Positive effect of CPAP treatment on the control of difficult-to-treat hypertension.

The aim of the present study was to analyse the role of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment in patients with difficult-to-control hypertension (DC-HT) and sleep apnoea. An Autoset (ResMed, Sydney, Australia) study was performed in 60 patients diagnosed with DC-HT based on two 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitorisation (ABPM) studies. CPAP was offered to patients with an apnoea/hypopnoea index (AHI) > or =15 events.h(-1). After 3 months of treatment, repeat ABPM was performed to evaluate the effect of CPAP upon the blood pressure values. A total of 39 (65%) patients received CPAP treatment, but only 33 completed the study. The mean+/-sd systolic and diastolic blood pressures (SBP and DBP, respectively) were 154.8+/-14 and 90+/-8.8 mmHg. Patients had a mean+/-sd AHI of 37.7+/-18.2 events.h(-1). Only three patients presented a dipper nocturnal pressure pattern. CPAP treatment significantly reduced SBP (-5.2 mmHg), and particularly the nocturnal values (-6.1 mmHg), but not DBP. Considering only those patients who tolerated CPAP, the decrease in SBP was greater (-7.3 mmHg). Furthermore, CPAP treatment significantly increased the percentage of patients who recovered the dipper pattern (three (9.1%) out of 33 versus 12 (36.4%) out of 33). Continuous positive airway pressure treatment significantly reduces systolic blood pressure, particularly at night, and normalises the nocturnal pressure pattern in patients with difficult-to-control hypertension and sleep apnoea.

Síndrome de Guillain-Barré que simula un ictus vertebrobasilar / Guillain-Barre syndrome mimicking a vertebrobasilar stroke

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[Sleep-disordered breathing in patients with difficult-to-control hypertension]. / Trastornos respiratorios durante el sueño en pacientes con hipertensión arterial de difícil control.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the relationship between sleep-disordered breathing and difficult-to-control arterial hyper-tension. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients were considered to have difficult-to-control hypertension when mean systolic blood pressure was 125 mm Hg or higher and/or mean diastolic blood pressure was more than or equal to 80 mm Hg (as recorded during 2 24-hour ambulatory monitoring studies) despite the use of 3 or more antihypertensive drugs. Respiratory polygraphy using the AutoSet device (ResMed Corp, Sydney, Australia) was then performed to study sleep-disordered breathing in all patients. RESULTS: Forty-nine patients with a mean (SD) age of 68.1 (9.1) years, mean systolic and diastolic pressures of 152.5 (13)/89.2 (8.5) mm Hg, and an average of 3.5 prescribed drugs were included in the study. The mean apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) was 26.2 (19.5) and events were predominantly obstructive. Patients with severe sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (SAHS) (AHI > or = 30; 40.8%) showed more uncontrolled daytime (P = .017) and nighttime (P = .033) systolic pressure than the rest, as well as higher daytime diastolic pressure (P = .035) and a greater consumption of drugs than those without severe SAHS (AHI < 10; 28.6%) (P = .041). The study population as a whole showed a significant correlation between blood pressure and obesity. There was a significant correlation (adjusted for age and sex) with AHI only in patients with SAHS. AHI was found to be the independent predictor with the greatest effect on blood pressure in these patients. CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence of SAHS was very high in patients with difficult-to-control hypertension. In patients with SAHS, AHI was found to be the independent predictor with the greatest affect on arterial blood pressure.

Trastornos respiratorios durante el sueño en pacientes con hipertensión arterial de difícil control / Sleep-disordered breathing in patients with difficult-to-control hypertension

Objetivo: Analizar la relación existente entre los trastornos respiratorios durante el sueño y la hipertensión arterial de difícil control (HTAr). Pacientes y métodos: Se consideró HTAr cuando las cifras medias de la presión arterial sistólica (PAS) eran mayores o iguales a 125 mmHg y/o la diastólica (PAD) era igual o superior a 80 mmHg según el registro de 2 estudios de monitorización ambulatoria durante 24 h a pesar de la utilización de 3 o más fármacos antihipertensivos. Se realizó posteriormente una poligrafía respiratoria (Autoset) para el estudio de los trastornos respiratorios durante el sueño en todos los pacientes. Resultados: Se incluyó en el estudio a 49 pacientes con una media (± desviación estándar) de edad de 68,1 ± 9,1 años, PAS/PAD media de 152,5 ±13/89,2 ±8,5 mmHg y una media de 3,5 fármacos prescritos. El índice de apneas-hipopneas (IAH) fue de 26,2 ± 19,5, de predominio obstructivo. Los pacientes con síndrome de apneas-hipopneas durante el sueño (SAHS) grave (IAH ≥ 30; 40,8%) presentaron mayor descontrol de la PAS tanto diurna (p = 0,017) como nocturna (p = 0,033) que el resto de pacientes, así como mayor PAD diurna (p = 0,035) y toma de un mayor número de fármacos que quienes no lo presentaban (IAH < 10; 28,6%) (p = 0,041). Tomados en su conjunto, los pacientes presentaron una correlación significativa entre las cifras de la presión arterial y la obesidad, además de existir una correlación ajustada significativa con el IAH sólo en los pacientes con SAHS. El IAH se mostró como el predictor independiente que más influyó en las cifras de la presión arterial de estos pacientes. Conclusiones: En pacientes con HTAr la prevalencia de SAHS fue muy elevada. En los pacientes con SAHS, el IAH se mostró como el factor predictivo independiente más importante de las cifras de presión arterial

Objective: To analyze the relationship between sleep-disordered breathing and difficult-to-control arterial hyper-tension. Patients and methods: Patients were considered to have difficult-to-control hypertension when mean systolic blood pressure was 125 mm Hg or higher and/or mean diastolic blood pressure was more than or equal to 80 mm Hg (as recorded during 2 24-hour ambulatory monitoring studies) despite the use of 3 or more antihypertensive drugs. Respiratory polygraphy using the AutoSet device (ResMed Corp, Sydney, Australia) was then performed to study sleep-disordered breathing in all patients. Results: Forty-nine patients with a mean (SD) age of 68.1 (9.1) years, mean systolic and diastolic pressures of 152.5 (13)/89.2 (8.5) mm Hg, and an average of 3.5 prescribed drugs were included in the study. The mean apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) was 26.2 (19.5) and events were predominantly obstructive. Patients with severe sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (SAHS) (AHI ≥ 30; 40.8%) showed more uncontrolled daytime (P=.017) and nighttime (P=.033) systolic pressure than the rest, as well as higher daytime diastolic pressure (P=.035) and a greater consumption of drugs than those without severe SAHS (AHI < 10; 28.6%) (P=.041). The study population as a whole showed a significant correlation between blood pressure and obesity. There was a significant correlation (adjusted for age and sex) with AHI only in patients with SAHS. AHI was found to be the independent predictor with the greatest effect on blood pressure in these patients. Conclusions: Prevalence of SAHS was very high in patients with difficult-to-control hypertension. In patients with SAHS, AHI was found to be the independent predictor with the greatest affect on arterial blood pressure

[Role of oral candidiasis as a predictive marker of tuberculosis in patients with HIV infection]. / Papel de la candidiasis oral como marcador predictivo de enfermedad tuberculosa en los pacientes con infección por virus de inmunodeficiencia humana (VIH).

We present a prospective follow-up study of 114 patient infected by Candida and HIV, in order to assess the role of oral candidiasis (OC) as a predictive marker of tuberculosis and opportunistic infections (OI) which define the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). We compared the study group with an homogeneous control group of 152 patients infected by HIV without OC during the same period. TBC findings in the first group were discriminant with respect to the control group (p less than 0.0001) with and average period of 2.5 months between the diagnosis of OC and the development of TBC. These findings suggest that OC is an early evolutive marker of TBC and a late marker of AIDS.