Association of intrarenal blood flow with renal function and target organ damage in hypertensive patients with fibromuscular dysplasia: the ARCADIA-POL study.

INTRODUCTION Data on the assessment of intrarenal blood flow parameters in patients with renal fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) are scarce. OBJECTIVES The aim of the study was to evaluate intrarenal blood flow parameters in patients with FMD and significant or nonsignificant renal artery stenosis (RAS). PATIENTS AND METHODS We evaluated intrarenal blood flow parameters by Doppler ultrasonography in 153 patients with renal FMD enrolled in the ARCADIA­POL study: 32 and 121 patients with and without significant RAS, respectively, compared with 60 matched patients with essential hypertension and 60 healthy controls. RESULTS Patients with FMD and significant RAS had a lower renal resistive index (RRI) compared with patients with FMD without significant RAS, patients with essential hypertension, and normotensive controls (mean [SD], 0.51 [0.08] vs 0.60 [0.07], 0.62 [0.06], and 0.61 [0.06], respectively; P <0.001). In patients with nonsignificant RAS, RRI correlated significantly with carotid intima-media thickness, 24­hour diastolic blood pressure, 24­hour pulse pressure, left ventricular diastolic function, known duration time of hypertension, and age. In patients with significant RAS, there was a significant correlation between RRI and known duration time of hypertension, left ventricular diastolic function, and age. In a separate, "per­kidney" analysis, renal arteries with FMD and significant RAS were characterized by lower RRI values, higher maximal blood flow velocity, higher renal aortic ratio, and longer acceleration time compared with renal arteries with FMD and nonsignificant RAS as well as renal arteries without FMD. CONCLUSIONS In contrast to atherosclerotic RAS, intrarenal blood flow in patients with FMD and RAS is preserved, confirming that renal vasculature is relatively intact in these patients.

A randomized comparison of modified subcutaneous "Z"-stitch versus manual compression to achieve hemostasis after large caliber femoral venous sheath removal.

OBJECTIVES: To compare subcutaneous "Z"-stitch versus manual compression in attaining hemostasis after large bore femoral venous access, and to assess its impact on venous patency. BACKGROUND: Structural interventions increasingly require large caliber venous access, for which convenient, safe, and effective method of postprocedural hemostasis is needed. "Z"-stitch has been introduced for this purpose in some centers but systematic data on its performance is limited. METHODS: This single center study randomized consecutive patients with femoral venous access sites requiring ≥10F sheaths to the "Z"-stitch or manual compression for hemostasis in a 2:1 fashion. There were three co-primary endpoints: time to hemostasis, time to ambulation, and a composite safety endpoint comprising vascular access site complications. Groin Doppler-Duplex was performed with the stitch in place and after its removal. RESULTS: 86 consecutive patients with 90 access sites were randomized. Mean age was 61.7 ± 19.1 years, 33.3% were men. Median sheath size was 14 F (range 10-22 F). Patients randomized to "Z"-stitch achieved hemostasis quicker [<1 min vs. 12.0 (IQR 10.0-15.0) min, P < 0.001] and ambulated sooner [7.0 (IQR 4.0-12.0) vs. 16.0 (IQR 11.8-20.3) hr post procedure, P < 0.001] when compared with manual compression alone. The "Z"-stitch reduced rates of access site complications (OR = 0.27, 95%CI 0.09-0.76, P = 0.01). All imaged veins were patent before and after stitch removal. CONCLUSIONS: The "Z"-stitch is a safe and effective method of achieving hemostasis after large bore femoral venous sheath removal and results in faster hemostasis, early patient ambulation and less access site complications, without compromising vein patency when compared with manual compression alone. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Altered plasma fibrin clot properties in hypertensive patients with obstructive sleep apnoea are improved by continuous positive airway pressure treatment.

AIM: We investigated plasma fibrin clot properties in high-risk hypertensive patients with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) and assessed the impact of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment on clot phenotype. METHODS: We studied 50 hypertensive patients with clinically significant OSA (age 50.0 ±â€Š8.8 years, 39 M, 11 F). In total, 38 hypertensive patients without OSA balanced for age, sex, blood pressure, cardiovascular risk factors, and metabolic status served as controls. Plasma fibrin clot properties, including clot permeability coefficient, clot lysis time (CLT), and turbidimetric parameters of clot formation were determined. Patients underwent transthoracic echocardiography, carotid ultrasonography, evaluation of endothelial function and calcium score index of coronary arteries, and Doppler imaging of renal arteries. RESULTS: Compared with controls, OSA patients were characterized by more compact fibrin structure (lower median clot permeability coefficient, 6.00 vs. 7.25 10 cm; P < 0.001), impaired fibrinolysis (longer median CLT, 108.00 vs. 92.50 min; P < 0.001), and by faster clot formation (shorter median lag phase, 40.50 vs. 42.50 s; P = 0.041), and higher median maximum clot absorbency indicating denser fibrin networks (0.87 vs. 0.81; P = 0.028). Clot permeability coefficient and CLT correlated with apnoea-hypopnoea index (r = -0.46; P < 0.001 and r = 0.44; P < 0.001, respectively) as well with mean (r = 0.31; P = 0.003; r = -0.36; P = 0.001, respectively) and minimal oxygen saturation (r = 0.46; P < 0.001; r = -0.49; P < 0.001, respectively). After 3 months of CPAP treatment we observed an increase in clot permeability coefficient (5.95 vs. 7.60 10 cm; P = 0,001), shortened CLT (107.00 vs. 87.00; P = 0.006), a longer lag phase of fibrin formation (40.00 vs. 43.50 s; P = 0.013), and a trend toward lower maximum clot absorbency (0.86 vs. 0.81; P = 0.058). CONCLUSION: In hypertensive patients at high cardiovascular risk, OSA was associated with unfavourable prothrombotic fibrin clot characteristics, including hypofibrinolysis, which significantly improve as early as after 3 months of CPAP treatment.

Morning blood pressure surge and markers of cardiovascular alterations in untreated middle-aged hypertensive subjects.

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the degree of morning blood pressure surge (MBPS) and its relationship with markers of cardiovascular alterations in untreated middle-aged hypertensives. We studied 241 patients (mean age, 36.6 ± 10.7 years). Subjects with higher sleep-through MBPS (st-MBPS) were older (P = .003), had higher carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) (P = .05) and lower E/A ratio (P = .01) than those with lower MBPS. Subjects with higher prewakening MBPS (pw-MBPS) had significantly higher deceleration time (P = .01) compared with those with lower pw-MBPS. St-MBPS correlated significantly with age, cIMT values, 24-hour systolic and diastolic BP, and systolic BP night-time fall. The significant correlations between pw-MBPS and cIMT values, deceleration time, 24-hour diastolic BP and systolic BP night-time fall were observed. A relationship between MBPS and cardiovascular alterations was observed both in dippers and nondippers, although in non-dippers, it was less pronounced. The results may imply a possible link between MBPS and markers of cardiovascular alterations in untreated hypertensive subjects.

Relationship between hemodynamic parameters of renal artery stenosis and the changes of kidney function after renal artery stenting in patients with hypertension and preserved renal function.

INTRODUCTION: The role of physiological assessment of renal artery stenosis (RAS) using renal fractional flow reserve (rFFR) and resting translesional pressures ratio (Pd/Pa ratio) in the prediction of benefit from revascularization is still unknown. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between hemodynamic data and the change in kidney function after renal artery stenting in secondary hypertension. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 34 hypertensive patients (50% males, median age 65 years) with at least 60% RAS, underwent stenting and were followed up for 6 months. Pd/Pa ratio (ratio of mean distal to lesion to proximal pressure) and hyperemic rFFR (after papaverine) were measured before the procedure. At baseline and after 6 months, the glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), serum cystatin C and albuminuria were determined. In receiver operating characteristic curves, two previously established cut-off values with the highest accuracy of identifying severe RAS were used: 0.93 for the Pd/Pa ratio and 0.8 for the rFFR. RESULTS: No significant difference in eGFR was found between patients with decreased and normal Pd/Pa ratio (1.4 vs 7.9 ml/min, p = ns). Similarly, minor changes in eGFR were observed in patients with decreased vs normal rFFR (2.4 vs 4.1 ml/min, p = ns). In patients with decreased Pd/Pa ratio, albuminuria remained stable (change 1.4 mg/24 h) compared with an increase of 12.6 mg/24 h in the subgroup with Pd/Pa ≥ 0.93(p < 0.05). However, after exclusion of two outliers with significant baseline proteinuria (425 and 1095 mg/24 h, respectively), the difference in albuminuria change according to the baseline Pd/Pa ratio was no longer maintained. CONCLUSIONS: Hemodynamic parameters of RAS do not distinguish the patients who may benefit from renal artery stenting in terms of kidney function improvement in short-term follow-up.

Relationship between obstructive sleep apnea and markers of cardiovascular alterations in never-treated hypertensive patients.

We addressed a question if there is a relationship between severity of newly diagnosed obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and markers of cardiovascular alterations in middle-aged untreated hypertensive patients. In 121 consecutive patients with never-treated essential hypertension (mean age 35.9±10.1 years; 97 men and 24 women) evaluation of office and ambulatory blood pressure (BP) measurements, metabolic syndrome (MS) components and markers of alterations in cardiovascular system including left ventricular structure and function, carotid artery wall intima-media thickness (cIMT) and urinary albumin excretion (UAE) was performed. OSA was classified as mild (apnea/hypopnea index (AHI) 5-15 events h(-1)) or moderate-to-severe (AHI >15 events h(-1)). Mild and moderate-to-severe OSA were diagnosed in 30% and 20% of patients, respectively. No differences in nighttime BP levels and decline between patients with and without OSA were observed. The patients with moderate-to-severe OSA were characterized by higher cIMT (0.74±0.16 vs. 0.60±0.15 mm; P=0.001), UAE (14.5±6.9 vs. 10.0±8.0 mg 24 h(-1); P=0.014), relative wall thickness (0.42±0.05 vs. 0.39±0.05; P=0.023) and by a higher degree of diastolic dysfunction (E'-wave velocity 11.4±3.2 vs. 15.5±3.8 m s(-1); P<0.001) as compared with the patients without OSA. In multivariate analysis, AHI independently of BP and MS components correlated with UAE, relative wall thickness and E'-wave velocity. In the middle-aged never-treated hypertensive patients, moderate-to-severe OSA correlates with markers of cardiovascular alterations independently of BP levels and MS components.

Relationship between renal resistive index and early target organ damage in patients with never-treated essential hypertension.

The aim of our study was to evaluate renal resistive index (RI) value in never treated hypertensive patients in relation to ambulatory blood pressure measurement (ABPM) values and early target organ damage. The study included 318 subjects: 223 patients with never treated essential hypertension (mean age 37.1 years) and 95 normotensive healthy subjects (mean age 37.9 years). ABPM, echocardiography and carotid and renal arteries duplex color Doppler examinations were performed. RI values in patients with never treated essential hypertension were no different from the normotensive control group (0.59 +/- 0.05 vs 0.59 +/- 0.05; NS). In the untreated patients RI correlated significantly with 24-h pulse pressure (r=0.234; p<0.01) and ambulatory arterial stiffness index (AASI) values (r=0.274; p<0.001), intima-media thickness (IMT) (r=0.249; p<0.001), E'/A' (rho= -0.279; p<0.001) and relative wall thickness (RWT; r=0.185; p<0.01). In the multivariate stepwise analysis, RI values correlated independently with carotid IMT (beta=0.272; p=0.020) and 24-h AASI values (beta=0.305; p=0.009). In normotensive healthy controls, significant independent correlation between RI and carotid IMT and 24-h AASI values were also found. Our study may indicate limited value of RI in differentiating patients with uncomplicated hypertension with healthy controls. Renal resistive values were independently correlated with carotid IMT and AASI. These may suggest that renal vascular resistance is related to two markers for cardiovascular events both in the hypertensive and normotensive subjects.