High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure in doctor's clinic may not predict heart risksContinuously measuring blood pressure may help predict heart disease and related deaths among individuals with treatment-resistant hypertension, while blood pressure readings taken in a medical clinic do not appear to predict future heart risks, according to a report in November 24 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Gasping and CPR help cardiac arrest victims survivePeople who witness an individual collapse suddenly and unexpectedly should perform uninterrupted chest compressions even if the patient gasps or breathes in a funny way, research from the Resuscitation Research Group at The University of Arizona Sarver Heart Center shows.
Children of centenarians live longer with no heart disease, stroke, diabetesA recent study appearing in the November issue of Journal of American Geriatrics Society revealed that centenarian offspring (children of parents who lived to be at least 97 years old) retain important cardiovascular advantages from their parents compared to a similarly-aged cohort.
Obese women may have safe pregnancy after weight loss surgeryObese women who have weight loss surgery before becoming pregnant have a lower risk of pregnancy-related health problems and their children are less likely to be born with complications, according to a new RAND Corporation study.
Hydrogen sulfide regulates blood pressureAnyone with a nose knows the rotten-egg odor of hydrogen sulfide, a gas generated by bacteria living in the human colon. Now an international team of scientists has discovered that cells inside the blood vessels of mice - as well as in people, no doubt - naturally make the gassy stuff, and that it controls blood pressure.
Decade of change in general practice in AustraliaIt's not only the patients in GP surgeries who are getting older, according to two new reports released today by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and the Australian General Practice Statistics and Classification Centre, an AIHW collaborating unit located at the University of Sydney.
Audio relaxation program may help lower blood pressureAn audio relaxation program lowered blood pressure more than a Mozart sonata in a group of elderly people with high blood pressure, researchers reported at the American Heart Association's 62nd Annual Fall Conference of the Council for High Blood Pressure Research.
Avoid grapefruit juices when taking certain drugsGrapefruit and other common fruit juices, including orange and apple, decrease the absorption of drugs, potentially wiping out their beneficial effects.
Some obese individuals appear healthy without heart riskSome obese individuals do not appear to have an increased risk for heart disease, while some normal-weight individuals experience a cluster of heart risks, according to two reports in the August 11/25 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
People with sleep apnea have a high mortality riskPeople with severe sleep apnea have a much higher mortality risk than people without sleep apnea, and this risk increases when sleep apnea is untreated.
Keeping a food diary doubles weight lossKeeping a food diary can double a person's weight loss according to a study from Kaiser Permanente's Center for Health Research. The findings, from one of the largest and longest running weight loss maintenance trials ever conducted, will be published in the August issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
New drug labels better for pregnant & nursing mothersNew drug labeling system would provide better information about any prescription drug to pregnant women and nursing mothers as FDA proposes new rule to provide updated information on the use of prescription drugs and biological products during pregnancy and breast-feeding.
High blood pressure patients advised to use home monitorsPeople with hypertension should routinely monitor their blood pressure at home to help manage the disease, according to a new joint scientific statement from the American Heart Association, American Society of Hypertension and the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses' Association.
Cholesterol and blood pressure control may reverse atherosclerosisAggressively lowering cholesterol and blood pressure levels below current targets in adults with type 2 diabetes may help to prevent – and possibly reverse – hardening of the arteries, according to new research supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health. Hardening of the arteries, also known as atherosclerosis, is the number one cause of heart disease and can lead to heart attack, stroke, and death.
New blood pressure drug telmisartan has fewer side effectsA major Canadian-led global study has found that a new blood pressure medication is effective in reducing cardiovascular death, with fewer side effects than the current standard of care. The study found a new drug telmisartan is as effective as the popular drug ramipril in reducing cardiovascular death in high risk patients and it has fewer side effects.
Obesity in midlife increases dementia riskPeople in their 40s with larger stomachs have a higher risk for dementia when they reach their 70s, according to a study published in the March 26, 2008, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Weight loss counseling helps maintain weight lossPeople who shed weight and want to keep it off might benefit from monthly personal contact interventions, researchers reported at the American Heart Association's Conference on Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism.
March as Kidney Disease Awareness Month in USThe American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP) is pleased to recognize March as National Kidney Disease Awareness Month. Recent research funded by the National Institute of Health put the number of chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients in the United States at 26 million. AAKP recognizes National Kidney Disease Awareness Month with several planned educational programs and events.
Alcohol intake may increase blood pressureThe relationship between heavy drinking and hypertension is more significant than previously thought according to a new analysis of recent studies by researchers at Bristol University, published in PLoS Medicine.
Psychological distress linked to increased risk of strokePsychological distress, but not depression, may increase the risk of stroke, according to a study published in the March_4, 2008, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Previous studies have shown that stroke often leads to depression, but the evidence was mixed as to whether depression could lead to stroke.
New York unveils electronic health record technologyNew York's Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas R. Frieden unveiled the City's next-generation electronic health records (EHRs), already in use at more than 200 primary-care providers across the city that care for more than 200,000 New Yorkers.
Baxter recalls remaining heparin sodium vial productsBaxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) announced that the company is proceeding with the voluntary recall of all remaining lots and doses of its heparin sodium injection multi-dose, single-dose vials and HEP-LOCK heparin flush products.
Reducing kids' salt intake lowers soft drink consumptionChildren who eat less salt drink fewer sugar-sweetened soft drinks and may significantly lower their risks for obesity, elevated blood pressure and later-in-life heart attack and stroke, researchers reported in the print and online issue of Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Daytime dozing increases stroke risk in elderlyRegular daytime dozing forewarns of a significantly increased risk of stroke in older Americans, researchers reported at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2008.
Memory loss, less common in older AmericansIt appears that memory loss and thinking problems are becoming less common among older Americans. A new study shows a downward trend in the rate of "cognitive impairment" - the umbrella term for everything from significant memory loss to dementia and Alzheimer's disease - among people aged 70 and older.
Herpes virus link to complications in pregnancyViral infection with high blood pressure during pregnancy may lead to pre-term birth, revealed by researchers at Adelaide's Women's & Children's Hospital and the University of Adelaide.
Aircraft noise raises blood pressure even whilst sleepingNight-time noise from aircraft or traffic can increase a person's blood pressure even if it does not wake them, according to a new study published in the European Heart Journal. Scientists from Imperial College London and other European institutions monitored 140 sleeping volunteers in their homes near London Heathrow and three other major European airports.
Most with high blood pressure do not follow DASH dietA relatively small proportion of individuals with hypertension (high blood pressure) eat diets that align with government guidelines for controlling the disease, according to a report in the February 11 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Healthy lifestyle for long lifeA healthy lifestyle during the early elderly years-including weight management, exercising regularly and not smoking-may be associated with a greater probability of living to age 90 in men, as well as good health and physical function, according to a report in the February 11 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Weight gain from artificial sweetenersUse of no-calorie sweeteners may make it harder for people to control their intake and body weight. Cutting the connection between sweets and calories may confuse the body, making it harder to regulate intake, revealed by researchers.
Parkinson's disease risk reduced with high blood pressure drugsParkinson's disease risk is reduced in people taking drugs known as calcium channel blockers to treat high blood pressure, revealed by researchers in US.
Beetroot juice can beat high blood pressureDrinking just 500ml of beetroot juice a day can significantly reduce blood pressure, revealed by researchers at Barts and The London School of Medicine in a new study. Beetroot juice could have major implications for the treatment of cardiovascular disease.
Vitamin B12, folate deficiency raises dementia riskFolate deficiency is associated with a tripling in the risk of developing dementia among elderly people, suggests research published ahead of print in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.
Abbott to educate Chicago-area women about heart diseaseAs a leader in cardiovascular treatment and the exclusive Chicagoland "hometown" partner for the national "Go Red for Women" program, Abbott is partnering with the American Heart Association (AHA) to raise awareness about heart disease, the leading cause of death for women in America.
Sugary soft drinks linked to gout in menConsumption of sugar sweetened soft drinks and fructose is strongly associated with an increased risk of gout in men. Gout is a joint disease which causes extreme pain and swelling. It is most common in men aged 40 and older. It is caused by excess uric acid in the blood (hyperuricaemia) which leads to uric acid crystals collecting around the joints.
Sedentary lifestyles linked to early agingPhysical inactivity is an important risk factor for many aging-related diseases. Individuals who are physically active during their leisure time appear to be biologically younger than those with sedentary lifestyles, according to a report in the January 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Kids food still full of salt, says CASHMany foods eaten by UK children still contain large amounts of salt, in some cases more than half the daily maximum limit for a 6 year old in a single serving, revealed by researchers. Research carried out with Netmums, a leading parenting website, also shows that many parents are confused about which foods contain salt.
Reduced Salt Butter for high blood pressure patients by AmulKeeping in mind the inherent need and convenience of the consumers and taking into account the changing lifestyles, Amul is all set to expand its product portfolio with Amul Reduced Salt Butter. Amul Reduced Salt Butter has almost 50% less salt than table butter.
Burgers, fries, diet soda lead to metabolic syndromeOtherwise-healthy adults who eat two or more servings of meat a day - the equivalent of two burger patties - increase their risk of developing metabolic syndrome by 25 percent compared with those who eat meat twice a week, according to research published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Heart and stroke death rates steadily decline in USIn an appropriate prelude to American Heart Month, which is just ahead in February, new mortality data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that, since 1999, coronary heart disease and stroke age-adjusted death rates are down by 25.8 percent and 24.4 percent, respectively.
Vitamin D deficiency may increase heart disease riskThe same vitamin D deficiency that can result in weak bones now has been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, Framingham Heart Study researchers report in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Stress may condition heart to survive heart attackPeople who experience brief periods of blocked blood flow may be better conditioned to survive a full-blown heart attack later, according to new research from the University of Cincinnati (UC).
Restless legs syndrome doubles risk of stroke and heart diseasePeople with restless legs syndrome (RLS) are twice as likely to have a stroke or heart disease compared to people without RLS, and the risk is greatest in those with the most frequent and severe symptoms.
Gene changes may lead to hardening of arteries, atherosclerosisResearchers revealed that changes in gene may lead to hardening of the arteries and expands lesions in the aorta and promotes coronary atherosclerosis. The study was done by researchers from Yale School of Medicine and published in Cell Metabolism.
Nexavar approved for patients with inoperable liver cancerThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Nexavar (sorafenib) for use in patients with a form of liver cancer known as hepatocellular carcinoma, when the cancer is inoperable. Nexavar was originally approved in 2005 for the treatment of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma, a form of kidney cancer.