Stealing Home in Hollywood: Why the Takeover of the Los Angeles Dodgers Illustrates the Unjust Nature of Major League Baseball\u27s Antitrust Exemption

The article discusses Major League Baseball\u27s (MLB) takeover of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team from owner Frank McCourt following his divorce from his wife Jamie, as well as MLB\u27s alleged unjust antitrust exemption as of September 2012. The author argues that McCourt could have challenged the anti-competitive takeover practices of MLB and its commissioner Bud Selig since McCourt\u27s attempt to broker a television deal with Fox Sports did not break any of MLB\u27s rules

Stealing Home in Hollywood: Why the Takeover of the Los Angeles Dodgers Illustrates the Unjust Nature of Major League Baseball\u27s Antitrust Exemption

The article discusses Major League Baseball\u27s (MLB) takeover of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team from owner Frank McCourt following his divorce from his wife Jamie, as well as MLB\u27s alleged unjust antitrust exemption as of September 2012. The author argues that McCourt could have challenged the anti-competitive takeover practices of MLB and its commissioner Bud Selig since McCourt\u27s attempt to broker a television deal with Fox Sports did not break any of MLB\u27s rules

Epilepsy and hypertension: The possible link for sudden unexpected death in epilepsy?

Epilepsy affects about 50 million people worldwide. Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is the main cause of death in epilepsy accounting for up to 17% of all deaths in epileptic patients, and therefore remains a major public health problem. SUDEP likely arises from a combination and interaction of multiple risk factors (such as being male, drug resistance, frequent generalized tonic-clonic seizures) making risk prediction and mitigation challenging. While there is a general understanding of the physiopathology of SUDEP, mechanistic hypotheses linking risk factors with a risk of SUDEP are still lacking. Identifying cross-talk between biological systems implicated in SUDEP may facilitate the development of improved models for SUDEP risk assessment, treatment and clinical management. In this review, the aim was to explore an overlap between the pathophysiology of hypertension, cardiovascular disease and epilepsy, and discuss its implication for SUDEP. Presented herein, evidence in literature in support of a cross-talk between the renin–angiotensin system (RAS) and sympathetic nervous system, both known to be involved in the development of hypertension and cardiovascular disease, and as one of the underlying mechanisms of SUDEP. This article also provides a brief description of local RAS in brain neuroinflammation and the role of centrally acting RAS inhibitors in epileptic seizure alleviation

Influence of genetic factors on early hypertensive complications

Choroby układu krążenia są główną przyczyną zachorowalności, zgonów i inwalidztwa w rozwiniętych krajach świata. Najważniejszym czynnikiem ryzyka prowadzącym do rozwoju powikłań narządowych jest nadciśnienie tętnicze. Niniejszy artykuł jest poświęcony głównie powikłaniom naczyniowym (zaburzenia funkcji śródbłonka i przebudowa ściany tętnic) oraz mikroalbuminurii. W pracy opisano aktualny stan wiedzy o wpływie wybranych czynników genetycznych na predyspozycję do rozwoju powikłań nadciśnienia tętniczego. Czynniki te obejmują warianty polimorficzne genów kandydatów, zaangażowanych między innymi w regulację ciśnienia krwi, hemostazę, stres oksydacyjny i proces zapalny. Stwierdzenie predyspozycji genetycznej do rozwoju wczesnych powikłań sercowo-naczyniowych jest niezwykle istotnym czynnikiem ryzyka wystąpienia poważniejszych powikłań — zawału serca czy udaru mózgu — i może zrewolucjonizować metody diagnostyki chorób, oceny ryzyka i prognozowania oraz wyboru terapii. Nadciśnienie Tętnicze 2011, tom 15, nr 2, strony 125–142.Hypertension is the most prevalent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), the leading cause of death worldwide, especially in developed countries. Genetic and environmental determinants play important roles in hypertension and its complications. This publication gives a short introduction to the pathogenesis of CVD and summarizes the current findings of the genetic factors involved. This review focuses on a better understanding of the role of candidate genes polymorphisms that play a crucial role in blood pressure regulation, hemostatic processes, oxidative stress and inflammatory responses leading to endothelial damage, and as a result, to vascular remodeling and microalbuminuria. Those gene variants could contribute to inter-individual differences in susceptibility to and outcome of essential hypertension. Therefore, the major challenge in cardiovascular medicine is to find a way of predicting the risk of hypertension complications by genetic markers that, used with imaging techniques, could lead to the development of new and better diagnostic and therapeutic methods. Arterial Hypertension 2011, vol. 15, no 2, pages 125–142

C-reactive protein is not related to ambulatory blood pressure or target organ damage in treated hypertensives

Background Publication of the JUPITER trial has renewed the interest in the use of CRP in cardiovascular risk prediction. The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between CRP, ambulatory blood pressure and target organ damage in a cohort of treated hypertensive males without overt cardiovascular disease.Materials and methods The studied group consisted of 299 male hypertensive patients. Patients were stratified into low (≤ 2 mg/L), intermediate (2–5 mg/L), and high (> 5 mg/L) CRP groups. We measured ambulatory blood pressure, pulse wave velocity, left ventricular function and structure, carotid intima media thickness and ankle-brachial index.Results Twenty-six percent of the patients had CRP in the range of 2 to 5 mg/L, and 12% had CRP levels exceeding 5 mg/L. Ambulatory blood pressure and heart rate were not different across the three groups. Patients with high CRP had lower HDL cholesterol levels and higher plasma fibrinogen levels. Carotid femoral pulse wave velocity, carotid intima media thickness and ankle-brachial index were not different across the three groups. Echocardiographic data were also not related to the CRP level.Conclusions1. Elevated levels of CRP are frequently observed among treated patients with hypertension.2. CRP elevation is associated with higher fibrinogen and glucose levels, and lower HDL cholesterol independently of obesity and smoking status.3. Elevated CRP levels are not related to ambulatory blood pressure profile or target organ damage severity.4. Our findings are consistent with the concept that CRP measurement is of limited value in cardiovascular assessment.Background Publication of the JUPITER trial has renewed the interest in the use of CRP in cardiovascular risk prediction. The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between CRP, ambulatory blood pressure and target organ damage in a cohort of treated hypertensive males without overt cardiovascular disease.Materials and methods The studied group consisted of 299 male hypertensive patients. Patients were stratified into low (≤ 2 mg/L), intermediate (2–5 mg/L), and high (> 5 mg/L) CRP groups. We measured ambulatory blood pressure, pulse wave velocity, left ventricular function and structure, carotid intima media thickness and ankle-brachial index.Results Twenty-six percent of the patients had CRP in the range of 2 to 5 mg/L, and 12% had CRP levels exceeding 5 mg/L. Ambulatory blood pressure and heart rate were not different across the three groups. Patients with high CRP had lower HDL cholesterol levels and higher plasma fibrinogen levels. Carotid femoral pulse wave velocity, carotid intima media thickness and ankle-brachial index were not different across the three groups. Echocardiographic data were also not related to the CRP level.Conclusions1. Elevated levels of CRP are frequently observed among treated patients with hypertension.2. CRP elevation is associated with higher fibrinogen and glucose levels, and lower HDL cholesterol independently of obesity and smoking status.3. Elevated CRP levels are not related to ambulatory blood pressure profile or target organ damage severity.4. Our findings are consistent with the concept that CRP measurement is of limited value in cardiovascular assessment

The abdominal obesity prevalence among hypertensives patients in Poland — the consequence of diagnostic criteria change in new Polish Society of Hypertension 2011 guidelines

Wstęp Nadciśnienie tętnicze i otyłość brzuszna są jednymi z czynników ryzyka sercowo-naczyniowego. Istnieją dwie równoległe definicje otyłości brzusznej. Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (ATP III) zaleca rozpoznawanie otyłości przy obwodzie pasa powyżej 102 cm dla mężczyzn i powyżej 88 cm dla kobiet, natomiast International Diabetes Federation (IDF) odpowiednio: 94 cm i poniżej 80 cm. W nowych wytycznych Polskiego Towarzystwa Nadciśnienia Tętniczego przyjęto definicję proponowaną przez IDF. Celem pracy było określenie wpływu zmiany kryteriów rozpoznawania otyłości brzusznej na częstość jej występowania u chorych z nadciśnieniem tętniczym. Materiał i metody Pacjentom zgłaszającym się do wybranych gabinetów lekarzy rodzinnych w ramach badania IDEA wykonano badanie podmiotowe i przedmiotowe, w tym pomiar obwodu pasa, według standardów obowiązujących we wszystkich ośrodkach. Analizowano częstość występowania otyłości brzusznej wśród osób z nadciśnieniem tętniczym według kryteriów ATP III oraz IDF. Wyniki Zbadano 5371 osób (2024 mężczyzn, 3347 kobiet). Według kryteriów ATP III otyłość brzuszną stwierdzono u 36,7% kobiet bez nadciśnienia tętniczego oraz u 75,5% z nadciśnieniem tętniczym (p < 0,001); wśród mężczyzn odpowiednio u 23,1% oraz 54% (p < 0,001). Według kryteriów IDF otyłość brzuszna występowała u 60,9% kobiet bez nadciśnienia tętniczego oraz 91,2% kobiet z nadciśnieniem tętniczym (p < 0,001) oraz u mężczyzn odpowiednio u 51,1% oraz 80,2% (p < 0,001). Stosowanie kryteriów IDF spowodowało wzrost częstości otyłości brzusznej wśród chorych z nadciśnieniem tętniczym z 67,2% do 86,9%. Zarówno dla kryteriów ATP III oraz IDF częstość otyłości brzusznej wzrastała z wiekiem do 70. roku życia u kobiet z nadciśnieniem tętniczym. W grupie mężczyzn zależność ta istniała jedynie dla kryteriów ATP III. Różnice częstości występowania otyłości brzusznej dla obu kryteriów były znamienne we wszystkich przedziałach wiekowych, szczególnie w młodszych grupach. Wnioski Nieprawidłową masę ciała stwierdza się u 2/3 osób zgłaszających się do lekarza. Otyłość brzuszna, według ATP III, występuje dwukrotnie częściej u chorych z nadciśnieniem tętniczym niż z prawidłowym ciśnieniem tętniczym. Kryteria IDF prowadzą do wzrostu częstości występowania otyłości brzusznej wśród chorych z nadciśnieniem tętniczym z 67,2% do 86,9%. Nadciśnienie Tętnicze 2011, tom 15, nr 3, strony 155&#8211;162.Background Hypertension and visceral obesity are major cardiovascular risk factors. There are two parallel definitions of abdominal obesity &#8212; the ATP III defines abdominal obesity as a waist circumference more than 102 cm for men and 88 cm for women, whereas the IDF criteria are 94 cm for men and 80 cm for women. In new PTNT guidelines, the IDF criteria are recommended. The aim of our paper is to asses the influence of change in definition on abdominal obesity prevalence among hypertensive patients. Material and methods We studied consecutive patients visiting general practitioners enrolled into the IDEA Study. Subjects underwent physical examination with waist circumference assessment. The prevalence of abdominal obesity among hypertensives was analyzed according to the ATP III and IDF criteria. Results Fife thousand three hundred seventy one patients were included into the study (2024 men, 3347 women). According to the ATP criteria, visceral obesity was more prevalent in hypertensives than in normotensives (75.5% vs. 36.7% in women, and 54.0% vs. 23.1 in men; p < 0.001 for both comparisons). Similarly, hypertension was associated with higher prevalence of visceral obesity when IDF criteria were used (91.2% vs. 60.9% in women, and 80.2% vs. 51.1 in men; p < 0.001 for both comparisons). Application of IDF criteria increased abdominal obesity prevalence increase among hypertensives from 67.2% to 86.9%. Application of both ATP III and IDF criteria resulted in significant increase in prevalence of abdominal obesity among hypertensive women in all age groups, whereas for men it was true only for the ATP III criteria. The difference between abdominal obesity prevalence according to the ATP III and IDF criteria was significant in all age groups, especially among younger patients. Conclusions Two thirds of Polish patients are either overweight or obese. Abdominal obesity, according to ATP III criteria is twice more prevalent among hypertensives than subjects with normal blood pressure. The application of IDF criteria increases abdominal obesity prevalence among Polish hypertensives from 67.2% to 86.9%. Arterial Hypertension 2011, vol. 15, no 3, pages 155&#8211;162