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Nutrition, Metabolism, and... Jan 2022This review aims to summarize and discuss some of the most relevant clinical trials in epidemiology, diagnostics, and treatment of hypertension published in 2020 and... (Review)
Review
AIM
This review aims to summarize and discuss some of the most relevant clinical trials in epidemiology, diagnostics, and treatment of hypertension published in 2020 and 2021.
DATA SYNTHESIS
The trials included in this review are related to hypertension onset age and risk for future cardiovascular disease, reliability of different blood pressure monitoring methods, role of exercise-induced hypertension, treatment of hypertension in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection, management of hypertension high-risk patient groups, e.g., in the elderly (≥80 years) and patients with atrial fibrillation, and the interplay between nutrition and hypertension, as well as recent insights into renal denervation for treatment of hypertension.
CONCLUSIONS
Hypertension onset age, nighttime blood pressure levels and a riser pattern are relevant for the prognosis of future cardiovascular diseases. The risk of coronary heart disease appears to increase linearly with increasing exercise systolic blood pressure. Renin-angiotensin system blockers are not associated with an increased risk for a severe course of COVID-19. In elderly patients, a risk-benefit assessment of intensified blood pressure control should be individually evaluated. A J-shaped association between cardiovascular disease and achieved blood pressure could also be demonstrated in patients with atrial fibrillation on anticoagulation. Salt restriction and lifestyle modification remain effective options in treating hypertensive patients at low cardiovascular risk. Sodium glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors and Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists show BP-lowering effects. Renal denervation should be considered as an additional or alternative treatment option in selected patients with uncontrolled hypertension.
Topics: Clinical Trials as Topic; Humans; Hypertension
PubMed: 34690044
DOI: 10.1016/j.numecd.2021.09.007 -
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 -
Journal of the American College of... Oct 2020Preeclampsia is a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy. It affects 2% to 8% of pregnancies worldwide and causes significant maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality.... (Review)
Review
Preeclampsia is a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy. It affects 2% to 8% of pregnancies worldwide and causes significant maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. Hypertension and proteinuria are the cornerstone of the disease, though systemic organ dysfunction may ensue. The clinical syndrome begins with abnormal placentation with subsequent release of antiangiogenic markers, mediated primarily by soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) and soluble endoglin (sEng). High levels of sFlt-1 and sEng result in endothelial dysfunction, vasoconstriction, and immune dysregulation, which can negatively impact every maternal organ system and the fetus. This review comprehensively examines the pathogenesis of preeclampsia with a specific focus on the mechanisms underlying the clinical features. Delivery is the only definitive treatment. Low-dose aspirin is recommended for prophylaxis in high-risk populations. Other treatment options are limited. Additional research is needed to clarify the pathophysiology, and thus, identify potential therapeutic targets for improved treatment and, ultimately, outcomes of this prevalent disease.
Topics: Female; Humans; Hypertension; Nervous System Diseases; Pre-Eclampsia; Pregnancy; Review Literature as Topic
PubMed: 33004135
DOI: 10.1016/j.jacc.2020.08.014 -
Journal of Human Hypertension Aug 2014Resistant hypertension, defined as blood pressure (BP) remaining above goal despite the use of > or =3 antihypertensive medications at maximally tolerated doses (one... (Review)
Review
Resistant hypertension, defined as blood pressure (BP) remaining above goal despite the use of > or =3 antihypertensive medications at maximally tolerated doses (one ideally being a diuretic) or BP that requires > or =4 agents to achieve control, has received more attention with increased efforts to improve BP control rates and the emergence of device-based therapies for hypertension. This classically defined resistant group consists of patients with true resistant hypertension, controlled resistant hypertension and pseudo-resistant hypertension. In studies where pseudo-resistant hypertension cannot be excluded (for example, 24-h ambulatory BP not obtained), the term apparent resistant hypertension has been used to identify 'apparent' lack of control on > or =3 medications. Large, well-designed studies have recently reported the prevalence of resistant hypertension. Pooling prevalence data from these studies and others within North America and Europe with a combined sample size of >600,000 hypertensive participants, the prevalence of resistant hypertension is 14.8% of treated hypertensive patients and 12.5% of all hypertensives. However, the prevalence of true resistant hypertension, defined as uncontrolled both by office and 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring with confirmed medication adherence, may be more meaningful in terms of identifying risk and estimating benefit from newer therapies like renal denervation. Rates of cardiovascular events and mortality follow mean 24-h ambulatory BPs in patients with resistant hypertension, and true resistant hypertension represents the highest risk. The prevalence of true resistant hypertension has not been directly measured in large trials; however, combined data from smaller studies suggest that true resistant hypertension is present in half of the patients with resistant hypertension who are uncontrolled in the office. Our pooled analysis shows prevalence rates of 10.1% and 7.9% for uncontrolled resistant hypertension among individuals treated for hypertension and all hypertensive individuals, respectively.
Topics: Clinical Trials as Topic; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; Humans; Hypertension; Prevalence
PubMed: 24430707
DOI: 10.1038/jhh.2013.140 -
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 -
Journal of the American Heart... Apr 2022Malignant hypertension is a hypertensive emergency, with rapid disease progression and poor prognosis. Although recognized as a separate entity more than a century ago,... (Review)
Review
Malignant hypertension is a hypertensive emergency, with rapid disease progression and poor prognosis. Although recognized as a separate entity more than a century ago, significant knowledge gaps remain about its pathogenesis and treatment. This narrative review summarizes current viewpoints, research gaps, and challenges with a view to pooling future efforts at improving treatment and prognosis.
Topics: Antihypertensive Agents; Disease Progression; Humans; Hypertension; Hypertension, Malignant; Prognosis
PubMed: 35289189
DOI: 10.1161/JAHA.121.023397 -
High Blood Pressure & Cardiovascular... Jul 2023Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy are associated with increased risk of maternal, fetal, and neonatal morbidity and mortality. It is important to distinguish between... (Review)
Review
Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy are associated with increased risk of maternal, fetal, and neonatal morbidity and mortality. It is important to distinguish between pre-existing (chronic) hypertension and gestational hypertension, developing after 20 weeks of gestation and usually resolving within 6 weeks postpartum. There is a consensus that systolic blood pressure ≥ 170 or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 110 mmHg is an emergency and hospitalization is indicated. The selection of the antihypertensive drug and its route of administration depend on the expected time of delivery. The current European guidelines recommend initiating drug treatment in pregnant women with persistent elevation of blood pressure ≥ 150/95 mmHg and at values > 140/90 mmHg in women with gestational hypertension (with or without proteinuria), with pre-existing hypertension with the superimposition of gestational hypertension, and with hypertension with subclinical organ damage or symptoms at any time during pregnancy. Methyldopa, labetalol, and calcium antagonists (the most data are available for nifedipine) are the drugs of choice. The results of the CHIPS and CHAP studies are likely to reduce the threshold for initiating treatment. Women with a history of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy, particularly those with pre-eclampsia, are at high risk of developing cardiovascular disease later in life. Obstetric history should become a part of the cardiovascular risk assessment in women.
Topics: Infant, Newborn; Female; Pregnancy; Humans; Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced; Hypertension; Pre-Eclampsia; Antihypertensive Agents; Blood Pressure; Labetalol
PubMed: 37308715
DOI: 10.1007/s40292-023-00582-5 -
International Journal of Molecular... Nov 2022Among cardiovascular diseases, hypertension is one of the main risk factors predisposing to fatal complications. Oxidative stress and chronic inflammation have been... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
Among cardiovascular diseases, hypertension is one of the main risk factors predisposing to fatal complications. Oxidative stress and chronic inflammation have been identified as potentially responsible for the development of endothelial damage and vascular stiffness, two of the primum movens of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. Based on these data, we conducted an open-label randomized study, first, to evaluate the endothelial damage and vascular stiffness in hypertense patients; second, to test the effect of supplementation with a physiological antioxidant (melatonin 1 mg/day for 1 year) in patients with essential hypertension vs. hypertensive controls. Twenty-three patients of either gender were enrolled and randomized 1:1 in two groups (control and supplemented group). The plasmatic total antioxidant capacity (as a marker of oxidative stress), blood pressure, arterial stiffness, and peripheral endothelial function were evaluated at the beginning of the study and after 1 year in both groups. Our results showed that arterial stiffness improved significantly ( = 0.022) in supplemented patients. The endothelial function increased too, even if not significantly ( = 0.688), after 1 year of melatonin administration. Moreover, the supplemented group showed a significative reduction in TAC levels ( = 0.041) correlated with the improvement of arterial stiffness. These data suggest that melatonin may play an important role in reducing the serum levels of TAC and, consequently, in improving arterial stiffness.
Topics: Humans; Antioxidants; Cardiovascular Diseases; Essential Hypertension; Hypertension; Melatonin; Oxidative Stress
PubMed: 36430967
DOI: 10.3390/ijms232214489 -
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 -
Current Opinion in Nephrology and... Mar 2023Hypertension remains a global health and socioeconomic burden. Immune mechanisms are now recognized as integral part of the multifactorial etiology of hypertension and... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE OF REVIEW
Hypertension remains a global health and socioeconomic burden. Immune mechanisms are now recognized as integral part of the multifactorial etiology of hypertension and related organ damage. The present review addresses inflammatory pathways and immune targets in hypertension, which may be important for an immunomodulatory treatment of hypertension aside from lowering arterial pressure.
RECENT FINDINGS
Anti-inflammatory interventions targeting single interleukins or almost the entire immune system show different beneficial effects. While immunomodulation (targeting specific portion of immune system) shows beneficial outcomes in certain groups of hypertensives, this does not pertain to immunosuppression (targeting entire immune system). Immunomodulatory interventions improve outcomes of hypertension independent of arterial pressure. The studies reveal interleukins, such as interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-17 as targets of immunomodulation. Besides interleukins, targeting αvβ-3 integrin and matrix metalloproteinase-2 or using experimental cell-therapy demonstrate beneficial effects in hypertensive organ damage. The NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome/IL-1β/endothelial cell/T-cell axis seems to be an important mediator in sustained inflammation during hypertension.
SUMMARY
Although immunomodulation may be advantageous as a causal therapy in hypertension, targeting immune networks rather than single interleukins appears of major importance. Further research is required to better identify these networks and their links to human hypertension.
Topics: Humans; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein; Matrix Metalloproteinase 2; Inflammation; Inflammasomes; Hypertension
PubMed: 36476561
DOI: 10.1097/MNH.0000000000000862