Body surface area as a key determinant of aortic root and arch dimensions in a population-based study.

The associations between the aortic dimensions (of the aortic sinus, aortic annulus and aortic arch) and physiological variables have not been established in the Chinese population. The present study examined the associations among physiological variables to determine the aortic root and arch dimensions echocardiographically. The diameters of the aortic sinus, annulus and arch were measured in 1,010 subjects via 2-D echocardiography with a 3.

Association between the rate of the morning surge in blood pressure and cardiovascular events and stroke.

Background: The exaggerated surge in morning blood pressure (BP) that many patients experience upon awakening may be closely related to target organ damage and may be a predictor of cardiovascular complications. However, no previous studies have evaluated the rate of this surge independently of the evening period. It remains unclear whether the rate of increase experienced during the surge is a significant or independent determinant of cardiovascular events.

Smaller aortic dimensions do not fully account for the greater pulse pressure in elderly female hypertensives.

This study examined the importance of aortic dimensions in determining pulse pressure in elderly hypertensives participating in the 2nd Australian National Blood Pressure Study, including a substantial number not previously receiving blood pressure lowering medication. Aortic dimensions were determined by ultrasound at the transverse arch and at the insertion of the aortic valve. Unadjusted data showed negative (P<0.

Similar effects of treatment on central and brachial blood pressures in older hypertensive subjects in the Second Australian National Blood Pressure Trial.

The Second Australian National Blood Pressure Trial reported better prognosis for hypertensive subjects randomly assigned to an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACE-I) compared with a diuretic-based regimen despite no difference in brachial blood pressure control. A possible explanation is that there was a difference in central aortic pressures despite similar brachial pressure reductions. We examined this hypothesis in a subset of the Second Australian National Blood Pressure Trial cohort evaluated both before and after 4 years of treatment.

[The effects of phytoestrogen on blood pressure and lipids in healthy volunteers].

Objective: To determine the effects of dietary soy containing phytoestrogens on blood pressure and lipids in healthy volunteers.

Methods: Two hundred thirteen healthy volunteers (108 men and 105 post-menopausal women, 50 - 76 years old) received either soy protein isolate (40 g soy protein, 118 mg isoflavones) or cassin placebo for 3 months in this randomized, double-blind trial.

Results: There were 34 withdrawals (16%) and 179 people (96 men and 83 women) completed the study protocol.

[Depression before and after operation in coronary artery bypass grafting patients].

Objective: To investigate the presence of depression in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) patients before and after the operation.

Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted among 72 CABG patients, 21 of which, aged 65.30 +/- 1.

Brachial blood pressure but not carotid arterial waveforms predict cardiovascular events in elderly female hypertensives.

Central arterial waveforms and related indices of large artery properties can be determined with relative ease. This would make them an attractive adjunct in the risk stratification for cardiovascular disease. Although they have been associated with some classical risk factors and the presence of coronary disease, their prospective value in predicting cardiovascular outcomes is unknown.

Large artery stiffness is not related to plasma cholesterol in older subjects with hypertension.

Objective: Previous studies have demonstrated a prognostic role of large artery stiffness in hypertensive subjects and increased stiffness in subjects with coronary artery disease. Although plasma cholesterol is an established risk factor for cardiovascular disease, its relationship with large artery properties in a hypertensive population is unclear.

Methods And Results: Plasma cholesterol and large artery properties were measured at baseline in a subset of participants of a randomized controlled trial (ANBP2) evaluating hypertension treatment in older (65 to 84 years) subjects.

Large-artery stiffness contributes to the greater prevalence of systolic hypertension in elderly women.

Objectives: To determine whether sex differences in large-artery stiffness contribute to the greater prevalence of systolic hypertension in elderly women than in elderly men.

Design: During a single visit arterial stiffness was assessed in the unmedicated state using four parameters.

Participants: Three hundred seventy-four women with a mean age+/-standard deviation of 72+/-5 and 296 men aged 71+/-5 participated.

Effects of Blood Pressure, Smoking, and Their Interaction on Carotid Artery Structure and Function.

-In the present study, we examined the relationships among carotid blood pressure, arterial geometry, and wall stress and determined the impact of hypertension, smoking status, and their interaction on these relationships. The study involved 679 subjects aged 49 to 82 years: 372 smokers (190 men and 182 women) and 307 nonsmokers (110 men and 197 women). Blood samples were taken to determine total cholesterol levels.