Quality of life in patients with stable coronary artery disease submitted to percutaneous, surgical, and medical therapies: a cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Clinical, surgical, and percutaneous strategies similarly prevent major cardiovascular events in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD). The possibility that these strategies have differential effects on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) has been debated, particularly in patients treated outside clinical trials. METHODS: We assigned 454 patients diagnosed with CAD during an elective diagnostic coronary angiography to coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), or optimal medical treatment (OMT), and followed them for an average of 5.2 ± 1.5 years. HRQoL was assessed using a validated Brazilian version of the 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey questionnaire. The association between therapeutic strategies and quality of life scores was tested using variance analysis and adjusted for confounders in a general linear model. RESULTS: There were no differences in the mental component summary scores in the follow-up evaluation by therapeutic strategies: 51.4, 53.7, and 52.3 for OMT, PCI, and CABG, respectively. Physical component summary scores were higher in the PCI group than the CABG and OMT groups (46.4 vs. 42.9 and 43.8, respectively); however, these differences were no longer different after adjustment for confounding variables. CONCLUSION: In a long-term follow-up of patients with stable CAD, HRQoL did not differ in patients treated by medical, percutaneous, or surgical treatments.

Influence of sleep apnea severity on blood pressure variability of patients with hypertension.

PURPOSE: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a risk factor for the development of hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Apnea overloads the autonomic cardiovascular control system and may influence blood pressure variability, a risk for vascular damage independent of blood pressure levels. This study investigates the hypothesis that blood pressure variability is associated with OSA. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study, 107 patients with hypertension underwent 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and level III polysomnography to detect sleep apnea. Pressure variability was assessed by the first derivative of blood pressure over time, the time rate index, and by the standard deviation of blood pressure measurements. The association between the apnea-hypopnea index and blood pressure variability was tested by univariate and multivariate methods. RESULTS: The 57 patients with apnea were older, had higher blood pressure, and had longer duration of hypertension than the 50 patients without apnea. Patients with apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) ≥ 10 had higher blood pressure variability assessed by the standard deviation than patients with AHI < 10 during sleep (10.4 ± 0.7 versus 8.0 ± 0.7, P = 0.02) after adjustment for age, body mass, and blood pressure. Blood pressure variability assessed by the time rate index presented a trend for association during sleep (P = 0.07). Daytime blood pressure variability was not associated with the severity of sleep apnea. CONCLUSION: Sleep apnea increases nighttime blood pressure variability in patients with hypertension and may be another pathway linking sleep abnormalities to cardiovascular disease.

Effect of antihypertensive agents on sleep apnea and ambulatory blood pressure in patients with hypertension: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and hypertension are common conditions that may be linked through sympathetic activation and water retention. We hypothesized that diuretics, which reduce the body water content, may be more effective than amlodipine, a blood pressure (BP)-lowering agent implicated with edema, in controlling OSA in patients with hypertension. We also aimed to compare the effects of these treatments on ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). METHODS: In a randomized, double-blind clinical trial, we compared the effects of chlorthalidone/amiloride 25/5 mg with amlodipine 10 mg on OSA measured by portable sleep monitor and BP measured by ABPM. The study included participants older than 40 who had moderate OSA (10-40 apneas/hour of sleep) and BP within the systolic range of 140-159 mmHg or diastolic range of 90-99 mmHg. RESULTS: The individuals in the experimental groups were comparable in age, gender, and other relevant characteristics. Neither the combination of diuretics nor amlodipine alone reduced the AHI after 8 weeks of treatment (AHI 26.3 with diuretics and 25.0 with amlodipine. P = 0.713). Both treatments significantly lowered office, 24-h, and nighttime ABP, but the two groups had no significant difference. CONCLUSION: Chlorthalidone associated with amiloride and amlodipine are ineffective in decreasing the frequency of sleep apnea episodes in patients with moderate OSA and hypertension. Both treatments have comparable effects in lowering both office and ambulatory blood pressure. The notion that treatments could offer benefits for both OSA and hypertension remains to be demonstrated. TRIAL REGISTRATION CLINICALTRIALS. GOV IDENTIFIER: NCT01896661.

Effects of FTO RS9939906 and MC4R RS17782313 on obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus and blood pressure in patients with hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Genetic variants of the FTO gene rs9939609 A/T and the MC4R gene rs17782313 C/T have been associated with obesity. Individuals with mutations in MC4R gene have lower blood pressure (BP), independently of obesity. This study aimed to investigate the association of FTO rs9939609 and MC4R rs17782313 with anthropometric indexes, BP, and type 2 diabetes mellitus among hypertensive patients. METHODS: We genotyped 217 individuals (86 men and 131 women) with hypertension (systolic or diastolic BP ≥ 140/90 mmHg or using antihypertensive drugs). Diabetes mellitus was diagnosed according to the American Diabetes Association criteria. Waist and neck circumferences (cm), Body Adiposity Index (BAI,%), Lipid Accumulation Product Index (LAP, cm.mmol.l) and body mass index (BMI, kg/m²) were analyzed using analysis of covariance or modified Poisson's regression. RESULTS: Rare allele frequencies were 0.40 for A for FTO rs9939609 and 0.18 for C for MC4R rs17782313. A positive association of FTO rs9939609 and MC4R rs17782313 with BMI was observed in the overall sample. Among men and women, neck circumference was associated with the FTO genotype and, for women, MC4R genotype. In contrast, in men we found a negative association of MC4R rs17782313 with diastolic BP (TT 90.1 ±12.2, TC/CC 83.2 ±12.1; P = 0.03) and borderline association for systolic BP after controlling for age and BMI. CONCLUSIONS: Common genetic variants of FTO rs9939609 have positive associations with BMI and neck circumference and MC4R rs17782313 in women, but a negative association with diastolic and mean blood pressure in men with hypertension.

Assessment of primary health care received by the elderly and health related quality of life: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Population aging leads to increased burden of chronic diseases and demand in public health. This study aimed to assess whether the score of Primary Health Care (PHC) is associated with a) the model of care - Family Health Strategy (FHS) vs. traditional care model (the Basic Health Units; BHU); b) morbid conditions such as - hypertension, diabetes mellitus, mental disorders, chronic pain, obesity and central obesity; c) quality of life in elderly individuals who received care in those units. METHODS: A survey was conducted among the elderly between August 2010 and August 2011, in Ilheus, Bahia. We interviewed elderly patients - 60 years or older - who consulted at BHU or FHS units in that day or participated in a group activity, and those who were visited at home by the staff of PHC, selected through a random sample. Demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, services' attainment of primary care attributes, health problems and quality of life were investigated. The Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) was used to assess quality of life and PCATool to generate PHC scores. In addition, weight, height and waist circumference were measured. Trained research assistants, under supervision performed the data collection. RESULTS: A total of 511 elderly individuals were identified, two declined to participate, resulting in 509 individuals interviewed. The health care provided by the FHS has higher attainment of PHC attributes, in comparison to the BHU, resulting in lower prevalence of score below six. Except for hypertension and cardiovascular disease, other chronic problems were not independently associated with low scores in PHC. It was observed an independent and positive association between PHC score and the mental component of quality of life and an inverse association with the physical component. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed higher PHC attributes attainment in units with FHS, regardless of the health problem. The degree of orientation to PHC increased the mental component score of quality of life.

Association of blood pressure and hypertension with alcohol consumption in HIV-infected white and nonwhite patients.

INTRODUCTION: Although alcohol abuse is associated with hypertension in whites and nonwhites, it has been scarcely investigated in HIV-infected patients. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether the association of alcohol abuse with hypertension is influenced by skin color in HIV-infected individuals. METHODS: Cross-sectional study in HIV-infected individuals aged 18 years or older. Demographic characteristics, lifestyle, and HIV infection were investigated. Alcohol abuse was defined as ≥ 15 (women) and ≥ 30 g/alcohol/day (men), and binge drinking by the intake of ≥ 5 drinks on a single occasion. Hypertension was defined by blood pressure ≥ 140/90 mmHg or use of blood pressure-lowering agents. RESULTS: We studied 1,240 individuals, with 39.1 ± 10 years, 51% males and 57% whites. Age and body mass index were associated with blood pressure, and there was an independent association of alcohol abuse with hypertension in whites (RR = 1.9, 95% CI 1.1-3.3) and nonwhites (RR = 2.4, 95% CI 1.4 to 4.0). Among nonwhite individuals who were alcohol abusers, systolic (9.3 ± 3.2; P = 0.001) and diastolic blood pressures (6.4 ± 2.1; P = 0.008) were higher than in nonabusers. CONCLUSION: Alcohol abuse is a risk factor for hypertension in white and nonwhite HIV-infected individuals. The association of ethanol consumption with blood pressure is not explained by AIDS-related conditions.

Secondary Pharmacological Prevention of Coronary Artery Disease among Patients Submitted to Clinical Management, Percutaneous Coronary Intervention, or Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery. / Prevenção Farmacológica Secundária da Doença Arterial Coronariana em Pacientes Submetidos ao Manejo Clínico, Intervenção Coronária Percutânea ou Cirurgia de Revascularização Miocárdica.

BACKGROUND: Secondary prevention is recommended for patients with evidence of coronary artery disease (CAD) regardless of the indication for treatment by coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated whether clinical treatment, PCI or CABG had an influence on adherence to the pharmacological secondary prevention in patients with stable CAD. METHODS: This cohort included patients aged ≥40 years with stable CAD confirmed by coronary angiography. The decision for medical treatment alone, or additionally with PCI or CABG, was made by the attending physicians. Adherence to the prescribed drugs recommended by the guidelines for secondary prevention (optimal pharmacological treatment), including antiplatelet agents, lipid-lowering drugs, beta-blockers, and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system blockers, was assessed at follow-up. Differences were considered significant for p values <0.05. RESULTS: From 928 patients enrolled at baseline, 415 had mild CAD and 66 moderate to severe CAD. The average follow-up was 5.2 ± 1.5 years. Patients submitted to CABG were more likely to receive the optimal pharmacological treatment than those submitted to PCI or treated clinically (63.5% versus 39.1% versus 45.7% respectively, p=0.003). Baseline factors independently associated with greater probability of having a prescription of optimal treatment at follow-up were CABG [39% higher (6% - 83%, p=0.017) and diabetes [25% higher (1% - 56%), p=0.042] than their counterparts treated by other methods and participants without diabetes, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with CAD submitted to CABG are more commonly treated with optimal pharmacological secondary prevention than patients treated by PCI or exclusively with medical therapy.

FUNDAMENTO: A prevenção secundária é recomendada a pacientes com evidência de doença arterial coronariana (DAC) independentemente da indicação de tratamento por cirurgia de bypass da artéria coronária (CABG) ou intervenção coronária percutânea (ICP). OBJETIVOS: Este estudo avaliou se o tratamento clínico, a ICP ou o CABG teve influência na adesão à prevenção secundária farmacológica em pacientes com DAC estável. MÉTODOS: Esta coorte incluiu pacientes com idade ≥40 anos com DAC estável confirmada por angiografia coronária estável. A decisão por tratamento clínico isolado, ou combinado com ICP ou CABG foi feita por médicos assistentes. A adesão às drogas prescritas recomendadas pelas diretrizes de prevenção secundária (tratamento farmacológico ótimo), incluindo agentes antiplaquetários, drogas hipolipemianetes, betabloqueadores, e bloqueadores do sistema angiotensina aldosterona, foi avaliada no acompanhamento. Diferenças com valores de p < 0,05 foram consideradas estatisticamente significativas. RESULTADOS: Dos 928 pacientes incluídos inicialmente, 415 apresentaram DAC leve e 66 apresentaram DAC leve a moderada. O período médio de seguimento foi 5,2 ± 1,5 anos. Os pacientes submetidos ao CABG apresentaram maior probabilidade de receberem tratamento farmacológico ótimo que aqueles submetidos à ICP ou tratamento clínico (63,5% versus 39,1% versus 45,7% respectivamente, p=0,003). Fatores basais independentemente associados com maior probabilidade de prescrição de tratamento ótimo foram CABG [39% maior (6% - 83%, p=0,017)] em comparação a outros tratamentos e diabetes [25% maior (1% - 56%), p=0,042] em comparação à ausência de diabetes. CONCLUSÕES: Pacientes com DAC submetidos ao CABG são mais frequentemente tratados com prevenção secundária farmacológica ótima que pacientes tratados com ICP ou exclusivamente com tratamento clínico.

Effects of chlorthalidone plus amiloride compared with amlodipine on short-term blood pressure variability in individuals with hypertension and obstructive sleep apnea: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of chlortalidone plus amiloride and amlodipine on blood pressure (BP) variability in patients with hypertension and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA). METHODS: A randomized, controlled, double-blind trial enrolled men and women aged 40 years or older with a diagnosis of OSA (apnea-hypopnea index 10-40 apneas/h of sleep) confirmed by overnight laboratory polysomnography and systolic BP 140-159 mmHg or diastolic BP 90-99 mmHg. Participants were randomized to receive chlortalidone 25 mg plus amiloride 5 mg daily or amlodipine 10 mg daily for 8 weeks. BP variability was calculated from 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring at baseline and follow-up using the following indices: SD, coefficient of variation, average real variability (ARV), time-rate index, and variability independent of the mean (VIM). RESULTS: The study included 65 patients, with 33 assigned to the chlortalidone plus amiloride group and 32 to the amlodipine group. Participants in both groups had similar baseline characteristics. Short-term BP variability decreased within groups for SD and ARV indexes for 24-hour systolic BP and daytime systolic BP, but statistically significant time*group interactions were found for sleep systolic SD and VIM, with greater reduction in patients treated with amlodipine. CONCLUSION: In brief, our study has shown that the use of chlorthalidone in combination with amiloride and amlodipine produces comparable effects on short-term BP variability in patients with hypertension and OSA. Therefore, our findings suggest that BP variability may not be a significant factor when choosing between these medications for the treatment of hypertension and OSA.

Comparison of Incidence and Prognosis of Myocardial Injury in Patients with COVID-19-Related Respiratory Failure and Other Pulmonary Infections: A Contemporary Cohort Study.

Myocardial injury (MI) is frequent in critically ill patients with COVID-19, but its pathogenesis remains unclear. We hypothesized that MI is not solely due to viral infection by SARS-CoV-2 but rather due to the common pathophysiological mechanisms associated with severe pulmonary infections and respiratory failure. This contemporary cohort study was designed to compare the incidence of MI in patients with acute respiratory failure caused by COVID-19 to patients with other pulmonary infections. In addition, we aimed to investigate whether MI was a distinct risk factor for in-hospital mortality in patients with COVID-19 compared to those with non-COVID-19 infections. This study included 1444 patients with COVID-19 (55.5% men; age 58 (46;68) years) and 182 patients with other pulmonary infections (46.9% men; age 62 (44;73) years). The incidence of MI at ICU admission was lower in COVID-19 patients (36.4%) compared to non-COVID-19 patients (56%), and this difference persisted after adjusting for age, sex, coronary artery disease, heart failure, SOFA score, lactate, and C-reactive protein (RR 0.84 (95% CI, 0.71-0.99)). MI at ICU admission was associated with a 59% increase in mortality (RR 1.59 (1.36-1.86); p < 0.001), and there was no significant difference in the mortality between patients with COVID-19 and those with other pulmonary infections (p = 0.271). We concluded that MI is less frequent in patients with critical COVID-19 pneumonia and respiratory failure compared to those with other types of pneumonia. The occurrence of MI is a significant risk factor for in-hospital mortality, regardless of the etiology of the pulmonary infection.

Effects of Antihypertensive Treatment on Left and Right Ventricular Global Longitudinal Strain and Diastolic Parameters in Patients with Hypertension and Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Randomized Clinical Trial of Chlorthalidone plus Amiloride vs. Amlodipine.

Hypertension is highly prevalent in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and fluid retention with its nighttime rostral distribution is one potential mechanism. We tested whether or not diuretics differ from amlodipine in their impact on echocardiographic parameters. Patients with moderate OSA and hypertension were randomized to receive diuretics (chlorthalidone plus amiloride) or amlodipine daily for 8 weeks. We compared their effects on left and right ventricular global longitudinal strain (LV-GLS and RV-GLS, respectively), on LV diastolic parameters, and on LV remodeling. In the 55 participants who had echocardiographic images feasible for strain analysis, all echocardiographic parameters were within normal ranges. After 8 weeks, the 24 h blood pressure (BP) reduction values were similar, while most echocardiographic metrics were kept unchanged, except for LV-GLS and LV mass. In conclusion, the use of diuretics or amlodipine had small and similar effects on echocardiographic parameters in patients with moderate OSA and hypertension, suggesting that they do not have important effects on mediating the interaction between OSA and hypertension.

Thiazide diuretics alone or combined with potassium-sparing diuretics to treat hypertension: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: The magnitude of blood pressure (BP)-lowering effects and decrease of the adverse effects of thiazide diuretics provided by potassium-sparing diuretics remain uncertain. The aim of this study was to compare the BP-lowering efficacy and the incidence of adverse effects of high (T+) and low-dose (T-) thiazide diuretics, alone or combined with high (PS+) or low-dose (PS-) potassium-sparing diuretics in patients with primary hypertension. METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed in PubMed/MEDLINE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus and LILACS. Randomized double-blind placebo or active-controlled trials (RCT) with 3 weeks to 1 year of follow-up were included. Sample size, mean and standard deviation from baseline, follow-up and change from baseline values were extracted by two independent reviewers. Pairwise random effect models and Bayesian network meta-analysis models were used to compare the effects of treatments. The risk of bias in individual studies was assessed using the Rob 1.0 tool. The primary outcome was the mean difference in office SBP. Secondary outcomes were the mean difference in biochemical parameters and the incidence of nonmelanoma skin cancer. RESULTS: Two hundred and seventy-six double-blind RCTs involving 58 807 participants (mean age: 55 years; 45% women) were included. All treatment groups were more effective than placebo in lowering BP, with mean differences (MDs) of change from baseline ranging from -7.66 mmHg [95% credible interval (95% CrI), -8.53 to -6.79] for T- to -12.77 mmHg (95% CrI, -15.22 to -10.31) for T+PS-. T+ alone or combined with potassium-sparing was more effective in reducing BP than T-. The surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) estimated ranking showed that the best effectiveness in lowering SBP was found for T+PS- (0.69), T+PS+ (0.65) and T+ (0.54). Compared with placebo, all treatments (except T-PS-) were associated with more potassium reduction and T+ compared with all other treatments and T- when compared with T-PS-. Compared with placebo, all active treatments (except T+PS+) showed higher elevations of uric acid. The increase of plasma glucose promoted by thiazides alone was reduced by potassium-sparing agents. CONCLUSION: Thiazides with potassium-sparing diuretics are associated with increased BP-lowering efficacy compared with thiazides alone while minimizing hypokalaemia and hyperglycaemia. These findings demonstrate that thiazide and potassium-sparing diuretic combination is preferable to thiazide alone in treating hypertension.

Fruits and vegetables intake and characteristics associated among adolescents from Southern Brazil.

BACKGROUND: Increased body weight has been associated with an unhealthy diet, low consumption of fruits and vegetables. Our objective was to investigate whether adolescents had low intake of fruits and vegetables, and whether gender, age and education could affect the feeding patterns. METHODS: A population-based sample of adolescents, aged 12-19 years, were randomly selected in southern Brazil and included in this cross-sectional study. The total daily consumption of fruits, vegetables, rice and beans were investigated in standardized household interviews, using a food frequency questionnaire and questions, being categorized as five or more servings per day as the five-a-day diet. ANOVA, ANCOVA, and modified Poisson regression were used in the analysis. RESULTS: Adolescents (n = 568) were included, 49.5% boys, 14.3% had overweight and 8.8% obesity. Approximately 23% of participants consumed five daily servings of fruits and vegetables. It was observed that 36.7% of boys and 31.0% of girls consumed less than one serving of fruit per day, and 58.4% and 44.6%, respectively, consumed less than one serving of vegetables. The consumption of vegetables, fruits, and rice and beans were not independently associated with gender. Overweight was associated with higher intake of five-a-day, independently of confounding factors. CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents from southern Brazil have lower frequency of consumption of five servings a day of fruits and vegetables combined.

The association between socioeconomic characteristics and consumption of food items among Brazilian industry workers.

BACKGROUND: Dietary pattern plays a causative role in the rising of noncommunicable diseases. The SESI (Serviço Social da Indústria) study was designed to evaluate risk factors for noncommunicable diseases. We aimed to describe food items consumed by Brazilian workers and to assess their association with socioeconomic status. METHODS: Cross-sectional study was carried out among Brazilian industrial workers, selected by multistage sampling, from 157 companies. Interviews were conducted at the work place using standardized forms. RESULTS: 4818 workers were interviewed, aged 35.4 ± 10.7 years, 76.5% were men. The workers had an average of 8.7 ± 4.1 years of schooling and 25.4 ± 4.1 kg/m² of BMI. Men and individuals with less than high school education were less likely to consume dairy products, fruits, and vegetables daily, even after control for confounding factors. Men consumed rice and beans daily more often than women. In comparison to workers aged 50-76 years, those under 30 years old consumed less fruits and green leafy vegetables daily. CONCLUSION: The food items consumed by Brazilian workers show that there are insufficient consumption according to the guidelines of healthy foods, particularly of dairy products, vegetables, and fruits.

Thiazide diuretics alone or in combination with a potassium-sparing diuretic on blood pressure-lowering in patients with primary hypertension: protocol for a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The use of thiazide (T) diuretics for the treatment of hypertension may be associated with adverse metabolic effects, which can be minimized by combining thiazides with potassium-sparing (PS) diuretics. The additional blood pressure (BP)-lowering effect provided by the addition of a PS diuretic is unclear. Due to a large number of drugs in the T diuretics class, and the possible difference between them, there is a need to identify the best available evidence for health decision-making. This systematic review with network meta-analysis aims to compare the antihypertensive efficacy of T diuretics alone or in combination with a PS diuretic in patients with primary hypertension, as well as the safety of such drugs through the measurement of drug-related adverse events. METHODS: A comprehensive electronic search will be conducted in six electronic bibliographic databases (PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, Lilacs), a registration database ( ClinicalTrials.gov ), and Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC [ProQuest]), published from inception to the date of the search. The search will be updated towards the end of the review. A hand search of the reference sections of the included studies and cited studies will also be performed. In case of missing data, authors will be contacted by e-mail or academic social networking sites whenever possible. To be included in the review, studies must be double-blind randomized controlled trials evaluating T diuretics alone or in combination with PS diuretics in patients with primary hypertension. The primary outcome measure will be office BP. Ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM), non-melanoma skin cancer, major adverse cardiovascular events, laboratory parameters, and the number of withdrawals will be included as secondary outcomes. The results will be quantitatively summarized using differences between the mean change from baseline or differences between means for quantitative outcomes and relative risk for dichotomous outcomes. Results will be presented as mean or relative risk with credible intervals through a league table. The treatments will also be ranked using the surface under the cumulative ranking curve method. The risk of bias will be assessed through the RoB 1.0 tool. DISCUSSION: To the best of our knowledge, this review will be the first to synthesize currently available evidence on the antihypertensive efficacy of different T diuretics alone or in combination with PS diuretics in adults with hypertension. The goals of hypertension treatment are to control high BP and to reduce associated cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, using the most appropriate therapy. Thiazides are widely used for pharmacological treatment due to their demonstrated effectiveness in reducing BP, favorable safety profile, and low cost. The results of this study will provide evidence regarding the best therapeutic strategies with T and PS diuretics, evidencing interventions with better antihypertensive efficacy and safety profile. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This systematic review and network meta-analysis was prospectively registered at the PROSPERO database ( CRD42018118492 ).

The performance of SYNTAX score versus the coronary angiogram standard evaluation in the prediction of cardiovascular events in a cohort of patients with stable coronary heart disease.

Background: Scores for prediction of cardiovascular events in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) submitted to coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or medical-therapy (MT), such as the SYNTAX score (SXscore), have been proposed, but there is no comparative assessment of their performance with the coronary angiogram standard evaluation (CASE). This study aimed to evaluate the performance of the SXscore versus the CASE in the prediction of major cardiovascular outcomes (MACCE) in patients with chronic CAD who were treated with MT or additionally submitted to CABG or PCI. Methods: Prospective cohort study of 454 patients with CAD referred for elective diagnostic coronary angiography in Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Brazil, with 40 years of age or over, which were followed on average for 6±2.0 years. Patients with acute coronary syndromes, valvular heart disease, aortic diseases, previous coronary revascularization, heart failure, chronic renal disease, history of cancer, or severe psychiatric illness were excluded. Agreement between the scores was evaluated by Kappa statistics. The performance of the scores to predict MACCE was evaluated by Cox proportional hazard models. Areas under the ROC curves were compared by the DeLong test. Results: Patients with moderate to high SXscores or with left main or multivessel CAD (LMMCAD) in the CASE evaluation had higher rates of all-cause death and MACCE than those with low SXscore or without LMMCAD. After adjusting for confounding, only LMMCAD remained associated with the incidence of all-cause death in the total sample (HR =2.81;95% CI: 1.17-6.74) and for MACCE in patients undergoing MT (HR =8.72; 95% CI: 1.73-44.10). The ROC curves for all treatments were similar. Kappa statistics was not significant in patients submitted to MT, poor for patients treated by PCI and fair for the whole sample and patients treated with CABG. Conclusions: The severity of CAD defined by CASE or the SXscore provides similar prediction of the occurrence of cardiovascular events in patients submitted to clinical, PCI or CABG therapies. CASE is easier to do and may be the preferential method in the stratification of risk of patients with stable CAD.

Erectile dysfunction and coronary artery disease: an association of higher risk in younger men.

INTRODUCTION: The association between erectile dysfunction (ED) and coronary artery disease (CAD) has been described in various settings, but it is unclear if there is an independent interaction with age. AIM: To investigate the interaction of age in the association between ED and CAD. METHODS: This case-control study was conducted among 242 patients referred for elective coronary angiography. One hundred fourteen patients with significant CAD were identified as cases and 128 controls without significant CAD. ED was evaluated by the erectile function domain of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) questionnaire, determined by a score ≤ 25 points. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Significant CAD was based on stenosis of 50% or greater in the diameter in at least one of the major epicardial vessels or their branches. The analysis was conducted in the whole sample and according to the age strata, controlling for the effects of cardiovascular risk factors, testosterone, and C-reactive protein. Results. Patients had on average 58.3 ± 8.9 years. CAD and ED were associated exclusively in patients younger than 60 years (ED in 68.8% of patients with CAD vs. 46.7% of patients without CAD, P = 0.009). The association was independent of cardiovascular risk factors, testosterone and C-reactive protein (risk ratio 2.3, 95% confidence interval from 1.04 to 5.19). Severity of CAD was higher in patients younger than 60 years with ED. CONCLUSIONS: Men with less than 60 years of age who report ED presented a higher risk of having chronic CAD and more severe disease diagnosed by coronary angiography.

Development, Validation, and Reproducibility of Food Group-Based Frequency Questionnaires for Clinical Use in Brazil: A Pre-Hypertension and Hypertension Diet Assessment.

The Blood pressure control diet is well described; however, it has not been implemented in clinical care, possibly due to the impracticability of the diet assessment in these contexts. In order to facilitate the dietary assessment, we developed and assessed the validity and reproducibility of two food group-based food frequency questionnaires (FG-FFQs), with a one-week (7-day FG-FFQ) and a one-month (30-day FG-FFQ) period of coverage for patients with pre-hypertension or hypertension. In 2010, 155 men and women, 30-70 years old, were invited to participate in a prospective study in two outpatient clinics in Porto Alegre, southern Brazil. The participants responded to two 30-day, two 7-day FG-FFQ, four 24-h dietary recalls, and underwent demographic, anthropometric, and blood pressure assessments. The validity and reproducibility were assessed using partial correlation coefficients adjusted for sex and age, and the internal validity was tested using the intra-class correlation coefficient. The participants were aged 61 (±10) years and 60% were women. The validity correlation coefficient was higher than r = 0.80 in the 30-day FG-FFQ for whole bread (r = 0.81) and the 7-day FG-FFQ for diet/light/zero soda and industrialized juices (r = 0.84) in comparison to the 24-h dietary recalls. The global internal validity was α = 0.59, but it increased to α = 0.76 when 19 redundant food groups were excluded. The reproducibility was higher than r = 0.80 for pasta, potatoes and manioc, bakery goods, sugar and cocoa, and beans for both versions. The 30-day had a slightly higher validity, both had good internal validity, and the 7-day FG-FFQ had a higher reproducibility.

The effect of continuous positive airway pressure on blood pressure in patients with obstructive sleep apnea and uncontrolled hypertension - Study design and challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the MORPHEOS (Morbidity in patients with uncontrolled HTN and OSA) trial, and describe the challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: MORPHEOS is a multicenter (n=6) randomized controlled trial designed to evaluate the blood pressure (BP) lowering effects of treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or placebo (nasal strips) for 6 months in adult patients with uncontrolled hypertension (HTN) and moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Patients using at least one antihypertensive medication were included. Uncontrolled HTN was confirmed by at least one abnormal parameter in the 24-hour ABPM and ≥80% medication adherence evaluated by pill counting after the run-in period. OSA was defined by an apnea-hypopnea index ≥15 events/hours. The co-primary endpoints are brachial BP (office and ambulatory BP monitoring, ABPM) and central BP. Secondary outcomes include hypertension-mediated organ damage (HMOD) to heart, aorta, eye, and kidney. We pre-specified several sub-studies from this investigation. Visits occur once a week in the first month and once a month thereafter. The programmed sample size was 176 patients but the pandemic prevented this final target. A post-hoc power analysis will be calculated from the final sample. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02270658. RESULTS: The first 100 patients are predominantly males (n=69), age: 52±10 years, body mass index: 32.7±3.9 kg/m2 with frequent co-morbidities. CONCLUSIONS: The MORPHEOS trial has a unique study design including a run-in period; pill counting, and detailed analysis of hypertension-mediated organ damage in patients with uncontrolled HTN that will allow clarification of the impact of OSA treatment with CPAP.

Effectiveness of chlorthalidone/amiloride versus losartan in patients with stage I hypertension and diabetes mellitus: results from the PREVER-treatment randomized controlled trial.

AIMS: To compare the blood pressure (BP)-lowering efficacy of a chlorthalidone/amiloride combination pill with losartan, during initial management of JNC 7 Stage I hypertension in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. METHODS: In an a priori subgroup analysis of a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial, volunteers aged 30-70 years, with stage I hypertension and diabetes mellitus, were randomized to 12.5/2.5 mg of chlorthalidone/amiloride (N = 47) or 50 mg of losartan (N = 50), and followed for 18 months in 21 clinical centers. If BP remained uncontrolled after three months, study medication dose was doubled, and if uncontrolled after six months, amlodipine (5 and 10 mg) and propranolol (40 and 80 mg BID) were added as open label drugs in a progressive fashion. RESULTS: Systolic BP decreased to a greater extent in participants allocated to diuretics compared to losartan (P < 0.001). After 18 months of follow-up, systolic BP was 128.4 ± 10.3 mmHg in the diuretic group versus 133.5 ± 8.0 in the losartan group (P < 0.01). In the diuretic group, 36 out of 43 participants (83.7%) had a JNC 7 normal BP, compared to 31/47 (66%) in the losartan group (P = 0.089). Serum cholesterol was higher in the diuretic arm at the end of the trial. Other biochemical parameters and reports of adverse events did not differ by treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment of hypertension based on a combination of chlorthalidone and amiloride is more effective for BP lowering compared to losartan in patients with diabetes mellitus and hypertension. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical trials registration number: NCT00971165.

Association between different measurements of blood pressure variability by ABP monitoring and ankle-brachial index.

BACKGROUND: Blood pressure (BP) variability has been associated with cardiovascular outcomes, but there is no consensus about the more effective method to measure it by ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). We evaluated the association between three different methods to estimate BP variability by ABPM and the ankle brachial index (ABI). METHODS AND RESULTS: In a cross-sectional study of patients with hypertension, BP variability was estimated by the time rate index (the first derivative of SBP over time), standard deviation (SD) of 24-hour SBP; and coefficient of variability of 24-hour SBP. ABI was measured with a doppler probe. The sample included 425 patients with a mean age of 57 ± 12 years, being 69.2% women, 26.1% current smokers and 22.1% diabetics. Abnormal ABI (≤ 0.90 or ≥ 1.40) was present in 58 patients. The time rate index was 0.516 ± 0.146 mmHg/min in patients with abnormal ABI versus 0.476 ± 0.124 mmHg/min in patients with normal ABI (P = 0.007). In a logistic regression model the time rate index was associated with ABI, regardless of age (OR = 6.9, 95% CI = 1.1- 42.1; P = 0.04). In a multiple linear regression model, adjusting for age, SBP and diabetes, the time rate index was strongly associated with ABI (P < 0.01). None of the other indexes of BP variability were associated with ABI in univariate and multivariate analyses. CONCLUSION: Time rate index is a sensible method to measure BP variability by ABPM. Its performance for risk stratification of patients with hypertension should be explored in longitudinal studies.