Circulating microparticles and endothelial progenitor cells in atherosclerosis: pharmacological effects of irbesartan. J Thromb Haemost 2012; 10: 680-91.Summary. Aims: This study aimed to (i) employ our newly designed model, the hypertensive-hypercholesterolemic hamster (HH), in order to find out whether a correlation exists between circulating microparticles (MPs), endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and their contribution to vascular dysfunction and (ii) to assess the effect of irbesartan treatment on HH animals (HHI). Methods and Results: The results showed that compared with the control (C) group, HH displayed: (i) a significant increase in plasma cholesterol and triglyceride concentration, and an augmentation of systolic and diastolic arterial blood pressure, and of heart rate; (ii) a marked elevation of MPs and a significant decrease in EPCs; (iii) structural modifications of the arterial wall correlated with altered protein expression of MMP2, MMP9, MMP12, TIMP1, TIMP2 and collagen type I and III; (iv) a considerably altered reactivity of the arterial wall closely correlated with MPs and EPC adherence; and (v) an inflammatory process characterized by augmented expression of P-Selectin, E-Selectin, von Willebrand factor, tissue factor, IL-6, MCP-1 and RANTES. Additionally, the experiments showed the potential of irbesartan to correct all altered parameters in HH and to mobilize EPCs by NO, chemokines and adhesion molecule-dependent mechanisms. Conclusions: Hypertension associated with hypercholesterolemia is accompanied by structural modifications and expression of pro-inflammatory molecules by the vessel wall, the alteration of vascular tone, enhanced release of MPs and reduced EPCs; the ratio between the latter two may be considered as a marker of vascular dysfunction. Irbesartan, which exhibits a pharmacological control on the levels of MPs and EPCs, has the potential to restore homeostasis of the arterial wall.

East European countries have reported high prevalence of Arterial Hypertension (AHT). In order to investigate the data for Romania, we firstly performed a national survey—the Study for the Evaluation of Prevalence of Hypertension and Cardiovascular Risk in Adult Population in Romania (SEPHAR). A representative population was selected using stratified proportional sampling, including 2017 adult subjects, ≥18 years old. The general prevalence of AHT was 44,92%, higher in men (50,17%) than in women (41,11%) (P < .0001) and predominant in rural areas (49,47%) in comparison to the urban ones (41,58%) (P < .02). AHT awareness attended 44,26%, rising with age, significantly lower in men (34,58%) than in women (52,8%) (P < .0006). We have found a 38,85% proportion of treated hypertensive persons, worse for men (30,11%) then for women (46,56%) (P < .003). The rate of AHT control was 19,88%, with no significant differences between gender. In conclusion, we estimated for Romania a high prevalence of AHT, a level of awareness and treatment lower than in many European countries and a rate of treatment control at the inferior limit of the European average. Males, characterized by a higher prevalence of AHT, were also less aware and less treated than women.

Although in the last 7 years, the tendency of hypertension's prevalence seems to be a descending one with an increasing trend in awareness, treatment and control of this condition, hypertension in Romania at this time still remains an 'unsolved equation'.

IntroductionComparing results of representative surveys conducted in different East-European countries could contribute to a better understanding and management of cardiovascular risk factors, offering grounds for the development of health policies addressing the special needs of this high cardiovascular risk region of Europe. The aim of this paper was to describe the methodology on which the comparison between the Romanian survey SEPHAR II and the Polish survey NATPOL 2011 results is based.Material and methodsSEPHAR II, like NATPOL 2011, is a cross-sectional survey conducted on a representative sample of the adult Romanian population (18 to 80 years) and encompasses two visits with the following components: completing the study questionnaire, blood pressure and anthropometric measurements, and collection of blood and urine samples.ResultsFrom a total of 2223 subjects found at 2860 visited addresses, 2044 subjects gave written consent but only 1975 subjects had eligible data for the analysis, accounting for a response rate of 69.06%. Additionally we excluded 11 subjects who were 80 years of age (NATPOL 2011 included adult subjects up to 79 years). Therefore, the sample size included in the statistical analysis is 1964. It has similar age groups and gender structure as the Romanian population aged 18–79 years from the last census available at the moment of conducting the survey (weight adjustments for epidemiological analyses range from 0.48 to 8.7).ConclusionsSharing many similarities, the results of SEPHAR II and NATPOL 2011 surveys can be compared by a proper statistical method offering crucial information regarding cardiovascular risk factors in a high-cardiovascular risk European region.