The influence of elevated heart rate assessed by automated office blood pressure measurement on the risk of cardiovascular events.

INTRODUCTION: The predictive value of heart rate (HR) assessed using an automated office blood pressure measurement (AOBPM) remains unknown. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine the impact of AOBPM HR on the risk of cardiovascular events in hypertensive patients with and without prior cardiovascular disease (CVD). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data of 9361 participants of the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (median follow­up, 3.26 years) were used to perform a post hoc analysis based on baseline AOBPM HR levels (<50, 50-60, 60-70, 70-80, and >80 bpm). Clinical composite end point (CE) was defined as myocardial infarction (MI), acute coronary syndrome other than MI, heart failure exacerbation, stroke, or cardiovascular death. Cardiovascular­related and all­cause mortalities were also evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 1877 participants with and 7484 individuals without CVD were included. Those with higher baseline HR were less frequently men and more often smokers, had higher body mass index and estimated glomerular filtration rate, lower baseline systolic blood pressure, and higher diastolic blood pressure. No differences were observed in the CE frequency, its components, and all­cause death between the baseline HR groups. Elevated HR (>70 bpm) was associated with a higher risk of CE, MI, and cardiovascular death in a multivariable Cox model. Moreover, the model determining the MI risk showed a J­shaped relationship with HR and a significant interaction term (P = 0.049) between HR and CVD history. CONCLUSIONS: High AOBPM HR is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular events and mortality, whereas low HR may result in higher MI risk in patients with previous CVD.

Cardioprotection Using Strain-Guided Management of Potentially Cardiotoxic Cancer Therapy: 3-Year Results of the SUCCOUR Trial.

BACKGROUND: Global longitudinal strain (GLS) can predict cancer therapeutics-related cardiac dysfunction and guide initiation of cardioprotection (CPT). OBJECTIVES: In this study, the authors sought to determine whether echocardiography GLS-guided CPT provides less cardiac dysfunction in survivors of potentially cardiotoxic chemotherapy, compared with usual care at 3 years. METHODS: In this international multicenter prospective randomized controlled trial, patients were enrolled from 28 international sites. All patients treated with anthracyclines with another risk factor for heart failure were randomly allocated to GLS-guided (>12% relative reduction in GLS) or ejection fraction (EF)-guided (>10% absolute reduction of EF to <55%) CPT. The primary end point was the change in 3-dimensional (3D) EF (ΔEF) from baseline to 3 years. RESULTS: Among 331 patients enrolled, 255 (77%, age 54 ± 12 years, 95% women) completed 3-year follow-up (123 in the EF-guided group and 132 in the GLS-guided group). Most had breast cancer (n = 236; 93%), and anthracycline followed by trastuzumab was the most common chemotherapy regimen (84%). Although 67 (26%) had hypertension and 32 (13%) had diabetes mellitus, left ventricular function was normal at baseline (EF: 59% ± 6%, GLS: 20.7% ± 2.3%). CPT was administered in 18 patients (14.6%) in the EF-guided group and 41 (31%) in the GLS-guided group (P = 0.03). Most patients showed recovery in EF and GLS after chemotherapy; 3-year ΔEF was -0.03% ± 7.9% in the EF-guided group and -0.02% ± 6.5% in the GLS-guided (P = 0.99) group; respective 3-year EFs were 58% ± 6% and 59% ± 5% (P = 0.06). At 3 years, 17 patients (5%) had cancer therapeutics-related cardiac dysfunction (11 in the EF-guided group and 6 in the GLS guided group; P = 0.16); 1 patient in each group was admitted for heart failure. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients taking potentially cardiotoxic chemotherapy for cancer, the 3-year data showed improvement of LV dysfunction compared with 1 year, with no difference in ΔEF between GLS- and EF-guided CPT. (Strain Surveillance of Chemotherapy for Improving Cardiovascular Outcomes [SUCCOUR]; ACTRN12614000341628).

Answering Clinical Questions Using Machine Learning: Should We Look at Diastolic Blood Pressure When Tailoring Blood Pressure Control?

Background: The guidelines recommend intensive blood pressure control. Randomized trials have focused on the relevance of the systolic blood pressure (SBP) lowering, leaving the safety of the diastolic blood pressure (DBP) reduction unresolved. There are data available which show that low DBP should not stop clinicians from achieving SBP targets; however, registries and analyses of randomized trials present conflicting results. The purpose of the study was to apply machine learning (ML) algorithms to determine, whether DBP is an important risk factor to predict stroke, heart failure (HF), myocardial infarction (MI), and primary outcome in the SPRINT trial database. Methods: ML experiments were performed using decision tree, random forest, k-nearest neighbor, naive Bayesian, multi-layer perceptron, and logistic regression algorithms, including and excluding DBP as the risk factor in an unselected and selected (DBP < 70 mmHg) study population. Results: Including DBP as the risk factor did not change the performance of the machine learning models evaluated using accuracy, AUC, mean, and weighted F-measure, and was not required to make proper predictions of stroke, MI, HF, and primary outcome. Conclusions: Analyses of the SPRINT trial data using ML algorithms imply that DBP should not be treated as an independent risk factor when intensifying blood pressure control.

Consistency among Office, Home, and Ambulatory Blood Pressure Values in Women with Chronic Hypertension and History of Eclampsia or Preeclampsia.

Adequate control of blood pressure (BP) is essential to prevent complications in pregnant women with a history of eclampsia or pre-eclampsia. However, the importance of office (OBPM), home (HBPM), and ambulatory (ABPM) BP measurements for proper control and prognosis in high-risk pregnancy is unknown. The present study aimed to compare BP values obtained during these three different BP measurements in women with a history of eclampsia or pre-eclampsia. This study included 79 pregnant women with chronic hypertension and a documented history of eclampsia or pre-eclampsia in previous pregnancy/pregnancies. Every fifth week of the study, all participants underwent ABPM, HBPM and OBPM. BP values from the 10th, 25th, and 37th weeks of pregnancy were evaluated. Therapy was intended to meet the ABPM treatment goal of <130/80 mmHg. Day, night, and 24 h ABPM systolic BP values were lower than HBPM and OBPM values at each study visit. Night and 24 h ABPM diastolic BP values were lower than HBPM and OBPM values, while day 24 h ABPM values were slightly higher than HBPM and OBPM values. ABPM provides different BP values than OBPM and HBPM. Target BP for ABPM in high-risk pregnancy hypertension should be estimated based on the predictive value of adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Resting Heart Rate and Cardiovascular Outcomes during Intensive and Standard Blood Pressure Reduction: An Analysis from SPRINT Trial.

The association between elevated resting heart rate (RHR) as a cardiovascular risk factor and lowering of systolic blood pressure (SBP) to currently recommended values remain unknown. Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) data obtained from the NHLBI were used to describe the relationship between RHR and SBP reduction to <120 mmHg compared to SBP reduction to <140 mmHg. The composite clinical endpoint (CE) was defined as myocardial infarction, acute coronary syndrome, decompensation of heart failure, stroke, or cardiovascular death. Increased RHR was associated with a higher CE risk compared with low RHR in both treatment arms. A more potent increase of risk for CE was observed in subjects who were allocated to the SBP < 120 mmHg treatment goal. A similar effect of intensive and standard blood pressure (BP) reduction (p for interaction, 0.826) was observed in subjects with RHR in the 5th quintile (hazard ratio, 0.78, with 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.55-1.11) and in other quintiles of baseline RHR (hazard ratio, 0.75, with 95% CI, 0.62-0.90). Lower in-trial than baseline RHR was associated with reduced CE risk (hazard ratio, 0.80, with 95% CI, 0.66-0.98). We concluded that elevated RHR remains an essential risk factor independent of SBP reduction.

Atrial fibrillation influences automatic oscillometric ankle-brachial index measurement.

INTRODUCTION: Repeated measurements of ankle-brachial index (ABI) using Doppler method were shown to be accurate during atrial fibrillation. Oscillometric devices are effective in ABI measurement, but their accuracy during atrial fibrillation is unknown. The purpose of the study was to investigate whether atrial fibrillation influences ABI obtained with the automatic oscillometric method. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Ninety-nine patients with atrial fibrillation (mean age: 66.6 +(SD = 11) years, M/F - 63/36) who underwent electrical cardioversion were investigated (198 lower extremities). The ABI measurements using oscillometric and Doppler methods were performed on both lower extremities before and after procedure. RESULTS: The ABI measured using the oscillometric method on both lower limbs did not change after cardioversion (1.21 (IQR: 1.13-1.27) vs. 1.22 (IQR: 1.14-1.26), p = 0.664, respectively). The ABI measured before and after cardioversion using Doppler and oscillometric methods showed a significant difference (1.14 (IQR: 1.07-1.22) vs. 1.21 (IQR: 1.13-1.27), p < 0.001 and 1.18 (IQR: 1.09-1.13) vs. 1.22 (IQR: 1.14-1.26), p < 0.001 respectively). Both methods showed a weak correlation before (r = 0.35, p < 0.001) and no correlation after cardioversion (r = 0.12, p = 0.07). The Bland-Altman plot showed poor agreement between measurements performed with the Doppler and oscillometric methods in sinus rhythm and during atrial fibrillation. CONCLUSIONS: The automated oscillometric method of ABI measurements should not replace the reference Doppler method in patients with atrial fibrillation. More research related to the oscillometric measurements is needed in subjects with peripheral artery disease and atrial fibrillation.

Cardiac Morphology, Function, and Hemodynamics in Patients With Morbid Obesity and Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis.

Background The patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease demonstrate an increased cardiovascular risk. The adverse influence of liver abnormalities on cardiac function are among many postulated mechanisms behind this association. The aim of the study was to evaluate cardiac morphology and function in patients with morbid obesity referred for bariatric surgery with liver biopsy. Methods and Results We evaluated with echocardiography 171 consecutive patients without known cardiac disease (median age 42 [interquartile range, 37-48] years, median body mass index 43.7 [interquartile range, 41.0-47.5], 67% female patients. Based on the liver biopsy results, there were 44 patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), 69 patients with isolated steatosis, and 58 patients without steatosis. Patients with NASH demonstrated signs of left ventricular concentric remodeling and hyperdynamic circulation, including indexed left ventricular end-diastolic diameter [cm/m2]: NASH 1.87 [0.22]; isolated steatosis 2.03 [0.33]; without steatosis 2.01 [0.19], P=0.001; relative wall thickness: NASH 0.49±0.05, isolated steatosis 0.47±0.06, without steatosis 0.46±0.06, P=0.011; cardiac index [L/m2]: NASH 3.05±0.54, isolated steatosis 2.80±0.44, without steatosis 2.79±0.50, P=0.013. After adjustment for sex, age, blood pressure, and heart rate, most of the measures of the left ventricular systolic and diastolic function, left atrial size, right ventricular function, and right ventricular size did not differ between groups. Conclusions In a group of patients with extreme obesity, NASH was associated with left ventricular concentric remodeling and hyperdynamic circulation. Increased cardiac output in NASH may represent an additional risk factor for incident cardiovascular events in this population.

Determination of the optimal on-treatment diastolic blood pressure range using automated office measurements in patients without cardiovascular disease.

INTRODUCTION: Optimal diastolic blood pressure (DBP) during antihypertensive treatment in patients without a history of cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains unknown. OBJECTIVES: This post­hoc analysis of the SPRINT (Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial) data aimed to determine the optimal DBP evaluated using automated office blood pressure measurements (AOBPM) in hypertensive patients without a history of CVD. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data of 1470 patients with CVD and 7117 patients without CVD were used. Clinical composite endpoint (CE) was defined as the occurrence of myocardial infarction, acute coronary syndrome other than myocardial infarction, decompensation of heart failure, stroke, or cardiovascular death. Two different approaches based on the hazard ratio plot were used to identify the optimal DBP range. The first approach was to determine the 10 mm Hg-wide DBP range with the lowest risk for CE. In the second approach, it was assumed that the hazard ratio of CE at the boundary points of the optimal DBP range should be the same in patients with and without CVD. RESULTS: Two ranges of on-treatment DBP were proposed: 73.7 to 83.7 mm Hg (first approach) and 63.6 to 95.8 mm Hg (second approach). The risk for CE was increased by 3% and 20% at the boundary points of the range, respectively, depending on the method of DBP determination. CONCLUSIONS: Due to the fact that the range determined by the second method was wide and substantially different from the one recommended by the European Society of Cardiology (70-79 mm Hg), we have concluded that a DBP range of 73.7 to 83.7 mm Hg, measured using AOBPM, should be considered optimal in patients without CVD.

Cardiovascular risk factors among cancer patients qualified for systemic treatment. Analysis of a cardiovascular disease-free cohort from the Polish multicentre study ONCOECHO.

INTRODUCTION: Cancer therapies are currently more efficient at increasing the survival of patients (pts) with cancer. Unfortunately, the cardiovascular (CV) complications of cancer therapies may adversely affect improving results of treatment. The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of classical CV risk factors among pts with de novo diagnosis of cancer and thus identify the cohort of pts with potentially increased future risk of CV complications. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The analysis is based on the database of the multicentre ONCOECHO study. Pts before systemic treatment (chemotherapy or targeted therapy) were included. The diagnostic datasets of resting electrocardiogram, blood samples, and transthoracic echocardiogram were analysed in 343 consecutive pts who were free from any cardiovascular disease that could adversely affect the introduced treatment. RESULTS: Our cohort included 4.4% of pts with kidney cancer, 7.3% with colorectal cancer, 26.5% with haematological malignancies (HM), and 61.8% with breast cancer. The risk estimated by SCORE was 4.56 ±5.07%. Breast cancer pts had lower cardiovascular risk than those with HM (p = 0.001) and kidney cancer (p = 0.002). Additionally, the HM group had much higher levels of natriuretic peptides (p < 0.001) and creatinine (p = 0.008) than pts with breast cancer. The comparison with the NATPOL population data showed that our pts were more often smokers, hypertensives, and diabetics, but less frequently presented with hypercholesterolaemia. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with new diagnosis of cancer, who are candidates for potentially cardiotoxic medical treatment, have increased prevalence of significant cardiovascular risk factors and therefore should be followed by a multidisciplinary team during the therapeutic process.

Blood pressure profile, sympathetic nervous system activity, and subclinical target organ damage in patients with polycythemia vera.

INTRODUCTION: Polycythemia vera (PV) is a rare myeloproliferative disease associated with an increased prevalence of hypertension and increased risk of cardiovascular complications. However, the precise mechanisms leading to the elevation of blood pressure (BP) and secondary target organ damage remain poorly understood. OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to evaluate BP profile, assess the activity of the sympathetic nervous system and the renin­angiotensin system, and provide a comprehensive assessment of subclinical target organ damage in patients with PV. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty consecutive patients with newly diagnosed PV and 20 control subjects were included. The following were assessed: BP, levels of catecholamines, urinary and plasma O­methylated catecholamine metabolites, concentrations of aldosterone and renin. We also assessed microneurography sympathetic nervous system activity (MSNA) and baroreflex control of heart rate as well as subclinical target organ damage. RESULTS: At similar levels of BP, BP variability was decreased in the PV group (mean [SD] 24­hour systolic BP, 9 [3] vs 12 [3] mm Hg; P = 0.003). Patients with PV had lower norepinephrine excretion (mean [SD], 16.54 [6.32] vs 25.46 [12.88] µg/d; P = 0.03) as well as decreased MSNA as assessed by microneurography compared with controls (mean [SD] MSNA, 30.7 [8.7] bursts/min vs 38.7 [5.4] bursts/min; P = 0.007 and MSNA 51.8 [11] bursts/100 beats vs 61.1 [11.3] bursts/100 heart beats; P = 0.04). Baroreflex control of HR was unaltered in the PV group. Increased hemoglobin levels and red blood cell count correlated with decreased retinal capillary flow in patients with PV. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with PV, characterized by high hemoglobin concentrations and hematocrit levels had lower sympathetic nervous activity and decreased BP variability as compared with controls. There was no relationship between hemoglobin plasma concentration, hematocrit level, and target organ damage.

Low on-treatment diastolic blood pressure and cardiovascular outcome: A post-hoc analysis using NHLBI SPRINT Research Materials.

Recent studies including the SPRINT trial have shown beneficial effects of intensive systolic blood pressure reduction over the standard approach. The awareness of the J-curve for diastolic blood pressure (DBP) causes some uncertainty regarding the net clinical effects of blood pressure reduction. The current analysis was performed to investigate effects of low on-treatment DBP on cardiovascular risk in the SPRINT population. The primary composite outcome was the occurrence of myocardial infarction, acute coronary syndrome not resulting in myocardial infarction, stroke, acute decompensated heart failure or death from cardiovascular causes. The prevalence of primary outcomes was significantly higher in subjects within low DBP in both standard (44-67 mmHg [10.8%] vs 67-73 mmHg [6.7%] vs 73-78 mmHg [5.1%] vs 78-83 mmHg [4.4%] vs 83-113 mmHg [4.3%], p < 0.001) and intensive treatment (38-61 mmHg [6.7%] vs 61-66 mmHg [4.1%] vs 66-70 mmHg [4.5%] vs 70-74 mmHg [2.7%] vs 74-113 mmHg [3.4%], p < 0.001) arms. After adjusting for covariates, low DBP showed no significant effects on cardiovascular risk. Therefore, while reaching blood pressure targets, low DBP should not be a matter of concern.

Determination of optimal on-treatment diastolic blood pressure range using automated measurements in subjects with cardiovascular disease-Analysis of a SPRINT trial subpopulation.

Automated office blood pressure measurement (AOBPM) is recommended for diagnosing hypertension; however, optimal treatment targets using this method are not established. Discrepancies between automated and office measurements of blood pressure have been described, producing uncertainty regarding the use of AOBPM in clinical practice. The Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) results improved our understanding of target AOBPM systolic blood pressure (SBP) levels; however, diastolic blood pressure (DBP) targets remain unknown. Therefore, we sought to determine the optimal on-treatment DBP range. The analysis was performed on the participants of the SPRINT trial who had hypertension and prior cardiovascular disease. We analyzed the data of 1470 participants (mean age 70.3 ± 9.3 years, 24.1% female) selected from the SPRINT trial database of National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. The mean achieved SBP and DBP were 127.9 ± 10.7 and 68.3 ± 9.4 mm Hg, respectively. Most of the participants (57.4%) had a DBP lower than 70 mm Hg, while only 11.7% had DPB ≥80 mm Hg. Clinical composite endpoint was defined as myocardial infarction, acute coronary syndrome not resulting in myocardial infarction, stroke, acute decompensated heart failure or death from cardiovascular causes. There were 159 (10.8%) clinical endpoint events. The participants with on-treatment AOBPM DBP range of 68.6-78.6 mm Hg showed the lowest hazard risk of a clinical composite endpoint. These results correspond to the office DBP range of 70-80 mm Hg recommended in ESC guidelines. This is the first attempt to determine the range of optimal DBP values using population-based AOBPM in patients with prior cardiovascular disease.

Low Diastolic Blood Pressure is Not Related to Risk of First Episode of Stroke in a High-Risk Population: A Secondary Analysis of SPRINT.

Background Hypertension is the most prevalent and leading risk factor for stroke. SPRINT (The Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial) assessed the effects on cardiovascular event risk of intensive compared with standard systolic blood pressure reduction. In this secondary analysis of SPRINT data, we investigated how low on-treatment diastolic blood pressure ( DBP ) influenced risk for stroke events. Methods and Results For this analysis, we used SPRINT _ POP (Primary Outcome Paper) Research Materials from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Biologic Specimen and Data Repository Information Coordinating Center. Data for 8944 SPRINT participants were analyzed from the period after target blood pressure was achieved until the end of the trial. Overall, there were 110 stroke events, including 49 from the intensive-treatment arm and 61 in the standard-treatment group. In participants with DBP <70 mm Hg, stroke risk was higher than with DBP ≥70 mm Hg (hazard ratio, 1.467; 95% CI 1.009-2.133; P=0.0445). Univariable Cox proportional hazard risk analysis showed that in the whole group, age and cardiovascular and chronic renal diseases were stroke risk factors. These risk factors were related to lower DBP and higher pulse pressure, however, not to study arm. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard analysis revealed that only age, history of cardiovascular disease, current smoking status and on-treatment systolic blood pressure were significantly related to stroke risk. Conclusions Low on-treatment DBP is not related to the risk for the first stroke, in contrast to older age, the history of cardiovascular disease, current smoking status, and on-treatment systolic blood pressure. Clinical Trial Registration URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier: NCT 01206062.

Atrial fibrillation does not affect ankle-brachial index measured using the Doppler method.

Atrial fibrillation may affect blood pressure measurements. The ankle-brachial index (ABI) is a ratio of systolic blood pressure measured on the lower and upper limbs that may also be affected by arrhythmia. The purpose of the study was to investigate whether atrial fibrillation influenced ABI results. Ninety-nine patients (age 66.6±11 years, 63 males and 36 females) who underwent electrical cardioversion of atrial fibrillation were investigated. ABI measurements using the Doppler method were performed on both lower extremities before and after electrical cardioversion. Measurements were repeated three times and then averaged. The ABI using both lower limbs was lower before electrical cardioversion than after restoration to sinus rhythm (right side: 1.132 (1.065-1.210) during atrial fibrillation vs. 1.179 (1.080-1.242) in sinus rhythm, P=0.019; left side: 1.142 (1.075-1.222) during atrial fibrillation vs. 1.170 (1.098-1.255) in sinus rhythm, P=0.011). However, the upper 95% confidence interval (CI) margins for the median differences in ABI were 0.045 and 0.040 for right and left, respectively, suggesting that the observed difference was clinically insignificant. There was a significant correlation between measurements obtained before and after electrical cardioversion on both lower limbs (r=0.61, P<0.001 and r=0.67, P<0.001). The Bland-Altman plot showed good agreement between measurements performed using the Doppler method during atrial fibrillation and sinus rhythm. Study results showed that atrial fibrillation did not have a clinically important effect on ABI measurements.

Why Not All Hypertensive Patients Are Tachycardic at Rest?

BACKGROUND: The importance of increased resting heart rate in hypertensive patients was highlighted in the European Society of Hypertension statement on the identification and management of hypertensive patient with elevated heart rate. METHODS: Review of the available literature. RESULTS: Increased heart rate is an independent predictor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality even after adjustment for other conventional cardiovascular risk factors. Resting heart rate is correlated with blood pressure and prospectively related to the development of hypertension, as shown in numerous general population and hypertensive cohorts. Patients with hypertension may be characterized by increased sympathetic activation, and increased heart rate is considered a simple marker of increased sympathetic nervous activity. The definition of tachycardia is debatable as in clinical practice, tachycardia is generally defined as resting heart rate over 100 beats per minute (bpm) but this definition does not take into account epidemiological data and risk related to increased heart rate. Available evidence suggests that a lower threshold defining an increased resting heart rate should be adopted. In large hypertensive cohorts, approximately one third of the studied subjects had resting heart rate above 80-85 bpm and many of these patients had features of the metabolic/insulin resistance syndrome. Furthermore, the prevalence of hypertension increases with age and the hemodynamic pattern of hypertension in older subjects is not characterized by increased heart rate. CONCLUSIONS: These reasons, in addition to the fact that heart rate is variable and depends on multiple factors, may explain why not all patients with hypertension are tachycardic at rest.

Tissue Doppler echocardiography detects subclinical left ventricular dysfunction in patients undergoing chemotherapy for colon cancer: insights from ONCOECHO multicentre study.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common cancer in women and the third in men in Poland. The role of chemotherapy (CTX) depends on the stage of CRC: adjuvant CTX is a standard treatment in stage III and should also be considered in stage II with risk factors. AIM: The aim of the paper was to assess the cardiovascular consequences of CTX in CRC enrolled to the ONCOECHO multicentre study (2012-2014). To identify potential cardiotoxicity, we focused on myocardial function, heart rhythm and conduction disorders, and adverse cardiovascular events. METHODS: Twenty-five CRC patients (12 women, mean age 61.3 [35-76] years), all receiving six-month adjuvant CTX were included. Thirteen patients received 5-fluorouracil (5FU)-based CTX, and 12 patients received a capecitabine-based scheme. Subjects were assessed at baseline and followed-up three, six, and 12 months after the onset of treatment. In this analysis we focused on conduction abnormalities, systolic and diastolic function of the left ventricle (LV), and cardiovascular events. RESULTS: In 12-month follow-up a decrease of selected tissue Doppler parameters (e.g. S'IVS, S'lat, and E'sept) was observed, and it was significant. LV structural parameters and ejection fraction (EF) remained unaffected. Changes in myocardial performance were not influenced by CTX regimen or treatment with beta-blockers or angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors. CTX did not affect LV structural parameters, EF, or conduction system, nor was it associated with cardiovascular events during the 12-month follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: CTX in CRC patients does not affect LV structural parameters and EF. It may, however, trigger subtle changes in myocardial performance detectable by tissue Doppler echocardiography after 12 months. Moreover, it causes a transient increase of QT, which resolves after CTX cessation.

The effect of hyperoxia on central blood pressure in healthy subjects.

INTRODUCTION: Hyperoxia increases total peripheral resistance by acting locally but also inhibits the activity of carotid body chemoreceptors. We studied the effect of hyperoxia on central pressure in normotensive subjects. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Medical air followed by 100% oxygen was provided to 19 subjects (12/7 female/male, age 28.2 ±1.1 years) for 15 min through a non-rebreather mask. Central blood pressure was then measured using applanation tonometry. RESULTS: After the first 2 min of hyperoxia, heart rate decreased significantly (65 ±2.6 beats/min vs. 61 ±2.1 beats/min, p = 0.0002). Peripheral and central blood pressure remained unchanged, while hemoglobin oxygen saturation and subendocardial viability ratio index increased (97 ±0.4% vs. 99 ±0.2%, p = 0.03; 168 ±8.4% vs. 180 ±8.2%, p = 0.009). After 15 min of 100% oxygen ventilation, heart rate and peripheral and central blood pressures remained unchanged from the first 2 min. The augmentation index, augmentation pressure and ejection duration increased as compared to baseline values and those obtained at 2 min (-5.1 ±2.9% vs. -1.2 ±2.6%, p = 0.005 and -4.6 ±2.7% vs. -1.2 ±2.6%, p = 0.0015; -1.3 ±0.7 mm Hg vs. -0.2 ±1.2 mm Hg, p = 0.003 and -1.1 ±0.7 mm Hg vs. -0.2 ±1.2 mm Hg, p = 0.012; 323 ±3.6 ms vs. 330 ±3.5 ms, p = 0.0002 and 326 ±3.5 ms vs. 330 ±3.5 ms, p = 0.021, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The present study shows that hyperoxia does not affect central blood pressure in young healthy subjects and may improve myocardial blood supply estimated indirectly from applanation tonometry.