Despite celiprolol therapy, patients with vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome remain at risk of vascular events: A 12-year experience in an Italian referral center.

BACKGROUND: Vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (vEDS) is an inherited connective tissue disorder characterized by arterial fragility. Celiprolol has been suggested to significantly reduce rates of vascular events in this setting, though real-world evidence is limited. The aim of this study was to report our experience with celiprolol therapy in vEDS management. METHODS: Patients with a genetically confirmed diagnosis of vEDS who were referred for outpatient consultation at the Brescia University Hospital between January 2011 and July 2023 were included. At each visit, patients' medical history, results of vascular imaging, and office blood pressure measurements were recorded. Celiprolol therapy was progressively titrated to the maximum tolerated dose of up to 400 mg daily, according to the patients' tolerance. RESULTS: Overall, 26 patients were included. Female sex was prevalent (62%). Mean (SD) age was 37 (16) years. Follow-up duration was 72 (41) months. At the last follow-up visit, all patients were on celiprolol therapy, 80% of whom were taking the maximum recommended dose. The yearly risk of symptomatic vascular events was 8.8%, the majority of which occurred after reaching the maximum recommended dose of celiprolol. No significant predictor of symptomatic vascular events was identified among patients' clinical characteristics. CONCLUSION: In our cohort, rates of celiprolol use were high and the drug was well tolerated overall. Nonetheless, the risk of symptomatic vascular events remained nonnegligible. Future studies should identify reliable predictors of major adverse events and explore additional therapeutic strategies that could further lower the risk of life-threatening events in this population.

Accuracy of home blood pressure measurement: the ACCURAPRESS study - a proposal of Young Investigator Group of the Italian Hypertension Society (Società Italiana dell'Ipertensione Arteriosa).

PURPOSE: Home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) might be considered a valid alternative to ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) for both the diagnosis and management of hypertension. Correct information on how to perform HBPM are crucial for its reliability. The aim of the present survey was to assess if hypertensive patients followed current recommendation on how to correctly perform HBPM measurements. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The survey included 30 different items on how to perform the HBPM. It was developed by the 'Young Investigators' group of the Italian Society of Arterial Hypertension (SIIA) and it was administered during the office visit between May 2019 and December 2021. RESULTS: A total of 643 hypertensive patients participated in the study. Main results show that, despite the rate of informed patients was relatively high (71% of the whole population), unacceptable number of patients did not follow indications on how to perform a correct HBPM. Patients who were informed on how to measure home BP had a significantly higher rate of correct position during measurement (78 vs. 22%, p < 0.01), avoidance of talking and moving during measurement (68 vs. 32%, p < 0.0001), and correct number and time interval between two measurements (85 vs. 15%, p < 0.001). More accurate measurements of home BP were associated with less prevalence of carotid plaque. CONCLUSIONS: Correct performance for HBPM is low among patients treated in Italian hypertension centers. These findings shed light on the importance of correct HBPM measurements for the detection of accurate BP values for the proper management of hypertensive patients.

Acute blood pressure elevation: Therapeutic approach.

International guidelines have suggested to avoid the term "hypertensive crisis" for the description of an acute and severe increase in blood pressure (BP) and to consider the definition of 'hypertensive emergencies' or 'hypertensive urgencies'. These two clinical presentations are characterized by the presence of high BP values but imply a different diagnostic and therapeutic approach. Hypertension awareness, treatment and control are slightly increased in the last years mostly in the United States and in some European nations. Nevertheless the prevalence of hypertensive emergencies is still high and remains associated to a higher mortality. International Guidelines have also given some recommendations regarding the target BP during treatment and the use of antihypertensive drugs in hypertensive emergencies, although the adherence to these indications is frequently suboptimal. The present paper is aimed to update the currently available data on the treatment of hypertensive emergencies.

Changes in left ventricular geometry during antihypertensive treatment.

The reduction of echocardiographic left ventricular (LV) mass and the change toward a less concentric geometry during antihypertensive treatment are independently associated with a better prognosis. Blood pressure-lowering treatment may reduce cardiac hypertrophy, although different effect on changes of LV mass have been reported among antihypertensive drug classes, while changes in echocardiographic evaluated LV geometry have not been systemically evaluated. It is not yet clear whether antihypertensive drugs may influence LV geometry. Our aim was to compare the effects of diuretics (D), beta-blockers (BB), calcium channel blockers (CCB), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE-I), and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBS) on relative wall thickness (RWT) in patients with hypertension on the basis of prospective, randomized comparative studies. METHODS: MEDLINE, and the ISI Web of Sciences were searched for randomized clinical trials evaluating LV mass and geometry at baseline and end follow-up. We have performed a pooled pairwise comparisons of the effect of the 5 major drug classes on relative wall thickness changes, and of each drug class versus other classes statistically combined. RESULTS: We selected 53 publications involving 7684 patients. A significant correlation was observed between percent changes from baseline to end of treatment in LV mass and those in systolic BP (r = 0.44, p < 0.001). Reduction of LV mass was significantly greater with CCB than with BB (P <  0.02) without other significant differences between drug classes. Percent changes in RWT were related to percent changes in LV mass/LVmass index (r = 0.68, p = 0.016) and of SBP (r = 0.64 p < 0.033). RWT decreased during treatment with all classes of drugs, except the combination of BB and D; the decrease of RWT was less with diuretics and sympatholytic drugs. CONCLUSIONS: In studies evaluating the effect of different classes of antihypertensive drugs on LV mass, the reduction of relative wall thickness seems to be less during treatment with diuretics.

Home based telemedicine intervention for patients with uncontrolled hypertension--a real life non-randomized study.

BACKGROUND: Control of blood pressure is frequently inadequate in spite of availability of several classes of well tolerated and effective antihypertensive drugs. Several factors, including the use of suboptimal doses of drugs, inadequate or ineffective treatments and poor drug compliance may be the reason for this phenomenon. The aim of the current non- randomized study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a Home-Based Telemedicine service in patients with uncontrolled hypertension. METHODS: 74 patients were enrolled in a Home Based Telemedicine group and 94 patients in the Usual Care group. At baseline and at the end of the study, patients in both groups were seen in a cardiology office. Patients in Home Based Telemedicine group additionally were followed by a physician-nurse, through scheduled and unscheduled telephone appointments. These patients also received a blood pressure measuring device that could transmit the readings to a central data monitor via secure data connection. RESULTS: During the study period (80 ± 25 days), a total of 17401 blood pressure measurements were taken in the Home Based Telemedicine group corresponding to 236 ± 136 readings per patient and a mean daily measurement of 3 ± 1.7. The scheduled telephone contacts (initiated by the nurse) equaled to 5.2 ± 4.3/patient (370 in total) and the unscheduled telephone contacts (initiated by the patients) were 0.4 ± 0.9/patient (30 in total). The mean systolic blood pressure values decreased from 153 ± 19 mmHg to 130 ± 15 mmHg (p < 0.0001) at the end of the study and diastolic blood pressure values decreased from 89 ± 10 mmHg to 76 ± 11 mmHg (p < 0.0001). In the Usual Care group, the mean systolic blood pressure values decreased from 156 ± 16 mmHg to 149 ± 17 mmHg (p < 0.05) at the end of the study and diastolic blood pressure values decreased from 90 ± 8 mmHg to 86 ± 9 mmHg (p < 0.05). The changes in drug therapy initiated following telephone contacts were 1.81 ± 1.73 per patient. CONCLUSIONS: The addition of a structured physician-nurse approach supported by remote telemonitoring of blood pressure is likely to improve outcome in patients with uncontrolled hypertension.

Platypnea and orthodeoxia in a patient with pulmonary embolism.

The platypnea-orthodeoxia syndrome is a rare clinical manifestation. Platypnea is defined as shortness of breath that worsens in the upright position, and orthodeoxia represents hypoxemia that aggravates in the upright position. We report a case of a patient with platypnea-orthodeoxia syndrome associated with pulmonary embolism and patent foramen ovale.

Use of non-invasive respiratory supports in high-intensity internal medicine setting during the first two waves of the COVID-19 pandemic emergency in Italy: a multicenter, real-life experience.

During the first two waves of the COVID-19 emergency in Italy, internal medicine high-dependency wards (HDW) have been organized to manage patients with acute respiratory failure (ARF). There is heterogeneous evidence about the feasibility and outcomes of non-invasive respiratory supports (NIRS) in settings outside the intensive care unit (ICU), including in patients deemed not eligible for intubation (i.e., with do-not-intubate, DNI status). Few data are available about the different NIRS modalities applied to ARF patients in the newly assembled internal medicine HDW. The main aim of our study was to describe a real-life experience in this setting of cure, focusing on feasibility and outcomes. We retrospectively collected data from COVID-19 patients with ARF needing NIRS and admitted to internal medicine HDW. Patients were treated with different modalities, that is high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC), continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), or non-invasive mechanical ventilation (NIMV). Switching among different NIRS during the hospitalization and the success rate (weaning with the same NIRS) or failure (endotracheal intubation-ETI or in-hospital death) were recorded. Three hundred thirty four ARF patients (median age 74 years), of which 158 (54%) had a DNI status, were included. CPAP, NIMV, and HFNC's success rates were 54, 33, and 13%, respectively. Although DNI status was strongly associated with death (Gehan-Breslow-Wilcoxon test p < 0.001), an acceptable success rate was observed in these patients using CPAP (47%). Multivariate regression models showed older age (odds ratio-OR 4.74), chronic ischemic heart disease (OR 2.76), high respiratory rate after 24 h (OR 7.13), and suspected acute respiratory distress syndrome-ARDS (OR 21.1) as predictors of mortality risk or ETI. Our real-life experience shows that NIRS was feasible in internal medicine HDW with an acceptable success rate. Although DNI patients had a worse prognosis, the use of NIRS represented a reasonable chance of treatment.

Ascending aorta dilatation is associated to hard cardiovascular events, follow-up from multicentric ARGO-Perspective project.

Aortic root dilatation has been proposed as hypertension-mediated organ damage (HMOD). Nevertheless, the role of the aortic root dilatation as a possible additional HMOD is still unclear since studies conducted so far are quite heterogeneous regarding the type of population analyzed, the aortic tract considered, and the type of outcomes accounted for. The aim of the present study is to assess whether the presence of aortic dilatation is associated with strong cardiovascular (CV) events (MACE: heart failure, CV death, stroke, acute coronary syndrome, myocardial revascularization) in a population of patients affected by essential hypertension. Four hundred forty-five hypertensive patients from six Italian hospitals were recruited as part of ARGO-SIIA study1. For all centers, follow-up was obtained by re-contacting all patients by telephone and through the hospital's computer system. Aortic dilatation (AAD) was defined through absolute sex-specific thresholds as in previous studies (41 mm for males, 36 mm for females). Median follow-up was 60 months. AAD was found to be associated with the occurrence of MACE (HR = 4.07 [1.81-9.17], p < 0.001). This result was confirmed after correction for main demographic characteristics such as age, sex and BSA (HR = 2.91 [1.18-7.17], p = 0.020). At penalized Cox regression, age, left atrial dilatation, left ventricular hypertrophy and AAD were identified as best predictor of MACEs and AAD resulted a significant predictor of MACEs even after correction for these confounders (HR = 2.43 [1.02-5.78], p = 0.045). The presence of AAD was found to be associated with an increased risk of MACE independently of for major confounders, including established HMODs. AAD ascending aorta dilatation, LAe left atrial enlargement, LVH left ventricular hypertrophy, MACEs major adverse cardiovascular events, SIIA Società Italiana dell'Ipertensione Arteriosa (Italian Society for Arterial Hypertension).

Subclinical HMOD in Hypertension: Left Ventricular Diastolic Dysfunction.

Arterial hypertension represents an important risk factor for the development of cardiac, vascular and renal events, predisposing to heart failure, acute coronary syndromes, peripheral artery disease, stroke, and chronic renal disease. Arterial hypertension leads to the development of subclinical hypertension mediated organ damage (HMOD) which has prognostic relevance and may influence the choice of treatment options. Alterations of cardiac structure and function represent the more widely assessed form of HMOD. This manuscript will focus on the diagnostic opportunities, prognostic significance and treatment of diastolic dysfunction alterations.

Differences in Diagnosis and Management of Hypertensive Urgencies and Emergencies According to Italian Doctors from Different Departments Who Deal With Acute Increase in Blood Pressure-Data from Gear (Gestione Dell'emergenza e Urgenza in ARea Critica) Study.

Background: Diagnosis and treatment of hypertension emergency (HE) and urgency (HU) may vary according to the physicians involved and the setting of the treatment. The aim of this study was to investigate differences in management of HE and HU according to the work setting of the physicians. Methods: The young investigators of the Italian Society of Hypertension developed a 23-item questionnaire spread by email invitation to the members of Italian Scientific societies involved in the field of emergency medicine and hypertension. Results: Six-hundred and sixty-five questionnaires were collected. No differences emerged for the correct definitions of HE and HU or for the investigation of possible drugs that may be responsible for an acute increase in BP. The techniques used to assess BP values (p < 0.004) and the sizes of cuffs available were different according to the setting. Cardiologists more frequently defined epistaxis (55.2% p = 0.012) and conjunctival hemorrhages (70.7%, p < 0.0001) as possible presentation of HE, and rarely considered dyspnea (67.2% p = 0.014) or chest pain (72.4%, p = 0.001). Intensive care (IC) unit doctors were more familiar with lung ultrasound (50% p = 0.004). With regard to therapy, cardiologists reported the lowest prescription of i.v. labetalol (39.6%, p = 0.003) and the highest of s.l. nifedipine (43.1% p < 0.001). After discharge, almost all categories of physicians required home BP assessment or referral to a general practitioner, whereas hypertensive center evaluation or ambulatory BP monitoring were less frequently suggested. Conclusion: Management and treatment of HE and HU may be different according to the doctor's specialty. Educational initiatives should be done to standardize treatment protocols and to improve medical knowledge.

Unattended versus Attended Blood Pressure Measurement: Relationship with Retinal Microcirculation.

Though the relationship between both "attended" and "unattended" BP and several forms of target organ damage have been evaluated, data on retinal arteriolar alterations are lacking. The aim of our study was to evaluate the relationship between "attended" or "unattended" BP values and retinal arteriolar changes in consecutive individuals undergoing a clinical evaluation and assessment of retinal fundus at an ESH Excellence Centre. An oscillometric device programmed to perform 3 BP measurements, at 1 min intervals and after 5 min of rest was used on all individuals to measure BP with the patient alone in the room ("unattended") or in the presence of the physician ("attended") in the same day in a random order. The retinal arteriole's wall thickness (WT) was measured automatically by a localization algorithm as the difference between external (ED) and internal diameter (ID) by adaptive optics (RTX-1, Imagine Eyes, Orsay, Francia). Media-to-lumen ratio (WLR) of the retinal arterioles and cross-sectional area (WCSA) of the vascular wall were calculated. Results: One-hundred-forty-two patients were examined (mean age 57 ± 12 yrs, 48% female, mean BMI 26 ± 4). Among them, 60% had hypertension (84% treated) and 11% had type 2 diabetes mellitus. Unattended systolic BP (SBP) was lower as compared to attended SBP (129 ± 14.8. vs. 122.1 ± 13.6 mmHg, p < 0.0001). WLR was similarly correlated with unattended and attended SBP (r = 0.281, p < 0.0001 and r = 0.382, p < 0.0001) and with unattended and attended diastolic BP (r = 0.34, p < 0.001 and r = 0.29, p < 0.0001). The differences between correlations were not statistically significant (Steiger's Z test). Conclusion: The measurement of "unattended" or "attended" BP provides different values, and unattended BP is lower as compared to attended BP. In this study a similar correlation was observed between attended and unattended BP values and structural changes of retinal arterioles.

The Vobarno Study.

The Vobarno Study represents the first observational study aimed to assess in a general population sample the relationship between parameters of cardiac and vascular structure (and function) and blood pressure values, measured in the clinic and during the 24 hours. In the frame of The Vobarno Study blood samples for hematochemistry and DNA extraction, clinic and 24-hour blood pressure measurements, cardiac and carotid ultrasound, and aortic stiffness were measured in all subjects, living in a small town (Vobarno) between Brescia and the Garda Lake (Italy), and randomly selected from electoral roles. In this sample of a general population an extensive evaluation of organ damage, including left ventricular (LV) mass and hypertrophy, LV systolic function, left atrial dimensions and aortic root diameters, carotid intima media thickness (IMT) and carotid plaques, carotid and aortic stiffness were performed. In this study subjects were included in a long follow-up, lasting 25 years, and cardiovascular morbility and mortality were assessed up to 2019. This will allow to update the information related to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in the study cohort. The present paper will report the results of some analyses performed, exploring epidemiological and clinical aspects of target organ damage.

Myocardial mechano-energetic efficiency in primary aldosteronism.

BACKGROUND: Available data indicate that patients with primary aldosteronism have an increased risk of cardiovascular events and cardiovascular risk seems to be, at least in part, independent of blood pressure (BP) values. Patients with primary aldosteronism have a greater prevalence of left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy and subtle alterations of ventricular function, which might contribute to the increase in cardiovascular risk. Recently, a noninvasive approach for the estimation of LV mechanical efficiency, obtained by echocardiography has been proposed. AIM OF THE STUDY: To evaluate the determinants of myocardial mechanoenergetic efficiency index (MEEi), in a large group of patients with primary aldosteronism (n = 99) and in a control group of essential hypertensive patients (n = 99) matched for age, sex and BP values. RESULTS: No differences between groups for age, sex, BMI, BP values, glucose, lipid profile and renal function were observed. LV mass index was greater in primary aldosteronism vs. essential hypertensive patients (46.0 ±â€Š16.7 vs. 36.9 ±â€Š8.6 g/m2, P < 0.001); also relative wall thickness was greater in primary aldosteronism (0.36 ±â€Š0.1 vs. 0.32 ±â€Š0.4, P < 0.001). Left atrial dimensions were significantly greater in primary aldosteronism. Ejection fraction was not different between groups, while endocardial and midwall fractional shortening were lower in primary aldosteronism vs. essential hypertensive patients (40 ±â€Š7 vs. 43 ±â€Š6, and 18 ±â€Š3 vs. 21 ±â€Š2, both P < 0.01). MEEi was lower in primary aldosteronism vs. essential hypertensive patients (0.44 ±â€Š0.14 vs. 0.52 ±â€Š0.10 ml/s per g, P < 0.01). A negative correlation was observed between MEEi and aldosterone levels (r = -0.203, P < 0.05) and aldosterone : renin ratio (P = -0.172, P < 0.05); the correlation remained significant after adjustment for possible confounders. CONCLUSION: In patients with primary aldosteronism myocardial MEEi is lower as compared with essential hypertensive patients. A reduced MEEi may reflect an impairment of production and utilization of energy in the myocardium, which could lead to the occurrence of cardiovascular complications and therefore these findings may contribute to explain the increased risk of cardiovascular events in patients with primary aldosteronism.

Cardiovascular prognosis in patients admitted to an emergency department with hypertensive emergencies and urgencies.

BACKGROUND: At present, few data are available on the prognosis of hypertensive emergencies and urgencies admitted to emergency departments. AIM: The aim of our study was to evaluate the incidence of total and cardiovascular events during follow-up in hypertensive patients admitted to the emergency departments of Brescia Hospital (Northern Italy) with hypertensive emergencies or urgencies from 1 January to 31 December 2015. METHODS: Medical records of patients aged more than 18 years, admitted to the emergency department with SBP values at least 180 mmHg (SBP) and/or DBP values at least 120 mmHg (DBP) were collected and analysed (18% of patients were classified as 'hypertensive emergency' and 82% as 'hypertensive urgency'). Data in 895 patients (385 men and 510 women, mean age 70. 5 ±â€Š15 years) were analysed; the mean duration of follow-up after admission to the emergency department was 12 ±â€Š5 months. RESULTS: During the follow-up, 96 cardiovascular events (28 fatal) occurred (20 cardiac events, 30 cerebrovascular events, 26 hospital admission for heart failure, 20 cases of new onset kidney disease). In 40 patients (4.5%), a new episode of acute blood pressure rise with referral to the emergency department was recorded. Cardiovascular mortality and morbidity were greater in patients with a previous hypertensive emergency (14.5 vs. 4.5% in patients with hypertensive emergency and urgency, respectively, chi-square, P < 0.0001). Similar results were obtained when the occurrence of cerebrovascular or renal events were considered separately. CONCLUSION: Admission to the emergency department for hypertensive emergencies and urgencies identifies hypertensive patients at increased risk for fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular events. Our findings add some new finding suggesting that further research in this field should be improved aiming to define, prevent, treat and follow hypertensive urgencies and emergencies.

Hypertension Urgencies and Emergencies: The GEAR Project.

Acute elevations in blood pressure (BP), usually defined as ≥ 180/110 mmHg, may present with highly heterogeneous profiles ranging from absence of symptoms to life-threatening target organ damage. In most recent years the diagnostic approach and the treatment of hypertension have gained interest by patients and physicians. The GEAR project (Gestione delle Emergenze e urgenze in ARea critica, management of hypertensive emergencies and hypertensive urgencies in the emergency setting) was proposed by the group of Young Investigators of the Italian Society of Hypertension as a survey aimed to evaluate the awareness, diagnosis and treatment of hypertensive emergencies and urgencies in Italy.

Relationship between arterial stiffness and unattended or attended blood pressure values.

BACKGROUND AND METHOD: Measurement of 'unattended' blood pressure (BP) may reduce or eliminate the 'white-coat effect'. Despite the possible advantages of this approach for BP measurement, only few studies analysed the relationship between unattended BP and cardiovascular events or with hypertension-mediated organ damage (HMOD). The aim of our study was to evaluate the relationship between 'attended' or 'unattended' BP values and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) in 285 individuals undergoing a visit and assessment of arterial stiffness at an ESH Excellence Centre. Unattended BP (measured with the patient alone in the room, with an oscillometric device programmed to perform three BP measurements, at 1-min intervals, after 5 min) and attended BP were measured with the same device, on the same day of the measurement of PWV, in a random order. RESULTS: Mean age was 63 ±â€Š13 years, mean BMI 26 ±â€Š4, 47% were women, 76% had hypertension (55% treated). Systolic unattended BP was lower than attended SBP (124.4 ±â€Š14.3 vs. 130.9 ±â€Š16.1 mmHg). PWV was similarly correlated with attended and unattended SBP values (r = 0.428 and r = 0.404, P < 0.0001, respectively). No difference for the prediction of increased arterial stiffness was observed at receiver operator curves (ROCs) analysis [attended SBP area under the curve (AUC) 0.665, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.607-0.720 vs. unattended SBP: AUC 0.651, 95% CI 0.593-0.706, P for the comparison = ns]. CONCLUSION: Attended and unattended BP values are similarly correlated with PWV, the gold standard measure of arterial stiffness. These findings may provide further information on the clinical value of unattended BP.

Hypertensive emergencies and urgencies: a single-centre experience in Northern Italy 2008-2015.

BACKGROUND: An increasing attention is given to emergency departments (EDs) admissions for an acute and severe rise in blood pressure (BP). Data on epidemiology and treatment of hypertensive emergencies and urgencies admitted to ED are still limited. The aim of our study was to evaluate the prevalence, clinical presentation and treatment of patients admitted for hypertensive emergencies or hypertensive urgencies. METHODS: Medical records of consecutive patients aged at least 18 years, admitted to the ED of the Spedali Civili in Brescia in 2008 and in 2015 and presenting with SBP at least 180 mmHg and/or DBP at least 120 mmHg were prospectively collected and analysed. RESULTS: The prevalence of patients admitted with acute BP rise was 2.0% (n = 1551, age 70 ±â€Š14 years) in 2008 and 1.75% (n = 1214, age 69.7 ±â€Š15 years) in 2015. According to the clinical presentation and the presence of acute organ damage, patients were defined hypertensive emergencies (20.4 and 15.4%, respectively, in 2008 and 2015) or as hypertensive urgencies (79.6 and 84.5%, respectively, in 2008 and 2015). SBP and DBP values were higher in patients with emergencies than in those with urgencies (BP 193 ±â€Š15/102 ±â€Š15 vs. 189 ±â€Š13/96 ±â€Š13 mmHg in 2008 and 192 ±â€Š17/98 ±â€Š15 vs. 189 ±â€Š12/94 ±â€Š15 mmHg in 2015, P < 0.001 for both).Among hypertensive emergencies, the different forms of organ damage were 25% acute coronary syndromes and 1% aortic dissection in both periods, 34 and 38% acute heart failure, 40 and 37% stroke. CONCLUSION: Admission to the ED for hypertensive emergencies and hypertensive urgencies is still high. Diagnosis and treatment are still not appropriate and require the rapid application of recently published guidelines.

Cardiovascular target organ damage in premenopausal systemic lupus erythematosus patients and in controls: Are there any differences?

OBJECTIVE: to analyze the presence of cardiac and vascular preclinical damage in premenopausal women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and controls, matched for demographic characteristics and for other cardiovascular risk factors. METHODS: 33 women (mean age 32 ± 7 years) with SLE clinically stable (SLEDAI Score 2.5 ± +1.5) and 33 controls, matched (MC) for sex, age, body mass index (BMI), clinic blood pressure (BP) and antihypertensive treatment (if present) underwent: 24-h BP monitoring, echocardiography with tissue Doppler analysis for left ventricular (LV) structure, systolic and diastolic function, echo-tracking carotid ultrasound for intima-media thickness (IMT) and carotid distensibility measurement, and pulse wave velocity measurement for aortic stiffness (PWV). RESULTS: by definition no difference was observed for age, sex, BMI and clinic BP values; Framingham risk score was low in SLE and MC (1.3 ± 2.7 vs 1.5 ± 2.3%, p = ns). 24-h BP was similar in SLE and in MC. Systolic function parameters, including LV longitudinal systolic function, an early index of LV systolic dysfunction, were reduced in SLE as compared to MC. Carotid IMT and carotid and aortic stiffness parameters were not different in SLE and MC. At multivariate regression analysis, PWV was independently associated with LV mass in controls and with the steroid weekly dose in SLE patients. CONCLUSIONS: in young patients with SLE and low activity index of the disease, we did not observe significant vascular alterations as compared to controls with similar CV risk. The early LV systolic impairment observed in SLE patients needs confirmation.

Unattended Versus Attended Blood Pressure Measurement.

It has been suggested that measurement of unattended or automated oscillatory blood pressure (BP) values may provide advantages over conventional BP measurement. Some international guidelines now suggest automated oscillatory BP as the preferred approach for measuring BP. Data on the relationship between automated oscillatory BP and cardiovascular events are much less solid as compared to those obtained with the standard approach; preliminary data suggested that automated oscillatory BP might be more strictly correlated with organ damage. The aim of our study was to evaluate the relationship between attended or unattended BP and organ damage in 564 subjects undergoing an echocardiogram and carotid ultrasound at an European Society of Hypertension Excellence Center.Both unattended BP (patient alone in the room, an oscillometric device programmed to perform 3 BP measurements, at 1-minute intervals, after 5 minutes) and attended BP were measured with the same device, on the same day of the ultrasonographic examination, in random order. In 564 patients (age 61±15 years, 41% female 78% hypertensives) systolic unattended BP was lower as compared with attended BP (128.0±15.5 versus 134.5±19.9 mm Hg). Left ventricular mass index was similarly correlated with attended and unattended systolic BP ( r=0.205 and r=0.194, respectively). Carotid intima-media thickness was also significantly correlated with both attended and unattended systolic BP (mean max intima-media thickness: r=0.206 and r=0.194, respectively, P<0.0001). The differences between correlations were not statistically significant. Our results suggest that attended and unattended BP values are similarly related with hypertensive organ damage.

Evaluation of Unattended Automated Office, Conventional Office and Ambulatory Blood Pressure Measurements and Their Correlation with Target Organ Damage in an Outpatient Population of Hypertensives: Study Design and Methodological Aspects.

Accurate measurement of blood pressure (BP) has a pivotal role in the management of patients with arterial hypertension. Recently, introduction of unattended office BP measurement has been proposed as a method allowing more accurate management of hypertensive patients and prediction of hypertension-mediated target organ damage (HMOD). This approach to BP measurement has been in particular proposed to avoid the white coat effect (WCE), which can be easily assessed once both attended and unattended BP measurements are obtained. In spite of its interest, the role of WCE in predicting HMOD remains largely unexplored. To fill this gap the Young Investigator Group of the Italian Hypertension Society (SIIA) conceived the study "Evaluation of unattended automated office, conventional office and ambulatory blood pressure measurements and their correlation with target organ damage in an outpatient population of hypertensives". This is a no-profit multicenter observational study aiming to correlate attended and unattended BP measurements for quantification of WCE and to correlate WCE with markers of HMOD, such us left ventricular hypertrophy, left atrial dilatation, and peripheral atherosclerosis. The Ethical committee of the Federico II University hospital has approved the study.