Prognostic value of low ankle-brachial index in patients with hypertension and acute coronary syndromes.

Background: Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Nevertheless, many patients are asymptomatic, and this condition frequently remains underdiagnosed. An ankle-brachial index (ABI) of less than 0.

[Permanent atrial fibrillation in heart disease in Spain. The CARDIOTENS study 1999].

Introduction And Objective: Atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia seen in clinical practice. The objective of this study was to know the frequency of atrial fibrillation and the characteristics of patients with atrial fibrillation in the Cardiotens study.

Material And Method: A cross-section study with systematic selection of the study sample.

[Antithrombotic treatment in hypertensive patients with chronic atrial fibrillation. CARDIOTENS 99 study].

Background: Our main goals were to know the actual degree of oral anticoagulation and antiaggregation in hypertensive patients with atrial fibrillation in the daily clinical practice in Spain and to analyze any differences between primary care physicians and cardiologists.

Patients And Method: 32,051 outpatients attended the same day by 1,159 physicians (21% cardiologists) were prospectively included in a database taking into account a history of hypertension and atrial fibrillation, demographic data and ongoing treatments.

Results: Hypertension was detected in 10,555 patients and 999 of them had both hypertension and atrial fibrillation (9.