Dementia Rating Scale-2 normative data for middle-and older-aged Castilian speaking Spaniards.

Objectives: The Dementia Rating Scale-2 (DRS-2) is frequently used as a dementia screening tool in clinical and research settings in Spain. The present study describes DRS-2 Total and subscale scores in community-dwelling Spaniards, aged 50-71, and provides normative data for its use in Castilian Spanish-speaking individuals.

Methods: The sample consisted of 798 individuals who participated in an observational study on essential hypertension.

Short-Term Blood Pressure Variability Relates to the Presence of Subclinical Brain Small Vessel Disease in Primary Hypertension.

Blood pressure (BP) variability is associated with stroke risk, but less is known about subclinical cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD). We aimed to determine whether CSVD relates to short-term BP variability independently of BP levels and also, whether they improve CSVD discrimination beyond clinical variables and office BP levels. This was a cohort study on asymptomatic hypertensives who underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging and 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring.

High daytime and nighttime ambulatory pulse pressure predict poor cognitive function and mild cognitive impairment in hypertensive individuals.

High blood pressure accelerates normal aging stiffness process. Arterial stiffness (AS) has been previously associated with impaired cognitive function and dementia. Our aims are to study how cognitive function and status (mild cognitive impairment, MCI and normal cognitive aging, NCA) relate to AS in a community-based population of hypertensive participants assessed with office and 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure measurements.

Prevalence and associated factors of silent brain infarcts in a Mediterranean cohort of hypertensives.

Silent brain infarcts (SBIs) are detected by neuroimaging in approximately 20% of elderly patients in population-based studies. Limited evidence is available for hypertensives at low cardiovascular risk countries. Investigating Silent Strokes in Hypertensives: a Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study (ISSYS) is aimed to assess the prevalence and risk factors of SBIs in a hypertensive Mediterranean population.

Investigating silent strokes in hypertensives: a magnetic resonance imaging study (ISSYS): rationale and protocol design.

Background: Silent brain infarcts are detected by neuroimaging in up to 20% of asymptomatic patients based on population studies. They are five times more frequent than stroke in general population, and increase significantly both with advancing age and hypertension. Moreover, they are independently associated with the risk of future stroke and cognitive decline.

Continuous positive airway pressure treatment in sleep apnea patients with resistant hypertension: a randomized, controlled trial.

Objectives: This controlled trial assessed the effect of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) on blood pressure (BP) in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and resistant hypertension (RH).

Methods: We evaluated 96 patients with resistant hypertension, defined as clinic BP at least 140/90 mmHg despite treatment with at least three drugs at adequate doses, including a diuretic. Patients underwent a polysomnography and a 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM).

Obstructive sleep apnoea and 24-h blood pressure in patients with resistant hypertension.

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is common in patients with resistant hypertension, but understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms linking both conditions is limited. This study assessed the prevalence of OSA and the relationships between OSA and 24-h blood pressure (BP) in 62 consecutive patients with resistant hypertension, defined as clinic BP values ≥ 140/90 despite the prescription of at least three drugs at adequate doses, including a diuretic. In order to exclude a 'white coat effect', only patients with ambulatory 24-h BP values ≥ 125/80 were recruited.

De novo nephrotic syndrome following pegylated interferon alfa 2b/ribavirin therapy for chronic hepatitis C infection.

This paper describes the case of a patient with HCV, without previous evidence of nephropathy, who following two well-tolerated cycles of treatment with interferon alone developed nephrotic syndrome after a third attempt with ribavirin associated with peginterferon alfa 2b. The patient exhibited a total remission when the antiviral treatment was discontinued.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme i/d polymorphism in patients with malignant hypertension.

The angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene has been implicated in the manifestation of the phenotype of malignant hypertension (MH). In 1990 the ACE gene polymorphism characterized by the insertion or deletion of a 287-base pair fragment in the 17q23 chromosome was identified. The DD genotype is associated with increased tissue and circulating ACE levels and elevated angiotensin II.

Sex steroid regulation and identification of different transcription units of the SA gene in mouse kidney.

Although the SA gene was first identified as a putative candidate gene to understand the molecular basis of hypertension in rat and humans, the concept has not been supported in recently generated SA-null mice. We had first identified the mouse SA gene on the basis of its strong androgenic regulation in mouse kidney and further characterized its genomic organization, transcription start site and chromosomal location. Northern blot, RT-PCR and in situ hybridization assays determined mouse strain, tissue distribution, sex-hormone dependence and cell expression of the SA) mRNA.

Obstructive sleep apnea and thoracic aorta dissection.

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a process that is associated with the development of arterial hypertension, the main risk factor for aortic dissection and during obstructive episodes of the upper airways with marked increases in transmural pressure of the aorta wall. The aim of this work was to study the association between aortic dissection and OSAS. Nineteen consecutive patients with thoracic aorta dissection and 19 hypertensive patients of similar age, sex, and body mass index were studied by clinical questionnaire and polysomnography.