The impact of ankle brachial index and pulse wave velocity on cardiovascular risk according to SCORE and Framingham scales and sex differences.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the usefulness of ankle brachial index (ABI) and pulse wave velocity (PWV) in patients with or without coronary artery disease (CAD) and hypertension (HT) in cardiovascular risk prediction. We studied 200 patients randomized to one of four groups: CAD+HT+; CAD+HT-; CAD-HT+; CAD-HT- (Department of Hypertensiology, Angiology and Internal Diseases, Poznan, Poland: 2009-2012). We evaluated: patient age, lipids profile, ABI and PWV. The cardiovascular risks according to SCORE and Framingham scales were assessed. Statistical calculations were performed in StatSoft Statistica 10. The most interesting aspects of this study were: logistic regression model evaluated the simultaneously influence of ABI and PWV on cardiovascular risk by the SCORE scale and logistic regression model evaluated the influence of ABI and PWV on cardiovascular risk according to the Framingham scale. They showed the possibility (SCORE) of more accurate estimation of cardiovascular risk in an individual patient and graduation of this risk in the exemplary patients. Analysis of the assessment of both: ABI and PWV in predicting of cardiovascular risk according to SCORE and Framingham scales using a logistic regression model indicates that the Framingham scale is less precise than the SCORE scale because it underestimates the real high cardiovascular risk.

Arterial distensibility, intima media thickness and pulse wave velocity after renal transplantation and in dialysis normotensive patients.

AIM: Structural and mechanical properties of the arterial wall are altered in patients with renal failure. The ageing process of the arterial wall appears to be accelerated in patients with end-stage renal failure. The mechanisms responsible for reduced arterial compliance and distensibility in dialysis patients and renal transplant recipients without hypertension remain to be evaluated. METHODS: Thirty-five normotensive dialysis patients (D), 35 normotensive renal transplant recipients (T) and 35 healthy volunteers (N) matched for age, sex and blood pressure as controls were enrolled into the study. The arterial blood pressure of all patients was < 140/90 mmHg. The dialysis patients and renal transplant recipients were eligible for the study if the serum creatinine level was < 2 mg/dL. In all subjects, fasting concentrations of serum creatinine, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and hemoglobin and glucose were determined at enrollment to the study. Blood pressure was measured using an automatic sphygmomanometer. Pulse wave velocity (PWV) was evaluated using non invasive automatic Complior device. The vessel wall properties of the left common carotid artery were studied using multigate pulsed Doppler system. With this method, the end-diastolic diameter (d) and the systolic increase of vessel diameter (distension DELTAd) were measured. From these data the relative systolic increase of vessel diameter (DELTAd/d) and the arterial wall distensibility coefficient (DC) were calculated. RESULTS: Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and central pulse pressure (CPP) were significantly higher in T than in D and N group, respectively 138 +/- 18 mmHg and 59 +/- 16 mmHg vs 128 +/- 13 mmHg and 49 +/- 12 mmHg and 132.12 mmHg and 51 +/- 10 mmHg. The d did not change significantly between all groups. The distension DELTAd was significantly lower in patients group D and T, respectively 466 +/- 38 microm and 511 +/- 37 microm than in controls. Similarly DELTAd/d was in these groups significantly lower than in healthy volunteers, respectively D 6.33 +/- 0.5%, T 6.9 +/- 0.4% vs N 9.15 +/- 0.5%. DC was also significantly lower in D and T than in N groups, respectively D 17.91 +/- 1.5 10-3/kPa and T 18.92 +/- 1.3 10-3/kPa and N 24.28 +/- 0.51-3/kPa. Significant differences were found in the increase of the intima-media thickness (IMT) of carotid artery for dialyzed patients and renal transplant recipients in contrast to the control group, but there were no differences between the patients. PWV in both patient groups was statistically significant higher than in control group correspondingly D 11.1 +/- 1.03 m/s and T 13.3 +/- 1.13 m/s, N 9.4 +/- 0.89 m/s. There was a significant correlation between the change of DC, PWV and CPP in T group (n = 35; r = -0.43; P < 0.01 and n = 35; r = 0.48; P < 0.05). In the T group also an important correlation between PWV and IMT complex (n = 35; r = 0.49, P < 0.001) was found. CONCLUSIONS: The elastic and structural properties of arterial wall in dialysis patients and renal recipients are decreased. End-stage renal disease accelerates arterial stiffening despite of arteriosclerosis and hypertension. Renal transplantation does not reverse loss of elastic and morphologic properties of arteries found in patients with end-stage renal insufficiency.

Arterial distensibility and pulse wave velocity in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism before and after parathyroidectomy.

AIMS: There is evidence that secondary hyperparathyroidism alters arterial vessel wall properties. However, it is unclear whether effects of parathyroid hormone (PTH) on the vascular wall are direct or permissive and related to hypertension and renal failure. To assess early direct effects of PTH on large artery wall properties isobaric distensibility (DC), pulse wave velocity (PWV) and intima-media thickness (IMT) were studied before and after parathyroidectomy (Ptx) in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT). METHODS: DC and IMT of the brachial and carotid artery were measured by echo-tracking and tonometry, PWV by the automatic Complior-device at baseline and 6 months after Ptx in 20 patients with pHPT (data mean +/- SEM, age 45+/-5 years, PTH 240+/-61 ng/l). Cardiovascular risk factors like diabetes, hypertension, renal insufficiency and hypercholesterolemia were excluded. Twenty healthy volunteers matched for age, sex and blood pressure served as controls. RESULTS: Six months after Ptx, PTH decreased to normal; however, blood pressure levels and vessel wall parameter remained unchanged. At baseline, there were no significant differences in brachial and carotid IMT (0.48+/-0.04 and 0.62+/-0.04 mm vs. 0.47+/-0.06 and 0.61+/-0.06 mm), radial and aortic PWV (9.1+/-0.4 and 9.9+/-0.7 m/s vs. 9.2+/-0.5 and 10.0+/-0.6 m/s), brachial and isobaric carotid DC (10.1+/-1.4 and 19.5+/-3.4 10(-3)/kPa vs. 9.1+/-0.9 and 20.4+/-3.2 10(-3)/kPa) or artery diameter between patients and controls. CONCLUSIONS: Structural and viscoelastic properties of large arteries are not disturbed and not influenced by parathyroidectomy in patients with early pHPT devoid of hypertension and renal disease. We conclude that increased PTH levels per se are not associated with alterations of mechanical arteriall wall properties; permissive factors like renal insufficiency may be necessary to mediate vessel wall alterations in patients with hyperparathyroidism.

Increased membraneous calcium concentrations in primary hypertension: a causal link to pathogenesis?

BACKGROUND: Disturbance in calcium metabolism has been suggested in the pathogenesis of hypertension, however, membrane calcium content in humans has not been studied in detail yet in primary hypertension. We compared plasma, intracellular and membrane calcium concentrations in erythrocytes of patients with essential hypertension and in healthy, normotensive control subjects to determine a possible alteration of membrane calcium in primary hypertension. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Thirty-four never treated patients with essential hypertension were included and 34 healthy, age- and sex-matched volunteers served as controls. Atomic absorption spectroscopy was used for measurement of intracellular and membrane calcium content in erythrocytes and plasmalemmal preparations. RESULTS: Plasma and intracellular Ca(++) concentrations were not significantly different between hypertensives and controls (plasma: 2.59 +/- 0.18 vs2.50 +/- 0.16 mmol/l, intracellular: 1.89 +/- 0.20 mmol/l vs 1.97 +/- 0.24 mmol/l, NS resp., mean +/- s.e.m.). However, membrane calcium content was significantly higher in hypertensive patients compared to control subjects (2.38 +/- 0.28 micromol/g membraneous protein vs0.86 +/- 0.32 micromol/g membrane protein, P < 0.01). Membrane calcium content was correlated to mean arterial blood pressure (r = 0.59, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Membrane calcium content is significantly increased in patients with untreated primary hypertension and correlates to blood pressure levels. This data suggest, that an membrane mechanism may contribute to alterations in calcium metabolism and to the pathogenesis of primary hypertension.

Acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) test for the diagnosis of renovascular hypertension.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the administration of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA, also known as Aspirin) differentiates patients with renovascular hypertension from those with essential hypertension, in order to provide a simple alternative to more expensive forms of diagnosis for this condition. DESIGN: Trial of ASA test in patients with previously diagnosed essential and renovascular hypertension. SETTING: Inpatient department of an academic health sciences centre in Poznan, Poland. PATIENTS: Forty patients with essential hypertension and 21 patients with renovascular hypertension. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were given an intravenous injection of ASA (10 mg/kg body weight), blood pressure was measured and blood was sampled and assayed for plasma renin activity (PRA) before and 30 minutes after the injection. RESULTS: ASA infusion in patients with renovascular hypertension resulted in a decrease in PRA from 15.2 (standard deviation [SD] 12.4) ng/mL per hour to 7.2 (SD 9.8) ng/mL per hour, whereas in patients with essential hypertension the initial PRA was significantly lower before ASA administration and did not change afterward. In patients with renovascular hypertension, the mean systolic, diastolic and arterial pressure decreased significantly (p < 0.001) after ASA infusion, but these did not change in patients with essential hypertension. Based on the criterion of 4 mm Hg as a detectable decrease in mean blood pressure, the sensitivity of the ASA test was 95.0% and the specificity 82.5%; its positive predictive value was 74% and its negative predictive value 97%. CONCLUSION: The precise measurement of blood pressure during the ASA test may provide a useful method of differentiating between patients with renovascular and essential hypertension.

[Usefulness of converting enzyme inhibitors in diagnosis of renovascular hypertension. I. Comparison of the effect of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibition on blood pressure and plasma renin activity in patients with primary hypertension and renovascular hypertension]. / Przydatnosc inhibitorów enzymu konwertujacego w diagnostyce nadcisnienia naczyniowo-nerkowego. I. Porównanie wplywu zahamowania enzymu konwertujacego angiotensyne na zachowanie sie cisnienia tetniczego i aktywnosci reninowej osocza u chorych z nadcisnieniem tetniczym pierwotnym i nadcisnieniem naczyniowo-nerkowym.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibition on blood pressure and plasma renin activity (PRA) in patients with essential (EH) and renovascular (RVH) hypertension. Forty patients with RVH and sixty four with EH were studied. All patients underwent renal digital subtraction angiography in order to find out renal artery stenosis. Blood pressure was measured before and 15, 30, 45, 60 and 90 minutes after captopril administration in the captopril test. PRA was determined before and 60 minutes after captopril. It was shown that fall of systolic (SAP), diastolic (DAP) and mean (MAP) arterial pressure after captopril was significant in each time period both in EH and RVH. Hypotensive effect was significantly higher (p < 0.001) in RVH. Basic PRA did not differ in the studied groups. 60 minutes after captopril administration PRA was significantly higher (p < 0.001) in patients with RVH. Absolute and percentage rise of PRA also differentiated studied groups (p < 0.001). Significant correlations were found between the change of PRA after captopril and fall of SAP, DAP and MAP in both groups. These relationships were stronger in RVH.

[Usefulness of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors in the diagnosis of renovascular hypertension. II. Comparison of the effect of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibition on reno-scintigraphic curves with DTPA in patients with essential and renovascular hypertension]. / Przydatnosc inhibitorów enzymu konwertujacego w diagnostyce nadcisnienia nacyniowo-nerkowego. II. Porównanie wplywu zahamowania enzymu konwertujacego angiotensyne na zachowanie sie krzywych renoscyntygraficznych z DTPA u chorych z nadcisnieniem tetniczym pierwotnym i nadcisnieniem naczyniowo-nerkowym.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibition on renoscintigraphic curves using DTPA as a tracer in patients with essential (EH) and renovascular (RVH) hypertension. Twenty four patients with EH and sixteen with RVH were studied. Protocol consisted of control renoscintigraphy with DTPA and the second one after captopril administration in dose 25 mg performed after three days. Relative DTPA uptake of the single kidney was calculated from the curve time-activity between 120 and 180 second after tracer administration. Results were expressed as a quotient of the relative DTPA uptake of ischemic or "weaker" kidney to the DTPA uptake of both kidneys (coefficient A) or contralateral one (coefficient B). Coefficient A in basic renoscintigraphy did not differ in patients with EH and RVH and was 45.81 +/- 3.02% and 44.66 +/- 6.17% respectively. In renoscintigraphy with captopril coefficient A decreased significantly (P < 0.001) in patients with RVH and was significantly lower (p < 0.05) than in patients with EH. Change (delta) of coefficient B after captopril was significantly higher in patients with RVH (p < 0.001). Significant correlations were found between delta coefficient A and delta diastolic (DAP) and mean (MAP) arterial pressure as well as delta plasma renin activity (PRA) after captopril in patients with RVH. Similarly, relationships were shown between percentage change (% delta) of coefficient B and % delta of systolic (SAP), DAP and MAP as well as delta PRA after captopril in patients with RVH.

[Usefulness of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors in the diagnosis of renovascular hypertension. III. Evaluation of the validity of the captopril test and the reno-scintigraphic captopril test in the diagnosis of renovascular hypertension according to accepted criteria]. / Przydatnosc inhibitorów enzymu konwertujacego w diagnostyce nadcisnienia naczyniowo-nerkowego. III. Ocena skutecznosci diagnostycznej reninowego testu kaptoprylowego i renoscyntygraficznego testu kaptoprylowego w rozpoznawaniu nadcisnienia naczyniowo-nerkowego w zaleznosci od przyjetych kryteriów.

The aim of the study was to evaluate diagnostic validity of captopril test and scintigraphic test before and after captopril for the detection of renovascular hypertension (RVH) according to applied criteria. Employing blood pressure response to captopril as a criteria sensitivity was 37.0%, specificity 92.1%, positive predictive value 75.0% and negative predictive value 70.2% in the captopril test. Applying plasma renin activity (PRA) response to captopril as a criteria sensitivity was 92.5%, specificity 100%, positive predictive value 100% and negative predictive value 96.0% in the same test. Renin captopril test has excellent sensitivity and positive predictive value, is easy to perform and inexpensive and therefore may be a useful screening test for RVH in unselected population. With the own criteria used, captopril renoscintigraphy detected RVH with 87.5% sensitivity, 91.7% specificity, 87.5% positive predictive value and 91.7% negative predictive value. Captopril renoscintigraphy is an accurate diagnostic test for the identification of RVH in a clinically selected high-risk population. Common evaluation of both tests does not improve their accuracy in diagnosis of RVH.

[Evaluation of uric acid transport in nephrons of patients with calcium nephrolithiasis and hyperuricosuria]. / Ocena transportu kwasu moczowego w nefronie u chorych z wapniowa kamica nerkowa i hiperurykozuria.

Renal excretion of uric acid was studied in 48 patients with recurrent calcium nephrolithiasis. Hyperuricosuria was found in 16 patients (33%) and among them 10 patients had increased values of urate clearance and fractional excretion. The tubular transport of urate was evaluated by means of pharmacological tests with pyrazinamide (PZA) and benzbromarone (BB) in these 11 patients with hyperuricosuria of renal origin. PZA suppression test was normal in 10 patients while in one case uric acid excretion was not suppressed sufficiently by PZA. Maximal uricorusirc response to BB was increased in two patients, normal in one patient and impaired in eight patients. PZA and BB tests revealed isolated defect of uric acid postsecretory reabsorption in seven patients, impaired reabsorption at both pre- and postsecretory site in one case and enhanced tubular secretion of uric acid in two patients. This study indicates that different defects of uric acid transport in nephron are the frequent cause of hyperuricosuria in patients with recurrent calcium nephrolithiasis.