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).

Greater blood pressure drops linked to kidney function decline in hypertensive patients

In individuals undergoing intensive blood pressure (BP) treatment, greater reductions in mean blood pressure were linked with an increased risk of kidney function decline.

3 Nov 2017

Caffeine consumption may prolong lives of kidney disease patients

Caffeine consumption may prolong the lives in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), according to a study that will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2017 October 31–November 5 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, LA.

3 Nov 2017

UC study explores racial and gender disparities in elderly dialysis patients

University of Cincinnati researchers are examining racial and gender disparities in dialysis patients as well as the impact of poor functional status and pre-dialysis hospitalizations on elderly dialysis patients.

3 Nov 2017

Sugar-sweetened beverage consumption increases risk of diabetes, metabolic syndrome

Regularly drinking sugar-sweetened beverages such as soda and juice contributes to the development of diabetes, high blood pressure, and other endemic health problems, according to a review of epidemiological studies published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society.

2 Nov 2017

Short-term exposure to western diet can put individuals at risk for vascular damage and prediabetes

Could short-term exposure to the average American diet increase one’s risk for developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease? According to a recent study funded by the American Heart Association (AHA), researchers from New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM) provide compelling evidence to support this hypothesis.

1 Nov 2017

Topical gel made from blood pressure pills holds great promise in healing chronic wounds

An international team of researchers led by Johns Hopkins has shown that a topical gel made from a class of common blood pressure pills that block inflammation pathways speeds the healing of chronic skin wounds in mice and pigs.

1 Nov 2017

Severe hot flashes in midlife linked to higher risk for obstructive sleep apnea

Many menopausal women complain about poor sleep. Should the problem be blamed simply on menopause or on a more serious underlying sleep disorder such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)? What, if any, is the connection between hot flashes, which can also lead to cardiovascular risk, and OSA? New study results being published online today in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society, examine that relationship.

1 Nov 2017

The Obesity Society position statement focuses on breastfeeding and obesity

In accordance with the World Health Organization recommendation of optimal infant feeding practices, and as interpreted in policy documents of the American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, it is the position of The Obesity Society that women should be encouraged and supported to exclusively breastfeed for approximately the first six months of an infant's life with continued breastfeeding through the infant's first year and beyond as age-appropriate complementary foods are introduced and as mutually desired by the mother and child.

31 Oct 2017

Study shows Healthy Days as valid method to evaluate overall population health

Humana Inc. today announced results from a study that found a relationship between patient-reported, health-related quality of life and multiple objective measures of health in elderly Medicare Advantage patients with chronic conditions.

28 Oct 2017

Study characterizes hypertensive population with excess weight or obesity and sedentary habits

For the last seven years, researchers in the UPV/EHU's Department of Physical and Sports Education have been studying the hypertensive population with excess weight/obesity and sedentary habits. In a recent publication, this group has determined the state of health of this population through various key physical, physiological, clinical and nutritional markers and has separated them by sex and physical condition.

28 Oct 2017

Rural areas — already short on health resources — face enrollment hitches

Ms. Stella's, a home-cooking restaurant in Milledgeville, Ga., serves roast beef, grilled pork chops, chicken wings and oxtails with 24 sides from which to choose. Last spring, owners Jeri and Lucious Trawick opened a second restaurant in Eatonton, about 20 miles away, and Jeri decided to leave her full-time job to help shepherd the expansion.

27 Oct 2017

Review emphasizes need for more hypertension research in females

Women account for half of all cases of high blood pressure (hypertension) in the U.S., yet the majority of hypertension research focuses on men.

26 Oct 2017

Penn study sheds light on genetic cause of early hearing loss

From the moment a baby is born, they are put through a battery of screenings to test for all sorts of characteristics, which includes the sense of hearing.

26 Oct 2017

Scientists define molecular mechanism that triggers pump-induced disease

Researchers at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center investigated a pump-induced disease and defined the molecular mechanism that triggers it. The study, "On the effect of hyperaldosteronism-inducing mutations in Na/K pumps," was published in the October issue of the Journal of General Physiology.

26 Oct 2017

Studies highlight need for national strategy to prevent, treat hypertension in China

More than one in three adults aged 35 - 75 years in China have high blood pressure, but only about one in 20 people with hypertension have the condition under control, according to the largest study of hypertension in China, involving 1.7 million people, published in The Lancet.

26 Oct 2017

Skin plays role in helping regulate blood pressure and heart rate, say scientists

Skin plays a surprising role in helping regulate blood pressure and heart rate, according to scientists at the University of Cambridge and the Karolinska Institute, Sweden. While this discovery was made in mice, the researchers believe it is likely to be true also in humans.

25 Oct 2017

Older surgical patients with diabetes may be at higher risk of developing POCD

Older patients with diabetes may be at an 84 percent higher risk of developing postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) than those who are not diabetic, suggests new research being presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY 2017 annual meeting.

23 Oct 2017

Study finds increasing health care costs for patients with alcoholic cirrhosis

Health care costs for privately insured patients with alcoholic cirrhosis are nearly twice that of non‐alcoholic cirrhosis patients in the United States, according to research presented this week at The Liver Meeting - held by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

20 Oct 2017

Study examines risk of using liver organs from hepatitis C positive donors

Use of liver organs from selected hepatitis C positive donors should be considered due to modest risk of hepatitis C transmission and the availability of safe and effective direct‐acting antiviral therapies, according to research presented this week at The Liver Meeting -; held by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

20 Oct 2017

Researchers reveal how certain nerves sustain prostate cancer growth

In a study in today's issue of Science, researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, part of Montefiore Medicine, report that certain nerves sustain prostate cancer growth by triggering a switch that causes tumor vessels to proliferate.

20 Oct 2017