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).

Kaiser Permanente awards $7.7 million as 217 grants during first quarter, 2011

Kaiser Permanente, one of the country's largest not-for-profit health care organizations, announced today that it has funded 217 grants nationwide, totaling approximately $7.7 million in the first quarter of 2011.

6 May 2011

Diet high in potassium and low in sodium can reduce blood pressure

Americans are consuming too much sodium and not enough potassium according to clinical studies, including one by the Journal of the American College of Cardiology recently covered in Heart Insight.

6 May 2011

FDA approves Novartis' Afinitor tablets for pancreatic NET treatment

Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation announced today that the US Food and Drug Administration approved Afinitor tablets for the treatment of progressive neuroendocrine tumors of pancreatic origin in patients with unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic disease.

6 May 2011

Exercise, sex, coffee and even nose blowing may raise risk of stroke: Study

According to researchers in the Netherlands, coffee, sex and nose blowing could increase the risk of a type of stroke. The study on 250 patients identified eight risk factors linked to bleeding on the brain. These factors all increase blood pressure which could result in blood vessels bursting, according to research published in the journal Stroke.

5 May 2011

Statins for all over 55: Study

The latest research findings suggest that when assessing the risk of heart problems, offering statins or drugs that lower cholesterol to all over-55s had the same results as testing for cholesterol or blood pressure problems. The authors have also argued it would be simpler and more cost effective.

5 May 2011

Increasing prevalence of hypertension boosts growth for blood-pressure monitors in BRIC countries

With a rapidly ageing population and increasing prevalence of hypertension, there is a growing number of people that need to monitor their blood-pressure at home. Whilst the more established home-use digital blood-pressure monitor markets in Western Europe and North America are reaching saturation, the emerging BRIC markets are becoming more aware of lifestyle-related disease prevention and are investing heavily to improve healthcare provisions, driving growth of the blood-pressure monitors market.

5 May 2011

Easy way to lower blood pressure

"HOW TO RECOVER YOUR NATIVE BLOOD PRESSURE - An Easy Way to Lower Your Blood Pressure in 10 Minutes" was published online today by Brahm of San Diego, California.

5 May 2011

Pfizer’s Revatio receives European Commission approval for pediatric treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension

Pfizer Inc. announced that Revatio (sildenafil citrate) has been approved by the European Commission for the treatment of pediatric patients aged 1 to 17 years old with pulmonary arterial hypertension. Efficacy in terms of improvement of exercise capacity or pulmonary hemodynamics has been shown in primary pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary hypertension associated with congenital heart disease.

5 May 2011

Breakthrough research offers hope for new obesity treatment

By knocking down the expression of a protein in rat brains known to stimulate eating, Johns Hopkins researchers say they not only reduced the animals' calorie intake and weight, but also transformed their fat into a type that burns off more energy. The finding could lead to better obesity treatments for humans, the scientists report.

4 May 2011

FibroGen announces proof-of-principle for FG-4592 Phase 2 study in hemodialysis patients

FibroGen, Inc., today announced proof-of-principle for oral anemia therapy FG-4592, a hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor, in end-stage renal disease patients receiving hemodialysis.

4 May 2011

Low salt intake may increase risk of cardiovascular events

In a study conducted to examine the health outcomes related to salt intake, as gauged by the amount of sodium excreted in the urine, lower sodium excretion was associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular death, while higher sodium excretion did not correspond with increased risk of hypertension or cardiovascular disease complications, according to a study in the May 4 issue of JAMA.

4 May 2011

Heart bypass surgery rates fall by 38% between 2001 and 2008: Study

According to latest the U.S. research, the number of heart patients getting bypass surgery fell by 38 percent between 2001 and 2008. This fall reflects several factors, including a decline in smoking rates, which has led to less coronary artery disease, said senior study author Dr. Peter Groeneveld, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

4 May 2011

Confusing research on salt and heart: Study

According to the latest European study, people who ate lots of salt were not more likely to get high blood pressure, and were less likely to die of heart disease than those with a low salt intake. This is contrary to what has been known till date. The U.S. guidelines recommend that Americans consume less than 2,300 milligrams of salt daily - 1,500 mg in certain people who are more at risk for high blood pressure or heart disease.

4 May 2011

Belly fat predicts heart-disease risk better than BMI: Study

According to the latest study the fat around the belly is the chief culprit in the link between obesity and cardiovascular disease. This study raises the possibility that people can be overweight without significantly raising their heart risk, so long as they carry the extra fat in places other than their belly. In fact, a few extra pounds may even lower the risk of death from heart disease, researchers found.

3 May 2011

Coronary artery disease patients with high BMI may face higher risk of death

One of the largest studies of its kind has found that people with coronary artery disease who have even a modest beer belly or muffin top are at higher risk for death than people whose fat collects elsewhere. The effect was observed even in patients with a normal Body Mass Index.

3 May 2011

Hebei Aoxing Pharma receives Chinese patent for naloxone sublingual film

Aoxing Pharmaceutical, a specialty pharmaceutical company focusing on research, development, manufacturing and distribution of narcotic and pain-management products, announced that its operating subsidiary in China, Hebei Aoxing Pharmaceutical Group Company, has been granted a patent by the State Intellectual Property Office of The People's Republic of China for naloxone sublingual film.

3 May 2011

Animal studies reveal new route to treating heart disease

Scientists at Johns Hopkins have shown in laboratory experiments in mice that blocking the action of a signaling protein deep inside the heart’s muscle cells blunts the most serious ill effects of high blood pressure on the heart. These include heart muscle enlargement, scar tissue formation and loss of blood vessel growth.

2 May 2011

Early nutrition may have long-term consequences on infants' health

Nutrition during the first days or weeks of life may have long-term consequences on health, potentially via a phenomenon known as the metabolic programming effect, according to a study to be presented Monday, May 2, at the Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting in Denver.

2 May 2011

Secondhand smoke exposure linked to high blood pressure in boys

Exposure to secondhand smoke, even at extremely low levels, is associated with increased blood pressure in boys, according to new research being presented Sunday, May 1, at the Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting in Denver.

2 May 2011

Study finds no significant link between religiosity and low blood pressure

Contrary to some earlier studies, a Loyola University Health System study has found that religious activity does not help protect against high blood pressure.

2 May 2011