Background: Hypertension and obesity are major risk factors for health problems and cardiovascular diseases in developing and developed countries. There is limited evidence available on the correlation between high blood pressure and obesity despite their close association. Methods: The current study aimed to find the correlation between anthropometric measurements, lipid profile, visfatin, apelin, and blood pressure parameters in 31 newly diagnosed hypertensive patients and 32 enalapril-treated hypertensive patients. Results: In enalapril treated patients, a significant negative relationship between visfatin and triglyceride (TG). Conversely, there is a positive correlation between visfatin and HDL. Moreover, visfatin expressed a negative correlation with VLDL. Concerning the newly diagnosed hypertensive group, a non-significant correlation was found between serum visfatin and lipid profile parameters. Additionally, a significant negative correlation between apelin and DBP in enalapril treated patients. Moreover, significant negative correlation between apelin and SBP in enalapril treated patients. On the other hand, a non-significant correlation between apelin and blood pressure parameters in the newly diagnosed hypertensive group was found. Moreover, there was a significant positive relationship between BMI and visfatin by comparing these two variables in all studied group participants. Conclusion: We concluded that anthropometric measurements, adipokines, and lipid profiles most closely relate to high blood pressure in hypertensive patients.
Background: Excess total body fat causes low-grade systemic inflammation that precedes cardiometabolic damage. Plycometry is a widely accepted method for measuring total body fat, but not all physicians are trained to do it. The waist-to-height ratio is simpler to assess and has been recognized as a predictor of cardiovascular risk, but not as an indicator of total body fat. This study evaluated whether plycometry can be substituted by this ratio, and thus make an early intervention on systemic inflammation without having to be trained in plycometry. Methods: Cross-sectional study based on a clinical trial of 40 patients who underwent a 14-week weight loss intervention. As part of the evaluations, weight, height, waist circumference and total body fat were obtained, which are the variables analyzed in this study. Pearson's correlation test was performed in duplicate: before and after the intervention. In all cases a p<0.05 was considered significant. Results: The waist-to-height ratio correlated moderately with total body fat (R=0.7) before the intervention. At the end of the intervention the correlation increased to strong (R=0.8). When stratifying by body mass index grades, a trend of higher correlation was observed in the body mass index group between 25 and 26.9 kg/m2 (0.7 before and 0.85 after the intervention, respectively). Conclusions: The waist-to-height ratio is not a substitute for plycometry, but it can be useful in predicting a low-grade systemic inflammatory state, especially in patients with a body mass index under 27 kg/m2. Further research is needed to assess the cutoff point at which low-grade systemic inflammation begins, so that more accurate information can be provided for intervention based on waist-to-height ratio.
Background: Atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis (RAS) is a significant cause of renal failure, especially in patients with a solitary functioning kidney. Timely revascularization can potentially reverse ischemic nephropathy and prevent further complications like pulmonary edema and uncontrolled hypertension. Case Presentation: A 71-year-old male with a solitary functioning kidney presented with worsening renal function, chronic hyponatremia, and recurrent flash pulmonary edema. The patient presented with a 95% ostial stenosis of the right renal artery. Percutaneous renal artery stenting was performed successfully, resulting in improved clinical status and renal function. Serum creatinine decreased from 3.07 mg/dL to 2.1 mg/dL post-procedure. The patient remained stable at a two-month follow-up. Conclusion: Renal artery stenting in patients with ischemic nephropathy secondary to RAS can significantly improve renal function and overall clinical outcomes. Early intervention should be considered in similar cases to prevent irreversible renal damage.
