Can nasal continuous positive airway pressure decrease clinic blood pressure in patients with obstructive sleep apnea?

Tun Y, Hida W, Okabe S, Ogawa H, Kikuchi Y, Oikawa M, Kitamuro T, Kunio S.

First Department of Internal Medicine, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8574, Japan.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is commonly associated with systemic hypertension and now recognized as an independent risk factor for daytime hypertension. We aimed to study the short- and long-term effect of nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in hypertensive and normotensive patients with OSA. Forty-six patients with moderated to severe OSA were treated with nasal CPAP and followed after one year of treatment. Clinic blood pressure, heart rate, and body weight were taken before and followed up for one year after beginning nasal CPAP. In this study 25 patients with OSA were found to have hypertension (54.3%). The hypertensive group showed a significant reduction in clinic blood pressure after nasal CPAP, whereas the normotensive group showed no changes. The subgroup of hypertensive patients with OSA who had no anti-hypertensive medication revealed a decrease in clinic blood pressure comparable to those with anti-hypertensive drugs. The heart rate was not significantly changed in any patients. There was no significant correlation between the decrease in body weight and the reduction in blood pressure. These results suggest that nasal CPAP alone might have a substantial blood pressure lowering effect in hypertensive patients with OSA. This effect could decrease the morbidity and mortality related to cardiovascular complications in patients with OSA.

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Comparison of blood pressure between Indiana AMA and NMA members.

Baker FM.

Lower Shore Clinic, Salisbury, Maryland 21804, USA.

OBJECTIVE: 1) To determine whether African-American physicians, compared to caucasian physicians, were at increased risk to develop hypertension; and 2) to determine whether physicians' knowledge of cardiovascular risk factors influenced their pattern of exercise. DESIGN: A mailed survey of members of the American Medical Association (AMA) and the National Medical Association (NMA) was completed to assess health status and plans for retirement. RESULTS: High-normal blood pressure was defined as systolic blood pressure of 85-89 mmHg. Mild (stage-1) hypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure of 140-159 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure of 90-99 mmHg. Gender (male), age, and body mass index (BMI) were significantly correlated with elevated levels of selected blood pressure measures. Using regression analysis to control for gender, age, and BMI, ethnicity was identified as a fourth factor accounting for elevated blood pressure. NMA physicians had 3.25 times the risk of having systolic blood pressure in the mild (stage-1) hypertension range, 5.78 times the risk for blood pressure in the high-normal diastolic hypertension range, and 5.19 times the risk for blood pressure in the mild (stage-1) diastolic hypertension range. Medical specialty and type of psychological support were not significant predictors of elevated blood pressure. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that African-American physicians may be at an increased risk to develop abnormal blood pressure, compared to caucasian physicians, potentially affecting the number of physicians available to minority communities.

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Short-term postural reflexes in diabetic patients with autonomic dysfunction.

Zhang Y, Critchley LA, Tam YH, Tomlinson B.

Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Assessment of autonomic dysfunction provides prognostic data in diabetic patients. Clinical tests are limited to heart rate variability and blood pressure measurements. We investigated whether a detailed analysis of postural reflexes of patients during short-term head-up tilting and standing erect (both for 3 min) would provide useful clinical data. METHODS: We studied 14 control subjects and 56 patients with Type 2 diabetes, stratified into four matched groups: uncomplicated, micro-albuminuria, macro-albuminuria and autonomic neuropathy, who were tilted 55 degrees three times and were standing erect. Non-invasive finger plethysmography blood pressure measurements, using the Portapres, and impedance cardiac output measurements, using the RheoCardioMonitor, were continuously recorded throughout the study. Wavelets of the response to tilting and standing were drawn. The wavelets for the three tilts were combined to improve definition. The degree of autonomic dysfunction was quantified by calculating the baroreflex sensitivity index from the heart-rate and blood-pressure variability data. RESULTS: Baroreflex sensitivity data confirmed that autonomic dysfunction increased as diabetic complications worsened (p<0.001). Both standing and tilting resulted in an initial decrease in blood pressure followed by recovery, an increase in heart rate which was more pronounced with standing and a decrease in stroke volume. Characteristic and incremental changes in these responses were noted as the complications of diabetes worsened (p<0.001). These were a greater decrease in blood pressure with loss of the recovery phase, a reduced heart-rate response and paradoxically an increase in stroke volume. CONCLUSION/INTERPRETATION: Non-invasive blood-pressure and stroke-volume measurements recorded during short-term tilting and standing promises to be useful in assessing diabetic autonomic dysfunction.

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Trends in blood pressure, lipids, lipoproteins and glucose metabolism in the Northern Sweden MONICA project 1986-99.

Jansson JH, Boman K, Messner T.

Department of Medicine, Skelleftea Hospital University of Umea, Sweden. janhakan.jansson.ss vll.se

AIM: The authors present an analysis of time trends in blood pressure, hypertension, and lipids in the adult population of Northern Sweden over the period 1986-99. METHOD: Four population surveys were undertaken with new and independent cohorts, 25-64 years old. RESULTS: Small changes in blood pressure were observed during the study period with increased systolic blood pressure in men and decreased diastolic blood pressure in women. The proportion with high blood pressure was found to be constant over time and only 50% were prescribed antihypertensive drugs and of these only a minority were normotensive. Total serum cholesterol decreased from 6.4 to 5.7 mmol/l in men and from 6.3 to 5.7 mmol/l in women over the study period, and this was accompanied by an increase in HDL cholesterol by about 10% in both sexes. The proportion with high cholesterol decreased from 41% to 26%. Triglycerides increased between 1986 and 1990 and no further changes were found in the following surveys. CONCLUSION: In the Northern Sweden MONICA population total cholesterol has declined and HDL cholesterol has increased during the past 13 years and small changes in blood pressure have been observed for both men and women.

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Thirty-year trends in cardiovascular risk factor levels among US adults with diabetes: National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, 1971-2000.

Imperatore G, Cadwell BL, Geiss L, Saadinne JB, Williams DE, Ford ES, Thompson TJ, Narayan KM, Gregg EW.

Division of Diabetes Translation, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA. gai5 cdc.gov

Among US adults with diabetes, using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for 1971-1974, 1976-1980, 1988-1994, and 1999-2000, the authors describe 30-year trends in total cholesterol, blood pressure, and smoking levels. Using Bayesian models, the authors calculated mean changes per year and 95% credible intervals for age-adjusted mean total cholesterol and blood pressure levels and the prevalence of high total cholesterol (> or =5.17 mmol/liter), high blood pressure (systolic blood pressure: > or =140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure: > or =90 mmHg), and smoking. Between 1971-1974 and 1999-2000, mean total cholesterol declined from 5.95 mmol/liter to 5.48 mmol/liter (-0.02 (95% credible interval: -0.03, -0.01) mmol/liter per year). The proportion with high cholesterol decreased from 72% to 55%. Mean blood pressure declined from 146/86 mmHg to 134/72 mmHg (systolic blood pressure: -0.5 (95% credible interval: -1.1, 0.5) mmHg per year; diastolic blood pressure: -0.6 (95% credible interval: -1.0, -0.03) mmHg per year). The proportion with high blood pressure decreased from 64% to 37%, and smoking prevalence decreased from 32% to 17%. Although these trends are encouraging, still one of two people with diabetes has high cholesterol, one of three has high blood pressure, and one of six is a smoker.

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The influence of patient's consciousness regarding high blood pressure and patient's attitude in face of disease controlling medicine intake.

[Article in English, Portuguese]

Strelec MA, Pierin AM, Mion D Jr.

Nursing and Medical Schools, USP, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil. deciomion uol.com.br

OBJECTIVE: To assess the relation between blood pressure control and the following: the Morisky-Green test, the patient's consciousness regarding high blood pressure, the patient's attitude in face of medicine intake, the patient's attendance at medical consultations, and the subjective physician's judgment. METHODS: We studied 130 hypertensive patients with the following characteristics: 73% females, 60 +/- 11 years, 58% married, 70% white, 45% retired, 45% with incomplete elementary schooling, 64% had a familial income of 1 to 3 minimum wages, body mass index of 30 +/- 7 kg/m , consciousness regarding the disease for a mean period of 11 +/- 9.5 years, and mean treatment duration of 8 +/- 7 years. RESULTS: Only 35% of the hypertensive individuals had blood pressure under control and a longer duration of treatment (10 +/- 7 vs 7 +/- 6.5 years; P<0.05). The retiree predominated. The result of the Morisky-Green test did not relate to blood pressure control. In evaluating the attitude in face of medicine intake, the controlled patients achieved significantly higher scores than did the noncontrolled patients (8 +/- 1.9 vs 7 +/- 2, P<0.05). The hypertensive patients had higher levels of consciousness regarding their disease and its treatment, and most (70%) patients attended 3 or 4 medical consultations, which did not influence blood pressure control. The physicians attributed significantly higher scores regarding adherence to treatment to controlled patients (6 +/- 0.8 vs 5 +/- 1.2; P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Consciousness regarding the disease, the Morisky-Green test, and attendance to medical consultations did not influence blood pressure control.

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Prevalence of systemic hypertension in students aged 7 to 14 years in the municipality of Barbacena, in the State of Minas Gerais, in 1999.

[Article in English, Portuguese]

de Rezende DF, Scarpelli RA, de Souza GF, da Costa JO, Scarpelli AM, Scarpelli PA, de Carvalho GB, D'Agostini HM, Pedrosa JC.

Faculdade de Medicina de Barbacena, MG, Brazil. rabscarpelli yahoo.com.br

OBJECTIVE: To detect the prevalence of systemic hypertension in children and to establish the relation between blood pressure levels and sex, age, ethnicity, weight, and height. METHODS: The prevalence of systemic hypertension and its relation to sex, age, ethnicity, weight, and height were studied in 611 students aged 7 to 14 years out of 19.928 students classified according to age, ethnicity, and sex, who underwent anthropometric evaluation and blood pressure measurement. Hypertensive individuals were considered those whose blood pressure level was > the 95th percentile for age and sex, confirmed on 3 examinations. RESULTS: The prevalence of hypertension was 16.6% in the first evaluation, and 4.6% and 2.5% in the subsequent evaluations. The mean blood pressure levels increased with age. Weight was important, not only to determine blood pressure in healthy children, but also to determine systemic hypertension in children, which was not observed with height despite the different studies. The prevalence of systemic hypertension in the different ethnic groups and the mean blood pressure levels according to sex were similar. CONCLUSION: In addition to routine physical examinations, age, weight, and appropriate cuff size should be considered when assessing blood pressure in children to prevent hypertension, morbidity and mortality, and to avoid placing a financial burden on health care providers.

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Effect of nitric oxide synthase inhibition and saline administration on blood pressure and renal sodium handling during experimental sepsis in rats.

Cesar de Oliveira P, Boer-Lima PA, Figueiredo JF, Gontijo JA.

Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Uberlandia, Uberlandia, MG, Brazil.

Much effort has been made in recent years to clarify metabolic and renal function changes in sepsis. A number of studies performed in different models of sepsis have been described. One such model that is frequently used is cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) in rats. This model resembles human sepsis in several important aspects, such as an early phase of hyperdynamic, hypermetabolic sepsis followed by a late hypodynamic, hypometabolic phase. The present study evaluated the blood pressure (n = 5) and renal function changes during development of CLP renal failure and to determine the effects of NOS inhibition (L-NAME) and 0.15 M NaCl administration on tail blood pressure and renal function in randomly assigned five groups (n = 10 each): (1) Sham-operated, (2) Sham-operated L-NAME-treated, (3) CLP rats, (4) CLP L-NAME-treated, and (5) CLP 0.15 M NaCl-treated rats. The basal tail blood pressure was not significantly different among the four groups. One week later, arterial pressure was significantly increased in sham-operated L-NAME-treated rats (159 +/- 12 mmHg) compare with the other groups (118 +/- 9.0 mmHg in nontreated rats, p < 0.05). Blood pressure shows a slightly and not significant decrease up to 12h in L-NAME and 0.15 M NaCl treated rats, which in turn was followed by a significant reduced arterial pressure 18h after CLP in both groups (L-NAME: 96.0 +/- 3.6 mmHg, p < 0.05) and NaCl: 82.3 +/- 2.4 mmHg, p < 0.05) compared to sham-operated groups. The glomerular filtration rate estimated by CCr decreases significantly in the CLP untreated group (p < 0.001) and did not significantly differ from the sham-operated and L-NAME-treated groups (p = 0.4) during the studies of renal tubule sodium handling. On the other hand, subcutaneous 0.15 M NaCl administration prevented CCr decreases in CLP rats (p = 0.25). CLP increased the FENa in the sham-operated from: 857.2 +/- 85.1 delta%min(-1) to CLP: 1197.8 +/- 119.0 delta%min(-1). The high FENa to CLP was blunted and significantly reduced by previous systemic treatment of animals with L-NAME from sham-operated+L-NAME: 1368.0 +/- 72.0 delta%min(-1) to CLP+L-NAME: 1148.0 +/- 60.4 delta%min(-1) (p < 0.01). The enhanced FENa in the CLP group were accompanied by a significant increase in proximal sodium reabsorption rejection. The salient findings of the present study suggest that a decrease in the blood pressure and creatinine clearance caused by CLP may benefit from L-NAM and fluid resuscitation during initial bacteremia (first 12 h) by promoting an additional increase of tubule sodium reabsorption in the post-proximal segments of nephrons, but these therapies could not prevent acute renal failure after established endotoxemia.

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