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).

Optimism could benefit the heart: A review of studies

A Harvard School of Public Health review of more than 200 studies suggests that optimism is good for the heart. The researchers looked at studies that had recorded psychological well-being and cardiovascular health. This revealed that factors such as optimism, life satisfaction, and happiness appeared to be linked associated with a reduced risk of heart and circulatory diseases, regardless of a person's age, socio-economic status, smoking status or body weight. Disease risk was 50% lower among the most optimistic individuals.

19 Apr 2012

Doughnut hole is trouble spot for seniors on heart drugs, researchers find

A study documents that beneficiaries with cardiovascular conditions who reach the annual gap in coverage for prescription drugs, known as the doughnut hole, are more likely to stop taking their drugs because of the costs.

19 Apr 2012

Poll: 80% of American voters favor national school nutrition standards

Eighty percent of American voters favor national standards that would limit calories, fat, and sodium in snack and - la carte foods sold in U.S. schools and encourage the consumption of fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy items, according to a new poll commissioned by the Kids' Safe & Healthful Foods Project, a joint project of The Pew Charitable Trusts and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

19 Apr 2012

Positive results from CrystalGenomics’ CG100649 Phase 2b OA study

CrystalGenomics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Korea, has just announced positive results from the Phase 2b osteoarthritis (OA) study of the CG100649, CrystalGenomics' next-generation NSAID candidate.

19 Apr 2012

A guide to catch and treat hypertension early in children

High blood pressure in children and adolescents is a growing health problem that is often overlooked by physicians, according to a University of Michigan Health System article published in American Family Physician that offers doctors a guide to catching and treating hypertension early.

18 Apr 2012

Caffeine increases eye's ability to produce tears

Researchers at the University of Tokyo's School of Medicine have shown for the first time that caffeine intake can significantly increase the eye's ability to produce tears, a finding that could improve treatment of dry eye syndrome. This common eye condition affects about four million people age 50 and older in the United States.

18 Apr 2012

Hidden sugar in “healthy” fruit drinks often underestimated

The Glasgow University study asked more than 2,000 people in the UK to estimate how much sugar was in a range of drinks. While many overestimated the amount in fizzy beverages, they underestimated levels in ‘smoothies’ and fruit juices. The research also found soft drinks could be accounting for a large chunk of their recommended calorie intake.

17 Apr 2012

Inadequate sleep can increase risk of obesity

Can lack of sleep make you fat? A new paper which reviews the evidence from sleep restriction studies reveals that inadequate sleep is linked to obesity. The research, published in a special issue of the The American Journal of Human Biology, explores how lack of sleep can impact appetite regulation, impair glucose metabolism and increase blood pressure.

17 Apr 2012

ONO-4641 reduces number of lesions in people with MS

An investigational oral drug called ONO-4641 reduced the number of lesions in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to the results of a phase two clinical trial to be presented as Emerging Science at the American Academy of Neurology's 64th Annual Meeting in New Orleans April 21 to April 28, 2012.

17 Apr 2012

Men more likely to experience complications after brain or spinal surgery

Men are twice as likely as women to experience complications after brain or spinal surgery, reports a study in the April issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.

16 Apr 2012

Changes in thromboxane synthase may lead to hypertension in women with preeclampsia

Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine researchers have discovered that changes in the gene expression of a key enzyme may contribute to high blood pressure and increase susceptibility to forming blood clots in pregnant women with preeclampsia.

16 Apr 2012

Research roundup: Obesity treatment for low-income patients; Medicare vs. private plans

Low-income patients are underrepresented in clinical trials and are disproportionately prone to obesity and the related problems of high blood pressure and heart disease. Researchers conducted a 24-month trial of more than 300 low-income, obese patients from various Boston community health centers, randomizing participants "to usual care or a behavioral intervention that promoted weight loss and hypertension self-management using eHealth components. The intervention included tailored behavior change goals, self-monitoring, and skills training, available via a website or interactive voice response."

16 Apr 2012

Europe's largest hypertension conference to take place in London

Europe's largest hypertension conference, the 22nd Scientific Meeting of the European Society of Hypertension (ESH) will take place in London, UK, from April 26 to 29, 2012.

16 Apr 2012

AstraZeneca introduces DUTOPROL for hypertension

AstraZeneca today announced the availability of DUTOPROL (metoprolol succinate extended release/hydrochlorothiazide) Tablets, the first and only once-daily antihypertensive agent that contains the active ingredient of TOPROL-XL (metoprolol succinate) plus a low-dose diuretic that provides proven blood pressure lowering at 24 hours.

12 Apr 2012

ECG abnormalities associated with increased risk of CHD in older adults

In a study that included elderly men and women without preexisting cardiovascular disease, major and minor electrocardiographic abnormalities were associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) events and improved the prediction of CHD events such as heart attack, beyond traditional cardiovascular risk factors, according to a study in the April 11 issue of JAMA.

12 Apr 2012

The urgency of autism: Progress in combating it, even as diagnoses increase

News outlets examine progress being made in diagnosing autism and understanding its possible causes.

12 Apr 2012

Siemens announces integrated imaging solution for detection of amyloid plaques

Siemens Healthcare is the first company worldwide to announce a complete integrated diagnostic imaging solution proposed for the detection of amyloid plaques — one of the necessary pathological features of Alzheimer's disease— in the living brain.

From Siemens Healthineers 11 Apr 2012

EKG can detect heart attack in healthy senior citizens

Can a simple diagnostic test used to measure a heart's electrical activity help predict heart attacks? And can that knowledge help doctors reroute their patients away from coronary heart disease? These are the questions researchers at UCSF asked in a comprehensive eight-year study focused on senior citizens in the United States. Researchers found a higher risk of heart attack when abnormalities showed up on electrocardiogram (EKG) results of healthy elderly people.

11 Apr 2012

Women less likely to get at least 30 minutes of exercise per day

A national study shows that women are less likely than men to get at least 30 minutes of exercise per day, resulting in greater odds of developing metabolic syndrome - a risky and increasingly prevalent condition related to obesity.

11 Apr 2012

First large study to examine age, gender and sibling history on stroke risk

If your brother or sister had a stroke, you may be at least 60 percent more likely to have one too, according to research reported in the American Heart Association journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Genetics.

11 Apr 2012