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High Blood Pressure & Cardiovascular... Dec 2020The vast majority of hypertensive patients are never sought for a cause of their high blood pressure, i.e. for a 'secondary' form of arterial hypertension. This under... (Review)
Review
The vast majority of hypertensive patients are never sought for a cause of their high blood pressure, i.e. for a 'secondary' form of arterial hypertension. This under detection explains why only a tiny percentage of hypertensive patients are ultimately diagnosed with a secondary form of arterial hypertension. The prevalence of these forms is, therefore, markedly underestimated, although, they can involve as many as one-third of the cases among referred patients and up to half of those with difficult to treat hypertension. The early detection of a secondary form is crucial, because if diagnosed in a timely manner, these forms can be cured at long-term, and even when cure cannot be achieved, their diagnosis provides a better control of high blood pressure, and allows prevention of hypertension-mediated organ damage, and related cardiovascular complications. Enormous progress has been made in the understanding, diagnostic work-up, and management of secondary hypertension in the last decades. The aim of this minireview is, therefore, to provide updated concise information on the screening, diagnosis, and management of the most common forms, including primary aldosteronism, renovascular hypertension, pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma, Cushing's syndrome, and obstructive sleep apnea.
Topics: Blood Pressure; Humans; Hypertension; Predictive Value of Tests; Risk Factors; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 33159664
DOI: 10.1007/s40292-020-00415-9 -
Current Hypertension Reviews 2020It is estimated that 5-10% of hypertensive patients have secondary hypertension. The main causes of secondary hypertension are parenchymal renal disease, primary...
It is estimated that 5-10% of hypertensive patients have secondary hypertension. The main causes of secondary hypertension are parenchymal renal disease, primary aldosteronism and renovascular hypertension. The identification of these patients is important because it enables the etiological management of the underlying disease and in some cases leads to blood pressure control without antihypertensive medications. On the other hand, diagnostic evaluation for secondary hypertension often includes complex and expensive tests and should be performed only in patients with a strong clinical suspicion for its presence. If preliminary screening tests suggest the presence of secondary hypertension, these patients should be referred to specialized centers for further diagnostic evaluation and comprehensive management.
Topics: Blood Pressure; Humans; Hypertension; Prognosis; Risk Factors
PubMed: 31038070
DOI: 10.2174/1573402115666190416161116 -
Current Hypertension Reviews 2020Hypertension is the most common chronic disease and the leading risk factor for disability and premature deaths in the world, accounting for more than 9 million deaths... (Review)
Review
Hypertension is the most common chronic disease and the leading risk factor for disability and premature deaths in the world, accounting for more than 9 million deaths annually. Resistant hypertension is a particularly severe form of hypertension. It was described 50 years ago and since then has been a very active field of research. This review aims at summarizing the most recent findings on resistant hypertension. The recent concepts of apparent- and true-resistant hypertension have stimulated a more precise definition of resistant hypertension taking into account not only the accuracy of blood pressure measurement and pharmacological class of prescribed drugs but also patient adherence to drugs and life-style recommendations. Recent epidemiological studies have reported a 10% prevalence of resistant hypertension among hypertensive subjects and demonstrated the high cardiovascular risk of these patients. In addition, these studies identified subgroups of patients with even higher morbidity and mortality risk, probably requiring a more aggressive medical management. In the meantime, guidelines provided more standardized clinical work-up to identify potentially reversible causes for resistant hypertension such as secondary hypertension. The debate is however still ongoing on which would be the optimal method(s) to screen for non-adherence to hypertension therapy, recognized as the major cause for (pseudo)-resistance to treatment. Recent randomized clinical trials have demonstrated the strong benefit of anti-aldosterone drugs (mostly spironolocatone) as fourth-line therapies in resistant hypertension whereas clinical trials with device-based therapies displayed contrasting results. New trials with improved devices and more carefully selected patients with resistant hypertension are ongoing.
Topics: Antihypertensive Agents; Arteriovenous Shunt, Surgical; Blood Pressure; Drug Resistance; Drug Therapy, Combination; Electric Stimulation Therapy; Humans; Hypertension; Medication Adherence; Risk Factors; Sympathectomy; Treatment Outcome; White Coat Hypertension
PubMed: 31622203
DOI: 10.2174/1573402115666191011111402 -
Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinics of... Dec 2019Renovascular disease (RVD) is a major cause of secondary hypertension. Atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis is the most common type of RVD followed by fibromuscular... (Review)
Review
Renovascular disease (RVD) is a major cause of secondary hypertension. Atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis is the most common type of RVD followed by fibromuscular dysplasia. It has long been recognized as the prototype of angiotensin-dependent hypertension. However, the mechanisms underlying the physiopathology of hypertensive occlusive vascular renal disease are complex and distinction between the different causes of RVD should be made. Recognition of these distinct types of RVD with different degrees of renal occlusive disease is important for management. The greatest challenge is to individualize and implement the best approach for each patient in the setting of widely different comorbidities.
Topics: Fibromuscular Dysplasia; Humans; Hypertension, Renal; Hypertension, Renovascular; Nephritis; Renal Artery Obstruction
PubMed: 31655775
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecl.2019.08.007 -
Endocrine Reviews Jun 2019Increasingly, primary hypertension is being considered a syndrome and not a disease, with the individual causes (diseases) having a common sign-an elevated blood... (Review)
Review
Increasingly, primary hypertension is being considered a syndrome and not a disease, with the individual causes (diseases) having a common sign-an elevated blood pressure. To determine these causes, genetic tools are increasingly employed. This review identified 62 proposed genes. However, only 21 of them met our inclusion criteria: (i) primary hypertension, (ii) two or more supporting cohorts from different publications or within a single publication or one supporting cohort with a confirmatory genetically modified animal study, and (iii) 600 or more subjects in the primary cohort; when including our exclusion criteria: (i) meta-analyses or reviews, (ii) secondary and monogenic hypertension, (iii) only hypertensive complications, (iv) genes related to blood pressure but not hypertension per se, (v) nonsupporting studies more common than supporting ones, and (vi) studies that did not perform a Bonferroni or similar multiassessment correction. These 21 genes were organized in a four-tiered structure: distant phenotype (hypertension); intermediate phenotype [salt-sensitive (18) or salt-resistant (0)]; subintermediate phenotypes under salt-sensitive hypertension [normal renin (4), low renin (8), and unclassified renin (6)]; and proximate phenotypes (specific genetically driven hypertensive subgroup). Many proximate hypertensive phenotypes had a substantial endocrine component. In conclusion, primary hypertension is a syndrome; many proposed genes are likely to be false positives; and deep phenotyping will be required to determine the utility of genetics in the treatment of hypertension. However, to date, the positive genes are associated with nearly 50% of primary hypertensives, suggesting that in the near term precise, mechanistically driven treatment and prevention strategies for the specific primary hypertension subgroups are feasible.
Topics: Animals; Endocrine System; Female; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Humans; Hypertension; Male; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
PubMed: 30590482
DOI: 10.1210/er.2018-00071 -
Advances in Clinical and Experimental... 2016Resistant hypertension is a severe medical condition which is estimated to appear in 9-18% of hypertensive patients. Due to higher cardiovascular risk, this disorder... (Review)
Review
Resistant hypertension is a severe medical condition which is estimated to appear in 9-18% of hypertensive patients. Due to higher cardiovascular risk, this disorder requires special diagnosis and treatment. The heterogeneous etiology, risk factors and comorbidities of resistant hypertension stand in need of sophisticated evaluation to confirm the diagnosis and select the best therapeutic options, which should consider lifestyle modifications as well as pharmacological and interventional treatment. After having excluded pseudohypertension, inappropriate blood pressure measurement and control as well as the white coat effect, suspicion of resistant hypertension requires an analysis of drugs which the hypertensive patient is treated with. According to one definition - ineffective treatment with 3 or more antihypertensive drugs including diuretics makes it possible to diagnose resistant hypertension. A multidrug therapy including angiotensin - converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers, beta blockers, diuretics, long-acting calcium channel blockers and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists has been demonstrated to be effective in resistant hypertension treatment. Nevertheless, optional, innovative therapies, e.g. a renal denervation or baroreflex activation, may create a novel pathway of blood pressure lowering procedures. The right diagnosis of this disease needs to eliminate the secondary causes of resistant hypertension e.g. obstructive sleep apnea, atherosclerosis and renal or hormonal disorders. This paper briefly summarizes the identification of the causes of resistant hypertension and therapeutic strategies, which may contribute to the proper diagnosis and an improvement of the long term management of resistant hypertension.
Topics: Animals; Antihypertensive Agents; Baroreflex; Blood Pressure; Drug Resistance; Drug Therapy, Combination; Electric Stimulation Therapy; Humans; Hypertension; Risk Factors; Sympathectomy; Terminology as Topic; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 26935512
DOI: 10.17219/acem/58998 -
International Journal of Molecular... Aug 2023Hypertension is a prevalent chronic disease associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular (CV) premature death, and its severe form manifests as resistant... (Review)
Review
Hypertension is a prevalent chronic disease associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular (CV) premature death, and its severe form manifests as resistant hypertension (RH). The accurate prevalence of resistant hypertension is difficult to determine due to the discrepancy in data from various populations, but according to recent publications, it ranges from 6% to 18% in hypertensive patients. However, a comprehensive understanding of the pathogenesis and treatment of RH is essential. This review emphasizes the importance of identifying the causes of treatment resistance in antihypertensive therapy and highlights the utilization of appropriate diagnostic methods. We discussed innovative therapies such as autonomic neuromodulation techniques like renal denervation (RDN) and carotid baroreceptor stimulation, along with invasive interventions such as arteriovenous anastomosis as potential approaches to support patients with inadequate medical treatment and enhance outcomes in RH.
Topics: Humans; Hypertension; Therapies, Investigational; Kidney; Autonomic Nervous System
PubMed: 37629095
DOI: 10.3390/ijms241612911 -
Physiology (Bethesda, Md.) Mar 2017Hypertension affects over 1.2 billion individuals worldwide and has become the most critical and expensive public health problem. Hypertension is a multifactorial... (Review)
Review
Hypertension affects over 1.2 billion individuals worldwide and has become the most critical and expensive public health problem. Hypertension is a multifactorial disease involving environmental and genetic factors together with risk-conferring behaviors. The cause of the disease is identified in ∼10% of the cases (secondary hypertension), but in 90% of the cases no etiology is found (primary or essential hypertension). For this reason, a better understanding of the mechanisms controlling blood pressure in normal and hypertensive patients is the aim of very active experimental and clinical research. In this article, we review the importance of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) for the control of blood pressure, focusing on the evolution of the system and its critical importance for adaptation of vertebrates to a terrestrial and dry environment. The evolution of blood pressure control during the evolution of primates, hominins, and humans is discussed, together with the role of common genetic factors and the possible causes of the current hypertension pandemic in the light of evolutionary medicine.
Topics: Animals; Biological Evolution; Blood Pressure; Gene-Environment Interaction; Humans; Hypertension; Kidney; Pandemics; Potassium, Dietary; Renin-Angiotensin System; Sodium, Dietary
PubMed: 28202622
DOI: 10.1152/physiol.00026.2016 -
Revue Des Maladies Respiratoires Mar 2020Cor pulmonale is a disease of the heart characterised by dilatation of the right ventricle and paradoxical movement of the interventricular septum. The diagnosis depends... (Review)
Review
Cor pulmonale is a disease of the heart characterised by dilatation of the right ventricle and paradoxical movement of the interventricular septum. The diagnosis depends on echocardiography even if pulmonary artery catheterisation suggests it. It is secondary to pulmonary disease or a disorder of the pulmonary circulation. These two mechanisms, which are often connected, involve pulmonary hypertension as the origin of a systolic and diastolic overload of the right ventricle, which then leads to the alterations of its structure and performance. Acute cor pulmonale is usually secondary to an acute respiratory distress syndrome or to a pulmonary embolism but it can also be seen in primary lactic acidosis, a vaso-occlusive crisis in a patient with sickle cell anaemia, severe acute asthma, and entry of air or injected crushed tablets into the circulation. Chronic cor pulmonale is the terminal stage of pulmonary hypertension. Clinically these patients are dyspnoeic with signs of chronic right heart failure. They should have an echocardiogram confirming the cardiac involvement. Certain precipitating factors, such as infection of any origin, have been reported, leading to acute on chronic cor pulmonale that has a particularly high mortality.
Topics: Chronic Disease; Diagnosis, Differential; Echocardiography; Heart Failure; Humans; Hypertension, Pulmonary; Pulmonary Embolism; Pulmonary Heart Disease; Respiratory Distress Syndrome; Ventricular Dysfunction, Right
PubMed: 32088063
DOI: 10.1016/j.rmr.2019.10.012 -
British Medical Bulletin Dec 2018Poorly-controlled hypertension in the first trimester significantly increases maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. The majority of guidelines and clinical trials... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION OR BACKGROUND
Poorly-controlled hypertension in the first trimester significantly increases maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. The majority of guidelines and clinical trials focus on the management and treatments for hypertension during pregnancy and breast-feeding, while limited evidence could be applied to the management for hypertension before pregnancy. In this review, we summarized the existing guidelines and treatments of pre-pregnancy treatment of hypertension.
SOURCES OF DATA
PubMed.
AREAS OF AGREEMENT
Methyldopa and labetalol are considered the first choice, but angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) need to be withdrawn if a hypertensive woman wishes to become pregnant. In women with chronic hypertension, it is very important to make an assessment before conception to exclude secondary causes of hypertension, evaluate their hypertensive control to ensure that it is optimal, discuss the increased risks of pre-eclampsia, and provide education regarding any drug alterations before they become pregnant.
AREAS OF CONTROVERSY
There is increasing debate regarding discouraging the use of diuretics. There is also controversy regarding the use of supplementations such as calcium, antioxidants and low-dose aspirin.
GROWING POINTS
A less restricted blood-pressure goal could be set for hypertensive women planning for pregnancy. A healthy body weight before pregnancy could lower the risk of pregnancy-related hypertensive disorders. Recent guidelines also encourage women with chronic hypertension to keep their dietary sodium intake low, either by reducing or substituting sodium salt before pregnancy.
TIMELY AREAS FOR DEVELOPING RESEARCH
Large, worldwide, randomized trials should be conducted to see the outcomes for hypertensive women who take antioxidants/physical activity before pregnancy.
Topics: Antihypertensive Agents; Female; Guidelines as Topic; Humans; Hypertension; Preconception Care; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular; Prenatal Care
PubMed: 30371746
DOI: 10.1093/bmb/ldy035