Prevalencia de hipertrofia ventricular izquierda, fibrilación auricular y enfermedad cardiovascular en hipertensos de Andalucía. Estudio PREHVIA

Early Detection of Atrial Fibrillation in Community Pharmacies-CRIFAFARMA Study

BACKGROUND

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia to appear in clinical practice. People with AF have 5 times the risk of stroke compared to the general population.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of AF in people over the age of 50 without known AF, who presented to a community pharmacy to check their cardiovascular risk factors, to identify risk factors associated with AF, and to assess the risk of stroke in people who screened positive for AF.

METHODS

A multicenter observational descriptive study of a screening program took place from May to December 2016. A blood pressure monitor (Microlife Watch BP Home) was used to screen for AF, and the CHA2DS2-VASc questionnaire was used to assess stroke risk.

RESULTS

The study included 452 adults over the age of 50. The CRIFAFARMA study detected a prevalence of AF of 9.1%. Risk factors for AF were: age of 75 years or older (P = .024), lack of physical activity (P = .043), diabetes (P < .001), dyslipidemia (P = .003), and history of cardiovascular disease (P = .003). Diabetes (OR 2.79, P = .005) and dyslipidemia (OR 2.16, P = .031) had a combined explanatory capacity in the multivariable logistic regression model adjusted for age. 85% were at high risk of stroke according to the CHA2DS2-VASc scale.

CONCLUSIONS

AF was detected in more than 9% of the included population. Factors associated with AF were advanced age, lack of physical activity, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and history of cardiovascular disease, with diabetes and dyslipidemia standing out as the factors with independent explanatory capacity.

[Cardiovascular preventive recommendations. PAPPS 2020 update]

The recommendations of the semFYC's Program for Preventive Activities and Health Promotion (PAPPS) for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are presented. The following sections are included: Epidemiological review, where the current morbidity and mortality of CVD in Spain and its evolution as well as the main risk factors are described; Cardiovascular (CV) risk tables and recommendations for the calculation of CV risk; Main risk factors such as arterial hypertension, dyslipidemia and diabetes mellitus, describing the method for their diagnosis, therapeutic objectives and recommendations for lifestyle measures and pharmacological treatment; Indications for antiplatelet therapy, and recommendations for screening of atrial fibrillation. The quality of testing and the strength of the recommendation are included in the main recommendations.

Factors associated to hypertensive heart disease development: a prospective cohort study in Bayamo, Cuba

INTRODUCTION

Among the conditions resulting from target organ damage by arterial hypertension, hypertensive cardiopathy is the one that exhibits the highest morbidity and mortality rates. Its prevention should be a target of all high blood pressure medical care programs.

OBJECTIVE

To identify risk factors for the development of hypertensive cardiopathy.

METHODS

A prospective cohort study was carried out in hypertensive patients assisted at the specialized arterial hypertension physicians’ offices of the “Carlos Manuel de Céspedes” Specialty Policlinic attached to the General University Hospital, Bayamo Municipality, Granma Province, Cuba, from January 1st, 2000 to December 31st, 2009.

RESULTS

Multivariate analysis done to estimate the hazard rate (HR) of developing hypertensive cardiopathy, showed significant independent statistic association for most factors. The first place was occupied by lack of blood pressure control (HR=2.022; 95% CI: 1.659-2.465; p<0.005), followed by hypertension stage 2 (HR=2.015; 95% CI: 1.715-2.366; p<0.005). Another factors with significant HRs were microalbuminuria (HR=1.9; 95% CI: 1.6-2.2) and age over 60 years (HR=1.6; 95% CI: 1.4-1.9).

CONCLUSIONS

Several risk factors must be considered for the prevention of hypertensive heart disease in high blood pressure patients.

Epidemiology of atrial fibrillation in Spain in the past 20 years

Atrial fibrillation is the most common sustained arrhythmia. Because of its potentially serious clinical consequences (heart failure, stroke, and cognitive impairment), atrial fibrillation has important socioeconomic and health implications. This article reviews the major studies on the epidemiology of atrial fibrillation in Spain. Recent data suggest that in people older than 40 years, the prevalence of atrial fibrillation may be more than 4%. Given the current Spanish demography, these data would imply that more than 1 million people in Spain have atrial fibrillation.

[Prevalence of atrial fibrillation and related factors in hospitalized old patients: ESFINGE study]

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the commonest rhythm abnormality and it increases with ageing. The main objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of AF in hospitalized old patients as well as its characteristics and related clinical and therapeutic factors.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Prospective, multicenter, observational study in patients aged ≥ 70 years with AF, who had been hospitalized in Internal Medicine or Geriatrics wards. All variables studied were obtained from the patients' clinical records.

RESULTS

Out of 3,319 evaluable patients, 922 had an AF, which represents a prevalence of 31.3% (CI 95%; 29.7-32.9). The mean age was 82 years (6.1; 69.9-101.8) and 57% were women. 88.7% of patients (818 p) had an AF before admission. AF was long-standing persistent or permanent in 728 cases (89.1%) and it was the first episode (paroxysmal or persistent) in 51 patients (6.2%). There was a clear etiology of AF in only 4.1% cases. Congestive heart failure was the commonest reason for hospitalization in our patients. Regarding the cardiovascular risk factors, 80.3% patients were hypertensive, 36.4% had dyslipemia, 38.2% had diabetes and 5% were active smokers. Associated diseases included renal insufficiency (38.1%) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (38.2%); in addition, 188 patients (20.4%) had suffered from cerebrovascular accidents. Finally, 67.4% patients had received antiarrhythmic drugs for their FA. Although 86.1% had received thromboembolic prevention therapy, only 54.1% were under oral anticoagulation. Finally, 6.9% patients had antiarrhythmic drugs-related side effects.

CONCLUSIONS

Over one third of hospitalized patients older than 70 years have AF, which is generally relapsing and permanent. Heart failure is the commonest reason for hospitalization in these patients and about 40% have an associated disease.

Concordance between automatic and manual recording of blood pressure depending on the absence or presence of atrial fibrillation

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to determine the concordance between two instruments for measuring blood pressure (BP) and its modification due to the presence or absence of atrial fibrillation (AF).

METHODS

In 107 patients with AF and a sinus rhythm (SR) of 100, BP was recorded using two sphygmomanometers: one automatic and the other manual. Four readings were made with each at 5-min intervals, and the mean was calculated for the statistical calculations. The correlation was determined using Pearson's correlation coefficient, and the concordance using the Bland-Altman plot and the κ index.

RESULTS

The correlation coefficients (r) for the systolic (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) were 0.92 and 0.76. If the patient had AF, these were 0.91 and 0.75, respectively. The difference between the automatic and manual SBP measurements depending on whether the patient presented AF was -0.21 and -1.03 mm Hg. In DBP, this was -4.61 and 0.44 mm Hg. This discordance is not modified for low or high BP values, both in patients with AF and those without it. If we classify the patients as hypertensive or not (≥140/90 mm Hg), the concordance between both methods has high κ indices (0.72 and 0.89) both in AF and SR.

CONCLUSION

There is a high correlation between both measurements, which decreased slightly in patients with AF. The difference when comparing the means is clinically irrelevant, and there is a substantial level of concordance between the two measurements for classifying patients as hypertensive or not.

[Cardiovascular morbidity and mortality and electrocardiographic criteria of left ventricular hypertrophy in hypertensive patients treated in primary care]

FUNDAMENTALS AND OBJECTIVE: Electrocardiographic voltage criteria are the preferred method for diagnosis of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in Primary Health Care (PHC). Several of these have been described as major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) predictors. The aim of this study was to analyse the relationship between MACE occurrence in a cohort of hypertensive subjects in PHC and different electrocardiographic criteria recorded.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

265 hypertensive subjects attending PHC were randomly selected and followed up for 12 years. Standard 12-lead electrocardiograms were recorded at the beginning of the study. The occurrence of ischemic heart disease, heart failure, stroke, peripheral vascular disease, arrhythmia or cardiovascular death was considered as MACE. Electrocardiographic voltage criteria recorded were: Sokolow-Lyon, Minnesota code 3.1, Gubner and Ungerleider, Cornell voltage and Schillaci and Dalfó modifications. Data were analyzed using the life-table method and Cox regression models.

RESULTS

14,3% of patients lost to follow-up showed no differences in baseline characteristics from the rest of the cohort. The median follow-up was 10.1 years (IQR: 5.8-12.0). The cumulative survival rate was 53.5% (95% CI, 45.7-61.3%). The incidence of MACE was 5.85 (95% CI, 4.73-6.97) per 100 hypertensive patients-year. In the multivariate analysis none of the ECG criteria showed statistical association with the occurrence of MACE.

CONCLUSIONS

No association has been found between different electrocardiographic LVH criteria and the incidence of MACE in a cohort of hypertensive patients followed-up in a PHC setting for 12 years.