Explore the vast range of titles available.

Blood pressure (BP) variability and nocturnal decline in blood pressure are associated with cardiovascular outcomes. However, little is known about whether these indexes are associated with white-coat and masked hypertension. We performed a cross-sectional analysis of 1047 community-dwelling individuals aged ⩾60 years in Spain in 2012. Three observer-measured home BPs and 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) were performed under standardized conditions. BP variability was defined as BP s.d. and coefficient of variation. Differences in BP variability and nocturnal BP decrease between groups were adjusted for sociodemographic and clinical covariates using generalized linear models. Of the cohort, 21.7% had white-coat hypertension, 7.0% had masked hypertension, 21.4% had sustained hypertension, and 49.9% were normotensive. Twenty-four hour, daytime and night-time systolic BP s.d. and coefficients of variation were significantly higher in subjects with white-coat hypertension than those with normotension (P<0.05) and were similar to subjects with sustained hypertension. In untreated subjects, 24-h but not daytime or night-time BP variability indexes were significantly higher in subjects with white-coat hypertension than in those with normotension (P<0.05). Percentage decrease in nocturnal systolic and diastolic BP was greatest in the white-coat hypertension group and lowest in the masked hypertension group in all patients and untreated patients (P<0.05). Lack of nocturnal decline in systolic blood pressure was observed in 70.2% of subjects with normotension, 57.8% of subjects with white-coat hypertension, 78.1% of subjects with masked hypertension, and 72.2% of subjects with sustained hypertension (P<0.001). In conclusion, 24-h BP variability was higher in subjects with white-coat hypertension and blunted nocturnal BP decrease was observed more frequently in subjects with masked hypertension. These findings may help to explain the reports of increased cardiovascular risk in patients with white-coat hypertension and poor prognosis in those with masked hypertension, highlighting the importance of ABPM.

Narrative medicine has great educational potential in the degree of medicine. This study explores for the first time the use of narrative medicine in relation to longitudinal evolution of medical vocation for the same group of students. In the context of the Degree in Medicine at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Spain), students wrote narratives about what it meant to them to be a doctor at the beginning and end of their studies. The narratives of 338 students of the academic years 2012/13–2017/18 and 2013/14–2018/19 were analysed and compared. Students mostly pursued a degree in medicine on account of humanistic motivations, which are reinforced throughout their degree. In contrast, up to 10% of students reference to have experienced vocational crises and suffered frustration, with up to 25% of the references pertaining to having made significant sacrifices. Students maintain and evolve their humanistic, patient-centred vision throughout their degree studies, despite the difficulties they appear to encounter. We suggest that efforts must be made to include more humanistic perspectives in the medical degree to keep this trend, which may improve both the educational experience created in universities and the health care given to patients.