More young people get high blood pressure: read Blood Pressure Digest #9
TECH
AI Offers Personalized Care Recommendations to Curb Heart Disease Risk
Researchers have developed an artificial intelligence model that can identify a patient's inherited risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) and provide personalized recommendations for reducing their blood pressure or low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels, Health Analytics, LLC reports. The causal AI tool was validated in a recent study presented at the American College of Cardiology 's Annual Scientific Session. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , CAD is the most common type of heart disease in the US. The AI tool was designed to help explain why a patient is at risk of CAD, how to reduce that risk, and how much a patient will benefit from certain actions designed to lower the risk. The researchers combined causal AI with polygenic risk scores for CAD to identify and quantify how blood pressure and LDL levels, two major modifiable heart disease risk factors, can provide guidance on how patients can combat their inherited risk of the disease.
“The breakthrough of causal AI is that it quantifies all of these recommendations and personalizes them so each person can know exactly how much they need to lower their LDL, their blood pressure or both to overcome their inherited risk,” said Dr Brian Ference, Professor and Director of Translational Therapeutics at the 英国剑桥大学 .
New smartwatch to track blood pressure gets closer to FDA approval
#ai #ml #innovation #medicaldevice #monitoring #validation #healthgauge #fda #usa #bloodpressure #heartrate #sleep #steps #distance #bloodoxygen #respiratory #rate #temperature #canada #usa
AI/ML Innovations 's subsidiary, Health Gauge , has completed a blood pressure validation study using its wearable health monitoring solution, The Phoenix. The study, performed by the 加拿大阿尔伯塔大学 's ST Innovations, confirmed Health Gauge's patented AI technology for cuffless blood pressure estimation as accurate and effective, using only electrocardiogram and photoplethysmogram data from the Phoenix watch. The results of the study showed Health Gauge's solution to be at or near the benchmark for regulatory certification as a Medical Device. Health Gauge plans to complete the FDA verification process, which would make the Phoenix the only consumer style wearable approved as a Class 2 medical device for blood pressure. The Phoenix also tracks heart rate, heart rate variability, sleep, steps, distance, calories, blood oxygen, temperature, and respiratory rate, making it a full platform for personal health and monitoring with many medical applications.
Bruce Matichuk , CTO of AI/ML Innovations, and Co-founder of Health Gauge Inc. stated, "This is a significant step forward in the refinement and validation of Health Gauge's solution. The next objective for us is completion of the FDA verification process, which would make Health Gauge's Phoenix the only consumer style wearable approved as a Class 2 medical device for blood pressure, and would afford us many significant B2B and direct-to-consumer opportunities."
RESEARCH
New research finds a simple solution for accurate blood pressure measurements
#measurement #pressure #bloodpressurecontrol #reading #cuff #cuffsize #adjustment #circumference #arm #clinic #clinicalsetting #idaho #usa #sphygmomanometer
New research by Dr Uwe Reischl of Boise State University in Idaho, USA, has found a solution to the long-standing issue of the impact of upper arm circumference and cuff size on blood pressure readings. Using an upper arm simulator, Dr Reischl established a 99% correlation between changes in upper arm circumference, coverage by a sphygmomanometer pressure cuff, and subsequent changes in pressure readings, Boise State News reports. This suggests that healthcare providers could simplify blood pressure measurements in clinical settings by using a single sphygmomanometer pressure cuff for all adult patients and adjusting the readings to the patient's upper arm circumference. This research has important implications for both healthcare providers and patients.
AI-powered study discovers genetic links between blood vessel shape and high blood pressure
Researchers at St. George's University in London, have discovered 119 areas in the genome that help to determine the size and shape of blood vessels at the back of the eye. The study, funded by the Medical Research Council and the British Heart Foundation , found that an increase in twisting of the arteries could cause high blood pressure and heart disease. By studying retinal images from almost 53,000 people enrolled in the UK Biobank , the team used artificial intelligence to distinguish between types of blood vessels and measured blood vessel width and extent, News Medical reports. They then used a genome-wide association study to determine similarities in the DNA of people with similar blood vessel characteristics, identifying 119 sections of the genome linked to retinal blood vessel shape and size characteristics, with 89 regions linked to arterial twisting. The level of twisting was the most strongly genetically determined feature and appeared to cause high diastolic blood pressure and heart disease.
Professor Christopher Owen, Head of Chronic Disease Epidemiology at St George's, University of London, said: “Retinal imaging is already a mainstay in high-street optometrists. Our AI analysis of these images as part of routine eye checks could easily be done as part of a health check to identify those at high risk of developing high blood pressure or heart disease and in need of early intervention.”
TREATMENT
Study finds very wide variations in blood pressure measurements at medical offices
New research from the Yale School of Medicine has found that blood pressure measurements taken in medical offices can vary widely between visits, posing a significant challenge to determine whether hypertension treatment is actually working, AHA News reports. The study, which analyzed more than 7.7 million blood pressure measurements for 537,218 adults, found wide variations in blood pressure measurements between two consecutive visits, averaging about 12 mmHg. The study highlights the need for home monitoring devices to supplement office-based measurements, as readings can be affected by factors such as "white coat" hypertension and human error. Guidelines from the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology recognize the variability in readings and recommend the use of out-of-office monitoring devices, but the use of these devices remains limited.
"These large variations in blood pressure measurements pose a great challenge to determine whether hypertension treatment is actually working," said lead study author Yuan Lu, Assistant Professor at the Yale School of Medicine. "It makes clinical decisions very difficult."
Eye exams may detect high blood pressure early
Regular visits to an optometrist may reveal more than just vision problems, Intelligent Living writes. Eye exams can detect a range of health conditions, including high blood pressure, which is often asymptomatic. By examining blood vessels and connective tissues behind the eyes, ophthalmologists can detect diseases such as cancer, glaucoma, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, and brain abnormalities. Optometrists can also check for fluid accumulation in the eye, blood vessel dysfunction, and inflammation to diagnose high blood pressure. As the eyes and brain share similar circulation systems, changes in the eye’s blood vessels can be an early indicator of potential problems in the brain and other body parts. Eye exams are essential for nurturing better vision and detecting potentially life-changing conditions.
MEDICATION
领英推荐
Similar effectiveness of two hypertension drugs found in preventing heart problems
The Chlorthalidone vs Hydrochlorothiazide for Hypertension – Cardiovascular Events trial has been conducted to compare the effectiveness of thiazide-type diuretics hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) and chlorthalidone (CTD) in treating hypertension. The study found that after a follow-up of 2.4 years, there was no significant difference in the incidence of primary endpoint between the two groups, Consultant360 reports. However, the incidence of hypokalemia and hospitalization for hypokalemia was higher with CTD than HCTZ. The trial has some limitations, including the fact that all included patients were on HCTZ at baseline, and the study was limited to patients older than 65 years of age, who were almost exclusively men. Nevertheless, the results should make clinicians more comfortable in their current prescribing habits favoring HCTZ over CTD until further studies are conducted.
Avoid these allergy medications if you have high blood pressure
#allergy #medication #hearthealth #heartdisease #highbloodpressure #antihistamin #otp #decongestant #houston #texas #usa
Houstonians with high blood pressure or existing heart conditions should exercise caution when purchasing over-the-counter allergy medication, warns Dr Daniel Hermann, an interventional cardiologist at Memorial Hermann Health System in Houston, Texas. Decongestants, which work by constricting the blood vessels in the nose, can exacerbate underlying heart conditions and raise blood pressure, potentially increasing the risk of heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes, Houston Chronicle reports. Antihistamines are generally safer than decongestants for those with heart issues. If in doubt, Hermann advises consulting a doctor or pharmacist before purchasing allergy medication, and recommends bringing a list of prescriptions to the drugstore to determine whether they are safe to take with over-the-counter medication.
Dr Daniel Hermann, an interventional cardiologist at Memorial Hermann says: “There are certain ones that you certainly want to avoid because of the way they work”.
NUTRITION
Women exhibit stronger responses to salt intake than men
#gender #salt #sensitivity #womenshealth #menshealth #menopause #georgia #augusta #usa #vascular #biology
Females of all ages and ethnicities are more salt-sensitive than males, and this propensity increases after menopause, according to researchers at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University . There is growing evidence that healthy blood pressures might differ between the sexes, and that females could benefit from earlier and different interventions to avoid damage to their heart and vasculature, JAGWIRE reports. Work primarily in male humans and animal models feeds the misconception that women are less salt-sensitive. Reducing salt intake can reduce salt sensitivity, and females respond even better than males to this intervention. There are drugs that target aldosterone, which contributes to salt sensitivity, and these may be a good first-line treatment for females.
“The realities are that women and men regulate our blood pressure differently and our blood pressures are different at baseline,” says Eric BELIN de CHANTEMELE , PhD, physiologist in the Vascular Biology Center at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University.
Lower sugar intake could reduce hypertension in days
#sugar #daily #intake #diet #drink #government #recommendation #bloodpressureuk #uk #obesity #children
Britons have a sweet tooth, with adults consuming far too much sugar in their daily diets, according to Blood Pressure UK . Just a can of most sugary drinks contains over 30 grams of sugar, which is more than the government-recommended daily intake of 30g of free sugars. However, cutting back on sugar can have a positive impact on blood pressure, with research showing that blood pressure readings could drop in as little as 10 days after reducing sugar intake. A study in the Obesity journal found that reducing sugar intake to just 10 percent for obese children aged between eight and 18 years had a positive impact on their health, even while allowing starchy or unhealthy foods.
LIFESTYLE
Erratic sleep linked to increased blood pressure in teens with abdominal fat
Adolescents who have irregular sleep patterns and go to bed late during the school week are at risk of developing high blood pressure and visceral abdominal fat, a new study has found. Researchers from 美国宾夕法尼亚州立大学 evaluated sleep patterns, visceral fat, and blood pressure in 303 teenagers aged between 13-18 years old, News Medical reports. The study found that participants who had night-to-night sleep variation of 45 minutes or more had a higher risk of developing high blood pressure and visceral abdominal fat. Additionally, those who fell asleep later on weekdays were also at an increased risk. The findings highlight the importance of regular sleep patterns and adequate sleep duration in promoting cardiovascular health in adolescents.
"These results suggest that keeping a regular sleep pattern may protect adolescents from the cardiovascular consequences of obesity," said Natasha Morales-Ghinaglia, PhD , first author of the study and an American Heart Association predoctoral fellow at the Penn State Hershey Sleep Research and Treatment Center in Hummelstown, Pennsylvania.
Young Americans face rising rates of obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes
#publichealth #hearthealth #heartdisease #disease #burden #healthrisk #obesity #diabetes #highbloodpressure #heartattack #risk #young #adult #boston #usa
A new study warns that young adults in the United States are carrying an increasing burden of heart health risk factors, making it more likely they will suffer a heart attack and stroke as they age. More adults aged 20 to 44 are obese and diabetic than a decade ago and are more likely to have poorly controlled blood pressure, Health Day reports. Young Black and Hispanic adults are more likely to suffer from these risk factors than white young adults. Researchers say that the onset of these risk factors earlier in life is associated with a higher lifetime risk of heart disease and potentially life-threatening cardiovascular conditions, like a heart attack or stroke. These health problems in people so young are likely contributing to declining life expectancy in the United States.
"We're witnessing a smoldering public health crisis," said senior researcher Dr Rishi Wadhera , section head of health policy and equity at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center 's Smith Center for Outcomes Research in Boston.
Understanding how blood pressure and cholesterol are linked to heart health
#cholesterol #highbloodpressure #interview #mustread #common #risk #hearthealth #hypertension #exercise #stressreduction #usa #adult #population
If you are concerned about your heart health, then reading the interview by Health Matters with Dr Samuel Kim, a preventive cardiologist specializing in lipidology, is a must. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , almost half of the adult population in the United States has high blood pressure, and two in five have high cholesterol. Dr Kim warns that these conditions are often silent and can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. In this interview, Dr Kim provides an in-depth explanation of blood pressure and cholesterol, their impact on the heart, and how to manage them. He also advises on lifestyle changes, such as exercise and stress reduction, that can have a significant positive effect on your heart health.
Dr Kim: “Hypertension and high cholesterol are serious, independent risk factors, but they share a common pathway of increasing damage to your heart.”