Association of visit-to-visit variability in blood pressure and first stroke risk in hypertensive patients with chronic kidney disease

Visit-to-visit blood pressure variability and clinical outcomes in peritoneal dialysis - based on machine learning algorithms

This study aims to investigate the association between visit-to-visit blood pressure variability (VVV) in early stage of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) and long-term clinical outcomes, utilizing machine learning algorithms. Patients who initiated CAPD therapy between January 1, 2006, and December 31, 2009 were enrolled. VVV parameters were collected during the first six months of CAPD therapy. Patient follow-up extended to December 31, 2021, for up to 15.8 years. The primary outcome was the occurrence of a three-point major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE). Four machine learning algorithms and competing risk regression analysis were applied to construct predictive models. A total of 666 participants were included in the analysis with a mean age of 47.9 years. One of the six VVV parameters, standard deviation of diastolic blood pressure (SDDBP), was finally enrolled into the MACE predicting model and mortality predicting model. In the MACE predicting model, higher SDDBP was associated with 99% higher MACE risk. The association between SDDBP and MACE risk was attenuated by better residual renal function (p for interaction <0.001). In the mortality predicting model, higher SDDBP was associated with 46% higher mortality risk. This cohort study discerned that high SDDBP in early stage of CAPD indicated increased long-term MACE and mortality risks.

Metabolic syndrome parameters' variability and stroke incidence in hypertensive patients: evidence from a functional community cohort

BACKGROUND

Stroke is a common complication of hypertension, but the predictive value of metabolic syndrome parameters' variability on stroke risk in individuals with hypertension remains unclear. Therefore, our objective was to investigate the relationship between metabolic syndrome parameters' variability and the risk of total stroke and its subtypes in hypertensive patients.

METHODS

This prospective cohort study included 17,789 individuals with hypertension from the Kailuan study since 2006. Metabolic syndrome parameters, including waist circumference (WC), fasting blood glucose (FBG), systolic blood pressure (SBP), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and triglyceride (TG), were collected at three follow-up visits in the 2006, 2008, and 2010 surveys. We assess the variability utilizing the coefficient of variation (CV), standard deviation (SD), average real variation (ARV), and variability independent of the mean (VIM), with CV initially assessed. Participants were categorized based on the number of high-variability metabolic syndrome parameters (0, 1, 2, ≥ 3). Stroke cases were identified by reviewing medical records. The associations between variability in metabolic syndrome parameters and the risk of total stroke and its subtypes were analyzed using Cox proportional hazard regression models.

RESULTS

During a median follow-up of 9.32 years, 1223 cases of stroke were recorded. Participants with ≥ 3 high-variability metabolic syndrome parameters had an increased risk of total stroke (HR: 1.29, 95%CI 1.09-1.52), as well as an increased risk of ischemic stroke (HR: 1.31, 95%CI 1.05-1.63) compared to those without high-variability parameters. The study also examined variability in each metabolic syndrome parameter, and significant associations with an increased risk of total stroke were observed for variability in SBP (HR: 1.24, 95%CI 1.05-1.46) and HDL-C (HR: 1.34, 95%CI 1.09-1.64).

CONCLUSIONS

Long-term fluctuations in metabolic syndrome parameters significantly increase the risk of total stroke, especially ischemic stroke. Maintaining low variability in metabolic syndrome parameters could benefit health, and hypertensive individuals must be regularly monitored.

Long-term systolic blood pressure variability independent of mean blood pressure is associated with mortality and cardiovascular events: A systematic review and meta-analysis

The association between long-term systolic blood pressure variability (SBPV) and cardiovascular (CV) outcomes after being adjusted with mean blood pressure (BP) is questionable. This systematic review aims to evaluate the associations between mean BP adjusted long-term SBPV and CV outcomes. A systematic search was conducted on PubMed, Scopus, and Science Direct on January 4, 2023. A total of 9,944,254 subjects from 43 studies were included in this meta-analysis. Long-term SBPV increased the risk of all-cause mortality (HR 1.21 [95%CI 1.16-1.25], I2=100%), CV mortality (HR 1.10 [95%CI 1.07-11.4], I2 = 90%), MACE (HR 1.10 [1.07-1.13], I2 = 91%), cerebrovascular stroke (HR 1.22 [1.16-1.29], I2=100%), and myocardial infarction (HR 1.13 [95%CI (1.07-1.19)], I2=91%). European populations generally had higher risk compared to other continents. In conclusion, long-term SBPV is associated with all-cause mortality, CV mortality, MACE, MI, and stroke. Poor outcomes related to long-term SBPV seem more dominated by cerebrovascular than coronary events.

Epidemiology and Risk Factors for Stroke in Chronic Kidney Disease: A Narrative Review

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have a higher risk ofboth ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. This association appears to be partly independent from the higher prevalence of established risk factors for stroke in patients with CKD, including hypertension and atrial fibrillation. In the present review we aim to discuss the impact of CKD on the risk of stroke and stroke-related consequences, and explore the pathophysiology underpinning the increased risk of stroke in patients with CKD. We cover the clinical association between renal dysfunction and cerebrovascular disease including stroke, silent brain infarct, cerebral small vessel disease, microbleeds, and white matter hyperintensity, and discuss the underlying mechanisms.

Self-Perceived Psychological Stress and Risk of First Stroke in Treated Hypertensive Patients

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to investigate the prospective association between self-perceived psychological stress and first stroke, and to examine possible effect modifiers among adults with hypertension.

METHODS

A total of 20,688 hypertensive adults with information on self-perceived psychological stress at baseline were included from the China Stroke Primary Prevention Trial. Participants were randomly assigned to a double-blind treatment of receiving a single tablet daily with either 10 mg enalapril and 0.8 mg folic acid or 10 mg enalapril alone. Follow-up visits occurred every 3 months after randomization. Psychological stress was measured with a one-item 3-point rating scale. The primary outcome was first stroke (fatal or nonfatal).

RESULTS

The median treatment period was 4.5 years. Compared with participants with low levels of psychological stress, those with high psychological stress had a significantly higher risk of first stroke (adjusted hazard ratio = 1.40, 95% confidence interval = 1.01 to 1.94) or first ischemic stroke (adjusted hazard ratio = 1.45; 95% confidence interval = 1.01 to 2.09). Moreover, a stronger positive relationship between psychological stress and first stroke was found in participants with time-averaged mean arterial pressure <101 mm Hg (median; p-interaction = .004) during the treatment period. However, our study did not find a significant association between psychological stress and first hemorrhagic stroke.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher psychological stress was associated with an increased risk of first stroke among treated hypertensive patients, especially in those with lower mean arterial pressure during the treatment period.

Interactions Between Kidney Function and Cerebrovascular Disease: Vessel Pathology That Fires Together Wires Together

The kidney and the brain, as high-flow end organs relying on autoregulatory mechanisms, have unique anatomic and physiological hemodynamic properties. Similarly, the two organs share a common pattern of microvascular dysfunction as a result of aging and exposure to vascular risk factors (e.g., hypertension, diabetes and smoking) and therefore progress in parallel into a systemic condition known as small vessel disease (SVD). Many epidemiological studies have shown that even mild renal dysfunction is robustly associated with acute and chronic forms of cerebrovascular disease. Beyond ischemic SVD, kidney impairment increases the risk of acute cerebrovascular events related to different underlying pathologies, notably large artery stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage. Other chronic cerebral manifestations of SVD are variably associated with kidney disease. Observational data have suggested the hypothesis that kidney function influences cerebrovascular disease independently and adjunctively to the effect of known vascular risk factors, which affect both renal and cerebral microvasculature. In addition to confirming this independent association, recent large-scale human genetic studies have contributed to disentangling potentially causal associations from shared genetic predisposition and resolving the uncertainty around the direction of causality between kidney and cerebrovascular disease. Accelerated atherosclerosis, impaired cerebral autoregulation, remodeling of the cerebral vasculature, chronic inflammation and endothelial dysfunction can be proposed to explain the additive mechanisms through which renal dysfunction leads to cerebral SVD and other cerebrovascular events. Genetic epidemiology also can help identify new pathological pathways which wire kidney dysfunction and cerebral vascular pathology together. The need for identifying additional pathological mechanisms underlying kidney and cerebrovascular disease is attested to by the limited effect of current therapeutic options in preventing cerebrovascular disease in patients with kidney impairment.

Urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio and the risk of first stroke in Chinese hypertensive patients treated with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors

We aimed to evaluate the relationship of the albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) with the risk of first stroke and examine possible effect modifiers in hypertensive patients. A total of 11,632 hypertensive participants with urinary ACR measurements and without a history of stroke from the China Stroke Primary Prevention Trial (CSPPT) were included in this analysis. The primary outcome was first stroke. Over a median follow-up of 4.4 years, 728 first strokes were identified, of which 633 were ischemic, 89 were hemorrhagic, and 6 were uncertain types. Overall, there was a significant positive association between natural log-transformed ACR and the risk of first stroke (HR, 1.11; 95% CI: 1.03-1.20) and first ischemic stroke (HR, 1.12; 95% CI: 1.03-1.22). Consistently, participants with ACR ≥ 10 mg/g had a significantly higher risk of first stroke (HR, 1.26; 95% CI: 1.06-1.50) and first ischemic stroke (HR, 1.33; 95% CI: 1.10-1.59) than those with ACR < 10 mg/g. Moreover, the association of ACR with first stroke was significantly stronger in participants with higher total homocysteine (tHcy) levels (<10 versus ≥ 10 μmol/L; P for interaction = 0.044). However, there was no significant association between ACR and first hemorrhagic stroke (per natural log [ACR] increment: HR, 1.02; 95% CI: 0.82-1.27). In summary, hypertensive patients with ACR ≥ 10 mg/g had a significantly increased risk of first stroke or first ischemic stroke. This positive association was more pronounced among participants with higher tHcy levels.

Neutrophil counts and the risk of first stroke in general hypertensive adults

We aimed to investigate the association between neutrophil counts and first stroke and examine possible effect modifiers among treated hypertensive adults. This is a post hoc analysis of the China Stroke Primary Prevention Trial (CSPPT). A total of 11,878 hypertensive adults with data on neutrophil counts at baseline were included in the current study. The primary outcome was first stroke. During a median follow-up of 4.5 years, 414 (3.5%) participants experienced a first stroke, including 358 with ischemic stroke, 55 with hemorrhagic stroke and one with uncertain type of stroke. Compared with participants in quartile 1 (<2.9 × 10⁹/L) of neutrophil counts, those in the upper quartiles (quartile 2-4 [≥2.9 × 10⁹/L]) had a significantly higher risk of first stroke (HR, 1.35; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.78) or first ischemic stroke (HR, 1.38; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.86). Moreover, a strong positive association between neutrophil counts and first ischemic stroke was found in participants with total homocysteine (tHcy) levels <15 μmol/L (HR, 1.74; 95% CI: 1.17, 2.58; vs. ≥15 μmol/L; HR, 0.91; 95% CI: 0.57, 1.46, P interaction = 0.042) at baseline or time-averaged mean arterial pressure (MAP) ≥102 mmHg (median) (HR, 1.92; 95% CI: 1.27, 2.89; vs. <102 mmHg; HR, 0.89; 95% CI: 0.57, 1.41, P interaction = 0.015) during the treatment period. However, no such association between neutrophil counts and first hemorrhagic stroke was found. In summary, high baseline neutrophil counts were associated with an increased risk of first ischemic stroke among hypertensive patients, especially in those with low tHcy at baseline or high time-averaged MAP during the treatment period.

Evaluation of Dietary Niacin and New-Onset Hypertension Among Chinese Adults

IMPORTANCE

The relationship of dietary niacin intake with the risk of hypertension remains unknown.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the prospective association between dietary niacin intake and new-onset hypertension, and examine factors that may modify the association among Chinese adults.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This nationwide cohort study of 12 243 Chinese adults used dietary intake data from 7 rounds of the China Health and Nutrition Survey. Dietary intake was measured by 3 consecutive 24-hour dietary recalls from participants in combination with a weighing inventory taken over the same 3 days at the household level. Statistical analysis was conducted from May 2020 to August 2020.

EXPOSURES

Dietary intake.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

The study outcome was new-onset hypertension, defined as systolic blood pressure 140 mm Hg or greater and/or diastolic blood pressure 90 mm Hg or greater, diagnosis by physician, or current antihypertensive treatment during the follow-up.

RESULTS

The mean (SD) age of the study population was 41.2 (14.2) years, and 5728 (46.8%) of participants were men. The mean (SD) dietary niacin intake level was 14.8 (4.1) mg/d. A total of 4306 participants developed new-onset hypertension during a median (interquartile range) follow-up duration of 6.1 (3.6-11.3) years. When dietary niacin was assessed in quartiles, the lowest risk of new-onset hypertension was found in participants in quartile 3 (14.3 to <16.7 mg/d; adjusted hazard ratio, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.75-0.90) compared with those in quartile 1 (<12.4 mg/d). Consistently in the threshold analysis, for every 1 mg/d increase in dietary niacin, there was a 2% decrease in new-onset hypertension (adjusted HR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.96-1.00) in those with dietary niacin intake less than 15.6 mg/d, and a 3% increase in new-onset hypertension (adjusted HR, 1.03; 95% CI, 1.02-1.04) in participants with dietary niacin 15.6 mg/d or greater. Based on these results, there was a J-shaped association between dietary niacin intake and new-onset hypertension in the general population of Chinese adults, with an inflection point at 15.6 mg/d and a minimal risk at 14.3 to 16.7 mg/d (quartile 3) of dietary niacin intake.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

The results of this study provide some evidence for maintaining the optimal dietary niacin intake levels for the primary prevention of hypertension.

Inverse Association Between Riboflavin Intake and New-Onset Hypertension

The prospective relation of dietary riboflavin intake with hypertension remains uncertain. We aimed to investigate the relationship of dietary riboflavin intake with new-onset hypertension and examine possible effect modifiers in general population. A total of 12 245 participants who were free of hypertension at baseline from China Health and Nutrition Survey were included. Dietary intake was measured by 3 consecutive 24-hour dietary recalls combined with a household food inventory. The study outcome was new-onset hypertension, defined as systolic blood pressure ≥140 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mm Hg or diagnosed by physician or under antihypertensive treatment during the follow-up. A total of 4303 (35.1%) subjects developed hypertension during 95 573 person-years of follow-up. Overall, there was a nonlinear, inverse association between total, plant-based, or animal-based riboflavin intake and new-onset hypertension (allPfor nonlinearity, <0.001). The risk of new-onset hypertension was increased only in participants with relatively lower riboflavin intake. Accordingly, a significantly lower risk of new-onset hypertension was found in participants in quartiles 2 to 4 of total riboflavin intake (hazard ratio, 0.74 [95% CI, 0.68–0.80]), plant-derived riboflavin intake (hazard ratio, 0.77 [95% CI, 0.71–0.84]), or animal-derived riboflavin intake (hazard ratio, 0.70 [95% CI, 0.65–0.77]), compared with those in quartile 1. In addition, the association between total riboflavin intake and new-onset hypertension was particularly evident in those with lower dietary sodium/potassium intake ratio (Pinteraction, <0.001). In summary, there was an inverse association between riboflavin intake and new-onset hypertension in general Chinese adults. Our results emphasized the importance of maintaining relatively higher riboflavin intake levels for the prevention of hypertension.