The effectiveness of physical activity interventions on blood pressure in children and adolescents:A systematic review and network meta-analysis

Background:High blood pressure(BP)is a major contributor to mortality and cardiovascular diseases.Despite the known benefits of exercise for reducing BP,it is crucial to identify the most effective physical activity(PA)intervention.This systematic review and network meta-analysis(NMA)aimed to evaluate the available evidence on the effectiveness of various PA interventions for reducing BP and to determine their hierarchy based on their impact on BP.Methods:A search of PubMed,SPORTDiscus,PsycINFO,Web of Science,CINAHL,Cochrane,and Eric databases was conducted up to December 2022 for this systematic review and NMA.Randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies targeting healthy children and adolescents aged 6-12 years old were included in this study.Only studies that compared controlled and intervention groups using PA or exercise as the major influence were included.We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses(PRISMA)guidelines.Three independent investigators performed the literature screening,data extraction,and risk of bias assessment.We used Bayesian arm-based NMA to synthesize the data.The primary outcomes were systolic BP and diastolic BP.We calculated the mean differences(MDs)in systolic BP and diastolic BP before and after treatment.Mean treatment differences were estimated using NMA and random-effect models.Results:We synthesized 27 studies involving 15,220 children and adolescents.PA combined with nutrition and behavior change was the most effective intervention for reducing both systolic BP and diastolic BP(MD=-8.64,95%credible interval(95%CI):-11.44 to-5.84;MD=-6.75,95%CI:-10.44 to-3.11),followed by interventions with multiple components(MD=-1.39,95%CI:-1.94 to-0.84;MD=-2.54,95%CI:-4.89 to-0.29).Conclusion:Our findings suggest that PA interventions incorporating nutrition and behavior change,followed by interventions with multiple components,are most effective for reducing both systolic BP and diastolic BP in children and adolescents.

Different prognostic association of systolic blood pressure at different time points with postdischarge events in patients hospitalized for decompensated heart failure

Background The association of systolic blood pressure(SBP) with mortality in heart failure(HF) patients is paradoxical, and the time points of baseline SBP are also different across prior studies. We hypothesized that the levels of SBP at admission and at discharge had different associations with postdischarge events. Methods The study population included patients hospitalized for decompensated HF in the Heart Failure Center of Fuwai Hospital from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2014. The primary outcome was a composite of cardiovascular(CV) death and heart transplantation. Multivariate Cox proportional-hazards and restricted cubic spline analyses were used to assess the relationships between SBP at different time points and outcomes. Results In total, 2005 patients were included with a median follow-up of 48.4 months. The median age was 59 years, and 69.9% were male. Multivariate Cox analyses showed that compared with SBP < 105 mm Hg, higher SBP at admission was associated with better long-term primary outcome(105–119 mm Hg, HR = 0.764, P = 0.005;120-134 mm Hg, HR = 0.658, P < 0.001;≥ 135 mm Hg, HR = 0.657, P = 0.001). Patients whose discharge SBP was higher than 135 mm Hg had a similar primary outcome as those with SBP < 105 mm Hg(HR = 0.969, P = 0.867), and the results remained unchanged even after adjusting for admission SBP(HR = 1.235, P = 0.291). The results of restricted cubic spline analysis indicated similar associations. Conclusions Lower but not higher SBP at admission is associated with more CV deaths/heart transplantations(a reverse J-shaped curve). In contrast, there is a U-shaped association between discharge SBP and CV mortality/heart transplantation.

Effects of Atorvastatin on Warfarin-induced Aortic Medial Calcification and Systolic Blood Pressure in Rats

The effect of atorvastatin on warfarin-induced aortic medial calcification and systolic blood pressure （SBP） of rats induced by warfarin was studied. Thirty healthy and adult rats were randomly divided into Warfarin group （n=10）, Atorvastatin group （n=10） and normal control group （n=10）. Caudal arterial pressure of rats was measured once a week, and 4 weeks later, aorta was obtained. Elastic fiber, collagen fiber and calcium accumulation in tunica media of cells were measured by Von Kossa staining. The results showed that warfarin treatment led to elevation of systolic blood pressure and aortic medial calcification. The chronic treatment also increased collagen, but decreased elastin in the aorta. However, the atorvastatin treatment had adverse effects. It was concluded that treatment with atorvastatin presented evidence of blood pressure lowing and calcification reducing. These data demonstrate that atorvastatin protected aortic media from warfarin-induced calcification and elevation of systolic blood pressure.

Visit-to-visit Systolic Blood Pressure Variability and Stroke Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Visit-to-visit variability in systolic blood pressure(SBP)may have an important additional role in increasing the risk of vascular complications,including stroke.We conducted a meta-analysis to assess the relationship between visit-to-visit SBP variability(SBPV)and stroke risk.PubMed,EMBASE,and the Cochrane library databases were searched for cohort studies with data on visit-to-visit SBPV and stroke risk.Studies that reported adjusted relative risks(RRs)with 95%Cis of stroke associated with SBPV were included.Fourteen cohort studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in our meta-analysis.After adjustment for age,sex,and existing vascular risk factors,the analysis showed that the risk of stroke in patients with SBPV was significantly increased compared with patients with a small baseline SBPV[SD(RR=1.20,95%CI=(1.07-1.35),P=0.0005),CV(RR=1.12,95%CI=(1.00-1.26),P=0.008)].In addition,follow-up variations of more than 5 years were associated with a higher risk of stroke than those of less than 5 years[RR=1.08,95%CI=(1.04-1.11)].Visit-to-visit SBPV was associated with an increased risk of stroke,especially in terms of the time of variation.Taken together,SBPV data may be useful as a preventative diagnostic method in the management of stroke.

Understanding the effect of propofol and electrical cardioversion on the systolic blood pressure of emergency department patients with atrial fibrillation

Dear editor, We read with pleasure the well-designed study by Butler et al of electrical cardioversion of emergency department patients with atrial fibrillation. We appreciate their analysis of the distinctives of procedural sedation when employed for this indication. Understanding the dosing adjustments to propofol undertaken by their sedationists will help us more carefully evaluate our own approach to sedating patients undergoing electrical cardioversion of atrial fibrillation.

Modelling of the relationship between systolic blood pressure and glucose with the magnesium ion present in the blood plasma: an approach using artificial neural networks

Artificial neural networks became an attractive alternative for modeling and simulation of com- plex biological systems. In the present work, a blood plasma model based on artificial neural networks was proposed in order to evaluate the relationship between the magnesium ion pre-sent in the blood plasma and systolic blood pressure and glucose. Experimental and simu- lated data were used to construct and validate the model. It performed the analysis consider-ing the systolic blood pressure and glucose as a function of magnesium ion concentration at a fixed temperature (37oC). Predictions of these relationships through the proposed model produced errors, on average, below 1% com-pared against experimental data not presented in the training step. The proposed methodology revealed quantitative results and correctly pre-dicted behaviors and trends towards the asso-ciation between magnesium concentrations and systolic blood pressure, and glucose in far agreement with experimental results from lit-erature. These results indicated that artificial neural networks can successfully learn the complexity of the relationships among bio-logical parameters of distinct groups and can be used as a complementary tool to assist studies in which the role of magnesium in systolic blood pressure and glucose are con-sidered.

Changes in plasma total bile acid level of patients with essential hyper tension and of spontaneous hypertension rats and the correlation with systolic and diastolic blood pressures

To examine the hypothesis that plasma bile acid (BA) level is correlated with essential hypertension (EH). Methods: The level of plasma total bile acid (TBA) in 88 patients with EH and in 11 spontaneous hypertension rats (SHR) were measured, and regression analysis of systolic and diastolic blood pressures with plasma TBA was performed. Results: Plasma TBA level in EH patients was significantly higher than that in normotensive subjects (7. 35±3. 38μmol/L vs 4. 94±3. 25 μmol/L, PRO. of ); Plasma TBA level in SHR was significantly higher than that in Wistar--Kyoto (WKY) rats (13. 16±3. 58 μmol/L vs 10. 42±2. 24 μmol/L,P<0. 05); Plasma TBA level in patients with EH was the highest in stage Ⅲ (9. 54±4. 12 μmol/L, n ＝25), the lowest in stage Ⅰ (5. 76±3. 33 μmol/L, n＝33), and middle in stage Ⅱ (7. 32±4. 52 μmol/L, n＝30); Plasma TBA level in patients with EH was positively correlated with both systolic (r= 0. 33, P<0. 01 ) and diastolic blood pressure (r＝0. 46, P＜0．01 ); Plasma TBA level in SHR was positively correlated with both systolic (r＝0. 82, P<0. 01 ) and diastolic blood pressures (r＝0. 69, P<0. 01). Conclusion: elevated level of plasma TBA in patients with EH and in SHR may participate in the pathogenesis of hypertension.

Association between Systolic Blood Pressure Difference ≥10 mm Hg and Ankle-Brachial Index

Background: In new outpatients, blood pressure should be measured in both arms. A previous study reported that an inter-arm systolic blood pressure difference (ΔSBP) of ≥10 mm Hg is associated with an increased risk of mortality. Aim: The aim was to identify the associations with absolute values of ΔSBP (|ΔSBP|) ≥10 mm Hg. Subjects and Methods: This study included 2481 patients. Patients with a body mass index ≥25 kg/m2 were defined as obese. The group of A was defined as following: ankle-brachial index (ABI) was <0.9 or ≥1.3. ΔSBP was expressed as right arm BP minus left arm BP. |ΔSBP| ≥10 mm Hg were analyzed using multivariate logistic analysis. Results: |ΔSBP| ≥10 mm Hg was found in 6.0% of patients and |ΔSBP| < 5 mm Hg in 80.4%. In multivariate analysis, the odds ratios (ORs) of the associations with |ΔSBP| ≥10 mm Hg were significantly associated with abnormal ABI and obesity regardless of sex and age. Moreover, the OR of the combined effects of abnormal ABI and obesity was higher than that of abnormal ABI and obesity alone. Conclusion: |ΔSBP| ≥10 mm Hg was associated with abnormal ABI and obesity. In a primary care setting, blood pressure should be actively measured in both arms. This study suggests that the associations with |ΔSBP| ≥10 mm Hg may be a useful part of screening for abnormal ABI.

Preliminary study of abnormal increase of postexercise systolic blood pressure in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease

Objectives This study sought to evaluate the diagnostic value of abnormal increase of postexercise systolic blood pressure (SBP) for detecting coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with or without hypertension. Methods Treadmill exercise testing (TET) was conducted in 88 patients (40 CAD patients, 48 control subjects) with or without hypertension, each of whom underwent selective coronary angiography (CAG). The abnormal increase of postexercise SBP was defined as 10mmHg higher than earlier periods during the recovery phase (6 minutes) of exercise testing. Results The abnormal increase of postexercise SBP had higher sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for detecting CAD than those of ST - segment depression in patients with or without hypertension. Its accuracy increased with the severity of CAD while decreased in patients with hypertension, and the increase value of SBP had a positive correlation with the extent of coronary artery lesion. The combination of ST - segment depression and abnormal increase of postexercise SBP diagnosed CAD most accurately in patients with hypertension. Conclusions Abnormal increase of postexercise SBP may be a useful index for diagnosing CAD.

Acute Effects of Virtual Reality Exercise on Young Adults’ Blood Pressure and Feelings

Virtual reality(VR)seems to have the potential to provide opportunities to promote physical activity(PA)in a fun way.This paper aimed to examine the acute effects of three different virtual reality-based exercise bikes on young adults’blood pressure(BP)and feelings compared to a traditional exercise cycling session.Four exercise sessions(immersive VR cycling,two non-immersive VR cycling,and traditional cycling)were completed by 36 young adults(22 females;Mage=23.6 years).BP was measured immediately before and after each session using a BP cuff and exercise-induced feelings were assessed via an established survey immediately after each session.Parti-cipants’previous experience with VR was used as the covariate in the ANCOVA with repeated measures.Signif-icant main effects were observed across cycling sessions for systolic blood pressure[F(2,29)=3.04,p=0.02,(η^(2)=0.38)]and feelings[F(3,32)=7.74,p<0.01,η^(2)=.42].In particular,immersive VR and traditional cycling signif-icantly increased systolic blood pressure compared to the two non-immersive VR sessions.Moreover,immersive VR significantly increased feelings compared to the two non-immersive VR sessions,whereas these two non-immersive VR exercises had significantly greater increased feelings compared to traditional cycling,respectively.Findings suggest immersive VR-based exercise cycling may lead to higher exercise intensities compared to non-immersive VR cycling.Further,immersive VR cycling yielded higher feelings compared to non-immersive VR and traditional cycling.Thus,immersive VR-based exercise can be a fun and physically active health promotion tool among young adults.

苯磺酸氨氯地平联合缬沙坦治疗老年高血压的疗效及SBP、DBP水平影响分析

目的 评价分析老年高血压用苯磺酸氨氯地平与缬沙坦联合治疗方案的临床效果以及对舒张压、收缩压影响情况。方法 选取2022年3月—2023年3月本院收治的老年高血压患者72例为研究对象,通过随机抽签分为参照组和实验组。参照组纳入36例,执行缬沙坦治疗方案;实验组归入36例,执行苯磺酸氨氯地平与缬沙坦联合治疗方案,对比两组临床治疗效果评估水平、不良反应发生情况以及治疗前后舒张压、收缩压变化差异及生活质量评分水平差异。结果 治疗后,实验组的舒张压检验水平、收缩压检验水平以及心率检验水平,与参照组相比,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。实验组治疗效果评估水平达到97.22%(35/36),与参照组77.78%(28/36)相比,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。实验组治疗不良反应发生率5.56%(2/36),与参照组13.89%(5/36)相比,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。干预后,与参照组相比,实验组的健康状况维度评分水平、躯体疼痛维度评分水平、生理机能维度评分水平、精神健康维度评分水平、情感功能维度评分水平更高,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论 老年高血压病患接受苯磺酸氨氯地平与缬沙坦联合治疗,能够改善血压水平,提高治疗效果,治疗安全性良好。

Evaluation of the Distribution and Factors Affecting Blood Pressure Using Medical Checkup Data in Japan

In this paper, we first evaluated the distribution of blood pressure (BP) using a dataset containing 113,979 measurements in 48,022 individuals with the cooperation of one health insurance society in Japan from April, 2013 to March, 2016. The means of the systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) were 125.4 and 77.6 mmHg with standard deviations of 16.5 and 11.7 mmHg, respectively. Under the 140/90 criterion, 21.6% of the measurements showed hypertension. According to the World Health Organization/International Society of Hypertension criterion, 16.4%, 4.2% and 0.96% were classified as grades 1, 2 and 3, respectively. The factors affecting BP were evaluated by a regression analysis and were found to include age, gender, some eating habits, daily activities, smoking, drinking alcohol, sleeping and wages. Age was a very important factor, and the age cohorts from the previous study might be revised based on these findings. Among factors that individuals can control, the influence of drinking alcohol is very large. Comparing to an individual who does not drink, SBP and DBP of a heavy drinker are more than 5.0 mmHg higher on the average.

Significance of blood pressure variability in patients with sepsis

BACKGROUND: This study was undertaken to observe the characteristics of blood pressure variability(BPV) and sepsis and to investigate changes in blood pressure and its value on the severity of illness in patients with sepsis.METHODS: Blood parameters, APACHE II score, and 24-hour ambulatory BP were analyzed in 89 patients with sepsis.RESULTS: In patients with APACHE II score>19, the values of systolic blood pressure(SBPV), diasystolic blood pressure(DBPV), non-dipper percentage, cortisol(COR), lactate(LAC), platelet count(PLT) and glucose(GLU) were significantly higher than in those with APACHE II score ≤19(P<0.05), whereas the values of procalcitonin(PCT), white blood cell(WBC), creatinine(Cr), PaO2, C-reactive protein(CRP), adrenocorticotropic hormone(ACTH) and tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α) were not statistically significant(P>0.05). Correlation analysis showed that APACHE II scores correlated significantly with SBPV and DBPV(P<0.01, r=0.732 and P<0.01, r=0.762). SBPV and DBPV were correlated with COR(P=0.018 and r=0.318; P=0.008 and r=0.353 respectively). However, SBPV and DBPV were not correlated with TNF-α, IL-10, and PCT(P>0.05). Logistic regression analysis of SBPV, DBPV, APACHE II score, and LAC was used to predict prognosis in terms of survival and non-survival rates. Receiver operating characteristics curve(ROC) showed that DBPV was a better predictor of survival rate with an AUC value of 0.890. However, AUC of SBPV, APACHE II score, and LAC was 0.746, 0.831 and 0.915, respectively.CONCLUSIONS: The values of SBPV, DBPV and non-dipper percentage are higher in patients with sepsis. DBPV and SBPV can be used to predict the survival rate of patients with sepsis.

Blood Pressure and Heart Rate Measurements Using Photoplethysmography with Modified LRCN

In this study,single-channel photoplethysmography(PPG)signals were used to estimate the heart rate(HR),diastolic blood pressure(DBP),and systolic blood pressure(SBP).A deep learning model was proposed using a long-term recurrent convolutional network(LRCN)modified from a deep learning algorithm,the convolutional neural network model of the modified inception deep learning module,and a long short-term memory network(LSTM)to improve the model’s accuracy of BP and HR measurements.The PPG data of 1,551 patients were obtained from the University of California Irvine Machine Learning Repository.How to design a filter of PPG signals and how to choose the loss functions for deep learning model were also discussed in the study.Finally,the stability of the proposed model was tested using a 10-fold cross-validation,with an MAE±SD of 2.942±5.076 mmHg for SBP,1.747±3.042 mmHg for DBP,and 1.137±2.463 bpm for the HR.Compared with its existing counterparts,the model entailed less computational load and was more accurate in estimating SBP,DBP,and HR.These results established the validity of the model.

The Effects of Different Quality of Exercise on Blood Pressure and Heart Rate in Healthy Female

Blood pressure is a serious disease that may affect a person. It also increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. Exercise may be a major reason for reducing the risk of heart disease in the future. The aim of this study is to compare the effects of different types of exercises, such as walking, cross fit, and Swedish on blood pressure and heart rate among a number of physical exercises practitioners and gymnasts. This study was conducted on pioneers of different gyms in the Qassim region after taking ethical procedures and taking the consent of the subjects’ members. The subject size is 39 females between 14 - 38 of age. They were divided into three groups;each one had 13 members. The first experimental group practiced walking, the second practiced crossfit;lastly, the third experimental group practiced the Swedish sport. A device was used to measure the blood pressure and heart rate. The measurement was taken 5 minutes pre and post the rest period. After that the measurements were taken 15 minutes after the rest period. SPSS software was implemented to analyze the data. The significant result was that the three groups showed low blood pressure after performing various exercises while the heart rate increased in all three. This study proved that the severity of low blood pressure depends on the intensity of the exercise. The findings revealed that the highest exercise intensity is CrossFit, but also it is the highest of the decrease in blood pressure. The researchers recommend that readers should consider the importance of exercising as it is maybe a method for preventing from high blood pressure.

Determinants of Blood Pressure Variability in Individuals with Essential Hypertension: A Survey-Based Study

Background: Blood pressure variability (BPV) in hypertensive patients is implicated as a remarkable feature leading to additional cardiovascular complications. The aim of the study was to identify the determinants influencing BPV among patients with essential hypertension seen at the Cardiology department of the faculty of medicine, University of Alexandria, Egypt. Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional hospital-based study conducted from August 2019 to November 2019. All the eligible patients were made to fill out a standard questionnaire to obtain family and personal clinical history and undergo routine physical examination, laboratory tests and 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. BPV was summarized as the standard deviation (SD) of all-day systolic and diastolic BP in both normal patients (with SD 11) and abnormal patients (with SD ≥ 11). Results: Out of a total of 114 patients, 18 (15.8%) non-hypertensive patients were included in the control group and the remaining 96 (84.3%) were classified based on the degree of hypertension. BPV in all these patients was found to be significantly related to the male gender, a mild or moderate degree of hypertension, high prevalence of non-dipping, diabetes, use of beta-blockers as antihypertensive medication, heart rate variability, BMI, and increased day-time variability. Conclusion: Variability in blood pressure influenced by different intrinsic and extrinsic factors plays an important role in the management of hypertension. In order to reduce the burden of disease and for a better quality of life for hypertensive patients, it is important that physicians start considering lowering BPV in addition to reducing physiological BP levels.

The predictive value of childhood blood pressure values for adult elevated blood pressure

Because of the paucity of serial blood pressure data on the same individuals, little is known about the accuracy of elevated blood pressure (BP) in childhood for predicting hypertension (HBP) later in life. The availability of long-term serial BP data from the Fels Longitudinal Study (FLS) presents the opportunity to link HBP in adulthood directly to BP measured decades earlier in the same individuals as children. We analyzed serial data from 965 men and 1114 women in the FLS. We used an autoregressive-moving average (1, 1) [ARMA (1, 1)] longitudinal model to predict adult HBP from childhood values. For 15-year-old boys with SBP 15 mmHg and 30 mmHg above the average SBP of 90 mmHg, the probabilities of having HBP at age 35 are 0.18 and 0.33, respectively. The corresponding probabilities for 15-year-old girls are only 0.04 and 0.08. This striking sex difference in risk of HBP at age 35 between 15-year-old boys and girls indicates that the risk of developing HBP in women is low regardless of their childhood blood pressure at any age from 2 to 17 years. Men are about 4.25 times more likely to have HBP at age 35 than women over a range of SBP of 90 - 140 mmHg at age 15. The ARMA (1, 1) model allows the identification of boys at risk for HBP as adult men.

Impact of intragastric balloon on blood pressure reduction:A retrospective study in Eastern North Carolina

BACKGROUND Obesity has evolved into a global pandemic.The prevalence of obesity and hypertension in eastern North Carolina are comparable,if not higher,than the national prevalence.In the United States,an estimated 34%of adults have hypertension,the most modifiable risk factor for heart disease and stroke.Lifestyle and pharmacological interventions often do not provide sustained weight loss in obese patients.Bariatric surgery offers an effective weight reduction with short-and long-term health improvements;however,a higher body mass index is associated with higher surgical morbidity and mortality,longer hospitalization,and increasing rates of 30-day readmission due to comorbidities.Intragastric balloon may bridge a critical gap in the treatment of obesity.The objective of this paper is to showcase the impact of endoscopic bariatric therapy on blood pressure reduction.AIM To investigate the impact of intragastric balloon on blood pressure reduction.METHODS A retrospective chart review was conducted from January 1,2016 to January 31,2019 of consecutive adults who received intragastric balloon therapy(IGBT)in a gastroenterology private practice in Eastern North Carolina.The balloon was introduced into the stomach under endoscopic guidance,and while in the region of the gastric body,inflation with saline was performed at increments of 50 mL until target volume between 500 to 650 mL of saline was attained depending on the patient's gastric capacity.No procedural complications were noted during endoscopic placement and removal of the balloon.A cohort study design was used for data analysis.A total of 172 patients had the Orbera^(■)intragastric balloon placed.Of the 172 patients who had IGBT at baseline,11 patients(6.4%)requested early balloon removal due to foreign body sensation(n=1),and/or intolerable gastrointestinal adverse events(n=10).The reported gastrointestinal adverse events were nausea,vomiting,abdominal pain,and diarrhea.Eventually,6-mo follow-up data were available for only 140 patients.As a result,only the 140 available at the 6-mo follow-up were included in the analysis.Univariate,bivariate,and multivariate statistical analyses were performed.Specifically,scatterplots were created to show the relationship between weight and blood pressure,and paired two-sample t-test was carried out to determine if there was a significant reduction in weight before and after the IGBT.Multiple regressions were also performed to examine the association between participants’total body weight and blood pressure.The outcome variables for the multiple regression were systolic and diastolic blood pressure measured as continuous variables.This was followed by logistic regression analyses to determine the association between total body weight and hypertension at 6-mo post-implantation.The outcome variables for the logistic regression were systolic blood pressure–nonhypertensive(140 mmHg or less)or hypertensive(greater than 140 mmHg),and diastolic blood pressure–non-hypertensive(90 mmHg or less)or hypertensive(greater than 90 mmHg).All authors had access to the study data and reviewed and approved the final manuscript.All statistical analyses were done using STATA 14®.RESULTS The study included 15%males and 85%females.50%of the patients were white and just over 22%were non-white,and about 27%declined to give their race.The average baseline patients’weight prior to IGBT was 231.61 Lbs.(SD=46.53 Lbs.).However,the average patients’weight after IGBT at the 6-mo follow-up was 203.88 Lbs.(SD=41.04 Lbs.).Hence,on average,the percent total body weight loss at 6-mo is 11.97 after IGBT.The logistic regression performed revealed that weight(β=0.0140,P<0.000)and age(β=0.0534,P<0.000)are important factors in determining systolic blood pressure after IGBT.None of the other demographic characteristics or indicated comorbidities were found to be significant.CONCLUSION IGBT can be an effective short-term weight reduction modality with a relatively little risk of adverse event.Due to its improvement on systolic blood pressure,IGBT may help reduce cardiovascular risk.

An Analysis of Blood Pressure Situations in Japan Using the Large-Scale Medical Checkup Dataset

Background: The high blood pressure (BP) or hypertension is a widely prevalent disease and its costs are very high, and many studies about the relationships between BP and health conditions have been done. We need to know the precise distributions of BP and factors affecting BP. Data and Methods: The distributions of BP are analyzed using 12,877,653 observations obtained from the JMDC Claims Database. The factors that may affect the BP are analyzed by the regression models using 4,615,346 observations. Results: The averages of systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) are 120.4 and 74.2 mmHg with standard deviations of 15.9 and 11.3 mmHg, respectively. Among the nonmodifiable factors, age and gender are important factors. Among the modifiable factors, variables related to obesity are important risk factors. Taking antihypertensive drugs makes SBP and DBP 13.4 mmHg and 7.8 mmHg lower. Conclusion: The criteria of BP should be carefully determined considering age and gender. The effects of age may be a little different for SBP and DBP. It is necessary to use the proper model to evaluate the effect of antihypertensive drugs correctly. Limitations: The dataset is observatory. Although there are various types of treatment methods and antihypertension drugs, their effects are not evaluated.

Effects of Almond Milk on Body Measurements and Blood Pressure

In recent years, the demand for almond milk and its sales has increased owing to consumers’ perceptions about its health benefits. Hence, we sought to measure the effect of almond milk on body measurements such as body weight, body mass index and waist and hip circumference, in addition to diastolic and systolic blood pressures. Thirty volunteers of both sexes participated in the study, with a mean age of 23.27 ± 6.20 years. The study was conducted over 4 weeks, and the results showed that daily substitution of one serving of dairy product with one cup (240 ML) of almond milk significantly decreased body weight, body mass index and waist and hip circumference, However, no effects were observed on blood pressures.