0000000000261101
AUTHOR
P Scicchitano
An update on hypertensive emergencies and urgencies
Severe acute arterial hypertension is usually defined as 'hypertensive crisis', although 'hypertensive emergencies' or 'hypertensive urgencies', as suggested by the Joint National Committee and the European Society of Hypertension, have completely different diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. The prevalence and demographics of hypertensive emergencies and urgencies have changed over the last four decades, but hypertensive emergencies and urgencies are still associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Different scientific societies have repeatedly produced up-to-date guidelines; however, the treatment of hypertensive emergencies and urgencies is still inappropriate, with potentia…
Task force on 'Early markers of atherosclerosis: influence of age and sex'
Atherosclerosis and its complications are the most important causes of death all over the world, especially in Western countries. Diet habits, modern stress life, smoking, sedentary way of life and an involvement of genetic pattern of individuals lead to a sure degeneration of quality of life increasing the risk of atherosclerosis development. For this reason, the main purpose of actual medicine is to identify all the markers that could allow the physicians to evaluate the first moments of the development of this dangerous pathological process. The aim is to reduce the speed of its evolution, trying to delay indefinitely the risk coming from the morphological alterations of the vessels. 'En…
Speckle tracking analysis: a new tool for left atrial function analysis in systemic hypertension: an overview
Speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) is an imaging technique applied to the analysis of left atrial function. STE provides a non-Doppler, angle-independent and objective quantification of left atrial myocardial deformation. Data regarding feasibility, accuracy and clinical applications of left atrial strain are rapidly gathering. This review describes the fundamental concepts of left atrial STE, illustrates its pathophysiological background and discusses its emerging role in systemic arterial hypertension.