Higher arterial stiffness and blunted vagal control of the heart in young women with compared to without a clinical diagnosis of PTSD.

PURPOSE: Young women are typically thought to be protected from cardiovascular disease (CVD) before menopause. However, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) increases CVD risk in women by up to threefold. Data in predominantly male cohorts point to physiological mechanisms such as vascular and autonomic derangements as contributing to increased CVD risk. The purpose of the study reported here was to determine whether young women diagnosed with PTSD, compared to those without, present with arterial stiffness and impaired autonomic control of the heart. METHODS: A total of 73 healthy young women, ranging in age from 18 to 40 years, with a history of trauma exposure were included in this study, 32 with and 41 without a clinical PTSD diagnosis. We measured resting pulse wave velocity (PWV), central hemodynamics, augmentation pressure and augmentation index (AI) via pulse wave analysis using applanation tonometry. Heart rate variability was also assessed via peripheral arterial tone. RESULTS: In comparison to controls, women with PTSD showed higher central arterial pressure (mean ± standard deviation: systolic blood pressure 104 ± 8 vs. 97 ± 8 mmHg, p < 0.001; diastolic blood pressure 72 ± 7 vs. 67 ± 7 mmHg, p = 0.003), PWV (6 ± 0.3 vs. 5 ± 0.6 m/s, p < 0.001) and AI (22 ± 13 vs. 15 ± 12%, p = 0.007) but lower standard deviation of normal-to-normal intervals (SDNN; 44 ± 17 vs. 54 ± 18 ms, p = 0.005) and root mean square of successive differences between normal heartbeats (RMSSD; 37 ± 17 vs. 51 ± 22 ms, p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: PTSD in young women is associated with higher brachial and central pressures, increased arterial stiffness and blunted parasympathetic control of the heart. These findings illustrate potential mechanisms underlying high risk for CVD in young women with PTSD, suggesting possible treatment targets for this at-risk group.

Reconstruction of central arterial pressure waveform based on CBi-SAN network from radial pressure waveform.

The central arterial pressure (CAP) is an important physiological indicator of the human cardiovascular system which represents one of the greatest threats to human health. Accurate non-invasive detection and reconstruction of CAP waveforms are crucial for the reliable treatment of cardiovascular system diseases. However, the traditional methods are reconstructed with relatively low accuracy, and some deep learning neural network models also have difficulty in extracting features, as a result, these methods have potential for further advancement. In this study, we proposed a novel model (CBi-SAN) to implement an end-to-end relationship from radial artery pressure (RAP) waveform to CAP waveform, which consisted of the convolutional neural network (CNN), the bidirectional long-short-time memory network (BiLSTM), and the self-attention mechanism to improve the performance of CAP reconstruction. The data on invasive measurements of CAP and RAP waveform were used in 62 patients before and after medication to develop and validate the performance of CBi-SAN model for reconstructing CAP waveform. We compared it with traditional methods and deep learning models in mean absolute error (MAE), root mean square error (RMSE), and Spearman correlation coefficient (SCC). Study results indicated the CBi-SAN model performed great performance on CAP waveform reconstruction (MAE: 2.23 ± 0.11 mmHg, RMSE: 2.21 ± 0.07 mmHg), concurrently, the best reconstruction effect was obtained in the central artery systolic pressure (CASP) and the central artery diastolic pressure(CADP) (RMSECASP: 2.94 ± 0.48 mmHg, RMSECADP: 1.96 ± 0.06 mmHg). These results implied the performance of the CAP reconstruction based on CBi-SAN model was superior to the existing methods, hopped to be effectively applied to clinical practice in the future.

Central arterial pressure predicts in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular events after acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is currently the main treatment of acute ST-segment elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI), whereafter various postoperative adverse events often occur. Central arterial pressure (CAP) is closely related to the pathophysiological process of cardiovascular disease, and its relationship with outcomes after PCI in STEMI patients remains unclear. The aim of this study was to observe the relationship between pre-PCI CAP and in-hospital outcomes in STEMI patients which might be helpful to evaluate prognosis. Methods: A total of 512 STEMI patients who underwent emergency PCI were included. Baseline data and CAP information before PCI and in-hospital outcomes were collected. Multivariate logistic regression was used to adjust for confounding factors. Potential non-linear relationships between CAP and in-hospital outcomes were described using a restricted cubic bar plot. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC), net reclassification index, and composite discriminant improvement index were used to analyze the correlation between CAP and outcomes during hospitalization. Results: Among the 512 patients, 116 experienced at least 1 in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), with an incidence rate of 22.60%. Among CAP indicators, higher [>137.5 mmHg, OR =2.70, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.20-6.06] or lower (<102 mmHg, OR =7.55, 95% CI: 3.45-16.52) central systolic pressure (CSP), lower (<61 mmHg, OR =2.78, 95% CI: 1.36-5.67) central diastolic pressure (CDP), higher (>55 mmHg, OR =2.09, 95% CI: 1.01-4.31) or lower (<29 mmHg, OR =3.28, 95% CI: 1.54-7.00) central pulse pressure (CPP), and higher (>101 mmHg, OR =2.07, 95% CI: 1.01-4.61) or lower (<76 mmHg, OR =4.91, 95% CI: 2.31-10.44) central mean pressure (CMP) were independent risk factors for MACEs. The relationship between CSP and CMP and in-hospital outcomes showed a "J"-shaped relationship, CDP and in-hospital outcomes showed an "L"-shaped relationship, and CPP and in-hospital outcomes showed a "U"-shaped relationship. There was no statistical difference in the prediction ability of in-hospital outcomes detected between CSP, CDP, and CMP (P>0.05), but the comparison of the 3 with CPP was statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusions: CSP, CDP, and CMP have certain predictive ability for postoperative in-hospital outcomes in STEMI patients and can be used during percutaneous intervention.

Aerobic exercise improves central blood pressure and blood pressure variability among patients with resistant hypertension: results of the EnRicH trial.

Central blood pressure (BP) and BP variability are associated with cardiovascular disease risk. However, the influence of exercise on these hemodynamic parameters is unknown among patients with resistant hypertension. The EnRicH (The Exercise Training in the Treatment of Resistant Hypertension) was a prospective, single-blinded randomized clinical trial (NCT03090529). Sixty patients were randomized to a 12-week aerobic exercise program or usual care. The outcome measures include central BP, BP variability, heart rate variability, carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, and circulating cardiovascular disease risk biomarkers including high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, angiotensin II, superoxide dismutase, interferon gamma, nitric oxide, and endothelial progenitor cells. Central systolic BP decreased by 12.22 mm Hg (95% CI, -1.88 to -22.57, P = 0.022) as did BP variability by 2.85 mm Hg (95% CI, -4.91 to -0.78, P = 0.008), in the exercise (n = 26) compared to the control group (n = 27). Interferon gamma -4.3 pg/mL (95%CI, -7.1 to -1.5, P = 0.003), angiotensin II -157.0 pg/mL (95%CI, -288.1 to -25.9, P = 0.020), and superoxide dismutase 0.4 pg/mL (95%CI, 0.1-0.6, P = 0.009) improved in the exercise compared to the control group. Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, heart rate variability, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, nitric oxide, and endothelial progenitor cells were not different between groups (P > 0.05). In conclusion, a 12-week exercise training program improved central BP and BP variability, and cardiovascular disease risk biomarkers in patients with resistant hypertension. These markers are clinically relevant as they are associated with target organ damage and increased cardiovascular disease risk and mortality.

Biomarcadores vasculares em pacientes hipertensos / Vascular biomarkers in hypertensive patients

Fundamento: Avaliação da dinâmica vascular tem sido associada a uma melhor quantificação do risco cardiovascular de pacientes hipertensos. Objetivo: Avaliar a rigidez arterial em pacientes hipertensos acompanhados no ambulatório escola da Universidade Iguaçu, avaliar a dinâmica vascular e rigidez arterial desta população e propor estratégias para uma maior proteção cardiovascular destes pacientes. Métodos: Estudo prospectivo, aberto, avaliando a taxa de pacientes com pressão arterial sistólica central ≥120mmHg e ≤120mmHg; e a velocidade de onda pulso ≥10m/s e ≤10m/s através da avaliação de pacientes consecutivos atendidos no ambulatório escola, com >18 anos, no período de agosto/2019 a março/2020. Análise de dados demográficos, condições clínicas associadas e presença de outros fatores de risco. Todos os pacientes foram submetidos à avaliação dos parâmetros centrais e de rigidez arterial pela técnica oscilométrica. Análise estatística: análise descritiva dos dados em média com desvio padrão para as variáveis contínuas, epercentual do número total para as demais variáveis. As análises foram feitas com software Excel, versão 2101 (build 13628.20448 Microsoft Store). Resultados: 56 pacientes (44 femininos); média idade 56,08±12,24anos. Média de PA 135,08±15,73/85,39±10,30mmHg. Pacientes com pressão sistólica central ≥ 120mmHg: 32,14%; pacientes com a velocidade de onda de pulso ≥ 10m/s: 26,78%. Quantidade de medicamentos anti--hipertensivos por paciente com PASc ≥ 120mmHg: 1 droga (38,88%), 2 drogas (61,11%), 3 drogas (0%), > 3 drogas (0%). Quantidade de medicamentos anti-hipertensivos utilizados pelos pacientes com VOP ≥ 10m/s: 1 droga (26,66%), 2 drogas (66,67%), 3 drogas (6,67%), > 3 drogas (0%). Conclusão: Mais de um quarto da população apresentava elevação da PASc e da VOP. Cerca de 30% dos participantes que apresentavam VOP ≥10m/s estavam em sua maioria (74,34%) usando dois ou mais fármacos anti-hipertensivos em combinação livre. Estas informações implicam na n necessidade de reavaliação da estratégia terapêutica objetivando não apenas o alcance das metas de PA, mas a efetiva proteção CV (AU).

Background: Assessment of vascular dynamics has been associated with better quantification of cardiovascular risk in hypertensive patients. Objective: To evaluate arterial stiffness in hypertensive patients followed up at the Iguaçu University outpatient clinic, to evaluate the vascular dynamics and arterial stiffness of this population and to propose strategies for greater cardiovascular protection in these patients. Methods: Prospective, open study, evaluating the rate of patients with central systolic blood pressure ≥120mmHg and ≤120mmHg; and pulse wave velocity ≥10m/s and ≤10m/s through the evaluation of consecutive patients treated at the school outpatient clinic, aged >18 years, from August/2019 to March/2020. Analysis of demographic data, associated clinical conditions and presence of other risk factors. All patients underwent assessment of central parameters and arterial stiffness using the oscillometric technique. Statistical analysis:descriptive analysis of data in mean with standard deviation for continuous variables, and percentage of the total number for other variables. Analyzes were performed using Excel software, version 2101 (build 13628.20448 Microsoft Store) Results: 56 patients (44 female); mean age 56.08±12.24 years. Mean BP 135.08±15.73/85.39±10.30mmHg. Patients with central systolic pressure ≥ 120mmHg: 32.14%; patients with pulse wave velocity ≥ 10m/s: 26.78%. Number of antihypertensive drugs per patient with SBP ≥ 120mmHg: 1 drug (38.88%), 2 drugs (61.11%), 3 drugs (0%), > 3 drugs (0%). Number of antihypertensive drugs used by patients with PWV ≥ 10m/s: 1 drug (26.66%), 2 drugs (66.67%), 3 drugs (6.67%), > 3 drugs (0%) (AU).,

Interactions Between Brain 18F-FDG PET Metabolism and Hemodynamic Parameters at Different Ages of Life: Results From a Prospective Cross-Sectional Study.

Brain 18F-FDG PET imaging is useful to characterize accelerated brain aging at a pre-symptomatic stage. This study aims to examine the interactions between brain glycolytic metabolism and hemodynamic parameters in different age groups. Methods: A total of 72 patients (from 23 to 88 years of age, 38 women) without any cerebral diseases but with available cardiac, arterial peripheral, and central blood pressure measurements as well as arterial stiffness parameters obtained from brachial pressure and applanation tonometry and a brain 18F-FDG PET scan were prospectively included into this study. Quantitative voxel-to-voxel analyses were carried out to test for negative associations between brain glycolytic metabolism and individual hemodynamic parameters (p-voxel of <0.001 for the whole population and <0.005 for age groups). Results: The heart rate parameter of the whole population showed the most extensive associations with brain metabolism (15,857 mm3, T-score: 5.1), predominantly affecting the frontal and temporal regions (69% of the volume). Heart rate for the younger age group, systolic and pulse pressure for the 41-60-year-old group, and diastolic pressure for the older group were most extensively associated with brain metabolism and mainly involved the fronto-temporal lobes (respective involvement of 52.8%, 60.9%, and 65.5%) which are also the regions implicated in accelerated brain aging. Conclusion: This cross-sectional prospective study identified extensive associations between cerebral metabolism and hemodynamic parameters, indicating common aging mechanisms. Heart rate throughout adult life, systolic and pulse pressure parameters around middle age, and diastolic pressure parameters in older patients, suggest the existence of potentially therapeutic targets to prevent accelerated brain aging.

Central Versus Peripheral Invasive Arterial Blood Pressure Monitoring in Liver Transplant Surgery.

Introduction Invasive blood pressure monitoring is essential in liver transplant surgery due to expected major hemodynamic shifts. The use of central versus peripheral arterial access, however, is institution-dependent, which can affect clinical decisions regarding vasopressor therapy. Although there are studies that demonstrate inconsistencies based on arterial cannulation sites, few studies have compared femoral and radial artery blood pressures in patients undergoing liver transplant surgery. To our knowledge, there are no studies investigating the differences between continuous minute-to-minute femoral and radial artery measurements during all three phases of liver transplant surgery. Objective The main objective of this study was to evaluate for any differences between central and peripheral blood pressure measurements in liver transplant surgery and to assess for any correlation between vasopressor infusion dose and femoral-arterial pressure differences. Methods In this retrospective study, we reviewed and studied the data of 61 patients with American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) grade 4 who underwent liver transplant surgery at Loma Linda University Medical Center between January and December of 2019. All patients had both femoral and radial arterial lines placed for liver transplant surgery. Femoral and radial arterial blood pressure values were obtained continuously over 60 minutes in the pre-anhepatic phase, 45 minutes during the anhepatic phase, and 60 minutes into the neo-hepatic phase. Vasopressor infusion doses were also recorded for each patient during these time frames. Results This pilot study found statistically significant differences between the mean femoral and radial systolic blood pressure (SBP; p < 0.0001), diastolic blood pressure (DBP; p < 0.0001), and mean arterial pressure (MAP; p < 0.0001) during all phases of liver transplantation. The meanSBP and MAP differences between femoral and radial arteries were highest (femoral blood pressure reading higher than radial blood pressure measurements) in the late anhepatic and early neo-hepatic phases with SBP differences of 20.8 ± 0.8 mmHg and 22.8 ± 0.8 mmHg, respectively, and MAP differences of 10.0 ± 0.4 mmHg and 9.8 ± 0.4 mmHg, respectively. Higher vasopressor infusion doses were strongly associated with greater differences in femoral-radial SBP and MAP measurements (r = 0.69 for vasopressin, 0.68 for norepinephrine, and 0.68 for epinephrine; p < 0.0001) during the anhepatic phase. Conclusions Peripheral invasive blood pressure monitoring may result in underestimation of the central blood pressure, as was seen in all phases of liver transplantation. This may lead to excessive vasopressor use with potentially adverse effects. Although the cause for the difference between femoral and radial artery measurements is unclear, increasing vasopressor infusion dosages appears to contribute. Femoral artery blood pressure monitoring allows clinicians to interpret hemodynamic status and administer appropriate vasopressors more accurately.

Central arterial and peripheral arterial blood pressure in patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing versus not undergoing hemodialysis.

OBJECTIVE: We assessed the consistency of noninvasive and invasive measurements of central arterial pressure (CAP) and the difference between peripheral brachial artery pressure and CAP in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) undergoing versus not undergoing hemodialysis. METHODS: This single-center cross-sectional study was performed from May to December 2018. The patients were divided into a control group (n = 50), CKD group (stages 3-5, n = 50), and dialysis group (n = 20), and all underwent measurement of peripheral humeral arterial pressure and noninvasive and invasive measurement of CAP. Group differences and correlations between CAP and peripheral arterial pressure were assessed. RESULTS: The consistency between noninvasive and invasive CAP was better in the control and CKD groups than in the dialysis group. In the dialysis group, the noninvasive equipment underestimated the actual CAP. The CAP was close to the peripheral brachial artery pressure in the dialysis group, while the CAP was significantly lower than the peripheral brachial artery pressure in the control and CKD groups. CONCLUSION: Noninvasive equipment underestimates the actual CAP in patients undergoing dialysis and should be used with caution. The difference between the peripheral arterial pressure and CAP was smaller in patients undergoing dialysis than in patients with CKD and controls.

[The effect of changing of conventional antihypertensive therapy to a triple fixed combination therapy with rosuvastatin in high cardiovascular risk patients].

BACKGROUND: The low efficiency of recommended therapy for reducing cardiovascular risk (CV) in patients with arterial hypertension even with an effective blood pressure decrease is often due to the persistence of high blood cholesterol and arterial stiffness. Among the effective ways to achieve the goal of therapy is considered the changing to a single-pill combinations (SPCs) of two antihypertensive drugs and statin. AIM: To assess influence of fixed combination consisted of amlodipine, lisinopril and rosuvastatin to the dynamic of lipid spectrum, blood pressure level and elastic properties of arteries in patients with arterial hypertension and high risk of cardio-vascular complications being transferred from their preceding antihypertensive therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 113 patients with atherosclerosis of brachiocephalic arteries (BCA) receiving antihypertensive and partially taking statins therapy were assessed cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), peripheral and central blood pressure, carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) initially and after 12 months of taking amlodipine + lisinopril + rosuvastatin (A+L+R) SPCs. RESULTS: The administration of A+L+R SPCs for 12 months was associated with an increasing of number of patients with the achieved target blood pressure.

Needle-guided ultrasound technique for axillary artery catheter placement in critically ill patients: A case series and technique description.

PURPOSE: Axillary arterial cannulation for blood pressure monitoring has been reported in adults since 1973. Reported failure rates using palpation landmarks are high. This report describes a needle-guided ultrasound technique for axillary arterial line placement in critically ill patients. METHODS: A retrospective review of all patients requiring axillary arterial cannulation attempts with ultrasound-assisted needle guidance for hemodynamic monitoring was performed from July 2010 to June 2016 at a single institution. RESULTS: One hundred fifty nine (159) cannulation attempts were performed in 155 patients. The overall success rate was 97%, with a first pass success rate of 84%. Inexperienced operators performed 49% of procedures under direct faculty supervision, and had a 99% success rate, which was not different from experienced operators. Almost 20% of patients had moderate-to-severe coagulopathy (platelets<50k/uL, INR>2.0 or PTT>60s). Complications reported included the following: nonfunctioning of catheter (6%) and hematoma (6%). Ischemia was noted in 2 patients (1%), but only one was attributed to the arterial catheter. CONCLUSIONS: Use of the needle-guided ultrasound assisted approach for axillary arterial line placement is easily teachable and can be used to promote safe and successful placement of axillary arterial lines for novice learners.

Twenty-Four-Hour Ambulatory Pulse Wave Analysis in Hypertension Management: Current Evidence and Perspectives.

The predictive value of vascular biomarkers such as pulse wave velocity (PWV), central arterial pressure (CAP), and augmentation index (AIx), obtained through pulse wave analysis (PWA) in resting conditions, has been documented in a variety of patient groups and populations. This allowed to make appropriate recommendations in clinical practice guidelines of several scientific societies. Due to advances in technologies, largely operator-independent methods are currently available for estimating vascular biomarkers also in ambulatory conditions, over the 24 h. According to the acceptable accuracy and reproducibility of 24-h ambulatory PWA, it appears to be a promising tool for evaluating vascular biomarkers in daily life conditions. This approach may provide an opportunity to further improve the early cardiovascular screening in subjects at risk. However, concerning the clinical use of PWA over the 24 h in ambulatory conditions at the moment, there is no sufficient evidence to support its routine clinical use. In particular, long-term outcome studies are needed to show the predictive value of 24-h PWV, CAP, and AIx values, provided by these devices, over and beyond peripheral blood pressure, and to answer the many technical and clinical questions still open. To this regard, the VASOTENS Registry, an international observational prospective study recently started, will help providing answers on a large sample of hypertensive patients recruited worldwide.

American Society of Hypertension position paper: central blood pressure waveforms in health and disease.

A number of devices are available which noninvasively estimate central aortic blood pressure using a variety of approaches such as tonometry or oscillometry. In this position paper, we discuss how the central pressure waveform is generated and measured, how central pressure waveforms appear in health and disease, the predictive value of central blood pressure measurements, the effects of interventions on waveforms, and areas of future need in this field of clinical and research endeavor.