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).

Hospital admissions for diabetes on the rise

The number of hospital admissions for diabetes increased by almost 12 percent between 1999 and 2003, according to a new report released by the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council (PHC4) in conjunction with American Diabetes Month.

11 Nov 2004

Shp2 protein plays a critical role in obesity

A team of researchers led by The Burnham Institute's Gen-Sheng Feng, Ph.D. has discovered that a protein called Shp2 plays a critical role in obesity.

11 Nov 2004

Metabolic syndrome associated with cognitive decline in elderly persons

Elderly individuals with the metabolic syndrome, a grouping of several common conditions including abdominal obesity, low level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL, the “good cholesterol”), hypertension, and high triglyceride and blood sugar levels, are more likely to experience cognitive impairment than those without this syndrome, according to a study in the November 10 issue of JAMA.

10 Nov 2004

New beta blocker may help diabetic patients with high blood pressure

A medication that is commonly used to control high blood pressure does not raise blood sugar levels in diabetics who also have high blood pressure, according to researchers from Rush University Medical Center.

9 Nov 2004

Patients with type 2 diabetes and hypertension who kept their blood pressure very tightly controlled had fewer eye disorders caused by their diabetes

According to the article, type 2 diabetes and hypertension are often associated. At age 40, approximately 32 percent of patients with type 2 diabetes are also hypertensive, and that proportion increases to 47 percent by age 60, the article states.

8 Nov 2004

Technology to determine a patient's response to aspirin therapy taken to prevent heart attacks

This technology has demonstrated the ability to assess an individual's relative risk for heart attack by measuring the person's degree of aspirin resistance.

8 Nov 2004

Stable weight significantly reduces risks of heart disease and development of metabolic syndrome

Gaining 15 pounds or more over several years is the major contributor to progression of risk factors for heart disease and development of metabolic syndrome, while maintaining a stable weight -- even in individuals considered obese – significantly reduces those risks, according to a study led by a Northwestern University researcher.

8 Nov 2004

Atenolol beta-blocker may not be effective in reducing heart attacks

A study published in this weeks issue of THE LANCET suggest that atenolol - one of the most widely prescribed beta-blockers for reducing blood pressure - may not be effective in reducing heart attacks or death from cardiovascular causes.

5 Nov 2004

Generic drugs are still a good buy

A new AARP study found that manufacturers' prices for some generic drugs experienced a rapid rise over the past three years. However, these increases would have added only a few dollars per year to consumers' costs for any one of these products.

4 Nov 2004

Smoking and coffee combined have a greater harmful effect on arteries and blood flow

Smoking and coffee often go together. But the combination appears to have a harmful effect on arteries and blood flow that is greater than would be expected from simply combining the effects of each practice.

2 Nov 2004

Labor lasts longer for overweight or obese women

Pregnant women who are overweight or obese progress through labor more slowly than do normal weight women, according to a study by researchers at the University of North Carolina and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health.

2 Nov 2004

Optimistic people have lower risk of cardiovascular problems

Patients who described themselves as highly optimistic had lower risks of all-cause death, and lower rates of cardiovascular death than those with high levels of pessimism, according to an article in the November issue of The Archives of General Psychiatry.

1 Nov 2004

Do cholesterol-reducing drugs decrease the risk of heart attacks and strokes in diabetics?

International researchers will, for the first time, present findings from the landmark 4D trial about whether a cholesterol-reducing drug decreases the risk of heart attacks and strokes with type 2 diabetics on dialysis at the American Society of Nephrology’s 37th Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition in St. Louis, Missouri.

1 Nov 2004

First home-testing device for phenylketonuria (PKU) patients

Home-testing kits have made it easier for diabetics and hypertension patients to track their conditions, but such self-monitoring hasn’t been possible for people with phenylketonuria (PKU).

1 Nov 2004

Genetic evidence to support an inherited tendency to retain salt

Researchers at the University of Chicago have found genetic evidence to support the sodium-retention hypothesis, a controversial 30-year-old theory that the high rate of hypertension in certain ethnic groups is caused, in part, by an inherited tendency to retain salt.

29 Oct 2004

DASH diet may have health benefits that go beyond lowering people's risk of heart disease

The popular DASH diet, established by the National Institutes of Health as a way to lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, may have health benefits that go beyond its stated purpose of lowering people's risk of heart disease, according to research published in the November issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

29 Oct 2004

Friends and family could be the cure for work related stress

On-the-job stress can increase your blood pressure, adding to your risk of having a heart attack or stroke, according to evidence from two new studies by Heart and Stroke Foundation researchers.

26 Oct 2004

Ruboxistaurin may reduce vision loss from diabetes-induced eye disease

Eli Lilly and Company's investigational compound ruboxistaurin may reduce vision loss from diabetes-induced eye disease, according to new analyses of previously reported data presented at the 2004 Joint Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the European Society of Ophthalmology in New Orleans, La.

26 Oct 2004

Call for a Senate Inquiry into the pharmacy industry in Australia

With the current Pharmacy Agreement expiring on 30 June 2005 and the current Senate configuration in place until the same date, Dr Glasson said the timing is perfect for a comprehensive review of the protected environment in which the pharmacies operate.

26 Oct 2004