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).

Aspirin during pregnancy could reduce risk of pre-eclampsia

Women who receive aspirin or other antiplatelet drugs during pregnancy are at lower risk of pre-eclampsia, conclude authors of an article published in an upcoming edition of The Lancet.

20 May 2007

Quality improvement effort pays off in diabetes care

Spending money to improve diabetes care at federally qualified community health centers is a sound investment, according to one of the first studies to examine the clinical and economic impact of quality improvement on diabetes care.

18 May 2007

Lipoic acid appears to slow down the process of aging

Researchers have identified the mechanism of action of lipoic acid, a remarkable compound that in animal experiments appears to slow down the process of aging, improve blood flow, enhance immune function and perform many other functions.

18 May 2007

Effects of Taser on human health

Using a Taser to control agitated suspects in police custody is standard operating procedure for many law enforcement agencies.

18 May 2007

Stroke prevalence varies across U.S.

Stroke prevalence varies widely from state to state, with some states and U.S. territories having more than double the stroke prevalence of others, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

18 May 2007

Pycnogenol natural pine bark extract reduces heart failure

A study to be published in an upcoming edition of the journal of Cardiovascular Toxicology reveals Pycnogenol natural pine bark extract from the French maritime pine tree, helps prevent damage that high blood pressure causes to the heart.

17 May 2007

Merits and risks of postmenopausal hormone therapy

The study was categorized as a primary prevention trial for coronary heart disease, although the fact that mean age at recruitment was 63 years was not given enough importance at that time. WHI investigators concluded that hormone therapy (HT) was not cardioprotective, and, in fact, its riskbenefit ratio did not favor the use of postmenopausal hormones for prevention of chronic diseases.

17 May 2007

ACE inhibitors help preserve kidney function in IgA nephropathy

For young patients with the kidney disease IgA nephropathy (IgAN), early treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors can reduce the long-term risk of irreversible kidney damage, suggests a study in the June Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

17 May 2007

Just 75 minutes of exercise per week helps improve fitness levels for postmenopausal women who are overweight

New research indicates that even small amounts of physical activity, approximately 75 minutes a week, can help improve the fitness levels for postmenopausal women who are sedentary and overweight or obese, according to a study in the May 16 issue of JAMA.

16 May 2007

Low tar cigarettes as damaging as regular tar

Low tar "lite" cigarettes impair blood flow through the heart as severely as regular cigarettes, reveals a small study published ahead of print in the journal Heart.

16 May 2007

Single-tablet combination of atorvastatin and amlodipine for high blood pressure effective

Adults with high blood pressure and additional risk factors for heart disease may benefit more from taking one tablet rather than two, if their current treatment combines the lipid-lowering medication atorvastatin with the blood pressure-lowering medication amlodipine, researchers reported at the American Heart Association's 8th Scientific Forum on Quality of Care and Outcomes Research in Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke.

16 May 2007

Middle-aged men and women with a history of migraine and other headaches are more likely to have retinopathy

Twenty-two percent of the participants had a history of migraine or other headaches. Those with a history of headaches were slightly younger, more likely to be female, and more likely to be white than those without a history of headaches.

16 May 2007

People with HIV who drop out of care do not live as long as those who remain under a doctor's treatment

While HIV is now a chronic or lifelong disease, it is one that typically strikes at a relatively young age. That makes the population different from those who have high blood pressure or adult-onset diabetes.

15 May 2007

Just 10 minutes of exercise each day helps inactive overweight women

Researchers in the U.S. say that just 10 minutes of exercise a day can help even the most inactive overweight women.

15 May 2007

New blood pressure drug derived from sea creature promises to save millions of lives

Scientists in Britain say they have developed a new vaccine for people suffering from hypertension; they say the vaccine will control blood pressure and has the potential to save millions of lives.

15 May 2007

Longterm anxiety 'ups' the risk for heart attacks

According to researchers in the United States, for patients with coronary artery disease, anxiety increases their risk of heart attacks and death.

15 May 2007

Highly anxious patients with heart disease face nearly double the risk of heart attack

Patients whose anxiety intensified over time were in greatest peril, while those who started out highly anxious but later found inner calm markedly reduced their risk. The research appears in the May 22, 2007 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC).

15 May 2007

Angioplasty better than drugs for preventing second heart attack

After suffering a heart attack many patients still have low blood flow to the heart tissue while experiencing no symptoms and new research suggests that angioplasty is more effective than drugs for preventing second heart attacks in this situation.

14 May 2007

Evidence that dementia can be successfully stalled

A University of Sydney academic is part of a team whose research could profoundly change the way we look at and treat dementia.

11 May 2007

Mending broken hearts

The causes of "broken heart syndrome" remain a mystery, but doctors will soon have an easier time recognizing and treating this rare, life-threatening condition, thanks to data being reported at the 30th Annual Scientific Sessions of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI), May 9-12, 2007, in Orlando, FL.

11 May 2007