Value of comparative studies of "real clinical practice" in modern cardiology. Position paper based on the expert council discussion dated 12/18/2020

On December 18, 2020, an expert council was held with the participation of members of the Russian Society of Cardiology, the Eurasian Association of Ther-apists, the National Society for Atherothrombosis, the National Society for Evi-dence-Based Pharmacotherapy, and the Russian Heart Failure Society. The event was devoted to the discussion of the correct use of research data of "real clinical practice" in decision making.

[Features of genetic manifestations in patients with abdominal obesity during atrial fibrillation in combination with arterial hypertension]

AIM

To study the significance of the rs1378942 polymorphisms of the CSK gene and rs2200733 (chromosome 4q25) in the progression of AF in men with AH and AO.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In an observational cohort study, 116 men aged 4565 years were followed. Of these, 57 patients with AF, AH and AO and a control group including 59 patients with AF, AH and without AO. Testing of polymorphism rs1378942 of the CSK gene and rs2200733 of chromosome 4q25 using polymerase chain reaction with restriction fragment length polymorphism. All statistical calculations were performed using the Rstudio program (version 0.99.879 20092016 RStudio, Inc., USA).

RESULTS

The average age of all studied patients was 53.37.1 years. When dividing patients with AF and AH into groups based on the presence/absence of AO, it turned out that in the subgroups of carriers of different genotypes of the rs1378942 polymorphism of the CSK gene there are significant differences in BMI: in the group with BMI, there is an increase in the indicator in the series of CC, AC, AA genotypes. The highest BMI value in carriers of the CC genotype (p0.03) was in the group with AO. In the subgroups of carriers of different rs2200733 genotypes of chromosome 4q25, CC has the highest BMI (p0.05). It was proved that in the group with AO, the progression of AF occurred 2.57 times more often than in the group without AO (p0.003).

CONCLUSION

In men with AF and AH, single nucleotide polymorphisms rs1378942 of the CSK gene and rs2200733 of chromosome 4q25 are associated with BMI. The heterozygous genotype AC rs1378942 in the CSK gene is significantly more common in patients, regardless of the presence of AO. In the group with AO, the progression of AF occurred 2.57 times more often than in the group without AO.

The Effects of Telmisartan and Its Combinations on Office Blood Pressure: Results of Prospective Observational Study TAINA

Aim. To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of telmisartan, used in monotherapy or in combination with hydrochlorothiazide or amlodipine, in real clinical practice in patients with diagnosed arterial hypertension who have not reached the target levels of blood pressure (BP).

Material and methods. The study was a non-intervention, prospective, multicenter, comparative, observational, epidemiological program, which was carried out in Russian medical institutions. The total patient population in which the prescribed therapy was administered included 1933 people (758 men and 1175 women, mean age 57.0-59.3 years). Participants were followed-up for 12 weeks. The change in office BP was evaluated on the 4th and 12th week.

Results. Significant (p<0.001 in all cases) change in office BP compared with the initial data were recorded in all study groups of therapy already at 4 weeks of treatment and became even more pronounced at 12 weeks. In the telmisartan monotherapy group, BP decreased from 155.7±10.7/92.2±7.6 mm Hg to 131.4±12.1/80.8±7.3 mm Hg at the end of the 4th week and to 125.3±7.6/78.2±6.1 mm Hg – at the end of the 12th week. Similarly, after treatment with the combination of telmisartan and hydrochlorothiazide, BP decreased from 162.7±12.6/94.3±7.9 mm Hg to 133.2±12.5/81.6±8.4 mmHg at the end of the 4th week and to 126.0±7.8/78.4±6.7 mm Hg – at the end of the 12th week. In telmisartan/amlodipine group, a decrease in BP also occurred, from 162.5±13.2/94.6±8.6 mm Hg to 132.8±14.5/81.3±7.5 mm Hg on the 4th week and to 125.4±8.7/78.4±5.6 mm Hg at the end of follow up (12 weeks). The proportion of patients who reached the target BP (<140/90 mm Hg) after treatment with telmisartan as monotherapy was 91.7%, after treatment with telmisartan+hydrochlorothiazide – 89.6%, after treatment with telmisartan+amlodipine – 92.8%. Throughout the program, prescribed therapy was well tolerated by patients. During the study, 47 adverse events (AEs) were recorded in 36 patients: 31 AEs with telmisartan monotherapy, 5 AEs with telmisartan/hydrochlorothiazide combination, and 11 AEs with telmisartan/amlodipine combination. Most of the AEs registered during the trial resolved by the end of the study, in four cases the date of AEs resolve is unknown, in two cases, at the time of completion of the study, AEs continued.

Conclusion. In the TAINA study a high antihypertensive efficacy and a comparable favorable safety and tolerability profile of telmisartan, used as monotherapy and in combination with hydrochlorothiazide or amlodipine was determined.

Features of Atrial Fibrillation in Patients with Arterial Hypertension and Extracardial Disorders

Aim. To study the features of the progression of atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with arterial hypertension (HT) and comorbid extracardiac diseases.Material and methods. In the observational cohort study 308 men 45-65 years old with AF and HT were observed Most patients also had the following comorbid extracardiac diseases: diabetes mellitus (DM; n=40), diffuse toxic goiter (DTG; n=42); hypothyroidism (HTH; n=59), abdominal obesity (AO; n=64), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD; n=47). The comparison group consisted of 56 patients with AF and HT only. Clinical, anthropometric, laboratory parameters, levels of NT-proBNP and galectin-3, results of ECG, daily monitoring of ECG and blood pressure wereassessed initially and after 12 months.Results. Persistent AF (29.6-65.2%) and long-term persistent AF (16-31.3%) were more common in groups with extracardiac diseases compared with the AF+HT group (20.4% and 14.2%, respectively). Permanent form of AF was statistically significantly more common in the DM (11.1%), AO (14.8%) and HTH (6.2%) groups compared with the AF+HT group (0.6%). A comparative assessment of risk factors (smoking and alcohol) did not show significant differences in prevalence in the groups (22-44%). An assessment of the levels of fibrosis and remodeling markers found a statistically significant increase in the level of galectin-3 in groups of patients with concomitant extracardiac diseases and an increase in the NT-proBNP level, relative to reference values in all groups except DTG.Conclusion. Patients with AF in combination with HT and comorbid extracardiac diseases have a more rapid AF progression.