Browse Hypertension Articles by Topic

A Contemporary Review of Hypertension

Hypertension is a common and serious condition that contributes to an estimated 40% of deaths from coronary heart disease and stroke, and is the second leading cause of end-stage renal disease. Because of the importance and frequency of hypertension in primary care practices, we are devoting two issues to the subject. This issue focuses on the definition of blood pressure and current guidelines, risk factors, relationship to cardiovascular disease, blood pressure measurement, patient evaluation, and secondary causes. The next issue will cover treatments (pharmacological and non-pharmacological), initial therapy, relationship to various disease conditions (diabetes, ischemic heart disease, heart failure, chronic kidney disease, cerebrovascular disease, ischemic stroke, stroke prevention, atrial fibrillation, valvular heart disease, aortic regurgitation, sexual dysfunction), resistant hypertension, hypertensive crises and emergencies, preoperative management, and adherence strategies.

Delays in Transfer For Primary PCI in STEMI

Most patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) present to hospitals that are not capable of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Rapid transfer to PCI-capable facilities for primary PCI may result in earlier reperfusion of the infarct artery and better clinical outcomes. However, delays in transfer may diminish the mortality benefit achieved with primary PCI in STEMI.

Assessment of Functional Severity of Coronary Lesions by CT Angiography — FFRCT

Anatomic definition of coronary artery lesions by invasive coronary angiography (ICA) or computed tomography coronary angiography (CCTA) has limitations.

BNP in Chronic Aortic Regurgitation

The most appropriate time to intervene in asymptomatic patients with chronic severe aortic regurgitation is controversial. Since brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is released by the heart in response to increased wall stress, it has been proposed as a biomarker of the time to intervene in chronic valvular regurgitation patients.

Laser Pacemaker Lead Extraction in Octogenarians

In this paper, Rodriguez and his colleagues from the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of Miami report their experience with laser-assisted cardiac rhythm device lead extraction in a large group of patients.

Pharmacology Watch

New recommendations for HPV vaccine; guidelines for treatment of essential tremor; updates on smoking cessation drugs; and FDA actions.

Clinical Briefs in Primary Care Supplement

Indication for ICDs in Arrhythmogenic RV Cardiomyopathy Patients

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy (ARVD/C) is an uncommon condition with a wide spectrum of possible clinical presentations. Implantable defibrillators (ICDs) are standard therapy for treating ARVD/C patients who present with sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) or cardiac arrest.

Predicting the Response to CRT-D Therapy

This paper gives the results of a substudy from the Multicenter Automatic Defibrillator Implantation Trial with Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (MADIT-CRT) trial.

Incidence of Constrictive Pericarditis

Since there is a lack of prospective data on the frequency of which constrictive pericarditis (CP) develops after acute pericarditis (AP), this group of investigators from Torino, Italy, conducted such a study.