May Measurement Month 2017-2019: an analysis of blood pressure screening results from Dominican Republic.

Arterial hypertension is the main risk factor that contributes to cardiovascular disease and represents a leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally. May Measurement Month (MMM) is a global screening campaign with the aim of improving awareness of hypertension at the individual and population level, an initiative that has been supported in the Dominican Republic (DR) since 2017. Adults (≥18 years) were recruited by sampling in different places in the DR, three blood pressure (BP) readings were performed per participant, and data on risk factors and comorbidities were collected. Hypertension was defined as systolic BP ≥140 mm Hg, diastolic BP ≥ 90 mm Hg (mean of second and third readings), and/or taking antihypertensive medication. Multiple imputation was used to estimate participants' mean BP when three readings were not available. Of 3693 participants, 2134 (57.8%) had hypertension, of whom 1646 (77.1%) were taking medication, but only 38.6% of those on treatment had their BP under control(<140/90 mmHg). The remaining 61.4% of the participants received inadequate treatment. A total of 66% of treated patients were taking a single antihypertensive drug. MMM provides an important platform for the standardized compilation of BP data and the creation of awareness of hypertension in the DR and other nations of the world. The data generated from the 2017-2019 MMM campaigns highlight the importance of adequate detection, knowledge, and control of BP.

Hallazgos ecocardiográficos en pacientes geriátricos con soplo sistólico / Echocardiographic findings in geriatric patients with systolic murmurs

Se realizó un estudio retrospectivo analizando los ecocardiogramas de 50 pacientes mayores de 60 años con soplo sistólico y se comparan con 50 pacientes entre 40-60 años en el Hospital Regional Universitario José María Cabral y Báez, Santiago, República Dominicana. Durante el período enero-agosto, 1991. Se evidencia una mayor probabilidad de tener alternaciones cardiológicas en los mayores de 60 años (3.5 veces más). El engrosamiento valvular y la dilatación de cavidad ocupan los hallazgos más frecuentes en los pacientes mayores de 60 años, aunque sin diferencia significativa respecto a los menores de 60 años. Encontrándose de significancia estadística el engrosamiento del septum, esclerosis valvular aórtica hipertrofia del ventrículo izquierdo y el engrosamiento de cavidad. Se concluye que también en los pacientes ancianos con soplo sistólico se debe realizar una evaluación del mismo, siendo el ecocardiograma el procedimiento más inocuo y menos agresivo. Ecocardiografía, soplo sistólico, cardiopatía, anciano, válvulas, cavidades, septum ventrículo