{"title":"Physicians' knowledge, awareness and instructions of home blood pressure monitoring: Asia HBPM survey in Taiwan.","authors":"Yi-Syuan Lin, Hung-Ju Lin, Tzung-Dau Wang","doi":"10.1038/s41440-024-01925-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41440-024-01925-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) has been proven to be reliable for both diagnosis and treatment of hypertension. Experts from 11 Asian countries collaborated to design a questionnaire aimed at healthcare workers, seeking to understand the current status of HBPM. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among healthcare professionals from Taiwan between November 2019 and June 2021. A total of 779 physicians in Taiwan participated in the survey. Nearly all physicians (97.7%) reported recommending HBPM to their patients. There was a 14.6% difference between the HBPM device ownership rate (60.2%) and the proportion of patients who measured their home blood pressures (45.6%). Among physicians who recommended HBPM, only 15.5% cited HBPM diagnostic threshold values consistent with the guidelines. Among all respondents, 85.9% and 48.9% viewed HBPM as highly recognized by physicians and patients, respectively. Lack of guidelines for HBPM and concern to reliability and accuracy of the HBPM devices were identified as key barriers to HBPM recognition. This study indicates that there is still room for improvement among healthcare providers in their understanding and implementation of HBPM in Taiwan.</p>","PeriodicalId":13029,"journal":{"name":"Hypertension Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142390161","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Practical use and target value of urine sodium-to-potassium ratio in assessment of hypertension risk for Japanese: Consensus Statement by the Japanese Society of Hypertension Working Group on Urine Sodium-to-Potassium Ratio.","authors":"Takashi Hisamatsu, Mana Kogure, Yasuharu Tabara, Atsushi Hozawa, Atsushi Sakima, Takuya Tsuchihashi, Katsushi Yoshita, Hitomi Hayabuchi, Koichi Node, Yukari Takemi, Takayoshi Ohkubo, Katsuyuki Miura","doi":"10.1038/s41440-024-01861-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41440-024-01861-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that the urine sodium-to-potassium (Na/K) ratio is more positively associated with high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease risk than either urine sodium or potassium excretion alone. In this consensus statement, we recommend using the average Na/K ratio of casual urines randomly taken in various times on at least four days a week for a reliable individual estimate because of high day-to-day and intraday variability of casual urine Na/K ratio within individuals. Although a continuous positive association exists between the Na/K ratio and high blood pressure or cardiovascular disease risk, for clinical and public health decision making for Japanese, we recommend using an average urine Na/K ratio of 2 as an optimal target value because this aligns with recommendations for both sodium and potassium intake in the Dietary Reference Intakes for Japanese, 2020, considering a typical Japanese dietary pattern. We also suggest that an average urine Na/K ratio of 4 is a feasible target value to achieve a temporary goal of being below the mean values of the urine Na/K ratio across Japanese general populations. These recommendations apply mainly for apparently healthy individuals, but not for patients with specific conditions due to the lack of supporting data. Current evidence for the usefulness of measuring the urine Na/K ratio for the prevention or control of hypertension remains inconclusive and warrants further investigation.</p>","PeriodicalId":13029,"journal":{"name":"Hypertension Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142390162","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Understanding preeclampsia from cutting edge knowledge-protecting maternal and fetal health.","authors":"Kanako Bokuda","doi":"10.1038/s41440-024-01932-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41440-024-01932-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Preeclampsia (PE) is conventionally been defined clinically by new-onset or aggravating hypertension during pregnancy >20 weeks associated with proteinuria or other organ damages. PE is a major cause of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality globally and expected to increase even more. Nevertheless, there are still much to be established regarding pathophysiology, prediction, prevention, and management of PE and thus, research concerning PE is being actively conducted. This mini-review discusses on latest knowledge on PE.</p>","PeriodicalId":13029,"journal":{"name":"Hypertension Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142390165","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The need for a personalized \"implementation hypertension\" strategy to facilitate the implementation of the new European Society of Hypertension (2023), European Society of Cardiology (2024) and the upcoming Japanese Society of Hypertension (2025) hypertension guidelines in clinical practice.","authors":"Kazuomi Kario, Satoshi Hoshide, Masaki Mogi","doi":"10.1038/s41440-024-01927-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41440-024-01927-w","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":13029,"journal":{"name":"Hypertension Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142390164","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Suppressing the expression of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) in the myocardium by spironolactone contributes to the improvement of right ventricular remodeling in pulmonary arterial hypertension.","authors":"Hideki Imano, Tetsuya Hayashi, Atsuo Nomura, Saori Tanaka, Yuka Kohda, Takehiro Yamaguchi, Yasukatsu Izumi, Minoru Yoshiyama, Yoshinobu Hirose, Keiko Ohta-Ogo, Hatsue Ishibashi-Ueda, Ryuji Kato","doi":"10.1038/s41440-024-01908-z","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41440-024-01908-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressive condition that frequently leads to right ventricular (RV) remodeling. Aldosterone promotes vascular and RV remodeling. The upregulation of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) stimulates aldosterone synthesis. However, the expression of StAR in the myocardium under PAH conditions remains unknown. To investigate the expression of StAR in the myocardium and its association with RV remodeling in PAH, utilizing spironolactone as a treatment. A PAH model was created using male Sprague-Dawley rats, which received a subcutaneous injection of Sugen5416 (20 mg/kg) and were exposed to hypoxia (10% O<sub>2</sub>) for 2 weeks, followed by 2 weeks of normoxia. The animals were then divided into two groups, with one group receiving spironolactone (25 mg/kg/day) for an additional 4 weeks, while the other group did not. H9c2 cells were cultured under hypoxic conditions (37 °C, 1% O<sub>2</sub>, 5% CO<sub>2</sub>) with or without spironolactone treatment. In the model rats, RV systolic pressure and the Fulton index, both of which increased upon exposure to Sugen5416 and hypoxia, significantly decreased with spironolactone treatment. In H9c2 cells, hypoxic exposure elevated aldosterone levels, while spironolactone treatment significantly suppressed aldosterone production. Suppression of StAR expression in the myocardium via spironolactone contributes to the improvement of RV remodeling in PAH. Spironolactone may offer a valuable therapeutic strategy for RV remodeling in patients with PAH.</p>","PeriodicalId":13029,"journal":{"name":"Hypertension Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142375327","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Navigating the complexities of obstructive sleep apnea: renalase rs2296545 as a key to managing hypertension.","authors":"Yusuke Koabayashi","doi":"10.1038/s41440-024-01931-0","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41440-024-01931-0","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":13029,"journal":{"name":"Hypertension Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142371650","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Household fuel use and the regression from prehypertension to normotension among Chinese middle-aged and older adults: a cohort study.","authors":"Jia-Min Yan, Min-Zhe Zhang, Qi-Qiang He","doi":"10.1038/s41440-024-01928-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41440-024-01928-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>To examine the association of household fuel use with prehypertension regression among middle-aged and older people based on the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), we included a total of 3501 participants with prehypertension at baseline, and they were followed up from 2011-2012 to 2015-2016 with information on blood pressure and household solid fuel use (heating and cooking fuels). Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to explore the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) between fuel use and prehypertension regression. Additionally, we investigated the impact of switching fuels (2011-2013) on the regression to normotension during the 4-year follow-up. Linear regression was used to examine the effect of household fuel use on changes in blood pressure. Compared to solid fuel users, those who used clean fuel for heating at baseline had a positive effect on the regression of prehypertension (HR: 1.28, 95% CI: 1.08-1.53). Participants who used clean fuels for both heating and cooking had increased odds for the regression of prehypertension (HR: 1.32, 95% CI: 1.09-1.60). Compared to consistent solid fuel users, those who consistently used clean fuel for heating had a higher likelihood of transitioning from prehypertension to normotension (HR: 1.36, 95% CI: 1.06-1.73) and exhibited 2.45 mmHg lower systolic blood pressure. In conclusion, household clean fuel use for heating was positively associated with the regression of prehypertension to normotension. Furthermore, switching from solid fuel to clean fuel for heating could reduce the risk of prehypertension in Chinese middle-aged and older adults.</p>","PeriodicalId":13029,"journal":{"name":"Hypertension Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142371649","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Fernando P Dominici, Mariela M Gironacci, Jorge A Narvaez Pardo
{"title":"Therapeutic opportunities in targeting the protective arm of the renin-angiotensin system to improve insulin sensitivity: a mechanistic review.","authors":"Fernando P Dominici, Mariela M Gironacci, Jorge A Narvaez Pardo","doi":"10.1038/s41440-024-01909-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41440-024-01909-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In recent years, the knowledge of the physiological and pathophysiological roles of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in glucose metabolism has advanced significantly. It is now well-established that blockade of the angiotensin AT<sub>1</sub> receptor (AT<sub>1</sub>R) improves insulin sensitivity. Activation of the AT<sub>2</sub> receptor (AT<sub>2</sub>R) and the MAS receptor are significant contributors to this beneficial effect. Elevated availability of angiotensin (Ang) II) for interaction with the AT<sub>2</sub>R and increased Ang-(1-7) formation during AT<sub>1</sub>R blockade mediate these effects. The ongoing development of selective AT<sub>2</sub>R agonists, such as compound 21 and the novel Ang III peptidomimetics, has significantly advanced the exploration of the role of AT<sub>2</sub>R in metabolism and its potential as a therapeutic target. These agents show promise, particularly when RAS inhibition is contraindicated. Additionally, other RAS peptides, including Ang IV, des-Asp-Ang I, Ang-(1-9), and alamandine, hold therapeutic capability for addressing metabolic disturbances linked to type 2 diabetes. The possibility of AT<sub>2</sub>R heteromerization with either AT<sub>1</sub>R or MAS receptor offers an exciting area for future research, particularly concerning therapeutic strategies to improve glycemic control. This review focuses on therapeutic opportunities to improve insulin sensitivity, taking advantage of the protective arm of the RAS.</p>","PeriodicalId":13029,"journal":{"name":"Hypertension Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142371651","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}