Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) News and Research

RSS

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).

Low birth weight a risk factor for focal segmental glomerulosclerosis

Individuals who were underweight at birth are at increased risk of developing a condition called secondary focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, according to a study appearing in the January 2009 issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology ( CJASN ).

19 Nov 2008

Metabolex announces positive results from phase 2 trial of MBX-8025

The Phase 2 study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of MBX-8025, both alone and in combination with atorvastatin (marketed as Lipitor(R)), over an 8-week treatment period.

19 Nov 2008

Acute kidney injury predisposes elderly to serious kidney disease

Acute kidney injury (AKI) - which is often caused by trauma, illness, or surgery - predisposes elderly individuals to the most serious form of chronic kidney disease (CKD), known as end stage renal disease (ESRD), according to a study appearing in the January 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN).

19 Nov 2008

Household budget cutbacks in health care could have serious consequences

Household budget cutbacks are becoming commonplace as most Americans struggle to make ends meet, but experts warn that health care needs should not be among the forfeited services.

19 Nov 2008

Diabetes cost U.S. estimated $217.5 billion in 2007

According to findings from a National Diabetes Economic Barometer study, undiagnosed, pre-diabetes and diabetes cost the United States an estimated $217.5 billion in 2007 due to higher medical expenditures and lost productivity.

18 Nov 2008

Routine testing with angiography following endovascular treatment of brain aneurysms found to carry very low risk of complication

A very low risk of complication is associated with a routine test that determines whether a brain aneurysm treated with endovascular coiling has started to recur, a study led by the University of Cincinnati Neuroscience Institute has shown.

18 Nov 2008

Hypertension may develop undetected in young African-American men

Young and healthy African-American men have higher central blood pressure and their blood vessels are stiffer compared to their white counterparts, signs that the African American men are developing hypertension early and with little outward sign, according to a new study.

17 Nov 2008

Variations within three genes associated with lipid peroxidation could increase kidney cancer risk

A team of international scientists has identified three genes associated with the body's processing of fats that may increase susceptibility to kidney cancer.

17 Nov 2008

High blood pressure a looming problem for Europe

More than half of people diagnosed with high blood pressure do not have it under control and many more go undiagnosed, according to research carried out at the University of Warwick.

12 Nov 2008

NicOx's Naproxcinod shows highly significant reduction in daytime blood pressure versus Naproxen

NicOx S.A. has announced that a new analysis of the data from the 104 Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring (ABPM) study for naproxcinod was presented yesterday at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2008, in New Orleans, USA.

12 Nov 2008

Without enzyme, biological reaction essential to life takes 2.3 billion years

All biological reactions within human cells depend on enzymes. Their power as catalysts enables biological reactions to occur usually in milliseconds. But how slowly would these reactions proceed spontaneously, in the absence of enzymes - minutes, hours, days? And why even pose the question?

12 Nov 2008

Staying active may lower health risks for large, retired athletes

The larger body size of professional football players doesn't increase risk of cardiovascular disease or atherosclerosis after they retire, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2008.

12 Nov 2008

Ultrasound used to improve prediction of heart attacks

By adding the results of an imaging technique to the traditional risk factors for coronary heart disease, doctors at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston found they were able to improve prediction of heart attacks in people previously considered low risk.

11 Nov 2008

Researchers look at sildenafil use in cirrhosis patients

Sildenafil is valuable in the treatment of erectile dysfunction and pulmonary hypertension in patients with end-stage liver disease through inhibition of the type-5 phosphodiesterase.

11 Nov 2008

Diuretic reduces risk for type of heart failure that affects women more often than

New research by The University of Texas School of Public Health shows that a medication for high blood pressure called a diuretic or water pill is particularly effective at reducing the risk for a type of heart failure that affects women more often than men.

11 Nov 2008

Obesity raises levels of hormone leptin

Obese people who don't have high cholesterol or diabetes might think they're healthy - despite the extra pounds.

11 Nov 2008

Lack of sleep tied to greater risk of heart disease

Sleeping less than seven and a half hours per day may be associated with future risk of heart disease, according to a report in the November 10 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine , one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

11 Nov 2008

Blood pressure control inequality linked to deaths among blacks

Racial disparity in the control of hypertension contributes to the deaths of almost 8,000 black men and women in the United States annually, according to a first-of-its-kind study published today in the Annals of Family Medicine by University of Rochester Medical Center researchers.

10 Nov 2008

Black and south Asian people benefiting less from interventions to reduce blood pressure

People from black and south Asian communities in the UK are not benefiting as much as white people from doctors' interventions to reduce their blood pressure, according to a new study published today in the journal Annals of Family Medicine.

10 Nov 2008

Heart attack prevention within three months after hospitalization significantly averted future attacks

Despite substantial progress in the diagnosis and treatment of heart attack patients, prevention of recurrent heart attacks continues to be a major clinical challenge.

10 Nov 2008