非洛地平缓释片对轻中度原发性高血压患者的降压疗效和对脉搏波速度的影响，

目的：探讨非洛地平缓释片对轻中度原发性高血压患者的降压疗效和对脉搏波速度的影响。方法：根据纳入标准选取我院260例原发性高血压患者,按计划方案给予非洛地平缓释片口服治疗。观察患者入院后、治疗2周末、14周末降压疗效及脉搏波传导速度的改变情况,并进行对比分析。结果：本组研究中接受治疗研究者共260例,其所有受检者在治疗2、6、10、14周后血压水平均有不同程度改善,与基线比较差异明显,有统计学意义（P〈0,01）。脉搏波变化分析所有受试者脉搏波速度变化分析,基线脉搏波速度为（10．9±2．4）m／s,经过治疗后2周、14周基线脉搏波速度为（10．3±2．1）m／s,差异明显具有统计学意义（P〈0．01）;心率变化分析表明非洛地平缓释片在降压同时对心率影响不大,安全性评价表示,接受治疗期间曾有68例发生不良事件,占总数26．2％。笔者认为与药物无关,且均为轻度,经过适当处理后均缓解,对本研究无影响。结论：非洛地平缓释片降压效果良好,可同时降低颈动脉．股动脉脉搏波传导速度,改善大动脉僵硬度。     

Epistatic interactions in idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension

BACKGROUND:

Idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) is a poorly understood complex disorder, which results in progressive remodeling of the pulmonary artery that ultimately leads to right ventricular failure. A two-hit hypothesis has been implicated in pathogenesis of IPAH, according to which the vascular abnormalities characteristic of PAH are triggered by the accumulation of genetic and/or environmental insults in an already existing genetic background. The multifactor dimensionality reduction (MDR) analysis is a statistical method used to identify gene–gene interaction or epistasis and gene–environment interactions that are associated with a particular disease. The MDR method collapses high-dimensional genetic data into a single dimension, thus permitting interactions to be detected in relatively small sample sizes.

AIM:

To identify and characterize polymorphisms/genes that increases the susceptibility to IPAH using MDR analysis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

A total of 77 IPAH patients and 100 controls were genotyped for eight polymorphisms of five genes (5HTT, EDN1, NOS3, ALK-1, and PPAR-γ2). MDR method was adopted to determine gene–gene interactions that increase the risk of IPAH.

RESULTS:

With MDR method, the single-locus model of 5HTT (L/S) polymorphism and the combination of 5HTT(L/S), EDN1(K198N), and NOS3(G894T) polymorphisms in the three-locus model were attributed to be the best models for predicting susceptibility to IPAH, with a P value of 0.05.

CONCLUSION:

MDR method can be useful in understanding the role of epistatic and gene–environmental interactions in pathogenesis of IPAH.     

波生坦治疗特发性肺动脉高压的疗效与安全性观察

目的:探讨波生坦治疗特发性肺动脉高压(IPAH)的疗效与安全性。方法:16例IPAH患者予波生坦口服治疗20周,比较治疗前后患者心功能、6分钟步行距离(6MWD)、肺动脉压力以及血常规、肝肾功能变化。结果:患者心功能由治疗前Ⅲ级13例、Ⅳ级3例变为Ⅱ级14例、Ⅲ级2例。6MWD较治疗前明显延长(P<0.01),肺动脉收缩压、肺动脉平均压及肺动脉舒张压均较治疗前显著降低(P<0.01),患者血常规、肝肾功能较治疗前无明显变化。结论:口服波生坦治疗IPAH可明显改善患者的临床症状与血流动力学指标,安全性好。     

硝苯地平联合缬沙坦治疗老年原发性高血压疗效分析

目的:探讨硝苯地平缓释片联合缬沙坦治疗老年原发性高血压的临床疗效。方法:将180例患者随机分入对照组与观察组,给予对照组86例患者硝苯地平缓释片口服降压;观察组94例患者接受硝苯地平缓释片联合缬沙坦治疗,比较两组患者治疗8周后血压、心率、脉压、肾功、尿酸、血钾及尿微量白蛋白的变化。结果:治疗后观察组患者收缩压、舒张压、脉压及心率均显著降低,治疗总有效率高于对照组,两组比较差异有统计学意义(P<0.01);观察组尿酸、尿微量白蛋白显著优于对照组(P<0.01),两组肾功、血钾比较差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。结论:硝苯地平缓释片联合缬沙坦治疗老年原发性高血压,降压平稳,同时可显著降低尿酸及尿微量白蛋白,改善肾功能。     

The effect of physical, social and psychological factors on drug compliance in patients with mild hypertension

Background. In patients with hypertension noncompliance with drug treatment is between 15 to 54%, and has been recognised as a relevant contributor to the burden of cardiovascular morbidity. Up to 92% of patients experience unpleasant symptoms with their condition and, particularly in these patients, the symptoms experienced may enhance compliance. Objective. To simultaneously assess the effects of physical, social and psychological factors on noncompliance. Methods. Patients with mild hypertension despite drug treatment, from the departments of cardiology and internal medicine, were requested to answer a self-administered questionnaire addressing the presence of physical symptoms as well as psychosocial factors. The questionnaire was based on previously used test batteries and consisted of two lists of physical complaints and four lists addressing the four domains of planned behaviour regarding medical non-adherence according to Baron and Byrne. These domains mainly assess psychosocial factors. Each list consisted of three or more items and each item was scored on fiveto seven-point scales. Mean scores were used for assessment. The lists were also separately assessed for internal consistency and reliability using Cronbach’s alphas. One-way analysis of variance and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) with compliance as outcome variable and the physical, social and psychological variables as indicator variables were used for data analysis. MANOVA was adjusted for multiple testing. Results. Many patients experienced physical symptoms due to hypertension, such as tiredness (31%), hot flushes (28%), headache (24%), reduced daily life energy (23%), palpitations (22%), with 95% confidence intervals between 16 to 38%. Scores for physical symptoms and social factors did not differ between self-reported adherers (n=165) and nonadherers (n=11). However, the score for psychological factors was significantly larger in the adherers than in the non-adherers, 5.05 versus 3.06, p<0.018. The MANOVA showed a significant overall difference between the adherers and non-adherers in the data at p<0.012, which was mainly due to the score for psychological factors. Conclusion. The effect of physical symptoms on non-compliance in mildly hypertensive patients is negligible. So is the effect of social factors. Psychological factors such as lacking a sense of guilt, regret and shame are major determinants of non-compliance. Physicians may play an educational role in improving their patients’ compliance by addressing these determinants. We should add that the conclusions should be made with reservations, given the small number of non-adherers in our sample. (Neth Heart J 2008;16:197-200.)     

慢性低O_2高CO_2肺动脉高压大鼠肺动脉尾加压素Ⅱ受体的动态变化

目的:探讨尾加压素Ⅱ受体(urotensinⅡreceptor,UT)在慢性低氧高二氧化碳肺动脉高压大鼠肺动脉中的动态变化及其意义。方法:对不同低氧(高二氧化碳)时间(1周、2周、4周)大鼠,放射性配基结合法检测肺动脉质膜UT结合位点,组织原位杂交测定各级肺小动脉UT及尾加压素Ⅱ(UⅡ)mRNA的表达。结果:①肺动脉平均压(mPAP)、右心室(RV)和左心室加室间隔(LV S)的重量比:1周组(1HH)较对照组(NC)分别增高26.2%和21.6%、2周组(2HH)较1HH增高22.5%和14.1%、4HH组与2HH组间无显著差别(P>0.05)。②肺主动脉质膜UT最大结合位点(Bmax),1HH组比NC组高38.8%(P<0.01),2HH组比1HH组高23.2%(P<0.01),4HH组比2HH组高7.3%(P<0.05),随低氧时间延长有渐升的趋势;UⅡ受体亲和力(Kd值)各组间无差别。③三级肺小动脉UⅡmRNA相对含量的变化:2HH、4HH组明显高于NC组(P均<0.01);2HH组较1HH组分别高5.9%(P>0.05)、16.4%和9.1%(P均<0.01);4HH组与2HH组间无明显差异。④三级肺小动脉UT mRNA相对含量的变化:各低氧高二氧化碳组均高于NC组(P均<0.01),以1HH组后2级肺小动脉的表达最强,而4HH组与2HH组间无显著差别(P>0.05)。⑤肺小动脉显微结构的变化:4HH组各级血管均有显著重构,1HH组无明显变化,2HH组介于两者之间。结论:UT在慢性低氧高二氧化碳肺动脉高压大鼠肺动脉内的动态变化与肺动脉高压、肺血管改建的病理进程密切相关。     

The influence of basal metabolic rate on blood pressure among indigenous Siberians

Hypertension is an important global health issue and is currently increasing at a rapid pace in most industrializing nations. Although a number of risk factors have been linked with the development of hypertension, including obesity, high dietary sodium, and chronic psychosocial stress, these factors cannot fully explain the variation in blood pressure and hypertension rates that occurs within and between populations. The present study uses data collected on adults from three indigenous Siberian populations (Evenki, Buryat, and Yakut [Sakha]) to test the hypothesis of Luke et al. (Hypertension 43 (2004) 555-560) that basal metabolic rate (BMR) and blood pressure are positively associated independent of body size. When adjusted for body size and composition, as well as potentially confounding variables such as age, smoking status, ethnicity, and degree of urbanization, BMR was positively correlated with systolic blood pressure (SBP; P < 0.01) and pulse pressure (PP; P < 0.01); BMR showed a trend with diastolic blood pressure (DBP; P = 0.08). Thus, higher BMR is associated with higher SBP and PP; this is opposite the well-documented inverse relationship between physical activity and blood pressure. If the influence of BMR on blood pressure is confirmed, the systematically elevated BMRs of indigenous Siberians may help explain the relatively high blood pressures and hypertension rates documented among native Siberians in the post-Soviet period. These findings underscore the importance of considering the influence of biological adaptation to regional environmental conditions in structuring health changes associated with economic development and lifestyle change.     

The Glucocorticoid Receptor Gene and Its Association to Metabolic Syndrome

In recent decades, there has been an increasing interest in the role of endogenous glucocorticoids such as cortisol in the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome. Studies in humans have suggested a positive association between obesity, hypertension, and insulin resistance, with alleles at the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) gene. For instance, the BclI polymorphism within the intron upstream of GR exon 2 has been associated with cardiovascular risk factors such as visceral obesity, hypertension, insulin resistance, and elevated cortisol concentrations. However, the location of the BclI polymorphism is not known, and the variant has so far not been compared with the wild-type receptor for its ability to be activated by glucocorticoids. Although several other mutations in the GR gene have been postulated as being relevant to the progression to type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, conflicting results makes it difficult to determine exactly what effect these GR variations have on metabolic syndrome incidence and progression. Further studies focusing on the most compelling GR mutations might offer a better understanding of metabolic syndrome pathogenesis and progression, aiding in the development of more effective treatments for this condition.     

Body mass index and relative handgrip strength are associated with the prevalence of hypertension in Korean elderly: Korean national fitness assessment in 2019

[Purpose]This study aimed to analyze the prevalence of hypertension according to the body mass index (BMI) and relative handgrip strength (RHGS) among elderly individuals in Korea. [Methods]We analyzed the data of 44,183 Korean elderly individuals over 65 years old (men: n = 15,798, age = 73.31 ± 5.04 years, women: n = 28,385, age = 72.14 ± 5.04 years) obtained from the Korean National Fitness Assessment in 2019. All the participants were categorized into three groups according to the BMI and RHGS; additionally, one-way ANOVA and logistic regression analysis were performed. [Results]Overweight (men: 1.16 odds ratio [OR] 1.06–1.26, 95% confidence interval [CI]; women: 1.15 OR, 1.07–1.23 95% CI) and obese (men: 1.54 OR, 1.42–1.66 95% CI; women: 1.44 OR, 1.36–1.53 95% CI) elderly individuals showed a higher prevalence of hypertension than elderly individuals with normal weight, after controlling for age. In men, a lower RHGS was associated with a higher prevalence of hypertension after controlling for age (weak RHGS: 1.09 OR, 1.00–1.17 95% CI; middle RHGS: 1.21 OR, 1.12–1.31 95% CI vs. strong RHGS). [Conclusion]A higher BMI was associated with the prevalence of hypertension in the elderly Korean population. In addition, a lower RHGS was associated with the prevalence of hypertension in elderly Korean men.     

Final Remarks

The author replies to the comments of Drs Blanchard and McGrady, urging that researchers reinvigorate their research efforts in complementary and alternative treatments for hypertension. In subsequent research there is a need to assess treatment adherence, to use more rigorous outcome measures, and to develop new outcome measures that assess impact and improvement in quality of life.