Hemodynamic Instability in Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy: More Than Just Brain Injury-Understanding Physiology, Assessment, and Management

Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) can have both transient and long-lasting effects on the neonate, including neurologic, renal, cardiac, hepatic, and hematologic. Both the disease process and the treatment option of therapeutic hypothermia can result in hemodynamic instability. Understanding the effects of HIE on the neonatal myocardium, pulmonary vascular bed, and the cardiac dysfunction that can occur is key to managing infants with HIE. This article focuses on causes of hemodynamic instability in neonates following perinatal asphyxia and how to recognize hemodynamic compromise. It reviews the underlying pathophysiology and associated management strategies to improve hemodynamics and potentially improve outcomes.

Asian management of hypertension: Current status, home blood pressure, and specific concerns in Philippines (a country report)

Incidence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in the Philippines based on the Philippine Heart Association survey among hospital-based population showed hypertension as the highest (38.6%), followed by stroke (30%), coronary artery disease (CAD) (17.5%), and heart failure (10.4%). Based on Philippine FNRI data, the prevalence of coronary, cerebrovascular, and peripheral arterial diseases were 1.1%, 0.9%, and 1.0%, respectively. Cardiovascular risk factor prevalence were the following: diabetes at 3.9%, dyslipidemia at 72%, smoking at 31%, obesity at 4.9% (BMI), and 10.2% and 65.6% by waist-hip ratio in men and women, respectively. In a more recent study on risk factors, urban dwellers were more hypertensive, overweight, obese, and with impaired fasting glucose. More smokers and dyslipidemia by high TC, high non-HDL-C, and low HDL-C were seen in those living in the rural areas. Subjects with higher level of education were more overweight, obese and have dyslipidemia by a high TC, TG, and LDL-C while there were more smokers, low HDL-C, and hypertensive participants who have reached a lower level of education. Latest data on prevalence of hypertension were 28% equal for males and females. Unaware was 9%. Treatment rate was 56%, compliance was 57%, and BP control rate was 20%. Antihypertensive medications used were beta-blockers (36%), calcium channel blockers (CCB) (33%), angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) (28%), ACE inhibitors (5%), and centrally acting agents (4%). Mortality from CVD was stroke, mostly infarct (22.6%), myocardial infarction (6.5%), and Heart Failure (6.5%).

Multi-Site Photoplethysmographic and Electrocardiographic System for Arterial Stiffness and Cardiovascular Status Assessment

The development and validation of a system for multi-site photoplethysmography (PPG) and electrocardiography (ECG) is presented. The system could acquire signals from 8 PPG probes and 10 ECG leads. Each PPG probe was constituted of a light-emitting diode (LED) source at a wavelength of 940 nm and a silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) detector, located in a back-reflection recording configuration. In order to ensure proper optode-to-skin coupling, the probe was equipped with insufflating cuffs. The high number of PPG probes allowed us to simultaneously acquire signals from multiple body locations. The ECG provided a reference for single-pulse PPG evaluation and averaging, allowing the extraction of indices of cardiovascular status with a high signal-to-noise ratio. Firstly, the system was characterized on optical phantoms. Furthermore, in vivo validation was performed by estimating the brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), a metric associated with cardiovascular status. The validation was performed on healthy volunteers to assess the baPWV intra- and extra-operator repeatability and its association with age. Finally, the baPWV, evaluated via the developed instrumentation, was compared to that estimated with a commercial system used in clinical practice (Enverdis Vascular Explorer). The validation demonstrated the system's reliability and its effectiveness in assessing the cardiovascular status in arterial ageing.

Effects of acute stress on cardiac endocannabinoids, lipogenesis, and inflammation in rats

OBJECTIVE

Trauma exposure can precipitate acute stress (AS) and cardiovascular disorders (CVD). Identifying AS-related physiologic changes that affect CVD risk could inform development of early CVD prevention strategies. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) regulates hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and stress-related cardiovascular function. We examine stress-related ECS activity and its association with cardiovascular biochemistry/function after AS.

METHODS

Rodents (n = 8-16/group) were exposed to predator odor or saline; elevated plus maze, blood pressure, serum and cardiac ECS markers, and lipid metabolism were assessed 24 hours and 2 weeks postexposure.

RESULTS

At 24 hours, the predator odor group demonstrated anxiety-like behavior and had a) elevated serum markers of cardiac failure/damage (brain natriuretic peptide: 275.1 versus 234.6, p = .007; troponin I: 1.50 versus 0.78, p = .076), lipogenesis (triacylglycerols: 123.5 versus 85.93, p = .018), and inflammation (stearoyl delta-9 desaturase activity: 0.21 versus 0.07, p < .001); b) decreased cardiac 2-arachidonoyl-sn-glycerol (29.90 versus 65.95, p < .001), oleoylethanolamide (114.3 versus 125.4, p = .047), and palmitoylethanolamide (72.96 versus 82.87, p = .008); and c) increased cardiac inflammation (interleukin [IL]-1β/IL-6 ratio: 19.79 versus 13.57, p = .038; tumor necrosis factor α/IL-6 ratio: 1.73 versus 1.03, p = .019) and oxidative stress (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances: 7.81 versus 7.05, p = .022), which were associated with cardiac steatosis (higher triacylglycerol: 1.09 versus 0.72, p < .001). Cardiac lipogenesis persisted, and elevated blood pressure emerged 2 weeks postexposure.

CONCLUSIONS

Acute psychological stress elicits ECS-related cardiac responses associated with persistent, potentially pathological changes in rat cardiovascular biochemistry/function.

Associations of dietary indices with biomarkers of dietary exposure and cardiovascular status among adolescents in Germany

BACKGROUND

Adolescence is an important life stage for the development of dietary preferences and health behaviour. Longitudinal studies indicated that cardiovascular status in adolescence predicts cardiovascular risk marker values in adulthood. Several diet quality indices for adolescents have been developed in the past, but literature concerning associations between indices and biomarkers of dietary exposure and cardiovascular status is rather sparse. Hence, the aim of this study was to analyse associations of dietary indices with biomarkers of dietary exposure and cardiovascular status.

METHODS

For the present analysis, data from the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS 2003-2006) were used. The analysis included 5,198 adolescents, aged 12 to 17 years. The Healthy Food Diversity Index (HFD), the Healthy Nutrition Score for Kids and Youth (HuSKY), the Indicator Food Index (IFI) and a simple fruit/vegetable intake index were derived from food frequency questionnaire information to indicate a healthy diet. Adjusted mean values for homocysteine, uric acid, CRP, total cholesterol, HDL-C, ferritin, HbA1c, folate, vitamin B12 and BMI were calculated using complex-samples general linear models for quintiles of the different indices. Furthermore, the agreement in ranking between the different indices was calculated by weighted kappa. All statistical analyses were conducted for boys and girls separately, and were adjusted for potential confounders.

RESULTS

Folate was positively associated with the HFD, the HuSKY, and fruit/vegetable intake for both boys and girls and with IFI for boys. Among girls, positive associations were seen between vitamin B12 and the IFI and between diastolic blood pressure and the IFI as well as fruit/vegetable intake. A negative association was found between homocysteine and the HFD, the HuSKY, and the IFI for both boys and girls and with fruit/vegetable intake for boys. Among boys, uric acid and HbA1c were negatively and prevalence of obesity positively associated with the IFI.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, the indices, even the simpler ones, seem to have a similar general capability in predicting biomarkers of dietary exposure. To predict risk of cardiovascular disease dietary indices may have to be more specific.

A pilot study on short term heart rate variability & its correlation with disease activity in Indian patients with rheumatoid arthritis

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES

Cardiovascular complications may lead to mortality in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We assessed heart rate variability (HRV), an important autonomic function, to quantify the risk for cardiovascular complications in Indian patients with RA.

METHODS

The study was carried out in RA patients (n=45) diagnosed as per American College of Rheumatology criteria and healthy controls. HRV recording and analysis was done using Nevrokard software using time and frequency domain analyses. The overall autonomic tone, parasympathetic drive, sympathetic drive and sympatho-vagal ratio were quantified by using various parameters. It included standard deviation of all R-R intervals (SDNN), standard deviation of successive differences between adjoining normal cycles (SDSD), root-mean square of successive differences (RMSSD), and number of R-R intervals differing by >50 ms from adjacent intervals (NN50) in the time domain analysis. In frequency domain analysis, low frequency (LF) and high frequency (HF), LF/HF and total power were assessed.

RESULTS

Demographic profile was comparable between groups; however, systolic BP was higher in patients with RA. SDNN, SDSD, RMSSD, NN50, LF and HF power and total power (ms x ms) were significantly lower in patients with RA versus healthy controls (P<0.001). Disease activity score at 28 joints indicating severity of the disease was significantly and positively correlated with SDSD (r=0.375, R 2 =14.06; P=0.045) while LF and HF power (ms × ms) were significantly and inversely correlated with rheumatoid factor (r=-0.438 and -0.445; R 2 =19.1 and 19.8; P=0.017 and 0.016, respectively).

INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSIONS

HRV was significantly altered in patients with RA and independently associated with disease activity. Hence autonomic function testing, using HRV, may be useful as part of cardiovascular risk assessment in these patients.