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).

Smoking doubles risk of atrial fibrillation

Results from a large, United States based cohort study show that current smokers double their risk of developing atrial fibrillation (AF) compared to people who have never smoked, after more than 13 years of follow-up. The study, published in the August edition of HeartRhythm, the official journal of the Heart Rhythm Society, indicates a trend towards significantly lower risk of developing AF for those who quit smoking cigarettes versus those who continue to smoke.

2 Aug 2011

Prohibitive costs prevent elders from sticking to prescribed medication

As many as one in ten elderly people in the US, registered with Medicare, do not stick to their prescribed medication because it is too expensive, according to Dr. Larissa Nekhlyudov and colleagues from Harvard Medical School.

1 Aug 2011

Tips for obtaining life insurance after heart attack

Life Quotes, Inc. wants heart attack survivors to know that, while it may be tough to get a life insurance policy, it's not impossible. Heart disease is the #1 cause of death in America and many survivors are unaware of the life insurance options that may be open to them.

1 Aug 2011

Middle-age health differences responsible for life expectancy gap

Forty years ago, Americans could expect to live slightly longer than Europeans. This has since reversed: in spite of similar levels of economic development, Americans now live about a year-and-a-half less, on average, than their Western European counterparts, and also less than people in most other developed nations

30 Jul 2011

Heart disease remains most costly condition in terms of health care expenditure for women: AHRQ

The cost of treating women for heart disease in 2008 was $43.6 billion, leading a list of the top 10 most expensive conditions for women, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

30 Jul 2011

Routine dipstick urine test may identify individuals with silent kidney disease

A simple and inexpensive urine test routinely done in family doctors' offices may be the key to identifying individuals who are silently undergoing rapid kidney function decline, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology.

29 Jul 2011

Stroke in pregnancy on the rise

According to latest reports the number of strokes among pregnant women and new mothers has risen to a new peak probably because more of them are obese and suffering from high blood pressure and heart disease.

29 Jul 2011

Natural recycling system, PPAR agonists can help protect children with heart defects

Children born with heart defects that pummel their lungs with up to three times the normal blood volume quickly find their lungs in jeopardy as well.

28 Jul 2011

New study shows high prevalence of gout in the U.S.

A new study shows the prevalence of gout in the U.S. has risen over the last twenty years and now affects 8.3 million (4%) Americans.

28 Jul 2011

Specific predictors can differentiate dying suddenly versus living through heart attack

Is it possible to predict whether someone is likely to survive or die suddenly from a heart attack? A new study by researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center has answered just that.

26 Jul 2011

PNH patients applaud pan-Canadian approach to providing equitable access to Soliris

The Canadian Association of PNH Patients applauds governments across Canada for their landmark agreement to provide public access to Soliris (eculizumab), a life-saving treatment for the ultra-rare blood disease known as paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria.

25 Jul 2011

Metabolic syndrome increases risk of developing HCC and ICC primary liver cancers

Incidence rates of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) have increased in the U.S. This population-based study publishing in the August issue of Hepatology, a journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, found that metabolic syndrome significantly increases risk of developing these primary liver cancers.

22 Jul 2011

Anesthesia-associated mortality rises again

In pure numerical terms, anesthesia-associated mortality has risen again. The reasons for this are the disproportionate increase in the numbers of older and multimorbid patients and surgical procedures that would have been unthinkable in the past.

22 Jul 2011

Inotek completes two stages of INO-8875 Phase 2b trial against glaucoma

Inotek Pharmaceuticals Corp., a leader in the development of innovative medicines to address significant diseases of the eye, today announced that the Company has successfully completed the first two of three stages of a multiple-dose Phase 2b clinical trial of its novel eye-drop candidate, INO-8875, in patients with glaucoma or ocular hypertension.

22 Jul 2011

Metabolic syndrome linked to increased risk of primary liver cancers

22 Jul 2011

Optimism could protect you from stroke: Study

The latest research from the University of Michigan shows that optimism reduces the risk of stroke. In a study of 6,044 adults over 50 with no history of stroke, optimism was associated with significantly reduced risk of stroke, even when controlling for stroke risk factors such as high blood pressure, heart disease and body mass index.

21 Jul 2011

Scientists find distinct links between smoking during pregnancy and long-term harm for the child

Scientists now understand more about why being exposed to nicotine while you were a fetus will increase your risk of developing cardiovascular disease as an adult. "We have found distinct links between cigarette smoking or even using nicotine patches or gum and the long-term harm for the child," says Dr. DaLiao Xiao, a scientist who works at the Loma Linda University School of Medicine in California.

21 Jul 2011

World's best genetic map now built in African-Americans

A group of researchers from the University of Oxford, Harvard Medical School and the University of Mississippi Medical Center has constructed the world's most detailed genetic map, a tool scientists can use to better understand the roots of disease and how DNA is passed generationally to create diversity in the human species.

21 Jul 2011

Latest advances in Alzheimer's research presented at AAIC 2011

This week, more than 5,000 scientists from around the world gathered in Paris to report the latest advances in Alzheimer's research at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference 2011.

20 Jul 2011

Lack of kidney dopamine leads to high blood pressure and shorter life span

The neurotransmitter dopamine is best known for its roles in the brain - in signaling pathways that control movement, motivation, reward, learning and memory.

20 Jul 2011