Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remains a major public health problem. It is the fourth leading cause of chronic morbidity and mortality in the United States, and is projected to rank fifth in 2020 in burden of disease worldwide, according to a study published by the World Bank/World Health Organization. Yet, COPD remains relatively unknown or ignored by the public as well as public health and government officials. In 1998, in an effort to bring more attention to COPD, its management, and its prevention, a committed group of scientists encouraged the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the World Health Organization to form the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD). Among the important objectives of GOLD are to increase awareness of COPD and to help the millions of people who suffer from this disease and die prematurely of it or its complications. The first step in the GOLD program was to prepare a consensus report, Global Strategy for the Diagnosis, Management, and Prevention of COPD, published in 2001. The present, newly revised document follows the same format as the original consensus report, but has been updated to reflect the many publications on COPD that have appeared. GOLD national leaders, a network of international experts, have initiated investigations of the causes and prevalence of COPD in their countries, and developed innovative approaches for the dissemination and implementation of COPD management guidelines. We appreciate the enormous amount of work the GOLD national leaders have done on behalf of their patients with COPD. Despite the achievements in the 5 years since the GOLD report was originally published, considerable additional work is ahead of us if we are to control this major public health problem. The GOLD initiative will continue to bring COPD to the attention of governments, public health officials, health care workers, and the general public, but a concerted effort by all involved in health care will be necessary.

https://www.who.int/respiratory/copd/GOLD_WR_06.pdf

Global strategy for the diagnosis, management, and prevention of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: GOLD executive summary.

ABCD
: Appropriate Blood pressure Control in Diabetes
ABI
: ankle–brachial index
ABPM
: ambulatory blood pressure monitoring
ACCESS
: Acute Candesartan Cilexetil Therapy in Stroke Survival
ACCOMPLISH
: Avoiding Cardiovascular Events in Combination Therapy in Patients Living with Systolic Hypertension
ACCORD
: Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes
ACE
: angiotensin-converting enzyme
ACTIVE I
: Atrial Fibrillation Clopidogrel Trial with Irbesartan for Prevention of Vascular Events
ADVANCE
: Action in Diabetes and Vascular Disease: Preterax and Diamicron-MR Controlled Evaluation
AHEAD
: Action for HEAlth in Diabetes
ALLHAT
: Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart ATtack
ALTITUDE
: ALiskiren Trial In Type 2 Diabetes Using Cardio-renal Endpoints
ANTIPAF
: ANgioTensin II Antagonist In Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation
APOLLO
: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Aliskiren in the Prevention of Major Cardiovascular Events in Elderly People
ARB
: angiotensin receptor blocker
ARIC
: Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities
ARR
: aldosterone renin ratio
ASCOT
: Anglo-Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes Trial
ASCOT-LLA
: Anglo-Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes Trial—Lipid Lowering Arm
ASTRAL
: Angioplasty and STenting for Renal Artery Lesions
A-V
: atrioventricular
BB
: beta-blocker
BMI
: body mass index
BP
: blood pressure
BSA
: body surface area
CA
: calcium antagonist
CABG
: coronary artery bypass graft
CAPPP
: CAPtopril Prevention Project
CAPRAF
: CAndesartan in the Prevention of Relapsing Atrial Fibrillation
CHD
: coronary heart disease
CHHIPS
: Controlling Hypertension and Hypertension Immediately Post-Stroke
CKD
: chronic kidney disease
CKD-EPI
: Chronic Kidney Disease—EPIdemiology collaboration
CONVINCE
: Controlled ONset Verapamil INvestigation of CV Endpoints
CT
: computed tomography
CV
: cardiovascular
CVD
: cardiovascular disease
D
: diuretic
DASH
: Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension
DBP
: diastolic blood pressure
DCCT
: Diabetes Control and Complications Study
DIRECT
: DIabetic REtinopathy Candesartan Trials
DM
: diabetes mellitus
DPP-4
: dipeptidyl peptidase 4
EAS
: European Atherosclerosis Society
EASD
: European Association for the Study of Diabetes
ECG
: electrocardiogram
EF
: ejection fraction
eGFR
: estimated glomerular filtration rate
ELSA
: European Lacidipine Study on Atherosclerosis
ESC
: European Society of Cardiology
ESH
: European Society of Hypertension
ESRD
: end-stage renal disease
EXPLOR
: Amlodipine–Valsartan Combination Decreases Central Systolic Blood Pressure more Effectively than the Amlodipine–Atenolol Combination
FDA
: U.S. Food and Drug Administration
FEVER
: Felodipine EVent Reduction study
GISSI-AF
: Gruppo Italiano per lo Studio della Sopravvivenza nell'Infarto Miocardico-Atrial Fibrillation
HbA1c
: glycated haemoglobin
HBPM
: home blood pressure monitoring
HOPE
: Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation
HOT
: Hypertension Optimal Treatment
HRT
: hormone replacement therapy
HT
: hypertension
HYVET
: HYpertension in the Very Elderly Trial
IMT
: intima-media thickness
I-PRESERVE
: Irbesartan in Heart Failure with Preserved Systolic Function
INTERHEART
: Effect of Potentially Modifiable Risk Factors associated with Myocardial Infarction in 52 Countries
INVEST
: INternational VErapamil SR/T Trandolapril
ISH
: Isolated systolic hypertension
JNC
: Joint National Committee
JUPITER
: Justification for the Use of Statins in Primary Prevention: an Intervention Trial Evaluating Rosuvastatin
LAVi
: left atrial volume index
LIFE
: Losartan Intervention For Endpoint Reduction in Hypertensives
LV
: left ventricle/left ventricular
LVH
: left ventricular hypertrophy
LVM
: left ventricular mass
MDRD
: Modification of Diet in Renal Disease
MRFIT
: Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial
MRI
: magnetic resonance imaging
NORDIL
: The Nordic Diltiazem Intervention study
OC
: oral contraceptive
OD
: organ damage
ONTARGET
: ONgoing Telmisartan Alone and in Combination with Ramipril Global Endpoint Trial
PAD
: peripheral artery disease
PATHS
: Prevention And Treatment of Hypertension Study
PCI
: percutaneous coronary intervention
PPAR
: peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor
PREVEND
: Prevention of REnal and Vascular ENdstage Disease
PROFESS
: Prevention Regimen for Effectively Avoiding Secondary Strokes
PROGRESS
: Perindopril Protection Against Recurrent Stroke Study
PWV
: pulse wave velocity
QALY
: Quality adjusted life years
RAA
: renin-angiotensin-aldosterone
RAS
: renin-angiotensin system
RCT
: randomized controlled trials
RF
: risk factor
ROADMAP
: Randomized Olmesartan And Diabetes MicroAlbuminuria Prevention
SBP
: systolic blood pressure
SCAST
: Angiotensin-Receptor Blocker Candesartan for Treatment of Acute STroke
SCOPE
: Study on COgnition and Prognosis in the Elderly
SCORE
: Systematic COronary Risk Evaluation
SHEP
: Systolic Hypertension in the Elderly Program
STOP
: Swedish Trials in Old Patients with Hypertension
STOP-2
: The second Swedish Trial in Old Patients with Hypertension
SYSTCHINA
: SYSTolic Hypertension in the Elderly: Chinese trial
SYSTEUR
: SYSTolic Hypertension in Europe
TIA
: transient ischaemic attack
TOHP
: Trials Of Hypertension Prevention
TRANSCEND
: Telmisartan Randomised AssessmeNt Study in ACE iNtolerant subjects with cardiovascular Disease
UKPDS
: United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study
VADT
: Veterans' Affairs Diabetes Trial
VALUE
: Valsartan Antihypertensive Long-term Use Evaluation
WHO
: World Health Organization

### 1.1 Principles

The 2013 guidelines on hypertension of the European Society of Hypertension (ESH) and the European Society of Cardiology …

/pdf/2013-esh-esc-guidelines-for-the-management-of-arterial-4ydvs5ifsx.pdf

2013 ESH/ESC Guidelines for the management of arterial hypertension: The Task Force for the management of arterial hypertension of the European Society of Hypertension (ESH) and of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).

2016 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic heart failure: The Task Force for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic heart failure of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). Developed with the special contribution of the Heart Failure Association (HFA) of the ESC.

A cluster of risk factors for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus, which occur together more often than by chance alone, have become known as the metabolic syndrome. The risk factors include raised blood pressure, dyslipidemia (raised triglycerides and lowered high-density lipoprotein cholesterol), raised fasting glucose, and central obesity. Various diagnostic criteria have been proposed by different organizations over the past decade. Most recently, these have come from the International Diabetes Federation and the American Heart Association/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. The main difference concerns the measure for central obesity, with this being an obligatory component in the International Diabetes Federation definition, lower than in the American Heart Association/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute criteria, and ethnic specific. The present article represents the outcome of a meeting between several major organizations in an attempt to unify criteria. It was agreed that there should not be an obligatory component, but that waist measurement would continue to be a useful preliminary screening tool. Three abnormal findings out of 5 would qualify a person for the metabolic syndrome. A single set of cut points would be used for all components except waist circumference, for which further work is required. In the interim, national or regional cut points for waist circumference can be used.

/pdf/harmonizing-the-metabolic-syndrome-a-joint-interim-statement-1vvpo24om1.pdf

Harmonizing the Metabolic Syndrome A Joint Interim Statement of the International Diabetes Federation Task Force on Epidemiology and Prevention; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; American Heart Association; World Heart Federation; International Atherosclerosis Society; and International Association for the Study of Obesity

The rapid technological developments of the past decade and the changes in echocardiographic practice brought about by these developments have resulted in the need for updated recommendations to the previously published guidelines for cardiac chamber quantification, which was the goal of the joint writing group assembled by the American Society of Echocardiography and the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging. This document provides updated normal values for all four cardiac chambers, including three-dimensional echocardiography and myocardial deformation, when possible, on the basis of considerably larger numbers of normal subjects, compiled from multiple databases. In addition, this document attempts to eliminate several minor discrepancies that existed between previously published guidelines.

https://biblio.ugent.be/publication/5953422/file/5953443.pdf

Recommendations for cardiac chamber quantification by echocardiography in adults: an update from the American Society of Echocardiography and the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging.

Type II diabetes mellitus is a known cardiovascular risk factor and its prevalence continues to increase. A revolution in the Type II diabetes mellitus treatment has occurred with the arrival of new antidiabetic drugs, which are thought to compromise metformin place. We aim to review the pharmacology, available evidence and clinical aspects of metformin use in the era of new antidiabetics.

Metformin in the era of new antidiabetics.

European guidelines regarding the prevention of cardiovascular disease in clinical practice: a shorter version

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY During recent years, pericardial bioprostheses have gained widespread acceptance as cardiac valve substitutes. The study aim was to evaluate the early clinical and hemodynamic performance of the Sorin SopranoTM supra-annular aortic bioprosthesis, as used for aortic valve replacement (AVR). METHODS Between January 2004 and August 2006, a total of 501 patients (55% males; mean age 75 +/- 6.4 years) was prospectively enrolled into the study, which involved 10 European institutions. The indications for AVR were aortic stenosis in 91% of patients, aortic incompetence in 8%, and redo surgery in 1%. Preoperatively, 62% of the patients were in NYHA class III, and 12% in class IV. The mean prosthesis size was 21.4 +/- 1.8 mm. A non-everting technique was used in 88% of patients. Concomitant procedures were performed in 52% of cases (mainly coronary artery bypass grafts; 41%). The mean cross-clamp and cardiopulmonary bypass times were 70 +/- 27.2 min and 99 +/- 39.7 min, respectively. Doppler echocardiography performed at one and 12 months after surgery was evaluated by an independent core laboratory. RESULTS Postoperatively, there were 25 early deaths (5%) and 13 late deaths, with an overall survival at one year of 92.9% (95% CI: 90.2-94.8) and freedom from valve-related death of 98.6% (95% CI: 97.5-99.6). After 12 months, most patients (87%) were in NYHA classes I-II. Actuarial freedoms from thromboembolism, bleeding, endocarditis and paraprosthetic leak at one year were 97.1% (CI: 95.1-98.2), 98.9% (CI: 97.4-99.5), 99.1% (CI: 97.7-99.7), and 99.6% (CI: 98.3-99.9), respectively. No events of thrombosis and structural valve deterioration (SVD) were observed. Subsequent echocardiographic evaluation showed low mean (11.1 +/- 5.1 mmHg at one year) and peak (19.5 +/- 8.9 mmHg at one year) transvalvular gradients, and a significant reduction in left ventricular mass, from 211 +/- 78.5 g at one month to 185 +/- 64.7 g at 12 months (p <0.0001). CONCLUSION After 12 months, the clinical outcome with the Soprano bioprosthesis, when used for AVR, was excellent. The bioprosthesis also showed good hemodynamic performance, with a significant reduction of left ventricular hypertrophy.

European multicenter study with the Soprano valve for aortic valve replacement: one-year clinical experience and hemodynamic data.

La expresión ILK asociada a la edad se relaciona con la calcificación de la válvula aórtica y niveles plasmáticos del miR 199-3p

This supplement of the European Heart Journal addresses important topics in aortic stenosis (AS), based on the presentations made at a satellite symposium of the annual congress EUROECHO 2007 in Lisbon.

Since the first descriptions of acquired calcific AS by Stokes in 1845 and by Monckeberg in 1904, this disease has undergone a dramatic increase in incidence.

It is the third most common cardiovascular disease after hypertension and CAD and the most common native valve lesion, being present in 43% of all patients with valvular heart disease in the Euro Heart Survey on Valvular Heart disease.1 Aortic stenosis is also the most common cause for aortic valve replacement, accounting yearly for about 40 000 valve operations in Europe and 95 000 in the United States.

Average life expectancy in the countries of the European Union rose almost 9 years from 1960 to 2000 and continues to increase by 3 months every year, thus the prevalence of AS will increase further, raising important medical and economic issues.

The first epidemiologic study evaluating the prevalence of AS in an unselected elderly population in Finland by two-dimensional and Doppler echocardiography has shown critical native valve stenosis (aortic valve area, ≤0.8 cm2; velocity … 

*Corresponding author. E-mail address: christa-gohlke{at}t-online.de

/pdf/hot-topics-in-aortic-stenosis-12zpxcssy6.pdf

José Luis Zamorano

Papers

Metformin in the era of new antidiabetics.

European guidelines regarding the prevention of cardiovascular disease in clinical practice: a shorter version

European multicenter study with the Soprano valve for aortic valve replacement: one-year clinical experience and hemodynamic data.

La expresión ILK asociada a la edad se relaciona con la calcificación de la válvula aórtica y niveles plasmáticos del miR 199-3p

Hot topics in aortic stenosis