The prevalence of abdominal obesity and the association with socioeconomic status in Regions of the Russian Federation, the results of the epidemiological study - ESSE-RF.

AIM: The aim of the study is to determine the prevalence of AO in the population and to assess the association with socioeconomic factors according to the data of the ESSE-RF study (Epidemiology of Cardiovascular diseases in the Regions of the Russian Federation). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The object of the study is a random population sample of men and women aged 25-64 years from 13 regions of the Russian Federation (n=21 817). Abdominal obesity in men was defined as waist circumference (WC) >94 cm, and in women - WC >80 cm. Body mass index (BMI) >30.0 kg/m2 was adopted as the criterion of common obesity. RESULTS: The prevalence of AO in Russia was 55% (61.8% in women and 44% in men), while the percent of people with obesity, defined by BMI was significantly lower (33.4%). The number of examined patients with AO increased with age among both men and women (p<0.0001). A person with AO more often were people with low and very low income and low education levels (p<0.0001). Direct association between employment status and family status and AO in present study did not find, but WC was statistically significantly important criterion among male workers in comparison with those who never worked (p<0.0001), young men and women married, as well as married men of older age groups (p<0.0001).

[Use of nebivolol in patients with idiopathic pulmonary hypertension: results of the pilot study].

AIM: To study the impact of 24-week therapy with nebivolol in a dose of 5 mg/day on the clinical and functional status of patients with idiopathic pulmonary hypertension (IPH), echocardiographic parameters, and blood levels of vasoactive mediators and nitric oxide (NO) metabolite. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: During continuous standard therapy comprising dihydropyridine calcium antagonists, warfarin, and diuretics, 12 patients with IPH and functional class (FC) II-III received nebivolol in a dose of 5 mg/day for 24 weeks. According to the data of right heart catheterization, all the patients had a positive acute pharmacological test with a vasodilator (NO). Six-minute walk test (6'WT), estimation of the Borg dyspnea index (BDI) and FC, transthoracic echocardiography (EchoCG), and measurements of the levels of NO metabolites, endothelin-1, (ET-1), thromboxane B2 (TxB2), and 6-keto-prostaglandin F1alpha (6-ketoPG F1alpha) were done at baseline and after 12 and 24 weeks of the therapy. RESULTS: Following 24-week nebivolol treatment, there was a statistically significant increase in 6'WT distance (from 473 +/- 47.6 to 516.7 +/- 58.4 m; p < 0.0001) and a drop in BDI (from 3.4 +/- 2.2 to 1.1 +/- 0.7; p < 0.05) and FC (from 2.9 +/- 0.4 to 1.7 +/- 0.2; p < 0.05). Doppler EchoCG showed that pulmonary artery systolic pressure statistically significantly decreased (91.6 +/- 30 to 78.3 +/- 39 mm Hg; p = 0.05) at 12 weeks and slightly increased up to 83.2 +/- 32.4 mm Hg at 24 weeks. After 24-week treatment, the anteroposterior dimensions of the right ventricle (RV) statistically significantly reduced (from 4.4 +/- 0.6 to 3.8 +/- 1.2 cm; p < 0.05). The other EchoCG parameters remained substantially unchanged. There was a statistically reduction in the level of ET-1 (from 2.99 +/- 1.1 to 2.17 +/- 0.8 micromol/l; p < 0.05). The concentrations of 6-ketoPG Fla, TxB2, and NO metabolite remained substantially unchanged at 24 weeks of treatment with nebivolol. There were no adverse reactions requiring that the dose of the drug be discontinued or reduced. Heart rate tended to be lower at a 24-week follow-up. All the patients continued taking nebivolol after completion of the study. CONCLUSION: Therapy with nebivolol in a dose of 5 mg/day for 24 weeks led to a significant functional improvement in the patients with IPH and reductions in RV dimensions and blood ET-1 levels. The therapy did not cause adverse reactions.