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).

Employers looking for ways to reduce high blood pressure in the workplace

A group of nine Kansas City employers, their broker consultant Lockton Companies, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Centers for Disease and Prevention Control, and Thomson Reuters are looking for ways to reduce high blood pressure or hypertension in the workplace.

22 Apr 2011

JASN publishes positive results from pirfenidone study in diabetic nephropathy

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, the National Institutes of Health and the Mayo Clinic have published promising results of a clinical study using an experimental anti-fibrotic and anti-inflammatory drug called pirfenidone to treat patients with diabetic nephropathy. Their study will be published in the April 21 issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

22 Apr 2011

Sedentary lifestyle in childhood narrows vessels in the retina and increases risk of cardiovascular disease

Six-year-olds who spent the most time watching television, using a computer or playing video games had narrower arteries in the back of their eyes — a marker of future cardiovascular risk, in a first-of-its-kind study reported in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology: Journal of the American Heart Association.

21 Apr 2011

Study finds ACE inhibitors linked to increased risk of recurrence in women who have had breast cancer

ACE inhibitors, commonly used to control high blood pressure and heart failure in women, may be associated with an increased risk of recurrence in women who have had breast cancer, according to a study by researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.

21 Apr 2011

Genes linked to obesity may also cause poor weight loss outcomes after gastric bypass surgery

Researchers at Geisinger Health System are studying how genes may affect a patient's ability to lose weight following bariatric surgery. Highlighted in the journal Obesity, the study found that several genes that promote obesity may also result in inferior weight loss outcomes after gastric bypass surgery.

21 Apr 2011

New trial in UK to test whether statins could be used to treat pre-eclampsia

Pregnant women could benefit from a pioneering trial that will test whether heart disease drugs can be used to treat pre-eclampsia.

21 Apr 2011

America’s best loved drugs: Report

According to the latest report from consulting firm IMS Health, Americans are consuming a lot of prescription drugs. And they seem especially fond of those to lower their cholesterol, relieve heartburn, aid in depressive disorders and lessen pain. Overall, however, their spending on such drugs is slowing.

20 Apr 2011

Parks and green environments impact social, psychological and physical health outcomes

Research shows that a walk in the park is more than just a nice way to spend an afternoon. It's an essential component for good health, according to University of Illinois environment and behavior researcher Frances "Ming" Kuo.

20 Apr 2011

Cognitive behavior therapy eases depressive symptoms, improves cardiovascular health in diabetics

Frequently, depression and diabetes go hand in hand. And depression can be a major obstacle for people living with diabetes, making it less likely they'll stick to a medicine schedule or exercise regimen.

20 Apr 2011

Medically vulnerable families can benefit from high-deductible health plans

People who are medically vulnerable -- those with low incomes or chronic health problems -- who enroll in high-deductible health plans are at no more risk for cutting back on needed health care than other people who enroll in the plans, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

20 Apr 2011

Parents open to genetic tests for children

Genetic testing techniques have not been perfected yet but parents are willing to take the risk to know if their children are at risk for diseases in adulthood. Some parents would like the ability to predict the future, in terms of their child's risk for certain chronic health conditions. This comes in a new study published online in the journal Pediatrics. Experts, however, say the tests are of little value at this time.

19 Apr 2011

Obese patients may face high risk of complications after non-cardiac surgery

Obese patients with high blood pressure and diabetes are at much higher risk for major complications following non-cardiac surgery compared to otherwise healthy obese patients and patients of normal weight.

19 Apr 2011

AADSM event to discuss latest advances in sleep-disordered breathing research

Nearly 800 dental sleep medicine professionals from around the world will gather at the 20th Anniversary Meeting of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, which will take place Saturday, June 11, 2011, at the Hilton Minneapolis in Minneapolis, Minn.

19 Apr 2011

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease linked to coronary artery disease

Because of the prevalence of obesity in our country, many Americans are expected to develop a serious condition called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which can lead to cirrhosis, fibrosis, and in some cases liver failure. It is also one of the best predictors for coronary artery disease.

18 Apr 2011

Blue Cross launches 'The Human Do.ing' project to improve communities' health

He danced. He grooved. He walked. He sweated. And in the end, he did something he wasn't sure was possible. He got healthy. On Saturday, Twin Cities man Scott Jorgenson, 45, ended his 30 days as "The Human Do.ing," a project developed by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota as part of the company's do. Campaign to "groove your body every day" to achieve better health.

18 Apr 2011

Scientists discover new clues about mechanism behind losartan drug's protective effects

The Johns Hopkins researchers who first showed that the commonly used blood pressure drug losartan may help prevent life-threatening aneurysms of the aorta in patients with Marfan syndrome have now discovered new clues about the precise mechanism behind the drug's protective effects.

16 Apr 2011

Seniors living in supportive neighborhoods have better stroke survival rates

The odds of surviving stroke appear to be much better for seniors living in neighborhoods where they interact more often with their neighbors and count on them for help, according to research published in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.

16 Apr 2011

Chronic exposure to polluted air can lead to inflammation

Chronic inhalation of polluted air appears to activate a protein that triggers the release of white blood cells, setting off events that lead to widespread inflammation, according to new research in an animal model.

16 Apr 2011

Treatment of vascular risk factors may lower risk of Alzheimer's disease

Treating high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and other vascular risk factors may help lower the risk of Alzheimer's disease in people who already show signs of declining thinking skills or memory problems. The research is published in the April 13, 2011, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

15 Apr 2011

Obama's deficit plan earns raves, pans from editorial boards; more views on abortion and planned parenthood

I've proposed a balanced approach that looks at the entire budget for savings. The third step is to reduce the growth in health care spending in order to strengthen Medicare and Medicaid for future generations. We will get rid of wasteful subsidies and fraud that cost Medicare billions of dollars each year. We'll cut spending on prescription drugs by helping to get generic brands of medicine to market faster.

15 Apr 2011