Racial and Sex Differences in the Response to First-Line Antihypertensive Therapy

Mechanisms of sex and gender differences in hypertension

The mechanisms that control blood pressure are multifaceted including the sympathetic nervous system and the renin-angiotensin system leading to vasoconstriction and sodium reabsorption that causes a shift in the pressure-natriuesis relationship to higher blood pressures. Sex steroids can affect these mechanisms either directly or indirectly, and the effects may be different depending on the sex of the individual. This review will discuss some of the major blood pressure-controlling mechanisms and how sex steroids may affect them and the need for future studies to better clarify the mechanisms responsible for sex and gender differences in blood pressure control. New mechanisms that are identified, along with what is already known, will provide better tools for treatment of hypertension in men and women of all ethnicities and decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease in the future.

Racial disparities in characteristics and outcomes of patients undergoing mitral transcatheter edge-to-edge repair

Background

There are scarce data regarding the post-mitral transcatheter edge-to-edger repair (TEER) course in different racial groups.

Objective

To assess the impact of race on outcomes following TEER for mitral regurgitation (MR).

Methods

This is a single-center, retrospective analysis of consecutive TEER procedures performed during 2013-2020. The primary outcome was the composite of all-cause mortality or heart failure (HF) hospitalizations along the first postprocedural year. Secondary outcomes included individual components of the primary outcome, New York Heart Association (NYHA) class, MR grade, and left ventricular mass index (LVMi).

Results

Out of 964 cases, 751 (77.9%), 88 (9.1%), 68 (7.1%), and 57 (5.9%) were whites, blacks, Asians, and Hispanics, respectively. At baseline, non-whites and blacks were younger and more likely be female, based in lower socioeconomic areas, not fully insured, diagnosed with functional MR, and affected by biventricular dysfunction. Intra-procedurally, more devices were implanted in blacks. At 1-year, non-whites (vs. whites) and blacks (vs. non-blacks or whites) experienced higher cumulative incidence of the primary outcome (32.9% vs. 22.5%, p = 0.002 and 38.6% vs. 23.4% or 22.5%, p = 0.002 or p = 0.001, respectively), which were accounted for by hospitalizations in the functional MR sub-cohort (n = 494). NYHA class improved less among blacks with functional MR. MR severity and LVMi equally regressed in all groups. White race (HR 0.62, 95% CI 0.39-0.99, p = 0.047) and black race (HR 2.07, 95% CI 1.28-3.35, p = 0.003) were independently associated with the primary outcome in functional MR patients only.

Conclusion

Mitral TEER patients of different racial backgrounds exhibit major differences in baseline characteristics. Among those with functional MR, non-whites and blacks also experience a less favorable 1-year clinical outcome.

Race and Modifiable Factors Influencing Cardiovascular Disease

A modern approach to mitigating the impact of cardiovascular disease on Americans demands not only an understanding of modifiable conditions that contribute to its development but also a greater appreciation of the heterogeneous distribution of these conditions based on race. As race is not a biological construct, further research is needed to fully elucidate the mechanisms that contribute to these differences. The consequences of the differential impact of modifiable risk factors on cardiovascular disease outcomes among black Americans compared with white Americans cannot be understated.

Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial of the Angiotensin Receptor Antagonist Losartan for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

BACKGROUND

Evidence-based pharmacological treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are few and of limited efficacy. Previous work suggests that angiotensin type 1 receptor inhibition facilitates fear inhibition and extinction, important for recovery from PTSD. This study tests the efficacy of the angiotensin type 1 receptor antagonist losartan, an antihypertensive drug, repurposed for the treatment of PTSD.

METHODS

A randomized controlled trial was conducted for 10 weeks in 149 men and women meeting DSM-5 PTSD criteria. Losartan (vs. placebo) was flexibly titrated from 25 to 100 mg/day by week 6 and held at highest tolerated dose until week 10. Primary outcome was the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5) change score at 10 weeks from baseline. A key secondary outcome was change in CAPS-5 associated with a single nucleotide polymorphism of the ACE gene. Additional secondary outcomes included changes in the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and proportion of responders with a Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement scale of "much improved" or "very much improved."

RESULTS

Both groups had robust improvement in PTSD symptoms, but there was no significant difference on the primary end point, CAPS-5 measured as week 10 change from baseline, between losartan and placebo (mean change difference, 0.9, 95% confidence interval, -3.2 to 5.0). There was no significant difference in the proportion of Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement scale responders for losartan (58.6%) versus placebo (57.9%), no significant differences in changes in PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 or Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and no association between ACE genotype and CAPS-5 improvement on losartan.

CONCLUSIONS

At these doses and durations, there was no significant benefit of losartan compared with placebo for the treatment of PTSD. We discuss implications for failure to determine the benefit of a repurposed drug with strong a priori expectations of success based on preclinical and epidemiological data.