Blood Pressure News and Research

RSS

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).

Study could lead to potential new therapeutic target with fewer side effects for hypertension

A team of Vermont investigators has been issued a patent for their discovery of a molecule that rescues damaged blood vessels, yet preserves healthy vessels and could serve as a springboard for a new pharmaceutical therapy with fewer side effects for hypertension - a major risk factor for cardiovascular and kidney disease that effects roughly one in three people in the U.S.

15 Mar 2016

Anticancer drug restores hearing in neurofibromatosis patients

In a small clinical study with an anticancer drug that halts blood vessel growth, a handful of people with neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) and hearing loss had restoration of hearing.

15 Mar 2016

Population health research on cardiovascular health finds positive results

In 2009, Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation, along with Allina Health, New Ulm Medical Center and the community of New Ulm, Minnesota, began a 10-year population health research project to learn if heart attacks and heart disease risk factors within a community could be decreased through community efforts. Results for the first five years have been released, and the initial findings are positive.

14 Mar 2016

Paroxysmal AF patients who practice yoga have better quality of life

Yoga improves quality of life in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, according to research published today in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing. Heart rate and blood pressure also decreased in patients who did yoga.

14 Mar 2016

Daylight saving time can increase stroke risk, study reveals

A recent study out of Finland found the overall rate for stroke was 8% higher in the two days after daylight saving time. Individuals with cancer were 25% more likely to have a stroke during that time, and people older than 65 were 20% more likely to have a stroke.

14 Mar 2016

Blueberries can have a real benefit in lowering risk of heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer's

The blueberry, already labeled a "super fruit" for its power to potentially lower the risk of heart disease and cancer, also could be another weapon in the war against Alzheimer's disease. New research being presented today further bolsters this idea, which is being tested by many teams.

14 Mar 2016

Beta-blockers could have potential benefit for COPD patients

Beta-blockers could be used to reduce the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations, according to new findings.

13 Mar 2016

People with type 2 diabetes, OSA may not experience improved glycemic control with CPAP

People with type 2 diabetes and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may not experience improved glycemic control by using continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, as some studies have suggested, according to the results of a randomized, controlled trial published online ahead of print in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

13 Mar 2016

Effective ways to ensure a long, healthy life

More people may be living to 100 and beyond than ever before, but the real challenge is how to become one of them yourself, and how to care for an aging population.

11 Mar 2016

Springing forward one hour may lead to increased heart attack risk

Many people may groan about losing an hour of sleep March 13, but there may be a more serious reason to be mindful of daylight saving time.

11 Mar 2016

World Kidney Day 2016 focuses on children

On Thursday March 10th we are celebrating the 11th edition of World Kidney Day (WKD), a joint initiative organized by the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) and the International Federation of Kidney Foundations (IFKF).

10 Mar 2016

People newly diagnosed with multiple sclerosis share risk factors of other chronic illnesses

People newly diagnosed with multiple sclerosis may often have other chronic health conditions as well, according to a study published in the March 9, 2016 online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

10 Mar 2016

Heart rate variability may increase epilepsy risk

Doctors have long characterized epilepsy as a brain disorder, but researchers at Case Western Reserve University have found that part of the autonomic nervous system functions differently in epilepsy during the absence of seizures.This connection to the involuntary division of the nervous system may have implications for diagnosing and treating the disease and understanding sudden unexpected death in epilepsy

10 Mar 2016

Nearly half of African-American adults at risk of developing hypertension

The stats are too familiar: Nearly half of African-American adults are at risk of developing hypertension, a rate significantly higher than that of any other group in the United States. Hypertension-related ailments, such as strokes and end-stage renal disease, account for 20 percent of all deaths among African-Americans.

10 Mar 2016

High coronary artery calcium score puts people at greater risk for cancer, kidney disease and COPD

A 10-year follow-up study of more than 6,000 people who underwent heart CT scans suggests that a high coronary artery calcium score puts people at greater risk not only for heart and vascular disease but also for cancer, chronic kidney disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

10 Mar 2016

Oversized tonsils and tongue indentations increase risk for OSA

According to a new study led by University at Buffalo orthodontic researcher Thikriat Al-Jewair, dentists are in the unique position as health care professionals to pinpoint signs of obstructive sleep apnea, a disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep due to blocked upper airways

9 Mar 2016

Obese children at greater risk for pedestrian injuries

Child development experts already know obese children are at greater risk than their peers for developing high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, diabetes, and joint problems.

9 Mar 2016

Sleeping too much or too little increases risk of dying from heart disease

Too much or too little sleep is linked with an increased risk of certain types of cardiovascular disease. Women and the elderly are particularly at risk.Sleeping less than four hours or more than eight hours a night increases the risk of dying from some types of coronary heart disease, such as heart attacks and unstable angina pectoris, according to a study by Norwegian and Taiwanese researchers.

8 Mar 2016

Leading dementia expert calls for greater public awareness of dementia risk factors

A leading dementia expert is calling for greater public awareness of the risk factors for dementia, following a new poll showing only a quarter of British adults think it is possible to reduce their risk of developing the condition.

8 Mar 2016

Young adults with hostile attitudes may experience memory and thinking problems decades later

Young adults with hostile attitudes or those who don't cope well with stress may be at increased risk for experiencing memory and thinking problems decades later, according to a study published in the March 2, 2016, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

7 Mar 2016