Nocturnal Nondipping Hypertension Is Related to Dyslipidemia and Increased Renal Resistivity Index in Renal Transplant Patients

Sleeve gastrectomy and one-year outcomes: Impact on cardiovascular, renal and metabolic parameters

Background

Cardiovascular and renal diseases represent a major determinant for the morbidity and mortality associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Bariatric surgery is considered one of the few treatments with the potential to reverse cardiovascular, renal and metabolic disease.

Methods

Prospective study of patients undergoing sleeve gastrectomy collecting pre- and post-surgery creatinine, eGFR, glucose, insulin, total, LDL/HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, parathyroid hormone, vitamin D3, C- Reactive Protein (CRP), blood count, weight, body mass index (BMI), bilateral carotid intima media thickness (IMT), flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and epicardial adipose tissue (EAT). Measurements were compared at 1 year follow up.

Results

24 patients were included in the study. Cardiovascular parameters, as HDL-cholesterol (p = 0.002), IMT (p = 0.003), EAT (p < 0.001) and FMD (p = 0.001) showed significant improvement after surgery. Secondary renal outcomes including Vitamin D3 (p < 0.0001), Calcium (p = 0.006), RBCs (p = 0.007), HCO3- (p = 0.05) also ameliorated as well as BMI (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Sleeve gastrectomy has a positive impact on cardiovascular, renal, and metabolic parameters in patients with morbid obesity, suggesting it may halt the progression of these diseases even in the preclinical stage. Further research is needed to explore the long-term effects underlying these improvements.

Nocturnal non-dipping on 24-h Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring in children and adolescents with obesity is associated with higher total cholesterol levels

BACKGROUND

Few studies indicate the occurrence of abnormal nocturnal dipping of blood pressure (BP) in 35-50% of children and adolescents with obesity. The relation between that phenomenon and metabolic complications of obesity remains unclear. To evaluate the association between disorders of glucose and lipid metabolism, and nocturnal non-dipping in pediatric patients with obesity.

METHODS

In 207 children (53.14% girls, mean age 14 (range 2-17), mean BMI Z-SCORE 4.38, range 2.07-10.74) standard 24-h Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring was performed. Normal dipping was defined as a ≥ 10% decline in BP during the night.

RESULTS

There were 106 (51.21%) cases of non-dippers. The mean 24-h nocturnal systolic BP (SBP) reduction (%) was 9.9 ± 5.5. The mean 24-h nocturnal diastolic BP (DBP) reduction (%) was 15.8 ± 8.5. There was a significant correlation between BMI Z-SCORE and mean day-time SBP (r = 0.14 P = .042). There are positive correlations between 24-h heart rate (beats/min) and BMI Z-SCORE (r = 0.15, P = .027), between fasting glucose and systolic BP Z-SCORE (r = 0.17, P = .03) and between mean diastolic BP and LDL cholesterol (r = 0.23, P = .004). Total cholesterol level was significantly higher in non-dippers (4.34 vs. 3.99 mmol/L, P = .034). There were no significant differences between non-dippers and dippers regarding fasting glucose (4.6 vs. 4.8 mmol/L), 120'post load glucose (5.7 vs. 5.9 mmol/L), insulin (19 vs. 20.2 µIU/mL), HOMA-IR (2.36 vs. 2.44), LDL cholesterol (2.64 vs. 2.51 mmol/L), HDL cholesterol (1.06 vs. 1.03 mmol/L) or triglycerides (1.36 vs. 1.34 mmol/L) levels.

CONCLUSION

Nocturnal non-dipping is frequent in pediatric patients with obesity. It is associated with higher total cholesterol levels.

Renal resistive index in hypertensive patients

Spectral Doppler ultrasonography provides the evaluation of renal resistive index (RRI), a noninvasive and reproducible measure to investigate arterial compliance and/or resistance. RRI seems to possess an important role in the evaluation of diverse cases of secondary hypertension. In essential hypertension, RRI is associated with subclinical markers of target organ damage and reflects renal disease progression beyond albuminuria and creatinine clearance. Also, RRI can estimate cardiovascular and renal risk. The evaluation of RRI may also help the therapeutic decisions. Given its simple assessment, RRI emerges as a simple method and a "multifunctional" tool that could help on the cardiovascular risk evaluation of the hypertensive patient.

Homocysteine is Associated with Exaggerated Morning Blood Pressure Surge in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke

BACKGROUND

Considerable researches suggest that high level of homocysteine (Hcy) is associated with the risk of ischemic stroke. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) parameters have also been confirmed associated with cardio-cerebrovascular events. However, the relationship between Hcy and ABPM parameters remains unclear in patients with acute ischemic stroke. In this study, we aim to investigate the association between Hcy level and ABPM parameters in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

METHODS

We enrolled 60 patients with acute ischemic stroke who received ABPM. We calculated ABPM parameters like morning blood pressure surge (MBPS), ambulatory arterial stiffness index, blood pressure variability, and night dipping patterns.

RESULTS

Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that patients in the top quartile of Hcy level tended to have a higher level of prewaking and sleep-trough MBPS compared with patients in the lower 3 quartiles after adjusted for age and gender (P = .028 and P = .030, respectively). When treating Hcy as a continuous variable, the linear regression showed the association between Hcy level and both MBPS parameters remained significant (prewaking MBPS, r = .356, P = .022; sleep-trough MBPS, r = .365, P = .017, respectively). However, there is no association between Hcy level and ambulatory arterial stiffness index, blood pressure variability or night dipping patterns (P = .635, P = .348 and P = .127 respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

There is a relationship between the 2 major cerebrovascular risk factors: MBPS and Hcy.

Clinical Conditions and Predictive Markers of Non-Dipper Profile in Hypertensive Patients

Hypertension remains one of the primary causes of premature cardiovascular mortality representing a major independent risk factor.

The importance of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in clinical evaluation of hypertensive patients, beyond diagnosis, is the identification of circadian dipping/non-dipping profile. The non-dipper pattern in hypertensive and normotensive patients is associated with significant target organ damage and worse outcomes, as an increased cardiovascular risk condition. Non-dipping pattern has been found to be associated with specific clinical conditions. Obesity, diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, chronic kidney disease, autonomic and baroreflex dysfunctions, salt sensitivity, hormonal changes, gender and age were extensively studied. Research efforts are focused on recognizing and exploring predictive markers of abnormal blood pressure circadian pattern. Previous studies acknowledge that red cell distribution width, mean platelet volume, fibrinogen level, C-reactive protein, serum uric acid and gamma-glutamyltransferase, are independently significant and positive associated to non-dipping pattern. Moreover, research on new biomarkers are conducted: Chitinase 3-Like-Protein 1, atrial and B-type natriuretic peptide, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, chemerin, sphingomyelin and the G972R polymorphism of the insulin receptor substrate-1 gene. This review summarizes the current knowledge of different clinical conditions and biomarkers associated with the non-dipper profile in hypertensive patients.

The relationship between renal resistive index, arterial stiffness, and atherosclerotic burden: the link between macrocirculation and microcirculation

The renal resistive index (RRI) measured by Doppler sonography is a marker of microvascular status that can be generalized to the whole of the arterial tree. Its association with large-vessel dysfunction, such as arterial stiffness or the atherosclerotic burden, can help to establish physiopathological associations between macrocirculation and microcirculation. The authors conducted a cross-sectional study of hypertensive patients (n=202) and a healthy control group (n=16). Stiffness parameters, atherosclerotic burden, and determination of the RRI in both kidneys were performed. The average RRI was 0.69±0.08 and was significantly greater in patients with diabetes and chronic kidney disease. Renal resistive index positively correlated with age, creatinine, and albuminuria. Positive correlations were found with arterial stiffness parameters (pulse wave velocity, ambulatory arterial stiffness index, and 24-hour pulse pressure), as well as atherosclerotic burden and endothelial dysfunction measured as asymmetric dimethylarginine in serum. In the multivariate analysis, independent factors for increased RRI were age, renal function, 24-hour diastolic blood pressure, and arterial stiffness. The authors concluded that there is an independent association between renal hemodynamics and arterial stiffness. This, together with the atherosclerotic burden and endothelial dysfunction, suggests that there is a physiopathologic relationship between macrovascular and microvascular impairment.

Possible correlation among echocardiographic measures, serum brain natriuretic peptide, and angiotensin II levels in hypertensive kidney transplanted children

OBJECTIVES

Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring is the standard for determining patients at risk of hypertension. Left ventricular hypertrophy is common in kidney transplant recipients. We evaluated the correlation between blood pressure measures achieved by ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and conventional (office) methods.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This cross-sectional study was done from December 2009 to October 2010 at Alzahra Hospital in Isfahan, Iran. Sixty five participants, 35 kidney transplant recipients under 20 years old, and 30 control subjects of the same age were recruited. Five kidney recipients did not complete the study and were excluded. Blood pressure was measured by ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and conventional methods. Echocardiographic study was done for kidney transplant recipients. Serum brain natriuretic peptide and angiotensin II levels were determined in case and control groups.

RESULTS

Office-recorded systolic and/or diastolic hypertension was observed in 43.4% and 55.3% of patients. According to ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, 86% of kidney transplant recipients had systolic BP load. Left ventricular hypertrophy (defined according to the left ventricular mass index [left ventricular mass index/height]) was seen in 53.3% of the patients. The existence of left ventricular hypertrophy revealed a positive correlation with ambulatory blood pressure monitoring systolic and diastolic night blood pressure and systolic nondipper. Left ventricular mass index showed a positive correlation with brain natriuretic peptide level. Furthermore, the existence of left ventricular hypertrophy was positively correlated with angiotensin II level.

CONCLUSIONS

Only ambulatory blood pressure monitoring systolic and diastolic blood pressures (nondippers) were positively correlated with left ventricular hypertrophy and higher left ventricular mass index. Serum levels of brain natriuretic peptide and angiotensin II had a positive relation with left ventricular hypertrophy. Measuring brain natriuretic peptide and angiotensin II in the clinical setting screens patients at risk of left ventricular hypertrophy.

Carotid resistive index in treated hypertensive patients: relationship with target organ damage

AIM

The resistive index (RI) is a hemodynamic parameter that reflects local wall extensibility and related vascular resistance. We analyze the relationship between common carotid RI and target organ damage in treated hypertensive patients.

METHODS

We analyzed 265 consecutive hypertensive patients. Risk factors, cardiovascular history and treatments were collected; blood test, urinary albumin excretion (UAE), echocardiography to determine left ventricular mass index (LVMI), ankle-brachial index (ABI) and carotid echo-Doppler ultrasound to calculate the carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and RI of both common carotids arteries were performed.

RESULTS

A positive correlation was found between carotid RI and age, systolic blood pressure, heart rate, carotid IMT, LVMI, UAE and a negative correlation was found with diastolic blood pressure and ABI. Subjects at the top quartile of carotid RI showed a higher prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy and peripheral artery disease (increased IMT, carotid plaques and lower ABI) compared with those with low RI (p < 0.05). Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that age, systolic and diastolic blood pressure and LVMI independently influence carotid RI.

CONCLUSION

Carotid RI is related with age, systolic-diastolic blood pressure and LVMI in hypertensive patient. This evaluation could predict the presence of early cardiovascular damage and provide an accurate estimation of overall risk in this population.