718 research outputs found
The Metabolic Syndrome and the Membrane Content of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Hypertensive Patients
Background: Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) have been reported to be beneficial on some components of the metabolic syndrome (MetS). We tested the hypothesis that in hypertensive patients, presence of MetS and its related components is associated with cell membrane content of PUFA, a measure that reflects the dietary intake of these fatty acids. Methods: In 55 consecutive patients with primary hypertension referred to our university center, we measured anthropometric variables, 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure, general biochemistries including plasma lipids, and the fatty acid composition of red blood cell (RBC) membrane by gas chromatography. Results: The prevalence of the MetS was 36.4% and in hypertensive patients with MetS, the RBC membrane content of total PUFA, PUFA of the n-6 family (n-6 PUFA), PUFA of the n-3 family (n-3 PUFA), polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acid ratio (PUFA/SFA), and omega-3 index was significantly lower than in patients without MetS. RBC membrane total PUFA, n-6 PUFA, n-3 PUFA, PUFA/SFA ratio, and omega-3 index were significantly and directly correlated with high-desity lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels, a correlation that did not differ across tertiles of plasma apolipoprotein-A1. In multivariate linear regression analysis, HDL-cholesterol resulted to be directly and independently related to RBC membrane n-6 PUFA, PUFA/SFA ratio, and omega-3 index. Conversely, total cholesterol to HDL-cholesterol ratio had inverse and independent relationship with n-6 PUFA, PUFA/SFA ratio, and omega-3 index. Conclusions: In patients with hypertension the MetS is associated with lower cell membrane content of PUFA that is explained by a direct and independent relationship of membrane PUFA with HDL-cholesterol. This observation suggests reduced dietary intake of PUFA in these patients that might contribute to their cardiovascular risk
Alcohol Intake More Than Doubles the Risk of Early Cardiovascular Events in Young Hypertensive Smokers
An interactive effect of tobacco and alcohol use has been described for cancer. Aim of this study was to investigate the joint effect of smoking and alcohol intake on major adverse cardiovascular and renal events (MACE) in young subjects screened for stage 1 hypertension
Office Pulse Pressure Is a Predictor of Favorable Outcome in Young- to Middle-Aged Subjects with Stage 1 Hypertension
The role of pulse pressure in young individuals remains controversial. The aim of the present study was to investigate the clinical significance of elevated pulse pressure in young- to middle-aged subjects screened for stage 1 hypertension. We examined 1241 subjects (mean age, 33.1±8.4 years) from the HARVEST (Hypertension Ambulatory Recording Venetia Study), during a median follow-up of 12.1 years. To evaluate the predictive value of pulse pressure and mean blood pressure for future hypertension needing treatment and for cardiovascular events, participants were grouped into pressure tertiles. Significant determinants of pulse pressure were male sex (
P
=0.029), younger age (
P
<0.001), physical activity (
P
=0.003), heart rate (
P
<0.001), systolic white-coat effect (
P
<0.001), and stroke volume (n=829;
P
<0.001). During follow-up, 65.1% of participants developed hypertension requiring pharmacological treatment and 5.1% experienced a cardiovascular event. Participants in the highest pulse pressure tertile had a reduced risk of incident hypertension compared with those of the bottom tertile (hazard ratio, 0.75; 95% confidence interval, 0.62–0.91;
P
=0.003). In contrast, participants in the top mean blood pressure tertile had an increase in risk (1.91; 1.57–2.33;
P
<0.001). In addition, participants in the highest pulse pressure tertile had a reduced risk of cardiovascular events (0.35; 0.17–0.73;
P
=0.005) and those in the top mean blood pressure tertile had an increase in risk (3.06; 1.32–7.09;
P
=0.009). Our data show that in subjects <45 years, only mean blood pressure is a predictor of adverse outcome whereas high pulse pressure even carries a reduced risk.
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Low night-time heart rate is longitudinally associated with lower augmentation index and central systolic blood pressure in hypertension
Several studies have shown that the augmentation index (AIx) is negatively correlated with heart rate (HR). This led some authors to claim that the use of HR-lowering drugs may be detrimental in hypertension. The aim of this study was to assess the longitudinal and cross-sectional relationships of HR with AIx and central blood pressure (BP) in 346 subjects from the HARVEST (mean age 30.7 ± 8.5 years)
Lucio Fauno: “Alli lettori”, in: Delle antichità della citta di Roma, raccolte e scritte da M. Lucio Fauno con somma brevità, et ordine, con quanto gli Antichi ò Moderni scritto ne hanno, Libri V. (Venezia 1548) (FONTES 13)
At the end of his book, 'Delle antichità della città di Roma' (Venezia 1548), the author, Lucio Fauno, appends a postscript in which he addresses his readers (“Alli Lettori”) concerning a then bitter controversy about the correct location of the Roman Forum. In contrast to a widely-held view that located the Forum between the Capitoline Hill and the Arch of Titus, Pirro Ligorio, and his friends, Gabriele Faerno and Benedetto Egio, advocated a position that relocated the Forum between the Capitoline Hill and the Palatine. This contradicted the prevailing consensus, as it was established in the Topographia Antiquae Romae (1534) of Bartolomeo Marliani. Fauno’s arguments refute the Ligorian postion, in defence of his own description of Roman topography provided in his book of the Antichità di Roma. In the course of time Ligorio’s relocation of the Forum proved to be wrong. In the discussion of ‘Lucio Fauno’, it is shown that this name is a pseudonym for the writer and antiquarian, Giovanni Tarcagnota of Gaeta (d. 1566)
Five Easy Pieces dedicated to Ludovico Quaroni
The first edition of this book was published in Italian in 1989, about two years after the death of Ludovico Quaroni; this edition in English is addressed mainly to non-Italian scholars with an interest in modern architecture in Italy. Given the imperfect parallel between musical and literary composition, therefore, in this book an intimate intellectual atmosphere prevails, which reveals the author’s skill in creating a narrative and also in engaging in a type of critical writing that is rarely undertaken by architect-intellectuals. The five episodes in the book cover almost thirty years, from 1958 to 1987, which were years that remained deeply preserved in the author’s memory. The literary form of the pieces gives all of them a common structure: they are dialogues; usually consisting of brief exchanges of few words, spoken or written, between the author (Lucio Barbera) and Quaroni. In one of them – Charisma – the dialogue takes place between Quaroni and a larger chorus. In another – Elective Misunderstanding – we have a double dialogue at a distance, a trio, if we return to the musical metaphor, between Quaroni, Lodovico Barbiano di Belgiojoso and Barbera. The last piece is a longer conversation by Quaroni on himself; a taking stock and a valediction. On the frontispiece, Barbera gives a clear indication of his intentions: “For students of Architecture who are well-educated and for architects interested in getting to know better a Master of their trade”
A3205 Different role of elevated pulse pressure according to gender in a cohort of young to middle age stage I hypertensives
Hypertension, pulse pressure, gender, young to middle age, stage I hypertensio
Dipping pattern and short-term blood pressure variability are stronger predictors of cardiovascular events than average 24-hour blood pressure in young hypertensive subjects
Aims The role of increased blood pressure (BP) variability and a blunted day-night BP drop is still being debated, particularly in young hypertensive subjects. We investigated the contribution of BP variability and day-night BP changes combined to cardiovascular events in initially untreated young hypertensive individuals. Methods and results We selected 1794 subjects aged <= 45 years from the HARVEST and the PIUMA studies, two long-term observational studies in subjects with hypertension. The outcome was a composite pool of non-fatal myocardial infarction or stroke, heart failure needing hospitalization, death from cardiovascular causes, and myocardial or limb revascularization procedures. During an 11.3-year follow-up, 140 cardiovascular events were accrued. A multivariable Cox model which included BP variability and non-dipping was more informative (Akaike Information Criterion = 1536.9) than the model which included average of 24-h BP (Akaike Information Criterion = 1553.6). A higher hazard ratio (HR) was observed for non-dipping [HR 2.22; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.55-3.17; P < 0.0001] and for high BP variability (HR 1.84; 95% CI: 1.26-2.65; P = 0.0015) than for high average 24-h BP (HR 1.58; 95% CI: 1.07-2.33; P = 0.020). When average 24-h ambulatory BP was included in a nested model, the -2log likelihood decreased from 1524.9 to 1519.3, and there was a tendency for an interactive effect between 24-h BP and non-dipping on risk of cardiovascular events (P = 0.092). Conclusion In young hypertensive individuals, prognostic models including BP variability and non-dipping pattern provide better information than models with average 24-h ambulatory BP alone. More consideration should be given to BP variability and the day-night BP pattern beyond the average 24-h ambulatory BP in young hypertensive subjects
Clinical characteristics and risk of hypertension needing treatment in young patients with systolic hypertension identified with ambulatory monitoring
The clinical significance of isolated systolic hypertension (ISH) in youth is controversial. One main confounding factor is the strong white-coat effect often observed in ISH patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the risk of hypertension needing pharmacological treatment in ISH identified with ambulatory 24-h blood pressure (24-h BP)
Coffee consumption and risk of cardiovascular events in hypertensive patients. Results from the HARVEST
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