Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) News and Research

RSS

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).

Less is definitely more for men who undergo nephrectomy

Researchers have identified a link between complete kidney removal and erectile dysfunction, a manifestation of endothelial dysfunction that often precedes cardiovascular disease.

6 Aug 2012

Cardiovascular risk present across chronic rheumatic diseases

Patients across the spectrum of rheumatic diseases, not just those with rheumatoid arthritis, have a significantly increased prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors compared with the general population, the results of a Dutch study indicate.

6 Aug 2012

Adiposity linked to cognitive decline in elderly

High levels of adiposity increase rates of cognitive decline in the “young elderly” aged between 60 and 70 years, report Korean researchers.

6 Aug 2012

Prior contralateral amputation predicts outcomes after LEB for critical limb ischemia

Researchers from the Vascular Study Group of New England (VSGNE) report that prior contralateral amputation predicts worse outcomes for lower extremity bypasses (LEB's) performed in the intact limb.

6 Aug 2012

Foods high in sugar and fat could have addictive properties

Overweight and obese individuals can achieve a decade's worth of important health benefits by losing just 20 pounds, even if they regain the weight later that decade, according to research presented at the American Psychological Association's 120th Annual Convention. With a focus on psychology's role in overcoming the national obesity epidemic, the session also examined research that indicates foods high in sugar and fat could have addictive properties.

3 Aug 2012

High maternal choline intake may reduce risk of hypertension and diabetes in babies

New research from Cornell University indicates that pregnant women who increase choline intake in the third trimester of pregnancy may reduce the risk of the baby developing metabolic and chronic stress-related diseases like high blood pressure and diabetes later in life.

2 Aug 2012

People with diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidemia have difficultly managing all 3 conditions

Most people who have diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol have difficultly managing all three conditions; indeed, success is fleeting for those who do manage all three, according to a Kaiser Permanente Institute for Health Research study that appears online in the American Heart Association journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.

1 Aug 2012

Breast cancer drug bevacizumab (Avastin): an interview with Dr Anna Dorothea Wagner

Breast cancer is the most important cancer for women in the developed world. About 20% of all patients diagnosed with breast cancer die of metastatic disease.

1 Aug 2012

Obesity and heart disease risk in children: an interview with Joana Kist-van Holthe

'What defines obesity in children' is a very important question, primarily because we need to use one definition in order to be able to compare the prevalence of obesity in different countries. It is also important to have a single definition in order to evaluate whether interventions are successful or not.

31 Jul 2012

Exercise hope for drug-resistant hypertension

Even patients who have hypertension despite taking multiple antihypertensive drugs can achieve blood pressure reductions with a program of aerobic exercise, research shows.

31 Jul 2012

Insurance type does not affect cesarean rate

There is no significant disparity in the odds for US women undergoing cesarean section delivery rather than vaginal delivery according to whether they are privately or publicly Medicaid-insured patients, show study results from Michigan, USA.

31 Jul 2012

Sinai Hospital to help investigate health and safety of astronauts in long-duration spaceflight

Sinai Hospital of Baltimore has been awarded one of 29 grants by the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) and NASA's Human Research Program to help investigate questions about astronaut health and performance on future deep-space exploration missions.

31 Jul 2012

Researchers identify new genetic target for diuretic therapy

Researchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC) have identified a new genetic target for diuretic therapy in patients with fluid overload-like those with congestive heart failure, liver cirrhosis or kidney failure.

31 Jul 2012

Screening checks in adolescents with hypertension diverge from guidelines

Guideline-recommended diagnostic tests for hypertension complications, such as echocardiograms and renal ultrasonography, are being poorly used in adolescents, a study suggests.

30 Jul 2012

Bathroom scale performs electrocardiograms

The Instrumentation, Sensors and Interfaces (ISI) Group has developed an intuitive and cost-effective scale, which, as well as measuring weight, also records the electrical activity of the heart from foot and hand contact. The device demonstrates the usefulness of telemedicine, which is particularly appropriate for people who need frequent heart checkups.

30 Jul 2012

Lack of physical activity and life expectancy: an interview with Dr I-Min Lee

With the approach of the Olympic Games, a group of researchers throughout the world thought that it would be a good time to draw the attention of the world to the health dangers of being physically inactive.

30 Jul 2012

Hard work puts stress on the female heart

Women who have stressful jobs may be putting themselves at increased risk for a cardiovascular event a decade down the line, researchers say.

25 Jul 2012

Self-neglect predicts hospice use among elderly

Both the presence and severity of self-neglect in the elderly independently predict hospice use, and are not mediated by the presence of health-related factors, show results published in the Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics.

25 Jul 2012

First results from community HIV testing campaign in Uganda

A clinical study in a remote region of southwest Uganda has demonstrated the feasibility of using a health campaign to rapidly test a community for HIV and simultaneously offer prevention and diagnosis for a variety of other diseases in rural and resource-poor settings of sub-Saharan Africa.

24 Jul 2012

Two thirds of obese children have heart disease risk factors

Two out of three severely obese kids already have at least one risk factor for heart disease, suggests research published online in Archives of Disease in Childhood.

24 Jul 2012