Comparison of the use of blood pressure telemonitoring versus standard medical care in the achievement of short-term therapeutic goals in blood pressure in patients with uncontrolled hypertension: An open-label clinical trial.

Background: In Mexico less than half of the treated hypertensive patients reach blood pressure (BP) targets. Most hypertensive individuals rely on the standard medical care (SMC) to achieve the BP control goals; however, the efficacy of BP telemonitoring (BPT) to achieve BP targets has been poorly studied. Aim: To compare the efficacy of BPT versus SMC to achieve BP goals in patients with uncontrolled hypertension. Methods: A two-arm, open-label clinical trial was conducted in patients ≥18 years with uncontrolled hypertension. The participants were randomized to 2 arms (BPT vs SMC) and followed for 12 weeks. For the statistical analysis, the chi-squared test and covariance were used. Results: One hundred and seventy-eight participants were included, BPT (n = 94) and SMC (n = 84), after 12 weeks of follow up, we observed a baseline-adjusted reduction in systolic BP with both BPT (-13.5 [1.3] mmHg) and the SMC (-5.9 [1.4] mmHg; p < 0.001) but a greater decrease with BPT (p < 0.001). Likewise, we found a baseline-adjusted reduction of diastolic BP with BPT (-6.9 [0.9] mmHg) and SMC (-2.7 [0.9] mmHg) (p = 0.007) with a more significant percentage change from baseline with BPT (-6.8% [1.0] vs 2.5% [1.1]; p = 0.007). In the BPT arm, a larger proportion of patients achieved the BP target versus SMC (30.5% vs 12.8%; p = 0.005). Conclusion: BPT showed a greater proportion of patients achieving office BP control goals (<140/90 mmHg), compared to standard medical care.

[Clinico-pathologic manifestations of ruptured aneurysm of the sinus of Valsalva]. / Manifestaciones clínico-patológicas de los aneurismas rotos del seno de Valsalva.

The clinical files from the National Institute of Cardiology "Ignacio Chávez" were reviewed, we found 26 corroborated cases of ruptured aneurysms Valsalva's sinus. There is predominance of the male sex in proportion 3:1 and the median age when the diagnosis was made was 22 years. 77% of these cases were in N.Y.H.A. clinical class I or II and the main symptom was dyspnoea on exertion. On the physical examination a continuous murmur or sistolo-diastolic murmur was heard over precordium in 92% of the cases and a hyperkinetic circulatory regimen. Only in 23% of these patients the diagnosis was suspected and the more common confusion was with the V.S.D. associated with aortic incompetence. On the E.K.G. we found data with volumetric overload of the right heart in 15 cases. The hemodynamic study confirmed the diagnosis only in 60%. The aortic valve was substituted for associated incompetence in 12 cases and the pathological study revealed fibromixoid degeneration in 9 cases and only fibrosis in the remaining 3. The sinus of Valsalva more affected was the right coronary and the chamber where the rupture was more frequent was the right ventricle in 73% of the cases. We conclude that the ruptured aneurysms of the Valsalva's sinus is rather frequent among the congenital heart diseases and has particular clinical data and special features in making a precise diagnosis.

[Echocardiographic signs of congenital absence of the pulmonary semilunar cusps]. / Signos ecocardiográficos de la ausencia congénita de las sigmoideas pulmonares.

Five patients with congenital absence of the pulmonary valve leaflets were studied with M-mode and two-dimensional echocardiography. In addition to previously reported findings in this heart malformation, we found the presence of a narrow valvular ring that obstructs the outflow tract of the right ventricle, and a to-and-fro movement of the contrast bubbles from the right ventricle to the pulmonary artery suggesting pulmonary regurgitation. These features along with the volume overload data of the right ventricle suggests the diagnosis of congenital absence of the pulmonary valve leaflets.