before and 6 months following lung transplantation and sought to identify predictors of change. Among the 49 study participants, native diseases included chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (n = 22), cystic fibrosis (n = 12), nonfibrotic diseases (n = 11) and other (n = 4). Although composite measures of executive function and verbal memory scores were generally within normal limits both before and after lung transplantation, verbal memory performance was slightly better posttransplant compared to baseline (p < 0.0001). Executive function scores improved in younger patients but worsened in older patients (p = 0.03). A minority subset of patients (29%) exhibited significant cognitive decline (i.e. >1 standard deviations on at least 20% of tests) from baseline to posttransplant. Patients who declined were older (p < 0.004) and tended to be less educated (p = 0.07). Lung transplantation, like cardiac revascularization procedures, appears to be associated with cognitive decline in a subset of older patients, which could impact daily functioning posttransplant.

Baseline 6-min walk distance predicts survival in lung transplant candidates.

In a large, prospectively followed, two-center cohort of patients listed for lung transplantation (n = 376), we used Cox proportional hazards models to determine the importance of baseline 6-min walk distance (6MWD) in predicting patient survival. 6MWD used as a continuous variable was a significant predictor of survival after adjusting for other important covariates when transplant was considered as a time-varying covariate (HR for each 500 ft increase in 6MWD = 0.57, 95% CI: 0.43-0.77, p = 0.0002). 6MWD remained an important predictor of survival in models that considered only survival to transplant (HR for each 500 ft increase in 6MWD = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.27-0.62, p < 0.0001) or survival only after transplant (HR for each 500 ft increase in 6MWD = 0.40, 95% CI: 0.22-0.72, p = 0.002). Unadjusted Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrates significantly different survival by 6MWD tertiles (<900, 900-1200, or >1200 ft, p-value = 0.0001). In the overall model, 6MWD prediction of survival was relatively homogeneous across disease category (6MWD by disease interaction term, p-value = 0.63). Our results demonstrate a significant relationship between baseline 6MWD and survival among patients listed for lung transplantation that exists across all native disease categories and extends through transplantation. The 6MWD is thus a useful measure of both urgency and utility among patients awaiting lung transplantation.

Dietary Factors and Cognitive Decline.

Cognitive decline is an increasingly important public health problem, with more than 100 million adults worldwide projected to develop dementia by 2050. Accordingly, there has been an increased interest in preventive strategies that diminish this risk. It has been recognized that lifestyle factors including dietary patterns, may be important in the prevention of cognitive decline and dementia in later life. Several dietary components have been examined, including antioxidants, fatty acids, and B vitamins. In addition, whole dietary eating plans, including the Mediterranean diet (MeDi), and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, with and without weight loss, have become areas of increasing interest. Although prospective epidemiological studies have observed that antioxidants, fatty acids, and B vitamins are associated with better cognitive functioning, randomized clinical trials have generally failed to confirm the value of any specific dietary component in improving neurocognition. Several randomized trials have examined the impact of changing 'whole' diets on cognitive outcomes. The MeDi and DASH diets offer promising preliminary results, but data are limited and more research in this area is needed.

Impact of psychological factors on the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease and implications for therapy.

Recent studies provide clear and convincing evidence that psychosocial factors contribute significantly to the pathogenesis and expression of coronary artery disease (CAD). This evidence is composed largely of data relating CAD risk to 5 specific psychosocial domains: (1) depression, (2) anxiety, (3) personality factors and character traits, (4) social isolation, and (5) chronic life stress. Pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the relationship between these entities and CAD can be divided into behavioral mechanisms, whereby psychosocial conditions contribute to a higher frequency of adverse health behaviors, such as poor diet and smoking, and direct pathophysiological mechanisms, such as neuroendocrine and platelet activation. An extensive body of evidence from animal models (especially the cynomolgus monkey, Macaca fascicularis) reveals that chronic psychosocial stress can lead, probably via a mechanism involving excessive sympathetic nervous system activation, to exacerbation of coronary artery atherosclerosis as well as to transient endothelial dysfunction and even necrosis. Evidence from monkeys also indicates that psychosocial stress reliably induces ovarian dysfunction, hypercortisolemia, and excessive adrenergic activation in premenopausal females, leading to accelerated atherosclerosis. Also reviewed are data relating CAD to acute stress and individual differences in sympathetic nervous system responsivity. New technologies and research from animal models demonstrate that acute stress triggers myocardial ischemia, promotes arrhythmogenesis, stimulates platelet function, and increases blood viscosity through hemoconcentration. In the presence of underlying atherosclerosis (eg, in CAD patients), acute stress also causes coronary vasoconstriction. Recent data indicate that the foregoing effects result, at least in part, from the endothelial dysfunction and injury induced by acute stress. Hyperresponsivity of the sympathetic nervous system, manifested by exaggerated heart rate and blood pressure responses to psychological stimuli, is an intrinsic characteristic among some individuals. Current data link sympathetic nervous system hyperresponsivity to accelerated development of carotid atherosclerosis in human subjects and to exacerbated coronary and carotid atherosclerosis in monkeys. Thus far, intervention trials designed to reduce psychosocial stress have been limited in size and number. Specific suggestions to improve the assessment of behavioral interventions include more complete delineation of the physiological mechanisms by which such interventions might work; increased use of new, more convenient "alternative" end points for behavioral intervention trials; development of specifically targeted behavioral interventions (based on profiling of patient factors); and evaluation of previously developed models of predicting behavioral change. The importance of maximizing the efficacy of behavioral interventions is underscored by the recognition that psychosocial stresses tend to cluster together. When they do so, the resultant risk for cardiac events is often substantially elevated, equaling that associated with previously established risk factors for CAD, such as hypertension and hypercholesterolemia.

Depression, heart rate variability, and acute myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: Clinical depression is associated with an increased risk for mortality in patients with a recent myocardial infarction (MI). Reduced heart rate variability (HRV) has been suggested as a possible explanation for this association. The purpose of this study was to determine if depression is associated with reduced HRV in patients with a recent MI. METHODS AND RESULTS: Three hundred eighty acute MI patients with depression and 424 acute MI patients without depression were recruited. All underwent 24-hour ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring after hospital discharge. In univariate analyses, 4 indices of HRV were significantly lower in patients with depression than in patients without depression. Variables associated with HRV were then compared between patients with and without depression, and potential confounds were identified. These variables (age, sex, diabetes, and present cigarette smoking) were entered into an analysis of covariance model, followed by depression status. In the final model, all but one HRV index (high-frequency power) remained significantly lower in patients with depression than in patients without depression. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that greater autonomic dysfunction, as reflected by decreased HRV, is a plausible mechanism linking depression to increased cardiac mortality in post-MI patients.

Psychosocial correlates of job strain in a sample of working women.

BACKGROUND: This study identifies potential mediators of job strain effects on health by determining whether psychosocial factors known to predict an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality are higher among women who report high levels of job strain. METHODS: Measures of job strain and other psychosocial risk factors were obtained in a sample of 152 female employees of a local corporation. Canonical correlation and analyses of covariance were used to assess relationships between job demands and decision latitude and other psychosocial risk factors. RESULTS: A significant (P = .002) solution to the canonical correlation analysis showed that high job demands and low decision latitude were correlated with a pattern of psychosocial factors consisting of (1) increased levels of negative emotions like anxiety, anger, depression, and hostility; (2) reduced levels of social support; and (3) a preponderance of negative compared with positive feelings in dealings with coworkers and supervisors. This pattern was confirmed by analyses of covariance that adjusted for demographic and specific job characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: The canonical correlation analysis results provide empirical support for the job strain construct. The most important finding is that health-damaging psychosocial factors like job strain, depression, hostility, anxiety, and social isolation tend to cluster in certain individuals.

Stress management and exercise training in cardiac patients with myocardial ischemia. Effects on prognosis and evaluation of mechanisms.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have demonstrated that myocardial ischemia can be elicited by mental stress in the laboratory and during daily life and that ischemia induced by mental stress is associated with an increased risk for future cardiac events in patients with coronary artery disease. OBJECTIVES: To examine the extent to which ischemia induced by mental stress can be modified by exercise stress management, and to evaluate the impact of these interventions on clinical outcomes. METHODS: One hundred seven patients with coronary artery disease and ischemia documented during mental stress testing or ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring were randomly assigned to a 4-month program of exercise or stress management training. Patients living at a distance from the facility formed a nonrandom, usual care comparison group. Myocardial ischemia was reassessed following treatment, and patients were contacted annually for as long as 5 years to document cardiac events, including death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and cardiac revascularization procedures. RESULTS: Twenty-two patients (21%) experienced at least 1 cardiac event during a mean (+/- SD) follow-up period of 38 +/- 17 months. Stress management was associated with a relative risk of 0.26 compared with controls. The relative risk for the exercise group also was lower than that of controls, but the effect did not reach statistical significance. Stress management also was associated with reduced ischemia induced by mental stress and ambulatory ischemia. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that behavioral interventions offer additional benefit over and above usual medical care in cardiac patients with evidence of myocardial ischemia.

Exercise and weight loss reduce blood pressure in men and women with mild hypertension: effects on cardiovascular, metabolic, and hemodynamic functioning.

BACKGROUND: Lifestyle modifications have been recommended as the initial treatment strategy for lowering high blood pressure (BP). However, evidence for the efficacy of exercise and weight loss in the management of high BP remains controversial. METHODS: One hundred thirty-three sedentary, overweight men and women with unmedicated high normal BP or stage 1 to 2 hypertension were randomly assigned to aerobic exercise only; a behavioral weight management program, including exercise; or a waiting list control group. Before and following treatment, systolic and diastolic BPs were measured in the clinic, during daily life, and during exercise and mental stress testing. Hemodynamic measures and metabolic functioning also were assessed. RESULTS: Although participants in both active treatment groups exhibited significant reductions in BP relative to controls, those in the weight management group generally had larger reductions. Weight management was associated with a 7-mm Hg systolic and a 5-mm Hg diastolic clinic BP reduction, compared with a 4-mm Hg systolic and diastolic BP reduction associated with aerobic exercise; the BP for controls did not change. Participants in both treatment groups also displayed reduced peripheral resistance and increased cardiac output compared with controls, with the greatest reductions in peripheral resistance in those in the weight management group. Weight management participants also exhibited significantly lower fasting and postprandial glucose and insulin levels than participants in the other groups. CONCLUSIONS: Although exercise alone was effective in reducing BP, the addition of a behavioral weight loss program enhanced this effect. Aerobic exercise combined with weight loss is recommended for the management of elevated BP in sedentary, overweight individuals.

Effects of exercise training on older patients with major depression.

BACKGROUND: Previous observational and interventional studies have suggested that regular physical exercise may be associated with reduced symptoms of depression. However, the extent to which exercise training may reduce depressive symptoms in older patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) has not been systematically evaluated. OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of an aerobic exercise program compared with standard medication (ie, antidepressants) for treatment of MDD in older patients, we conducted a 16-week randomized controlled trial. METHODS: One hundred fifty-six men and women with MDD (age, > or = 50 years) were assigned randomly to a program of aerobic exercise, antidepressants (sertraline hydrochloride), or combined exercise and medication. Subjects underwent comprehensive evaluations of depression, including the presence and severity of MDD using Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition criteria and Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) scores before and after treatment. Secondary outcome measures included aerobic capacity, life satisfaction, self-esteem, anxiety, and dysfunctional cognitions. RESULTS: After 16 weeks of treatment, the groups did not differ statistically on HAM-D or BDI scores (P = .67); adjustment for baseline levels of depression yielded an essentially identical result. Growth curve models revealed that all groups exhibited statistically and clinically significant reductions on HAM-D and BDI scores. However, patients receiving medication alone exhibited the fastest initial response; among patients receiving combination therapy, those with less severe depressive symptoms initially showed a more rapid response than those with initially more severe depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: An exercise training program may be considered an alternative to antidepressants for treatment of depression in older persons. Although antidepressants may facilitate a more rapid initial therapeutic response than exercise, after 16 weeks of treatment exercise was equally effective in reducing depression among patients with MDD.

Delirium affects length of hospital stay after lung transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Delirium is relatively common after lung transplantation, although its prevalence and prognostic significance have not been systematically studied. The purpose of the present study was to examine pretransplant predictors of delirium and the short-term impact of delirium on clinical outcomes among lung transplant recipients. METHODS: Participants underwent pretransplant cognitive testing using the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status and the Trail Making Test. After transplant, delirium was assessed using the Confusion Assessment Method until discharge. RESULTS: Sixty-three patients were transplanted between March and November 2013, of which 23 (37%) developed delirium. Among transplanted patients, 48 patients completed pretransplant cognitive testing. Better pretransplant cognitive function was associated with lower risk of delirium (odds ratio, 0.69 [95% confidence interval 0.48, 0.99], P = .043); and demographic and clinical features including native disease (P = .236), the Charlson comorbidity index (P = .581), and the lung allocation score (P = .871) were unrelated to risk of delirium, although there was a trend for women to experience delirium less frequently (P = .071). The presence (P = .006) and duration (P = .027) of delirium were both associated with longer hospital stays. CONCLUSION: Delirium occurs in more than one-third of patients after lung transplantation. Delirium was associated with poorer pretransplant cognitive functioning and longer hospital stays, after accounting for other medical and demographic factors.

Report of the substudy assessing the impact of neurocognitive function on quality of life 5 years after cardiac surgery.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The importance of perioperative cognitive decline has long been debated. We recently demonstrated a significant correlation between perioperative cognitive decline and long-term cognitive dysfunction. Despite this association, some still question the importance of these changes in cognitive function to the quality of life of patients and their families. The purpose of our investigation was to determine the association between cognitive dysfunction and long-term quality of life after cardiac surgery. METHODS: After institutional review board approval and patient informed consent, 261 patients undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass were enrolled and followed for 5 years. Cognitive function was measured with a battery of tests at baseline, discharge, and 6 weeks and 5 years postoperatively. Quality of life was assessed with well-validated, standardized assessments at the 5-year end point. RESULTS: Our results demonstrate significant correlations between cognitive function and quality of life in patients after cardiac surgery. Lower 5-year overall cognitive function scores were associated with lower general health and a less productive working status. Multivariable logistic and linear regression controlling for age, sex, education, and diabetes confirmed this strong association in the majority of areas of quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: Five years after cardiac surgery, there is a strong relationship between neurocognitive functioning and quality of life. This has important social and financial implications for preoperative evaluation and postoperative care of patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

Effects of beta-blockade and exercise on cardiovascular and cognitive functioning.

Twenty-four men with mild essential hypertension were assigned randomly to receive propranolol (n = 9), atenolol (n = 7), or a placebo (n = 8). All subjects participated in a 12-week study and provided physiological and behavioral data four times during the study: after a medication-free baseline period (Session 1); after 2 weeks of medication, without exercise (Session 2); after 8 weeks of continued medication while participating in a program of aerobic exercise (Session 3); and after 2 weeks of maintenance exercise without medication (Session 4). Subjects' maximal oxygen uptake increased significantly between Sessions 2 and 3, and the magnitude of this increase did not vary across the drug groups. Subjects' resting heart rates varied as a function of the presence of beta-blocking medication, but there was in addition a reduction attributable to exercise training that did not vary across the drug groups. The decrease in blood pressure associated with beta-blockade (Session 2) was not decreased any further by exercise training (Session 3). Despite an increase in blood pressure following the withdrawal of active medication (Session 4), blood pressure remained significantly lower compared with the Session 1 baseline level. Performance in a reaction-time test of short-term memory functioning improved slightly for all three groups between Sessions 1 and 2 and remained constant thereafter.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Physiological, psychological, and behavioral factors and white coat hypertension.

Patients with hypertension in the clinic but not during daily activities ("white coat" hypertension) may be at lower risk of hypertensive morbidity and mortality than patients with hypertension in both settings ("persistent" hypertension). We hypothesized that the white coat phenomenon was due to greater blood pressure reactivity to the stress of a clinic visit and that, as a consequence, white coat hypertensive patients would display greater blood pressure reactivity to exercise and mental stress, as well as increased emotional reactivity and higher levels of anger, anxiety, or depression. We studied 89 patients with essential hypertension between 29 and 59 years old with ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, treadmill exercise testing with oxygen consumption measurement, mental stress testing (including mental arithmetic, public speaking, and video game tasks), and psychological testing (State-Trait Anxiety Scale, Cook-Medley Hostility Scale, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, emotional reactivity scale). We defined white coat hypertension as a mean ambulatory systolic blood pressure of 135 mm Hg or less and diastolic 85 mm Hg or less and persistent hypertension as a mean ambulatory systolic blood pressure of 140 mm Hg or more or diastolic 90 mm Hg or more. Forty-nine patients were classified as persistent hypertensives and 20 as white coat hypertensives. No significant differences were seen in demographic or clinical characteristics, fitness level, blood pressure response to exercise or mental stress, or psychological characteristics, except that white coat hypertensive patients had lower systolic blood pressures in the clinic and during exercise and greater variability of clinic diastolic blood pressures.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Effects of exercise and weight loss on mental stress-induced cardiovascular responses in individuals with high blood pressure.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of exercise and weight loss on cardiovascular responses during mental stress in mildly to moderately overweight patients with elevated blood pressure. Ninety-nine men and women with high normal or unmedicated stage 1 to stage 2 hypertension (systolic blood pressure 130 to 179 mm Hg, diastolic blood pressure 85 to 109 mm Hg) underwent a battery of mental stress tests, including simulated public speaking, anger recall interview, mirror trace, and cold pressor, before and after a 6-month treatment program. Subjects were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatments: (1) aerobic exercise, (2) weight management combining aerobic exercise with a behavioral weight loss program, or (3) waiting list control group. After 6 months, compared with control subjects, participants in both active treatment groups had lower levels of systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, total peripheral resistance, and heart rate at rest and during mental stress. Compared with subjects in the control group, subjects in the exercise and weight management groups also had greater resting stroke volume and cardiac output. Diastolic blood pressure was lower for the weight management group than for the exercise-only group during all mental stress tasks. These results demonstrate that exercise, particularly when combined with a weight loss program, can lower both resting and stress-induced blood pressure levels and produce a favorable hemodynamic pattern resembling that targeted for antihypertensive therapy.

Quality of life among hypertensive patients with a diuretic background who are taking atenolol and enalapril.

The cardioselective beta-blocker atenolol and the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor enalapril were compared for efficacy, safety, and quality-of-life factors in 30 patients with hypertension whose hypertension was inadequately controlled with diuretic alone. Atenolol (50 to 100 mg once a day) and enalapril (2.5 to 40 mg once a day), combined with hydrochlorothiazide (25 mg once a day), had similar levels of efficacy and safety. A comprehensive battery of psychologic assessments for quality of life was administered, including measures of anxiety, depression, psychiatric symptoms, memory, and psychomotor function. These five conceptually based clusters were first analyzed by multivariate analysis of variance procedures, followed by univariate analyses of the individual variables composing each domain. In general, neither atenolol nor enalapril was associated with major changes in psychologic functioning. The only data cluster with a statistically significant change was memory function, primarily as a result of lower scores of the digit span (backward) test, for atenolol relative to enalapril. These preliminary findings suggest that atenolol and enalapril have comparable degrees of efficacy and safety, with no major disparities in quality-of-life effects, for hypertensive patients with a history of taking diuretics and this sort of quality-of-life assessment can be performed during trials of antihypertensive drugs.