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).

Minimally invasive renal denervation performed for the first time in Canada

Doctors at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre today performed a minimally invasive surgical procedure to treat high blood pressure, called renal denervation, for the first time in Canada.

18 Jan 2012

Peter Munk Cardiac Centre doctors perform renal denervation in first Canadian patient

Doctors at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre today performed a minimally invasive surgical procedure to treat high blood pressure, called renal denervation, for the first time in Canada. The procedure can significantly reduce high blood pressure in patients who cannot effectively treat their hypertension through drugs. These patients, numbering approximately 250,000 Canadians, have to endure an especially high risk of heart attacks and stroke, which continues to kill thousands of Canadians every year.

18 Jan 2012

Ethanol, nonalcoholic compounds in red wine may reduce risk of vascular disease

Observational epidemiologic studies relating wine and alcohol to health all suffer from the fact that they, of necessity, compare people who prefer certain beverages, but not the beverages themselves. While there have been many intervention trials in animals, randomized trials in humans are less common. Randomized crossover trials, in which each subject receives all interventions in sequence, can be especially important as they tend to avoid baseline differences among subjects and can detect effects of different interventions with smaller numbers of subjects.

18 Jan 2012

Hot yoga practicing tips

Yoga is one of the hottest fitness trends and a style known as "hot yoga" is gaining in popularity. Hot yoga refers to yoga practiced in a heated environment, with the room temperature generally reaching 90 to 105 degrees. The theory behind it is that hot yoga helps the body to sweat out toxins while allowing the practitioner to safely achieve deeper poses. Bikram is a common form of hot yoga.

17 Jan 2012

Safety nets in Australia’s Medicare questioned while expert claims $3 billion inappropriate use

In a scathing article for the Medical Journal of Australia published on Monday, GP Dr Tony Webber has described the Medicare scheme as a “monster”. He wrote, “I estimate that $2 billion to $3 billion are spent inappropriately each year.” As former chief of the Professional Services Review - set up to police Medicare - he said he gained insight into how dysfunctional the system had become.

16 Jan 2012

Multiple medicines use very common: New snapshot of over-50s' medicine habits

A study by NPS in collaboration with the University of Melbourne —published today in the Medical Journal of Australia — has provided new insights into how people use medicines on a daily basis and highlights that the use of multiple medicines in older Australians is common and more complex than previously thought.

15 Jan 2012

Viewpoints: GOP moving away from compassionate conservatism; Competing strategies for fighting obesity

Romney asserts that President Obama wants to "fundamentally transform America," turning the country "into a European-style entitlement society." In fact, (Mitt) Romney and his Republican presidential rivals have a far more radical transformation in mind. They envision a dramatically shrunken federal government and a dangerously unraveled social safety net.

13 Jan 2012

Supreme Court considers medical leave lawsuit

The high court heard oral arguments Wednesday in the case that will determine how the federal Family and Medical Leave Act applies to state government workers.

13 Jan 2012

Excess salt stimulates production of adrenalin and causes hypertension

A review article by researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) debunks the widely-believed concept that hypertension, or high blood pressure, is the result of excess salt causing an increased blood volume, exerting extra pressure on the arteries. Published online in the Journal of Hypertension, the study demonstrates that excess salt stimulates the sympathetic nervous system to produce adrenalin, causing artery constriction and hypertension.

12 Jan 2012

Link between pacemaker-detected atrial arrhythmias and stroke

An irregular heartbeat that you don't even feel but can be picked up by a pacemaker is associated with a significantly increased risk of stroke, says a new McMaster University study.

12 Jan 2012

Regular aspirin may not be good for all: Study

Researchers suggest that healthy individuals who take aspirin to prevent a heart attack or stroke could be doing more harm than good. An analysis of more than 100,000 patients, published in Archives of Internal Medicine, concluded the risk of internal bleeding was too high. The UK-led study said only people with a history of heart problems or stroke should take the tablets. Experts however added that any decision should be made with a doctor.

11 Jan 2012

NSU's medical school adds more developing countries to medical outreach programs

Nova Southeastern University's medical school recently expanded its international medical outreach programs to more developing nations with medical and humanitarian aid from students.

11 Jan 2012

Study examines impact of maternal obesity on inflammatory responses

A number of different immunological mechanisms ensure the successful establishment and maintenance of pregnancy. Imbalance in these mechanisms is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes.

11 Jan 2012

Grief and heart attacks linked: Study

Researchers have found that grief might actually break ones heart. A new study shows that people grieving the death of a close loved one could have a heart attack risk that is 20 times higher than normal.

10 Jan 2012

Delaying hypertension treatment in diabetic patients for up to a year is unlikely to be harmful

Confronted with a high blood pressure value in a diabetic patient, most doctors would treat aggressively with medications. According to new research, however, delaying drug treatment for up to a year is unlikely to be harmful. The delay allows doctors and their patients to focus on lifestyle changes such as salt restriction, weight management, and exercise.

10 Jan 2012

Cardiologist measures risk factors associated with CR

The cardiologist Aitor Jim-nez has managed to gather and characterise in detail 110 cases of cardiac rupture (CR), after spending 22 years (1978-2000) gathering data at the Hospital de Cruces, near Bilbao. It is one of the broadest anatomical series described in this respect. CR is the most serious complication of acute myocardial infarction; it is not very common, but when it does occur, it is mortal in practically all cases. So prevention, although difficult, seems more feasible than cure.

10 Jan 2012

Insulin induces formation of new elastin in cultures of human aortic smooth muscle cells

New research reveals that insulin applied in therapeutic doses selectively stimulates the formation of new elastic fibers in cultures of human aortic smooth muscle cells.

10 Jan 2012

Middle-aged adults with diabetes have time to learn how to control hypertension

A new study suggests that middle-aged adults recently diagnosed with diabetes and hypertension have time to try to learn how to control their high blood pressure without medications, but not too much time.

9 Jan 2012

Incidence of type 2 diabetes and hypertension increases with exposure to NOx

The incidence of type 2 diabetes and hypertension increases with cumulative levels of exposure to nitrogen oxides, according to a new study led by researchers from the Slone Epidemiology Center (SEC) at Boston University.

6 Jan 2012

2012 ‘Best Diets’ rankings

Those aspiring to lose weight and eat healthy this New Year may benefit from the U.S. News & World Report's 2012 Best Diets rankings. Each year, U.S. News accumulates data from scientific journals, government reports, and solicits input from 22 experts in food science and nutrition, to come up for its rankings.

5 Jan 2012