May measurement month 2018: an analysis of blood pressure screening results from Colombia

High blood pressure (BP) is the leading global preventable cause of death and the most common risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, due to its asymptomatic nature, the lack of awareness of this condition causes underdiagnosis and low rates of adherence to pharmacological treatment. Looking for practical approaches to increase awareness worldwide, the International Society of Hypertension (ISH) implemented the 2nd May Measurement Month campaign in 2018 (MMM18). In order to contribute to this initiative, Colombia participated as one of the 89 countries involved in this hypertension screening programme. Blood pressure was measured in subjects from 11 departments in Colombia. Under the leadership of the Fundacio´n Oftalmolo´gica de Santander (FOSCAL), 400 volunteers across the country collected the data following the MMM protocol. Measurements from 35 548 participants with a mean age of 41.9 years were obtained. In total, 9475 (26.7%) of the total population studied had hypertension. Of those with hypertension, 69.9% of these subjects were aware of their condition, 65.0% were on antihypertensive medication, and 43.1% had controlled BP. Of those on medication, 66.3% had controlled BP. Hypertension screening, awareness, treatment, and control should be a priority in public health objectives due to its elevated burden of disease and direct association with increased CVD. The MMM campaign provided a positive impact in the diagnosis of hypertension across Colombia. Although efforts are being made to expand treatment capability and adherence, still more are needed to insure a broader coverage of antihypertensive medication in Colombia

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition)

In 2008, we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, this topic has received increasing attention, and many scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Thus, it is important to formulate on a regular basis updated guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Despite numerous reviews, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to evaluate autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. Here, we present a set of guidelines for investigators to select and interpret methods to examine autophagy and related processes, and for reviewers to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of reports that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a dogmatic set of rules, because the appropriateness of any assay largely depends on the question being asked and the system being used. Moreover, no individual assay is perfect for every situation, calling for the use of multiple techniques to properly monitor autophagy in each experimental setting. Finally, several core components of the autophagy machinery have been implicated in distinct autophagic processes (canonical and noncanonical autophagy), implying that genetic approaches to block autophagy should rely on targeting two or more autophagy-related genes that ideally participate in distinct steps of the pathway. Along similar lines, because multiple proteins involved in autophagy also regulate other cellular pathways including apoptosis, not all of them can be used as a specific marker for bona fide autophagic responses. Here, we critically discuss current methods of assessing autophagy and the information they can, or cannot, provide. Our ultimate goal is to encourage intellectual and technical innovation in the field

Erratum to: Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (3rd edition) (Autophagy, 12, 1, 1-222, 10.1080/15548627.2015.1100356

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