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).

Bariatric surgery outperforms GLP-1 medications for obesity disease remission

Metabolic and bariatric surgery delivers significantly greater weight loss and higher rates of obesity-related disease remission than glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1s), according to one of the largest and most comprehensive real-world comparisons of the two treatments.

6 May 2026

App launched to track heart health after high-risk pregnancies

The MumCare app addresses postpartum cardiovascular risk, supporting women in managing health after pregnancy complications through personalized digital tools.

6 May 2026

Muscle fat levels on MRI linked to cardiometabolic risk

Using a deep learning model to analyze the composition of large muscles on MRI, German researchers found that the proportions of intermuscular fat and lean muscle mass were associated with high blood pressure and unhealthy lipid and blood sugar levels.

5 May 2026

Both low and high heart rates linked to stroke risk

A new study presented today at the European Stroke Organisation Conference (ESOC) 2026 suggests that both very low and very high resting heart rates are linked with an increased risk of stroke.

5 May 2026

Stroke incidence rises again with widening ethnic health inequalities

A new study presented today at the European Stroke Organisation Conference (ESOC) 2026 shows that after decades of decline, stroke incidence is rising again, driven by higher rates in some ethnic minority populations and concentrated among socioeconomically disadvantaged groups.

5 May 2026

U.S. bariatric surgery rates drop significantly amid GLP-1 surge

The number of metabolic and bariatric surgery procedures in the United States dropped below 200,000 in 2024 for the first time since 2020, a more than 20% decline from the prior year, according to new research presented today at the annual scientific meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

5 May 2026

Bariatric surgery improves outcomes for patients with obesity and chronic kidney disease

Metabolic and bariatric surgery, also known as weight-loss surgery, dramatically improves outcomes for patients with obesity and chronic kidney disease (CKD), significantly reducing the risk of kidney failure, major cardiovascular events and death, according to new research presented here today at the annual meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

5 May 2026

GLP-1 use surges as surgery rates drop for severe obesity

Drawing on electronic health records from nearly 20 million patients with severe obesity, researchers from University of California San Diego find that GLP-1 prescriptions have grown exponentially -- from less than 4,600 prescriptions in 2018 to more than 1.4 million in 2025 -- according to a new real-world analysis presented today at the annual scientific meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

5 May 2026

Bariatric surgery costs significantly less than GLP-1 drugs over two years

A new real-world analysis of more than 90,000 patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes finds metabolic and bariatric surgery is costs significantly less than weekly injections of GLP-1 drugs over a two-year period, according to a new research presented today at the annual scientific meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

5 May 2026

GLP-1 drugs combined with surgery yield superior weight loss results

People who begin obesity treatment with glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1s) and then undergo metabolic and bariatric surgery achieve substantially greater weight loss than with the medications alone, according to new research presented today at the annual meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

5 May 2026

Blood tests years before pregnancy predict risk of hypertension

Pre-pregnancy blood biomarkers linked to hypertension risk highlight the potential for early intervention in managing hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

5 May 2026

NIH awards $3.9 million grant to develop a non-opioid pain treatment

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has awarded a $3.9 million grant to a multi-institutional team led by scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute to develop a non-opioid pain therapeutic and advance it into a Phase 1 clinical trial.

4 May 2026

Using symptom dimensions may provide more precise, personalized mental health care

A researcher from the University of Kansas has led a large-scale study of university undergraduates to better understand how psychological conditions such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and eating disorders are connected.

4 May 2026

Learn B.E. F.A.S.T. to recognize stroke signs and save lives

A stroke can change a life in an instant. In the minutes after symptoms begin, quick action can help protect the brain, reduce long-term disability and save a life, according to the American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association.

4 May 2026

How a common gut bacterium may protect health

Akkermansia muciniphila's impact on immunity and pregnancy outcomes underscores its promise as a probiotic, with implications for infectious disease treatment.

4 May 2026

Finding new ways to mimic ketamine’s antidepressant effects

Weill Cornell Medicine investigators have "reverse engineered" ketamine's antidepressant effects to identify potential new strategies for treating depression.

4 May 2026

Child health experts launch GenHEART to tackle Australia's obesity crisis

Heart health, diet, exercise and sleep will be targeted under a multi-pronged strategy by child health experts to address Australia's obesity crisis.

4 May 2026

How fast your face ages may predict cancer survival outcomes

The study links facial aging rates to cancer outcomes, suggesting a new prognostic tool that could personalize treatment and enhance patient survival.

1 May 2026

New genetic risk report reveals hidden heart disease risk before symptoms appear

Researchers developed and externally validated integrated polygenic risk scores for eight cardiovascular conditions using large U.S.-based biobank data. The clinically orderable report may help identify inherited cardiovascular risk that traditional clinical markers can miss, although broader prospective validation is still needed.

30 Apr 2026

NIH awards $44 million for landmark study on health challenges in the rural South

The University of Texas at San Antonio (UT San Antonio) has been awarded a five-year, $44 million contract from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health for a landmark study focused on persistent health challenges in the rural South.

30 Apr 2026