Abstract Background Osteoprotegerin (OPG) is a marker of vascular calcification and cardiovascular risk in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Objective This study aimed to compare and correlate OPG values with flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and pulse wave velocity (PWV) measurements in patients in stage 3 CKD and those without renal dysfunction. Methods This case-control study was conducted in a specialized hypertension center in 2022. A total of 79 patients over 18 years of age participated in the study. The case […]

Abstract To assess the intrarater reliability and agreement of blood pressure (BP), arterial stiffness, and heart rate variability (HRV) assessments in patients with Parkinson`s disease (PD). Twenty patients with PD visited the laboratory three times, during which brachial and central BP (auscultatory and applanation tonometry, respectively), arterial stiffness (carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity and augmentation index), and HRV assessments were performed at rest. Brachial and central systolic BP presented greater values on visit 1 when compared to visits 2 and 3 […]

Abstract Background: Increased arterial stiffness is currently an independent risk factor for atrial fibrillation, but the pathophysiological mechanisms of this arrhythmia remain an area of knowledge gap to be explored. Objectives: To investigate the existence of an association between arterial stiffness and the density of premature atrial contractions (PACs) in hypertensive individuals without atrial fibrillation. Methods: Cross-sectional study with hypertensive patients without diagnosed atrial fibrillation, who were studied with speckle-tracking echocardiography to assess left atrial (LA) strain and carotid-femoral pulse […]

Abstract Background Previous studies have established normal and reference values for Pulse Wave Velocity (PWV). However, the PWV value that has the strongest association with cardiovascular biomarkers remains poorly understood. Objective This study aimed to determine the PWV value more likely to be associated with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), increased intima-media thickness (IMT), and presence of carotid plaques in patients with hypertension. Methods This cross-sectional study included 119 patients. Analysis of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves was performed for each […]

Abstract Central blood pressure (cBP) is considered an independent predictor of organ damage, cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality. Evidence has shown that high intensity interval training (HIIT) is superior to moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) for improving cardiorespiratory fitness and vascular function. However, the effects of these aerobic training modalities on cBP have not yet been properly reviewed.This meta-analysis aims to investigate to effects of HIIT versus MICT on cBP.We conducted a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials that compared HIIT versus […]

Abstract Background The SAGE score was developed to detect individuals at risk for increased pulse wave velocity (PWV). So far, studies have been focused on hypertensive patients. Objective To assess the ability of the score to detect non-hypertensive and pre-hypertensive patients at risk for increased PWV. Methods Retrospective cross-sectional study of analysis of central blood pressure data and calculation of the SAGE score of non-hypertensive and pre-hypertensive patients. Each score point was analyzed for sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive […]