Age- and Gender-Related Differences in the Hemodynamic Status of Patients with Mild or Moderate Hypertension.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to use non-invasive impedance cardiography (ICG) to determine the hemodynamic status of patients with grade 1 and grade 2 hypertension in relation to gender and age.

Patients And Methods: We analyse prospectively collected data of 158 patients with grade 1 or grade 2 arterial hypertension. Patients were grouped according to age: 1) <50 years and 2) ≥50 years.

Significance of acPWV for Survival of Hemodialysis Patients.

Background And Objectives: Abnormal arterial stiffness (AS) is a major complication in end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients treated by dialysis. Our study aimed to determine the significance of AS for survival of prevalent dialysis patients, as well as its association with cardiovascular parameters or vascular calcification promoters/inhibitors or both and AS.

Materials And Methods: The study involved 80 adult hemodialysis patients.

Dual Roles of the Mineral Metabolism Disorders Biomarkers in Prevalent Hemodilysis Patients: In Renal Bone Disease and in Vascular Calcification.

Background: Vascular calcification (VC) is highly prevalent in dialysis (HD) patients, and its mechanism is multifactorial. Most likely that systemic or local inhibitory factor is overwhelmed by promoters of VC in these patients. VC increased arterial stiffness, and left ventricular hypertrophy.

The timeline of blood pressure changes and hemodynamic responses during an experimental noise exposure.

Background: Noise exposure increases blood pressure and peripheral vascular resistance in both genders in an experimental setting, as previously reported by the authors.

Objectives: The aim of this re-analysis was to present the minute-by-minute timeline of blood pressure changes and hemodynamic events provoked by traffic noise in the young and healthy adults.

Methods: The experiment consisted of three 10-min phases: rest in quiet conditions before noise (Leq = 40 dBA), exposure to recorded road-traffic noise (Leq = 89 dBA), and rest in quiet conditions after noise (Leq = 40 dBA).

Pulse Wave Velocity: Retrospective Analysis in a Balkan Normotensive and Hypertensive Population: A Study of 9923 Patients.

We compared pulse wave velocity (PWV) between hypertensive patients and control patients to identify demographics and patient characteristics related to PWV. We retrospectively analyzed 9923 participants (3105 controls and 6818 hypertensive patients) from 5 outpatient hypertensive clinics (in Serbia and Greece). Pulse wave velocity had different distribution between controls and hypertensive patients ( P < .

Single-Pill Combination of Perindopril/Indapamide/Amlodipine in Patients with Uncontrolled Hypertension: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Introduction: Patients with hypertension often require a combination of three antihypertensive agents to achieve blood pressure control, but very few single-pill triple combinations are available. The aim of this study was to determine whether a single-pill triple combination of perindopril, indapamide, and amlodipine was as effective as a dual-pill combination of perindopril/indapamide plus separate amlodipine at reducing blood pressure in patients with uncontrolled, essential hypertension.

Methods: This international, multicenter, open-label, randomized controlled trial was conducted in men or women aged ≥18 years old with confirmed essential hypertension (SBP ≥140 and <160 mmHg and DBP ≥90 and <100 mmHg), uncontrolled on maximal dose antihypertensive monotherapy or with a single dose of dual therapy.

Relationship between blood pressure and retrobulbar blood flow in dipper and nondipper primary open-angle glaucoma patients.

Purpose: To evaluate the relationship between retrobulbar hemodynamic parameters in the ophthalmic artery (OA), central retinal artery, and short posterior ciliary artery and 24-hour blood pressure (BP) measurements in dipper and nondipper patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG).

Methods: A prospective, cross-sectional, and observational study was conducted on consecutive patients, referred or recruited, attending the outpatient service of our ophthalmology department. Ambulatory BP monitoring, Doppler imaging, and ocular pulse amplitude measurements were performed on the same day.

The Role of 24-hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring in Hypertensive Patients with Normal-tension Glaucoma.

Introduction: Extreme dippers are patients with a nocturnal fall of blood pressure (BP) of more than 20%, dippers have normal diurnal rhythm and decrease of BP of 10-15%, while patients with a nocturnal BP fall of less than 10% are considered to be non-dippers.

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring results of normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) patients with NTG suspects, as well as to determine whether NTG patients are more prone to daytime/nighttime systemic arterial BP and heart rate oscillations in comparison to NTG suspects.

Methods: This was a prospective, cross-sectional and observational study of 57 hypertensive patients (39 female and 18 male), all examined at the Eye and the Cardiology Clinic, Clinical Center of Serbia in Belgrade, between November 2011 and March 2012.

Clinical case of neuroendocrine malignant tumor with unusual localization in the adrenal cortex.

The authors present unusual clinical case with atypical diagnostic work-up and histological result of adrenal neuroendocrine carcinoma.

Thoracic bioelectrical impedance assessment of the hemodynamic reactions to recorded road-traffic noise in young adults.

Noise exposure increases blood pressure in both experimental and field studies. The underlying mechanisms may be evaluated by thoracic bioelectrical impedance. The aim of this experimental study was to assess changes in blood pressure, cardiac and hemodynamic parameters provoked by recorded traffic noise in young adults.

Prevalence of arterial hypertension in Serbia: PAHIS study.

Background: Arterial hypertension (AH) is the most common cardiovascular disease risk factor, affecting between 30 and 50% of the adult population in developed countries. A steady increase of the prevalence of AH by about 60% is expected by year 2025.

Methods: Serbian Society of Hypertension conducted a prevalence study from February to May 2012 on a sample of 3878 adult respondents.

The pathophysiological basis of carotid baroreceptor stimulation for the treatment of resistant hypertension.

The prevalence of resistant hypertension and existing limitations in antihypertensive drug therapy renders the interventional management of hypertension an attractive alternative. Carotid baroreceptors have been traditionally thought to be implicated only in short-term blood pressure regulation; however recent evidence suggests that the baroreceptors might play an important role even in the long-term blood pressure regulation. Electrical baroreflex stimulation appears safe and effective and might represent a useful adjunct to medical therapy in patients with resistant hypertension.

Cardiovascular effects of environmental noise: research in Serbia.

Research on the cardiovascular effects of noise in Serbia started in the year 2002, including experimental studies on humans and epidemiological studies on the adult and children population of Belgrade and Pancevo. Experimental exposure to noise [L eq = 89 dB (A)] had a hypodynamic effect, significantly lowering the cardiac index, cardiac work, and pump performance (P < 0.01).

Obesity and fat distribution as predictors of aortoiliac peripheral arterial disease in middle-aged men.

Background: Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in the aortoiliac segment is found in nearly a half of patients with PAD. The aim of this study was to estimate the influence of obesity and fat distribution on the occurrence of aortoiliac PAD in middle-aged men.

Methods: This case-control study included 204 middle-aged men (mean 58±7 years; range 45-70 years): 102 patients with aortoiliac PAD and 102 healthy controls without PAD.

Assessment of the left ventricular chamber stiffness in athletes.

Since diastolic dysfunction is an early sign of the heart disease, detecting diastolic disturbances is predicted to be the way for early recognizing underlying heart disease in athletes. So-called chamber stiffness index (E/e')/LVDd was predicted to be useful in distinguishing physiological from pathological left ventricular hypertrophy, because it was shown to be reduced in athletes. It remains unknown whether it is reduced in all athletic population.

Acute myocardial infarction following a hornet sting.

Background: The occurrence of an acute myocardial infarction following a hornet sting has been very rarely reported in the previous literature. Pathogenetic mechanisms include direct action of the venom components on the coronary endothelium and allergic reaction with mediators released from mast cells. The anaphylactic reaction and venom components can produce acute coronary artery thrombosis.

Nighttime road-traffic noise and arterial hypertension in an urban population.

Commonly used daytime measurements in previous investigations on community noise and arterial hypertension (AH) may be a source of exposure bias, as urban residents spend most of their daytime hours out of the home on workdays. For this reason, we focused on the relation of nighttime noise and AH. A cross-sectional study was performed on a sample of 2,503 (995 men and 1,508 women) adult residents of a downtown Belgrade municipality.

Urban road-traffic noise and blood pressure and heart rate in preschool children.

Night time noise exposure has very rarely been used in previous studies on the relationship between community noise and children's blood pressure, although children spend a larger part of their night time sleeping at home than adults. For this reason, we focused on night time noise exposure at children's residences and daytime noise at kindergartens. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of urban road-traffic noise on children's blood pressure and heart rate.

[Urban noise and myocardial infarction in the population].

Recent studies have pointed out a relation between urban noise and the occurrence of myocardial infarction in population. Public health importance of these results derives from the fact that 20% of the European population and 31% of the Japanese are exposed to equivalent noise levels exceeding 65 dBA, considered as "black acoustic zones" according to OECD criteria. Prospective epidemiological studies have found relative risks for myocardial infarction in these urban zones from 1.

Left ventricular hypertrophy in hypertensive obese women.

Objective: Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is an independent predictor of cardiovascular and general mortality. Both arterial hypertension and obesity cause changes in structure and function of the left ventricle. Given the rising global epidemic of obesity, it is likely that adverse health consequences of excess adiposity will escalate in the future.

[Adipose tissue as an endocrine organ].

The traditional function attributed to white adipose tissue of energy storage in the form of triglycerides has been challenged by results from recent studies, showing that adipose tissue is, in fact, a highly active metabolic and endocrine organ. A radical change in perspective followed the discovery of a large number of proteins secreted from white adipocytes, such as leptin, resistin, adiponectin, adipsin, acylation-stimulating protein, angiotensinogen, tumour necrosis factor a, interleukin-6, retinol-binding protein, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, tissue factor, fasting-induced adipose factor, fibrinogen/angiopoetin-related protein, and metallothionein. The effects of specific proteins may be either autocrine or paracrine, meaning that they might act in adipose tissue itself or in more distant target tissues.

Road traffic noise and sleep disturbances in an urban population: cross-sectional study.

Aim: To explore the relationship between sleep disturbances caused by traffic noise and relevant personality traits, such as extroversion-introversion, neuroticism, and subjective noise sensitivity.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out from January to April 2005 in a central municipality of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia and Montenegro. Noise measurements were performed at 12 measurement sites three times at daytime and twice at night.

[Thoracic electrical bioimpedance in the follow-up of patients with cardiovascular disorders].

Thoracic electrical bioimpedance is a new non-invasive technique for obtaining haemodynamic parameters. The method involves the passing of low amperage, high frequency current through the thorax. The current induces a change of resistance within the thorax, which is registered by electrodes.

[Mechanisms of protective effects of moderate alcohol consumption on the cardiovascular system].

Consumption of alcoholic beverages has been known in many cultures since the ancient civilizations, so harmful consequences of excessive alcohol intake have been well explained. Many epidemiological studies confirmed lower morbidity and mortality rates of cardiovascular diseases in persons who drink alcohol "moderately" (1-2 drinks a day), independently of the kind of alcoholic beverage. This paper presents the review of molecular mechanisms that are believed to explain cardioprotective effect of moderate drinking--alcohol effects on lipoproteins, endothelial cells, blood clot formation and dissolution, as well as genetic and gender variances modifying the relation.