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).

Dysautonomia linked to CKD: Study

Individuals with a high resting heart rate and a low beat-to-beat heart rate variability have an increased risk of developing kidney disease, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology. The findings suggest that the behavior of the autonomic nervous system may be a sentinel marker for late development of certain cases of kidney disease.

9 Jul 2010

Australian, Vietnamese researchers develop simple tool for identifying individuals at high risk of Type 2 diabetes

Australian and Vietnamese researchers have estimated the current prevalence of Type 2 diabetes in Vietnam, and have developed a simple tool for identifying individuals at high risk.

9 Jul 2010

Health information technology improves quality of care, study shows

Secure patient-physician e-mail messaging improves the effectiveness of care for patients with diabetes and hypertension, according to new research by Kaiser Permanente. The study, published in the July issue of Health Affairs, shows that health information technology improves quality of care scores.

8 Jul 2010

Insights into complex interrelationships between heart and kidneys

Research is yielding new understanding of the interactions between the heart and the kidneys—particularly the cardiorenal syndrome, in which failure of either organ can lead to failure of the other. Recent insights into the complex interrelationships between the heart and kidneys are presented in a special symposium section of the July issue of The American Journal of Medical Sciences (AJMS), official journal of the Southern Society for Clinical Investigation.

7 Jul 2010

Thousands of people with disabilities expected to attend Abilities Expo

Thousands of people with disabilities, their families, caregivers, seniors, veterans and healthcare professionals are expected to attend Abilities Expo on Friday, July 9, through Sunday, July 11, 2010 at the Schaumburg Convention Center. Admission is free and show hours will be Friday 11 am to 5 pm, Saturday 10 am to 5 pm and Sunday 11 am to 4 pm.

7 Jul 2010

Researchers identify key players in biochemical pathway that regulates blood pressure

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have identified key players in a little-known biochemical pathway that appears to regulate blood pressure. The findings, reported in the early online version of Cardiovascular Research, have evolved from studies conducted by Jeffrey S. Isenberg, M.D., Eileen M. Bauer, Ph.D., and their colleagues at Pitt's Vascular Medicine Institute.

7 Jul 2010

Study: High concentrations of cocoa flavanols decrease blood pressure

A new study by UCSF cardiologists and researchers found that high concentrations of cocoa flavanols decrease blood pressure, improve the health of blood vessels and increase the number of circulating blood-vessel-forming cells in patients with heart disease. The findings indicate that foods rich in flavanols - such as cocoa products, tea, wine, and various fruits and vegetables - have a cardio-protective benefit for heart disease patients.

7 Jul 2010

Researchers show unexpected, physiological effects of water

Name a drink that can make you more alert for late-night studying, prevent you from fainting after giving blood, and even promote a teensy bit of weight loss. Chances are you didn't say water. But that's the right answer.

7 Jul 2010

Shire receives FDA approval of Daytrana for ADHD in adolescents

Shire plc, the global specialty biopharmaceutical company, announced the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of Daytrana® (methylphenidate transdermal system) for the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in adolescents aged 13 to 17 years. Daytrana, the first and only transdermal ADHD patch, is already an FDA-approved ADHD treatment for children 6 to 12 years. Daytrana is indicated as an integral part of a total treatment program for ADHD that may include other measures (psychological, educational, and social).

7 Jul 2010

Experts show the continuing global impact of Framingham Heart Study

Few medical investigations have had the impact of the Framingham Heart Study. This study, started in 1948, was designed as a cohort, observational study of cardiovascular disease, then recognized as a growing health threat but now has emerged as much more. The Framingham Heart study came to revolutionize thinking about cardiovascular disease, change the study of epidemiology, and even force the biostatistics community to develop multivariate analysis.

7 Jul 2010

Pfizer's new chewable Lipitor for children receives European Commission approval

Pfizer Inc. announced it has received European Commission approval of a new chewable form of Lipitor (atorvastatin calcium) suitable for use in children aged 10 or older with high levels of LDL ("bad") cholesterol and high triglycerides due to the inherited disorder familial hypercholesterolemia and other primary causes, which can increase the risk of heart disease and premature death. This pediatric indication has also been approved for the currently available tablet form of Lipitor.

7 Jul 2010

Antioxidant supplements increase artery elasticity in patients with multiple cardiovascular risk factors

Long-term supplementation with dietary antioxidants has beneficial effects on sugar and fat metabolism, blood pressure and arterial flexibility in patients with multiple cardiovascular risk factors. Researchers writing in BioMed Central's open access journal Nutrition and Metabolism report these positive results in a randomized controlled trial of combined vitamin C, vitamin E, coenzyme Q10 and selenium capsules.

6 Jul 2010

Blacks five times more prone to hypertension than Whites

The hospital admission rate for Blacks with hypertension was 161 per 100,000 people in 2006 - nearly 5 times the hospitalization rate for Whites (33 admissions per 100,000), according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

3 Jul 2010

FDA issues consumer update on safety alerts

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued safety alerts about a number of products.

3 Jul 2010

Exposure to carbon monoxide, air pollution does not increase preterm delivery risk

While pregnant women may worry about the effects of air pollution on their health and that of their developing child, exposure to carbon monoxide and fine particles in the air during pregnancy does not appear to increase the risk of preterm delivery or preeclampsia -- a serious condition that arises only during pregnancy -- according to results of a study headed by a University at Buffalo epidemiologist.

2 Jul 2010

Genentech's second Phase III ICON7 study of Avastin in ovarian cancer meets primary endpoint

Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, announced today that a second large, Phase III, international study showed that the combination of Avastin® (bevacizumab) and chemotherapy, followed by the continued use of Avastin alone, increased the time women with previously untreated ovarian cancer lived without the disease worsening (progression-free survival or PFS, the primary endpoint), compared to chemotherapy alone.

2 Jul 2010

Vitamin D inadequacy may cause metabolic syndrome among elderly people

A new study adds to the mounting evidence that older adults commonly have low vitamin D levels and that vitamin D inadequacy may be a risk factor for the metabolic syndrome, a condition that affects one in four adults. The results were presented at The Endocrine Society's 92nd Annual Meeting in San Diego.

2 Jul 2010

Mice study may provide new insight on human pregnancies

The concept of pregnancy makes no sense-at least not from an immunological point of view. After all, a fetus, carrying half of its father's genome, is biologically distinct from its mother. The fetus is thus made of cells and tissues that are very much not "self"-and not-self is precisely what the immune system is meant to search out and destroy.

2 Jul 2010

High fructose diet can cause hypertension

People who eat a diet high in fructose, in the form of added sugar, are at increased risk of developing high blood pressure, or hypertension, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN).

2 Jul 2010

United Therapeutics, Lee's Pharmaceutical enter distribution agreement for Remodulin Injection in China

United Therapeutics Corporation and Lee's Pharmaceutical Holdings Ltd. announced today that they have entered into an exclusive agreement for the distribution of Remodulin (treprostinil) Injection in China. Remodulin is a subcutaneously or intravenously administered prostacyclin analogue for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension. Lee's Pharmaceutical is a leading Chinese pharmaceutical company with both a strong cardiovascular focus and extensive commercialization experience.

2 Jul 2010