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We assessed the value of 3 electrocardiographic (EKG) voltage criteria in detecting variations of left ventricular mass (LVM) over time, taking echocardiographic (ECHO) LVM as reference, in the Pressioni Arteriose Monitorate E Loro Associazioni study. In 927 subjects (age 47 ± 13 years on entry, 49.9% men) an ECHO evaluation of LVM and EKG suitable for measurement of EKG-LVH criteria (Sokolow-Lyon voltage, Cornell voltage and R-wave voltage in aVL) were available at baseline and at a 2 nd evaluation performed 10 years later. Δ (delta) LVM, Δ LVMI, and Δ EKG parameters values were calculated from 2 nd evaluation to baseline. The sensitivity of the EKG criteria in the diagnosis of LVH, poor at baseline, becomes even worse after 10 years, reaching very low values. Only the sensitivity of R-wave amplitude exhibited slight increase over time but with unsatisfactory absolute values. Despite the prevalence of ECHO-LVH at the 2 nd evaluation was threefold increased compared to baseline (29.3% and 33.7% for LVM indexed to BSA and height 2.7 , respectively), the prevalence of EKG-LVH was unchanged when evaluated by Sokolow-Lyon criteria, significantly reduced when assessed by Cornell voltage index, while significantly increased using R-wave voltage in aVL criteria. Despite an ECHO-LVM increase over the time, mean EKG changes were of opposite sign, except for R-wave amplitude in aVL. Our study highlights the discrepancy between ECHO and EKG in monitoring LVM changes over the time, especially for Sokolow-Lyon and Cornell voltage. Thus, EKG is an unsuitable method for the longitudinal evaluation of LVM variations., (© 2023 The Authors. The Journal of Clinical Hypertension published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Previous studies focused on the relationships between Serum Uric Acid (SUA) and lipids have found an association mainly with triglycerides. Furthermore, previous studies on adiposity indices have been focused on the evaluation of the Visceral Adiposity Index (VAI). The present study was aimed at providing within the same population a systematic evaluation of lipids and adiposity indices with SUA, employing both the classic cutoff for hyperuricemia and the newly one identified by the Uric Acid Right for Heart Health (URRAH) study. We analyzed data collected in 1892 subjects of the Pressioni Arteriose Monitorate E loro Associazioni (PAMELA) study with available SUA, lipid profile and variables necessary to calculate VAI, Cardio-Metabolic Index (CMI) and Lipid Accumulation Product (LAP). At linear regression model (corrected for confounders) SUA correlated with all the lipids values (with the strongest β for triglycerides) and adiposity indices. When the two different cutoffs were compared, the URRAH one was significantly related to atherogenic lipids profile (OR 1.207 for LDL and 1.33 for non-HDL, P < 0.001) while this was not the case for the classic one. Regarding adiposity indices the classic cutoff displays highest OR as compared to the URRAH one. In conclusions, newly reported URRAH cutoff for hyperuricemia better relate to atherogenic lipoprotein (LDL and non-HDL) when compared to the classic one. The opposite has been found for adiposity indexes where the classic cut-off seems to present highest performance. Among adiposity indexes, LAP present the highest OR for the relationship with hyperuricemia., (© 2022 The Authors. The Journal of Clinical Hypertension published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

We evaluated the relationships between Berlin questionnaire (BQ) scores, hypertension and other metabolic variables in 598 subjects (age: 65.8 ± 10 years, mean ± SD) enrolled in the PAMELA (Pressioni Arteriose Monitorate E Loro Associazioni) study representative of the general population, treated or untreated with antihypertensive drugs. Two hundred and eleven subjects (35%) had a positive BQ with two or more positive categories of the inquiry. Compared to those without sleep disorders these subjects showed a greater male prevalence (55.9%), worse serum cholesterol, triglycerides and glucose profile, greater body mass index (BMI) (28.9 ± 4.9 vs. 24.9 ± 3.4 kg/m 2 ), higher office (and to a lesser extent 24-h) BP and HR values, higher serum creatinine values and greater rate of echocardiographic left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy (25% vs. 13%). These differences were not detected when the data analysis was restricted to treated hypertensive patients. Thus, BQ scores allow to identify among subjects belonging to a general population those with elevated BP, organ damage and altered metabolic. When antihypertensive drug treatment is present, however, the approach fails to detect differences between groups with low or high BQ index., (© 2022 The Authors. The Journal of Clinical Hypertension published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

We examined in 11 young subjects (age 29.7±3.6 years, mean±SEM) whether carotid baroreceptor stimulation via the neck chamber device may affect central venous pressure (CVP), thus potentially involving other reflexogenic areas in the examined responses. Application of progressively greater neck chamber subatmospheric pressures caused a progressive lengthening in RR interval, which reached a peak at the maximal value of negative neck chamber pressure applied. This was accompanied by significant and progressively greater reduction in CVP values when the data were calculated considering the early changes occurring within the first 2 seconds of the stimulus. There was a weak correlation between the early changes in CVP and the RR interval responses when all stimuli were pooled together (r = 0.32, P < .05). The results of the present study suggest that the neck chamber technique employed to assess carotid baroreceptor-heart rate sensitivity can transiently affect via the CVP reduction cardiopulmonary receptors activity, which may participate at the integrated reflex responses., (© 2021 The Authors. The Journal of Clinical Hypertension published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)