Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) News and Research

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Hypertension (or high blood pressure) is a condition where the pressure of the blood flowing through the arteries of the body is higher than it should be. Much like the pressure of the air in a tire, if the pressure of the blood is too high it can damage the arteries and organs of the body. Just like the tire, if the pressure suddenly becomes very high, catastrophic events can happen. Similarly, if the pressure remains somewhat elevated for a long enough period of time, premature wear and failure can occur.

Hypertension has its worst effects on the heart, kidneys, eyes, and brain. High blood pressure is a risk factor for heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, hemorrhages of the retina of the eye, and generalized atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries all over the body).

Safety net hospitals prepare for changes from health law; Patients hesitant to challenge doctors

Safety-net hospitals – which often provide care to low-income and uninsured populations – are facing reduced federal and state support for uncompensated care under the Affordable Care Act. However, this study points out that 23 million people will remain uninsured and continue to need care from the hospitals.

18 Aug 2012

Increasing blood levels of particular proteins may act as warning signs for IgA nephropathy

Increasing blood levels of particular proteins may act as warning signs for patients with one of the most common diseases of the kidney, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN).

17 Aug 2012

Intake of Mediterranean diet enriched with olive oil may increase serum osteocalcin concentrations

A study to be published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (JCEM) shows consumption of a Mediterranean diet enriched with olive oil for two years is associated with increased serum osteocalcin concentrations, suggesting a protective effect on bone.

16 Aug 2012

Women with hypertension or obesity more likely to experience sleep apnoea

New research from Umeå and Uppsala universities has found high rates of sleep apnoea in women, despite the condition usually being regarded as a disorder predominantly of males.

16 Aug 2012

Reassuring findings for migraine patients

Women who experience migraine do not have a faster rate of cognitive decline than those without migraine, contradicting speculation that the condition may be a progressive brain disorder, say researchers.

15 Aug 2012

Healthy lifestyle provides stroke prevention across hypertensive states

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle significantly decreases the risk for stroke in both men and women who differ in their hypertension status and use of antihypertensive drug treatments, a study shows.

15 Aug 2012

Cardiovascular control continues despite low pulse pressure in LVAD patients

Patients implanted with continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices have low pulse pressure levels but are nevertheless able to maintain cardiovascular control through baroreflexes, German and US scientists have discovered.

14 Aug 2012

HAS-BLED proves predictive ability

Researchers say that the HAS-BLED score is a significant predictor for intracranial hemorrhage when compared with the HEMORR2HAGES and ATRIA scores, supporting international guideline recommendations.

14 Aug 2012

Women with chronic PVT should be informed, not discouraged, about pregnancy

Maternal and fetal outcomes are favorable for most pregnancies that reach 20 weeks’ in women with chronic portal vein thrombosis, a study shows.

13 Aug 2012

Mercury exposure hypertension concerns ‘unfounded’

Mercury exposure is not associated with an increased risk for hypertension, US research shows.

13 Aug 2012

Twelve states currently have adult obesity rate above 30%

Twelve states currently have an adult obesity rate above 30 percent, according to a new analysis released today by the Trust for America's Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF).

13 Aug 2012

Maternal obesity and neonatal death: an interview with Dr. Jenny Cresswell

It is important to say that levels of maternal obesity in sub-Saharan Africa are low by global standards, but obesity is projected to increase over the next two decades.

13 Aug 2012

Endocrine Society revises clinical practice guideline for management of thyroid dysfunction

The Endocrine Society has made revisions to its 2007 Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) for management of thyroid disease during pregnancy and postpartum. The CPG provides recommendations for diagnosis and treatment of patients with thyroid-related medical issues just before and during pregnancy and in the postpartum interval.

12 Aug 2012

Hydrocephalus dictates age-related SAH outcomes

Age is only predictive of poor outcome after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage because of its association with hydrocephalus, say researchers.

10 Aug 2012

Syrians in urgent need of life-saving medicines as fighting escalates, WHO warns

"Syrians are in urgent need of life-saving medicines following an escalation in fighting, which also threatens further food shortages, U.N. agencies warned on Tuesday," Agence France-Presse reports.

9 Aug 2012

Ischemic lesions signal preventive needs in ICH patients

The finding of new ischemic lesions in patients with hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage identifies patients at the greatest need of preventive therapy, research published in Neurology suggests.

8 Aug 2012

Strategies that encourage lifestyle modifications could help manage hypertension

While many public health officials and healthcare providers view reducing sodium intake as the primary strategy to lower blood pressure, a 2010 expert Roundtable indicates that strategies that encourage lifestyle modifications could yield better results, concludes an article published today in the peer-reviewed journal Nutrition Today.

8 Aug 2012