Blood Pressure News and Research

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Blood Pressure is the force of circulating blood on the walls of the arteries. Blood pressure is taken using two measurements: systolic (measured when the heart beats, when blood pressure is at its highest) and diastolic (measured between heart beats, when blood pressure is at its lowest). Blood pressure is written with the systolic blood pressure first, followed by the diastolic blood pressure (for example 120/80).

Levosimendan may effectively improve muscle function in patients with respiratory failure

Treatment with the calcium-sensitizing drug levosimendan may be effective in improving muscle function in patients with respiratory muscle weakness, which often accompanies chronic diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and congestive heart failure, according to researchers in the Netherlands, who studied the effects of the drug on healthy volunteers.

23 Sep 2011

Anti-obesity drug Contrave may get another chance to prove itself

With rise obesity around the world there should have been a number of drugs to combat it. The reality is different. There are no safe and effective drugs in the market at present.

22 Sep 2011

Beta-blocker drugs may improve survival time for melanoma patients

Beta-blocker drugs, commonly used to treat high blood pressure, may also play a major role in slowing the progression of certain serious cancers, based on a new study.

21 Sep 2011

U-M Professor to review data from three prominent studies on heart failure

Roughly 5 million people in the United States live with heart failure, a condition in which the heart is unable to pump blood around the body effectively. The causes and types of heart failure vary greatly, and treatment must be tailored to each patient. In some cases, doctors will prescribe a class of diuretic drugs called aldosterone antagonists.

20 Sep 2011

Researchers identify 16 new genetic variations that affect blood pressure

High blood pressure is a well-known risk factor for heart disease. Researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have participated in an international study of 200,000 Europeans which has identified 16 new genetic variations that affect blood pressure. The discovery, presented in Nature, is an important step towards better diagnostics and treatment.

20 Sep 2011

People with diabetes more likely to develop dementia

People with diabetes appear to be at a significantly increased risk of developing dementia, according to a study published in the September 20, 2011, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

20 Sep 2011

Common misconceptions about Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia, continues to be an ongoing battle for millions of Americans. With an estimated 5.4 million Americans living with the disease and an annual cost of $183 billion, Dr. Gustavo C. Roman, director of the Nantz National Alzheimer Center at the Methodist Neurological Institute, addresses some common misconceptions about this devastating disease.

20 Sep 2011

New UTHealth toll-free helpline for pregnant women to avoid dangerous medications

A new toll-free helpline developed to help pregnant women avoid medications and other substances that can cause birth defects has been launched by The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) for the Texas Department of State Health Services.

20 Sep 2011

Too many kids poisoned with prescription drugs: Study

Figures show that each year half a million kids age 5 and younger get into household medications and are poisoned. Though parents tend to believe that these tragic accidents will never happen to their kids, Dr. Randall Bond, a leading advocate for better prescription drug safety in the home, believes it can happen to anyone.

19 Sep 2011

High dietary salt intake and obesity together trigger abnormal activation of cellular protein

Dietary salt intake and obesity are two important risk factors in the development of high blood pressure. Each packs its own punch, but when combined, they deliver more damage to the heart and kidneys than the sum of their individual contributions.

19 Sep 2011

HFSA scientific meeting to discuss long-term management care for LVAD patients

The 15th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA) will feature a discussion by Laura Coyle, ACNP, on strategies for caring for LVAD patients in an outpatient setting entitled "Long-Term Management: Caring for Patients to Keep Them at Home."

19 Sep 2011

Roundup: San Diego launches new HIV testing effort; Study finds economy hurt by Mass. health law; Texas schools turning to safe sex curriculum

The Centers for Disease Control says 20 percent of Americans with HIV don't know they're infected, and those people are responsible for about half of all new infections. A new effort in San Diego is trying to reduce those numbers by making HIV testing more widespread.

17 Sep 2011

Two reports reveal sad state of affairs in some UK hospitals

Nurses at some institutions are serving up people’s evening meals at 3pm – just because it is more convenient, inspectors found. And several hospitals do not have enough nurses on wards to feed or wash patients, or help move them to prevent bedsores. Nurses arrive unannounced at elderly patients’ bedsides and strap blood pressure monitors round their arms without telling them what they are doing.

16 Sep 2011

Estrogen therapy can reverse progression of pulmonary hypertension

UCLA researchers have found that the hormone estrogen may help reverse advanced pulmonary hypertension, a rare and serious condition that affects 2 to 3 million individuals in the U.S., mostly women, and can lead to heart failure.

16 Sep 2011

A good laugh truly the best medicine: Study

British researchers carried out experiments in which volunteers watched either comedy clips from Mr. Bean or Friends or non-humorous items such as golf or wildlife shows while their resistance to mild pain was monitored. Another test was conducted at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where the volunteers watched either a stand-up comedy show or a theatrical drama.

15 Sep 2011

Psychological stress of racial discrimination may contribute to health disparities

The consequences of psychological stress, resulting from racial discrimination, may contribute to racial health disparities in conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and other age-associated diseases.

15 Sep 2011

Reminder packaging improves adherence to long-term hypertension medications

People with chronic illnesses are more likely to take long-term medications according to doctors' instructions if the packaging includes a reminder system, according to a new review of evidence.

14 Sep 2011

A woman's pregnancy outcome can be an indicator of future health conditions

"A woman's pregnancy outcome can be an indicator of future health conditions," stated George R. Saade, M.D., president of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine and professor of obstetrics and gynecology at The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas.

14 Sep 2011

New data from Pfizer's investigational oncology compounds to be presented at EMCC 2011

Pfizer Oncology announced today that data evaluating crizotinib in anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), as well as data from Pfizer's renal cell carcinoma (RCC) portfolio on axitinib, an investigational compound, and SUTENT(sunitinib malate) will be presented at the 2011 European Multidisciplinary Cancer Congress in Stockholm, Sweden, September 23 - 27, 2011.

14 Sep 2011