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).

First genetic test on developing risk of Alzheimer's disease and heart attacks

Alzheimer and heart attacks have been found to share common genetic basis. The research leads the way to the first genetic test on developing the risk of the diseases even at a young age. According to Federico Licastro, an immunologist at the University of Bologna who coordinated the study published in the scientific journal, Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, a test is now ready. "They are already selling it in America", he says, citing the case of a private firm in New Mexico (USA) that collaborated on the study. "But the tests could easily be also conducted wherever, using a simple blood test".

10 Dec 2010

Warfarin may not be beneficial to some patients with atrial fibrillation: Researchers

Researchers at the University of Cincinnati and Massachusetts General Hospital have found that warfarin, a known anticoagulation (blood-thinning) drug, may not be as beneficial to some patients with atrial fibrillation as previously thought.

9 Dec 2010

Ameco Medical to commence clinical trials for PNT procedure's reimbursement approval

Sunridge International, announced today that Ameco Medical is preparing to start the short term clinical trials needed for reimbursement approval.

9 Dec 2010

Detection of blood biomarker cTnT associated with structural heart disease

With the use of a highly sensitive test, detection of the blood biomarker cardiac troponin T, a cardiac-specific protein, is associated with structural heart disease and an increased risk of all-cause death, according to a study in the December 8 issue of JAMA.

8 Dec 2010

UC researchers launch clinical trial to study post-stroke brain injury

The largest clinical trial of therapeutic brain cooling after stroke has launched, led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego, the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, and at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. This study looks at whether hypothermia can safely be used in elderly stroke patients.

8 Dec 2010

FDA advisory committee's approval of Contrave for obesity encourages OAC, TOS, ASMBS

The Obesity Action Coalition, The Obesity Society and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery found encouragement in the outcome of today's advisory committee hearing, favoring approval for the first new obesity treatment in more than 10 years.

8 Dec 2010

Reduced salt intake prevents serious threats in diabetic patients

For patients living with diabetes, reducing the amount of salt in their daily diet is key to warding off serious threats to their health, a new review of studies finds.

8 Dec 2010

New sensitive blood test could determine unrecognized heart disease

A more sensitive version of a blood test typically used to confirm that someone is having a heart attack could indicate whether a seemingly healthy, middle-aged person has unrecognized heart disease and an increased risk of dying, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have found.

7 Dec 2010

32% of UAE residents could have diabetes or prediabetes by 2020

One in three United Arab Emirates (UAE) residents could have diabetes or prediabetes by the end of the decade, according to a new analysis from international health and well-being company UnitedHealth Group, released today at the World Health Care Congress Middle East meeting in Abu Dhabi.

7 Dec 2010

High blood pressure may be caused by racial and geographic differences

High blood pressure may help to explain why deaths from heart disease and stroke vary according to geography, race and sex, researchers reported in Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association.

7 Dec 2010

Dysfunction in blood vessels plays a role in Alzheimer's disease development

A dysfunction in the lining of blood vessels that is linked to cardiovascular illness also appears to play a role in the development of Alzheimer's disease, according to a study published in Circulation Research: Journal of the American Heart Association.

3 Dec 2010

Online program enhances patient's ability to self manage chronic health conditions: Study

A study conducted by HealthMedia, Inc. and Highmark Inc., published in the November/December edition of the American Journal of Health Promotion, proves that an online program offers a return on investment and enhances a patient's ability to self manage chronic health conditions.

2 Dec 2010

Blue Cross launches new payment model with Allina, Essentia, Fairview, and HealthEast

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota today announced it has launched a new "shared incentive" payment model with four of Minnesota's largest care systems — designed to make health care more affordable and to improve the health status and quality of care delivered to its members.

1 Dec 2010

Age-related hearing loss associated with low serum levels of folic acid in the elderly

Age-related hearing loss (ARHL), one of the four most prevalent chronic conditions in the elderly, is associated with low serum levels of folic acid, according to new research published in the December 2010 issue of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery.

1 Dec 2010

FDA approves Inspire to begin STAR clinical trial to evaluate UAS therapy for OSA

Inspire Medical Systems, a leading developer of neuro-stimulation therapies for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), announced today that the company has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to begin its STAR pivotal clinical trial. The STAR trial (Stimulation Therapy for Apnea Reduction), is a multi-center study that will evaluate both the safety and effectiveness of Inspire Upper Airway Stimulation (UAS) therapy in patients with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

30 Nov 2010

Largest remote health monitoring project in the world launched in China

Canada-based IDEAL LIFE and China's Shandong NovaTech Biological Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., a leading pharmaceutical manufacturer and medical products distribution network in China, announced the launch of the largest remote health monitoring project in the world, bringing wireless, remote health monitoring to the People's Republic of China.

30 Nov 2010

Super-sized World conference to address national health crisis of obesity

A conference at the New York Academy of Sciences on December 9 will convene leading obesity researchers to explore the latest science and policy initiatives addressing the global and national health crisis of obesity.

30 Nov 2010

New review from JASN highlights hazards of fructose

More and more people have become aware of the dangers of excessive fructose in diet. A new review on fructose in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN) indicates just how dangerous this simple sugar may be.

30 Nov 2010

Tricare may raise fees; VA Medical Center uses telemedicine to trim costs

"Of nearly 4.5 million military retirees and their families, about three-quarters are estimated to have access to health insurance through a civilian employer or group. But more than two million of them stay on Tricare," the military's lifetime health insurance program, The New York Times reports. Enrollment in Tricare, which costs less than what many private employers ask for in premiums, is expected to grow "as the costs of private health care continue to climb."

29 Nov 2010

Chronic jet lag alters brain's intricate role in memory processing

Chronic jet lag alters the brain in ways that cause memory and learning problems long after one's return to a regular 24-hour schedule, according to research by University of California, Berkeley, psychologists.

25 Nov 2010