Impact of β-thalassemia trait carrier state on inflammatory status in patients with newly diagnosed hypertension.

Background: B-thalassemia carrier state or thalassemia minor confers cardiovascular protection through favorable lipidemic and blood pressure profile. However, its impact on inflammatory status-a common denominator of the above conditions-has not been addressed.

Methods: We investigated a wide range of inflammatory markers [white blood cell (WBC) count, homocysteine, C-reactive protein (CRP), serum amyloid A (SAA), fibrinogen, plasminogen, fibronectin, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), and uric acid] in a large cohort of 15 805 newly diagnosed hypertensive patients (8299 men, 7506 women); 626 of them (4.

Correlation of 24-Hour Blood Pressure and Heart Rate Variability to Renal Function Parameters in Hypertensive Patients. The Effect of Smoking.

Intrarenal hemodynamics depend on blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), and smoking. Although BP levels have been associated with kidney function, the effect of HR levels, BP, and HR variability on renal function are less well clarified. This cross-sectional study sought to determine the association of 24-hour BP and HR variability with kidney function in hypertensive patients, stratified by smoking.

Aldosterone Levels, Aortic Stiffness, and Wave Reflection in Essential Hypertensive Patients.

Background: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the grade of arterial stiffening, in relation to aldosterone (ALDO) and plasma renin activity (PRA) levels, in essential never-treated hypertensive patients.

Materials And Methods: We studied 1,330 consecutive patients without clinical and/or laboratory findings of primary or secondary aldosteronism. Arterial stiffness indices Aix75 and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWVc-f) were measured and a 24-hour urine collection for ALDO was carried out to classify patients with low ALDO <12 mcg/24 hours and high ALDO >12 but <24 mcg/24 hours.

Impact of β-thalassemia trait carrier state on cardiovascular risk factors and metabolic profile in patients with newly diagnosed hypertension.

Thalassemia minor (Tm), the β-thalassemia carrier state, is followed by favorable lipidemic profile and seems to protect against myocardial infarction mainly in men. However, the cardiovascular risk factor (CRF) and metabolic profile of these subjects has not been thoroughly addressed, although it is not known whether gender differences are involved. We evaluated CRFs, metabolic parameters and risk-prediction equations along with renal function and selected echocardiographic indices in 23,680 consecutive subjects, that is, 11,192 women and 12,488 men, with newly diagnosed hypertension according to the presence or absence of Tm.

Impaired glucose homeostasis in non-diabetic Greek hypertensives with diabetes family history. Effect of the obesity status.

Arterial hypertension (AH) and diabetes mellitus (DM) are established cardiovascular risk factors. Impaired glucose homeostasis (IGH; impaired fasting glucose or/and impaired glucose tolerance) or pre-diabetes, obesity, and DM family history identify individuals at risk for type 2 DM in whom preventive interventions are necessary. The aim of this study was to determine the glycemic profile in non-diabetic Greek adult hypertensive men and women according to DM family history and the obesity status.

Aldosterone levels and inflammatory stimulation in essential hypertensive patients.

Recent studies indicate that the pro-inflammatory action of aldosterone (ALDO) or the activation of mineralocorticoid receptors contribute to the increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The aim of the present study was to investigate the grade of the inflammatory activation, in relation to ALDO levels, in a large cohort of essential hypertensive patients. The study included 3770 consecutive essential hypertensive patients who attended our outpatient clinics.

Metabolic syndrome and atrial fibrillation in patients with essential hypertension.

Background And Aim: Metabolic syndrome (MS) has been recently associated with an increased risk for the development of atrial fibrillation (AF) in the general population. Whether this relation is also apparent in patients with arterial hypertension remains to be clarified. In the present study we sought to investigate the independent association of the MS with the AF in a large cohort of hypertensive patients.

Cardiovascular risk factor(s) prevalence in Greek hypertensives. Effect of gender and age.

The aim of this study was to determine cardiovascular (CV) risk factors (RFs) and target organ damage clustering in 21280 Greek hypertensives stratified by gender and age. Glycemic and lipid profile were determined, left ventricular mass index, estimated gromerular filtration rate (eGFR), 10-years CV risk according to Framingham risk score (FRS) and HeartScore (HS) were calculated. Only 10.

Effect of age on interdependence and hierarchy of cardiovascular risk factors in hypertensive patients.

The prognostic significance, interdependence, and hierarchy of cardiovascular risk factors could evolve with advancing age. Our study reports on the interdependence among blood pressure (BP), other metabolic syndrome components, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein according to age in hypertensive subjects. A total of 5,712 nondiabetic patients (50.

Ambulatory blood pressure profile in hypertensive patients with β-thalassemia minor.

β-thalassemia trait (β-TT) is a common genetic disorder in Mediterranean countries, including Greece. Previous studies have shown the protective effect of β-TT against myocardial infarction. However, the ambulatory blood pressure (BP) profile of such patients has not yet been investigated.

Prostate-specific antigen levels are associated with arterial stiffness in essential hypertensive patients.

Introduction: Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) has been recently related to cardiovascular system in a multifactorial way. Arterial stiffness is a independent predictor of cardiovascular events and is involved in the pathogenesis of hypertension. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether PSA values, are associated with arterial stiffness indices in patients with essential arterial hypertension.

Urine albumin excretion, within normal range, reflects increasing prevalence of metabolic syndrome in patients with essential hypertension.

Microalbuminuria is a prognostic marker of cardiovascular disease and is related to metabolic syndrome (MetS). For this purpose, the authors examined the relationship of low grade albuminuria to MetS, using 4 current definitions and a MetS score. They studied 6650 consecutive, nondiabetic, hypertensive patients with normal microalbumin excretion.

Serum phosphate in white-coat hypertensive patients: focus on dipping status and metabolic syndrome.

Recent studies indicate an association between serum phosphate levels and blood pressure in hypertensive patients. A growing body of evidence suggests that white-coat hypertension (WCH) is associated with target organ damage. Furthermore, metabolic syndrome (MS) and a non-dipping pattern are associated with increased cardiovascular risk.

Environmental determinants of blood pressure, arterial stiffness, and central hemodynamics.

Background: Arterial stiffness and wave reflection alterations may be implicated in the association between cardiovascular mortality, meteorological variables and ambient particulate matter air pollution. The present study explored the cross-sectional relations between ambient environmental parameters, arterial stiffness, peripheral and central hemodynamics in a large-scale cohort of hypertensive patients and normotensive controls.

Methods: The study comprised 1222 consecutive individuals who sought medical consultation in the hypertension outpatient clinics of the Hippokration' and 'Onassis' Hospitals (Athens, Greece) during a 3-year period (2004-2006).

Ambulatory blood pressure profile in anemic hypertensive patients.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether there is a relationship between anemia and day-night blood pressure variations in essential hypertensive patients. We found that anemic hypertensives had significantly elevated nocturnal BP, and decreased mean 24-h BP and daytime BP.

Associations between plasma homocysteine levels, aortic stiffness and wave reflection in patients with arterial hypertension, isolated office hypertension and normotensive controls.

The aim of this study was to evaluate any possible association of homocysteine with arterial stiffness indices in patients with essential arterial hypertension (AH), isolated office hypertension (IOH) and normotensive controls. The final cohort comprised 231 normotensives (NTs, 119 males), 480 patients with IOH (196 males) and 1188 patients with essential AH (713 males). All patients were screened for plasma homocysteine levels and lipidaemic profile and underwent aortic compliance and wave reflection assessment by using carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWVc-f) and aortic augmentation index corrected for heart rate (AIx) accordingly.

Differential impact of metabolic syndrome on arterial stiffness and wave reflections: focus on distinct definitions.

Background: Arterial stiffness and wave reflections are independent predictors of cardiovascular disease. Metabolic syndrome (MS) is related to increased aortic stiffness in several populations. However, it is unclear whether the association of MS with aortic stiffness differs according to the considered definition.

Nocturnal blood pressure fall and metabolic syndrome score in patients with white coat hypertension.

Background: Accumulating data report that white coat hypertension (WCH) is associated with target organ damage. Metabolic syndrome (MS), and nondipping pattern is also associated with increased cardiovascular risk. The purpose of this study was to explore the nocturnal blood pressure fall in WCH patients according to their MS score.

Microalbuminuria and global myocardial function in patients with essential hypertension [correction of hypertensive].

Introduction: The myocardial performance index, Tei index, is a relatively new echocardiography indice which is related to parameters which express both the systolic and diastolic myocardial function. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the possible correlation of Tei index to microalbuminuria, which is an indice of kidney target-organ damage in hypertensive patients.

Materials And Methods: We evaluated 9680 consecutive patients (mean age 55.

Beneficial effect of angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker antihypertensive treatment on arterial stiffness: the role of smoking.

The purpose of the present study was to assess angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) treatment on arterial stiffness in select hypertensive patients and define possible differences between smokers and nonsmokers. The authors evaluated 81 consecutive, nondiabetic patients (mean age, 52 years; 47 men) with uncomplicated essential hypertension with high plasma renin activity who were administered monotherapy with irbesartan, an ARB, at maximal dose. Patients were divided into smokers (n=24) and nonsmokers (n=57).

Nocturnal blood pressure fall and metabolic syndrome score in hypertensive patients.

Background: Data relating dipping status to metabolic syndrome (MS) scores are not available. The purpose of this study is to investigate any possible association of different dipping patterns to MS scores in untreated patients with essential hypertension.

Methods: The study included 6256 consecutive, treatment-naive patients with essential hypertension who attended our outpatient clinics.

Left ventricular (LV) geometry and dipping state are determinants of LV mass reduction with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor antihypertensive treatment.

Objectives: Left ventricular hypertrophy is a major risk predictor in hypertensive patients and its regression is beneficial in terms of prognosis. The aim of this observational, open-labeled study was to investigate the effect of left ventricular geometry and dipping pattern on left ventricular mass reduction after chronic treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, in a large population of hypertensive patients.

Methods: We evaluated untreated patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension, before and 6 months after treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor monotherapy or angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor-low-dose thiazide combination.