WNT/ β-catenin Pathway: a Possible Link Between Hypertension and Alzheimer’s Disease
AbstractPurpose of ReviewRecent research has shown that older people with high blood pressure (BP), or hypertension, are more likely to have biomarkers of Alzheimer ’s disease (AD). Essential hypertension represents the most common cardiovascular disease worldwide and is thought to be responsible for about 13% of all deaths. People with essential hypertension who regularly take prescribed BP medications are half as likely to develop AD as those who do not tak e them. What then is the connection?Recent FindingsWe know that high BP can damage small blood vessels in the brain, affecting those parts that are responsible for ...
Source: Current Hypertension Reports - July 5, 2022 Category: Primary Care Source Type: research
Cardiovascular Disease Risk Reduction and Body Mass Index
AbstractPurpose of ReviewAnti-hypertensive and lipid lowering therapy addresses only half of the cardiovascular disease risk in patients with body mass index > 30 kg/m2, i.e., obesity. We examine newer aspects of obesity pathobiology that underlie the partial effectiveness of anti-hypertensive lipid lowering therapy for the reduction of cardiovascular disease risk in obesity.Recent FindingsObesity-related insulin resistance, vascular endothelium dysfunction, increased sympathetic nervous system/renin –angiotensin–aldosterone system activity, and glomerulopathy lead to type 2 diabetes, coronary atherosclerosis...
Source: Current Hypertension Reports - July 5, 2022 Category: Primary Care Source Type: research
Updated Blood Pressure Guidelines: Implications for Athletes
AbstractPurpose of ReviewTo review the prevalence, short- and long-term impact of exercise on blood pressure, and the evaluation and treatment of hypertension in competitive athletes.Recent FindingsDue, in part, to inconsistencies in measurement and the definitions used, the true prevalence of hypertension is unknown as reports range from 0 to 83%. With recent changes in the blood pressure guidelines, the proportion of athletes that meet criteria for elevated blood pressure or stage 1 hypertension has increased dramatically with over one-third of collegiate and professional athletes meeting criteria for hypertension. Data ...
Source: Current Hypertension Reports - July 5, 2022 Category: Primary Care Source Type: research
Is Vitamin D Supplementation an Effective Treatment for Hypertension?
AbstractPurpose of the ReviewResults from epidemiological studies suggest that vitamin D (VD) deficiency (VDD) may be a cause of hypertension (HTN). However, the results of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) designed to address the impact of VD supplementation on reducing blood pressure (BP) remain equivocal. To determine whether VD might serve as a beneficial treatment option for a specific subset of hypertensive patients, we performed a stratified analysis of RCT data and addressed problems associated with some methodological issues.Recent FindingsHTN is caused by multiple factors. VDD may be one of the factors contributi...
Source: Current Hypertension Reports - June 23, 2022 Category: Primary Care Source Type: research
Machine Learning for Hypertension Prediction: a Systematic Review
AbstractPurpose of ReviewTo provide an overview of the literature regarding the use of machine learning algorithms to predict hypertension. A systematic review was performed to select recent articles on the subject.Recent FindingsThe screening of the articles was conducted using a machine learning algorithm (ASReview). A total of 21 articles published between January 2018 and May 2021 were identified and compared according to variable selection, train-test split, data balancing, outcome definition, final algorithm, and performance metrics. Overall, the articles achieved an area under the ROC curve (AUROC) between 0.766 and...
Source: Current Hypertension Reports - June 22, 2022 Category: Primary Care Source Type: research
Blood Pressure Variability and Cognitive Function: a Scoping Review
AbstractPurpose of ReviewTo conduct a scoping review of articles which have evaluated BPV and cognitive function. Articles with keywords, titles or abstracts containing the terms ‘cognitive’ OR ‘cognition’ OR ‘dementia’ AND ‘blood pressure variability’ were identified from CINAHL, Medline, PMC and Web of Science.Recent FindingsMethods of acquisition and analysis of BPV and cognitive measurements and their relationship were extracted from selected articles. Of 656 studies identified, 53 articles were selected. Twenty-five evaluated long-term (LTBPV), nine mid-term (MTBPV), 12 short-term (STBPV) and nine very...
Source: Current Hypertension Reports - June 22, 2022 Category: Primary Care Source Type: research
Machine Learning for Hypertension Prediction: a Systematic Review
AbstractPurpose of ReviewTo provide an overview of the literature regarding the use of machine learning algorithms to predict hypertension. A systematic review was performed to select recent articles on the subject.Recent FindingsThe screening of the articles was conducted using a machine learning algorithm (ASReview). A total of 21 articles published between January 2018 and May 2021 were identified and compared according to variable selection, train-test split, data balancing, outcome definition, final algorithm, and performance metrics. Overall, the articles achieved an area under the ROC curve (AUROC) between 0.766 and...
Source: Current Hypertension Reports - June 22, 2022 Category: Primary Care Source Type: research
Blood Pressure Variability and Cognitive Function: a Scoping Review
AbstractPurpose of ReviewTo conduct a scoping review of articles which have evaluated BPV and cognitive function. Articles with keywords, titles or abstracts containing the terms ‘cognitive’ OR ‘cognition’ OR ‘dementia’ AND ‘blood pressure variability’ were identified from CINAHL, Medline, PMC and Web of Science.Recent FindingsMethods of acquisition and analysis of BPV and cognitive measurements and their relationship were extracted from selected articles. Of 656 studies identified, 53 articles were selected. Twenty-five evaluated long-term (LTBPV), nine mid-term (MTBPV), 12 short-term (STBPV) and nine very...
Source: Current Hypertension Reports - June 22, 2022 Category: Primary Care Source Type: research
Arterial Stiffness and the Canonical WNT/ β-catenin Pathway
AbstractPurpose of ReviewArterial stiffness (AS) was mainly associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in a hypertensive patient. Some risk factors contribute to the development of AS, such as aging, high blood pressure, vascular calcification, inflammation, and diabetes mellitus. The WNT/ β-catenin pathway is implicated in numerous signaling and regulating pathways, including embryogenesis, cell proliferation, migration and polarity, apoptosis, and organogenesis. The activation of the WNT/β-catenin pathway is associated with the development of these risk factors.Recent FindingsAortic pulse wave velocity (PWV...
Source: Current Hypertension Reports - June 21, 2022 Category: Primary Care Source Type: research
Inflammation, Lymphatics, and Cardiovascular Disease: Amplification by Chronic Kidney Disease
AbstractPurpose of ReviewKidney disease is a strong modulator of the composition and metabolism of the intestinal microbiome that produces toxins and inflammatory factors. The primary pathways for these harmful factors are blood vessels and nerves. Although lymphatic vessels are responsible for clearance of interstitial fluids, macromolecules, and cells, little is known about whether and how kidney injury impacts the intestinal lymphatic network.Recent FindingsKidney injury stimulates intestinal lymphangiogenesis, activates lymphatic endothelial cells, and increases mesenteric lymph flow. The mesenteric lymph of kidney-inj...
Source: Current Hypertension Reports - June 21, 2022 Category: Primary Care Source Type: research
Arterial Stiffness and the Canonical WNT/ β-catenin Pathway
AbstractPurpose of ReviewArterial stiffness (AS) was mainly associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in a hypertensive patient. Some risk factors contribute to the development of AS, such as aging, high blood pressure, vascular calcification, inflammation, and diabetes mellitus. The WNT/ β-catenin pathway is implicated in numerous signaling and regulating pathways, including embryogenesis, cell proliferation, migration and polarity, apoptosis, and organogenesis. The activation of the WNT/β-catenin pathway is associated with the development of these risk factors.Recent FindingsAortic pulse wave velocity (PWV...
Source: Current Hypertension Reports - June 21, 2022 Category: Primary Care Source Type: research
Inflammation, Lymphatics, and Cardiovascular Disease: Amplification by Chronic Kidney Disease
AbstractPurpose of ReviewKidney disease is a strong modulator of the composition and metabolism of the intestinal microbiome that produces toxins and inflammatory factors. The primary pathways for these harmful factors are blood vessels and nerves. Although lymphatic vessels are responsible for clearance of interstitial fluids, macromolecules, and cells, little is known about whether and how kidney injury impacts the intestinal lymphatic network.Recent FindingsKidney injury stimulates intestinal lymphangiogenesis, activates lymphatic endothelial cells, and increases mesenteric lymph flow. The mesenteric lymph of kidney-inj...
Source: Current Hypertension Reports - June 21, 2022 Category: Primary Care Source Type: research
Renin –Angiotensin–Aldosterone Inhibitors and COVID-19 Infection
AbstractPurpose of ReviewThis review summarises the literature data and provides an overview of the role and impact of the use of renin –angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS) inhibitors in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection.Recent FindingsThe angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) has a key role in the regulation of the RAAS pathway, downregulating angiotensin II and attenuating inflammation, vasoconstriction and oxidative stress. Additionally, it plays an instrumental part in COVID-19 infection as it facilitates the cell entry of the severe acute respiratory syndrom e coronavirus 2 (SARS-C...
Source: Current Hypertension Reports - June 18, 2022 Category: Primary Care Source Type: research
Interpreting High-Sensitive Troponins in Patients with Hypertension
AbstractPurpose of ReviewAs the high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTn) becomes more broadly used, physicians must understand the strengths and limitations of using the hs-cTn in the hypertensive population.Recent FindingsThe most common cause of hs-cTn elevation is cardiac myocyte injury and death; alternate mechanisms for hs-cTn elevation in the absence of cardiac myocyte death are not clearly understood. Hs-cTn elevation has been found in significant proportions of patients with asymptomatic hypertension, in patients with acute hypertensive crisis, and has even been used to predict patients who will go on to develop ...
Source: Current Hypertension Reports - June 18, 2022 Category: Primary Care Source Type: research
