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).

Results of research study on the expression of KIF6 in mouse model

Celera Corporation and its collaborators at The University of Washington, WA, and Indiana University, IN, today announced the presentation of data from a research study that investigated the expression of KIF6 in a mouse Celera Corporation model. A key finding was that KIF6 was specifically expressed in macrophages and chondrocytes in mouse atherosclerotic lesions, but not in normal arteries.

12 Apr 2010

Kidney disease genes discovered

Chronic kidney disease affects one in 10 adults and can severely damage a patient’s quality of life over years. This disease is linked to advanced age with one in five men and one in four women aged between 65 and 74 developing some degree of kidney damage.

12 Apr 2010

PESA CNIC-Santander trial initiative to increase knowledge about cardiovascular diseases

Felipe P-triz, Secretary of State for Research and Emilio Bot-n, President of the Grupo Santander, signed today a milestone agreement giving birth to the PESA (Progression of Early Subclinical Atherosclerosis) CNIC-Santander trial. The project's main goal is to increase the knowledge about cardiovascular diseases.

9 Apr 2010

Transcendental Meditation may reduce symptoms of depression

The Transcendental Meditation- technique may be an effective approach to reduce symptoms of depression, according to two new studies to be presented at the 31st Annual Meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine in Seattle, Washington April 9th, 2010.

8 Apr 2010

Data illustrates methods for improving adherence to medication, lowering prescription drug costs

CVS Caremark presented data at the 22nd Annual Meeting of the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy that illustrate successful methods for improving adherence to medication and lowering prescription drug costs. The company showed results from three studies which demonstrated the positive impact of various tools available to pharmacy benefit managers – including automated telephonic messaging, fax alerts to physicians about gaps in care, and strategic co-pay waivers for generic medications.

8 Apr 2010

Researchers develop new mouse model of VUR to study chronic kidney disease in children

Kidney damage associated with chronic reflux is the fourth leading cause of chronic kidney disease and is the most common cause of severe hypertension in children. Doctors and researchers at Nationwide Children's Hospital have developed a new mouse model of vesicoureteral reflux, a common childhood condition that can lead to chronic kidney disease in children.

7 Apr 2010

ESC heart failure meeting encourages audience interaction

"Delegates attending the meeting will get real insights into what's new in heart failure," said Professor Stefan Anker, chairman of the Heart Failure Congress Scientific Committee. "In what's the biggest international stand-alone meeting dedicated to heart failure, there'll be lots of hot of the press news. The very fact that 12 late breaking clinical trial updates are being presented at the meeting demonstrates how bright the future is in heart failure."

7 Apr 2010

Media outlets examine urbanization, health ahead of World Health Day

Several media outlets examine the health risks associated with rapid urbanization around the world - the theme of this year's World Health Day, to be marked on Wednesday.

7 Apr 2010

Obstacles in urban setting limits physical activity and promotes unhealthy food consumption

The conditions of urban environments have been linked to an escalation of noncommunicable diseases such as Type II diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. These diseases are preventable and manageable through exercise, which is why the International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA) is dedicated to stemming the tide of poor health and physical decline by providing distance fitness education to health and fitness professionals, as well as other interested individuals.

7 Apr 2010

Soccer for Health

Led by Professors Peter Krustrup and Jens Bangsbo from the Department of Exercise and Sports Sciences, University of Copenhagen, the 3-year project covered several intervention studies involving both men, women and children, who were divided into soccer, running and control groups.

7 Apr 2010

Are Australians popping too many pills?

These reports have emerged from a Daily Telegraph investigation. Australian Medical Association vice president, GP and former Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee member Dr Steve Hambleton said the resons for these trends may include the increasing population of the aged, newer medicines as well as a rise in chronic lifestyle ailments like diabetes and high blood pressure.

5 Apr 2010

Tips to get optimum healthcare coverage during economic downturn

The economic downturn is impacting the health of many people – not only by exacerbating conditions like hypertension, stress and fatigue, but also by causing some people to put off getting the health care they need.

3 Apr 2010

PhRMA report: 234 medicines in development for special health care needs of children

America's pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies are developing 234 medicines for the special health care needs of children, according to a new report released today by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.

31 Mar 2010

AFFiRiS AG develops PD01 vaccine for Parkinson's disease

Today AFFiRiS AG announced an important step forward in the development of its vaccine for Parkinson's disease. The vaccine, known as PD01, has undergone numerous preclinical tests which have confirmed its principle of action ("Proof of Concept").

31 Mar 2010

New anti-inflammatory drug shows promise for treating inflammatory disorders

Aspirin, ibuprofen and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) remain the most common treatment to relieve symptoms of arthritis and other inflammatory disorders. But despite their widespread use (around 2.5 million Canadians have osteoarthritis) these medications are also known to cause severe, sometimes life-threatening adverse effects within the body, particularly in the gastrointestinal tract

31 Mar 2010

Beta-blockers can reduce cancer spread in patients with breast tumours

The risk of cancer spreading in patients with breast tumours can be lowered with the use of beta-blockers, research presented at the European Breast Cancer Conference in Barcelona suggests.

31 Mar 2010

Gout incidence lower in women than men: Study

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine found that women with serum uric acid levels over 5 mg/dl had a significantly lower risk of developing gout than men. This study, the first to examine the relationship between uric acid levels and gout risk in women, also evaluated purported risk factors for gout and found that increasing age, obesity, hypertension, alcohol use, and diuretic use to be among leading contributors for women.

30 Mar 2010

NICE appraisal committee publishes preliminary recommendation of Multaq for AF

Sanofi-aventis announced today that the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) in England and Wales, has just published a new appraisal consultation document for Multaq(R) (dronedarone) indicating its intention to recommend Multaq(R) use for the management of patients with atrial fibrillation.

30 Mar 2010

Seniors with diabetes and dementia more likely to fall into Medicare Part D prescription drug plan

Among seniors, women and patients with diabetes and dementia are the most likely to fall into the Medicare Part D prescription drug plan "donut hole" - the gap occurring after beneficiaries reach their annual coverage limit and before catastrophic coverage kicks in - according to new research published online in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

29 Mar 2010

Study: Automatic reporting of estimated GFR may result in unnecessary referrals by physicians

With a concern that the automatic reporting of estimated glomerular filtration rate (the flow rate of filtered fluid through the kidney, which is used to define the stage and severity of chronic kidney disease) may result in unnecessary referrals by physicians, new research indicates that automated laboratory reporting was associated with a significant increase in first-time visits to a kidney specialist, particularly among those at increased risk of late detection of kidney disease (such as older or female patients), according to a study in the March 24/31 issue of JAMA.

27 Mar 2010