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).

Many stroke, heart attack patients may not benefit from aspirin

Up to 20 percent of patients taking aspirin to lower the risk of suffering a second cerebrovascular event do not have an antiplatelet response from aspirin, the effect thought to produce the protective effect, researchers at the University at Buffalo have shown.

26 Feb 2008

Early and intensive lowering of high blood pressure improves stroke outcomes

Early and intensive lowering of high blood pressure has shown promising effects in stroke patients, according to results of a new stroke study by The George Institute for International Health.

26 Feb 2008

Patients who prefer to be highly involved don't always see better health outcomes

Patients who prefer to be highly involved in their treatment don't necessarily have better luck managing chronic health conditions, a new study suggests.

26 Feb 2008

Stroke risk factors may signal faster cognitive decline in elderly

Older Americans with the highest risk of stroke, but those who have never suffered a stroke, also have the highest rate of cognitive decline, researchers reported at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2008.

26 Feb 2008

Smoking and pre-eclampsia

Pregnant women who suffer from the high risk condition pre-eclampsia which leads to the death of hundreds of babies every year are putting the lives of their unborn children at significantly increased risk if they continue to smoke during pregnancy.

26 Feb 2008

Obese children experience more problems during surgery

A new study from the University of Michigan Health System finds that obese children are much more likely than normal-weight children to have problems with airway obstruction and other breathing-related functions during surgery

26 Feb 2008

Childhood obesity leads to higher rate of problems during surgery

Add this to the growing list of health challenges faced by obese children: A new study from the University of Michigan Health System finds that obese children are much more likely than normal-weight children to have problems with airway obstruction and other breathing-related functions during surgery.

25 Feb 2008

Women with hgher levels of DHEAS have better cognitive function

Women with naturally higher levels of the hormone precursor DHEAS were found to have better cognitive function than women with lower levels, according to a new study appearing in the March issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).

22 Feb 2008

New clinician's guide to prevention and treatment of osteoporosis

The National Osteoporosis Foundation has released its new "Clinician's Guide to Prevention and Treatment of Osteoporosis" which represents a new era for healthcare providers in the evaluation and treatment of people with low bone mass or osteoporosis.

22 Feb 2008

Study shows effects of vitamin D and skin's physiology

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have found that previtamin D3 production varies depending on several factors including skin type and weather conditions.

21 Feb 2008

Reducing kids' salt intake may lower soft drink consumption

Children who eat less salt drink fewer sugar-sweetened soft drinks and may significantly lower their risks for obesity, elevated blood pressure and later-in-life heart attack and stroke, researchers reported in the print and online issue of Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association.

21 Feb 2008

Drinking milk may help women lower risk for hypertension

Women who drank more fat free milk and had higher intakes of calcium and vitamin D from foods, and not supplements, tended to have a lower risk for developing hypertension or high blood pressure, according to a new study published in the American Heart Association journal, Hypertension.

21 Feb 2008

Living under a flight path can raise your blood pressure

An international study is suggesting that night-time noise from aircraft or traffic raises blood pressure even while people are asleep.

13 Feb 2008

Get fit because it's never too late!

According to the latest research it's never too late to get fit. Researchers in the United States say the benefits of a healthy, active lifestyle which includes regular exercise last well into old age.

13 Feb 2008

One red wine good, two bad!, says study

One drink of either red wine or alcohol slightly benefits the heart and blood vessels, but the positive effects on specific biological markers disappear with two drinks, say researchers at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre of the Toronto General Hospital.

13 Feb 2008

Night-time noise from aircraft or traffic can increase a person's blood pressure

Scientists from Imperial College London and other European institutions monitored 140 sleeping volunteers in their homes near London Heathrow and three other major European airports.

13 Feb 2008

Factors associated with exceptionally long life

A healthy lifestyle during the early elderly years—including weight management, exercising regularly and not smoking—may be associated with a greater probability of living to age 90 in men, as well as good health and physical function, according to a report in the February 11 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

12 Feb 2008

Most hypertension patients ignore recommended diet

A relatively small proportion of individuals with hypertension (high blood pressure) eat diets that align with government guidelines for controlling the disease, according to a report in the February 11 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

12 Feb 2008

Hypertension worsening in all states for women; stagnates for men

Uncontrolled hypertension rates in men and women vary across the country, but all states - especially in the south and including the nation's capital - should boost blood pressure control efforts, researchers report in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

12 Feb 2008

Public smoking ban decreases acute coronary events in Italy

The number of acute coronary events such as heart attack in adults dropped significantly after a smoking ban in public places in Italy, researchers reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

12 Feb 2008