Effects of acute blood pressure elevation on biochemical-metabolic parameters in individuals with hypertensive crisis

Gender Disparities in Hypertensive Emergency Admissions: A National Retrospective Cohort Study

Background Hypertension is one of the most common conditions affecting almost one in every five adults globally and hypertensive emergency is a life-threatening complication of uncontrolled hypertension leading to significant disability. Despite advances in treatment, gender disparities are yet to be addressed. Methods This retrospective cohort study used nationally representative data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), specifically the National Inpatient Sample, to study two cohorts divided by sex (males and females). The primary outcome was all-cause inpatient mortality. Multivariate logistic regression analysis yielded adjusted odds ratios (aORs) for confounders. Secondary outcomes included length of stay (LOS) and total hospital charges. Multivariate linear regression identified independent predictors. We described crude rates of mechanical ventilation, acute kidney injury (AKI) requiring hemodialysis (HD), and vasopressor requirements. Patient demographics were also presented. We used the chi-squared (χ²) test for categorical variables and Student's t-test for continuous variables. Statistical significance was defined as a two-tailed p-value<0.05. Results A total of 229,025 patients met the inclusion criteria, where 52% were male and 48% were female. The mean patient age was 58 years (55 for men and 62 for women, p <0.001). White patients represented 40% of hospitalizations (males: 37%; females: 42%), black patients represented 42% (males: 43%; females: 41%), and Hispanics 11% (males: 12%; females: 10%). Medicare was the primary payer 47% of the time (males: 38%; females: 56%), Medicaid in 21% (males: 23%; females: 18%), private insurance in 20% (males: 23%; females: 17%), and no insurance in 10% (males: 14%; females: 7%). Female patients had higher rates of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (21% for females vs. 15% for males), connective tissue disease (4.6% for females vs. 0.98% for males; p<0.001), and dementia (6% for females vs. 3% for males). Conversely, males had a higher rate of chronic kidney disease (CKD) (51% vs. 42% for females). Male sex was a predictor of mortality (aOR 1.39, p=0.036), along with age (aOR 1.02, p<0.001) and Charlson Comorbidity Index (http://mchp-appserv.cpe.umanitoba.ca/viewConcept.php?printer=Y&conceptID=1098) (aOR 1.20, p<0.001). Sex was not a predictor of length of stay (LOS) (p=0.496) or total hospital charges (p=0.192). Conclusions In an attempt to achieve better outcomes in patients affected by hypertensive emergency, our retrospective cohort study found that male patients who experienced hypertensive emergency had 39% higher odds of mortality than female patients. Age and Charlson Comorbidity Index were additionally found to be independent predictors of mortality.

Inflammatory cytokines are associated to lower glomerular filtration rate in patients with hypertensive crisis

Introduction

Hypertension and kidney function are closely related. However, there are few studies on renal function during acute elevation of blood pressure (BP), denominated hypertensive crisis (HC).

Objectives

To evaluate the relationship between renal function and inflammatory cytokines in HC, subdivided into hypertensive urgency (HUrg) and emergency (HEmerg).

Materials and methods

This cross-sectional study was carried out in 74 normotensive (NT) and 74 controlled hypertensive individuals (ContrHT) followed up in outpatient care. Additionally, 78 subjects with hypertensive emergency (HEmerg) and 50 in hypertensive urgency (HUrg), attended in emergency room, were also evaluated. Hypertensive crisis was classified into HEmerg, defined by systolic blood pressure (BP) ≥ 180 mmHg and/or diastolic BP ≥ 120 mmHg in presence of target-organ damage (TOD), and HypUrg, clinical situation with BP elevation without TOD. The glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was estimated, and cytokine levels were measured. Statistical analysis was performed using the Kruskal-Wallis or Mann-Whitney test and Spearman’s correlation, with significant differences p-value &lt; 0.05.

Results

The median age was 53.5 years in the NT group (52 female), 61 years in the ContrHT group (52 female), and 62.5 years in the HC group (63 female) (p-value &lt; 0.0001). The median BP was 118.5/75 mmHg for NT, 113.5/71 for ContrHT, and 198.5/120 mmHg for HC, respectively (p-value &lt; 0.0001 among groups). BP and heart rate levels were significantly higher in the HC group compared to the NT and ContrHT groups (P &lt; 0.001 for all). The eGFR was significantly lower in HC group compared to the NT and ContrHT groups. The cytokine levels were higher in the HEmerg and HUrg groups compared to ContrHT group (P &lt; 0.0001, except for IL-1β in HUrg vs. ContrHT), without difference between the acute elevation of BP groups. Thus, all cytokines were significantly elevated in patients with HC compared to the control groups (NT and ContrHT). There was a negative correlation between eGFR and the cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and TNF-α) in the HC group.

Conclusion

Elevated inflammatory cytokines are associated with reduced eGFR in individuals with HC compared to control groups, suggesting that the inflammatory process participates in the pathogenesis of acute elevations of BP.

Profile and management of hypertensive urgencies and emergencies in the emergency cardiology department of a tertiary hospital: a 12-month registry

AIMS

Currently there are scarce epidemiological data regarding prevalence, clinical phenotype, and therapy of hypertensive urgencies (HU) and emergencies (HE). The aim of this article was to record the prevalence, clinical characteristics, and management of patients with HU and HE assessed in an emergency department (ED) of a tertiary hospital.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The population consisted of patients presenting with HE and HU in the ED (acute increase in systolic blood pressure (BP) ≥ 180 mmHg and/or diastolic BP ≥120 mmHg with and without acute target organ damage, respectively). Of the 38 589 patients assessed in the ED during a 12-month period, 353 (0.91%) had HU and HE. There were 256 (72.5%) cases presented as HU and 97 (27.5%) as HE. Primary causes for both HU and HE were stress/anxiety (44.9%), increased salt intake (33.9%), and non-adherence to medication (16.2%). Patients with HU reported mainly dizziness/headache (46.8%) and chest pain (27.4%), whereas those with HE presented dyspnoea (67%), chest pain (30.2%), dizziness/headache (10.3%), and neurological disorders (8.2%). In HE, the underlying associated conditions were pulmonary oedema (58%), acute coronary syndrome (22.6%), and neurological disorders/stroke (7.2%). All HE cases were hospitalized and received intensive healthcare, including dialysis.

CONCLUSION

This 1-year single-centre registry demonstrates a reasonable prevalence of HU and HE contributing to the high volume of visits to the ED. Stress, increased salt intake and non-adherence were main triggers of HE and HU. Dizziness and headache were the prevalent symptoms of HU patients while heart failure was the most common underlying disease in patients with HE.

Hypertensive crisis: clinical characteristics of patients with hypertensive urgency, emergency and pseudocrisis at a public emergency department

Objective:

To assess patients with hypertensive crisis, classified as urgency, emergency or pseudocrisis, and identify the associated variables.

Methods:

We evaluated a total of 508 patients (57% women; 56.3±13.8 years old) with hypertensive crisis (diastolic blood pressure of 120mmHg), aged 18 years or over, seen at the emergency department of a public general hospital.

Results:

The prevalence of hypertensive crises was 6/1,000; in that, 71.7% presented hypertensive urgency, 19.1% hypertensive emergency, and 9.2% hypertensive pseudocrisis. In the multinominal logistic regression, pseudocrisis and urgency conditions were compared to hypertensive emergency. Therefore, the presence of pain (OR: 55.58; 95%CI: 10.55-292.74) except chest pain and headache, and emotional problems (OR: 17.13; 95%CI: 2.80-104.87) increased the likelihood of hypertensive pseudocrisis. Age >60 years (OR: 0,32; 95%CI: 0.10-0.96) and neurologic problems (OR: 1.5.10^-8; 95%CI: 1.5.10^-8-1.5.10^-8) protected against hypertensive pseudocrisis. The comparison of hypertensive urgency with hypertensive emergency showed that age >60 years (OR: 0.50; 95%CI: 0.27-0.92), neurologic (OR: 0.09; 95%CI: 0.04-0.18) and emotional problems (OR: 0.06; 95%CI: 4.7.10^-3-0.79) protected against hypertensive urgency. Moreover, only headache (OR: 14.28; 95%CI: 3.32-61.47) increased the likelihood of hypertensive urgency.

Conclusion:

Advanced age and neurological problems were associated to hypertensive emergency. Headache was associated with hypertensive urgency. Pain and emotional problems were associated with hypertensive pseudocrisis. Our results can contribute to identifying patients with hypertensive crisis who seek emergency services.

Hypertensive Emergencies: A Review of Common Presentations and Treatment Options

Approximately 33% of adults in the United States have high blood pressure; approximately 1% will present with a hypertensive emergency. Hypertension emergency is typically defined as a blood pressure great than 180/120 mmHg leading to end organ damage. However, it is important to note that an acute rise in blood pressure may also lead to end organ damage before achieving the blood pressure threshold. Therapeutic intervention should be a short-acting, easily titratable, intravenous antihypertensive medication based on the type of end-organ damage, pharmacokinetics, and comorbidities. This review focuses on presentations and treatment of hypertensive emergency.

Alteration of serum immunoglobins, C-reactive protein, vitamin D, and electrolyte by atenolol and amlodipine in stress-induced hypertensive rats

The present study is designed for the assessment of various pathological changes like immunoglobins, C-reactive protein, vitamin D, sodium, potassium, calcium in stress-induced hypertensive rats. Albino Wistar rats of sex male were grouped into six. Each group consists of six animals. Groups were Group I (normal control), Group II (disease control), Group III (amlodipine control), Group IV (atenolol control), Group V (amlodipine treatment), and Group VI (atenolol treatment). Group II, V, and VI animals exposed to regular stress by placing them in cages individually and giving foot electric shocks (1 mA, 50 ms duration with 0.5-1 min of intervals regulated randomly by a computer) along with forced swimming (30 min) in order to induce hypertension in rats. This stress was given two times daily (morning and evening) for regular 15 days. Induction of hypertension was confirmed by measuring the tail arterial pressure of blood and angiotensin II. For next 1 month, Group III and V animals are treated with amlodipine with 1 mg/kg, s.c. dose while Group IV and VI animals were given 10 mg/kg, s.c. the dose of atenolol once daily. At the end of the experimental work, blood collected, rats sacrificed, and serum separated. Serum sodium, potassium, immunoglobins, C-reactive protein, vitamin D, and calcium were measured by semi-auto-analyzer. Stress-induced hypertension in rats produced altered serum sodium, potassium, immunoglobins, C-reactive protein, vitamin D, and calcium level which is restored by atenolol. Administration of amlodipine in animals without hypertension shows alteration in the level of immunoglobins, calcium, vitamin D, and electrolytes.