Comparative Effect of Antihypertensive Drugs in Improving Arterial Stiffness in Hypertensive Adults (RIGIPREV Study). A Protocol for Network Meta-Analysis

(1) Background: Arterial stiffness is closely and bi-directionally related to hypertension and is understood as both a cause and a consequence of hypertension. Several studies suggest that antihypertensive drugs may reduce arterial stiffness. Therefore, effective prescription of antihypertensive drugs should consider both blood pressure and arterial stiffness. The aim of this protocol is to provide a review comparing the effects of different types of antihypertensive drug interventions on the reduction of arterial stiffness in hypertensive subjects. (2) Methods: The literature search will be performed through the MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Web of Science databases. Randomised clinical trials assessing the effect of antihypertensive drug interventions on arterial stiffness measured in subjects with hypertension will be included. A frequentist network meta-analysis will be performed to determine the comparative effects of different antihypertensive drugs. (3) Results: The findings of this study will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. (4) Conclusions: This study will provide evidence for health care professionals on the efficacy of different antihypertensive drugs in decreasing arterial stiffness; in addition, it will analyse the efficacy of the drugs not only in terms of arterial stiffness but also in terms of blood pressure treatment.

Hypertension in Pregnancy: Diagnosis, Blood Pressure Goals, and Pharmacotherapy: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) remain one of the major causes of pregnancy-related maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Affected women are also at increased risk for cardiovascular disease later in life, independently of traditional cardiovascular disease risks. Despite the immediate and long-term cardiovascular disease risks, recommendations for diagnosis and treatment of HDP in the United States have changed little, if at all, over past decades, unlike hypertension guidelines for the general population. The reasons for this approach include the question of benefit from normalization of blood pressure treatment for pregnant women, coupled with theoretical concerns for fetal well-being from a reduction in utero-placental perfusion and in utero exposure to antihypertensive medication. This report is based on a review of current literature and includes normal physiological changes in pregnancy that may affect clinical presentation of HDP; HDP epidemiology and the immediate and long-term sequelae of HDP; the pathophysiology of preeclampsia, an HDP commonly associated with proteinuria and increasingly recognized as a heterogeneous disease with different clinical phenotypes and likely distinct pathological mechanisms; a critical overview of current national and international HDP guidelines; emerging evidence that reducing blood pressure treatment goals in pregnancy may reduce maternal severe hypertension without increasing the risk of pregnancy loss, high-level neonatal care, or overall maternal complications; and the increasingly recognized morbidity associated with postpartum hypertension/preeclampsia. Finally, we discuss the future of research in the field and the pressing need to study socioeconomic and biological factors that may contribute to racial and ethnic maternal health care disparities.

High blood pressure – an essential aspect in the family doctor practice

High blood pressure (HBP) is the most common condition seen in primary care and leads to myocardial infarction, stroke, kidney failure and death if not detected early and treated adequately. Patients want to ensure that blood pressure treatment will reduce the disease burden, while clinicians want guidance for the management of high blood pressure using the best scientific evidence. High blood pressure is a global problem. The family doctor plays a significant role in prevention, early detection but also in monitoring the treatment. Current studies highlight the importance and need for family doctor involvement.

Acute Hypertensive Response in Patients With Acute Intracerebral Hemorrhage: A Narrative Review

ObjectiveTo review the role of the acute hypertensive response in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage, current treatment options and areas for further research.MethodsReview of the literature to assess 1) Frequency of acute hypertensive response in intracerebral hemorrhage 2) Consequences of acute hypertensive response in clinical outcomes 3) Acute hypertensive response and secondary brain injury: hematoma expansion and perihematomal edema 4) Vascular autoregulation, safety data side effects of acute antihypertensive treatment, and 5) Randomized clinical trials and meta-analyses.ResultsAn acute hypertensive response is highly frequent in patients with acute intracerebral hemorrhage, and it is associated with poor clinical outcomes. However, it is not clear whether high blood pressure is a cause poor clinical outcome, or it solely represents a marker of severity. Although current guidelines recommend intensive blood pressure treatment (<140 mmHg) in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage, two randomized clinical trials have failed to demonstrate a consistent clinical benefit from this approach, and new data suggest that intensive blood pressure treatment could be beneficial for some patients, but detrimental for others.ConclusionsIntracerebral hemorrhage is a heterogenous disease, thus, a one-fit-all approach for blood pressure treatment may be suboptimal. Further research should concentrate on finding subgroups of patients more likely to benefit from aggressive BP lowering, considering ICH etiology, ultra-early randomization and risk markers of hematoma expansion on brain imaging.