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Query: UMLS:C0038454 (stroke)
 147,016 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Management of hypertension, at the beginning of the new millennium, persists in being a difficult, demanding and responsible task. Beta blockers and diuretics reduce mortality, stroke and coronary disease in patients suffering from arterial hypertension. Newer antihypertensive drugs which block the renin angiotensin system, such as angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), may have additional benefits in high-risk individuals with normal blood pressure. The additional benefit has been confirmed in LIFE and ANBP2 studies. In HOPE study, application of the ACE inhibitors in high-risk patients with "normal" BP values resulted in reduction of major cardiovascular events. Problem of adherence to therapy also continues to be one of the most important problems in management of hypertension. The success of antihypertensive management is directly proportional to the adherence to therapy. The new European guidelines for the management of arterial hypertension and JNC 7 recommendations offer a rational and effective approach to management of hypertension. These two documents contain a series of new attitudes, and reminded of some old and opened some new questions.
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PMID:[Therapy of hypertension 2004--quo vadis?]. 1520 6

At least 17 million people in the United States have diabetes mellitus, and another 50 million have hypertension. These chronic diseases increasingly coexist in our aging population. Both diseases are important predisposing factors for the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and renal disease, and the coexistence of these risk factors is a very powerful promoter of CVD and renal disease. There is accumulating evidence that the rigorous treatment of hypertension and other risk factors such as dyslipidemia and hyperglycemia considerably lessens the burden of CVD and renal disease in patients with diabetes mellitus. There is considerable evidence that strategies addressing diet and exercise reduce the development of diabetes and are an important component of treatment in persons who have established diabetes. There are also considerable data suggesting that the treatment strategies that interrupt the renin-angiotensin system have special benefits in patients with diabetes and may prevent the development of clinical diabetes in hypertensive patients with impaired glucose tolerance. Data from a recent study indicate that the control of systolic blood pressure, using a diuretic agent as part of antihypertensive therapy, reduces the risk of stroke and other CVD end points. Recent reports indicate that angiotensin receptor-blocking agents decrease the rate of development of proteinuria and diabetic renal disease. These observations will likely have a significant impact on treatment of hypertension in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
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PMID:Treatment of hypertension in patients with diabetes. 1545 59

The understanding of the pathophysiology governing atherosclerosis supports a prominent role for inflammation pathways in plaque initiation and progression that result in stroke and myocardial infarction. Elevated levels of inflammatory markers in the blood, such as C-reactive protein and CD40 ligand/CD40, in concert with increased expression of adhesion molecules, chemokines, cytokines, matrix metalloproteinases (MMP), and inflammatory cells in the plaque, characterize the symptomatic atherothrombotic state. Advances in predictive capabilities of vascular events using a number of these biomarkers are beginning to remodel our clinical practice in the use of medications such as statins and angiotensin receptor blockers for stroke prevention. Although the general inflammatory features of atherosclerosis are becoming widely recognized, factors resulting in individual variability in plaque formation and instability remain poorly defined. Emerging literature points toward several acquired and innate susceptibility factors in the immune pathways that may provide insight into why many plaques rapidly evolve from a "stable" to an "unstable" or symptomatic state. First, exposure of plaque memory T-lymphocytes to infectious or endogenous antigens may result in rapid clonal expansion of T-cell variable beta chain subtypes and stimulate macrophages to release MMPs, causing plaque destabilization. The effects of infectious agents can further be influenced by an individual's major histocompatibility complex class II molecule profiles, which can affect susceptibility to specific organisms. Second, functional polymorphisms of genes that regulate the immune pathway can predispose patients to a more robust inflammatory expression after risk factor exposure. Identification of a susceptibility gene profile and immunologic mediators that promote T-cell activation provides a unique opportunity for early identification of stroke risk and targets for future therapy.
Stroke 2004 Nov
PMID:Immunogenetic susceptibility of atherosclerotic stroke: implications on current and future treatment of vascular inflammation. 1547 6

Hypertension is a major cardiovascular risk factor, but most patients remain asymptomatic for many years. Successful therapy not only needs to be effective, it also needs to be well tolerated. Angiotensin receptor blockers have emerged as a major therapeutic class because they meet both of these requirements. Numerous studies indicate that all approved angiotensin receptor blockers are highly selective for angiotensin-1 receptors, lower blood pressure as monotherapies, and work well in combination with other drugs - particularly diuretics. The side-effect profile of angiotensin receptor blockers is similar to that of placebo and they have not been associated with known side effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors such as cough and angioneurotic edema. Candesartan cilexetil is an angiotensin receptor blocker with insurmountable binding properties to the angiotensin-1 receptor, long duration of action and improved efficacy. In patients with hypertension, candesartan monotherapy has been shown to be safe and effective. Comparative data have shown similar or better results to other monotherapies in blood-pressure control, and in combination with hydrochlorothiazide it has been shown to have additive or synergistic effects. More recent data demonstrate that candesartan cilexetil is useful in the treatment of patients with heart failure and may protect against diabetic nephropathy. Studies have also shown protection from stroke, particularly in patients with isolated systolic hypertension.
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PMID:Candesartan cilexetil in cardiovascular disease. 1550 Apr 28

The Valsartan Antihypertensive Long-Term Use Evaluation (VALUE) Trial compared coronary heart disease outcome in two anti-hypertensive treatment strategies based on either an angiotensin receptor blocker, valsartan, or a calcium channel blocker (CCB), amlodipine. In both patient groups a diuretic was added, if necessary, in an attempt to achieve blood pressure (BP) goals. Follow-up of over 15,000 patients was maintained for 4.2 years. There were no differences in the primary composite endpoint of cardiac morbidity and mortality (which included interventional procedures, hospitalised heart failure, non-fatal myocardial infarction and fatal coronary heart disease, however myocardial infarction and stroke events occurred less commonly on amlodipine than on valsartan the former achieving statistical significance [p=0.02 and p=0.08 respectively]). There was a non-significant excess of hospitalised heart failure on amlodipine (p=0.012). However, lower BPs early in the trial probably accounted for most of the observed benefits in favour of the CCB. The angiotensin receptor blocker arm was associated with less new onset diabetes. The results of VALUE add further support to the evidence that blood pressure control is the major determinant in outcome in trials of antihypertensive therapy.
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PMID:The VALUE trial: a commentary. 1552 43

Several large clinical trials have demonstrated that successful control of blood pressure decreases the incidence of strokes. Also, drugs that stimulate the production of angiotensin II, such as diuretics, calcium channel blockers (CCBs) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), provide additional stroke reduction than drugs that suppress angiotensin II production such as beta-blockers and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. Since the stroke-protective effect of angiotensin II is mediated through stimulation of the AT2 receptors, drugs that selectively block the AT1, such as the ARBs, provide greater stroke protection than the other antihypertensive drugs. The blockade of the AT1 receptors lessens local brain ischemia, whereas the stimulation of the AT2 receptors increases local blood flow through recruitment of collateral vessels. Among the ARBs, losartan possesses certain unique properties not shared by other members of its class, which enhance its stroke-protective effects. These include the prevention of platelet adhesiveness and aggregation and the decrease of serum uric acid levels, which both lead to reduction in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events. (
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PMID:Stroke prevention with losartan in the context of other antihypertensive drugs. 1553 51

Angiotensin II plays a significant role in cell growth and proliferation in model systems and in humans. Numerous studies have shown that left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) increases the risk of coronary heart disease, congestive heart failure, stroke or transient ischemic attack; all-cause deaths, and sudden death. The use of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) has provided beneficial effects on LVH regression and on cardiac remodeling in the presence of hypertension and heart failure. The new class of ARBs appears to provide cardioprotective effects that are similar to those of the ACE inhibitors. Most of the beneficial effects provided by these agents appear to be related to a more complete blockade of the angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptor. However, costimulation of the angiotensin II type 2 (AT2) receptor appears to increase nitric oxide and thus causes some bradykinin-like effects. Evidence for the role of angiotensin II in promoting LVH as well as abnormal regulation of the angiotensin II signal transduction pathways in model systems and in humans has been reviewed. Secondly, the mechanisms for the beneficial effects of angiotensin II receptor blockers studied in model systems and in humans, including possible involvement in the formation of reactive oxygen species by mononuclear cells, are presented. Finally, results from large-scale interventions such as the Losartan Intervention For Endpoint reduction (LIFE) study, as well as an overview of the Valsartan Antihypertensive Long-term Use Evaluation (VALUE) trial involving the use of ARB in high-risk patients, are presented.
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PMID:Left ventricular hypertrophy and angiotensin II receptor blocking agents. 1563 45

In part V of a series of papers on epidemiology and drug prevention of stroke and other thromboembolic complications of atrial fibrillation the authors analyze data of randomized trials exhibiting ability of long term use of beta-adrenoblockers, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor antagonists and statins to prevent atrial fibrillation. They also discuss results of short term studies demonstrating improved efficacy of electrical and pharmacological cardioversion in patients with atrial fibrillation after pretreatment with verapamil, beta-adrenoblockers, and angiotensin receptor antagonists, and present data indicating that monotherapy with verapamil, beta-adrenoblockers, angiotensin receptor antagonists and statins can facilitate maintenance of sinus rhythm after cardioversion in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation.
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PMID:[Stroke and other thromboembolic complications of atrial fibrillation. Part v. The use of drugs without antithrombotic or antiarrhythmic properties.]. 1569 29

Patients who survive a first stroke are often left with permanent disabilities, and have significant needs for rehabilitation and long-term care. Antihypertensive treatment reduces the risk of cardiovascular events such as stroke. The purpose of this study was to investigate the cost-effectiveness of candesartan-based antihypertensive treatment for the prevention of nonfatal stroke. The cost-effectiveness analysis was based on data from Study on COgnition and Prognosis in the Elderly (SCOPE), where patients were randomly assigned to receive the angiotensin receptor blocker candesartan or placebo, with open-label active antihypertensive treatment added as needed. The analysis was carried out using a Markov model, which combined clinical and resource utilization data from SCOPE with Swedish retail prices for drugs and unit costs for in-patient stays, and outpatient visits. The cost per patient was 1949 EUR in the candesartan group and 1578 EUR in the control group. The largest share of the cost was attributed to antihypertensive treatment in the candesartan group and to the long-term cost of stroke in the control group. Candesartan-based antihypertensive treatment was associated with 0.0289 additional quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) per patient and an incremental cost per QALY gained of approximately 13,000 EUR. Sensitivity analyses showed that these results were fairly stable. In conclusion, the cost per QALY gained with candesartan-based antihypertensive treatment lies within the range of society's willingness to pay for health gains. The results indicate that candesartan-based antihypertensive treatment is cost-effective for the prevention of nonfatal stroke.
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PMID:The cost-effectiveness of candesartan-based antihypertensive treatment for the prevention of nonfatal stroke: results from the Study on COgnition and Prognosis in the Elderly. 1580 Jun 64

Angiotensin II stimulates and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor decreases endothelin-1 expression. Effects of the angiotensin-type 1 antagonist (angiotensin receptor blocker) on tissue expression of endothelin-1 in hypertension remained unknown. We investigated the effects of angiotensin-type 1 antagonist with and without co-administration of the aldosterone receptor antagonist spironolactone on cardiac expression of endothelin-1 mRNA. Angiotensin receptor blocker (candesartan, 1.0 mg/kg per day) was orally administered to male spontaneously hypertensive stroke-prone rats/Izm from 4 weeks of age for 4 weeks, 12 weeks and 28 weeks (angiotensin receptor blocker group). Lowdose spironolactone (10 mg/kg per day, s.c.), which does not affect blood pressure, was co-administered with angiotensin-type 1 antagonist for 28 weeks (angiotensin-type 1 antagonist + spironolactone group). Cardiac expression of endothelin-1 mRNA was determined. In the angiotensin receptor blocker group, although cardiac expression of endothelin-1 mRNA was significantly decreased after 4 weeks of treatment, it was significantly increased after 12 weeks and 28 weeks of treatment. In the angiotensin receptor blocker + spironolactone group, while systolic blood pressure did not show a further decrease from that in the angiotensin receptor blocker group, cardiac expression of endothelin-1 mRNA was decreased to the level in the untreated group. These results suggest that effects on endothelin-1 expression could modify the cardioprotective effects of angiotensin receptor blocker. Coadministration of angiotensin receptor blocker with low-dose spironolactone is recommended for further cardioprotection via suppression of endothelin-1 expression.
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PMID:Effects of AT1 receptor antagonist and spironolactone on cardiac expression of ET-1 mRNA in SHR-SP/Izm. 1583 51


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