Targeting molecular pathway that causes pulmonary arterial hypertension
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a type of high blood pressure in the lungs, in which blood vessels are narrowed, blocked or destroyed, causing the heart to work harder and, in time, result in cardiac weakness and failure. The disease is relatively rare, but affects an estimated 100,000 persons in the United States, and results […]
Tide Turns on Withholding Blood Pressure Meds for Pregnant Women
WASHINGTON — Consensus is growing that clinicians can be confident treating mild hypertension in otherwise healthy pregnant women without hurting their babies, based on the CHAP study. In this large randomized trial, treating high blood pressure (BP) to a target of <140/90 mm Hg resulted in better outcomes than did usual care, as evidenced by […]
Obesity and hypertension: Researchers discover novel mechanisms
Hypertension is a widespread comorbidity of patients with obesity that greatly increases the risk of mortality and disability. In recent years, researchers have found that a high-calorie diet increases the density of blood vessels (hypervascularization) in the hypothalamus — an important “eating control” area in our brain. Researchers hypothesized that elevated hormone levels of leptin […]
Healthy changes in diet, activity improved treatment-resistant high blood pressure
People with treatment-resistant hypertension successfully reduced their blood pressure by adopting the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan, losing weight and improving their aerobic fitness by participating in a structured diet and exercise program at a certified cardiac rehabilitation facility, according to new research published today in the American Heart Association’s flagship journal […]