Appropriate antibiotic prescribing among final-year medical students in Europe.

Little is known about undergraduate education on antibiotic prescribing in Europe and even less about the antibiotic prescribing skills of nearly-graduated medical students. This study aimed to evaluate the antibiotic prescribing skills of final-year medical students across Europe and the education they received during medical training. In a cross-sectional study, final-year medical students from 17 medical schools in 15 European countries were asked to prescribe for two written case reports of infectious diseases (acute bronchitis and community-acquired pneumonia). The appropriateness of antimicrobial therapy was determined using a scoring form based on local guidelines. Teachers from each medical school were asked to complete a standardised questionnaire about the teaching and assessment of undergraduate education on antibiotic use. In total, 856 final-year medical students (95.6%) completed the assessment and 16 teachers (94.1%) completed the questionnaire. Overall, 52.7% (range 26-83%) of the 1.683 therapies prescribed were considered appropriate. The mean number of contact hours for undergraduate education on antimicrobials was 25.6 (range 2-90). Differences in education styles were found to have a significant impact on students' performance, with a problem-based learning style being associated with more appropriate antimicrobial prescribing than a traditional learning style (46.0% vs. 22.9%; P < 0.01). Although there are differences between medical schools, final-year medical students in Europe lack prescribing skills for two common infectious diseases, possibly because of inadequate undergraduate education on antibiotic use and general prescribing. To improve students' skills, interactive teaching methods such as prescribing for simulated and real patients should be used.

Blood pressure and cognitive performances in middle-aged adults: the Aging, Health and Work longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: Our objective was to investigate the impact of both prevalent and incident hypertension on cognition in middle-aged individuals followed up for 10 years and to explore the extent to which blood pressure control by antihypertensive drugs could modify this relationship. METHOD: Three thousand, two hundred and one participants from the Vieillissement Santé Travail (Aging, Health and Work) (VISAT) cohort study, aged 32, 42, 52 and 62 years at baseline were followed up 5 and 10 years later. Blood pressure, antihypertensive medication use as well as memory and speed cognitive performances were assessed at baseline and follow-up. Linear mixed models were used for analyses. RESULTS: At 10-year follow-up, compared with nonhypertensive participants, prevalent hypertensive individuals showed poorer global cognitive performances (ß = -2.99 ±â€Š0.96, P = 0.002 for participants aged 32 or 42 years at baseline and ß = -5.94 ±â€Š1.00, P < 0.001 for those aged 52 or 62). Patients with incident hypertension had poorer global cognitive performances over time compared with patients without hypertension. When considering prevalent hypertension and blood pressure control status by antihypertensive therapy, untreated and uncontrolled hypertension were associated with poorer cognitive performances than controlled and no hypertension (untreated hypertension compared with no hypertension: ß = -5.51 ±â€Š0.75, P < 0.001; uncontrolled hypertension compared with no hypertension: ß = -6.13 ±â€Š1.40, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Our findings showed that both prevalent and incident hypertension are associated with poorer global cognitive function in middle-aged individuals and suggested a potential preventive effect of antihypertensive therapy on cognition. Thus, for brain functioning, heightened efforts to detect hypertension and adequately treat it are of critical importance.

Arterial stiffness evaluated by pulse wave velocity is not predictive of the improvement in hypertension after adrenal surgery for primary aldosteronism: A multicentre study from the French European Society of Hypertension Excellence Centres.

BACKGROUND: Predictive factors associated with normal blood pressure (BP) after unilateral adrenalectomy for primary aldosteronism (PA) are not clearly identified. AIMS: To evaluate the predictive value of arterial stiffness before surgery on BP after surgery. METHODS: During 2009-2013, 96 patients with PA due to unilateral adrenal adenoma who underwent surgery were enrolled in a multicentre open-label, prospective study. Aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) was assessed before surgery. Patients underwent ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) before surgery and 6 and 12months after surgery. Twenty-four h SBP/DBP values were compared in subjects with PWV

Twenty-Four-Hour Blood Pressure Monitoring to Predict and Assess Impact of Renal Denervation: The DENERHTN Study (Renal Denervation for Hypertension).

The DENERHTN trial (Renal Denervation for Hypertension) confirmed the blood pressure (BP) lowering efficacy of renal denervation added to a standardized stepped-care antihypertensive treatment for resistant hypertension at 6 months. We report here the effect of denervation on 24-hour BP and its variability and look for parameters that predicted the BP response. Patients with resistant hypertension were randomly assigned to denervation plus stepped-care treatment or treatment alone (control). Average and standard deviation of 24-hour, daytime, and nighttime BP and the smoothness index were calculated on recordings performed at randomization and 6 months. Responders were defined as a 6-month 24-hour systolic BP reduction ≥20 mm Hg. Analyses were performed on the per-protocol population. The significantly greater BP reduction in the denervation group was associated with a higher smoothness index (P=0.02). Variability of 24-hour, daytime, and nighttime BP did not change significantly from baseline to 6 months in both groups. The number of responders was greater in the denervation (20/44, 44.5%) than in the control group (11/53, 20.8%; P=0.01). In the discriminant analysis, baseline average nighttime systolic BP and standard deviation were significant predictors of the systolic BP response in the denervation group only, allowing adequate responder classification of 70% of the patients. Our results show that denervation lowers ambulatory BP homogeneously over 24 hours in patients with resistant hypertension and suggest that nighttime systolic BP and variability are predictors of the BP response to denervation. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01570777.

Increased mean aliphatic lipid chain length in left ventricular hypertrophy secondary to arterial hypertension: A cross-sectional study.

About 77.9 million (1 in 4) American adults have high blood pressure. High blood pressure is the primary cause of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), which represents a strong predictor of future heart failure and cardiovascular mortality. Previous studies have shown an altered metabolic profile in hypertensive patients with LVH. The goal of this study was to identify blood metabolomic LVH biomarkers by H NMR to provide novel diagnostic tools for rapid LVH detection in populations of hypertensive individuals. This cross-sectional study included 48 hypertensive patients with LVH matched with 48 hypertensive patients with normal LV size, and 24 healthy controls. Two-dimensional targeted M-mode echocardiography was performed to measure left ventricular mass index. Partial least squares discriminant analysis was used for the multivariate analysis of the H NMR spectral data. From the H NMR-based metabolomic profiling, signals coming from methylene (-CH2-) and methyl (-CH3) moieties of aliphatic chains from plasma lipids were identified as discriminant variables. The -CH2-/-CH3 ratio, an indicator of the mean length of the aliphatic lipid chains, was significantly higher (P < 0.001) in the LVH group than in the hypertensive group without LVH and controls. Receiver operating characteristic curve showed that a cutoff of 2.34 provided a 52.08% sensitivity and 85.42% specificity for discriminating LVH (AUC = 0.703, P-value < 0.001). We propose the -CH2-/-CH3 ratio from plasma aliphatic lipid chains as a biomarker for the diagnosis of left ventricular remodeling in hypertension.

[Hypertension etiological work up: Hormonological assessment always before imaging?] / Bilan étiologique de l'HTA : dosages hormonaux toujours avant imagerie ?

The purpose is to consider the practical management of etiological work up in hypertension, beyond national or international recommendations, leading to consider the prior practice of hormonal assays or renal, renovascular or adrenal imaging. The ease of access to imaging, difficulties to meet the requirements to obtain reliable hormonal assays explain the use of first-line imaging in clinical practice. The renal and adrenal CT angiography provides diagnostic orientation without allowing a formal conclusion. Incidentaloma prevalence in the general population, increasing with age, underlines the limitations of a decision based only on imaging. The discovery of adrenal morphological abnormalities justifies the realization of hormonal assays to determine their causal relationship with hypertension. The aldosterone/PRA ratio, in standardized conditions, has the best diagnostic performance to screen for primary aldosteronism and is the pivotal test of the etiological diagnosis of hypertension. The identification of a subclinical Cushing should be considered in patients with adrenal morphological abnormalities, particularly in case of metabolic syndrome. The abdominal CTscan is initially recommended in the diagnosis of pheochromocytoma, but the recommende boichemical testing is urine metanephrines whose result will lead to search a pheochromocytoma or an extra-abdominal paraganglioma. Many drug interactions must be considered in order to interpret hormonal measurements and avoid erroneous diagnosis. Finally, a genetic context and the possibility of endocrine causes with normal abdominal CT scan should be considered: extra-abdominal paraganglioma, parathyroid adenoma and Cushing's disease with pituitary adenoma, requiring a multidisciplinary decision. The efficiency of imaging as first-line in the screening of secondary hypertension is relative and confrontation with hormone assays will be critical to the diagnostic and therapeutic management. In young women, hormonal measurements precede imaging in the etiological investigation of hypertension.

Adherence to Antihypertensive Treatment and the Blood Pressure-Lowering Effects of Renal Denervation in the Renal Denervation for Hypertension (DENERHTN) Trial.

BACKGROUND: The DENERHTN trial (Renal Denervation for Hypertension) confirmed the blood pressure-lowering efficacy of renal denervation added to a standardized stepped-care antihypertensive treatment for resistant hypertension at 6 months. We report the influence of adherence to antihypertensive treatment on blood pressure control. METHODS: One hundred six patients with hypertension resistant to 4 weeks of treatment with indapamide 1.5 mg/d, ramipril 10 mg/d (or irbesartan 300 mg/d), and amlodipine 10 mg/d were randomly assigned to renal denervation plus standardized stepped-care antihypertensive treatment, or the same antihypertensive treatment alone. For standardized stepped-care antihypertensive treatment, spironolactone 25 mg/d, bisoprolol 10 mg/d, prazosin 5 mg/d, and rilmenidine 1 mg/d were sequentially added at monthly visits if home blood pressure was ≥135/85 mm Hg after randomization. We assessed adherence to antihypertensive treatment at 6 months by drug screening in urine/plasma samples from 85 patients. RESULTS: The numbers of fully adherent (20/40 versus 21/45), partially nonadherent (13/40 versus 20/45), or completely nonadherent patients (7/40 versus 4/45) to antihypertensive treatment were not different in the renal denervation and the control groups, respectively (P=0.3605). The difference in the change in daytime ambulatory systolic blood pressure from baseline to 6 months between the 2 groups was -6.7 mm Hg (P=0.0461) in fully adherent and -7.8 mm Hg (P=0.0996) in nonadherent (partially nonadherent plus completely nonadherent) patients. The between-patient variability of daytime ambulatory systolic blood pressure was greater for nonadherent than for fully adherent patients. CONCLUSIONS: In the DENERHTN trial, the prevalence of nonadherence to antihypertensive drugs at 6 months was high (≈50%) but not different in the renal denervation and control groups. Regardless of adherence to treatment, renal denervation plus standardized stepped-care antihypertensive treatment resulted in a greater decrease in blood pressure than standardized stepped-care antihypertensive treatment alone. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01570777.

[Management of arterial hypertension before 20weeks gestation in pregnant women]. / Traitements antihypertenseurs et objectifs thérapeutiques de l'hypertension de la femme enceinte (HTA chronique préexistante, HTA gestationnelle) avant le sixième mois de grossesse.

In the first 6 months of pregnancy, the primary goal of antihypertensive treatment is to prevent the complications of severe hypertension. Initiation of antihypertensive drug treatment is recommended in pregnant women with severe hypertension (blood pressure>160/110mmHg). Initiation of antihypertensive drug treatment should also be considered in pregnant women at high cardiovascular risk (diabetes, chronic kidney disease, personal history of cardiovascular disease) with moderate hypertension (blood pressure between 140-159/90-109mmHg). A systolic blood pressure goal<160 and a diastolic blood pressure goal between 85 and 100mmHg is recommended in pregnancy. Labetalol, nifedipine, nicardipine and alphamethyldopa should be considered preferential antihypertensive drugs in pregnancy. Salt restriction, physical exercise and weight loss have not demonstrated any effect in the prevention of preeclampsia and serious maternal complications of hypertension.

Prognostic value of systolic short-term blood pressure variability in systolic heart failure.

BACKGROUND: Traditional cardiovascular risk factors in the general population are usually correlated to a better prognosis in patients with chronic heart failure (HF). Most of the studies show that blood pressure variability (BPV) has noxious effect on general population but data are missing for patients with systolic HF. The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic impact of short-term blood pressure variability (BPV) in systolic HF. METHODS AND RESULTS: We retrospectively studied 288 patients (60 ± 12 years-old; 79 % male) referred to our tertiary center of HF for the management of their systolic HF (left ventricular ejection fraction was 28 ± 9 %). All patients underwent ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (systolic BP: 110 ± 15; diastolic BP: 68 ± 10 and pulse pressure: 42 ± 11 mmHg) and the prognostic impact of BPV was collected with a mean follow-up of 4.4 ± 3.1 years. Twenty-five (9 %) patients were missing for follow-up. Among the others patients, 70 (27 %) cardiovascular events (cardiac deaths: 24 %; heart transplantation: 2 %) were recorded. By multivariate analysis BPV daytime (OR = 0.963, p = 0.033) and severe NYHA class (OR = 5.2, p < 0.0001) were found as independent predictors of cardiac event. Patients with a systolic daytime BPV under a cut-off value of 19 mmHg had the poorest prognosis with an OR for cumulative events of 1.65 (IC95 % 1.1-2.7; p < 0.04). CONCLUSION: BPV is simple tool and a predictor of cardiac events in patients with systolic HF.

SFE/SFHTA/AFCE primary aldosteronism consensus: Introduction and handbook.

The French Endocrinology Society (SFE) French Hypertension Society (SFHTA) and Francophone Endocrine Surgery Association (AFCE) have drawn up recommendations for the management of primary aldosteronism (PA), based on an analysis of the literature by 27 experts in 7 work-groups. PA is suspected in case of hypertension associated with one of the following characteristics: severity, resistance, associated hypokalemia, disproportionate target organ lesions, or adrenal incidentaloma with hypertension or hypokalemia. Diagnosis is founded on aldosterone/renin ratio (ARR) measured under standardized conditions. Diagnostic thresholds are expressed according to the measurement units employed. Diagnosis is established for suprathreshold ARR associated with aldosterone concentrations >550pmol/L (200pg/mL) on 2 measurements, and rejected for aldosterone concentration<240pmol/L (90pg/mL) and/or subthreshold ARR. The diagnostic threshold applied is different if certain medication cannot be interrupted. In intermediate situations, dynamic testing is performed. Genetic forms of PA are screened for in young subjects and/or in case of familial history. The patient should be informed of the results expected from medical and surgical treatment of PA before exploration for lateralization is proposed. Lateralization is explored by adrenal vein sampling (AVS), except in patients under 35 years of age with unilateral adenoma on imaging. If PA proves to be lateralized, unilateral adrenalectomy may be performed, with adaptation of medical treatment pre- and postoperatively. If PA is non-lateralized or the patient refuses surgery, spironolactone is administered as first-line treatment, replaced by amiloride, eplerenone or calcium-channel blockers if insufficiently effective or poorly tolerated.

SFE/SFHTA/AFCE consensus on primary aldosteronism, part 4: Subtype diagnosis.

To establish the cause of primary aldosteronism (PA), it is essential to distinguish unilateral from bilateral adrenal aldosterone secretion, as adrenalectomy improves aldosterone secretion and controls hypertension and hypokalemia only in the former. Except in the rare cases of type 1 or 3 familial hyperaldosteronism, which can be diagnosed genetically and are not candidates for surgery, lateralized aldosterone secretion is diagnosed on adrenal CT or MRI and adrenal venous sampling. Postural stimulation tests and (131)I-norcholesterol scintigraphy have poor diagnostic value and (11)C-metomidate PET is not yet available. We recommend that adrenal CT or MRI be performed in all cases of PA. Imaging may exceptionally identify adrenocortical carcinoma, for which the surgical objectives are carcinologic, and otherwise shows either normal or hyperplastic adrenals or unilateral adenoma. Imaging alone carries a risk of false positives in patients over 35 years of age (non-aldosterone-secreting adenoma) and false negatives in all patients (unilateral hyperplasia). We suggest that all candidates for surgery over 35 years of age undergo adrenal venous sampling, simultaneously in both adrenal veins, without ACTH stimulation, to confirm the unilateral form of the hypersecretion. Sampling results should be confirmed on adrenal vein cortisol assay showing a concentration at least double that found in peripheral veins. Aldosterone secretion should be considered lateralized when aldosterone/cortisol ratio on the dominant side is at least 4-fold higher than contralaterally.

Antihypertensive drugs, prevention of cognitive decline and dementia: a systematic review of observational studies, randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses, with discussion of potential mechanisms.

BACKGROUND: Chronic hypertension, particularly midlife high blood pressure, has been associated with an increased risk for cognitive decline and dementia. In this context, antihypertensive drugs might have a preventive effect, but the association remains poorly understood. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this systematic review was to examine all published findings that investigated this relationship and discuss the mechanisms underlying the potential benefits of antihypertensive medication use. METHODS: A literature search was conducted using MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Library for publications from 1990 onwards mentioning hypertension, antihypertensive drugs, cognitive decline, and dementia. RESULTS: A total of 38 relevant publications, corresponding to 18 longitudinal studies, 11 randomized controlled trials, and nine meta-analyses were identified from the 10,251 articles retrieved in the literature search. In total, 1,346,176 subjects were included in these studies; the average age was 74 years. In the seven longitudinal studies assessing the effect of antihypertensive medication on cognitive impairment or cognitive decline, antihypertensive drugs appeared to be beneficial. Of the 11 longitudinal studies that assessed the effect of antihypertensive medication on incidence of dementia, only three did not find a significant protective effect. Antihypertensive medication could decrease the risk of not only vascular dementia but also Alzheimer's disease. Four randomized controlled trials showed a potentially preventive effect of antihypertensive drugs on the incidence of dementia or cognitive decline: SYST-EUR (Systolic Hypertension in Europe Study) I and II, with a 55% reduction in dementia risk (3.3 vs. 7.4 cases per 1,000 patient years; p<0.001); HOPE (Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation), with a 41% reduction in cognitive decline associated with stroke (95% confidence interval [CI] 6-63); and PROGRESS (Perindopril Protection against Recurrent Stroke Study), with a 19% reduction in cognitive decline (95% CI 4-32; p=0.01). Meta-analyses have sometimes produced conflicting results, but this may be due to methodological considerations. The lack of homogeneity across study designs, patient populations, exposition, outcomes, and duration of follow-up are the most important methodological limitations that might explain the discrepancies between some of these studies. CONCLUSION: Antihypertensive drugs, particularly calcium channel blockers and renin-angiotensin system blockers, may be beneficial in preventing cognitive decline and dementia. However, further randomized controlled trials with longer periods of follow-up and cognition as the primary outcome are needed to confirm these findings.

[Management of resistant hypertension. Expert consensus statement from the French Society of Hypertension, an affiliate of the French Society of Cardiology]. / Prise en charge de l'hypertension artérielle résistante. Consensus d'experts de la Société française d'hypertension artérielle, filiale de la Société française de cardiologie.

To improve the management of resistant hypertension, the French Society of Hypertension, an affiliate of the French Society of Cardiology, has published a set of eleven recommendations. The primary objective is to provide the most up-to-date information, based on the strongest scientific rationale and which is easily applicable to daily clinical practice for health professionals working within the French health system. Resistant hypertension is defined as uncontrolled blood pressure (BP) both on office measurements and confirmed by out-of-office measurements despite a therapeutic strategy comprising appropriate lifestyle and dietary measures and the concurrent use of three antihypertensive agents including a thiazide diuretic, a renin-angiotensin system blocker (ARB or ACEI) and a calcium channel blocker, for at least four weeks, at optimal doses. Treatment compliance must be closely monitored, as most factors that are likely to affect treatment resistance (excessive dietary salt intake, alcohol, depression and drug interactions, or vasopressors). If the diagnosis of resistant hypertension is confirmed, the patient should be referred to a hypertension specialist to screen for potential target organ damage and secondary causes of hypertension. The recommended treatment regimen is a combination therapy comprising four treatment classes, including spironolactone (12.5 to 25mg/day). In the event of a contraindication or a non-response to spironolactone, or if adverse effects occur, a ß-blocker, an α-blocker, or a centrally acting antihypertensive drug should be prescribed. Because renal denervation is still undergoing assessment for the treatment of hypertension, this technique should only be prescribed by a specialist hypertension clinic.

Mode of delivery at birth and the metabolic syndrome in midlife: the role of the birth environment in a prospective birth cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to examine the hypothesis that mode of delivery at birth may be associated with metabolic disorders in adult midlife. SETTING: Population cohort study PARTICIPANTS: The National Child Development Study consists of individuals born during 1 week in 1958 in Great Britain. Respondents with biomedical data on the metabolic syndrome at age 45 were included. OUTCOME MEASURE: The metabolic syndrome was defined based on the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel (NCEP-ATP) III classification. RESULTS: 7156 were born naturally; among the caesarean births, 106 were non-elective and 85 were elective caesareans. The metabolic syndrome is present in 37.7% of those born by non-elective caesareans, 25.9% of those born by elective caesarean and 27.5% of those born by vaginal delivery. In a multivariate logistic regression model adjusted for antenatal factors, birth history, mother's characteristics and the socioeconomic environment at birth, only birth by non-elective caesarean remained associated with the metabolic syndrome in adulthood compared with vaginal delivery (OR 1.51, 95% CI 1.00 to 2.30). Mother's obesity (OR 1.61, 95% CI 1.12 to 2.34) and low maternal education level (OR 1.47, 95% CI 1.30 to 1.67) were also independently associated with midlife metabolic syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: Birth by non-elective caesarean in 1958 may be associated with metabolic syndrome in adulthood after adjusting for prior confounding factors. We suggest that the birth context of emergency caesareans in 1958 is suggestive of a 'fetal stress' mechanism affecting health across the lifecourse.

[Glycaemic control and complications of diabetes: what about?]. / Contrôle glycémique et complications liées au diabète : que faut-il en penser ? Épidémiologie, données des principaux essais cliniques et méta-analyses.

In France, 2.8 millions of patients have type 2 diabetes, which is a well-established risk factor for cardiovascular disease. In about 15 years, several large clinical trials tried to study the relationship between a tight glycaemic control and the occurrence of micro- and macroangiopathy. Meta-analyses of targeting intensive versus conventional glycaemic control focused on divergent results. In type 1 diabetes, a tight glycaemic control reduced the occurrence of microangiopathy whereas more time, at least 5 years is needed to reduce macroangiopathy. Conclusions drawn from studies are less clear for type 2 diabetes and depend on the caracteristics of the population studied, particularly for retinopathy. When microalbuminuria is the judgement criteria, its progression is lower in the intensive group than in the conventional one and it takes more than about 5 years to emerge; the impact on glomerular filtration rate is less clear. Worries about the excess of mortality observed in the ACCORD study in the intensive treatment group were not described in other studies. The decrease of mortality was not associated with an intensive glyceamic control. Intensified multifactorial intervention is finally needed to improve microangiopathy.

Retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy: comparison of retrograde and antegrade approach among a series of 279 cases.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the results of retroperitoneal laparoscopic adrenalectomy using the antegrade and retrograde approach. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed an analysis of a single-center series of 279 retroperitoneal laparoscopic adrenalectomies from 1996 to 2010. We compared 172 cases performed with an antegrade approach and 107 with a retrograde approach without dissection of the renal hilum and initial control of the adrenal vein in comparable populations. RESULTS: The operative time was shorter in the group treated with the retrograde technique, 101±51 vs 140±40 minutes, respectively (Student's t test, P<.001). Blood loss was similar in both groups, 85±224 vs 80±126 mL, respectively (P=NS). Hemodynamic instability was defined as the maximal systolic blood pressure minus the minimal systolic blood pressure divided the maximal systolic blood pressure. It was lower in the group who underwent the retrograde technique (32.7 vs 37.6 mL; Student's t test, P=.005) with a lower perioperative consumption of ephedrine (2.2 vs 5.1 mg, P=.004) and atropine (0.09 vs 0.22 mg, P=.026). No difference was found between the 2 groups in the frequency of perioperative complications or postoperative mortality (1 death in each group of causes unrelated to the surgery). CONCLUSION: Retroperitoneal laparoscopic adrenalectomy using a retrograde approach is a safe and reproducible technique. It makes it possible to perform adrenalectomy without dissection of the renal hilum, with a reduction in the operative time. The good hemodynamic stability observed with this technique makes it very attractive for the treatment of pheochromocytoma.

Patterns of hypertension management in France (ENNS 2006-2007).

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to describe the hypertensive population and therapeutic management of hypertension in subjects between 18 and 74 years of age in continental France in 2006. METHODS: ENNS was a cross-sectional survey conducted in continental France in 2006-2007. Blood pressure (BP) was measured in a national sample of non-institutionalized adults aged 18-74 years and pharmacological treatment was collected by a self-questionnaire. Hypertension was defined by systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≥140 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure (DBP) ≥90 mmHg, or treatment with BP-lowering drugs. The therapeutic control of treated hypertensive patients was defined by SBP <140 mmHg and DBP <90 mmHg. RESULTS: The prevalence of hypertension was 31.0%. Half of hypertensive subjects reported taking an antihypertensive drug (50.3%) and nearly half of them were treated with a single antihypertensive pharmacological class (44.3%). Overall, among hypertensives, 25.6% had a satisfactory BP control. CONCLUSIONS: Our survey revealed a high prevalence of hypertension in continental France, with only half of the hypertensive subjects receiving pharmacological therapy and one treated out of two with BP at goal. More effective measures are needed to improve clinical management of hypertension.

Arterial ultrasound screening as a tool for coronary risk assessment in asymptomatic men and women.

One of the imaging tests most commonly used to assess cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in daily practice is Doppler ultrasonography of the carotid and femoral arteries. We included 2709 participants with no history or symptoms of CVD; they had a risk factor assessment and a carotid and femoral ultrasonography at baseline. Incident cases of definite coronary events were recorded during a median follow-up of 6 years. Approximately, 63% of the sample presented abnormalities (carotid stenosis >50%, carotid plaque, femoral plaque, increased intima-media thickness [IMT]). A moderately increased IMT (>0.63 mm) or the presence of carotid or femoral artery plaque was related to prognosis. The associations persisted after adjustment for pretest risk, treatment with statins, and other Doppler ultrasonography abnormalities. The hazard ratio increased significantly with the number of abnormalities (varying from 2.35 [1.16-4.74] to 14.83 [6.47-33.9]).

Metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, and periodontitis: a cross-sectional study in a middle-aged French population.

AIM: Metabolic syndrome consists of a cluster of clinical and biological abnormalities, influenced by insulin resistance and promoting cardiovascular diseases. We examined the relationships between metabolic syndrome, its various components, insulin resistance, and periodontitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 276 subjects (35-74 years) recruited within a cross-sectional survey on cardiovascular risk factors. Twenty-one were excluded because of infectious risk or total tooth loss. Clinical attachment loss (CAL), probing pocket depth (PD), gingival and plaque indexes were recorded. Periodontitis was classified into moderate and severe forms. RESULTS: The mean age was 58, 41% of the subjects had moderate and 39% had severe periodontitis. In univariate comparisons, periodontitis was associated with metabolic syndrome (p=0.050), most of its components, and HOMA index (homoeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance). After adjustment for confounders, only HOMA index remained associated with severe periodontitis (odds ratio [OR]=3.97 [95% confidence interval: 1.22-12.9], OR=3.78 [1.14-12.5] for third and fourth versus the first quartile of the HOMA index, respectively). The HOMA index was also associated with the number of periodontal sites with CAL>or=4 mm, CAL>or=5 mm, or PD>or=4 mm (greater number for higher HOMA-index values). This relationship disappeared in never-smokers. CONCLUSIONS: Our data support the relationships between metabolic disturbances and periodontitis, with a central role of insulin resistance.