URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01570777.

Aims:The deleterious nature of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is compounded by a status of underdiagnosed and undertreated disease. We evaluated the prevalence and predictive factors of PAD in high-risk patients using the ankle-brachial index (ABI).Methods:The ABI was measured by general practitioners in France (May 2005–February 2006) in 5679 adults aged 55 years or older and considered at high risk. The primary outcome was prevalence of PAD (ABI strictly below 0.90).Results:In all, 21.3% patients had signs or symptoms suggestive of PAD, 42.1% had previous history of atherothrombotic disease and 36.6% had two or more cardiovascular risk factors. Prevalence of PAD was 27.8% overall, ranging from 10.4% in patients with cardiovascular risk factors only to approximately 38% in each other subgroup. Prevalence differed depending on the localization of atherothrombotic events: it was 57.1–75.0% in patients with past history of symptomatic PAD; 24.6–31.1% in those who had experienced cerebrovascular and/or coronary events. Regarding the classical cardiovascular risk factors, PAD was more frequent when smoking and hypercholesterolemia history were reported. PAD prevalence was also higher in patients with history of abdominal aortic aneurysm, renal hypertension or atherothrombotic event. Intermittent claudication, lack of one pulse in the lower limbs, smoking, diabetes and renovascular hypertension were the main factors predictive of low ABI.Conclusions:Given the elevated prevalence of PAD in high-risk patients and easiness of diagnosis using ABI in primary care, undoubtedly better awareness would help preserve individual cardiovascular health and achieve public health goals.

The results of this study--based on perfusion- and diffusion-weighted images--suggest that, after denervation, both increased blood flow through muscle tissue and expansion of the extracellular water volume are present.

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BackgroundThe DENERHTN (Renal Denervation for Hypertension) trial confirmed the efficacy of renal denervation (RDN) in lowering daytime ambulatory systolic blood pressure when added to standardized stepped‐care antihypertensive treatment (SSAHT) for resistant hypertension at 6 months.Methods and ResultsThis post hoc exploratory analysis assessed the impact of abdominal aortic calcifications (AAC) on the hemodynamic and renal response to RDN at 6 months. In total, 106 patients with resistant hypertension were randomly assigned to RDN plus SSAHT or to the same SSAHT alone (control group). Total AAC volume was measured, with semiautomatic software and blind to randomization, from the aortic hiatus to the iliac bifurcation using the prerandomization noncontrast abdominal computed tomography scans of 90 patients. Measurements were expressed as tertiles. The baseline‐adjusted difference in the change in daytime ambulatory systolic blood pressure from baseline to 6 months between the RDN and control groups was −10.1 mm Hg (P=0.0462) in the lowest tertile and −2.5 mm Hg (P=0.4987) in the 2 highest tertiles of AAC volume. Estimated glomerular filtration rate remained stable at 6 months for the patients in the lowest tertile of AAC volume who underwent RDN (+2.5 mL/min per 1.73 m2) but decreased in the control group (−8.0 mL/min per 1.73 m2, P=0.0148). In the 2 highest tertiles of AAC volume, estimated glomerular filtration rate decreased similarly in the RDN and control groups (P=0.2640).ConclusionsRDN plus SSAHT resulted in a larger decrease in daytime ambulatory systolic blood pressure than SSAHT alone in patients with a lower AAC burden than in those with a higher AAC burden. This larger decrease in daytime ambulatory systolic blood pressure was not associated with a decrease in estimated glomerular filtration rate.Clinical Trial RegistrationURL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01570777.