Papers by elisabetta puglisi
Giornale italiano di cardiologia, 2010
Hypertensive crises (i.e., blood pressure > 180/120 mmHg) are common issues in the emergency d... more Hypertensive crises (i.e., blood pressure > 180/120 mmHg) are common issues in the emergency department. This term is used to indicate both emergencies and urgencies, characterized by presence and absence of target organ damage, respectively. A wide range of therapeutic options are available. The aim of this article is to review current knowledge and treatment trends in the literature to provide clinicians with diagnostic and therapeutic tools.
High Blood Pressure Cardiovascular Prevention, 2007
Giornale Italiano Di Cardiologia, Nov 1, 2010
Hypertensive crises (i.e., blood pressure >180/120 mmHg) are common issues in the emergency depar... more Hypertensive crises (i.e., blood pressure >180/120 mmHg) are common issues in the emergency department. This term is used to indicate both emergencies and urgencies, characterized by presence and absence of target organ damage, respectively. A wide range of therapeutic options are available. The aim of this article is to review current knowledge and treatment trends in the literature to provide clinicians with diagnostic and therapeutic tools.
![Research paper thumbnail of [Left ventricular diastolic function and dysfunction: a single cardiac target for various systemic diseases]](https://a.academia-assets.com/images/blank-paper.jpg)
Giornale Italiano Di Cardiologia, May 1, 2007
Several systemic and cardiac diseases cause an impairment of left ventricular filling or of the a... more Several systemic and cardiac diseases cause an impairment of left ventricular filling or of the ability to maintain cardiac output, without an increase in end-diastolic pressure. Prevalence of diastolic dysfunction has been found to be higher than systolic dysfunction in most studies. Many physiological conditions (age, sex and body weight), and pathological processes, such as cardiac or systemic diseases, can increase the incidence of diastolic dysfunction. Early diagnosis of left ventricular diastolic impairment has been demonstrated to have important therapeutic implications. Several invasive or non-invasive methods to investigate diastolic properties of the left ventricle have been described; a large number of studies compared different parameters of diastolic function in order to find the most accurate: this is of particular prognostic relevance since diastolic dysfunction may remain asymptomatic for a long period before resulting in overt heart failure. The purpose of this article is to provide an extensive review of the contemporary literature regarding diastolic function assessment and its role in daily practice.
Current Pharmaceutical Design, 2012
The renin angiotensin aldosterone system (RAAS) inhibitors induce an incomplete blockade of the s... more The renin angiotensin aldosterone system (RAAS) inhibitors induce an incomplete blockade of the system at different steps. Recently, the dual RAAS therapy is emerging in clinical practice, although there is a lack of evidence on safety and efficacy for this combination in several cardiovascular diseases. In this review, we evaluated the advantages and disadvantages of dual RAAS blockade in hypertension, proteinuric renal disease, heart failure and ischaemic heart disease. The role of DRIs in combination with ACEI or ARBs is promising, but still needs further studies. On the basis of the clinical outcomes and safety data the recommendations guidelines have not confirmed indications to dual RAAS blockade in essential hypertension treatment, heart failure and ischemic heart disease. Only proteinuric nephropathies and resistant hypertension may represent possible indications to dual RAAS blockade. Actually, rational combinations of either an ACEI or ARB or DRI with other classes of antihypertensives offer best solutions.
Giornale italiano di cardiologia (2006)
Hypertensive crises (i.e., blood pressure &am... more Hypertensive crises (i.e., blood pressure > 180/120 mmHg) are common issues in the emergency department. This term is used to indicate both emergencies and urgencies, characterized by presence and absence of target organ damage, respectively. A wide range of therapeutic options are available. The aim of this article is to review current knowledge and treatment trends in the literature to provide clinicians with diagnostic and therapeutic tools.
Giornale italiano di cardiologia (2006), 2007
Several systemic and cardiac diseases cause an impairment of left ventricular filling or of the a... more Several systemic and cardiac diseases cause an impairment of left ventricular filling or of the ability to maintain cardiac output, without an increase in end-diastolic pressure. Prevalence of diastolic dysfunction has been found to be higher than systolic dysfunction in most studies. Many physiological conditions (age, sex and body weight), and pathological processes, such as cardiac or systemic diseases, can increase the incidence of diastolic dysfunction. Early diagnosis of left ventricular diastolic impairment has been demonstrated to have important therapeutic implications. Several invasive or non-invasive methods to investigate diastolic properties of the left ventricle have been described; a large number of studies compared different parameters of diastolic function in order to find the most accurate: this is of particular prognostic relevance since diastolic dysfunction may remain asymptomatic for a long period before resulting in overt heart failure. The purpose of this art...
Giornale italiano di cardiologia (2006), 2010
Hypertensive crises (i.e., blood pressure > 180/120 mmHg) are common issues in the emergency d... more Hypertensive crises (i.e., blood pressure > 180/120 mmHg) are common issues in the emergency department. This term is used to indicate both emergencies and urgencies, characterized by presence and absence of target organ damage, respectively. A wide range of therapeutic options are available. The aim of this article is to review current knowledge and treatment trends in the literature to provide clinicians with diagnostic and therapeutic tools.
Journal of Hypertension, 2006
QT interval prolongation increases the risk of sudden death in several medical conditions. Patien... more QT interval prolongation increases the risk of sudden death in several medical conditions. Patients with primary aldosteronism and salt-sensitive hypertension experience more cardiovascular events than those with normal-renin essential hypertension. QT interval prolongation might represent one of the risk factors for cardiovascular events in these patients. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the QT interval in patients with primary aldosteronism and low-renin essential hypertension (LREH). Twenty-seven patients with primary aldosteronism, 17 patients with LREH, 117 patients with essential hypertension and 25 healthy individuals were studied. Plasma aldosterone, plasma renin activity, and aldosterone to plasma renin activity ratio (ARR) were determined. Corrected QT intervals (QTcs) were measured from a 12-lead electrocardiogram. The QTc was longer in primary aldosteronism (434 +/- 23 ms) and LREH (430 +/- 18 ms) compared with essential hypertension (419 +/- 22 ms) and healthy controls (412 +/- 19 ms) (P = 0.0004). The prevalence of QTc longer than 440 ms was higher in primary aldosteronism (48%) and LREH (23%) compared with essential hypertension (11%) and healthy controls (4%) (P < 0.0001). QTc correlated with plasma aldosterone (P = 0.01), ARR (P = 0.02), and diastolic blood pressure (P = 0.01). ARR (P = 0.01) and systolic blood pressure (P = 0.01) were identified as independent predictors of QTc. We postulate that the elevated aldosterone secretion contributes to the prolongation of the QT interval in patients with primary aldosteronism and LREH through both a depletion of intracellular potassium concentration and higher blood pressure values. QTc measurement might represent one simple, non-invasive and reproducible index to characterize the cardiovascular risk in patients with primary aldosteronism and LREH.
International Journal of Cardiology, 2009
International Journal of Cancer, 2014
Arterial hypertension and cancer are two of the most important causes of mortality in the world; ... more Arterial hypertension and cancer are two of the most important causes of mortality in the world; correlations between these two clinical entities are complex and various. Cancer therapy using old (e.g., mitotic spindle poisons) as well as new (e.g., monoclonal antibody) drugs may cause arterial hypertension through different mechanisms; sometimes the increase of blood pressure levels may be responsible for chemotherapy withdrawal. Among newer cancer therapies, drugs interacting with the VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factors) pathways are the most frequently involved in hypertension development. However, many retrospective studies have suggested a relationship between antihypertensive treatment and risk of cancer, raising vast public concern. The purposes of this brief review have then been to analyse the role of chemotherapy in the pathogenesis of hypertension, to summarize the general rules of arterial hypertension management in this field and finally to evaluate the effects of antihypertensive therapy on cancer disease.
Hypertension Research, 2011
The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between brachial and central blood pressure... more The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between brachial and central blood pressure (bBP and cBP) levels and aortic root dilatation (ARD) in essential hypertensive patients. A total of 190 untreated and treated essential hypertensive patients (mean age, 55±11 years) were considered for this analysis. We measured pulsatile hemodynamics and the proximal aortic diameter directly using tonometry, ultrasound imaging (echocardiography) and Doppler. Ninety-one hypertensive patients had an ARD (defined as aortic size index (ASi)42 cm/m 2). Central hemodynamic variables were significantly associated with ASi. Patients with increased ASi were significantly older (60 ± 10 vs. 50 ± 11 years, Po0.0001) and had higher levels of the augmentation index (AIx; 28±10 vs. 21±10 Po0.0001), augmentation pressure (AP; 13±6 vs. 8±5 mm Hg, Po0.0001), and central pulse pressure (cPP; 44 ± 10 vs. 39 ± 8 mm Hg, Po0.0001) compared with patients with normal ASi. In a logistic regression analysis, the AIx was the only significant predictor of ASi. In hypertensive patients, the AIx and cBP were associated with ARD, whereas the bBP was not. Patients with an increased ASi may lose part of the elastic properties of the aorta, demonstrating a strict correlation between ASi and central hemodynamic indexes, in particular, the cPP and AIx.
Current Pharmaceutical Design, 2012
The renin angiotensin aldosterone system (RAAS) inhibitors induce an incomplete blockade of the s... more The renin angiotensin aldosterone system (RAAS) inhibitors induce an incomplete blockade of the system at different steps. Recently, the dual RAAS therapy is emerging in clinical practice, although there is a lack of evidence on safety and efficacy for this combination in several cardiovascular diseases. In this review, we evaluated the advantages and disadvantages of dual RAAS blockade in hypertension, proteinuric renal disease, heart failure and ischaemic heart disease. The role of DRIs in combination with ACEI or ARBs is promising, but still needs further studies. On the basis of the clinical outcomes and safety data the recommendations guidelines have not confirmed indications to dual RAAS blockade in essential hypertension treatment, heart failure and ischemic heart disease. Only proteinuric nephropathies and resistant hypertension may represent possible indications to dual RAAS blockade. Actually, rational combinations of either an ACEI or ARB or DRI with other classes of antihypertensives offer best solutions.
Clinical and Experimental Hypertension, 2001
Several studies have demonstrated that essential hypertension is accompanied by sympathetic activ... more Several studies have demonstrated that essential hypertension is accompanied by sympathetic activation, which contributes to blood pressure elevation. Sympathetic activation also has adverse consequences in hypertensive patients beyond initiating blood pressure elevation. There is evidence that neural vasoconstriction has metabolic effects in skeletal muscle, impairing glucose delivery to muscles. In the liver, retarding of post prandial clearance of lipids contributes to hyperlipidemia. Cardiac sympathetic activation is a probable cause of sudden death in hearth failure. A trophic effect of sympathetic activation on cardiovascular growth is also likely, contributing to the development of left ventricular hypertrophy. Consequently, one of the major aims of antihypertensive therapy should be to attenuate sympathetic tone. It is possible that, among the antihypertensive drugs available, those inhibiting the sympathetic nervous system might best reduce cardiovascular risk.
Clinical and Experimental Hypertension, 2012
Hypertension-related cardiac organ damage, other than left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy (LVH), ha... more Hypertension-related cardiac organ damage, other than left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy (LVH), has been described: in particular, concentric remodeling, LV diastolic dysfunction (DD), and left atrial (LA) enlargement are significantly associated with cardiovascular morbility and mortality in different populations. This study evaluated the prevalence of these latter morphofunctional abnormalities, in never-treated essential hypertensive patients and the role of such a serial assessment of hypertensive cardiac damage in improving cardiovascular risk stratification in these patients. A total of 100 never-treated essential hypertensive subjects underwent a complete clinical and echocardiographic evaluation. Left ventricular morphology, systolic and diastolic function, and LA dimension (linear and volume) were evaluated by echocardiography. Left ventricular hypertrophy was present in 14% of the patients, whereas concentric remodeling was present in 25% of the subjects. Among patients free from LV morphology abnormalities, the most frequent abnormality was LA enlargement (global prevalence 57%); the percentage of patients with at least one parameter consistent with DD was 22% in the entire population, but DD was present as the only cardiac abnormality in 1% of our patient. Left atrial volume indexed for body surface area was the most sensitive parameter in identifying hypertension-related cardiac modification. The global prevalence of cardiac alteration reached 73% in never-treated hypertensive patients. Left ventricular remodeling and LA enlargement evaluation may grant a better assessment of cardiac organ damage and cardiovascular risk stratification of hypertensive patients without evidence of LVH after routine examination.
G Ital …, 2007
... La presenza di fattori di rischio car-diovascolare, quali diabete mellito, iperten-sione arte... more ... La presenza di fattori di rischio car-diovascolare, quali diabete mellito, iperten-sione arteriosa, ipertrofia ventricolare sini-stra e cardiopatia ischemica ... SCU Medicina Interna 4 Centro Ipertensione AO San Giovanni Battista Via Genova, 3 10126 Torino E-mail: alby.milan@libero ...
Blood Pressure, 2012
Arterial hypertension is a common cause of cardiac organ damage, inducing morphofunctional modifi... more Arterial hypertension is a common cause of cardiac organ damage, inducing morphofunctional modifications involving left chambers. This is a retrospective study: it was designed to evaluate the additive clinical value of left atrial enlargement (LAe) assessment in the evaluation of cardiac organ damage. A total of 814 (67% male; aged 50.7 ± 12 years, mean ± SD) essential hypertensive subjects underwent routinely to a complete and extensive clinical and echocardiographic evaluation. Left ventricular morphology, systolic and diastolic function and left atrial dimension (LAD; linear and volumetric) were evaluated. Prevalence of LAe varied between 6.2% and 52.1%, depending on the chosen criteria (left atrial diameter indexed for body surface area (BSA) vs left atrial volume (LAV) indexed for BSA - LAVi). LAVi showed to be the most sensitive parameter in order to detect it (sensitivity 96%, specificity 100%). Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) was present in about one fifth of our population (14% and 26%, considering indexation for BSA and for height(2.7)). Concentric remodelling (CR) was present in 27-35% of cases considering left ventricular mass indexation for BSA and for height(2.7), respectively. In one quarter of our population, LAe was the only echocardiographic sign of hypertension, independent of LVH and CR. LAV evaluation in hypertensive population can contribute to the identification of subjects affected by hypertensive heart disease other than the conventionally evaluated terms (LVH and CR).
Journal of …, 2006
QT interval prolongation increases the risk of sudden death in several medical conditions. Patien... more QT interval prolongation increases the risk of sudden death in several medical conditions. Patients with primary aldosteronism and salt-sensitive hypertension experience more cardiovascular events than those with normal-renin essential hypertension. QT interval prolongation might represent one of the risk factors for cardiovascular events in these patients. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the QT interval in patients with primary aldosteronism and low-renin essential hypertension (LREH). Twenty-seven patients with primary aldosteronism, 17 patients with LREH, 117 patients with essential hypertension and 25 healthy individuals were studied. Plasma aldosterone, plasma renin activity, and aldosterone to plasma renin activity ratio (ARR) were determined. Corrected QT intervals (QTcs) were measured from a 12-lead electrocardiogram. The QTc was longer in primary aldosteronism (434 +/- 23 ms) and LREH (430 +/- 18 ms) compared with essential hypertension (419 +/- 22 ms) and healthy controls (412 +/- 19 ms) (P = 0.0004). The prevalence of QTc longer than 440 ms was higher in primary aldosteronism (48%) and LREH (23%) compared with essential hypertension (11%) and healthy controls (4%) (P < 0.0001). QTc correlated with plasma aldosterone (P = 0.01), ARR (P = 0.02), and diastolic blood pressure (P = 0.01). ARR (P = 0.01) and systolic blood pressure (P = 0.01) were identified as independent predictors of QTc. We postulate that the elevated aldosterone secretion contributes to the prolongation of the QT interval in patients with primary aldosteronism and LREH through both a depletion of intracellular potassium concentration and higher blood pressure values. QTc measurement might represent one simple, non-invasive and reproducible index to characterize the cardiovascular risk in patients with primary aldosteronism and LREH.
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Papers by elisabetta puglisi