Blood pressure levels, risk factors and antihypertensive treatments: lessons from the SHEAF study

OBJECTIVES

The SHEAF study (Self measurement of blood pressure at Home in the Elderly: Assessment and Follow-up) is a 3-year prospective cohort study of French elderly (> or =60 years) hypertensive patients designed to assess whether home blood pressure (HBP) measurement provides additional prognostic information over office blood pressure (OBP) in terms of cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. The objective of the present work is to describe the baseline data of the population enrolled in the SHEAF study with special emphasis on blood pressure control in treated hypertensives.

METHODS

During the 2-week initial inclusion phase, baseline demographics, cardiovascular risk factors, antihypertensive treatments as well as office and home blood pressure were recorded. Baseline OBP was assessed using a mercury sphygmomanometer (three consecutive measurements during two visits performed 2 weeks apart). HBP was performed over a 4-day period (three consecutive measurements in the morning and in the evening).

RESULTS

A total of 4939 (95%) of the 5211 patients included in the SHEAF study were treated with at least one antihypertensive drug. Their ages ranged from 60 to 99 years (mean age 70 +/- 7 years); 49% were men, 12% had a previous history of coronary artery disease, 14% diabetes and 43% a treated dyslipidaemia. A total of 45% of the treated patients received a single antihypertensive drug, 34% two drugs, 21% three drugs or more. Overall 23% of treated hypertensives were normalised at the doctor's office (systolic BP <140 mm Hg and diastolic BP <90 mm Hg) and 27% at home (home systolic BP <135 mm Hg and home diastolic BP <85 mm Hg). Poor blood pressure control was associated with age, an increasing presence of diabetes and prescription of several antihypertensives. The proportion of subjects with controlled blood pressure decrease with age from 26% (60-69 years) to 21% (> or =80 years). Blood pressure control of diabetic patients was particularly poor as only 19% had an OBP <140/90 mm Hg and 6% a blood pressure <130/85 mm Hg. The percentage of patients with controlled OBP decreased from 26% when receiving a single antihypertensive drug to 11% when receiving four antihypertensives or more.

CONCLUSION

In the SHEAF study, less than one-third of the patients had an OBP adequately controlled thus confirming previous studies performed in younger populations. Presence of associated cardiovascular risk factors including diabetes did not give rise to a better blood pressure control. When blood pressure control was assessed using HBP measurement similar results were found. As the beneficial effect of antihypertensive treatment has been particularly well established in the elderly, the data of this study underlines the need for a closer and more rigorous management of elderly hypertensives.

Determinants of right ventricular pressure in mild hypertension

OBJECTIVE

Doppler echocardiography was used to define reference values and determinants of tricuspid regurgitation peak velocity (TRV) in hypertensive patients. A TRV value > 2.5 m/s is the threshold usually defining abnormal right ventricular systolic pressure.

DESIGN AND PATIENTS

Doppler echocardiography was performed in 320 consecutive uncomplicated hypertensive patients, without overt pulmonary or heart disease. Doppler echocardiography included LV mass measurement, LV inflow and pulmonary venous flow analysis, LV systolic function and TRV measurements.

RESULTS

Among 320 patients, 255 had normal TRV < 2.5 m/s and 65 had elevated TRV > or = 2.5 m/s. Compared with the normal TRV group, the elevated TRV group was older (60 versus 50 years, P < 0.0001), systolic blood pressure was higher (156 versus 151 mmHg, P = 0.02) and antihypertensive therapy was more frequent (68 versus 51%, P = 0.02); indexed LV mass was higher (45.4 versus 40.6 g/m2.7, P = 0.001), pulmonary D wave peak velocity was higher (42 versus 38 cm/s, P = 0.03). In univariate analysis, age was the most predictive variable of TRV (r = 0.36). In multivariate analysis, three variables were independently related to TRV: age, LV mass, pulmonary D wave (multiple r = 0.47).

CONCLUSION

In mild hypertension, TRV is independently related to age, and to a lesser extent, to LV morphology and LV filling pressure. In clinical practice, age should be taken into account to interpret TRV.

[Information technologies: new partners in treating diabetes]

The management of chronic diseases such as diabetes is becoming a crucial issue in developed countries. Innovative communication technologies should now be included as new partners in the health care system. These technologies can help both in managing patients and measuring quality of care. Internet-based health promotion programs may improve compliance with treatment. Decision systems are available on the Net to help patients monitoring their diet and insulin doses. The use of electronic medical record shared on Internet may help both physicians and patients to monitor on the long term the effect of interventions. It is now time to perform appropriate trials to determine, beside other interventions, the precise role of innovative communication technologies in diabetes management.

Comparison of three manual coccydynia treatments: a pilot study

STUDY DESIGN

A prospective pilot study with independent assessment and a 2-year follow-up period was conducted.

OBJECTIVES

To compare and assess the efficacy of three manual coccydynia treatments, and to identify factors predictive of a good outcome.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA

Various manual medicine treatments have been described in the literature. In an open study, the addition of manipulation to injection treatment produced a 25% increase in satisfactory results. Dynamic radiographs of the coccyx allow breakdown of coccydynia into four etiologic groups based on coccygeal mobility: luxation, hypermobility, immobility, and normal mobility. These groups may respond differently to manual treatments.

METHODS

The patients were randomized into three groups, each of which received three to four sessions of a different treatment: levator anus massage, joint mobilization, or mild levator stretch. Assessment with a visual analog scale was performed by an independent observer at 7 days, 30 days, 6 months, and 2 years.

RESULTS

The results of the manual treatments were satisfactory for 25.7% of the cases at 6 months, and for 24.3% of the cases at 2 years. The results varied with the cause of the coccydynia. The patients with an immobile coccyx had the poorest results, whereas those with a normally mobile coccyx fared the best. The patients with luxation or hypermobility had results somewhere between these two rates. Levator anus massage and stretch were more effective than joint mobilization, which worked only for patients with a normally mobile coccyx. Pain when patients stood up from sitting and excessive levator tone were associated with a good outcome. However, none of the results was significant because of the low success rate associated with manual treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

There is a need for a placebo-controlled study to establish conclusively whether manual treatments are effective. This placebo must be an external treatment. A sample size of 190 patients would be required for 80% confidence in detecting a difference.

Is "isolated home" hypertension as opposed to "isolated office" hypertension a sign of greater cardiovascular risk?

BACKGROUND

The SHEAF (Self-Measurement of Blood Pressure at Home in the Elderly: Assessment and Follow-up) study is an observational study (from February 1998 to early 2002) designed to determine whether home blood pressure (BP) measurement has a greater cardiovascular prognostic value than office BP measurement among elderly (> or =60 years) French patients with hypertension. The objective of this present work is to describe the baseline characteristics of the treated patients in the SHEAF study from February 1998 to March 1999, placing special emphasis on "isolated office" and "isolated home" hypertension.

METHODS

Baseline office BP measurement was assessed using a mercury sphygmomanometer. Home BP measurement was performed over a 4-day period. A 140/90-mm Hg threshold was chosen to define office hypertension, and a 135/85-mm Hg threshold to define home hypertension.

RESULTS

Of the 5211 hypertensive patients in the SHEAF study with a valid home BP measurement, 4939 received treatment with at least 1 antihypertensive drug. Patients with isolated office hypertension represented 12.5% of this population, while patients with isolated home hypertension represented 10.8%. The characteristics of the patients with isolated office hypertension were similar to those of patients with controlled hypertension. However, patients with isolated office hypertension had fewer previous cardiovascular complications. In contrast, rates of cardiovascular risk factors and history of cardiovascular disease in patients with isolated home hypertension resembled those in patients with uncontrolled hypertension.

CONCLUSIONS

This retrospective analysis suggests that patients with isolated home hypertension belong to a high-risk subgroup. The 3-year follow-up of these patients will provide prospective data about the cardiovascular prognosis of these subgroups.

Very long-term results (more than 20 years) of valve repair with carpentier's techniques in nonrheumatic mitral valve insufficiency

BACKGROUND

Mitral valve repair is considered the gold standard in surgery of degenerative mitral valve insufficiency (MVI), but the long-term results (>20 years) are unknown.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We reviewed the first 162 consecutive patients who underwent mitral valve repair between 1970 and 1984 for MVI due to nonrheumatic disease. The cause of MVI was degenerative in 146 patients (90%) and bacterial endocarditis in 16 patients (10%). MVI was isolated or, in 18 cases, associated with tricuspid insufficiency. The mean age of the 162 patients (104 men and 58 women) was 56+/-10 years (age range 22 to 77 years). New York Heart Association functional class was I, II, III, and IV in 2%, 39%, 52%, and 7% of patients, respectively. The mean cardiothoracic ratio was 0.58+/-0.07 (0.4 to 0.8), and 72 (45%) patients had atrial fibrillation. Valve analysis showed that the main mechanism of MVI was type II Carpentier's functional classification in 152 patients. The leaflet prolapse involved the posterior leaflet in 93 patients, the anterior leaflet in 28 patients, and both leaflets in 31 patients. Surgical technique included a Carpentier's ring annuloplasty in all cases, a valve resection in 126 patients, and shortening or transposition of chordae in 49 patients. During the first postoperative month, there were 3 deaths (1.9%) and 3 reoperations (2 valve replacements and 1 repeat repair [1.9%]). Six patients were lost to follow-up. The remaining 151 patients with mitral valve repair were followed during a median of 17 years (range 1 to 29 years; 2273 patient-years). The 20-year Kaplan-Meier survival rate was 48% (95% CI 40% to 57%), which is similar to the survival rate for a normal population with the same age structure. The 20-year rates were 19.3% (95% CI 11% to 27%) for cardiac death and 26% (95% CI 17% to 35%) for cardiac morbidity/mortality (including death from a cardiac cause, stroke, and reoperation). During the 20 years of follow-up, 7 patients were underwent surgery at 3, 7, 7, 8, 8, 10, or 12 years after the initial operation. Valve replacement was carried out in 5 patients, and repeat repair was carried out in 2 patients. At the end of the study, 65 patients remained alive (median follow-up 19 years). Their median age was 76 years (age range 41 to 95 years). All except 1 were in New York Heart Association functional class I/II.

CONCLUSIONS

Mitral valve repair using Carpentier's technique in patients with nonrheumatic MVI provides excellent long-term results with a mortality rate similar to that of the general population and a very low incidence of reoperation.

Prevalence and therapeutic control of hypertension in 30,000 subjects in the workplace

-To assess blood pressure (BP) control in a French working population through the use of a careful assessment of BP based on 2 different visits in 1 month, 17 359 men and 12 267 women were evaluated from January 1997 to April 1998. The initial phase was a cross-sectional analysis of a cohort study designed to assess the incidence of arterial hypertension in a French working population. Information was collected by the work-site physician during the annual examination. BP was measured with a validated automatic device. Among subjects with BP >/= mm Hg, patients not treated with antihypertensive drugs were invited to have an additional BP measurement taken 1 month later. The prevalence of hypertension (BP >/= mm Hg) based on 2 visits was 16.2% in men and 9.4% in women. When the diagnosis of hypertension was based on 2 visits, its prevalence was 41% lower in men and 36% lower in women compared with that of a diagnosis based on a single visit. Accordingly, the awareness of hypertension was 49% higher in men and 40% higher in women. Overall, 12.5% of hypertensive men and 33.2% of hypertensive women taking antihypertensive medication had their BP levels lowered to < mm Hg by treatment. Although the percentage of hypertensive men and women under current treatment who were aware of their hypertension increased with age, BP control among treated subjects decreased with age. Ineffective BP control with treatment accounted for 33% of BP levels >/= mm Hg in men and 40% of those observed in women. In this large French working population, estimates of hypertension therapeutic control depend heavily on the number of BP measurements. Despite these methodological precautions, insufficient awareness of BP and insufficient BP control through treatment remain 2 major public health problems.

Assessment of sexual activity in patients with back pain compared with patients with neck pain

Recent research has shown significant adverse effects of chronic low back pain on sexual activity in 46% of patients. To establish whether and how chronic low back pain adversely affects sexual activity, a questionnaire-based study was conducted on a patient group (low back pain) and a comparison group (neck pain). Patients were administered a visual analog scale, a series of conventional questionnaires, and a specifically designed sexual activity questionnaire covering frequency of intercourse before and since onset of pain, discomfort during intercourse, satisfaction with sexual life, and comfortable and uncomfortable basic coital positions. Patients with low back pain reported more interference than did patients with neck pain, and women with low back pain were more affected than men. Compared with the other groups, women with low back pain had greater reduction in frequency of intercourse, more marked discomfort during intercourse, and more interference with their sexual lives. The most pain generating position was prone for both genders, and the most comfortable one was supine. Sexual impairment, more marked in women, seems to be related to the triggering of pain by intercourse and to psychologic factors.

Factors associated with perioperative morbidity and mortality in patients with pheochromocytoma: analysis of 165 operations at a single center

To identify preoperative factors associated with 30-day morbidity and mortality after pheochromocytoma surgery, we carried out an external review of the records of all patients undergoing pheochromocytoma surgery from 1975 to 1997 at a single center. One hundred and forty-seven patients, including 23 with malignant tumors at the time of the first operation, underwent 165 operations. Death, resection of a neighboring organ, further surgery, secondary transfer to an intensive care unit, and any events associated with a surgical stay exceeding 10 days were defined as complications. Mortality and morbidity were 4 of 165 (2.4%) and 38 of 161 (23.6%), respectively. Morbidity included 13 spleen resections and hematomas. Spleen complications were not related to tumor location, but were probably due to the operative strategy used, a transperitoneal complete abdominal exploration including both adrenal glands. Complications were independently associated with preoperative systolic blood pressure [odds ratio (OR), 1.14/cm Hg], urinary metanephrine excretion (OR, 1.18/10 micromol x day), and with the number of operations (repeat vs. first operation OR, 5.36). In conclusion, pheochromocytoma resection consistently involves a risk of complications. Spleen damage should be prevented by complete preoperative localization studies and an elective or laparoscopic surgical approach. Careful blood pressure control should help prevent complications. Patients with high secretion tumors and those undergoing repeat intervention are at high risk of complications and should be referred to centers familiar with pheochromocytoma management.

The French Virtual Medical University

This paper is the description of a French Virtual Medical University based on the federation of existing or currently being developed resources in several Medical Schools in France. The objectives of the project is not only to share experiences across the country but also to integrate several resources using the New Information and Communication Technologies to support new pedagogical approaches for medical students and also for continuing medical education. The project includes: A virtual Medical Campus using secure access from several sites, The Integration of new interactive resources based on pedagogical methods, Implementation of new indexing and search engines based on medical vocabularies and ontologies, The definition of general and specific portals, the evaluation of the system for ergonomics and contents.

Identification of patients at high cardiovascular risk: a critical appraisal of applicability of statistical risk prediction models

Assessment of cardiovascular risk is widely proposed as a basis for taking management decisions about patients presenting with hypertension or hypercholesterolemia. Our aim was to critically assess the use of risk equations derived from epidemiological studies for the purpose of identifying high-risk patients. Risk equations were retrieved from the MEDLINE database and then applied to a data set of 118 patients. This data set was an evaluation study of the clinical value of the World Health Organization 1993 hypertension guidelines for the decision to treat mild hypertensive patients. We calculated agreement: 1) between equations and 2) between equations and the decision to treat taken by the physician. Most models were not applicable to our population, mainly because the original population had a narrow age range or comprised only males. Between-model agreement was better for the lower and upper risk quintiles than for the three other risk quintiles (0.58, 0.33, 0.34, 0.45, 0.70, from the lower to the upper risk quintile). When using an arbitrary threshold for defining high-risk patients (i.e. > 2% per year), we observed a huge variation of the proportion of patients classified at high risk (from 0 to 17%). There was a poor agreement between risk models and the decision to treat taken by the physician. These results suggest that risk-based guidelines should be validated before their diffusion.

From paper-based to electronic guidelines: application to French guidelines

In order to develop an internet-based decision support system, making available for French general practitioners several prevention guidelines is was necessary to implement paper based guideline. We propose a framework allowing to transform paper based practice guideline into their electronic form. Three different problems were identified: computability (e.g. determinism of the eCPG), logic (e.g. ambiguities when combining Booleans operators) and external validity (i.e. stability of decision for variations around thresholds and proportion of subjects classified in the various terminal nodes). The last problem concerned documentation of evidence: the level of evidence was associated only with the terminal decision node and not with the pathway through the decision tree. We concluded that computerisation of guidelines is not possible without expertise or authors advice. To improve computability it is necessary to provide authors with a framework that checks ambiguities, and logical errors.

[Prognosis and risk evaluation of postoperative coronary patients (PERISCOP). Methodology and study population characteristics]

The aim of the PERISCOP study was to evaluate the predictive value of cardiological investigations performed after recent coronary bypass surgery with regards to cardiac event and mortality at one year. The treatment of lipid abnormalities was also analysed. This first article describes the methodology and patient characteristics at inclusion. This prospective national multicenter trial included 2065 patients (86% men) with an average age of 63.1 +/- 9.9 years. The number of diseased vessels was 2.6 +/- 0.6. Preoperative left ventricular function was normal (ejection fraction 60 +/- 13%). Revascularisation was complete in 73% of cases (22% of arterial grafts). The cardiological investigations were performed at Day 20 +/- 10 after surgery. The duration of exercise on stress testing was 429 +/- 170 seconds. It was positive or doubtful in 9% of cases. Ventricular arrhythmias were observed in 6.5% of cases. The blood pressure response was abnormal in 6% of cases. Holter monitoring showed a median number of ventricular extrasystoles over 24 hours of 44. Three per cent of patients had one episode of ventricular tachycardia and 7% had ischaemic episodes. The echocardiographic index of segmental contractility was on average 1.75 (ejection fraction: 52.6%). The lipid analysis performed at one month, under lipid therapy in 34% of cases, showed a total cholesterol level at 1.91 +/- 0.10 g/l, an LDL-cholesterol of 1.27 +/- 0.08 g/l. The therapeutic target (LDL-cholesterol < 1 g/l) was attained in 46% of cases with treatment and in 18% of cases without treatment.

Modeling uncertainty in computerized guidelines using fuzzy logic

Computerized Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) improve quality of care by assisting physicians in their decision making. A number of problems emerges since patients with close characteristics are given contradictory recommendations. In this article, we propose to use fuzzy logic to model uncertainty due to the use of thresholds in CPGs. A fuzzy classification procedure has been developed that provides for each message of the CPG, a strength of recommendation that rates the appropriateness of the recommendation for the patient under consideration. This work is done in the context of a CPG for the diagnosis and the management of hypertension, published in 1997 by the French agency ANAES. A population of 82 patients with mild to moderate hypertension was selected and the results of the classification system were compared to whose given by a classical decision tree. Observed agreement is 86.6% and the variability of recommendations for patients with close characteristics is reduced.

Causes and mechanisms of common coccydynia: role of body mass index and coccygeal trauma

STUDY DESIGN

A total of 208 consecutive coccydynia patients were examined with the same clinical and radiologic protocol.

OBJECTIVES

To study radiographic coccygeal lesions in the sitting position, to elucidate the influence of body mass index on the different lesions, and to establish the effect of coccygeal trauma.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA

A protocol comparing standing radiographs and radiographs subsequently taken in the painful sitting position in coccydynia patients and in controls has shown two culprit lesions: posterior luxation and hypermobility. Obesity and a history of trauma have been identified as risk factors for luxation.

METHODS

Dynamic radiographs were obtained. The body mass index was compared with the coccygeal angle of incidence, sagittal rotation of the pelvis when sitting down, and the presence and time of previous trauma. The patients with the newly described lesions were examined after an anesthetic block under fluoroscopic guidance.

RESULTS

Two new coccygeal lesions are described (anterior luxation and spicules). Obesity was found to be a risk factor. The body mass index determines the way a subject sits down, and lesion patterns were different in obese, normal-weight, and thin patients (posterior luxation: 51%, 15.2%, 3.7%; hypermobility: 26.5%, 30.3%, 14.8%; spicules: 2%, 15.9%, 29.6%; normal: 16.3%, 32.6%, 48.1%, respectively; P < 0.0001). Trauma affected the type of lesion only if it was recent (<1 month before the onset of coccydynia), in which case the instability rate increased from 55.6% to 77.1%. Backward-moving coccyges were at greatest risk of trauma.

CONCLUSIONS

This protocol allows identification of the culprit lesion in 69.2% of cases. The body mass index determines the causative lesion, as does trauma sustained within the month preceding the onset of the pain.

[Cardiovascular risk and management of patients with hypertension]

Whereas cardiovascular diseases remain a priority amongst preventable diseases and that their risk factors, especially hypertension, remain inadequately controlled, new tools, such as the cardiovascular risk, would allow better targeting of treatment on high risk patients. All the evidence is in favour of prevention based on the estimation of the risk, but this article summarises the problems which this strategy continues to pose. In particular, necessity of validation at several levels of the equation or equations used (exactitude of the estimated risk, its accuracy and transportability); influence of the mode of presentation of the risk on the perception and decision of the physician and patient; practical application of the strategy; choice of decisional threshold respecting the requirements of different age groups, and presentation to physicians (recommendations and/or computerisation?).

A study of platelet functions with a new analyzer using high shear stress (PFA 100) in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft

Platelet dysfunction can be a major factor in excessive bleeding following cardiopulmonary bypass (CBP). A rapid, specific and sensitive method to identify platelet dysfunction would be a useful tool for identifying patients at an increased risk of bleeding. The ability of PFA100, an in vitro bleeding test, to predict increased bleeding risk linked to platelet dysfunction was tested in 146 patients undergoing primary coronary artery bypass graft. Blood samples were taken the day before surgery, and 15 min and 5 h after heparin neutralization. The preoperative closure times (CT), i.e. the time required for platelets in citrated whole blood to occlude an aperture cut into a membrane coated with collagen plus either epinephrine (CTEPI) or adenosine diphosphate (CTADP) were longer in blood-group-O patients than in patients with other groups. The 15 min postoperative values were significantly longer from preoperative values essentially owing to CBP-induced hemodilution. Interestingly, 5 h after CBP, a significant reduction in CT values probably reflected platelet hyperaggregability. No correlation was found between calculated blood loss (CBL) and either preoperative or postoperative PFA values.

Dehydroepiandrosterone replacement administration: pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies in healthy elderly subjects

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA; 50 and 25 mg) and placebo tablets were orally administered daily to 24 healthy aging men and women (67.8 +/- 4.3 yr) for 8 days according to a balanced incomplete block design. Nine blood tests on both the first and eighth days allowed the measurement of DHEA, its sulfate DHEAS, and metabolites: testosterone, 5alpha-androstan-3alpha,17beta-diol glucuronide, estradiol, and estrone. Relatively low background levels of DHEA(S) were observed, and with the reestablishment of "young" levels, four important results were obtained. 1) Blood DHEA had an apparent terminal half-life of more than 20 h, the same order of magnitude as that of blood DHEAS, a result explainable by back-hydrolysis of the large amount of DHEAS formed after oral administration of DHEA, a mechanism providing long-lived unconjugated DHEA and metabolites. 2) The metabolic conversion of DHEAS to DHEA was significantly greater in women than in men. 3) No accumulation of steroids was observed. 4) No worrying transformation to androgen and estrogen was recorded; indeed, the limited increased estradiol in aged women could be predicted to be beneficial. These results suggested that daily oral administration of DHEA (25/50 mg) is safe in elderly subjects. The 50-mg dose was chosen for a 1 yr, double blind, placebo-controlled trial of daily oral administration of DHEA in 60- to 80-yr-old individuals (DHEAge).

A randomized comparison of mifepristone and self-administered oral or vaginal misoprostol for early abortion

In France, mifepristone in association with orally administered misoprostol is widely used for the early termination of pregnancy (up to 49 days' gestation). In other centers, mifepristone in association with vaginally administered misoprostol has also been used. The aim of the present study was to compare the efficacy and tolerance of mifepristone in association with misoprostol administered orally or vaginally for the termination of pregnancy of up to 49 days' gestation. A total of 237 women were enrolled in the study. All women received 600 mg mifepristone administered orally and 400 microg misoprostol administered either orally (n = 119) or vaginally (n = 118). A second dose of 400 microg misoprostol was administered if women had not expelled the pregnancy within 3 h. Women were randomized into treatment groups according to the day of their admission. The overall success rate was 98.7% and there was no significant difference in efficacy between the two groups. There was one treatment failure in the group in which misoprostol was administered orally. Of those women who aborted within 3 h of administration of the first dose ofmisoprostol, the route of administration ofmisoprostol did not influence the time to abortion. Of the women who received a second dose ofmisoprostol, the time to abortion was shorter in those who received misoprostol orally (52 min versus 77 min). Tolerance was assessed by visual analog scales and was similar for both groups. In both groups, women preferred the oral route of administration.

[The feasibility of at-home self-monitoring blood pressure in elderly hypertensive patients]

The goal of the SHEAF study is to determine whether self blood pressure measurement (SBPM) has a better cardiovascular prognostic value than office blood pressure (OBP) among French elderly (> or = 60 y) hypertensive patients (pts) followed-up by general practitioners. Baseline SBPM was performed over a 4-day period: every day a series of 3 consecutive measurements was requested in the morning (8:00 am) and in the evening (8:00 pm), using a validated device OMRON 705 CP. Measurements performed out of predefined morning and evening time (outside the 4:00-12:00 am range or the 4:00-12:00 pm range) were discarded as well as aberrant values. Pts were included in the study only if they exhibited at least 15 valid measurements with at least 6 in the morning and 6 in the evening. 5,649 pts were selected. 186 pts were excluded for age < 60 years. Thus SBPM analysis was performed for 5,463 pts: 2,687 men (49%) and 2,776 women (51%) aged 70 +/- 7 years. Only 252 pts (5%) were excluded for non valid SBPM (207 pts < 15 measurements, 106 pts < 6 measurements in the morning and 205 pts < 6 measurements in the evening). 5,211 pts (95%) with valid SBPM were included. The distribution of pts according to the number of measurements performed is the following: [table: see text] The number of measurements performed in the morning is highly related to the number of measurements performed in the evening. None of the following variables is significantly associated with the poor compliance of measurement protocol: age, gender, CV history, CV risk factors, hypertension duration. In a large cohort of elderly hypertensive living in the community, SBPM is easily performed both in the morning and in the evening by most of the pts. If the SHEAF study demonstrates the prognostic value of SBPM, this would provide the basis for the use of this measurement method by a majority of elderly hypertensives.

[Can the degree of renal artery stenosis be automatically quantified?]

The objective of the reported study is to validate a computer system, QUASAR, dedicated to the quantification of renal artery stenoses. This system estimates automatically the reference diameter and calculates the minimum diameter to compute a degree of stenosis. A hundred and eighty images of atheromatous stenoses between 10% and 80% were collected from two French independent protocols. For the 49 images of the EMMA protocol, the results from QUASAR were compared with the visual estimation of an initial investigator and with the results from a reference method based on a panel of fixe experienced experts. For the 131 images of the ASTARTE protocol, the results from QUASAR were compared with those from a semi-automatic quantification system and with those from a system based on densitometric analysis. The present work validates QUASAR in a population of narrow atheromatous stenoses (> 50%). In the context of the EMMA protocol, QUASAR is not significantly different from the mean of the fixe experts. It is unbiased and more precise than the estimation of a single investigator. In the context of the ASTARTE protocol, there is no significant difference between the three methods for the stenoses higher than 50%, however, globally, QUASAR surestimates significantly (up to 10%) the degree of stenosis.

The non-insulin-dependent diabetes, hypertension, microalbuminuria or proteinuria, cardiovascular events, and ramipril (DIABHYCAR) study: design, organization, and patient recruitment. DIABHYCAR Study Group

The non-insulin-dependent DIABetes, HYpertension, microalbuminuria or proteinuria, CARdiovascular events, and Ramipril (DIABHYCAR) study is a randomized, prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter international trial of the ACE inhibitor ramipril (1.25 mg/day) in patients with type II diabetes and micro- or macroalbuminuria. The main outcome of the study is the time to first occurrence of either death from a cardiovascular origin, including sudden death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, stroke, or congestive heart failure, or requirement of hemodialysis or renal transplantation. The study was launched in France in early 1995 with the participation of general practitioners only, but had to be extended to 15 other countries in 1997 due to difficulties in recruitment. Since 2.5 years after the beginning of the trial the observed event rate was much less than anticipated, it was decided to increase recruitment and follow-up duration and to include congestive heart failure in the definition of the main outcome to keep the study power at a satisfactory level. Recruitment ended on April 1, 1998 with 4937 randomized patients. Following the early discontinuation for efficacy of another study of ramipril in high cardiovascular risk patients, the Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation study (HOPE), the second interim analysis of DIABHYCAR was performed early (when 406 instead of 500 patients presented a main outcome) and the Data Safety and Monitoring Board recommended that the study continue. Follow-up is planned to end on March 31, 2001.

Peroperative factors influencing the outcome of elective abdominal aorta aneurysm repair

PURPOSE

To identify perioperative variables which may influence mortality of elective abdominal aneurysm repair (AAA).

METHOD

prospective study of patients undergoing elective AAA repair between 1986 and 1997.

RESULTS

Four hundred and seventy patients (438 men, 32 females) with a mean age of 69.4+/-13 years and aneurysms with a diameter of 60+/-3 mm were operated on with a 1-month mortality rate of 5.3%. Multivariate analysis identified the following independent risk factors for mortality: age >70 (p<0.0001), a past history of myocardial infarction (p<0.0001), preoperative renal insufficiency (p<0.0001), reoperation (p<0.0001), colonic necrosis (p<0.0001), and severe postoperative medical complications (p<0.0001).

CONCLUSION

Intra- and postoperative events affect the outcome of AAA repair, independently of preoperative factors, and should be described when presenting the results of AAA repair.

Influence of coronary artery and contralateral carotid artery status on long-term results of carotid artery surgery

The main cause of death and long-term disability of patients undergoing carotid artery surgery is coronary artery disease. To identify the prognostic value of the status of the contralateral artery, we studied the course of 224 consecutive patients in whom one or both carotid arteries were operated on at our institution between 1985 and 1995. The 224 patients were divided into three groups: group I (n = 56) had an occluded contralateral carotid artery, in group II (n = 56) both carotids were operated on, and group III (n = 112) had a normal contralateral carotid artery. The clinical status of all patients except one was ascertained by one of us. We found that the status of the contralateral artery does not influence the long-term prognosis of patients undergoing carotid artery surgery. A periodic cardiological and vascular follow-up of these patients seems warranted to improve their survival.