Differential effects of angiotensin II receptor blocker and losartan/hydrochlorothiazide combination on central blood pressure and augmentation index.

Central systolic blood pressure (CSBP) may be a better predictor of cardiovascular risk than clinic brachial (B)SBP. The effects of dose increment from medium dose of angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) to the maximum dose of ARBs (maximum) and changing from medium dose of ARBs to losartan 50 mg/hydrochlorothiazide 12.5 mg combination (combination) were compared in hypertensive patients in whom monotherapy with a medium ARB dose did not achieve goal home SBP (135 mmHg).

Subservient relationship of the peripheral second systolic pressure peak to the central hemodynamic parameters is preserved, irrespective of atherosclerosis progression in hypercholesterolemic rabbits.

We investigated whether the subservient relationship of peripheral to central hemodynamic parameters, such as the augmentation index (AI) and the second systolic (SBP2) and pulse pressures, were preserved with the progression of atherosclerosis in the Kurosawa and Kusanagi-hypercholesterolemic (KHC) rabbit, an animal model for hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis. Male KHC rabbits, aged 12 and 24 months, were anesthetized with pentobarbital sodium. Two catheter-tip transducers were introduced to the central (ascending aorta) and peripheral (distal region of the right brachial artery) arteries through the left common carotid and the right radial arteries, respectively.

Estimation of central aortic systolic pressure using late systolic inflection of radial artery pulse and its application to vasodilator therapy.

Background: Central blood pressure (BP) is a useful predictor of cardiovascular risk. Recently, a fully automated device that measures central SBP (cSBP) from radial late SBP (rSBP2) has been developed.

Method: We measured cSBP using this device, compared it with aortic SBP (aSBP) measured with a high-fidelity pressure sensor, and evaluated the accuracy of cSBP before and after vasodilator administration.

Increased arterial stiffness weakens the relationship between wave reflection and the central pressure indexes in men younger than 60 years of age.

Background: Interactions among age, arterial stiffness, and pressure wave reflection affect the central blood pressure (CBP). We evaluated our hypothesis that the contribution of the wave reflection to the CBP indexes is reduced at higher levels of arterial stiffness, independent of the effect of age.

Methods: In 2,691 Japanese men aged <60 years old who are not suffering from cardiovascular disease or receiving medications for cardiovascular risk factors, the brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (PWV), radial augmentation index (AI), and second peak of the radial pressure waveform (SBP2), a marker of CBP, were measured.

Significance of the second peak of systolic blood pressure for identifying both high and low cardiovascular risk states.

This study was conducted to clarify whether the second peak of the systolic blood pressure (SBP2) has significant information about cardiovascular (CV) risk state, independent of the brachial BP. SBP2 was measured by radial pressure wave analysis in 7847 Japanese subjects (50+/-10 years old), and the Framingham risk score (FRS) and general cardiovascular disease risk score were calculated (FRSgen). The results of multivariate analysis revealed that the SBP2 showed a significant correlation with the FRS (beta=0.

Time for reflection predicts the progression of renal dysfunction in patients with nondiabetic chronic kidney disease.

Our previous data indicated that both home blood pressure and arterial stiffness predicted the progression of renal dysfunction in the patients with chronic kidney diseases. In the present study, we examined both home blood pressure and the parameters of arterial stiffness as the indicator to the progression of chronic kidney diseases. Forty-two nondiabetic chronic kidney disease patients were enrolled and followed for 1 year.

Synergistic effect of smoking and blood pressure on augmentation index in men, but not in women.

This study was conducted in healthy Japanese subjects to examine the effects of age and gender on the relationship between the risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and augmentation index (AI), and the effects of clusters of those risk factors on AI. Radial arterial pressure wave analysis was used to obtain AI in 3675 men and 2919 women. AI was found to be higher in women than in men, and age-related increase in AI showed an attenuated curve in subjects aged >or=50 years.

Effect of acute and long-term aerobic exercise on arterial stiffness in the elderly.

Arterial stiffness is an important factor for cardiovascular performance and a predictor of cardiovascular risk. We evaluated the effects of both acute and long-term aerobic exercise on arterial stiffness in community-dwelling healthy elderly subjects. In addition, we evaluated the relationship between the effects of long-term exercise and those of acute exercise.

Radial augmentation index: a useful and easily obtainable parameter for vascular aging.

Background: It has been shown that the systolic augmentation index (AI) in the central arteries, including the aorta and carotid arteries, changes with age. The AI can also be obtained from the peripheral arteries. The possible usefulness of AI obtained from the radial artery as an index for vascular aging was investigated.

[Measurement of pulse wave "augmentation index (AI) "and its clinical application].

Hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus and obesity, all of these life-style related diseases advance arteriosclerosis and cause a cardiovascular event. It is said that the event can be greatly reduced by improvement of lifestyle or medication. The device is recently developed that enables us easily to measure AI i.