The prevalence of individuals with increased blood pressure (BP) is growing. A greater understanding of the various pathogenetic mechanisms of hypertension and associated BP increases would provide a better strategy for preventing and treating this condition. Hypertension is strongly associated with other cardiovascular risk factors. Additionally, there is no threshold ...

BACKGROUND: It is not clear which educational strategy is most effective in helping patients to change their lifestyles. This study compared the efficacy of two different educational models on reducing blood pressure (BP). METHODS: This was a randomized controlled trial in ambulatory hypertensive patients >65 years of age. Workshops that ...

The relationship of hypertension with adverse outcomes is uncertain in the hemodialysis population. If hypertension is an etiologically significant cardiovascular risk factor in hemodialysis patients, the first step would be to assess the level of BP accurately. BP obtained at home over a week and averaged using a validated oscillometric ...

Essential hypertension has rather recently become recognized as a major factor in the development of the 2 main types of dementia, that is, no longer merely vascular dementia but Alzheimer disease as well. The relationship between high blood pressure (BP) and the dementias is quite a complicated one, given a ...

The present study was performed to compare the long-term effects of 24-h ambulatory blood pressure (BP) control with amlodipine versus valsartan on vascular damage in untreated hypertensive patients. Amlodipine and valsartan have benefits on cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in hypertensive patients. Although ambulatory BP is associated with severity of target-organ ...

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of normal blood pressure (BP), pre-hypertension, and hypertension on progression of coronary atherosclerosis. BACKGROUND: The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC-7) classifies BP as normal, pre-hypertension, ...

Although hypertension is a major risk factor for heart attack and stroke in the US, only approximately a quarter of adults receive adequate hypertension treatment and control their blood pressure (BP) effectively. There are disparities in the prevalence of hypertension, its treatment and control with respect to age, sex, racial ...

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to compare home and ambulatory blood pressure (BP) in the adjustment of antihypertensive treatment. METHODS: After a 4-week washout period, patients whose untreated daytime diastolic ambulatory BP averaged > or = 85 mm Hg were randomized to be treated according to their ambulatory ...

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that frequency of attendance at religious services is inversely related to prevalence of hypertension and blood pressure level. METHODS: In the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), 14,475 American women and men aged 20 years and over reported frequency of attendance at ...

The Systolic Evaluation of Lotrel Efficacy and Comparative Therapies (SELECT) study compared daily treatment with combination amlodipine besylate/benazepril hydrochloride 5/20 mg, amlodipine besylate 5 mg, and benazepril hydrochloride 20 mg in 505 patients aged 55 years of age or older with stage 2 hypertension (systolic blood pressure [BP] > or ...

BACKGROUND: Microvascular rarefaction is a hallmark of essential hypertension. We measured the skin capillary density in nondiabetic hypertensive subjects with effective antihypertensive treatment and evaluated possible correlations with arterial blood pressure (BP). METHODS: This cross-sectional observational study included 76 (55 +/- 1 years) consecutive outpatients with essential hypertension under chronic ...

BACKGROUND: The ability of diastolic, systolic, mean arterial, and pulse pressures to predict cardiovascular disease (CVD) morality has not been assessed for persons with prehypertension (diastolic pressure 80 to 89 mm Hg or systolic pressure 120 to 139 mm Hg). METHODS: Cox's regression analyses were conducted using 4849 subjects aged ...

This study analysed the efficacy of an angiotensin receptor blocker-based treatment algorithm for achieving goal blood pressure (BP) in patients with stage 1 (systolic BP (SBP) 140-159 mmHg or diastolic BP (DBP) 90-99 mmHg) or stage 2 (SBP > or = 160 mmHg or DBP > or = 100 mmHg) ...

BACKGROUND: Prehypertensive individuals are at increased risk for developing hypertension and cardiovascular disease compared to those with normal blood pressure (BP). Physically active, normotensive individuals are also at lower risk for developing hypertension than sedentary individuals. We assessed the relationship between fitness and 24-h ambulatory BP in prehypertensive men and ...

BACKGROUND: Information on the relationship between ambulatory blood pressure (BP) and cardiovascular disease in the general population is sparse. METHODS: Prospective study of a random sample of 1700 Danish men and women, aged 41 to 72 years, without major cardiovascular diseases. At baseline, ambulatory BP, office BP, and other risk ...

BACKGROUND: In this study we compared the arterial characteristics and blood pressure (BP) of normotensive offspring of two normotensive parents (OFF/NT) and normotensive offspring who had at least one hypertensive parent (OFF/HT). METHODS: A total of 174 OFF/HT (17 to 40 years of age) and 59 OFF/NT (16 to 34 ...

A hypertensive emergency is a clinical diagnosis that is appropriate when marked hypertension is associated with acute target-organ damage; in this setting, lowering of blood pressure (BP) is typically begun within hours of diagnosis. For hypertensive urgency with no acute target-organ damage, BP lowering may occur over hours to days. ...

The relative efficacy of long-acting calcium channel antagonists and angiotensin II receptor blocking agents has been described in clinical trials; however, their effectiveness in an actual practice setting has not been well studied. This study assessed the effectiveness of 2 commonly prescribed antihypertensives, amlodipine and losartan, either as monotherapy or ...

Although significant progress has been made in the reduction of overall cardiovascular risk factors in the United States during the last decade, controlling high blood pressure (HBP) remains a difficult task for many individuals. In particular, socially disadvantaged groups, such as new immigrants, and ethnic minority groups, such as Korean ...

BACKGROUND: Although multiple risk factor intervention (MRFI) is recommended to reduce the increased morbidity and mortality of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in chronic kidney disease (CKD), its efficacy is unknown. We studied the efficacy of a MRFI program in CKD. METHODS: This randomized controlled study of 200 patients with stage 4 ...

BACKGROUND: Different blood pressure (BP)-lowering drugs could have different effects on central aortic pressures and thus cardiovascular outcome despite similar effects on brachial BP. The Conduit Artery Function Evaluation (CAFE) study, a substudy of the Anglo-Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes Trial (ASCOT), examined the impact of 2 different BP lowering-regimens (atenolol+/-thiazide-based versus ...

BACKGROUND: Recent data suggest that atenolol may be inferior to other antihypertensive drugs in reducing cardiovascular risk in older individuals with hypertension, despite lowering peripheral blood pressure (BP). We hypothesized that that atenolol fails to reduce central BP as much as other agents. The aim of the present study was ...

BACKGROUND: Hyperuricemia may counter benefits of blood pressure (BP) reduction, although this is controversial. METHODS: We examined the effects of candesartan and losartan on uric acid, creatinine, and fibrinogen. Patients with hypertension and serum uric acid > or = 0.42 mmol/L (7 mg/dL) associated with diuretics were randomized to receive ...

Reduction of blood pressure (BP) in hypertensive patients reduces cardiovascular risk, with substantial reductions in death from cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality. This observational study assessed BP reduction in 17,242 patients with uncontrolled hypertension (mean baseline BP 165.4/95.8 mmHg) treated in clinical practice with a combination of valsartan 160 mg ...

PURPOSE: BAY 43-9006 (sorafenib) is an inhibitor of Raf kinase, the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor-2, and angiogenesis in tumor xenografts. The current study investigated the incidence, severity, and mechanism of blood pressure (BP) elevation in patients treated with BAY 43-9006. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty patients received BAY 43-9006 ...

BACKGROUND: The benefits of blood pressure (BP) lowering are well established except in the oldest old, and suboptimal control of hypertension has been found in many different populations. OBJECTIVE: To assess the frequency of hypertension and its adequacy of management in the oldest old in primary care. DESIGN: a cross-sectional ...

BACKGROUND: The 2003 European Society of Hypertension/European Society of Cardiology (ESH/ESC) guidelines recommend angiotensin II receptor antagonists (AIIRAs) as a first-line therapy in hypertensives with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). AIM: We investigated the long-term effects of an AIIRA-based therapy on left ventricular (LV) structure and geometry in previously, unsatisfactorily treated ...

BACKGROUND: Traditional clinical trials in hypertension measure the efficacy of antihypertensive drugs but may not fully assess their effectiveness in clinical practice. Community-based trials can provide this information but are limited because usually they are of open-label design and potentially subject to observer bias. Therefore, we used ambulatory blood pressure ...

Few studies have examined the characteristics of patients presenting with hypertensive urgency, factors contributing to their presentation, or their management. The time and cost associated with treatment are unknown. Retrospective analysis of 50 emergency department patients with hypertensive urgency (symptomatic blood pressure (BP) elevation focusing on systolic BP >180 mm ...

In epidemiologic studies, insulin resistance is associated with hypertension. Thiazolidinediones (TZDs) are antidiabetic agents that decrease insulin resistance. Multiple clinical trials have evaluated the effect of TZDs on blood pressure (BP) with inconsistent results. The aim of this study was to estimate the effect of TZDs on BP. The authors ...

BACKGROUND/AIM: Although long-term, intensive blood pressure (BP) control with calcium channel blockers (CCBs) reduced arterial stiffness and renal damage of hypertensive patients, combination therapy with antihypertensive drugs is frequently needed to maintain the intensive BP control. The present study was conducted to examine add-on benefits of candesartan therapy on hypertensive ...

Hypertension is rapidly becoming a major public health burden in sub-Saharan/Africa but awareness, treatment, and control is lagging behind. We analysed cross-sectional data from Ghana (West-Africa) to examine factors associated with awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension. The overall prevalence of hypertension was 29.4%. Of these, 34% were aware of ...

We developed a new method of hemodialysis using a charging chamber for treatment of hemodialysis patients with hypotension occurring during the latter half of hemodialysis (collapse). The purpose of this method was to recover systolic blood pressure (BP) by returning a part of blood within the chamber into the body ...

OBJECTIVES: A prospective, open-labeled study to assess the antihypertensive effect of monotherapy with rilmenidine and its impact on quality of life (QoL), as well as on biochemical parameters in perimenopausal women with essential hypertension. DESIGN AND METHODS: Fifty-five perimenopausal women with mild to moderate essential hypertension (mean age 51.4+/-2.4 years) ...

BACKGROUND: Reducing systolic blood pressure (BP) is of major benefit to patients with isolated systolic hypertension, but lowering normal diastolic BP may be harmful in terms of cardiovascular risk. Effects of different drugs on systolic BP, diastolic BP, and pulse pressure are therefore of interest. METHODS: The NatriliX SR versus ...

This two-part series on essential hypertension highlights recent changes in the management of patients with sustained raised blood pressure (BP). A lower proportion of patients in Europe (5-12 per cent) compared with the USA (27 per cent) achieves optimum BP control, and strategies are needed to improve this discrepancy. This ...

BACKGROUND: In pregnancy, absolute blood pressure (BP) limits define preeclampsia. Therefore, BP in pregnancy should be measured accurately and in accordance with accepted guidelines. Accuracy of BP readings determined by rate of cuff deflation was analyzed. This study also investigated the compliance of clinical staff at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, ...

OBJECTIVES: Vascular remodelling and hypertrophy represent early therapeutic targets of antihypertensive treatment. The present study was aimed at assessing the effects of 1-year administration of the highly vasoselective calcium-channel blocker lercanidipine (10 mg/day) or the diuretic compound hydrochlorothiazide (25 mg/day) on hypertension-related vascular alterations. The study was also aimed at ...

OBJECTIVES: This subanalysis of the OLMETEL (OLMEsartan TELemonitoring blood pressure) study in patients with essential hypertension assessed the relationship between the frequency of blood pressure self-measurement (BPSM) and the response to blood pressure (BP)-lowering therapy with olmesartan medoxomil, and the number of BP readings per week necessary to detect a ...

BACKGROUND: For patients with hypertension, effective 24-hour blood pressure (BP) control is vital to ensure protection against the early morning surge in BP and the associated increased risk of cardiovascular events. The aim of this analysis was to assess the 24-hour antihypertensive efficacy of olmesartan medoxomil (20mg once daily) compared ...

BACKGROUND: In an elderly, community based population we aimed at investigating antihypertensive and lipid lowering medication use in relation to own and familiar cardiovascular morbidity and diabetes mellitus, as well as to lifestyle factors and general health. We also examined levels of blood pressure in untreated and treated residents, to ...

BACKGROUND: Incomplete drug regimen compliance (DRC) and white-coat hypertension are two of several possible causes of uncontrolled hypertension. Therefore the aim of the present study was to compare DRC in hypertensives treated with combination therapy whose blood pressures (BP) were controlled vers. uncontrolled after 4 weeks of self-monitored BP measurement. ...

A downward titration of antihypertensive drug regimens in summertime is often performed on the basis of seasonal variations of clinic blood pressure (BP). However, little is known about the actual interaction between outdoor air temperature and the effects of antihypertensive treatment on ambulatory BP. The combined effects of aging, treatment, ...

BACKGROUND: Accurate blood pressure (BP) readings and correctly interpreting the obtained values are of great importance. However, there is considerable variation in the different BP measuring methods suggested in guidelines and used in hypertension trials. OBJECTIVE: To compare the different methods used to measure BP; measuring once, the method used ...

The aim of our study was to investigate blood pressure (BP) control and different factors with possible influence on BP control in Croatian hypertensive patients. In this cross-sectional investigation, a representative sample of target populations (primary care physicians and patients) from different parts of Croatia was included according to the ...

The relationship between blood pressure (BP) and cardiovascular risk is clearly established; hypertension increases the rate of cardiovascular. High systolic blood pressure (SBP) may be the main parameter involved in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The benefit of lowering BP, particularly with diuretics has been proven in many outcome studies. Indapamide, ...

BACKGROUND: The hypothesis that left ventricular hypertrophy regression in hypertension relates to blood pressure (BP) control and to non-antihypertensive activity of some drugs was tested by comparing the effects of telmisartan and carvedilol on 24-h mean ambulatory BP and left ventricular mass (LVM) regression, measured using three-dimensional echocardiography (3-DECHO) and ...

BACKGROUND: The recognition that some 10% to 15% of the hypertensive population may have aldosterone excess has increased the frequency of measurement of the aldosterone-to-renin ratio (ARR) and the use of aldosterone antagonists. Whether this ratio will predict the blood pressure (BP) response to spironolactone is not clear. METHODS: We ...

BACKGROUND: The present study was carried out to evaluate the blood pressure (BP)-lowering effect and the safety aspects of Lactobacillus helveticus LBK-16H fermented milk with high tripeptide doses on hypertensive subjects using 24-h ambulatory measurements (ABPM). METHODS: In a randomized, double blinded placebo-controlled parallel group study, 94 hypertensive patients not ...

BACKGROUND: Chlorpromazine is a dopamine-receptor antagonist antipsychotic agent. Because of its strong alpha-blocking and sedative actions, it has also been used as emergency therapy for extreme arterial hypertension. Published reports to date have included very small numbers of patients (i.e., 5-30). OBJECTIVES: To analyze data on almost 500 patients who ...