BACKGROUND Arterial stiffness, commonly assessed via pulse wave velocity (PWV), is marked by reduced arterial elasticity and serves as a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease and an early indicator of hypertension. This study investigated the regulatory roles of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in modulating mRNAs associated with arterial stiffness and hypertension, with a particular focus

The control of blood pressure in patients with treatment-resistant hypertension is paramount and requires the use of thiazide or loop diuretics to enhance renal salt excretion and reduce expanded body fluid volumes. However, the use of diuretics in patients with treatment-resistant hypertension without suppressing the production of aldosterone and MR (mineralocorticosteroid receptor) activation and

BACKGROUND Preeclampsia, a severe pregnancy complication with an incompletely deciphered cause, is strongly associated with hyperlipidemia. Our previous studies demonstrated that FTL (ferritin light chain) expression was diminished in preeclampsia placentas and that FTL downregulation inhibited trophoblast invasiveness and migration while promoting apoptosis, contributing to preeclampsia development

In the management of hypertension, only limited advances have been made over the past decades. Recent studies highlight the potential of next-generation incretin-based therapeutics, such as GLP-1 RAs (glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists) like semaglutide and dual GLP-1/GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide) receptor agonists like tirzepatide. These drugs not only promote weight loss

BACKGROUND A low circulating placental growth factor (PlGF) concentration is considered a marker of placental dysfunction, the predominant cause of preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction. Besides iatrogenic delivery, there are no effective treatments, potentially due to its heterogeneity. We hypothesize that >1 subtype of placental dysfunction exists in pregnancies with a low circulating PlGF. METHODS

BACKGROUND Optimal dosing of nifedipine gastrointestinal therapeutic system (GITS) in pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia with severe features is unknown. We assessed whether nifedipine GITS 30 mg BID improved blood pressure control when compared with nifedipine GITS 60 mg daily. METHODS Unblinded, randomized controlled trial, at a single academic hospital from December 2021 to December 2023. Individuals

BACKGROUND Aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) is an indicator of vascular aging and has proven to be effective in adult cardiovascular risk assessment. To use it in young people to identify those who may be at increased cardiovascular disease risk, reference values need to be determined. The Youth Vascular Consortium is a large, international database which was established to investigate vascular aging

BACKGROUND Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are among the most common pregnancy complications and leading causes of maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide. This study aimed to perform the largest meta-analysis to date comparing conventional and advanced echocardiographic features in HDP against healthy pregnancy. METHODS PubMed (MEDLINE) and EMBASE were systematically searched for research

BACKGROUND Pulmonary hypertension of the newborn is a life-threatening disorder characterized by elevated pulmonary vascular resistance due to maladaptation of the pulmonary circulation after birth. The pathogenesis and mechanisms underlying pulmonary hypertension of the newborn remain unclear, hindering the development of effective treatment. We hypothesize that perinatal chronic hypoxia upregulates

BACKGROUND Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common comorbidity in hypertension. However, the impact of NAFLD and related fibrosis on hypertension and its control of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality outcomes remains unclear. METHODS Participants with hypertension were sourced from two cohorts, with 12 907 individuals from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)

BACKGROUND Many medications can have blood pressure (BP)-elevating effects, which might negatively impact BP control among people with hypertension. This study examines trends in prescription fills for BP-elevating and antihypertensive medications, individually and concurrently, among US individuals. METHODS Quarterly trends of individual and concurrent fills for BP-elevating and antihypertensive medications

BACKGROUND The longitudinal impact of blood pressure (BP) control on the components of arterial stiffness has not been studied. METHODS The SPRINT (Systolic BP Intervention Trial) compared an intensive systolic BP goal (<120 mm Hg) to a standard goal (<140 mm Hg). Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) was measured in a subset of participants (n=605) at 0, 1, 2, and 3 years after randomization.

BACKGROUND Adults with hypertension have fewer cardiovascular events if controlled within the first 6 months of diagnosis, during which time they are excluded from many hypertension control metrics. We compared blood pressure (BP, mm Hg) control rates from 6 to 42 months in adults with hypertension who did or did not have antihypertensive treatment initiated (TI) with monotherapy during the first month

BACKGROUND Sympathetic deactivation represents a major goal of antihypertensive drug treatment. However, whether treatment normalizes the hypertension-related sympathetic cardiovascular overdrive remains uncertain. METHODS In 219 middle-aged essential hypertensives, we analyzed, along with office systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) and heart rate, muscle sympathetic nerve traffic (MSNA, microneurography)

BACKGROUND Hypertension and advanced age are risk factors for arteriosclerotic cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD), a common cause of vascular dementia in elderly individuals. Circulating IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor 1) levels decrease with age and are linked to age-related cognitive impairment. This study assessed the relationship between serum IGF-1 and arteriosclerotic cSVD severity in patients

BACKGROUND A model based on the soluble Fms-like tyrosine kinase-1/placental growth factor ratio, gestational age, and the urinary protein-to-creatinine ratio (PRERISK calculator) has been developed to predict preeclampsia-related maternal-fetal complications. Here, we tested whether this model can reduce hospital admissions without increasing complication rates among women with suspected or confirmed

BACKGROUND The endocannabinoid system (ECS) plays an important role in the early stages of pregnancy, while cannabis use during pregnancy associates with a greater risk of preeclampsia. This study quantified the placental ECS component mRNA levels in gestational age-matched healthy pregnant women, women with preeclampsia, and women who used cannabis throughout their pregnancy. Next, it compared the

Cuffless blood pressure (BP) measurement offers considerable potential for clinical practice but is a challenging technological field. Many are investigating pulse wave analysis with or without pulse arrival time in which machine learning is applied to pulsatile waveforms obtained with mobile devices (eg, wristbands, smartphones) to estimate BP. These methods generally require individual user calibration

There is consistent and strong evidence that nighttime blood pressure is a better predictor of target organ damage and cardiovascular events, and the prevalence of nocturnal hypertension is high in all populations but higher in Asians than Europeans. Excessive salt intake and salt sensitivity have long been believed to be risk factors for elevated nighttime blood pressure in Asians. For various reasons

BACKGROUND Aberrant BMPR2 (bone morphogenetic protein receptor 2) signaling is associated with the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension. SMAD4 is an essential downstream effector of BMPR2 signaling, but whether and how it participates in pulmonary hypertension are unclear. METHODS Globally and vascular cell-specifically inducible knockout mouse models were used to examine the role of SMAD4 deficiency

BACKGROUND Patients with preeclampsia exhibit hypertension and chronic inflammation characterized by CD (cluster determinant) 4+T cells, B cells secreting AT1-AA (agonistic autoantibody against the angiotensin II type 1 receptor), inflammatory cytokines, and complement activation. Importantly, a history of COVID-19 during pregnancy is associated with an increased incidence of a preeclampsia-like phenotype

BACKGROUND The postpartum period is a critical time for blood pressure monitoring and cardiovascular risk factor modification in individuals with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), who are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease. METHODS We analyzed data from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, a nationally representative US population-based survey of postpartum women with

BACKGROUND The objective of this study was to evaluate total circulating PlGF (placental growth factor) and free PlGF concentrations to provide insights into the mechanisms of decreased PlGF noted in preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction. METHODS We conducted a retrospective single-center study in pregnant women receiving care for suspected preeclampsia or fetal growth restriction. Serum angiogenic

BACKGROUND Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) increase cardiovascular disease risk. Blood pressure (BP) trajectories ≤20 weeks' gestation predict HDP outcomes. We hypothesized that early-pregnancy BP patterns stratify risk of developing hypertension years after pregnancy. METHODS This prospective cohort of 174 774 women without prior hypertension, kidney, liver, or heart disease, or history

BACKGROUND Primary aldosteronism (PA) is a distinct cause of low-renin hypertension (LRH), characterized by inappropriate aldosterone production. We investigated the distinction between LRH and PA by leveraging the physiological effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition. METHODS We conducted a retrospective cohort study including 756 patients with LRH who underwent a captopril challenge test

In 2024, the World Health Organization released a report on Priorities for Research on Hypertension Care Delivery; this article provides its executive summary. The World Health Organization and its technical experts formed a leadership team, developed a scope and objectives, created a thematic framework, developed a survey for each theme, and identified research priorities. The 5 themes included (1)

BACKGROUND Persistently high blood pressure remains the leading risk factor for mortality worldwide. This study aims to identify potential drug targets for hypertension. METHODS Mendelian randomization was used to identify therapeutic targets for hypertension. Genome-wide association study summary statistics were obtained from the UK Biobank and FinnGen study. Cis-expression quantitative trait loci

Hypertension presents the largest modifiable public health challenge due to its high prevalence, its intimate relationship to cardiovascular diseases, and its complex pathogenesis and pathophysiology. Low awareness of blood pressure elevation and suboptimal hypertension diagnosis serve as the major hurdles in effective hypertension management. Advances in artificial intelligence in hypertension have

BACKGROUND The cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) and heart-thigh β index (htβ) assess arterial stiffness by correcting pulse wave velocity for blood pressure to achieve less dependency on blood pressure variations. Normative data for these markers among US communities are lacking. We aimed to assess the determinants and normative values of CAVI and htβ. METHODS MESA (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis)

BACKGROUND The long-term associations between metal mixtures in pregnancy and women's mid-life blood pressure (BP) and hypertension remain unclear. METHODS In Project Viva (enrolled 1999-2002), we measured nonessential (arsenic, barium, cadmium, cesium, mercury, lead) and essential metals (copper, magnesium, manganese, selenium, zinc) in red blood cells, along with folate and vitamin B12 in plasma

BACKGROUND Arterial hypertension (HTN) and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) are contributors to chronic kidney disease leading to glomerulomegaly and podocyte loss. Enlarged glomeruli and podocyte depletion are associated with kidney disease progression. This retrospective study aimed to investigate morphometric changes in patients with HTN and the contribution of coexisting T2DM in HTN. METHODS Glomerular and

BACKGROUND ATP citrate lyase (ACLY) is a key enzyme in de novo lipogenesis that generates acetyl-CoA from citrate. Although fatty acids are required for energy production and biomass synthesis in the heart, the regulatory mechanisms of ACLY-mediated de novo lipogenesis in pathological cardiac fibroblasts remain unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the biological role of ACLY in cardiac

BACKGROUND Hypertension in adolescence is associated with subclinical target organ injury. We aimed to determine whether different blood pressure thresholds were associated with an increasing number of target organ injury markers in healthy adolescents. METHODS A total of 244 participants (mean age 15.5±1.8 years, 60.1% male adolescents) were studied. Participants were divided based on systolic clinic

BACKGROUND The impact of preventing hypertension and maintaining normal blood pressure (BP) on life expectancy and healthy life expectancy (HLE) among Black adults, who are disproportionately affected by hypertension, has not been quantified. METHODS We used a discrete event simulation to estimate life expectancy and HLE among a cohort of Black adults from the Jackson Heart Study (n=4933) from age

BACKGROUND Primary aldosteronism, an endocrinopathy present in ≥10% to 25% of patients with hypertension, confers excess cardiovascular risk that can be mitigated with aldosterone-directed therapy. However, only 2% of eligible patients undergo guideline-recommended screening. This study aimed to bypass clinical inertia and identify people with primary aldosteronism using pragmatic, direct-to-patient

BACKGROUND A hypertensive disorder of pregnancy is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease later in life, but the potential mechanistic links are unknown. METHODS We recruited 2 groups of women, 1 during pregnancy and another at least 2 years after delivery. Cases had a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy, and controls had a normotensive pregnancy. The pregnancy cohort had study visits

Hypertension is a multifactorial condition influenced by the intricate interplay of biological and genetic determinants. The growing field of Environmental Hypertensionology endorses the outsized role of environmental factors in the pathogenesis and exacerbation of hypertension. It provides a clinical approach to address these factors at the individual and societal levels. Environmental stressors contributing

Genome-wide association studies have identified >3500 associated single nucleotide polymorphisms and over 1000 independent loci associated with hypertension. These individually have small effect sizes, and few associated loci have been experimentally tested for causal roles in hypertension using animal models or in humans. Thus, methods to prioritize and maximize the relevance of identified single

BACKGROUND Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk differs across Asian subgroups, possibly due to differences in hypertension burden. We characterized lifetime blood pressure (BP) trajectories for East and South Asian individuals and compared their associations with CVD risk. METHODS Among 148 872 UK Biobank participants with primary care utilization data, life course BP trajectories were fitted as a function