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).

Hypertension drug market to decrease through 2013 due to generic erosion and few emerging therapies

Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that, in addition to extensive generic erosion, the hypertension drug market will be constrained through 2018 by a pipeline containing very few emerging therapies with novel mechanisms of action. Gilead's darusentan was positioned to be the next emerging therapy with a novel mechanism of action to reach the hypertension market. However, following darusentan's failure to meet its primary endpoint in the recent DORADO-AC Phase III clinical trial, further development of the agent has been terminated.

3 Feb 2010

One-third of doctors and diabetes patients prioritize health conditions differently

About one-third of doctors and their patients with diabetes do not see eye to eye on the most important health conditions to manage, according to a survey by the University of Michigan Medical School.

3 Feb 2010

Smoking cessation increases cardiac health later in life

Smoking affects your cardiac health both before and after a major event like a heart attack. But how much? And does cutting back instead of quitting have a positive effect as well?

2 Feb 2010

Serious liver disorder associated with use of HIV drug, FDA warns

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced that non-cirrhotic portal hypertension, a rare, but serious, liver disorder, has been reported in some HIV patients taking Videx/Videx EC (didanosine).

2 Feb 2010

Research roundup: Raising seniors' co-pays increases costs; The stimulus and safety net providers

New England Journal of Medicine: Increased Ambulatory Care Copayments And Hospitalizations Among The Elderly - This study examines the consequences of increasing copayments for outpatient care of Medicare enrollees in managed-care plans. "As compared with matched control plans in which copayments for ambulatory care were unchanged, Medicare plans that increased these copayments by an average of 95% for primary care and 74% for specialty care had a reduction in the number of outpatient visits but an increase in hospital admissions, in the number of days of hospital care, and in the proportion of enrollees who used hospital care," the authors write.

30 Jan 2010

BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award granted to Robert J. Lefkowitz

The BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in the Biomedicine category goes in this second edition to Prof. Robert J. Lefkowitz (1943, New York, United States), investigator in the Department of Medicine at Duke University (United States).

29 Jan 2010

Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing: Research news

Bridging a Cultural Healthcare Gap—Like other new immigrant groups, Korean Americans' health risks—diabetes, high blood pressure, and cancer—increase after arriving in the U.S. Unfortunately, too many also miss out on needed healthcare services until they are seriously, often chronically ill.

29 Jan 2010

FDA approves LPI's Perindopril Erbumine tablets

Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (LPI) announced today that it has received final approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (U.S. FDA) for its Perindopril Erbumine tablets, 2mg, 4mg and 8mg. Commercial shipments of the product will commence shortly.

29 Jan 2010

Study highlights benefits of reducing dietary salt

"This study provides excellent ammunition both to convince patients about the benefits of reducing their individual salt intakes and also to persuade the EU of the urgent need to introduce legislation to restrict the salt content of processed foods," said ESC spokesman Professor Frank Ruschitzka, a cardiologist and hypertension specialist from the University of Zurich, Switzerland.

28 Jan 2010

Alli boosts weight loss and reduces excess visceral fat

New studies show that overweight and obese people using alli® (orlistat 60 mg) with a reduced calorie, lower-fat diet can significantly reduce weight, visceral fat, and waist circumference and therefore may reduce their risk of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and stroke.

28 Jan 2010

International congress reflects emerging importance of abdominal obesity

Clinical and basic science researchers from around the world will convene in Hong Kong from January 28 to 30 for the First International Congress on Abdominal Obesity: "Bridging the Gap between Cardiology and Diabetology."

28 Jan 2010

Extensive gap exists between primary care practice and obesity care

Using combined and intensive treatments and restructuring care to treat obesity like other chronic diseases may help primary care clinicians and patients better address the condition, according to a commentary and three articles published in the January 25 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

27 Jan 2010

Sinobiopharma's solid dosage Perindopril production facility receives Chinese SFDA approval

Sinobiopharma, Inc. is pleased to announce that its production facility for solid dosage Perindopril has passed the required Chinese State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) inspection and is now approved for production and marketing.

27 Jan 2010

Researchers set on grand challenge to accomplish targeted drug delivery for heart disease

Virginia Tech researcher Pavlos Vlachos and his students in the College of Engineering have a tall order to tackle: Stem the grim progression of heart disease, which kills hundreds of thousands of people each year in the United States alone.

23 Jan 2010

UK Gill Heart Institute offers individualized fitness program for heart patients

How do you change health habits among a population with some of the highest heart disease rates in the world? Tackling heart disease in Kentucky - an epicenter of heart health problems - the University of Kentucky Gill Heart Institute Cardiac Rehabilitation Program is helping high-risk patients make radical, lasting changes to improve their heart health.

23 Jan 2010

Pfizer reports final results from randomized Phase 3 trial of Sutent

Pfizer Inc. today announced final results from a randomized Phase 3 trial of Sutent (sunitinib malate) in patients with advanced pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, a type of cancer which originates in the hormone-producing area of the pancreas.

23 Jan 2010

Hypertensive patients should monitor their salt intake

About one in four Americans has hypertension, a disease that elevates blood pressure and can lead to a host of serious problems including heart attacks and strokes.

23 Jan 2010

Study shows certain heart medications may decrease risk of Parkinson's disease

UCLA researchers have discovered that a specific type of medication used to treat cardiovascular conditions such as hypertension, angina and abnormal heart rhythms may also decrease the risk of developing Parkinson's disease.

22 Jan 2010

California Heart Center joins Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute and Cedars-Sinai Medical Care Foundation

The California Heart Center, the cardiology group that developed the nation's largest heart transplant program, has joined the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute and Cedars-Sinai Medical Care Foundation.

22 Jan 2010

NicOx receives EMEA approval for naproxcinod MAA

NicOx S.A. today announced that the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) has validated the Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) for naproxcinod, which was submitted through the centralized procedure in December 2009. NicOx is seeking approval for an indication for the relief of the signs and symptoms of primary osteoarthritis. This follows the acceptance for filing of a New Drug Application (NDA) by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in November 2009.

22 Jan 2010