Left Ventricular Mechano-Energetic Efficiency Identifies an Early Impairment of Myocardial Blood Flow in Arterial Hypertension.

Background: Arterial hypertension causes cardiac functional and structural alterations. In hypertensive patients without flow-limiting epicardial coronary artery disease, we investigated possible relationships between positron emission tomography/computed tomography-derived myocardial blood flow (MBF) and echocardiographic parameters of left ventricular (LV) performance, including mechano-energetic efficiency indexed for myocardial mass (MEEi).

Methods: Seventy-eight hypertensive patients without flow-limiting epicardial coronary artery disease underwent echocardiography, including MEEi computation, and cardiac positron emission tomography/computed tomography with assessment of MBF/mass ratio at rest and after stress and myocardial flow reserve.

Advanced imaging tools for evaluating cardiac morphological and functional impairment in hypertensive disease.

Arterial hypertension represents a systemic burden, and it is responsible of various morphological, functional and tissue modifications affecting the heart and the cardiovascular system. Advanced imaging techniques, such as speckle tracking and three-dimensional echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance, computed tomography and PET-computed tomography, are able to identify cardiovascular injury at different stages of arterial hypertension, from subclinical alterations and overt organ damage to possible complications related to pressure overload, thus giving a precious contribution for guiding timely and appropriate management and therapy, in order to improve diagnostic accuracy and prevent disease progression. The present review focuses on the peculiarity of different advanced imaging tools to provide information about different and multiple morphological and functional aspects involved in hypertensive cardiovascular injury.

Development of new atherosclerotic plaque in hypertensive patients: an observational registry study from the Campania-Salute network.

Background And Purpose: Carotid atherosclerotic plaques (CAPs) can develop despite appropriate antihypertensive therapy. In this observational study, we assessed characteristics associated with risk of incident CAP in a large hypertensive registry.

Methods: We evaluated 2143 hypertensive patients without evidence of CAP.

Lifestyle-related risk factors, smoking status and cardiovascular disease.

Background: Cardiovascular disease represents one of the most important causes of morbidity and mortality in highly developed countries and is known to be associated with some lifestyle-related risk factors (e.g. alcohol consumption, smoking status, diet, physical activity, bodyweight).

Prediction of long-term survival in chronic heart failure by multiple biomarker assessment: a 15-year prospective follow-up study.

Background: In chronic heart failure (CHF), several plasma biomarkers identify subjects at risk of death over the midterm. However, their long-term predictive value in the context of other candidate predictors has never been assessed. This information may prove valuable in the management of a chronic disease with a long natural history, as CHF is today.

Association of suboptimal blood pressure control with body size and metabolic abnormalities.

Background: Blood pressure control is disappointingly suboptimal in populations. Whether metabolic abnormalities influence blood pressure control is unclear. We evaluated the relationship between metabolic risk factors and blood pressure control in a large population of patients with hypertension.

[Usefulness of a telematic system and image analysis in the follow-up of high-risk patients: a new health service model].

Background: Inadequate blood pressure control in hypertensive patients is in contrast with the evidence from clinical studies of effectiveness of the same antihypertensive compounds used in clinical practice. These results may be due to follow-up management of hypertensive patients and in particular to the interaction between general practitioners (GPs) and hypertension specialists. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of an internet-based digital network, connecting specialists and GPs in the Campania Region, on blood pressure control and major cardiovascular events.

The use of a telematic connection for the follow-up of hypertensive patients improves the cardiovascular prognosis.

Background: Inadequate blood pressure (BP) control could be due to incorrect management of hypertensives caused by the lack of interaction between general practitioners (GP) and hypertension specialists.

Objectives: To test the effectiveness on BP and total cardiovascular risk (TCVR) control of an internet-based digital network connecting specialists and GPs.

Methods: We created a network among the Hypertension Clinic, Federico II University (Naples, Italy), 23 hospital-based hypertension clinics and 60 GPs from the area (CampaniaSalute Network, CS).