The impact of pre-existing blood pressure control in patients with acute aortic dissections

Vascular ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 170853812110421
Author(s):  
Amy B Reed ◽  
Rumi Faizer ◽  
R. James Valentine

Objectives Arterial hypertension (HTN) is considered a seminal risk factor for aortic dissection (AD). The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether pre-existing blood pressure (BP) control lessens the extent of dissection and has a favorable impact on outcome of patients with acute AD. Methods Consecutive acute AD patients who had at least two BPs recorded within the 12 months preceding the AD were retrospectively analyzed. The two most recent BPs were averaged and defined per published guidelines as normal (BP≤ 130/80), Stage I HTN (BP >130/80 and <139/89), or Stage 2 or greater HTN (BP > 140/90). The number of hypertensive medications (MEDs) was also used as a surrogate marker of HTN severity. Patients with known genetic causes of AD were excluded. Results 89 subjects (55% men, 45% women; mean age, 64±14 years) with acute AD (58% Stanford type A and 42% Stanford type B) were included. Two most recent BPs were recorded a mean of 5±3 and 3±2.7 months before the AD, respectively. Twenty-nine (33%) subjects had normal BP, including nine subjects with no history of HTN and on no MEDs. Sixty (67%) subjects had elevated BP, including 21 (35%) with Stage I HTN and 39 (65%) with Stage 2 HTN. Compared to subjects with normal BP, subjects with Stage 1 and Stage 2 HTN were younger (70±13 years vs 62±1 year, p = 0.01), but there were no differences in other demographics, risk factors, comorbidities, or history of drug use. There were no group differences in the distal extent of the dissections, complications requiring thoracic endograft repair, mean length of hospital stay, final discharge status, or 30-day mortality. Compared to the number of MEDs before AD, all three groups had a higher mean number of MEDs to achieve normal BP at discharge that persisted at a mean follow-up of 18±15 months. Conclusions These data show that approximately one-third of patients with acute AD had well controlled or no antecedent history of HTN. The degree of pre-existing HTN control had no bearing on the type or extent of AD, length of stay, or early outcome. Regardless of the state of HTN control before AD, the consistent and sustained increase in the severity of HTN after AD suggests that the dissection process has a profound and lasting effect on BP regulation. Further studies are indicated to elucidate the pathologic mechanisms involved in AD.

Author(s):  
James P. Sheppard ◽  
Brian Nicholson ◽  
Joseph Lee ◽  
Dylan McGagh ◽  
Julian Sherlock ◽  
...  

Hypertension has been identified as a risk factor for COVID-19 and associated adverse outcomes. This study examined the association between pre-infection blood pressure (BP) control and COVID-19 outcomes using data from 460 general practices in England. Eligible patients were adults with hypertension who were tested or diagnosed with COVID-19. BP control was defined by the most recent reading within 24months of the index date (01/01/2020). BP was defined as controlled (<130/80mmHg), raised (130/80-139/89mmHg), stage 1 uncontrolled (140/90-159/99mmHg) or stage 2 uncontrolled ({greater than or equal to}160/100mmHg). The primary outcome was death within 28 days of COVID-19 diagnosis. Secondary outcomes were COVID-19 diagnosis and COVID-19 related hospital admission. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the association between BP control and outcomes. Of the 45,418 patients (mean age 67 years; 44.7% male) included, 11,950 (26.3%) had controlled BP. These patients were older, had more co-morbidities and had been diagnosed with hypertension for longer. A total of 4,277 patients (9.4%) were diagnosed with COVID-19 and 877 died within 28 days. Individuals with stage 1 uncontrolled BP had lower odds of COVID-19 death (OR 0.76, 95%CI 0.62-0.92) compared to patients with well-controlled BP. There was no association between BP control and COVID-19 diagnosis or hospitalisation. These findings suggest BP control may be associated with worse COVID-19 outcomes, possibly due to these patients having more advanced atherosclerosis and target organ damage. Such patients may need to consider adhering to stricter social-distancing, to limit the impact of COVID-19 as future waves of the pandemic occur.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazuo Kitagawa ◽  
Yasumasa Yamamoto ◽  
Hisatomi Arima ◽  
Toshiki Maeda ◽  
Norio Sunami ◽  
...  

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 93-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. David Spence ◽  
Chrysi Bogiatzi ◽  
Mariya Kuk ◽  
George K. Dresser ◽  
Daniel G. Hackam

Abstract Background and Objectives Resistant hypertension is an important problem; nearly half of diagnosed hypertensives are not controlled to target blood pressure levels, and approximately 90% of strokes occur among patients with resistant hypertension. Primary aldosteronism accounts for approximately 20% of resistant hypertension, but the role of secondary hyperaldosteronism in resistant hypertension is seldom considered. We assessed the effects of eplerenone in patients with hypertension and either primary or secondary hyperaldosteronism. Methods Patients with a history of resistant hypertension and a supine plasma aldosterone level ≥ 360 pmol/L were randomized to eplerenone versus placebo in a fully blinded study for one year. A medication intensity score was developed to assess the resistance of hypertension to medication (blood pressure × medication intensity). We assessed the effects of eplerenone on blood pressure and on resistance to concomitant medication. Results Final results were available in 37 patients (19 on eplerenone and 18 on placebo). Resistance to medication, as assessed by the intensity of concomitant medication required to maintain blood pressure control, was markedly reduced by eplerenone: medication intensity scores declined by –0.50 ± 1.04 (SD) on placebo versus –2.11 ± 1.45 with eplerenone (P = 0.0001), the Systolic Resistance Score declined by –80.00 ± 122.93 on placebo versus –334.05 ± 21.73 on eplerenone (P = 0.0001), and the Diastolic Resistance Score increased by 1.28 ± 31.65 on placebo and declined by –40.74 ± 57.08 on eplerenone (P = 0.009). Conclusions Eplerenone significantly reduced resistance to concomitant antihypertensive medication in both primary and secondary hyperaldosteronism.


Cancers ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 291
Author(s):  
Anne Hendricks ◽  
Sophie Müller ◽  
Martin Fassnacht ◽  
Christoph-Thomas Germer ◽  
Verena A. Wiegering ◽  
...  

(1) Background: Locoregional lymphadenectomy (LND) in adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) may impact oncological outcome, but the findings from individual studies are conflicting. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to determine the oncological value of LND in ACC by summarizing the available literature. (2) Methods: A systematic search on studies published until December 2020 was performed according to the PRISMA statement. The primary outcome was the impact of lymphadenectomy on overall survival (OS). Two separate meta-analyses were performed for studies including patients with localized ACC (stage I–III) and those including all tumor stages (I–IV). Secondary endpoints included postoperative mortality and length of hospital stay (LOS). (3) Results: 11 publications were identified for inclusion. All studies were retrospective studies, published between 2001–2020, and 5 were included in the meta-analysis. Three studies (N = 807 patients) reported the impact of LND on disease-specific survival in patients with stage I–III ACC and revealed a survival benefit of LND (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.42, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 0.26–0.68). Based on results of studies including patients with ACC stage I–IV (2 studies, N = 3934 patients), LND was not associated with a survival benefit (HR = 1.00, 95% CI: 0.70–1.42). None of the included studies showed an association between LND and postoperative mortality or LOS. (4) Conclusion: Locoregional lymphadenectomy seems to offer an oncologic benefit in patients undergoing curative-intended surgery for localized ACC (stage I–III).


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Yang ◽  
Yin Y Lim ◽  
Renata Libianto ◽  
Jimmy Shen ◽  
Morag Jennifer Young ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Primary aldosteronism (PA) accounts for 3.2-12.7% of hypertension in primary care but is often diagnosed late, if at all. A delayed or missed diagnosis leads to poor blood pressure control and greater cardiovascular risk that could be averted with targeted treatment. An Endocrine Hypertension Service (EHS), encompassing an education program, streamlined diagnostic tests and dedicated PA clinic, was developed to address this issue. Aims: To analyse the impact of Victoria’s first dedicated EHS on the pattern of PA diagnoses. Methods: Socio-demographic and clinical data from all patients who attended the EHS since July 2016 (N=267) was collected prospectively. Patients were divided into Year 1 (Y1), Year 2 (Y2), and Year 3 (Y3), based on their first visit. Results: The proportion of referrals from primary care increased (20% in Y1 to 52% in Y3) with more referrals being made for treatment-naive hypertension (3% in Y1 to 19% in Y3). Patients with a hypertension diagnosis of 5 years or less at the time of referral to EHS increased from 34% in Y1 to 45% in Y3 whilst the percentage of patients with a hypertension diagnosis of more than 10 years decreased from 50% in Y1 to 35% in Y3. Consistent with an earlier presentation, the proportion of patients with end-organ damage at the time of referral decreased from 44% in Y1 to 29% in Y3. Almost a third of the PA patients had unilateral disease; all of those who underwent adrenalectomy had biochemical cure. Patients with bilateral PA were treated with spironolactone. Their systolic/diastolic blood pressure decreased by 15/12 mmHg in Y1, 17/13 mmHg in Y2 and 23/11 mmHg in Y3; while the mean number of antihypertensive medications decreased from 2.9 to 1.8 in Y1, 2.7 to 2.0 in Y2 and 2.2 to 1.6 in Y3 Conclusion: The EHS has facilitated an increase in referrals for PA screening from primary care, resulting in the earlier diagnosis of PA, when less complications are present, and optimised patient outcomes. A broader uptake of such a clinical service, integrated with education outreach, will bridge the gap between the reported high prevalence of PA and the actual low diagnostic rates.


2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (6) ◽  
pp. 575-583 ◽  
Author(s):  
Piotr J. Kruk ◽  
Michał Nowicki

AbstractBackgroundRegular physical activity is widely recommended for patients with arterial hypertension as an essential component of lifestyle modification. Much less is known about the impact of physical exercise on the management of treatment of resistant hypertension (RH). The aim was to assess the effect of physical activity program intensified by mobile phone text reminders on blood pressure control in subjects with RH managed in the primary care.MethodsIn total, 53 patients with primary hypertension were qualified, including 27 who met the criteria for RH and 26 with well-controlled hypertension (WCH). Ambulatory 24-h blood pressure was monitored and body composition evaluated with bioimpedance and habitual physical activity profile was determined continuously over 72 h with accelerometer. All measurements were performed at baseline and after three and six months. The patients were asked to modify their lifestyle according to American Heart Association Guidelines that included regular aerobic physical activity tailored to individual needs.FindingsPhysical activity in RH increased significantly after six months compared with control subjects (P=0.001). Office systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in the RH group decreased significantly after three months but after six months only office DBP remained significantly lower. After three months 24-h SBP decreased by 3.1±11 mmHg (P=0.08) and DBP by 2.0±6 mmHg (P=0.17) in RH, whereas in WCH respective changes were +1.2±10 and −0.3±6 mmHg. After six months 24-h BP changes were similar.ConclusionIndividualized structured physical activity program increases physical activity in the treatment of resistant hypertensives in primary care but the effect on 24-h blood pressure is only transient.


Stroke ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam H de Havenon ◽  
Eric Goldstein ◽  
Stephanie Lyden ◽  
Jennifer Majersik

Background: The Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial enrolled patients aged 50 or older with at least one cardiovascular disease risk factor, but free of prior symptomatic stroke. Patients were assigned to two blood pressure reduction goals (<140 versus 120 mm Hg). There was not a significant difference in the rate of stroke, making this an ideal cohort to refine risk prediction of primary stroke, which is understudied in patients with adequate blood pressure control and a rigorously adjudicated outcome of stroke. Methods: The primary outcome is ischemic stroke. We fit Cox models to the primary outcome and evaluated all baseline demographic variables to determine which would be most predictive of stroke, which we then used to create a prediction score. Results: We included 9,361 patients with a mean (SD) age of 67.9 (9.4) years and 171 (1.8%) patients met the primary outcome of stroke. For our prediction model, we gave one point each for history of TIA, atrial fibrillation, congestive heart failure, or diabetes. Patients with 2 or more points were collapsed, making three possible scores of 0, 1, and 2, which had rates of stroke of 1.5% (117/8042), 3.2% (30/933), and 6.2% (24/386) (p<0.001). Compared to a score of 0, the hazard ratios for stroke of score 1 and 2 were 2.3 (95% CI, 1.6-3.5) and 4.6 (95% CI, 2.9-7.1) (both p<0.001) (Figure 1). Conclusion: A simple scoring system can improve prediction of ischemic stroke from 1.8% to 6.2% in patients with no prior history of stroke and excellent blood pressure control. This information could be used to improve patient selection for clinical trials or for identifying patients for more aggressive primary prevention strategies.


Author(s):  
George R Marzouka ◽  
Elyse Julian ◽  
Andre Dias ◽  
Leonardo Tamariz ◽  
Pat Trahan ◽  
...  

Background: A significant correlation between hypertension (HTN) and long-term risk for heart failure (HF) exists. The aim of this study was (i) to assess what percent of patients enrolled in a heart failure disease management program (HFDMP) reach the JNC VII target goals for blood pressure control; (ii) to assess if there is a disparity in HTN control by race or ethnicity; (iii) and to assess the impact of reaching JNC VII targets for blood pressure control on survival. Methods: Patients with an ejection fraction ≤40% were enrolled into HFDMPs and screened for HTN, defined as blood pressure (BP) ≥ 130/80. Patients were titrated to beta blocker therapy and ace inhibitor therapy following the ACC/AHA HF guidelines. Final BP was measured after one year. Results: Mean baseline systolic BP (SBP) (N = 648) was 149.9 mmHg and mean baseline diastolic BP (DBP) was 90.5 mmHg. At one year, mean SBP decreased to 138.0 mmHg, DBP to 81.8 mmHg. There was no significant increase in survival for patients with BP ≤130 and ≤80 versus patients with HTN. There was a significant disparity in BP control in Blacks and Hispanics compared to whites (p<0.001) Conclusion: Disease management programs are an effective way to reduce BP in hypertensive patients, as well as keeping normotensive patients within JNC VII guidelines however health disparities persisted by race and ethnicity. Mean SBP and DBP of cohort at baseline Vs. 12 Month Follow up Blood pressure ≤ 130/80 mmHg Baseline Visit Last Visit P-Value SBP,m sd 110.9 (12.6%) 120.9 (22.2%) <0.001 DBP , m sd 67.1 (8.6%) 72.4 (13.7%) <0.001 Blood pressure > 130/80 mmHg Baseline Visit Last Visit P-Value SBP , m sd 149.9 (21.4%) 138.0 (24.6%) <0.001 DBP , m sd 90.5 (16.3%) 81.8 (16.8%) <0.001


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerrilynn C Hennessey ◽  
Carolyn Hickman ◽  
Brianne Krawczyk ◽  
Michelle Opare ◽  
Leslie Churchwell ◽  
...  

Objectives: Physician-pharmacist collaborative practice models have emerged as an effective model for managing hypertension (HTN). We implemented this model in a low-income, hospital-based cardiology clinic and sought to identify programmatic features necessary to control HTN in this vulnerable population. Methods: Patients with persistently elevated blood pressure (>130/80) were referred by their primary cardiologist. Patients were excluded if they were pregnant, had acute kidney injury, or acute cardiovascular complaints including anginal chest pain, decompensated heart failure, or unstable arrhythmia. The initial pharmacist appointment occurred within 2 weeks of referral, with the goal of bi-weekly visits for 6 weeks or until blood pressure was controlled. Patients were prescribed home blood pressure cuffs and given specific instructions for home-based monitoring. Telehealth visits were made available to interested patients. During each encounter, pharmacists assessed response and side effects to medication, adherence, lifestyle behaviors, stressors, and social barriers to blood pressure control. Clinical management and barriers to HTN control were reviewed at standing weekly staff meetings that included cardiologists and pharmacists. Early results: Among 35 people referred, 22 patients attended at least one pharmacist visit. A total of 139 reminder or follow-up calls were made for these 22 patients. Among the first 35 referrals (mean age 58; 57% male; 65% African American or Latinx), 26% have documented substance use disorders, 34% have a mental health comorbidity, 20% were not taking their medications as prescribed on intake, and 17% had side effects from 2 or more prior antihypertensive medications. Medications adjustments were made in 21/43 patient visits (49% of visits). In 8/43 visits more than 1 medication change was made. The most common patient reported barriers to care include transportation (20%) and language barriers (11%). Discussion and Future Direction: Managing HTN in a low-income population requires attention to the social and contextual factors impacting blood pressure control. We plan to: 1) support the uptake of telehealth to address issues of transportation and access; 2) pilot blue-tooth connected blood pressure cuffs to facilitate home monitoring and management; and 3) partner with community health workers to assess best practices for capturing and addressing social determinants of health in the clinical setting.


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