High Blood Pressure News and Research

Latest High Blood Pressure News and Research

Policy restrictions for certain medications lead to decreased drug use and substantial savings for insurers

Policies that restrict reimbursement for certain medications can save money for health insurers without driving patients to seek other kinds of health care, a new review of studies suggests.

19 Aug 2010

Study on differential aspects of cardiac insufficiency due to high blood pressure amongst women and men

Doctor Elena Zubillaga studied 109 women and 120 men admitted to hospital with a cardiac insufficiency solely due to high blood pressure. More concretely, she analysed the clinical, biochemical and ecocardiographical differences between the patients, depending on their sex. She also made reference to the data provided by serum markers for the metabolism of the collagen in the heart and the systolic function or contraction of the latter, as alterations taking place in the metabolism of myocardial collagen are associated with certain clinical situations.

18 Aug 2010

Moderate chocolate consumption lowers heart failure risk: Study

Middle-aged and elderly Swedish women who regularly ate a small amount of chocolate had lower risks of heart failure risks, in a study reported in Circulation: Heart Failure, a journal of the American Heart Association.

18 Aug 2010

Thickening of neck artery wall increases risk of heart attack, stroke: Study

Researchers for the U.S. National Institute on Aging (NIA), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), studied 5,614 Italians in four villages and found that those who scored high for antagonistic traits on a standard personality test had greater thickening of the neck (carotid) arteries compared to people who were more agreeable. Thickness of neck artery walls is a risk factor for heart attack and stroke.

17 Aug 2010

Ill effects of methamphetamine

On the street it's known as meth, speed, ice, chalk, crank, fire, glass or crystal. Methamphetamine is a highly addictive drug that wreaks havoc on the entire body, including the user's oral health. Approximately 10 million Americans have tried methamphetamine, while more than 1.4 million are habitual users.

17 Aug 2010

Medforma unveils new Internet-based wellness platform

Nearly 80 percent of health care costs are spent on treating preventable diseases. And most of this burden falls on employers and employees. To help employers reduce these expenses while improving the health of their workforces, St. Paul-based Medforma Inc., today unveiled the next-generation of its Internet-based wellness platform called Health Portrait™.

16 Aug 2010

Study shows early diagnosis of atrial fibrillation reduces risk of stroke

The earlier that patients who suffer from atrial fibrillation obtain the correct treatment, the lower is the risk of serious secondary effects such as stroke. A thesis presented at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, shows that a well-established measurement score can easily assess the risks for this patient group.

16 Aug 2010

HIV infected injection drug users likely to have kidney disease: Study

Poor kidney function is common among injection drug users, particularly those with HIV, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN). The results suggest that clinicians should monitor the kidney function of HIV-infected injection drug users and consider them candidates for medical treatments to protect their kidneys when appropriate.

13 Aug 2010

Tracking heart rate can provide important marker of health issues: Research

An elevated resting heart rate that develops or persists during follow-up is associated with a significantly increased risk of death, whether from heart disease or other causes, researchers from the Ronald O. Perelman Heart Institute at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center found studying outcomes in more than 9,000 patients.

13 Aug 2010

Study examines comparative value of different blood pressure lowering medications

Expensive brand-name medications to lower blood pressure are no better at preventing cardiovascular disease than older, generic diuretics, according to new long-term data from a landmark study.Paul Whelton, MB, MD, MSc, reported the results on Aug. 13 at the plenary session of the China Heart Congress and International Heart Forum in Beijing. Whelton is president and CEO of Loyola University Health System and chairman of the Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heat Attack Trial (ALLHAT), which has examined the comparative value of different blood pressure-lowering medications.

13 Aug 2010

Researchers develop first diabetes risk assessment for multi-ethnic population

A team from the University of Leicester, led by Professor Melanie Davies from the Department of Cardiovascular Sciences and Professor Kamlesh Khunti from the Department of Health Sciences, has developed an easy way for people to assess their risk of having diabetes. Working in partnership with Diabetes UK, the largest diabetes charity in the country, and University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, they have produced the first diabetes risk assessment that can be used in a multi-ethnic population.

12 Aug 2010

Third round of tax-free $250 rebate checks mailed to eligible Medicare beneficiaries

Today, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that the third round of one-time, tax-free $250 rebate checks have been mailed to eligible Medicare beneficiaries whose drug costs are so high they have reached the Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage gap known as the "donut hole."

11 Aug 2010

Sinobiopharma inks agreement with Lianhuan to co-develop, manufacture and commercialize Eplerenone

Sinobiopharma, Inc., an innovative biopharmaceutical products company with primary operations in China, today announced that the Company, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Dong Ying Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., has signed an agreement with Jiangsu Lianhuan Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. to co-develop, manufacture and commercialize Eplerenone, a therapeutic agent formulated to treat high blood pressure and vascular diseases.

11 Aug 2010

Insuring your health: Health law expands Medicare coverage of preventive care

In her latest Kaiser Health News consumer column, Michelle Andrews writes: "Preventive health care is important at any age, but never more so than as we get older.

11 Aug 2010

First Edition: August 10, 2010

In today's news, the House is back in town... though just for a day. Lawmakers will consider a state aid package that includes $16 billion in federal Medicaid assistance.

10 Aug 2010

Older Americans suffer from full-blown depression: Report

Maureen Duffy's memories of her grandmother are cloudy. Not because of time, but by a condition that cast a shadow over the woman Duffy had visited as a child.

10 Aug 2010

Eliminating depression, diabetes can reduce levels of dementia: Study

Eliminating diabetes and depression, as well as increasing education and fruit and vegetable consumption, are likely to have the biggest impact on reducing levels of dementia in the coming years, should no effective treatment be found, concludes a study published on bmj.com today.These findings suggest priorities for future public health interventions.While the exact cause of dementia is still unknown, several modifiable risk factors have already been identified. These include vascular risk factors (heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, and high cholesterol), a history of depression, diet, alcohol consumption, and education level.

6 Aug 2010

Detection of Alzheimer's before symptoms occur

Research is on to detect the dreaded Alzheimer's disease even before any symptoms occur. In a newly proposed diagnostic criteria developed by experts from the National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimer's Association three stages of the disease viz. pre-clinical Alzheimer's, mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's dementia are described.

4 Aug 2010

Long-term dietary consumption of capsaicin can reduce blood pressure: Research

For those with high blood pressure, chili peppers might be just what the doctor ordered, according to a study reported in the August issue of Cell Metabolism, a Cell Press publication. While the active ingredient that gives the peppers their heat-a compound known as capsaicin-might set your mouth on fire, it also leads blood vessels to relax, the research in hypertensive rats shows.

4 Aug 2010

Americans halved their risk of dying from CHD over past 20 years: Study

By smoking less, watching their cholesterol and lowering their high blood pressure, Americans halved their risk of dying from coronary heart disease over the past 20 years, a new study shows.

3 Aug 2010