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).

GSK-3alpha protein: A potent, positive regulator of cardiac hypertrophy

A protein long thought to be a secondary regulator in the heart's response to stressors like hypertension actually appears to be a primary regulator according to researchers from the Center for Translational Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University.

17 Nov 2009

Addrenex Pharmaceuticals to be acquired by Sciele Pharma

Sciele Pharma, Inc., a U.S.-based group company of Shionogi & Co., Ltd. and Addrenex Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a privately-held U.S. pharmaceutical company specializing in developing drugs that regulate the adrenergic system, today announced that Sciele has agreed to acquire Addrenex.

16 Nov 2009

HealthPartners' health plans ranked top in Minnesota

HealthPartners is among the top 25 best private health plans in the nation and the top ranked plan in Minnesota according to U.S. News & World Report/NCQA “America's Best Health Insurance Plans 2009-10.” The report measures how well health plans perform on 50 measures of health care and member satisfaction. Two hundred thirty nine health plans from across the nation are included in the report. The top 50 health plans, including HealthPartners, are listed in the Nov. 16, 2009 print edition of U.S. News & World Report.

16 Nov 2009

Proteo's Elafin recommended for orphan drug status in Europe

The Committee for Orphan Medical Products (COMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) has issued a recommendation granting orphan drug status to Proteo's drug candidate Elafin for the treatment of esophagus carcinoma. The orphan drug status will become effective upon ratification of this recommendation by the European Commission.

16 Nov 2009

Merck to market and develop cardiovascular medicines for a range of cardiovascular disorders

Following the completion of its merger with Schering-Plough, Merck today confirms and underscores its commitment to marketing and developing cardiovascular medicines for a range of cardiovascular disorders.

16 Nov 2009

Does prolonged exposure to paternal antigens protect against pregnancy-induced hypertension?

Faculty of 1000 reviewers examine a study from New Zealand on whether prolonged exposure to the father's semen protects new mothers against pre-eclampsia and having an undersized baby.

13 Nov 2009

"Make Our Food Safe" coalition urges Senate to enact stronger food safety laws

Over the next several weeks, the U. S. Senate has an historic opportunity to take a major step toward improving food safety for all Americans. That is why a coalition of public health professionals, consumer organizations and groups representing victims of foodborne illness is sending the message that it is time to "Make Our Food Safe for the Holidays!"

13 Nov 2009

Masked hypertension in CKD children can increase risk of heart disease

Many children with chronic kidney disease (CKD) who show normal blood pressure readings at the doctor's office have high blood pressure when tested at home, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN).

13 Nov 2009

Report on the epidemiology of PAD, TAO and CLI in India

A new analysis published by THE SAGE GROUP concludes that atherosclerotic peripheral arterial disease (PAD) afflicts over 20 million in India. Both PAD and CLI represent major and significantly underestimated problems for the Indian economy and healthcare system.

13 Nov 2009

New Cat B 750 FAST imaging agent launched by VisEn Medical

VisEn Medical Inc., a leader in fluorescence in vivo imaging from research through medicine, announced today the commercial launch of its new Cat B 750 FAST(TM) imaging agent for measuring and monitoring cathepsin B activity associated with disease progression and therapeutic response in vivo. Cathepsin B expression is well known as a key biomarker and therapeutic target in a range of diseases, including atherosclerosis, oncology, and arthritis.

12 Nov 2009

American Medical Alert announces operating results for the third quarter of 2009

American Medical Alert Corp. a provider of healthcare communication services and advanced telehealth monitoring technologies, today announced operating results for the quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2009.

12 Nov 2009

Detailed review findings of EMPOWER study to evaluate the Maestro System released

EnteroMedics Inc., the developer of medical devices using neuroblocking technology to treat obesity and other gastrointestinal disorders, today announced preliminary findings from its ongoing detailed review of its EMPOWER™ study, a randomized, double-blind, controlled pivotal study designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the Maestro® System in the treatment of obesity.

12 Nov 2009

MinuteClinic praises practitioners for providing affordable medical treatment and quality patient-centered care

In celebration of National Nurse Practitioner Week (Nov. 8-14), MinuteClinic, the pioneer and largest provider of retail health care centers in the United States, salutes practitioners across the country who deliver patient-centered care and help to increase access to high-quality, affordable medical treatment.

12 Nov 2009

Global Health partners with Eira Hospital to start obesity treatment operations in Finland

In collaboration with Eira Hospital in Helsinki, Global Health Partner (STO:GHP) has started up obesity treatment operations and the first bariatric surgery procedure has now been performed. Finland has the highest obesity prevalence in the Nordic countries. However, the number of bariatric surgery procedures has so far been very low. “We see Finland as a very exciting market with great potential and are happy to be doing this in collaboration with the well-reputed Eira Hospital,” says Per Båtelson, Global Health Partner’s CEO.

11 Nov 2009

Consortium of researchers produce a special issue that examines healthcare disparities affecting minorities

The Latino population is the nation's largest minority group at an estimated 47 million in 2008 and is predicted to make up 30% of the US population by 2050. At the same time, chronic diseases among Latinos are on the rise and require long-range strategies to prevent and clinically manage. Understanding the healthcare of this fastest growing population is critical to the healthcare debate and reform initiatives.

10 Nov 2009

Higher investment of physicians' time may be required to deliver high-quality care

Adult primary care visits have increased in quality, duration and frequency between 1997 and 2005, according to a report in the November 9 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

10 Nov 2009

Public health experts urge Congress not to overlook the needs of Americans with "morbid obesity"

As the House of Representatives and the Senate debate companion bills to make health care more affordable and accessible, a coalition of obesity and public health experts today urged Congress not to overlook the needs of the more than 15 million Americans who suffer from severe obesity and are at the greatest risk for chronic disease and death.

9 Nov 2009

NIH grants $1 million to study whether Transcendental Meditation can prevent future heart attacks in CHD patients

The National Institutes of Health's National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute will fund a $1 million collaborative study by the Center for Natural Medicine and Prevention at Maharishi University of Management Research Institute and Columbia University Medical Center to determine whether the stress-reducing Transcendental Meditation technique can help patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) prevent future heart attacks, strokes and death.

7 Nov 2009

Research reveals new biological function of polycystins in regulating pressure sensing

What is the role of proteins called polycystins in patients with polycystic kidney disease? A team of researchers from CNRS and INSERM, led by Eric Honoré from the Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IPMC, Université de Nice Sophia Antipolis/CNRS) has elucidated the molecular and cellular mechanisms linked to polycystin malfunctions that cause this common hereditary disease.

6 Nov 2009

Endothelin increases T cells in the kidneys leading to renal injury

A key player in a cascade that likely begins with stress and leads to high blood pressure and kidney damage has been identified by researchers who say the finding may lead to better ways to control both.

6 Nov 2009

Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) News and Research

Further Reading

GSK-3alpha protein: A potent, positive regulator of cardiac hypertrophy

Addrenex Pharmaceuticals to be acquired by Sciele Pharma

HealthPartners' health plans ranked top in Minnesota

Proteo's Elafin recommended for orphan drug status in Europe

Merck to market and develop cardiovascular medicines for a range of cardiovascular disorders

Does prolonged exposure to paternal antigens protect against pregnancy-induced hypertension?

"Make Our Food Safe" coalition urges Senate to enact stronger food safety laws

Masked hypertension in CKD children can increase risk of heart disease

Report on the epidemiology of PAD, TAO and CLI in India

New Cat B 750 FAST imaging agent launched by VisEn Medical

American Medical Alert announces operating results for the third quarter of 2009

Detailed review findings of EMPOWER study to evaluate the Maestro System released

MinuteClinic praises practitioners for providing affordable medical treatment and quality patient-centered care

Global Health partners with Eira Hospital to start obesity treatment operations in Finland

Consortium of researchers produce a special issue that examines healthcare disparities affecting minorities

Higher investment of physicians' time may be required to deliver high-quality care

Public health experts urge Congress not to overlook the needs of Americans with "morbid obesity"

NIH grants $1 million to study whether Transcendental Meditation can prevent future heart attacks in CHD patients

Research reveals new biological function of polycystins in regulating pressure sensing

Endothelin increases T cells in the kidneys leading to renal injury

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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