Antihypertensive Treatment Research Articles

P050 PITFALLS IN ESTABLISHING THE DIAGNOSIS OF PHEOCHROMOCYTOMA ILLUSTRATED BY THREE CASE REPORTS

Background and Objective: Pheochromocytoma is a rare cause of secondary hypertension. Because of the low incidence, any diagnostic test has a low positive predictive value. Methods: We report three example cases with diagnostic pitfalls. Results: First case: A 72-year old Caucasian women was admitted for the evaluation of a right adrenal mass, measuring 4 cm. The patient was asymptomatic, never hypertensive. Standard endocrinological evaluation of the adrenal mass revealed significantly elevated plasma and urine normetanephrine (>2 fold upper normal range) and metanephrine levels (>10 fold upper normal range). Subsequent functional imaging with MIBG SPECT/CT confirmed catecholamine storage in the left adrenal mass. After pretreatment with phenoxybenzamine (causing hypotension) the mass was removed surgically and a pheochromcytoma confirmed histologically. Second case: A 59-year old Caucasian women with repetitive hypertensive crises for several years was screened for pheochromocytoma and significantly elevated plasma and urine normetanephrine levels (> 5 fold upper normal range) were observed. MRI demonstrated a small left adrenal mass of 2 cm. Although no relevant tracer uptake was observed on MIBG SPECT/CT, subsequent somatostatin receptor imaging with DOTA-TATE PET/CT suggested adrenal pheochromocytoma (Fig.). After pretreatment with doxazosine the mass was removed surgically and a pheochromocytoma confirmed histologically, blood pressure normalized after surgery. Third case: A 67 year old Asian woman was admitted for the evaluation of a large left adrenal mass measuring 7.5 cm. She had well controlled hypertension with dual antihypertensive medication and did not suffer from paroxysmal hypertensive crises. Plasma normetanephrine levels were substantially elevated (>20 fold upper normal range). MIBG SPECT/CT confirmed catecholamine storage in the adrenal mass that was partly necrotic. After pretreatment with doxazosine the mass was removed surgically, a largely necrotic pheochromocytoma was confirmed histologically. No further antihypertensive treatment was necessary. Conclusions: These cases demonstrate that a pheochromocytoma may be asymptomatic, any adrenal mass needs standard endocrinological workup. Standard functional imaging has a limited sensitivity, additional approaches have to be considered.

Abstract P365: Prevalence of Hypertension in Minnesota Adults in 2023 Using Data from a Statewide Electronic Health Record Consortium

Background: Data on prevalence of hypertension in the United States come primarily from in-person data collected by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and self-reports in the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey. Electronic phenotypic algorithms for hypertension that include diagnosis codes, blood pressure values, and antihypertensive treatment have been proposed and tested. Objective: To describe prevalence of hypertension in Minnesota adults using data from a statewide electronic health record (EHR) consortium, the Minnesota EHR Consortium (MNEHRC). Methods: Data from 11 health systems participating in the MNEHRC were standardized to a common data model allowing for distributed querying of EHR data. Data were de-duplicated using a one-way hash algorithm. Preliminary prevalence of hypertension in 2023 was estimated in Minnesota residents with ≥ 1 encounter in the past 3 years who had ≥1 diagnosis of hypertension in the past 5 years. Medicaid insurance status was determined via linkage with state enrollment files. Residential addresses of patients were geocoded to census tracts and social vulnerability index (SVI) of census tracts was determined. Results: Among 4,369,470 Minnesotan age 18 and older in 2023, 23.6% had hypertension based on ≥1 diagnosis code. Prevalence increased with age, was higher in men (26% vs. 22% in women), and adjusted for age and sex was highest in Black (30%) and Native American (27%) compared with White (23%) and Hispanic (21%) Minnesotans. Within each race/ethnic group, those insured by Medicaid had a higher adjusted hypertension prevalence than those with other insurance types. The prevalence of hypertension in census tracts with moderate to high SVI ranged from 3% to 43%, but on average was similar to the statewide prevalence of 24% (see image 1). Prevalence of hypertension in race/ethnicity, sex, and age subgroups in higher SVI census tracts was similar to the statewide prevalence in those subgroups. Conclusions: The prevalence of hypertension in Minnesota was described in detail by demographic characteristics, geography and social vulnerability. Future work will expand the electronic hypertension phenotype and examine quality of care.

Abstract P313: Diastolic to Systolic Arterial stiffening has Greater Prognostic Power than Diastolic Stiffness in 20-60 Years Old Patients Undergoing 24-Hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring

The 24-hour ambulatory pulse pressure (PP), can be expressed as a sum of two ‘PP components’: ‘elastic’ PP (elPP) and ‘stiffening’ PP (stPP) associated, respectively, with arterial stiffness at the diastolic pressure (somewhat equivalent to pulse wave velocity being measured in the diastole), and the relative stiffness change from the diastolic- to the systolic pressure. Here we assess and compare the hazard ratio (HR) of elPP and stPP for outcomes in a large cohort of young and middle-age patients. We analyzed adequate quality 24h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring records from the Spanish Ambulatory Blood Pressure Registry. For standard deviation(SD), K=SD(SBP)/SD(DBP), elPP=PPxln(K)/(K-1) and stPP=PP-elPP. HRs were determined for age 20-40, 41-50, and 51-60 years, using Cox regression models applied to standardized elPP & stPP (combined), adjusted for age, sex, BMI, smoking status, diabetes, dyslipidemia, mean DBP, pulse rate, SD(SBP), antihypertensive treatment, and previous cardiovascular disease (CVD). The endpoints were total mortality, and death from CVD, or coronary heart disease (CHD). Of the 24,260 patients mean age (SD) 48.0(9.0) years, 34% male] 845 deaths occurred during period of 9.6(2.2) years. The Table shows that mean elPP slightly decreased from younger to older age, while stPP strongly increased. At age 41-60 years the adjusted HRs of stPP appeared significant and greater than those of elPP for almost all cases. The most contributing adjustors in the Cox regression were smoking, for all age classes, and sex for age over 40 years. Thus, the stiffening component may have greater predictive power than the elastic component for total mortality, and CVD&CHD death, in middle-age patients.

O68 ATRIAL SEPTAL ANEURYSM IN IDENTICALS TWINS

Introduction: Interatrial septal aneurysm (ISA) is a dilatation of saccular tissue, generally located in the foramen ovale area, which moves freely and protrudes into the right or left atrium, or even both. Today it is estimated that 85% of children born with congenital heart disease survive to adulthood, however, we have not found cases of ISA reported in identical twins in adulthood. Methods: Two 55-year-old female patients, identical twins EAM and RAM, body surface area 1,899 and 1,826 m2 respectively, consulted for elevated blood pressure (160/90 and 160/95 mmHg respectively). One of them reported headache accompanied by joint pain and mild dyspnea, the other patient reported palpitations and mild dizziness. His parents are hypertensive. They were hospitalized at 5 months of age due to viral meningitis, with no further consequences. Antihypertensive treatment, laboratory, stress test, and echocardiogram/Doppler were prescribed. Results: Laboratory tests were found to be normal. The stress test (protocol: Bruce) was reported to be negative for induced myocardial ischemia. Echocardiography revealed ISA in both patients. Conclusions: Twins, particularly monochorionic twins, are at increased risk of congenital anomalies compared with singleton pregnancies, and the risk of cerebrovascular disease (CVD) or transient ischemic attack (TIA) in patients with ISA is 6.7% in adult patients. ISA has been associated with acquired cardiac diseases, such as valvular heart disease, cardiomyopathies, pulmonary and systemic hypertension, ischemic heart disease, arrhythmias, and thrombus formation. More recently, an association with embolic cerebrovascular pathology has been observed, both in TIA and CVD. For this reason, we consider that in adult patients who are identical twins when one of them is found with ISA, an evaluation should be carried out in their twin for its appropriate treatment and thus avoid future cardiovascular complications derived from this anomaly. According to our reviews, this is the first case of ISA in identical twins. New observations on ISA in twins are needed.

P072 VALIDATION OF A NOVEL METHOD FOR NONINVASIVE ESTIMATION OF CARDIAC OUTPUT USING BRACHIAL OSCILLOMETRIC BLOOD PRESSURE MEASUREMENTS IN PATIENTS WITH VARIOUS CLINICAL CONDITIONS

Background and Objective: Estimating cardiac output (CO) and other hemodynamic parameters from blood pressure (BP) measurements could aid in selecting appropriate antihypertensive treatments in clinical settings. Our research group has developed a non-invasive method to estimate CO based on total arterial compliance (Ct). However, its validity in populations with various cardio-metabolic chronic diseases remains uncertain. The objective of this study is to assess the validity of our CO estimation method across different patient with varied clinical conditions. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 217 adult patients who underwent ambulatory transthoracic Doppler echocardiograms, irrespective of valvular or cardiac pathology, or medication use, provided they had normal aortic valvular anatomy. Stroke volume was calculated as the product of the cross-sectional area of the aortic annulus and the average velocity of the left ventricular outflow tract. Simultaneously, oscillometric BP measurements were obtained. Subsequently, the CO values obtained via Doppler echocardiography and those estimated based on Ct were compared to determine validity. Ct was estimated as: Ct/BSA= 38/PPth + 4/5 × Td/T - 3/7, where BSA denotes body surface area, Td signifies diastolic time, T represents the cardiac period, and PPth refers to the theoretical pulse pressure. Results: Of the participants, 49.7% were men, with an average age of 54.0±14.0 years. Among them, three had a history of acute myocardial infarction, one had a pacemaker, nineteen were diabetic, and one hundred thirty-six were hypertensive. CO by echocardiography averaged 4.9±1.0 L/min, ranging from 2.0 to 8.5 L/min. The agreement of CO between the new method and Doppler echocardiography was good. Bland-Altman plots showed that the differences between the methods were randomly distributed along the mean difference line (Figure). Conclusions: The novel method for noninvasive estimation of CO based on Ct with brachial oscillometric BP measurements in patients with various clinical conditions is deemed valid. Its implementation in clinical practice has the potential to transform patient assessment.

P150 HYPERTENSION URGENCY: GUIDELINES INDICATIONS AND IMPLEMENTATION IN CLINICAL PRACTICE

Background and objective: Unreasonable admissions to hospital increase costs of the health care system. The maximum transfer of medical care to outpatient setting is a trend in modern medicine. Hypertension urgency (HU) is not accompanied by acute hypertension-mediated target organ damage and is not an indication for hospitalization of the patient. In 2018-2020 ISH/ESH Guidelines have revised the term “HU” for “uncontrolled hypertension”, approaches to its diagnosis and treatment. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the implementation of the Guidelines in real clinical practice. Methods: A single-center retrospective study was conducted in a private family medicine clinic, which has been observing a large number of patients of different age and gender for more than 30 years. The clinic has an emergency department, a hospital with 60 beds. Medical records of consecutive patients aged ≥18 years admitted to hospital in 2018 and 2023 with systolic blood pressure at admission ≥180 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥110 mmHg were collected and analyzed. Results: The prevalence of patients admitted according to the chosen criteria was 0.8% (n=25) in 2018 and 0.9% (n=26) in 2023. According to the clinical characteristics and signs of acute damage to target organs (acute coronary syndrome, acute stroke, pulmonary embolism), 4% and 7.7% of cases in 2018 and 2023, respectively, were considered as hypertension emergencies. HU was diagnosed in other cases — 96% and 92.3%. HU was the direct cause of admission in 23.1% of cases in 2018 and in 28% of cases in 2023, in other cases - 69.2% (2018) and 64% (2023) hospitalization was due to another disease (pneumonia, neurological diseases, etc.). The probable causes of HU were patient non-compliance with antihypertensive drug therapy- 50% (2018) and 57% (2023), resistant hypertension, stress. Conclusions: The prevalence of patients admitted due to HU has not significantly changed. The most probable cause of HU is non-compliance with antihypertensive treatment, self-termination of treatment.

P122 EXPLORING CARDIOVASCULAR RISK ENHANCERS IN WOMEN: EYE-OPENING FINDINGS TO RETHINK ASSESSMENT

Background and Objectives. Traditional cardiovascular risk (CVR) stratification does not consider CVR enhancers (CVRE). Women present under-recognized CVR factors that may lead to developing subclinical vascular lesions such as arterial stiffness (AS). AS is associated with long-term cardiovascular events and can be determined by carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV). Our objective was to determine cf-PWV in women with low 10-years CVR (10yCVR) with a CVRE and to compare them with a control group. Methods. Multicentric cross-sectional study, carried out in 2023 in Argentina. Group-1: women, 18-59 years-old, office-BP <140/90 mmHg, low (<5%) 10-yCVR using WHO's Calculator for Argentina, with a CVRE: history of gestational hypertension/preeclampsia; previous oncological treatment in current complete remission; autoimmune hematological or rheumatic disease in clinical remission; history of abortions/preterm births; early menopause/menarche; anxiety/depression disorder. Patients with cardiovascular event, chronic renal disease, diabetes, chronic hypertension, target organ lesion, 10-yCVR≥5%, and those on antihypertensive, statins, or aspirin treatment were excluded. Group-2: healthy women who attended routine control. Consecutive sampling. Office-BP were obtained with Omron-M3. cf-PWV was measured non-invasively through Aortic. AS was defined if cf-PWV exceeded 95% confidence interval (95%CI) upper limit for healthy Argentine population. Institutional Research Committee's approval and informed consent were obtained. Data was analyzed using SPSS for Windows. Results. Included 199 women: Group-1 (N=119); Group-2 (N=80). No differences were found between groups concerning age, weight, height, body mass index and heart rate. Group-1 showed higher cf-PWV: 6.89±1.08 vs. 5.56±0.65 (p<0.0001) and higher AS frequency: 57.1% vs. 2.5% (p<0.0001). In multivariate analysis only CVRE maintain related with AS (p<0.0001). A sub-analysis was performed excluding subjects with high-normal office-BP (27.6% of sample): 144 women remained, 77 (53.5%) in Group-1 and 67 (46.5%) in Group-2. Central (aortic) systolic-BP was <121 mmHg in all cases. Group-1 showed higher cf-PWV: 6.62±0.88 vs. 5.59±0.62 (p<0.0001) and AS: 51.9% vs. 1.4% (p<0.0001). Conclusions. Women with CVRE showed greater cf-PWV and higher proportion of AS.

Abstract P117: Provider Concordance to the Current 2017 High Blood Pressure (BP) Clinical Practice Guidelines and Patient Blood Pressure Control

Introduction: The AHA/ACC 2017 High BP guidelines introduced key changes, compared to previous guidelines, including a new hypertension definition (≥130/80 mm Hg) and lower medication thresholds for patients at cardiovascular risk. The impact of provider adherence to these guidelines on patient BP control has not been fully explored. Methods: We identified 3,749 new stage 1 hypertension patients (7,214 visits) and 11,013 new stage 2 hypertension patients (33,321 visits), aged ≥18, from the Vanderbilt University Medical Center database. We scrutinized outpatient BP levels, prescribed medications, follow-up visits, lab results, demographics, comorbid conditions, and physician notes from January 2018 to December 2022. This data was compared to hypertension treatment criteria developed from the 2017 guidelines that was validated by six hypertension experts. Active primary care patients (with 1 visit per year) were included. Mixed-effects Poisson regression and mixed-effects linear regression examined the relationship between guideline adherence and controlled BP (<130/80 mm Hg) and continuous BP, respectively. Results: Among stage 1 hypertension visits, 12.2% were treated with at least one antihypertensive drug according to guidelines, resulting in a 13% increase in BP control and a reduction in systolic BP by 2.02 mm Hg. For stage 2 hypertension visits, 26% received treatment with at least two first-line antihypertensive drug classes, leading to a 45% increase in BP control and reductions in systolic and diastolic BP by 3.79 mm Hg and 1.93 mm Hg, respectively. No significant difference in BP control was observed among stage 2 patients treated with two versus one first-line drug. Adherence to follow-up guidelines resulted in a 24% improvement in BP control for stage 1 patients and stage 2 patients when their follow-up visit occurred within 1 month. Subsequent follow-up visits within 1-month improved BP control by 34% if BP was not controlled previously. Additionally, 42.4% of patients with uncontrolled BP for 1 month received an increase in medication dose or a change/addition of medication class and showed a 7% increase in BP control within next month. Conclusion: Provider adherence to recommended antihypertensive drug treatment guidelines (12%-26%), follow-up assessments guidelines (29%-37%), and treatment intensification (42.4%) were poor. However, patients treated according to the guidelines showed significant improved BP control.

Abstract P208: Chromophobe Renal Cell Carcinoma Presenting as Hypertension in a Young Adult: A Case Report

Introduction: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a recognized but rare cause of secondary hypertension. Hypertension in RCC can arise through several mechanisms, including direct renin secretion by the tumor (renin-secreting RCC), the tumor creating a mass effect on renal blood supply, decreasing it and activating the RAAS, or the presence of adrenal tissue within the tumor. Given these mechanisms, it is essential to consider renal tumors in the differential diagnosis of secondary hypertension. This case reports uncontrolled hypertension as the presenting complaint in a young female with a chromophobe RCC. Case Presentation: A 32-year-old female presented with intermittent headache, fatigue, and uncontrolled hypertension despite adherence to standard antihypertensive treatment. Laboratory tests revealed serum aldosterone at 37.9 ng/dL and markedly elevated plasma renin activity at 11.7 ng/mL/hr, suggesting hyperreninemic aldosteronism as the cause of her hypertension. A CT scan revealed a large, mildly enhancing mass in the upper pole of the left kidney, measuring 93 x 92 x 96 mm (Figure 1). Nephrectomy was discussed with the patient as part of her treatment plan and as a potential means of treating her hypertension. The patient consented, and the surgery was performed. Microscopic examination confirmed a chromophobe RCC extending into the renal sinus. Conclusion: This case underscores the importance of considering RCC in the differential diagnosis of secondary hypertension, even in young adults. Early recognition and surgical intervention, such as nephrectomy, are crucial, as they may alleviate hypertension and potentially serve as an early indicator for tumor detection before further progression.

Effectiveness and safety of intravenous labetalol in severe pre-eclampsia and eclampsia at a teaching institution in Chhattisgarh.

Severe hypertension in pregnancy deserves prompt recognition and urgent effective reduction in order to reduce the risk of complications such as eclampsia and HELLP syndrome and to achieve desirable neonatal outcomes. There is a need for effective and safe parenteral antihypertensive treatment. We studied the effectiveness and safety of intravenous labetalol use in severe hypertension in pregnancy and post-partum period in a teaching hospital in Chhattisgarh in 101 women. IV labetalol was given as bolus doses till the blood pressures were controlled. Neonatal outcomes were recorded, and adverse effects such as hypotension, hypoglycemia, and neonatal asphyxia were documented. Intravenous labetalol given as a single bolus of 20 mg was efficacious in controlling blood pressures in 93 out of 101 (93%) women, and the rest were controlled with 1 or 2 additional doses in 1-3 hours. No neonatal deaths happened beyond the 13 intrauterine fetal deaths at presentation. No women developed any episodes of hypotension, tachycardia of more than 100, or nausea or vomiting on labetalol. Intravenous labetalol, even as a single bolus dose, is highly efficacious and is free of any major adverse effects.

Abstract P327: Comparing the Blood Pressure Response to Antihypertensive Treatment Intensification and Dose Increase to No Action for Uncontrolled Hypertension

Background: The addition of a new antihypertension medication class (CA) or dose increase (DI) in patients with hypertension (HTN) is relatively infrequent when HTN is uncontrolled (blood pressure [BP, mmHg] ≥ 140/90) during outpatient visits. We compared systolic (S)BP changes following CA, DI, or no medication changes for uncontrolled BP. Methods: A patient cohort from 6 diverse healthcare organizations, engaged in a quality improvement program, was identified with previously diagnosed HTN. Uncontrolled outpatient SBP measurements observed at participating program sites were compared to follow-up measurements within 7 to 120 days for evaluating SBP change. ANCOVA and linear regression analyses were used to control clinical and demographic covariates and assess differences in SBP change following treatment decision. Results: A prospective cohort of 124,068 patients with HTN spanning 280,937 events was identified, mean age 63.3 ± 13.9. Class addition reduced SBP 2.0 mmHg (95% CI, 1.81 – 2.24), whereas dose increase did not lower SBP [-0.07 (95% CI, -0.31, 0.16)]. Conclusion: In this study, CA lowered BP modestly, whereas DI appeared ineffective. Since patients were not randomized, our results may under-estimate the effects of CA and DI on BP, i.e., clinicians may have expected a greater decline of SBP than simply regression to the mean for patients with uncontrolled hypertension in the absence of DI or TI. Our data are consistent with reports that CA has a greater effect to lower BP than DI. Our findings also highlight some challenges of interpreting real world data compared to randomized clinical trials.

P107 THE EFFECT OF MELDONIUM ON THE ENDOTHELIAL FUNCTION ASSESSED BY PLASMA ENDOCAN LEVEL IN PATIENTS WITH ESSENTIAL HYPERTENSION

Background and Objective: Endothelial dysfunction is one of the main findings in patients with arterial hypertension. It is associated with atherosclerosis initiation and progression. Lately, a soluble dermatan sulfate proteoglycan Endocan is used as a marker of endothelial dysfunction in patients with big variety of diseases. Hence, aim of our study was to assess effect of competitive inhibitor of carnitine-dependent fatty acid oxidation and promoter of anaerobic oxidation via the glycolytic pathway, Meldonium, on endothelial function in patients with arterial hypertension. Methods: 30 nonsmoker, non-obese male patients with stage II hypertension (ESH/ESC 2018) were involved in a study. 15 patients were put on recommended antihypertensive treatment plan and other 15 patients on conventional plus Meldoneum 1000 mg per day treatment for 3 months. Endocan level was tested before and after 3 months of treatment period. Hypertension was diagnosed as an average office blood pressure of three different visits equal or more than 140/90 mmHg. Written informed consent letters were obtained from all the participants. Results: Mean age and average blood pressure of study groups were not different between conventional and conventional plus Meldonium groups (48.6±6.94 vs 51.53±7.22 years old and 148/94 vs 151/95; P= NS for both). Initial plasma endocan level also was similar between the two groups (1.920±0.625 for Meldonium and 1.854±0.391 for conventional treatment; P=NS). In comparison with initial level, plasma endocan level significantly decreased after 3 months of treatment with conventional plus Meldonium treatment (1.920±0.625 vs 1.344±0.041; P<0.05). Statistically significant difference of endocan level change after 3 month of treatment with conventional antihypertensive agents was not observed (1.854±0.391 vs 1.75±0.649; P=NS). Conclusion: Obtained results indicate, that 1 g/day Meldonium on top of conventional guideline recommended antihypertensive regimen significantly improves endothelial function assessed via plasma endocan level. Further studies are needed to confirm these results on a bigger population samples.

P167 DIFFERENCES IN PULSE WAVE VELOCITY ESTIMATED USING TOTAL ARTERIAL COMPLIANCE BETWEEN SUBTYPES OF ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION

Background and Objective: Different clinical phenotypes of arterial hypertension (AH) are identified through current oscillometric blood pressure (BP) measurements. Recently, our group described hemodynamic characteristics of AH subtypes utilizing 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (24-h ABPM). It remains unclear whether differences in PWV exist among AH subtypes, which could potentially enhance diagnostic accuracy and guide antihypertensive treatment selection. The objective was to assess the relationship between PWV, estimated using Ct, and AH subtypes. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted, involving 13,027 untreated patients referred for 24-h ABPM. PWV was estimated using a novel method based on Ct, derived from BP and heart rate measurements obtained during 24-h ABPM. This estimation method was developed based on the relationship between Ct and PWV as described by Vardoulis et al., utilizing the Bramwell-Hill theory and experimental research. The formula used for PWV estimation was PWV = √(36.7/(Ct/(log[age]))). Results: Among the participants, 46.5% were men, with an average age of 50.2±14.1 years and a body mass index of 27.1±4.1 kg/m2. Isolated systolic hypertension (ISH) (3.9%) exhibited the highest arterial stiffness, with the highest PWV (10.2±1.4 m/s) and pulse pressure (PP) (60.0±6.6 mmHg), and the lowest Ct (0.67±0.16 mL/mmHg). In contrast, isolated diastolic hypertension (IDH) (26.3%) showed the lowest PWV (7.9±0.8 m/s) and PP (40.6±3.6 mmHg), and the highest Ct (1.01±0.18 mL/mmHg). As Ct decreased, PWV increased. Thus, PWV based on Ct from 24-hour ABPM showed clear differences between AH subtypes (ANOVA; p value < 0.001) (Figure). Conclusions: PWV is related with AH subtypes, exhibiting a progression from IDH to ISH. Patients with IDH typically have the lowest PWV, whereas those with divergent systolic-diastolic hypertension (D-SDH) and ISH have the highest PWV values. These findings underscore the significance of Ct in determining PWV values and carry diagnostic and prognostic implications concerning arterial function across various AH subtypes.

O54 THE EFFECT OF SACUBITRIL/VALSARTAN TREATMENT ON HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS

Background and Objective: Sacubitril/Valsartan was approved in Japan in 2020 for the treatment of heart failure and subsequently for the treatment of hypertension. It is a drug with a novel mechanism of action that inhibits both angiotensin receptors and neprilysin. Besides its cardioprotective and antihypertensive effects, a subanalysis of previous clinical trials in heart failure patients has shown that it tends to slow the rate of decline in renal function, and is expected to have therapeutic effects against CKD. However, its effect on renal function in hypertensive patients is unknown. In this study, we examined renal prognosis in patients with essential hypertension. Methods: 166 consecutive patients who received an initial dose of ARNI(Sacubitril/Valsartan) (N=104) or ARB (Azilsartan) (N=42) and had blood tests performed before and within 3 months after the first dose at Osaka University Hospital from June 2020 to April 2023 were analyzed retrospectively. Results: ARNI tended to be administered to elderly patients and patients with impaired renal function in both male and female patients. eGFR did not decrease in the ARNI group at either 3 or 12 months post-dose. eGFR decreased over time in the ARB group at 3 and 12 months post-dose. 5 patients on ARNI had drug discontinuations that were thought to be due to adverse drug events (hypotension in 2, numbness in 1, dizziness in 1, syncope in 1 patient). Conclusions: In this study, ARNI tended to be administered in more elderly hypertensive patients. Although there were a few treatment interruptions due to adverse drug events, the adverse effects on renal function were rather minor compared to ARBs, and under careful management, ARNI may be a useful antihypertensive treatment modality even in elderly patients and patients with impaired renal function.

Insights Into Perioperative Hypertension Management in Europe: Results From a Survey Endorsed by the European Association of Cardiothoracic Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care (EACTAIC)

Perioperative blood pressure control is crucial to ensure organ perfusion and avoid adverse events. However, no consensus on blood pressure targets is available. This study was designed to gain insights into current European perioperative hypertension management practices. Survey research. Online survey. The survey was administered to members of the European Association of Cardiothoracic Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care and distributed through the organization's social media. A 22-item questionnaire on the approach to perioperative hypertension control and its pharmacological management. The study included surveys completed between July 1 and October 30, 2023. In total, 339 participants completed the questionnaire; 70% were anesthesiologists, 17% were intensive care physicians, and 12% were cardiac surgeons. More than 50% of respondents declared dealing with perioperative hypertension in 20% to 50% of their surgeries, and most target the 120 to 140 mmHg systolic blood pressure (SBP) range during surgery. Respondents mostly rely on α-adrenoreceptor antagonists (29%), nitrates (23%), and calcium channel blockers (15%) to manage perioperative hypertension. Titratable control was the most appreciated attribute of intravenous antihypertensives. Antihypertensive treatment failure occurred in less than 20% of surgeries, and the highest risk of hypotensive episodes was perceived by participants to be when using nitroglycerin and nitroprusside. Perioperative SBP targets above 140 mmHg are uncommon among respondents, who predominantly target SBP values between 120 and 140 mmHg. The choice of intravenous antihypertensives is based on their manageability and user experience, and titratable control is the most appreciated characteristic.

Semaglutide and blood pressure: an individual patient data meta-analysis.

Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) assessing semaglutide reported reductions of systolic blood pressure (SBP) in trial populations with baseline blood pressure in the normotensive range. This study aimed to determine whether this SBP reduction is greater in hypertensive groups. Individual patient data (IPD) from three RCTs examining the effect of semaglutide 2.4 mg on body weight over 68 weeks were included. Trial participants were categorized according to a hypertension diagnosis, treatment or baseline measurement (HTN), baseline SBP > 130 mmHg (HTN130) or >140 mmHg (HTN140), and those with apparent resistant hypertension (RH). The primary analysis compared the in-trial change in SBP in the semaglutide and placebo arms. Alterations of anti-hypertensive medications were quantified by treatment intensity score and compared between arms. These analyses were performed using analysis of covariance. Overall, 3136 participants were included. The difference in SBP change between the treatment (n = 2109) and placebo (n = 1027) groups was -4.95 mmHg [95% confidence interval (CI) -5.86 to -4.05] overall. This difference was -4.78 mmHg (95% CI -5.97 to -3.59) for HTN, -4.93 mmHg (95% CI -6.75 to -3.11) for HTN130, -4.09 mmHg (95% CI -7.12 to -1.06) for HTN140, and -3.16 mmHg (95% CI -8.69-2.37) for RH. Reduction in SBP was mediated substantially by weight loss. The anti-hypertensive treatment intensity score decreased for those on semaglutide compared to placebo (-0.51; 95% CI -0.71 to -0.32). This IPD analysis of three large RCTs found blood pressure reductions with semaglutide in participants with hypertension that were similar to those seen in all trial participants. This finding may in part be due to concurrent reductions to anti-hypertensive medications. These results suggest that semaglutide is a useful adjunctive treatment for patients with hypertension and obesity.

Optimal treatment for women with acute hypertension in pregnancy; a randomized trial comparing intravenous labetalol versus nicardipine

ObjectivesBlood pressure control in severe hypertension of pregnancy is crucial for mother and neonate. In absence of evidence, guidelines recommend either intravenous labetalol or nicardipine. We compared the effectiveness and safety of these two drugs in women with severe hypertension in pregnancy. Study designWe performed an open label randomized controlled trial. Women with a singleton pregnancy complicated by severe hypertension (systolic ≥ 160 mmHg and/or diastolic ≥ 110 mmHg) requiring intravenous antihypertensive treatment were randomized to intravenous labetalol or intravenous nicardipine. The primary outcome was a composite adverse neonatal outcome defined as severe Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS), Broncho Pulmonary Dysplasia (BPD), Intraventricular Hemorrhage (IVH) IIB or worse, Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC), or perinatal death defined as fetal death or neonatal death before discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).Based on a power analysis, we estimated that 472 women (236 per group) needed to be included to detect a difference of 15% in the primary outcome with 90% power. The study was halted prematurely at 30 inclusions because of slow recruitment and trial fatigue. ResultsBetween August 2018 and April 2022, we randomized 30 women of which 16 were allocated to intravenous nicardipine and 14 to intravenous labetalol. The composite adverse neonatal outcome was not significantly different between the two groups (25 % versus 43 % OR 0.28 (95 % CI 0.05–1.43), p = 0.12)). Respiratory distress syndrome occurred more often in the labetalol group than in the nicardipine group (42.9 % versus 12.5 %). Neonatal hypoglycemia occurred more often in the nicardipine group than in the labetalol group (31 % versus 7 %). Time until blood pressure control was faster in women treated with nicardipine than in women treated with labetalol (45 (15–150 min vs. 120 (60–127,5) min). ConclusionIn our prematurely halted small RCT, we were unable to provide evidence for the optimal choice of treatment for severe hypertension to improve neonatal outcome and/or to obtain faster blood pressure control. Differences in Respiratory distress syndrome and neonatal hypoglycemia between the groups might be the result of coincidental finding due to the small groups included in the study. A larger randomized trial would be needed to determine the safest and most efficacious (intravenous) therapy for severe hypertension in pregnancy. This study emphasizes the challenges of conducting a RCT for the optimal treatment for these women.

Abstract 29: Blood Pressure Phenotypes in an Interventional Study of Participants with Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction

Background: Heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) affects engenders high morbidity and mortality. Hypertension is a major risk factor for HFpEF progression. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of and factors associated with abnormal home blood pressure (BP) phenotypes in a trial cohort of individuals with hypertension and HFpEF. Methods: We evaluated baseline office and home BP measurements in 36 participants of BLOCK HFpEF, an ongoing trial of antihypertensive treatment in HFpEF (NCT04434664). Office BP was measured using a standardized approach with the average of 3 seated readings. Home BP was measured for the first 7 days of the trial, prior to initiating the intervention. Participants were asked to perform nocturnal home BP one night, taken 3 times while sleeping. We used a conservative threshold for controlled BPs, defined as office systolic BP (SBP) <140 mmHg, office diastolic BP (DBP) <90 mmHg, home daytime SBP <135 mmHg, and home daytime DBP <85 mmHg. White coat effect was defined as elevated office and controlled home BP. Masked uncontrolled hypertension was defined as controlled office and elevated home BP. Sustained hypertension was defined as controlled office and elevated home BP. Nocturnal hypertension was defined as nighttime SBP ≥120 mmHg or DBP ≥70 mmHg. Results: Of the 36 participants with home BP data, 7 (19%) had controlled hypertension, 6 (17%) had white coat effect, 6 (17%) had masked uncontrolled hypertension, and 17 (47%) had sustained hypertension. 27 participants completed nighttime home BP readings, among whom 23 (85%) had nocturnal hypertension. Of those with nocturnal hypertension, 2 (9%) had controlled hypertension based on their daytime home BPs, 3 (13%) had white coat effect, 5 (22%) had masked uncontrolled hypertension, and 13 (56%) had sustained hypertension. There was no significant difference in age, sex, race, history of atrial fibrillation, and history of diabetes mellitus across BP phenotypes. The mean number of cardiology visits in the two years before enrollment was 4.3 (SD 2.8), which did not differ across home BP phenotypes. Conclusion: Masked uncontrolled hypertension and nocturnal hypertension were common in patients enrolled in the BLOCK HFpEF trial. These home BP phenotypes cannot be determined using office BP alone. While this is a small sample, patients with HFpEF may particularly benefit from careful BP phenotyping using out-of-office monitoring, including nocturnal BP monitoring.

P101 LEFT VENTRICULAR MASS INDEX (LVMI) IS UNLIKELY TO NORMALISE WITH TREATMENT USING CURRENTLY RECOMMENDED BLOOD PRESSURE TARGETS

Background and Objectives: LVMI is one of the strongest predictors of cardiovascular events. However, it's unclear whether current blood pressure (BP) targets normalise LVMI relative to a truly normotensive population. We therefore compared achieved LVMI in a younger cohort of hypertensive patients (< 55 years) treated for one year to conventional blood pressure targets (< 140/90 mmHg) versus the LVMI of a truly normotensive age-matched healthy population from the UK Biobank (BP ≤ 120/80 mmHg). Methods: The normotensive cohort comprised 101 treatment-naïve men (mean ± SD age: 52 ± 2 years, BP: 112 ± 7/68 ± 7 mmHg) from 77,983 UK Biobank participants who had undergone cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging (cMRI) to determine LVMI. The treated hypertensive cohort comprised 44 men from the TREAT CASP study* (mean age: 49 ± 6 years) who achieved mean BP of 129 ± 10/78 ± 8 mmHg after one-year treatment. LVMI in both cohorts was measured accurately via automated analysis of cMRI and manually reviewed for accuracy. Results: LVMI in Biobank cohort was 51.3 ± 6.0 g.m-2 (95% CI: 50.1 to 52.4 g.m-2). In the hypertensive cohort, after one year of treatment, LVMI was reduced (59.2 ± 7.0 versus 56.0 ± 7.0 g.m-2, P <0.001) but remained higher than the Biobank cohort (56.0 ± 7.0 versus 51.3 ± 6.0 g.m-2, P <0.001). Mean LVMI of treated-hypertensive patients achieving truly normotensive BP (≤ 120/80 mmHg) was 52.7 ± 5.7 g.m-2 (95% CI: 48.9 to 56.4 g.m-2; n = 9). Conclusions: This study identified optimal cMRI LVMI for healthy middle-aged men. Antihypertensive treatment reduces but does not restore LVMI to normal levels, suggesting much lower BP targets than currently recommended are likely to be necessary to normalise LVMI in hypertensive patients. *Reference: Lacy, P. S., Jedrzejewski, D., McFarlane, E., & Williams, B. (2023). Blood pressure measurement modalities and indexed left ventricular mass in men with low-risk hypertension confirmed by ambulatory monitoring. Journal of Hypertension, 41(6), 941-950.

Abstract P102: Reducing Testing Burden in Patients Screened for Primary Aldosteronism

Introduction: Primary aldosteronism (PA) is an increasingly recognized secondary cause of hypertension characterized by higher cardiovascular, renal, and metabolic disease rates than blood pressure-matched essential hypertensives. Current literature suggests expanding screening for PA to include the majority, if not all, hypertensive patients. This expansive screening would place considerable burden on patients and the healthcare system. A simple clinical risk prediction model that identifies patients with low risk for PA could reduce this testing burden. Methods: We evaluated 111 hypertensive patients in the Southern Illinois University Hypertension Clinic who underwent a screening test and, if positive, had subsequent confirmatory testing for PA. We characterized patients based on routine clinical measures including antihypertensive treatment intensity, blood pressure, serum electrolytes, and body size. Classification trees incorporating 96 patients without missing data points for any considered predictor variable were used to identify hypertensive screen-positive patients who have low to absent risk for PA as determined by confirmatory testing. Results: Patients with PA had higher serum aldosterone levels at screening (mean = 22.5 ng/dl ± SD = 11.6 vs. 15.2 ± 4.5, p < 0.001), higher BMI (35.8 kg/m 2 ± 9.9 vs. 29.9 ± 5.8, p < 0.001), lower potassium (3.9 mmol/L ± 0.5 vs. 4.1 ± 0.6, p = 0.03), and more intense antihypertensive drug therapy (defined by the World Health Organization defined daily dose [6.1 ± 3.2 vs. 4.4 ± 3.0, p = 0.01]) than hypertensive patients without PA. The optimal classification tree model performed relatively poorly at differentiating those with PA from those without PA (sensitivity = 0.76, specificity = 0.86, positive predictive value = 0.87, and negative predictive value = 0.73). However, the model did reveal a subset of individuals who consistently tested negative for PA. Out of 14 patients with serum aldosterone concentration < 25.5, serum potassium > 3.55, and BMI < 27, none had PA. Conclusion: We identified a set of readily available clinical variables for identifying hypertensive patients who screened positive for PA but in whom PA was subsequently proven to be absent. Applying these criteria to our screen-positive hypertensive cohort reduces confirmatory testing by approximately 15%. Study in a larger sample size and external validation of this model is needed prior to recommending it for use in clinical decision-making.