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).

Actelion Pharmaceuticals launches Epoprostenol for Injection for treatment of primary pulmonary hypertension

Actelion Pharmaceuticals US, Inc. today announced the commercial availability of Epoprostenol for Injection, an improved formulation of epoprostenol that is stable at room temperature, for the treatment of primary pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary hypertension associated with scleroderma spectrum of disease in NYHA Class III and Class IV patients.

22 Apr 2010

Researchers demonstrate role of HSP-90 in portal hypertension

Neural vasoregulation represents a rapid and potent mode of altering vascular tone but has not been investigated thoroughly during portal hypertension. Heat shock protein-90 is well-known to act as a molecular chaperone optimizing endothelial and neural NO-synthase enzyme activity and thus, NO production.

21 Apr 2010

Forest Laboratories' fourth-quarter net sales up 11.0% to $995.6M

Forest Laboratories, Inc., an international pharmaceutical manufacturer and marketer, announced that diluted earnings per share equaled $0.07 in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2010.

21 Apr 2010

IMPACT trial shows improvement in OS for metastatic CRPC

Dr. Neal Shore (GB) presented for the first time in Europe the updated results of the study "Sipuleucel-T Active Cellular Immunotherapy for Metastatic, Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer: results from the IMPACT trial," during the second plenary session of the 25th Anniversary EAU Congress in Barcelona.

21 Apr 2010

Kaiser Permanente physician to receive ASH Marvin Moser Clinical Hypertension Award

Kaiser Permanente physician Joel Handler, MD, has been selected to receive a national award from the American Society of Hypertension for his "outstanding dedication to the treatment and care of hypertensive patients." The City of Orange resident is a critical care specialist at Kaiser Permanente's Anaheim Medical Center and has served area residents for over 30 years.

21 Apr 2010

Patients dismissed from hospital with noncardiac chest pain continue to experience cardiac events: Study

The growing number of Americans with cardiovascular disease has caused a heightened sensitivity in the evaluation of chest pain. In a study published in the April issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings researchers reported that patients dismissed from the hospital with noncardiac chest pain continue to experience cardiac events, which may highlight a need for more aggressive cardiovascular risk factor management in this population.

21 Apr 2010

Researchers identify potential drug target for treatment of Alzheimer's disease

Researchers at the University of Illinois have identified a potential drug target for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease: a receptor that is embedded in the membrane of neurons and other cells.

21 Apr 2010

Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy receives health insurance coverage

The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) today announced its support of recent policy changes by Aetna Inc. and United Healthcare. The national health insurance giants will now cover laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, a newer method of bariatric surgery that is becoming increasingly popular as a treatment for morbid obesity.

19 Apr 2010

Racial disparities in sleep and health-related quality of life

A study in the April 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine shows that having a sleep disturbance is associated with clinically meaningful reductions in health-related quality of life, and the magnitude of this effect varies by race and sleep disorder.

17 Apr 2010

MU researchers determine efficient method for assessing body composition

Measuring body composition - the amount of fatty tissue, muscle tissue and bone present in the body - can provide valuable information for determining an individual's overall health status. However, obtaining accurate measurements can be difficult and expensive, according to Steve Ball, University of Missouri Extension fitness specialist.

17 Apr 2010

Funding cuts to Ontario pharmacists would have devastating effect on patients

Funding cuts to Ontario pharmacists would have a devastating effect on patients, particularly those cared for by independent pharmacists, Janet McCutchon, vice-chair of the Board of Directors of the Ontario Pharmacists' Association, told the Economic Club of Canada yesterday.

17 Apr 2010

3M files lawsuit against Andover Healthcare over CoFlex 2 Layer Compression System

3M and 3M Innovative Properties Co. filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota today against Andover Healthcare Inc. seeking injunctive relief and damages regarding Andover's CoFlex 2 Layer Compression System.

16 Apr 2010

ASH to conduct complimentary screenings in NYC

In the wake of the Institute of Medicine's report on hypertension highlighting it as a 'neglected disease' and urging a more focused and collaborative approach to reduce its prevalence, the American Society of Hypertension, Inc. (ASH), will hold its annual complimentary blood pressure screenings and hypertension counseling in at-risk communities across New York City.

16 Apr 2010

Follow-up care for health fair participants improves blood-pressure control

UCLA researchers sought to compare how two different approaches to providing follow-up care to health fair participants impacted blood-pressure control.

16 Apr 2010

Age-related declines in peripheral nerve function may be related to metabolic factors: Study

New research investigating neurological decline in a population of "super healthy" elderly subjects found that the decline in neurological function of the peripheral nervous system attributed to aging may be related to metabolic factors, such as blood sugar levels, even if these factors are within the normal range.

16 Apr 2010

Dark chocolate reduces damage to blood vessels of cirrhotic patients: Spanish research

Doctors could soon be prescribing a dose of dark chocolate to help patients suffering from liver cirrhosis and from dangerously high blood pressure in their abdomen, according to new research presented today at the International Liver CongressTM 2010, the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Liver in Vienna, Austria.

16 Apr 2010

Study provides support for relationship between APOE4 gene and risk of Alzheimer's disease in Latinos

A brain-imaging study published today in the Archives of Neurology suggests that a major genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease in the Anglo population is also a risk factor for the disease in Latinos.

15 Apr 2010

Bariatric surgery can reduce pregnancy complications in obese women

Obese women who have bariatric surgery before getting pregnant are at significantly lower risk for developing dangerous hypertensive disorders during pregnancy than those who don't, according to a study of medical insurance records by Johns Hopkins experts.

15 Apr 2010

New article focuses on the role of registered dietitians in patient management

More than one third of Americans are considered obese and approximately 15 million (5%) Americans now have a body mass index greater than 40. The April issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association focuses on the ever-increasing use of bariatric surgery to control the excess morbidity and mortality associated with extreme obesity and the important role that registered dietitians play in the management of patients who have undergone the procedure.

13 Apr 2010

Genes influence chronic kidney disease risk: Research

A team of researchers from the United States and Europe has identified more than a dozen genes that may play a role in the etiology of common forms of kidney disease. The team, known as the CKDGen Consortium, examined common variations in DNA sequences in more than 65,000 individuals of European descent. Common variations in several genes were found to be more frequent among people with poor kidney function or chronic kidney disease than in those with normal kidney function.

13 Apr 2010