Concentration of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) is significantly reduced after nilotinib discontinuation.

Dyslipidemia is a frequent side effect associated with nilotinib treatment. Patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) under treatment with nilotinib who develop dyslipidemia have been shown to have a higher risk of presenting atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ACVD). Therapeutic discontinuation in selected individuals could be a strategy in order to prevent the development of ACVD. Observational study of patients with CML under nilotinib treatment. The lipid values were gathered before starting with nilotinib and after 3 months. Such values were also measured before discontinuation in patients who suspended nilotinib treatment, as well as 3 and 12 months later. 32 patients were included, 19 of them treated in monotherapy with nilotinib. The concentrations of total cholesterol and low-density lipoproteins (LDL) increased significantly after 3 months of treatment (27.29 mg/dL ± 22.88, p < 0.01). Of the total number of patients treated, 12 discontinued the treatment. LDL concentration was significantly reduced after 3 months of the nilotinib discontinuation (- 27.58 mg/dL ± 38.30, p = 0.030), remaining substantially lower after 12 months, compared to the time previous to discontinuation (- 24.58 mg/dL ± 37.31, p = 0.043). Nilotinib suspension reduces significantly LDL concentrations. These data support the strategy of therapeutic discontinuation in order to prevent future cardiovascular complications, especially in patients with prior cardiovascular risk factors.

¿Es necesario realizar un screening cardiovascular en los pacientes migrantes? / Is it necessary to perform cardiovascular screening in migrant patients?

Los pacientes migrantes que llegan a España a menudo proceden de países donde no existe acceso universal a la sanidad. Aunque la prevalencia de hipertensión arterial (HTA) es menor en África occidental que en España, existe una mayor prevalencia de HTA enmascarada debido a la ausencia de cribados de salud. Esto también puede producir que no se diagnostiquen a los pacientes con HTA secundaria. Presentamos el caso de un varón senegalés de 36 años, sin antecedentes patológicos conocidos, residente desde hacía un año en España, que debutó con una emergencia hipertensiva. En el momento del diagnóstico, el paciente presentaba daño grave de órgano diana (cardiopatía hipertensiva, retinopatía hipertensiva). Tras el estudio, se le diagnosticó hipertensión arterial secundaria a malformación de la arteria renal. Después de realizar la angioplastia, la presión arterial se normalizó y, a los 18 meses, el daño a los órganos diana se había reducido.(AU)

Migrant patients arriving in Spain often come from countries where there is no universal access to healthcare. Although the prevalence of arterial hypertension (HTN) is lower in West Africa than in Spain, there is a higher prevalence of masked HT due to the absence of health screening. Furthermore, patients with secondary hypertension may not be diagnosed. We present the case of a 36-year-old Senegalese man, with no known pathological history, resident for a year in Spain, who debuted with a hypertensive emergency. At the time of diagnosis, the patient had severe end-organ damage (hypertensive heart disease, hypertensive retinopathy). After the study, he was diagnosed with arterial hypertension secondary to malformation of the renal artery. After performing angioplasty, blood pressure normalized and, at 18 months, target organ damage had reduced. Migrants who arrive in our country must be incorporated into health screening systems to diagnose and treat possible unknown pathologies. In our case, the clue to secondary hypertension was the development of resistant hypertension with target organ damage in a young subject.(AU)

Surgical management of tricuspid regurgitation: a new algorithm to minimise recurrent tricuspid regurgitation.

INTRODUCTION: Recurrent tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is frequently observed after cardiac surgery; however, the correct approach remains controversial. We developed an algorithm for action on the tricuspid valve (TV) and conducted a 1-year follow-up study. The aim was to assess the efficacy of the algorithm to minimise residual TR after TV surgery. The hypothesis was that the TR rate at 1 year would be reduced by selecting the surgical approach in accordance with a set of preoperative clinical and echocardiographic variables. METHODS: A prospective, observational, single-centre study was performed in 76 consecutive patients with TV involvement. A protocol was designed for their inclusion, and data on their clinical and echocardiographic characteristics were gathered at 3 months and 1-year postsurgery. The treatment of patients depended on the degree of TR. Surgery was performed in all patients with severe or moderate-to-severe TR and in those with mild or moderate TR alongside the presence of certain clinical or echocardiographic factors. They underwent annuloplasty or extended valve repair when the TV was distorted. If repair techniques were not feasible, a prosthesis was implanted. Residual TR rates were compared with published reports, and predictors of early/late mortality and residual TR were evaluated. RESULTS: TR was functional in 69.9% of patients. Rigid ring annuloplasty was performed in 35.7% of patients, De Vega annuloplasty in 27.1%, extended repair in 11.4% and prosthetic replacement in 25.7%. TR was moderate or worse in 8.19% of patients (severe in 3.27%) at 1 year postintervention. No clinical, surgical or epidemiological variables were significantly associated with residual TR persistence, although annulus diameter showed a close-to-significant association. Total mortality was 12.85% for all causes and 10% for cardiovascular causes. In multivariate analysis, left ventricular ejection fraction was related to both early and late mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Severe residual TR was significantly less frequent than reported in other series, being observed in less than 4% of patients at 1-year postsurgery.

Is it necessary to perform cardiovascular screening in migrant patients? / ¿Es necesario realizar un screening cardiovascular en los pacientes migrantes?

Migrant patients arriving in Spain often come from countries where there is no universal access to healthcare. Although the prevalence of arterial hypertension (HTN) is lower in West Africa than in Spain, there is a higher prevalence of masked HT due to the absence of health screening. Furthermore, patients with secondary hypertension may not be diagnosed. We present the case of a 36-year-old Senegalese man, with no known pathological history, resident for a year in Spain, who debuted with a hypertensive emergency. At the time of diagnosis, the patient had severe end-organ damage (hypertensive heart disease, hypertensive retinopathy). After the study, he was diagnosed with arterial hypertension secondary to malformation of the renal artery. After performing angioplasty, blood pressure normalized and, at 18 months, target organ damage had reduced. Migrants who arrive in our country must be incorporated into health screening systems to diagnose and treat possible unknown pathologies. In our case, the clue to secondary hypertension was the development of resistant hypertension with target organ damage in a young subject.

Arterial hypertension assessment in a population with chronic myeloid leukemia.

Treatment of chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) is based on tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI), whose introduction in 2001 improved the survival rate after 5 years from 40 to 90%. The longevity increase has been accompanied by a higher incidence of cardiovascular events (CVE) that can be explained due to the sum of cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) together with the secondary effects of the TKI. The effect of the TKI over the blood pressure control is still unknown. An observational cross-sectional study of patients with CML under treatment with TKI (imatinib, dasatinib and nilotinib) was conducted. Blood pressure was analyzed through sphygmomanometer and 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). A total of 73 patients were included, 57 treated with a single line of treatment. 32.9% of the total of individuals under this study showed uncontrolled blood pressure according to the ABPM. The factors related to uncontrolled BP were overweight, dyslipidemia, alcohol use, pulse wave velocity a high/very high cardiovascular risk. The subjects who received treatment with nilotinib did present worse control of their blood pressure in ABPM than those treated with imatinib and dasatinib (p = 0.041). This finding could indicate that an uncontrolled blood pressure is implied in the pro-inflammatory and pro-atherogenic mechanism underlying the development of the cardiovascular disease in those patients under treatment with nilotinib. The ABPM is a useful tool in the diagnosis and treatment of HT, being the reason why it should be included in the assessment of patients with CML whose HT diagnosis proves uncertain.

Enfermedad cardiovascular progresiva en paciente bajo tratamiento con nilotinib / Progressive cardiovascular disease in a patient under treatment with nilotinib

No disponible

Progressive cardiovascular disease in a patient under treatment with nilotinib. / Enfermedad cardiovascular progresiva en paciente bajo tratamiento con nilotinib.

The development of cardiovascular disease appears in subjects with several cardiovascular risk factors. However, other agents could be related to the appearance of cardiovascular disease, like chemotherapy drugs. We present a 63 years-old man with very high cardiovascular risk and chronic myeloid leukemia under treatment with nilotinib. Despite a good control of cardiovascular risk factors, he development a severe and accelerated peripheral arterial disease. Peripheral arterial disease occurs in 5-20% patients under treatment with nilotinib and it is more frequently in subjects with several cardiovascular risk factors.