Optimized procedures for testing plasma metanephrines in patients on hemodialysis.

Diagnosis of pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas in patients receiving hemodialysis is troublesome. The aim of the study was to establish optimal conditions for blood sampling for mass spectrometric measurements of normetanephrine, metanephrine and 3-methoxytyramine in patients on hemodialysis and specific reference intervals for plasma metanephrines under the most optimal sampling conditions. Blood was sampled before and near the end of dialysis, including different sampling sites in 170 patients on hemodialysis.

Systematic and Multidisciplinary Evaluation of Fibromuscular Dysplasia Patients Reveals High Prevalence of Previously Undetected Fibromuscular Dysplasia Lesions and Affects Clinical Decisions: The ARCADIA-POL Study.

Fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD), regarded as a generalized vascular disease, may affect all vascular beds and may result in arterial stenosis, occlusion, aneurysm, or dissection. It has been proposed to systematically evaluate all vascular beds in patients with FMD, regardless of initial FMD involvement. However, the impact of this approach on clinical decisions and on management is unknown.

Impact of 123I-MIBG Scintigraphy on Clinical Decision-Making in Pheochromocytoma and Paraganglioma.

Context: Cross-sectional imaging with CT or MRI is regarded as a first-choice modality for tumor localization in patients with pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma (PPGL). 123I-labeled metaiodobenzylguanidine (123I-MIBG) is widely used for functional imaging but the added diagnostic value is controversial.

Objective: To establish the virtual impact of adding 123I-MIBG scintigraphy to CT or MRI on diagnosis and treatment of PPGL.

High incidence and clinical characteristics of fibromuscular dysplasia in patients with spontaneous cervical artery dissection: The ARCADIA-POL study.

The association between fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) and spontaneous cervical artery dissection (SCeAD) has been recognized, but the available evidence on this relationship is scant. Therefore, the main goal of our study was to systematically evaluate FMD frequency, clinical characteristics and vascular bed involvement in patients with SCeAD. Among 230 patients referred to the ARCADIA-POL study, 43 patients (mean age 44.

Echocardiographic assessment of left ventricular morphology and function in patients with fibromuscular dysplasia: the ARCADIA-POL study.

Objective: To provide a comprehensive assessment of left ventricle (LV) structure, and function and to detect alterations in cardiac properties in relationship to presence, subtypes and extent of fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD).

Methods: We studied 144 patients with FMD. The control group consisted of 50 matched individuals.

Plasma methoxytyramine: clinical utility with metanephrines for diagnosis of pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma.

Context: Measurements of plasma methoxytyramine, the O-methylated dopamine metabolite, are useful for detecting rare dopamine-producing pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas (PPGLs) and head and neck paragangliomas (HNPGLs), but utility for screening beyond that achieved using standard measurements of normetanephrine and metanephrine is unclear.

Objective: Evaluation of the additional utility of methoxytyramine compared to plasma normetanephrine and metanephrine for diagnosis of PPGLs and HNPGLs.

Design: Comparative prospective study.

Relationship between gender and clinical characteristics, associated factors, and hypertension treatment in patients with resistant hypertension.

Background And Aim: Recent meta-analyses indicate that the pooled prevalence of resistant hypertension (RHT) barely differs between the sexes. However, differences between women and men with RHT in patient characteristics, associated factors, and hypertension (HT) management are still not well-described.

Methods: In the cross-sectional questionnaire-based observational study we included 7306 hypertensive females and 5069 hypertensive males, ≥ 18 years old, and treated for at least 12 months with antihypertensive drugs.

Altered plasma fibrin clot properties in hypertensive patients with obstructive sleep apnoea are improved by continuous positive airway pressure treatment.

Aim: We investigated plasma fibrin clot properties in high-risk hypertensive patients with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) and assessed the impact of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment on clot phenotype.

Methods: We studied 50 hypertensive patients with clinically significant OSA (age 50.0 ± 8.

Morning blood pressure surge and markers of cardiovascular alterations in untreated middle-aged hypertensive subjects.

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the degree of morning blood pressure surge (MBPS) and its relationship with markers of cardiovascular alterations in untreated middle-aged hypertensives. We studied 241 patients (mean age, 36.6 ± 10.