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Aims: Patients with cardiovascular comorbidities have a significantly increased risk for a critical course of COVID-19. As the SARS-CoV2 virus enters cells via the angiotensin-converting enzyme receptor II (ACE2), drugs which interact with the renin angiotensin aldosterone system (RAAS) were suspected to influence disease severity.
Methods and results: We analyzed 1946 consecutive patients with cardiovascular comorbidities or hypertension enrolled in one of the largest European COVID-19 registries, the Lean European Open Survey on SARS-CoV-2 (LEOSS) registry. Here, we show that angiotensin II receptor blocker intake is associated with decreased mortality in patients with COVID-19 [OR 0.75 (95% CI 0,59–0.96; p = 0.013)]. This effect was mainly driven by patients, who presented in an early phase of COVID-19 at baseline [OR 0,64 (95% CI 0,43–0,96; p = 0.029)]. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed a significantly lower incidence of death in patients on an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) (n = 33/318;10,4%) compared to patients using an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEi) (n = 60/348;17,2%) or patients who received neither an ACE-inhibitor nor an ARB at baseline in the uncomplicated phase (n = 90/466; 19,3%; p<0.034). Patients taking an ARB were significantly less frequently reaching the mortality predicting threshold for leukocytes (p<0.001), neutrophils (p = 0.002) and the inflammatory markers CRP (p = 0.021), procalcitonin (p = 0.001) and IL-6 (p = 0.049). ACE2 expression levels in human lung samples were not altered in patients taking RAAS modulators.
Conclusion: These data suggest a beneficial effect of ARBs on disease severity in patients with cardiovascular comorbidities and COVID-19, which is linked to dampened systemic inflammatory activity.
Hintergrund: Adipositas und die mit ihr assoziierten Komorbiditäten verursachen eine Verkürzung der Lebenserwartung und mindern die Lebensqualität in einer wachsenden Patienten Bevölkerung. Die bariatrische laparoskopische Chirurgie kann effizient zu einer Gewichtsreduktion beitragen und die damit verbundenen Komorbiditäten senken. In dieser Longitudinal-Studie untersuchten wir den Einfluss von präoperativem BMI, Geschlecht und operative Techniken auf den Verlauf von drei Komorbiditäten. Methodik: Alle Patienten (N=448) die sich einem bariatrischen Eingriff im Zeitraum von 2001 bis 2005 in unserem Krankenhaus unterzogen, erhielten einen Fragebogen, welcher unter anderem zur Evaluation der drei Komorbiditäten Hypertonie, Diabetes mellitus Typ II und Gelenkbeschwerden präoperativ, sowie 6 und 12 Monate nach der Operation diente. Von insgesamt 191 Patienten erhielten wir alle Fragebögen zurück. Der Rückgang der Komorbiditäten im Verlauf wurde unter Zuhilfenahme des Chochrans Q-Test evaluiert. Für die Vorhersage für eine Verbesserung der Komorbiditäten nach 12 Monaten verwendeten wir eine Diskriminanzanalyse. Ergebnisse: Es fand sich ein signifikanter Rückgang bei der Hypertonie (Q=47,26, p<0,001) sowohl nach 6 Monaten (29,3%), als auch nach 12 Monaten (20,4%), verglichen mit den Baseline Erhebungen (40,3%). In einer detaillierten Untersuchung fand sich dieser Rückgang unabhängig vom präoperativen BMI, Geschlecht und der verwendeten operativen Technik. Alter, Anzahl der eingenommen Medikamente und der Excess-weight-loss konnten als Prädiktoren für einen signifikanten Rückgang der Hypertonie nach 12 Monaten identifiziert werden. Mittels der Diskriminanzanalyse konnte unter Verwendung dieser drei Variablen zu 69,5% eine Vorhersage für das Vorhandensein einer Hypertonie nach 12 Monaten vorgenommen werden. Auch für den Diabetes mellitus Typ II (Q=26.69, p<0,001) und die Gelenkbeschwerden (Q=22,68, p<0,001) wurde ein signifikanter Rückgang herausgearbeitet. Schlussfolgerung: Zusätzlich zu dem primären Ziel der Gewichtsreduktion, war nach durchgeführtem laparoskopisch bariatrischem Eingriff ein signifikanter Rückgang der untersuchten Komorbiditäten Hypertonie, Diabetes mellitus Typ II und Gelenkbeschwerden zu belegen. Diese könnte sowohl eine Steigerung der Lebenserwartung, als auch eine Kostenreduzierung im Gesundheitssystem bedeuten. Schlüsselwörter: Adipositas Chirurgie, Komorbiditäten, Hypertonie, Longitudinalstudie, Explorative Datenanalyse
Detection of antihypertensive drugs in biological samples is an important tool to assess the adherence of hypertensive patients. Urine and serum/plasma screenings based on qualitative results may lead to misinterpretations regarding drugs with a prolonged detectability. The aim of the present study was to develop a method that can be used for therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of antihypertensive drugs with focus on adherence assessment. Therefore, a method for quantification of four diuretics and four β-blockers using high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometric analysis (LC-MS/MS) of combined acidic and basic serum extracts was developed and validated. The method was applied to 40 serum samples from 20 patients in a supervised medication setting (trough and peak serum samples). Literature data on therapeutic concentration ranges, as well as dose-related drug concentrations (calculated from data of pharmacokinetic studies) were used to evaluate adherence assessment criteria. Concentrations were measured for bisoprolol (n = 9 patients), metoprolol (n = 7), nebivolol (n = 1), canrenone (n = 2, metabolite of spironolactone), hydrochlorothiazide (n = 10) and torasemide (n = 8). The measured concentrations were within the therapeutic reference ranges, except for 24% of the samples (mainly β-blockers). In contrast, all measured concentrations were above the lower dose-related concentration (DRC), which appears superior in evaluating adherence. In conclusion, the quantitative analysis of antihypertensive drugs in serum samples and its evaluation on the basis of the individually calculated lower DRC is a promising tool to differentially assess adherence. This method could possibly detect a lack of adherence or other causes of insufficient therapy more reliably than qualitative methods.
Background: Blood pressure is known to be increased in kidney donors following living-donor kidney transplantation. However, the physiological underpinnings of the blood-pressure increase following uninephrectomy remain unclear. We hypothesized that changes in sympathetic tone or in parasympathetic modulation of sinus node function are involved in the blood-pressure increase following experimental kidney-mass reduction.
Methods: C57BL6N mice (6 to 11 per group) subjected to sham surgery (controls) or uninephrectomy with or without a one-week course of sodium chloride-enriched, taurine-deficient diet were studied. Uninephrectomized mice treated with a subcutaneous infusion of angiotensin-II over a period of one week were positive controls. A transfemoral aortic catheter with telemetry unit was implanted, readings of heart-rate and blood-pressure were recorded. Powerspectral analysis of heart rate and systolic blood pressure was performed to gain surrogate parameters of sympathetictone and parasympathetic modulation of sinus node function. Baroreflex sensitivity of heart rate was determined from awake, unrestrained mice using spontaneous baroreflex gain technique.
Results: Systolic arterial blood pressure, heart rate and baroreflex sensitivity were not different in uninephrectomized mice when compared to controls. Parasympathetic modulation of sinus node function was less in uninephrectomized mice in comparison to controls. Uninephrectomized mice of the high-angiotensin-II model or of the high-salt and taurine-deficiency model had an increased systolic arterial blood pressure.
Conclusions: Uninephrectomy associated with less parasympathetic modulation of sinus node function. The combination of uninephrectomy, taurine-deficiency and high-salt intake led to arterial hypertension.
Background: Neonatal manifestation of life-threatening hyperammonemic encephalopathy in urea cycle disorders (UCD) is often misdiagnosed as neonatal sepsis, resulting in significantly delayed start of specific treatment and poor outcome. The major aim of this study was to identify specific initial symptoms or signs to clinically distinguish hyperammonemic encephalopathy in neonates from neonatal sepsis in order to identify affected individuals with UCD and to start metabolic therapy without delay. Furthermore, we evaluated the impact of diagnostic delay, peak plasma ammonium (NH4+) concentration, mode of emergency treatment and transfer to a tertiary referral center on the outcome.
Methods: Detailed information of 17 patients (born between 1994 and 2012) with confirmed diagnosis of UCD and neonatal hyperammonemic encephalopathy were collected from the original medical records.
Results: The initially suspected diagnosis was neonatal sepsis in all patients, but was not confirmed in any of them. Unlike neonatal sepsis and not previously reported blood pressure increased above the 95th percentile in 13 (81%) of UCD patients before emergency treatment was started. Respiratory alkalosis was found in 11 (65%) of UCD patients, and in 14 (81%) plasma NH4+concentrations further increased despite initiation of metabolic therapy.
Conclusion: Detection of high blood pressure could be a valuable parameter for distinguishing neonatal sepsis from neonatal manifestation of UCD. Since high blood pressure is not typical for neonatal sepsis, other reasons such as encephalopathy and especially hyperammonemic encephalopathy (caused by e.g. UCD) should be searched for immediately. However, our result that the majority of newborns with UCD initially present with high blood pressure has to be evaluated in larger patient cohorts.
Quantifizierung des pulmonal-arteriellen Drucks im Truncus pulmonalis des Schweins. Methode: Künstliche Induktion einer pulmonalen Hypertonie mittels Thromboxan A2 in verschiedenen Schweregraden. Quantifizierung des Blutflusses anhand magnetresonanztomographischer Flussmessung im T.p., hieraus Bestimmung des zeitlichen Flussprofils und Akzelerationszeit (AT). Korrelation der AT mit den simultan erhobenen Daten einer invasiven Druckmessung (Pulmonalis-Katheter).
During the last 30 years, our understanding of the development and diversification of postganglionic sympathetic neurons has dramatically increased. In parallel, the list of target structures has been critically extended from the cardiovascular system and selected glandular structures to metabolically relevant tissues such as white and brown adipose tissue, lymphoid tissues, bone, and bone marrow. A critical question now emerges for the integration of the diverse sympathetic neuron classes into neural circuits specific for these different target tissues to achieve the homeostatic regulation of the physiological ends affected.
Background: In oldest-old patients (>80), few trials showed efficacy of treating hypertension and they included mostly the healthiest elderly. The resulting lack of knowledge has led to inconsistent guidelines, mainly based on systolic blood pressure (SBP), cardiovascular disease (CVD) but not on frailty despite the high prevalence in oldest-old. This may lead to variation how General Practitioners (GPs) treat hypertension. Our aim was to investigate treatment variation of GPs in oldest-olds across countries and to identify the role of frailty in that decision.
Methods: Using a survey, we compared treatment decisions in cases of oldest-old varying in SBP, CVD, and frailty. GPs were asked if they would start antihypertensive treatment in each case. In 2016, we invited GPs in Europe, Brazil, Israel, and New Zealand. We compared the percentage of cases that would be treated per countries. A logistic mixed-effects model was used to derive odds ratio (OR) for frailty with 95% confidence intervals (CI), adjusted for SBP, CVD, and GP characteristics (sex, location and prevalence of oldest-old per GP office, and years of experience). The mixed-effects model was used to account for the multiple assessments per GP.
Results: The 29 countries yielded 2543 participating GPs: 52% were female, 51% located in a city, 71% reported a high prevalence of oldest-old in their offices, 38% and had >20 years of experience. Across countries, considerable variation was found in the decision to start antihypertensive treatment in the oldest-old ranging from 34 to 88%. In 24/29 (83%) countries, frailty was associated with GPs’ decision not to start treatment even after adjustment for SBP, CVD, and GP characteristics (OR 0.53, 95%CI 0.48–0.59; ORs per country 0.11–1.78).
Conclusions: Across countries, we found considerable variation in starting antihypertensive medication in oldest-old. The frail oldest-old had an odds ratio of 0.53 of receiving antihypertensive treatment. Future hypertension trials should also include frail patients to acquire evidence on the efficacy of antihypertensive treatment in oldest-old patients with frailty, with the aim to get evidence-based data for clinical decision-making.