We compared a 4-limb bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) system, HBF 359 (Omron), and a 2-limb foot-to-foot device, BC 532 (Tanita), with the standard dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods for the measurement of body fat percentage (BF), skeletal muscle mass percentage (SMM, or fat-free mass [FFM] for BC 532), and visceral fat level (VF). Body composition was measured in 200 healthy volunteers (100 men and 100 women, mean age 48 years) by HBF 359 and BC 532 and by DXA and MRI. The agreement was assessed by correlation analysis and paired t-test. The correlation coefficients between BIA and DXA or MRI ranged from 0.71 to 0.89 for BF, SMM, and VF by HBF 359 and from 0.77 to 0.90 for BF, FFM, and VF by BC 532 in all subjects and in men and women separately (p < 0.001 for all). Compared with DXA, HBF 359 significantly (p < 0.001) underestimated BF by -5.8% in men and -9.6% in women. Compared with MRI, the corresponding underestimatons (negative) or overestimations (positive) by HBF 359 in men and women were, respectively, +1.9% (p = 0.02) and +1.7% (p = 0.10) for SMM, and +13.3% (p < 0.001) and -8.5% (p = 0.006), for VF. The corresponding values by BC 532 in men and women were -10.7 and -6.2% for BF, -1.4 and -2.5% for FFM, and +20.4 and -18.0% for VF. The BIA devices are accurate in the estimation of body composition, especially skeletal muscle mass or FFM.

Objective To evaluate the association of 4 different kinds of uromicroproteins with the degrees of coronary pathological changes through examining the contents of coronary disease patients' urine retinal binding protein(RBP),urine micro-albumin(m-Alb),urine transferrin(TRF),and urinates N-the acetyl-β-D amino grapeglycosidase(NAG).Methods Totally 180 inpatients presenting from March 2007 to March 2008 in Department of Cardiology,Ninth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University Medical College were recruited.The coronary angiography(CAG) was performed for all the patients after admission.Among them 135 were diagnosed as having coronary stenosis by CAG(CS group),and 45 had no coronary stenosis(non-CS group).ELISA was taken to examine the contents of uromicroproteins.Results The contents of RBP and m-Alb showed significant difference between the two groups(P0.01).According to the CAG result's Gensini integral method,the lowest integral(0~1.0) group and the highest integral(22.0~) group had significant difference in contents of RBP and m-Alb(P0.05).The Gensini integral was positively correlated with the contents of RBP and NAG(P0.05).The RBP level was correlated positively with the waist to hip ratio(WHR) and C-reactive protein(CRP),negatively with high density lipoprotein-cholesterol(HDL-C);the m-Alb level was correlated with WHR and CRP,negatively with HDL-C;and the NAG level was positively correlated with WHR and CRP(P0.05).Conclusion The increase of uromicroprotein for patients with coronary heart disease may indicate the coronary lesion,and the severer the coronary lesion,the more content the uromicroprotein.The patients with abdominal obesity and high CRP have higher quantity of uromicroprotein;but increase of HDL-C may contribute to reduction of uromicroprotein.

Background Home blood pressure(HBP) monitoring might play a role in the management of hypertension.However,the optimal schedule of measuring remains unclear.Objective We investigated how many consecutive days and how many readings on each occasion would be appropriate for the assessment of blood pressure at home in hypertensive patients with diabetes mellitus.Methods HBP monitoring was performed in uncontrolled hypertensive patients with diabetes mellitus recruited from 5 community health centres in Shanghai.HBP was measured at home for 6 consecutive days,with 5 readings each in the morning and in the evening.The Omron HEM-7051 blood pressure monitor was used at home as well as in the outpatient clinic.Results One hundred and nine subjects completed HBP monitoring according to the protocol.Of 109 subjects,39(35.8%) were men.The average age(SD) was(60.4±5.8)years old.The morning systolic/diastolic blood pressures measured at home on each of the 6 days were lower than the blood pressures measured in the clinic on the day before HBP monitoring(P<0.01).The correlation coefficients were calculated for the morning and evening blood pressure readings separately,and for the mean of total 30 blood pressure readings in the 6 consecutive days with that of 15,10,and 5 readings during the first 3 and 2 days and the first day,respectively.The correlation coefficients were greater for 3 days than for 2 days(morning,0.97/0.98 vs 0.95/0.96,P=0.06/0.01;evening 0.98/0.97 vs 0.95/0.95,P<0.01/0.06),and for the first single day(morning,0.97/0.98 vs 0.85/0.89,P<0.01 for both;0.98/0.97 vs 0.83/0.87,P<0.01 for both).We then pooled blood pressure readings measured in the morning and evening in the whole 6-day period,and calculated the correlation coefficients for the mean of 5 reading on each occasion with that of the first 3 and 2 readings and the first reading.The correlation coefficients were greater for 3 than for 2 readings(0.99/0.99 vs 0.98/0.97,P<0.01 for both),and for the first single reading(0.99/0.99 vs 0.93/0.92,P<0.01 for both).Conclusion In uncontrolled hypertensive patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus,HBP monitoring requires at least 3 days of measuring,with 3 readings each in the morning and evening,for reliable assessment of blood pressure.

ObjectiveThis study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of the automated Health & Life oscillometric upper arm blood pressure monitor HL868BA for home blood pressure monitoring according to the European Society of Hypertension International Protocol for blood pressure measuring devices in adults. MethodSystolic and diastolic blood pressures were sequentially measured in 33 adult Chinese using a mercury sphygmomanometer (two observers) and the HL868BA device (one supervisor). Ninety-nine pairs of comparisons were obtained from 15 participants in phase 1 and further 18 participants in phase 2 of the validation study. Data analysis was performed using the ESHIP Analyzer. ResultsThe HL868BA device successfully passed phase 1 of the validation study with a number of absolute differences between device and observers within 5, 10, and 15 mmHg for at least 31/45, 42/45, and 44/45 measurements (required 25, 35, and 40, respectively), respectively. The device also achieved the targets for phase 2.1, with 68/99, 91/99, and 95/99 differences within 5, 10, and 15 mmHg, respectively, for systolic blood pressure, and with 71/99, 88/99, and 94/99 within 5, 10, and 15 mmHg, respectively, for diastolic blood pressure. In phase 2.2, 22 and 28 participants had at least two of the three device–observers differences within 5 mmHg (required ≥22) for systolic and diastolic blood pressure, respectively. ConclusionThe Health & Life upper arm blood pressure monitor HL868BA can be recommended for home use in adults.

Objective To evaluate the relation between a reduced nocturnal fall in blood pressure and more prominent cardiac alterations in treated essential hypertensive patients.Methods One hundred seventy nine patients were performed ambu- latory blood pressure monitoring(ABPM)and echocardiography.For the purpose of this study ABPM was carried-out in three subgroups with different clinic Bp profile:(1)patients with satisfactory Bp control(Bp＜140/90mmHg;groupⅠ,n=50); (2)patients with uncontrolled clinic Bp(clinic Bp values≥140 and/or 90mmHg)but lower self-measured Bp(groupⅡ,n =72);(3)patients with refractory hypertension,selected according to WHO/ISH guidelines definition(groupⅢ,n=57). Results The prevalence of non-dippers was siguificantly lower in groupⅢ(48.0%)andⅡ(44.4%)than in groupⅢ(P＜0.01).The prevalence of LVH 11.7% in groupⅠ,34.1% in groupⅡand 62.7% in groupⅢ(P＜0.01).No differ- ences in cardiac structure were found in relationship to dipping or non-dipping status in the three groups.Conclusion In trea- ted essential hypertensive patients with or without Bp control the extent of nocturnal Bp decrease is not associated with an increase in LV mass or LVH prevalence;therefore,the non-dipping profile does not identify hypertensive patients with greater cardiac damage.