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BACKGROUND: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease; there is growing evidence that it is a hepatic manifestation of a metabolic syndrome. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of metabolic risk factors among patients with NAFLD. MATERIAL/METHODS: Outpatients with NAFLD were recruited into the study. Family physicians recorded patients' demographic and anthropometric data, leisure-time physical activity, concomitant diseases, and pharmacological treatment for NAFLD into standardized Case Report Forms. RESULTS: In total, data on 798 patients were analyzed. Most patients were women and they were older than the men (mean age, 60.2 ± 9.6 vs. 54.5 ± 11.4 years; p<0.05). Metabolic risk factors (obesity, arterial hypertension, dyslipidemia) were highly prevalent in the study patients, and these factors were more prevalent among women. There were no differences in the mean Body Mass Index (BMI), in the proportion of men or women with BMI >30 kg/m2 or central obesity in the 2 age groups (≤ 60 years and >60 years). Hypertension and diabetes were more prevalent among older men and women. Dyslipidemia was more common among older women. The level of leisure-time physical activity was lower in women and in older patients. The most frequently prescribed pharmacological agents were cytoprotective agents, lipid-lowering drugs, and antioxidants. CONCLUSIONS: Metabolic risk factors were highly prevalent among patients with NAFLD. Obesity, hypertension, and dyslipidemia were more prevalent among women. The differences in the prevalence of hypertension seemed to be influenced by older age of women.

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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE. The aim of this study was to evaluate blood pressure (BP) control level in treated hypertensive patients in Latvia and to compare their characteristics according to the adequacy of BP control. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Family physicians collected information on demographic and clinical characteristics, and current antihypertensive treatment of 455 18-80-year-old patients with essential arterial hypertension treated for 1 or more years. Target BP was defined as values of <140/90 mm Hg for patients with low or moderate cardiovascular risk and <135/85-125/75 mm Hg for patients with high or very high risk. BP was measured in the office setting after a 5-minute rest in a sitting position using a calibrated aneroid sphygmomanometer. RESULTS. Nearly half of patients (46.2%) attained their target BP. The proportion of patients with effective BP control was higher in the group of low and moderate added cardiovascular risk than in the high and very high added cardiovascular risk group (61.7% vs. 34.4%, P<0.0001). The majority of patients were given two-drug (26.2%) or three-drug (31.6%) combined antihypertensive therapy. Current pharmacological treatment was similar in the patients who attained target BP and in those who did not. Overall, physicians did not modify antihypertensive treatment in 37.9% of patients; such a recommendation was more common among patients with controlled BP. Very few patients (7.4%) who did not attain target BP did not receive recommendations to modify antihypertensive treatment. CONCLUSIONS. The rate of effective BP control was less than 50% and was even worse (34.4%) in patients with high or very high added cardiovascular risk in the present sample of treated hypertensive patients.

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UNLABELLED: THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY was to evaluate the percentage of patients with primary arterial hypertension treated with antihypertensive drug(s), who achieved target arterial blood pressure (ABP), and to compare the characteristics of patients with controlled and uncontrolled ABP, their current treatment, and treatment modifications. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 429 18-80-year-old patients with primary arterial hypertension treated for ≥ 1 year participated in this study. General practitioners collected data on patients' demographic and clinical characteristics, current treatment for primary arterial hypertension, and treatment modifications. RESULTS: According to physicians, 45.4% of patients achieved target ABP levels. Adequately controlled ABP was documented more often in the group of low and moderate cardiovascular risk than in high- and very high-risk group (n=141, 62.9% versus n=54, 26.3%; P<0.0001). Based on ABP measurements, 160 (37.3%) patients had ABP of <140/90 mm Hg. The majority of patients were treated with a combination of two (n=153, 35.7%) to three (n=144, 33.6%) antihypertensive drugs. Patients with uncontrolled ABP more frequently than patients with controlled ABP were given combination therapy. Treatment was not modified in 37.8% (n=162) of patients, more commonly in those with controlled ABP. CONCLUSIONS: The level of hypertension control in study population was far from optimal, especially in the group of patients at high- and very high-risk where target ABP was lower. Almost 12% of patients with uncontrolled ABP were still undergoing monotherapy, whereas 16% of patients were not recommended any modifications of antihypertensive treatment despite their ABP was not controlled.

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