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).

MedUni Vienna cardiologist demonstrates effectiveness of substance that makes heart softer

Heart failure with concomitant pulmonary hypertension is a growing health problem with a high mortality rate, above all in older people. The cardiologist Diana Bonderman from the University Department of Internal Medicine II at the MedUni Vienna, as the author of a multinational phase II study, has demonstrated the effectiveness of a substance that sticks to the so-called nitric oxide pathway and makes the heart "softer".

19 Jul 2013

Nearly half of individuals with moderate kidney disease have medication resistant hypertension

More than 50% of individuals with moderate kidney disease have hypertension that is resistant to medications, and those who are black or have a larger waist circumference, diabetes, or a history of heart attacks or strokes are at highest risk, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN).

19 Jul 2013

People who exercise less likely to experience stroke, new study finds

A new study from researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is one of the first to study the relationship between exercise and stroke in a large biracial cohort of men and women in the United States. The findings are published in the American Heart Association journal Stroke.

19 Jul 2013

Progress made in understanding Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

The next step has been made into isolating the origin of cells linked to the progressive disorder Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.

17 Jul 2013

Standardized vascular health checks may improve health and cost-effectiveness outcomes

Archimedes Inc., a healthcare modeling company, today announced the results of a two-year long collaboration with Novo Nordisk A/S, a world leader in diabetes care, which evaluated the effects of standardized vascular health checks on expected health outcomes.

17 Jul 2013

Office nurses' role evolves in marketplace; Studies look at heart procedures

The Wall Street Journal examines how companies, facing higher insurance costs, are using office nurses to "nudge employees about long-term, expensive conditions." Meanwhile, heart studies probe where hospitals are building new angioplasty centers and how Medicare Advantage handles cardiac treatment.

11 Jul 2013

Research shows proton pump inhibitors may cause cardiovascular problems

Drugs that help millions of people cope with acid reflux may also cause cardiovascular disease, report scientists from Houston Methodist Hospital and two other institutions in an upcoming issue of Circulation (now online). It is the first time researchers have shown how proton pump inhibitors, or PPIs, might cause cardiovascular problems.

11 Jul 2013

First Edition: July 10, 2013

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including articles about House Republican plans to seek a delay in the health law's requirement that nearly all Americans get health insurance.

10 Jul 2013

Study examines whether better sleep lowers risk of heart disease

The University of South Florida College of Nursing is conducting research to improve sleep in those caring for people with dementia and Alzheimer's disease, with the aim of determining if better sleep affects heart health.

10 Jul 2013

Study reveals health benefits of a good night's sleep

A good night's sleep can increase the benefit of exercise, healthy diet, moderate alcohol consumption and non-smoking in their protection against cardiovascular disease (CVD), according to results of a large population follow-up study. Results showed that the combination of the four traditional healthy lifestyle habits was associated with a 57% lower risk of cardiovascular disease (fatal and non-fatal) and a 67% lower risk of fatal events. But, when "sufficient sleep" (defined as seven or more hours a night) was added to the other four lifestyle factors, the overall protective benefit was even further increased - and resulted in a 65% lower risk of composite CVD and a 83% lower risk of fatal events.

4 Jul 2013

3-gene signature test will improve care of kidney transplant patients

A breakthrough non-invasive test can detect whether transplanted kidneys are in the process of being rejected, as well as identify patients at risk for rejection weeks to months before they show symptoms, according to a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).

4 Jul 2013

Telemonitoring with pharmacist management improves and maintains BP control

An intervention that consisted of home blood pressure (BP) telemonitoring with pharmacist management resulted in improvements in BP control and decreases in BP during 12 months, compared with usual care, and improvement in BP that was maintained for 6 months following the intervention, according to a study in the July 3 issue of JAMA.

3 Jul 2013

Research roundup: 'Welcome-mat' effect of Medicaid expansion; Setting up shops; California's transition to Medicaid managed care

The number of people eligible for Medicaid who remain uninsured varies from state to state, according to the authors. But the federal health law is likely to increase the rate of enrollment for this group. The potential impact of this increase in Medicaid enrollment, also known as the 'welcome-mat' effect, is unclear.

2 Jul 2013

New research paper explains how pregnancy provides a window to future health

Physicians with the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine released a paper today that provides significant insight into future health conditions that women are likely to experience, and that can be detected early based on information relating to the course of pregnancy.

2 Jul 2013

Adults with disability have higher prevalence of several chronic illnesses

Adults with a disability are more likely to be obese or extremely obese than those without a disability according to a study led by researchers at The University of Texas School of Public Health, which is part of The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).

27 Jun 2013

Eisai submits BELVIQ NDS with Health Canada

Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that Eisai Limited (based in Mississauga, Ontario), a subsidiary of Eisai Inc., has submitted a New Drug Submission for BELVIQ (lorcaserin HCl) with Health Canada.

26 Jun 2013

Weill Cornell researchers discover high burden of hypertension in sub-Saharan African country

Based on the experience of a large hospital in Tanzania, Weill Cornell Medical College researchers have discovered a "startlingly" high burden of hypertension in this sub-Saharan African country.

26 Jun 2013

Study finds PTSD as risk factor for heart disease among Vietnam vets

Male twin Vietnam veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder were more than twice as likely as those without PTSD to develop heart disease during a 13-year period, according to a study supported by the National Institutes of Health.

26 Jun 2013

Study questions the beneficial effects of polyphenols on combating cardiovascular disease

Eating fruit or having a glass of red wine is seen as offering health benefits. The benefits are often pinned on polyphenols, natural chemicals—found in foods—referred to as flavonoids and phenolic acids, but also fragments of food proteins called peptides.

25 Jun 2013

Compared with Medicaid enrollees, low-income uninsured adults are less likely to have chronic conditions

Compared with adults already enrolled in Medicaid, low-income uninsured adults who may be eligible for Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act were less likely to have chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia, although those with 1 of these conditions were less likely to be aware they had it or to have the disease controlled, according to a study in the June 26 issue of JAMA. The study is being released early to coincide with its presentation at the AcademyHealth annual research meeting.

24 Jun 2013