The role for ω-3 polyunsaturated and short chain fatty acids in hypertension: An updated view on the interaction with gut microbiota.

As of 2024, arterial hypertension is still considered the leading modifiable cardiovascular risk factor and, due to high rates of undertreatment and poor blood pressure control, the major contributor to human morbidity and mortality. Development of new treatment options and better interventions in lifestyle correction have become a priority of experimental and clinical research. In the last decades, dietary supplementation of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFAs) and generation of gut microbiota-derived short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) have surged as potential and promising interventions for hypertension and cardiovascular prevention.

Daytime plasma cortisol and cortisol response to dexamethasone suppression are associated with a prothrombotic state in hypertension.

Background And Aims: A prothrombotic state was demonstrated in patients with Cushing's syndrome and is involved in the development and progression of cardiovascular and renal damage in hypertensive patients. This study was designed to examine the relationships between cortisol secretion and the hemostatic and fibrinolytic systems in hypertension.

Methods: In 149 middle-aged, nondiabetic, essential hypertensive patients free of cardiovascular and renal complications, we measured hemostatic markers that express the spontaneous activation of the coagulation and fibrinolytic systems and assessed daily cortisol levels (8 AM, 3 PM, 12 AM; area under the curve, AUC-cortisol) together with the cortisol response to dexamethasone overnight suppression (DST-cortisol).

Cortisol secretion and abnormalities of glucose metabolism in nondiabetic patients with hypertension.

Objective: Glycometabolic changes are associated with hypercortisolism in Cushing's syndrome. Because impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and insulin resistance are frequently detected in patients with essential hypertension, we hypothesized that in these patients, early glycometabolic abnormalities might be related to differences in regulation of cortisol secretion.

Methods: In a cross-sectional study, we included 155 nondiabetic, essential hypertensive patients who were free of organ complications.

Lipoprotein(a): Just an Innocent Bystander in Arterial Hypertension?

Elevated plasma lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] is a relatively common and highly heritable trait conferring individuals time-dependent risk of developing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD). Following its first description, Lp(a) triggered enormous scientific interest in the late 1980s, subsequently dampened in the mid-1990s by controversial findings of some prospective studies. It was only in the last decade that a large body of evidence has provided strong arguments for a causal and independent association between elevated Lp(a) levels and CVD, causing renewed interest in this lipoprotein as an emerging risk factor with a likely contribution to cardiovascular residual risk.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Arterial Hypertension: Is There Any Good News?

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFAs), including alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and its derivatives eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are "essential" fatty acids mainly obtained from diet sources comprising plant oils, marine blue fish, and commercially available fish oil supplements. Many epidemiological and retrospective studies suggested that ω-3 PUFA consumption decreases the risk of cardiovascular disease, but results of early intervention trials have not consistently confirmed this effect. In recent years, some large-scale randomized controlled trials have shed new light on the potential role of ω-3 PUFAs, particularly high-dose EPA-only formulations, in cardiovascular prevention, making them an attractive tool for the treatment of "residual" cardiovascular risk.

Association of arterial stiffness with a prothrombotic state in uncomplicated nondiabetic hypertensive patients.

Background And Aims: Past studies reported a significant contribution of a prothrombotic state to the development and progression of target organ damage in hypertensive patients. Stiffening of arterial vessels is associated with aging and hypertension, and additional factors could contribute to this process. This study was designed to examine the relationships between arterial stiffening and the hemostatic and fibrinolytic system.

Alcohol Intake and Arterial Hypertension: Retelling of a Multifaceted Story.

Alcoholic beverages are common components of diets worldwide and understanding their effects on humans' health is crucial. Because hypertension is the leading risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and all-cause mortality, the relationship of alcohol consumption with blood pressure (BP) has been the subject of extensive investigation. For the purpose of this review, we searched the terms "alcohol", "ethanol", and "arterial hypertension" on Pubmed MeSH and selected the most relevant studies.

Association of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease with left ventricular changes in treatment-naive patients with uncomplicated hypertension.

Background And Aims: Cardiac structural and functional changes have been demonstrated in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Because of the frequent association of NAFLD with hypertension, we aimed to examine the relationship of liver steatosis with left ventricular (LV) changes in patients with hypertension.

Materials And Methods: In a cross-sectional study, we included 360 untreated, essential hypertensive patients who were free of major cardiovascular and renal complications.

Insulin Resistance and High Blood Pressure: Mechanistic Insight on the Role of the Kidney.

The metabolic effects of insulin predominate in skeletal muscle, fat, and liver where the hormone binds to its receptor, thereby priming a series of cell-specific and biochemically diverse intracellular mechanisms. In the presence of a good secretory reserve in the pancreatic islets, a decrease in insulin sensitivity in the metabolic target tissues leads to compensatory hyperinsulinemia. A large body of evidence obtained in clinical and experimental studies indicates that insulin resistance and the related hyperinsulinemia are causally involved in some forms of arterial hypertension.

The impact of body composition on mortality of COVID-19 hospitalized patients: A prospective study on abdominal fat, obesity paradox and sarcopenia.

Background & Aims: Obesity has been described as a predisposing risk factor to severe forms of COVID-19, but conflicting results are emerging on its real impact on the mortality of COVID-19. We aimed to compare clinical outcomes and mortality among COVID-19 patients according to obesity, metabolic syndrome and adiposity distribution.

Methods: We conducted a prospective observational study of all consecutive adult patients with a confirmed diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection admitted to the Infectious Diseases Clinic at Udine Hospital, Italy, from January 2021 to February 2021.

Relationship between cytokine release and stress hyperglycemia in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 infection.

Introduction: Stress hyperglycemia is a frequent finding in patients with COVID-19 infection and could affect the outcome of disease. Cytokines released in response to infection could have adverse effects on insulin sensitivity and pancreatic beta-cell function. The aim of the study was to examine the relationships of stress hyperglycemia with cytokines and clinical outcomes in hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

Vitamin D Deficiency Is Associated with Glycometabolic Changes in Nondiabetic Patients with Arterial Hypertension.

Recent evidence indicates that mildly increased fasting and post-oral load blood glucose concentrations contribute to development of organ damage in nondiabetic patients with hypertension. In previous studies, vitamin D deficiency was associated with decreased glucose tolerance. The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between serum 25(OH)D levels and glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in hypertension.

The Pivotal Role of Oleuropein in the Anti-Diabetic Action of the Mediterranean Diet: A Concise Review.

Type 2 diabetes currently accounts for more than 90% of all diabetic patients. Lifestyle interventions and notably dietary modifications are one of the mainstays for the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes. In this context, the Mediterranean diet with its elevated content of phytonutrients has been demonstrated to effectively improve glucose homeostasis.

Prognostic Role of Malnutrition Diagnosed by Bioelectrical Impedance Vector Analysis in Older Adults Hospitalized with COVID-19 Pneumonia: A Prospective Study.

Background: Little is known on the clinical relevance of the nutritional status and body composition of patients hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2 infection. The aim of our study was to assess the prevalence of malnutrition in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia using bioelectrical impedance vector analysis (BIVA), and to evaluate the relationship of their nutritional status with the severity and outcome of disease.

Methods: Among 150 consecutive patients who were hospitalized with COVID-19 pneumonia, 37 (24.

Plasma Lipoprotein(a) Levels as Determinants of Arterial Stiffening in Hypertension.

Previous studies have shown that plasma lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) plays an important role in the development of hypertensive organ damage. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship of Lp(a) with markers of arterial stiffening in hypertension. In 138 essential hypertensive patients free of diabetes, renal failure and cardiovascular complications, we measured plasma lipids and assessed vascular stiffness through the use of pulse wave analysis and calculation of the brachial augmentation index (AIx), and measured the pulse wave velocity (PWV).

Short-term cardiac outcome in survivors of COVID-19: a systematic study after hospital discharge.

Background: COVID-19 has caused considerable morbidity and mortality worldwide and cardiac involvement has been reported during infection. The short-term cardiac outcome in survivors of COVID-19 is not known.

Objective: To examine the heart of patients who survived COVID-19 and to compare the cardiac outcome between patients who recovered from mild-to-moderate or severe illness.