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).

Mortality after cardiac surgery: an interview with Dr. Bryan G. Maxwell, Johns Hopkins Medicine

The last decade has seen a strong movement towards the use of various quality measurements to grade medical care. In surgery, 30-day mortality is one of the most common benchmarks. We wanted to determine if patterns of postoperative mortality showed any signs that the process of measuring medical care might actually alter how (and when) care is provided or withdrawn.

6 May 2014

Rat pups exposed to tobacco smoke are at higher risk of developing metabolic disease

While many parents-to-be are aware that the health of their baby starts before they've actually arrived into the world, recent research reveals that "harm" (i.e., tobacco smoke, dirty air, poor nutrition, even preeclampsia) may not present itself disease-wise until well into adulthood or when a second harmful "hit" triggers the individual's susceptibility.

6 May 2014

Bayer to purchase consumer care business of Merck & Co, signs co-development deal for sGC modulators

Bayer has agreed to acquire the consumer care business of U.S. pharmaceutical company Merck & Co., Inc., Whitehouse Station, NJ, USA, for a purchase price of USD 14.2 billion (EUR 10.4 billion).

6 May 2014

Study shows room for improvement in medical management of women with PAD

Women face greater limits on their lifestyle and have more severe symptoms as a result of peripheral artery disease (PAD), but minimally invasive procedures used to unclog arteries are just as successful as in men.

6 May 2014

FDA approves Alexion’s Soliris drug for treatment of atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome

Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the Company's supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) providing regular approval for Soliris® (eculizumab) for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) to inhibit complement-mediated thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA).

6 May 2014

Being obese at age 25 places individuals at risk of severe level of obesity later in life

Exposure to long-term obesity has become more common with increases in obesity at younger ages. Researchers examined the relationship between BMI at age 25, obesity later in life, and biological indicators of health.

6 May 2014

Pregnant women with obstructive sleep apnea more likely to die in hospital

Pregnant women with obstructive sleep apnea are more than five times as likely to die in the hospital than those without the sleep disorder, a comprehensive national study by the University of South Florida researchers found.

5 May 2014

BMI history points to diabetes risk

Changes in body mass index across a person’s life can help to gauge the likelihood of undiagnosed diabetes, say researchers.

2 May 2014

New mobile apps to help manage chronic pain patients

Mobile medicine is helping chronic pain patients cope with and manage their condition thanks to new smartphone apps, which can track patients from a distance and monitor pain, mood, physical activity, drug side effects, and treatment compliance.

2 May 2014

Study suggests reasons for disparities in obesity rates between African-American and white women

A new study suggests the reasons for disparities in obesity rates between African-American and white women are far more complex than the usual go-to culprits of socioeconomics, fruit and vegetable intake, and exercise.

2 May 2014

Daily multivitamin offers modest protection against cataracts

Long-term daily use of multivitamins could help to reduce the risk of cataracts, but has no effect on the risk of visually significant age-related macular degeneration, suggests research.

1 May 2014

Study finds disparities in diagnosis, treatment and outcomes of AF between black and white patients

Atrial fibrillation (AF), a condition where the heartbeat speeds up or becomes irregular, is not usually life-threatening but can lead to complications such as stroke and heart failure. Even though minorities historically have more risk factors for AF, they represent a smaller number of those diagnosed.

30 Apr 2014

People who take statin drugs develop heart disease and obesity-related illnesses

People who take statin drugs to lower their cholesterol appear to have developed a false sense of security that could lead to heart disease and other obesity-related illnesses.

29 Apr 2014

Girls labeled fat at age 10 are more likely to be obese at 19, say researchers

Girls who are told by a parent, sibling, friend, classmate or teacher that they are too fat at age 10 are more likely to be obese at age 19, a new study by UCLA psychologists shows.

29 Apr 2014

Adherence optimises success of primary care hypertension programme

The value of a structured hypertension-treatment programme in primary care increases with increasing adherence to the programme, say researchers.

28 Apr 2014

Effects of blueberry powder on blood pressure and arterial stiffness in postmenopausal women

Initial research out of Florida State University investigated whether daily consumption of a freeze-dried blueberry powder supplement resulted in a reduction of blood pressure and arterial stiffness, a measure of cardiovascular disease risk, in postmenopausal women with pre- and stage 1-hypertension.

25 Apr 2014

Glaucoma drug may help reverse obesity-related vision loss in women

An inexpensive glaucoma drug, when added to a weight loss plan, can improve vision for women with a disorder called idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health.

23 Apr 2014

Drug used to treat hypertension prevents post-traumatic epilepsy in rodent model

Between 10 and 20 percent of all cases of epilepsy result from severe head injury, but a new drug promises to prevent post-traumatic seizures and may forestall further brain damage caused by seizures in those who already have epilepsy.

23 Apr 2014

Urine test separates nonadherent from treatment-resistant hypertensive patients

Researchers have used a urine test to show that about a quarter of patients with supposedly treatment-resistant hypertension are actually failing to take their medications as prescribed.

22 Apr 2014

Measurement of calcium in coronary arteries can predict heart disease risk

With growing evidence that a measurement of the buildup of calcium in coronary arteries can predict heart disease risk, Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute (LA BioMed) researchers found that the process of "calcium scoring" was also accurate in predicting the chances of dying of heart disease among adults with little or no known risk of heart disease.

16 Apr 2014

Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) News and Research

Further Reading

Mortality after cardiac surgery: an interview with Dr. Bryan G. Maxwell, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Rat pups exposed to tobacco smoke are at higher risk of developing metabolic disease

Bayer to purchase consumer care business of Merck & Co, signs co-development deal for sGC modulators

Study shows room for improvement in medical management of women with PAD

FDA approves Alexion’s Soliris drug for treatment of atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome

Being obese at age 25 places individuals at risk of severe level of obesity later in life

Pregnant women with obstructive sleep apnea more likely to die in hospital

BMI history points to diabetes risk

New mobile apps to help manage chronic pain patients

Study suggests reasons for disparities in obesity rates between African-American and white women

Daily multivitamin offers modest protection against cataracts

Study finds disparities in diagnosis, treatment and outcomes of AF between black and white patients

People who take statin drugs develop heart disease and obesity-related illnesses

Girls labeled fat at age 10 are more likely to be obese at 19, say researchers

Adherence optimises success of primary care hypertension programme

Effects of blueberry powder on blood pressure and arterial stiffness in postmenopausal women

Glaucoma drug may help reverse obesity-related vision loss in women

Drug used to treat hypertension prevents post-traumatic epilepsy in rodent model

Urine test separates nonadherent from treatment-resistant hypertensive patients

Measurement of calcium in coronary arteries can predict heart disease risk

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