Blood Pressure News and Research

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Blood Pressure is the force of circulating blood on the walls of the arteries. Blood pressure is taken using two measurements: systolic (measured when the heart beats, when blood pressure is at its highest) and diastolic (measured between heart beats, when blood pressure is at its lowest). Blood pressure is written with the systolic blood pressure first, followed by the diastolic blood pressure (for example 120/80).

New obesity medications offer a potent tool for combating hypertension

A meta-analysis of 32 studies and 43,618 adults presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity in Istanbul, Turkey (12-15 May) shows that use of new classes of obesity drugs for weight loss is associated with a clinically relevant drop in blood pressure (BP): a 0.34 mmHg reduction in systolic BP per 1\% weight loss.

15 May 2026

Research identifies significant spike in neurological disorders during the covid-19 pandemic

In 2021, neurological diseases affected 3.40 billion individuals worldwide, corresponding to 43.1 % of the global population. In China, rapid demographic shifts and lifestyle changes have contributed to a continued rise in the burden of stroke, dementia, and Parkinson's disease-a trend expected to persist.

15 May 2026

Study traces adult heart disease risk back to the womb

A child's future heart health may be partially shaped before they are born, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study that found pregnancy complications are linked to poorer cardiovascular health in offspring more than 20 years later.

14 May 2026

New research maps the biological toll of drinking

A new review published in the journal Addiction confirms drinking causes substantial harm to health. Some of those harms may be reversible if the person reduces or stops drinking.

14 May 2026

Study warns of rising cognitive impairment following a heart attack

The chance of developing cognitive impairment was significantly higher for people who have had a heart attack, according to a study published today in Stroke, the peer-reviewed scientific journal of the American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association.

14 May 2026

Semaglutide significantly reduces obesity in treatment-resistant young adults

A weekly dose of semaglutide (2.4 mg) leads to a clinically significant reduction in body mass index (BMI) and related health outcomes in young adults with severe obesity who are treatment resistant following hospital-based non-pharmacological obesity care during childhood, according to a randomized controlled trial being presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Istanbul, Turkey (12-15 May).

13 May 2026

Global hypertension burden rising sharply in lower-income countries

In theory, hypertension is a disease that is both easy to test for and readily treatable with existing medications and lifestyle interventions.

13 May 2026

Fine particle pollution may quietly damage brain function over time

The air pollution we breathe daily could be harming more than just our lungs and hearts. New research from McMaster University suggests that fine particles from traffic, industry and wildfire smoke is linked to worse cognitive function.

13 May 2026

Perimenopausal women face higher risk of low heart health

Perimenopausal women were two times more likely to have a low cardiovascular health score compared to women having regular menstrual cycles, according to an analysis of nationwide U.S. data published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open-access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.

13 May 2026

Combined workouts and HIIT significantly lower daily blood pressure

Aerobic and resistance training combined, and high intensity interval training (HIIT), are associated with significant reductions in blood pressure over 24 hours, finds a pooled data analysis of the available evidence for several different types of structured exercise, and published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

13 May 2026

Two leading heart risk tools pass a major global test

A multinational Nature Medicine validation study found that PREVENT and SCORE2 cardiovascular risk equations performed generally well across 6.4 million people from observational cohorts and randomized trials. The findings support broader use of these tools for CVD risk stratification, while highlighting the need for local calibration and more validation in underrepresented regions.

11 May 2026

Urges for cardiologists to screen patients for UPF intake

The European Society of Cardiology identifies ultra-processed foods as a key cardiovascular risk, urging a shift in dietary guidelines for better heart health.

11 May 2026

Semaglutide shows sustained weight loss benefits in older adults

A new analysis of the STEP trails carried out by semaglutide manufacturer Novo Nordisk has analysed various trials to show the safety and efficacy of the obesity drug semaglutide in older adults (over 65 years), and found similar efficacy and safety as in the general trial populations .

11 May 2026

Heart disease risk increases in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Heart disease risk has been found to increase in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), even in those with normal weight, according to research presented at the 28th European Congress of Endocrinology in Prague.

10 May 2026

Exercise or caffeine? Study finds neither clearly beats placebo for mental fatigue

Researchers compare the effects of caffeine and aerobic exercise on mental fatigue in adults.

10 May 2026

Legumes and soy foods may help reduce hypertension risk

A higher dietary intake of soy and legumes is linked to a lower risk of high blood pressure, finds a pooled data analysis of the available evidence, published in the open access journal BMJ Nutrition Prevention & Health.

8 May 2026

Heart disease risk prediction tool proves effective across global populations

A tool developed by the American Heart Association (AHA), proven to accurately predict heart disease risk for Americans, can be applied to the global population, a new study led by NYU Langone Health shows.

7 May 2026

Ultra processed foods linked to higher cardiovascular disease and death

People who eat more ultra processed food (UPF) have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and death, according to a report published in the European Heart Journal today (Thursday).

7 May 2026

CGRP inhibitors may reduce glaucoma risk among migraine patients

A type of drug used to prevent migraine may be associated with a reduced risk of glaucoma, according to a study published May 6, 2026, in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

6 May 2026

Bariatric surgery offers greater long-term health protection for seniors than GLP-1 drugs

Metabolic and bariatric surgery offers significantly greater long-term protection against heart attack, stroke and death than widely-used GLP-1 drugs in older adults with obesity and diabetes, according to new real-world analysis study presented today at the annual meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

6 May 2026