• For blood pressure, can you be fit but fat?
• Beware of hidden sodium in many foods
• One young Scot in three has high blood pressure
• Beetroot Juice for Low Blood Pressure
• Meth use in pregnancy endangers mom and baby
• 90 percent of Americans eat too much salt: Study
• Shocking Blood Pressure Stats For Youngsters
• Many are deficient in their vitamin D
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• InCirculation.net AstraZeneca: 30 July 2010 High methylglyoxal linked to adverse CV profile in Type 2 diabetics Hypertension 2010; Advance online publication 29 July 2010 Elevated pulse pressure may predict future CAD in diabetics Int J Cardiol 2010; 143 : 63–71 28 July …full story

• Treating Multiple Sclerosis With Antihypertensive Drug
• Researchers Identify Risks Of Hypertension In Young Adults
• FDA Approves Tribenzor™, A New Three-In-One Combination Product For The Treatment Of High Blood Pressure
• CHMP Adopts Positive Opinion For TWYNSTA(R), Boehringer Ingelheim's New Single Pill Combination Hypertension Treatment
• Great Tastes And International Recipes That Reduce The Risk Of Heart Disease
• Key Molecular Regulator Of Cardiac Hypertrophy Identified By Scientists
• What Can The Arterioles Tell Us About Hypertension?
• Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource Reaffirms Diabetes, High Blood Pressure Are Leading Causes Of Kidney Damage
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• Canadian Blood Pressure Study of Obese Children Yields Unexpected Results
• Guidelines for Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring in Children
• Instrument Calibration Adds Error Potential in Manual BP Measurement
• Blood Pressure Monitoring and Infection Control
• Blood Pressure in your Medical Practice
• Physician Acquired Blood Pressure Measurement is Higher than Nurse Acquired BP
• ASH 2010: A Focus on Improving Blood Pressure Measurement Technique
• Damec Uses SunTech OEM NIBP Technology in Space
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• Hypertension Risks in Young Adults Identified by Scientists
•  Outcomes of Blood-pressure Control for Diabetes and Coronary Artery Disease Patients Examined
•  Blood Pressure Regulation Pathway Identified by Pitt Researchers
•  High Fructose Intake May Lead to High Blood Pressure
•  Nitrate Content in Beetroot Juice Helps Lower Blood Pressure
•  Chocolate Can Help Keep Your Blood Pressure Under Control
•  New Blood Pressure Treatments May Result From Novel Pathway
•  Scientists Invent Simulator to Test Blood Platelets in Virtual Heart Attacks
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• Body mass index at age 17 within the normal range can predict future risk for hypertension in later life
• New proteins that regulate blood pressure, flow discovered
• Antioxidants do help arteries stay healthy
• Tight blood pressure control for patients with diabetes and coronary artery disease not associated with improved cardiovascular outcomes
• High fructose diet may contribute to high blood pressure, study finds
• Nitrate in beetroot juice lowers blood pressure, study finds
• Dark chocolate lowers blood pressure, research finds
• Possible role for Smurf1 in pulmonary arterial hypertension
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• New York Times: VITAL SIGNS Patterns: Teaming Up to Control High Blood Pressure December 1, 2009 - By RONI CARYN RABIN - Science Desk - 213 Words Researchers at the University of Iowa found that patients benefited when a pharmacist was more involved …full story

• MONDAY, Jan. 12 (HealthDay News) -- When the temperature drops outside, blood pressure appears to rise in older adults, a new study shows.rnrnThe systolic (top number) and diastolic (bottom number) blood pressures both rose and fell with the change of seasons in the 8,801 people, aged 65 or older, looked at in the study by the Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale of Paris. The average systolic blood pressure, for example, was five points higher in winter than in summer for the participants. Instances of high blood pressure (systolic blood pressure higher than 159, or diastolic higher than 94 millimeters of mercury or higher) were found in 33.4 percent of participants during winter but just 23.8 percent during summer.rnrnThe findings were published in the Jan. 12 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.rnrn …full story

• Many people who have high blood pressure also suffer from depression. The reason for the link between the two is not clear, but some researchers believe it could be due to increased levels of adrenaline in clinically depressed people. Another factor could be a family history of high blood pressure.1 rnFast Facts:rn rnResearch shows that people suffering from long-term depression are at least twice as likely to develop high blood pressure.2 Some treatments for depression can cause a slight increase in blood pressure.2 Depression can cause one to not eat properly which can lead to high blood pressure.2 …full story

• The Daily Mail has reported that having a baby “is good for your blood pressure”. It said that a study of 2,300 women found that blood pressure lowers after a first baby. The effect lasts for years after the birth. The newspaper said that the dangers of high blood pressure during pregnancy are well known and this is the first study to show that having a baby can lower it. The news story could have emphasised that this study did not look at blood pressure during pregnancy (when blood pressure usually rises), but instead looked at it before and after pregnancy. Although it does have some strengths such as following the women up over many years and assessing them before and after birth, it is limited by the fact that it excluded women who either already had high blood pressure or developed high blood pressure in pregnancy. …full story

• Yam (ube) contains a substance that shows some potentials as a cure for hypertension. The substance has been named PhilRootcrops Protein-1 (PRP-1) by the Visayas State University (VSU), whose research has discovered the root crop’s medicinal properties. It can safely be used as a hypertensive drug, Dr. Edgardo Tulin of the VSU-PhilRootcrops said. …full story

• DENVER (CBS4) ¯ A new study suggests some primary care doctors are too lax when it comes to treating high blood pressure. The study found part of the problem is many doctors are simply unaware of guidelines for treating hypertension. The study says doctors may be ignoring the problem. "We used to always blame to patient and say, 'You're not taking your medicine.' But instead we may just not be giving them the medicine," CBS4 Medical Editor Dr. Dave Hnida said. Hnida said the study is not about patients with sky-high numbers, but instead mild to moderate high blood pressure in people who should be on medicine but are not. …full story

• A small blood pressure study published just this month (September 2008) by Seattle University is generating a large amount of attention. The research into the effects of music and relaxation should provide food for thought in a fresh and productive direction. Instead, the study is being widely misreported, focusing on insignigicant details with an attitude that damns with faint praise. In the study, 41 elderly people with high blood pressure listened to either Mozart or a "guided-relaxation" program for 12 minutes a day, three times a week for four months. The Mozart music was not specified but the relaxation CD included a background of ocean waves along with a calming voice and guided breathing exercises. The average systolic blood pressure of the Mozart group dropped by 7 points while the average reduction in the guided-relaxation group was 9 points systolic. Diastolic blood pressure was not as much affected but medical experts tend to look at systolic pressure as the more important health factor. …full story

• The pace of weight gain in early childhood may be associated with increased blood pressure in adulthood, according to a report by researchers at Bristol University. The findings were published in October's edition of Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association. (Media-Newswire.com) - The pace of weight gain in early childhood may be associated with increased blood pressure in adulthood, according to a report by researchers at Bristol University. The findings were published in October’s edition of Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association. The study is the first to examine whether accelerated infant growth predicts adult systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Systolic blood pressure is the pressure in the arteries while the heart contracts. Diastolic blood pressure is the pressure when the heart relaxes between beats. …full story

• While evaluating a patient with a mild leg injury, I asked him if he had any illnesses or medical problems, which he denied. I asked he was taking any prescribed medications. He said that he had been prescribed Lisinopril and was taking it as recommended for his high blood pressure. This is common: Many people taking medication to control their high blood pressure don't think they have any illnesses, including high blood pressure. …full story

• Several medical organizations, including the American Heart Association, have recommended that everyone who has high blood pressure invest in a home monitor to perform regular checks. This was proposed because only one-third of the 72 million Americans who have high blood pressure have it under control. Frequent monitoring – by patients, at home – gives doctors a more realistic idea of the range of a patient's blood pressure and shows more clearly how pressure is responding to medication. …full story

• The study concluded that there was an inverse association of dietary total iron intake and non-heme iron intake with blood pressure. A weak direct association between heme iron and blood pressure was observed, possibly reflecting the adverse relation of red meat consumption to blood pressure. Higher red meat intake was independently associated with higher blood pressure, including after control for fatty acids, total animal protein, and total heme iron consumption. …full story

• The question: Exercise helps combat the cluster of risk factors known as metabolic syndrome, which makes people far more susceptible to heart problems. But does the intensity of exercise make a difference? This study randomly assigned 32 people (average age, 52) with metabolic syndrome to do either vigorous or moderate exercise on a treadmill for 40 minutes three times a week, or to do no treadmill exercise. Participants wore heart-rate monitors while exercising. After four months, both exercise groups had lost weight (5 to 8 pounds, on average) and inches at the waist (an average of 2). About 46 percent of the vigorous exercisers and 37 percent of the moderate exercisers were no longer diagnosed with metabolic syndrome; in the no-exercise group, everyone continued to meet the diagnostic standards for metabolic syndrome. …full story

• Most blood pressure monitors we know are portable devices that are wrapped around your arm before it gets to work - this one does the same albeit with a slightly different approach. It comes with a detachable wireless display for optimal viewing. …full story

• Dubbed the Silent Killer because of the insidious way it works away in the background of someone's health. High blood pressure if left untreated and ignored can lead to lethal complications in a wide variety of illnesses. …full story

• In a study, blood pressure improved for people who monitored it at home and sent results to a pharmacist. The pharmacist could adjust doses and prescribe new medicines. More than half of people in this group attained normal blood pressure readings. The study kept track of nearly 800 people with high blood pressure for a year. Some people were assigned to do home monitoring only, without the pharmacist's help. Others were told just to work with their doctors. Only about one-third of these groups got pressure under control. HealthDay News reported on the study June 24. It was in the Journal of the American Medical Association. …full story

• NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Researchers found that people who lived in neighborhoods with more opportunities for exercise, less crime, better grocery stores and a closer sense of community had a lower risk having high blood pressure -- independent of factors such as income and education level. The findings, published in the journal Epidemiology, suggest that building better neighborhoods might also improve residents' cardiovascular health. …full story

• WEDNESDAY, July 16 (HealthDay News) -- Nearly one in three Americans suffers from high blood pressure -- more than 73 million adults. But half of them -- women -- face unique challenges in controlling their blood pressure. …full story

• A link between dementia and high blood pressure also makes scientific sense. Think of it like a hose turned on high: the pressure of the blood can be traumatic to normal tissue, causing injury to the brain. "These findings make the argument for treating hypertension in the elderly even stronger," said Peters. …full story

• New study ranks cities according to heart health. There are probably plenty of good-hearted people in your city, but is your city good for your heart? The American Heart Association's "Go Red For Women" movement has released a study revealing the nation's 10 most - and least - heart friendly cities for women. Minneapolis-St. Paul took the title of "Most Heart Friendly City For Women" while Nashville was named the least heart-friendly. …full story

• While ageing brings on increases in systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure only increases until 50 years of age and then drops. It is critical because cardiovascular disease typically rears its ugly head around this age. In a nutshell, systolic hypertension rises, while diastolic hypertension falls, or almost disappears. …full story

• LONDON, July 8 --For patients 80 or older, hypertension treatment may afford a small reduction in dementia risk, researchers found. When findings from a placebo-controlled trial that was stopped early were included in a meta-analysis with three similar trials, the combined results showed a 13% reduction in dementia rates with lowered blood pressure, Ruth Peters, Ph.D., of Imperial College London, and colleagues reported online in The Lancet Neurology. …full story

• A new article indicates that an increased intake in minerals such as potassium, and possibly magnesium and calcium by dietary means may reduce the risk of high blood pressure and decrease blood pressure in people with hypertension. A high intake of these minerals in the diet may also reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke. …full story

• University of Florida researchers have identified a drug compound that dramatically lowers blood pressure, improves heart function and — in a remarkable finding — prevents damage to the heart and kidneys in rats with persistent hypertension …full story

• Michael Mathai, of the Howard Florey Institute in Melbourne, Austrilia, engineered mice to lacke the ACE gene. ACE - angiotensin-converting enzyme. They found that ACE inibitors not only lower blood pressure, but belly fat too. …full story

• Senior Health Week: Many Primary Care Doctors Lack Concern Over Hypertension in High-Risk Patients: Nearly one-third of the primary care physicians in a study of patients with uncontrolled hypertension saw no need to change the treatment of patients with high or very high cardiovascular risk factors. …full story