Beta-blockers and risk of all-cause mortality in non-cardiac surgery.

Myocardial ischemia is a frequent complication in patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery and beta-blockers may exert a protective effect. The main benefit of beta-blockers in perioperative cardiovascular morbidity and mortality is believed to be linked to specific effects on myocardial oxygen supply and demand. beta-blockers may exert anti-inflammatory and anti-arrhythmic effects.

New-onset hyperglycemia and acute coronary syndrome: a systematic overview and meta-analysis.

Background: Patients without a history of diabetes often develop hyperglycemia during an acute coronary syndrome (ACS). New onset of hyperglycemia (NH) is associated with higher mortality both in the short and long-term.

Aim: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies to investigate the association between NH and mortality in patients with ACS.

Comparative assessment of angiotensin receptor blockers in different clinical settings.

Cardiovascular and renal disease can be regarded as progressing along a sort of continuum which starts with cardiovascular risk factors (hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, smoking, etc), evolves with progression of atherosclerotic lesions and organ damage, and then becomes clinically manifest with the major clinical syndromes (myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure, end-stage renal disease). The blood pressure control remains a fundamental mechanism for prevention of cardiovascular disease. The renin-angiotensin system is believed to play an important role along different steps of the cardiovascular disease continuum.

The voltage of R wave in lead aVL improves risk stratification in hypertensive patients without ECG left ventricular hypertrophy.

Objectives: We tested the hypothesis that the voltages of QRS on ECG improve risk stratification in hypertensive patients without left ventricular hypertrophy on ECG.

Methods And Results: We studied 2042 initially untreated patients with hypertension (mean age 49 years, 46% women) without left ventricular hypertrophy on ECG and no history of cardiovascular disease. At entry, all patients underwent diagnostic tests, including 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and echocardiography.

[Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in clinical practice].

Traditionally, diagnosis and management of arterial hypertension are based on blood pressure (BP) measurements taken in the physician's office. However, 24-h noninvasive ambulatory BP monitoring is increasingly used in patients with essential hypertension. Several prospective studies provided unequivocal evidence of an independent association between ambulatory BP and risk of cardiovascular disease in the general population and hypertensive patients.

Effects of barnidipine on blood pressure and left ventricular diastolic function in patients with hypertension and metabolic syndrome: A 12-week, open-label noncomparison study.

Background: Barnidipine is one of a new generation of dihydropyridine calcium-channel blockers. Despite evidence of favorable effects on blood pressure (BP) and insulin sensitivity, this drug has rarely been tested in hypertensive patients with metabolic syndrome (MS).

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of barnidipine on BP and left ventricular (LV) diastolic function in patients with hypertension and MS.

Prognostic value of circadian blood pressure changes in relation to differing measures of day and night.

Although the prognostic value of the day-night blood pressure (BP) changes is established, the most appropriate method for defining day and night is undefined. We assessed the prognostic value of the day-night BP changes by using three definitions of day and night in 2,934 initially untreated hypertensive subjects who underwent 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring. Over a median follow-up period of 7 years, there were 356 cardiovascular events and 176 deaths.

[Beta-blockers and arterial hypertension. Evidence-based medicine or excessive perseverance?].

For more than 30 years, beta-blockers have widely been used in the treatment of patients with myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, heart failure, certain cardiac arrhythmias and hypertension. Quite recently, however, beta-blockers have been put under trial by results of some controlled studies and meta-analyses conducted in patients with essential hypertension. In summary, beta-blockers proved not better, or even worse, than alternative treatments and only marginally better than placebo.

Validation of the A&D wrist-cuff UB-511 (UB-512) device for self-measurement of blood pressure.

Objectives: To determine the accuracy of the A&D UB-511 (UB-512) oscillometric wrist-cuff device for self-measurement of blood pressure, the only difference between the two devices being the size of storage memory.

Methods: Device evaluation was performed according to the modified British Hypertension Society protocol released in 1993. Eighty-five study participants with characteristics outlined in the British Hypertension Society protocol were recruited among those attending our out-patient clinic.