Publications by authors named "Aletta E Schutte"
Introduction: Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the genetic locus are associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD) in European populations, through their effect on urinary uromodulin (uUMOD) levels. The genetic and nongenetic factors associated with uUMOD in African populations remain unknown.
Methods: Clinical parameters, 3 selected SNPs and uUMOD levels were obtained in 1202 young Black and White adults from the African-PREDICT study and 1943 middle aged Black adults from the PURE-NWP-SA study, 2 cross-sectional, observational studies.
Large gaps persist in the diagnosis, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension globally. Standardized treatment protocols (STPs) have been widely proposed to guide hypertension treatment, particularly in primary healthcare settings. However, there has been no review that quantifies the effects of hypertension STPs on blood pressure (BP) reduction and control.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Elevated blood pressure (BP) is the major contributor to mortality and disease burden worldwide. May Measurement Month (MMM) is a global BP screening campaign, which aims to raise awareness of BP measurement and provide evidence to inform and influence related health policy.
Methods: This cross-sectional survey included individuals aged≥18 years recruited through opportunistic sampling at sites in 60 countries during MMM 2022.
Background: Patient education is needed to perform home blood pressure measurement (HBPM) according to blood pressure (BP) guidelines. It is not known how BP is measured at home and what education is provided, which was the aim of the study.
Methods: Mixed-methods study among Australian adults who perform HBPM (June to December 2023).
Objective: To quantify the costs of hypertension diagnosis and treatment in Australia, particularly in primary care, including general practices and pharmacies.
Study Design: Economic analysis; analysis of Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) and Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) data.
Setting: Australia, 2012-22.
Blacks are more prone to salt-sensitive hypertension than Whites. This cross-sectional analysis of a multi-ethnic cohort aimed to search for proteins potentially involved in the susceptibility to salt sensitivity, hypertension, and hypertension-related complications. The study included individuals enrolled in African Prospective Study on the Early Detection and Identification of Cardiovascular Disease and Hypertension (African-PREDICT), Flemish Study of the Environment, Genes and Health Outcomes (FLEMENGHO), Prospective Cohort Study in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus for Validation of Biomarkers (PROVALID)-Austria, and Urinary Proteomics Combined with Home Blood Pressure Telemonitoring for Health Care Reform Trial (UPRIGHT-HTM).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: This study aimed to describe and compare the nutrient intake of young adults in the African Prospective Study on the Early Detection and Identification of Cardiovascular Disease and Hypertension (African-PREDICT) study according to ethnicity and socio-economic status (SES).
Design: Cross-sectional analysis of baseline nutrient intakes in the African-PREDICT study.
Setting: North West Province, South Africa.
Background: Community-based health check kiosks provide opportunities to improve the detection and long-term monitoring of hypertension. We describe the sociodemographic and cardiovascular characteristics of first-time and repeat users of these kiosks.
Method: This was an observational study.
Background: Single-pill combinations (SPCs) of three low-dose antihypertensive drugs can improve hypertension control but are not widely available. A key issue for any combination product is the contribution of each component to efficacy and tolerability. This trial compared a new triple SPC called GMRx2, containing telmisartan, amlodipine, and indapamide, with dual combinations of components for efficacy and safety.
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- Oral diseases are a significant public health issue globally, with this study focusing on the oral health status of primary school children in Gulu district, Uganda, revealing limited data on the subject.
- Out of 356 children aged 11-13, about 33.6% had dental caries, with no major difference in prevalence between urban (35.6%) and rural (31.6%) areas.
- The study found that a significant number of children exhibited gum bleeding (39.8%) and highlighted low oral health knowledge scores among the participants, indicating areas for improvement in oral health education and practices.
Article Synopsis
- Hypertension is a global issue, with control rates in Europe only between 20% to 40%, leaving a large portion of patients at high risk for serious health problems.* -
- General practitioners (GPs) require clear and simple guidelines to effectively diagnose and manage hypertension, prompting the development of the 2018 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and European Society of Hypertension (ESH) guidelines.* -
- Recent guidelines from ESC and ESH emphasize the importance of involving GPs and patients in the guideline development process to ensure better implementation and real-world effectiveness in hypertension management.*
Background: Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are associated with high maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. There are limited global data on the characteristics of women during and after pregnancy hypertension.
Methods: May Measurement Month is a global campaign to raise awareness of the importance of blood pressure.
Blood pressure (BP) is a key contributor to the lifetime risk of preclinical organ damage and cardiovascular disease. Traditional clinic-based BP readings are typically measured infrequently and under standardized/resting conditions and therefore do not capture BP values during normal everyday activity. Therefore, current hypertension guidelines emphasize the importance of incorporating out-of-office BP measurement into strategies for hypertension diagnosis and management.
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- A clinical trial tested a new single-pill combination of low-dose medications (telmisartan, amlodipine, and indapamide) to treat hypertension, comparing two doses against a placebo over four weeks.
- Results showed significant reductions in home systolic blood pressure (SBP) for both medication doses compared to placebo, with reductions of -7.3 mm Hg and -8.2 mm Hg, respectively, and a notable increase in blood pressure control rates among those taking the medications.
- Safety observations indicated low treatment discontinuation rates, with the ¼ dose showing only 1.6% discontinuations due to adverse effects, while the ½ dose had a 5
Importance: With the high burden of hypertension in sub-Saharan Africa, there is a need for effective, safe and scalable treatment strategies.
Objective: To compare, among Black African adults, the effectiveness and safety of a novel low-dose triple-pill protocol compared with a standard-care protocol for blood pressure lowering.
Design And Setting: Randomized, parallel-group, open-label, multicenter trial conducted in public hospital-based family medicine clinics in Nigeria.
The exposure to modifiable risk factors at young ages have been linked to premature fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular and kidney outcomes. The use of urinary metabolomics has shown strong predictability of kidney function and cardiovascular disease (CVD). We therefore determined the associations between estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and urinary metabolites in young adults with and without CVD risk factors.
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- Previous studies suggest that using antihypertensive medication in older adults may lower the overall risk of dementia, but the effects on different types of dementia, particularly Alzheimer’s disease (AD), are still uncertain.
- This research analyzed data from over 31,000 participants across multiple countries, focusing on how history of hypertension and blood pressure levels impact the risk of developing AD and non-AD types of dementia.
- The findings indicated that untreated hypertension significantly increases the risk of developing AD and non-AD dementia compared to healthy individuals, while treated hypertension showed a similar risk for non-AD but not a significant difference between treated and untreated groups.
Background: The strong relationship between blood pressure (BP) and age is well known. Limited evidence suggests that a steeper age-BP slope may be associated with an increased risk of adverse outcomes. The May Measurement Month campaign enables an investigation of geographic, socioeconomic, and sex differences in age-related BP gradients and their association with public-health outcomes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Blood pressure (BP) control among treated patients in Africa is very suboptimal, with low levels of combination therapy use and therapeutic inertia being among the major barriers to effective control of hypertension. The VERONICA-Nigeria study aims to evaluate, among Black African adults with hypertension, the effectiveness and safety of a triple pill-based treatment protocol compared to Nigeria hypertension treatment protocol (standard care protocol) for the treatment of hypertension.
Methods: This study involves a randomized, parallel-group and open-label trial.
Article Synopsis
- This study explores the connection between dietary habits and homocysteine (Hcy) levels in Black populations, highlighting Hcy's role as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
- Researchers analyzed data from 1,867 individuals, observing that dietary factors such as higher alcohol and lower nutrient intake were linked to higher Hcy levels and related hypertension.
- The findings suggest that personalized nutrition strategies, tailored to genetic profiles and dietary interactions, could improve cardiovascular health for those at risk due to their genetics.
We participated in the UK and Republic of Ireland May Measurement Month 2021 (MMM21) campaign to raise awareness about blood pressure (BP) measurement and the dangers posed by elevated BP and hypertension. In addition, the campaign aimed to collect and report levels of BP awareness and control in the community setting. The MMM21 campaign set up opportunistic community screening sites at hospitals, general practice (GP) surgeries, community pharmacies, gyms, and various other public places.
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- Blood pressure time at target (BP-TTR) is a key measure for assessing how well hypertension is managed, but different studies use various methods to determine it.
- This review analyzed 369 articles and focused on 17 that illustrate differences in BP targets, measurement duration, and calculation methods for BP-TTR.
- Overall, studies show that higher BP-TTR is linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular issues, suggesting the need for standardized methods to improve evaluations of hypertension management.*