Two of the top five most selling drugs treat hypertension: Blood Pressure Digest #10
RESEARCH
Elevated blood pressure in teens can cause early heart damage
Elevated blood pressure and hypertension can lead to early cardiac damage in adolescents, which worsens in young adulthood, according to a study published in the The Journal of Pediatrics . The research, conducted by the 英国布里斯托大学 and the University of Eastern Finland , found that signs of heart structure damage and heart function damage were observed in both males and females, with specific characteristics of damage noted in each gender, The Hippocratic Post reports. The study followed 1,856 adolescents, with high blood pressure and hypertension causing premature heart damage in both males and females. The findings suggest that blood pressure screening should begin in adolescence to prevent hypertension-related emergencies in adulthood.
“There should be a push for legislative changes that enforce blood pressure screening in adolescents, because this may significantly lower hypertension-related emergencies in adulthood,” says Andrew Agbaje , a physician and clinical epidemiologist at the University of Eastern Finland.
High blood pressure significantly increases the risk of stroke
Scientists suggest that elevated blood pressure may significantly increase the risk of stroke, according to a study published in JAHA — Journal of the American Heart Association . The research analyzed data from over 760,000 participants across 43 studies, including individuals from North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. The study found that the risk of stroke increased by 78% for every 20 mmHg increase in systolic blood pressure and by 52% for every 10 mmHg increase in diastolic blood pressure. The study also suggests that maintaining a healthy blood pressure can significantly reduce the risk of stroke. The researchers found that each 10 mmHg decrease in systolic blood pressure reduced the risk of stroke by 27%, while a 5 mmHg decrease in diastolic blood pressure was associated with a 13% lower risk of stroke.
The study's lead author, Dr Abhijit Sen, stated that "our findings emphasize the importance of early detection and management of high blood pressure to prevent stroke and other cardiovascular diseases."
Undiagnosed hypertension in cats can cause devastating effects on their vital organs
#cat #pet #systemic #hypertension #primary #secondary #situational #cause #anxiety #pain #excitement
Systemic hypertension is a common problem in cats that often goes undiagnosed, leading to devastating effects on vital organs, DMV360’s expert, Ashlie Saffire, DVM, Diplomate ABVP (Feline Practice) . The causes of hypertension in cats can be primary, secondary, or situational. Regular screening is recommended for cats over the age of 7 to detect this condition. Situational hypertension can be caused by anxiety, pain, or excitement and can be reduced by using a feline-friendly handling technique. If hypertension is confirmed, it is important to determine if it is secondary or idiopathic. Diagnostic tests should be carried out to screen for common causes such as renal insufficiency, hyperthyroidism, diabetes, and cardiomyopathy. Target organ damage is an emergency and should be treated without delay.
TREATMENT
New fluorescent assay detects genetic variants of hypertension for personalized treatment
#genetics #fluorescent #assay #detection #genetic #variants #personalised #presicion #medicine #china
A recent study published in Science Translational Medicine reports that a simple fluorescent assay can identify genetic variants associated with hypertension and create individualized treatments to improve blood pressure control, Inside Precision Medicine reports. The assay can detect two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with hypertension in a single reaction using conjugated polymers. Results from the precision treatment group show significantly better blood pressure control compared to the conventional group at 94% versus 54% over a week, respectively. This new system could maximize the efficacy of antihypertensive medication and reduce uncontrolled hypertension rates, especially in resource-limited settings. Dr Qi Shen, from the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, and colleagues note that the genetic detection system requires only 1 to 2 ml of blood from the patient and provides the results within five to six hours.
They suggest: “This polychromatic fluorescent detection system may be useful for identifying risk alleles in patients with hypertension to guide optimal antihypertensive medication selection and dosing.”
MEDICATION
Two of the top five drugs treat hypertension
#drug #prescription #top #hypertension #lisinopril #amlodipine #lipitor #statin #cholesterol #cvd #cardiovascular #disease
Two of the top five most prescribed drugs in America are for hypertension, according to data from IQVIA Institute for Human Data Science , NewsBreak reports. Lisinopril and amlodipine, ranked second and fifth respectively, are used to treat blood pressure. Lisinopril is also used for heart failure while Amlodipine treats chest pain. The most prescribed drug in America is lipitor, a statin used to treat high cholesterol, which is also commonly used to minimize the risk of cardiovascular disease. While medication can be effective, lifestyle changes like exercise, weight loss, and healthy eating can also help reduce the risk of heart disease.
Drug used to treat diabetes found to help reduce blood pressure
A new joint study by the Tulane University School of Medicine and 礼来 , published in Cardiovascular Diabetology has found that dulaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist used to treat type 2 diabetes, can help reduce blood pressure in patients. The study, which involved five randomized, placebo-controlled trials, investigated the weight-dependent and weight-independent effects of six months of dulaglutide treatment on systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and pulse pressure. The results showed that dulaglutide 1.5 mg reduced systolic and pulse pressure, with up to one-third of the effect due to weight reduction. However, the majority of the effect was independent of weight. The findings could pave the way for new approaches to treating hypertension in people with type 2 diabetes.
NUTRITION
We have a huge salt problem, WHO warns
A report by the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that seven million people could die from diseases related to excessive salt consumption before the end of the decade unless governments act immediately to introduce tighter restrictions on salt, The Washington Post reports. The WHO is calling on governments to set stricter sodium targets for food, clearly label salt content on packaging, and increase public awareness of the health risks associated with consuming too much salt. Governments could save many lives by introducing mandatory limits on the amount of salt the food industry is permitted to add to processed foods.
领英推荐
“Excessive sodium intake is the top risk factor for an unhealthy diet, and it is responsible for 1.8 million deaths each year,” said Francesco Branca , director of the WHO’s Department of Nutrition for Health and Development.
Diet advice for blood pressure control goes beyond sodium restriction
#ckd #renal #diet #sodium #salt #potassium #magnesium #stress #stressmanagement #chronic #kidney #disease #usa
Registered renal dietitian Lindsey Zirker, MS, RD, LD who works with the Kidney Nutrition Institute in Florida, recommends a more holistic approach to managing hypertension in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, Renal & Urology News reports. In addition to sodium restriction, Zirker suggests including potassium and magnesium in the diet to support healthy blood pressure levels. Studies have shown that higher potassium diets improve blood pressure in those with CKD, while magnesium has been found to be a synergistic mineral that increases the effectiveness of antihypertensive medications. Zirker also stresses the importance of stress management, as stress has been shown to negatively impact kidney health and healthy blood pressure management. These recommendations provide a well-rounded plan for achieving adequate blood pressure control in CKD patients.
Lindsey Zirker, MS, RD, CSR writes: “Because hypertension can occur through multiple biochemical pathways, providers must be adroit in using various and sometimes multiple medications to ensure blood pressure is well managed”.
Tart cherry juice: now we know why it lowers blood pressure
Tart cherry juice may have a new health benefit to add to its already impressive resume, according to recent and prior studies. Health Digest reports that the sour drink has been found to help lower blood pressure in hypertensive individuals in prior studies. In a 2016 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, hypertensive men who drank tart cherry juice experienced a reduction in systolic blood pressure within three hours. A 2018 study published in Food & Function showed similar results in hypertensive men and women over a 12-week period. The secret to tart cherry juice's blood pressure-lowering power could be polyphenols, which are present in many fruits and berries. However, tart cherry supplements should be used with caution. They can have side effects such as nervousness, constipation, and diarrhea, and may interact with certain medications. Those with kidney problems, especially those on dialysis, should avoid tart cherry supplements entirely. Before adding tart cherry supplements to your diet, it's important to speak with a doctor to determine if they're right for you.
LIFESTYLE
AMA explains its recommendations for blood pressure management
#ama #recommendations #bloodpressuremanagement #homemonitor #bloodpressuremonitor #processed #food #reameat #sugar #sweetener #beverage #alcohol #physical #activity #overweight #weight #moderate #intensity #exercise
American Medical Association (AMA) President, Jack Resneck, Jr, MD , explains the AMA recommendations for blood pressure management in the report by PRIDE Newsdesk. The AMA advises patients to know their numbers, monitor blood pressure regularly using at-home monitors, and reduce their intake of processed foods, red meat, and sugar-sweetened beverages. The organization also recommends drinking alcohol only in moderation and being more physically active, with at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week. Lastly, maintaining a healthy weight is also advised, with patients who are overweight advised to lose 5 to 10 pounds to help lower their blood pressure. Consult your doctor about safe ways to maintain a healthy weight.
“I urge you to know your numbers and make the simple lifestyle changes that can help you control your blood pressure and live a long and healthy life,” says Jack Resneck Jr, AMA President
Cardiologist on ways to lower blood pressure without medications
Dr Beth Abramson, a cardiologist and co-chair of the American College of Cardiology Hypertension Working Group, gave an interview to Business Insider , published under the title ‘5 simple ways to lower your blood pressure without medication, according to a cardiologist’. In the interview, she has urged people to get their blood pressure checked at least once a year by visiting their healthcare provider. She emphasized that high blood pressure levels can be lowered without medication. According to her, exercise and activity can lower blood pressure better than many of the evidence-based medications. Dr Abramson recommended exercising for 30 minutes three times a week, including a warm-up and cool-down, which will reduce blood pressure over the course of several months. She also suggested losing weight, reducing alcohol intake, and cutting down salt intake as effective ways to reduce hypertension. Dr Abramson urged people to talk to their healthcare provider to assess if they're drinking too much and to choose activities they enjoy the most that can be slotted into their weekly routine.
"Despite what people think, they can't feel their blood pressure and so it's a silent killer," said Dr Beth Abramson, cardiologist and co-chair of the American College of Cardiology Hypertension Working Group.
The most efficient exercise to lower blood pressure identified
Food and lifestyles scientist Mina Dean spoke to PsyBlog.nl about the most effective exercise for lowering blood pressure, based on a recent study. The research found that a combination of endurance exercise and strength training was the best type of exercise for lowering systolic blood pressure, the highest number in a blood pressure reading. The study compared 194 medication trials with 197 exercise intervention trials and found that exercise lowered blood pressure as much as most drugs. People with higher blood pressure were seen to benefit more from exercise. Dr Huseyin Naci, the lead author of the study, emphasized the importance of ensuring that patients referred to exercise interventions can adhere to them and derive benefit. More than 40% of adults in the US and many European countries are physically inactive, and up to half American adults suffer from high blood pressure.
“Start with doing 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity including gardening, dancing, walking briskly, mowing the lawn, playing tennis (doubles) throughout the week”, Mina Dean (BSc Human Nutrition, MSc Food Science), writes.
INTERVIEW
Recently, I reported on a study conducted by 美国宾夕法尼亚州立大学 researchers that found a link between erratic sleep patterns in teens and hypertension. Dr Natasha Morales-Ghinaglia, PhD , the first author of the study and an American Heart Association predoctoral fellow at the Penn State Hershey Sleep Research and Treatment Center in Pennsylvania, has kindly agreed to answer my questions. In our interview, she elaborated on the study's methodology, explained its results, and provided advice for teenagers and their parents:
Firstly, could you explain the significance of your findings on the impact of night-to-night sleep variation and late bedtimes on adolescents' risk of developing high blood pressure? What new findings have been proven by this study?
Circadian misalignment in adolescence, understood as having a delayed sleep pattern on schooldays or a highly irregular sleep-wake cycle through the week, contributes to the association between obesity, particularly visceral obesity, with elevated blood pressure. The role found for circadian misalignment is independent of how many hours of sleep adolescent get, which is a known risk factor for obesity-related cardiovascular morbidity.
Could you describe the study's methodology and how you collected data on sleep patterns, visceral fat, and blood pressure in the participants?
Their sleep patterns were measured at home for 7 days immediately following their visit to our sleep lab. Participants were instructed to wear an actigraph, which is a wristwatch-like sleep monitoring device. This device allowed us to track sleep duration, sleep variability (the variability in total sleep time), sleep midpoint (the midpoint between sleep and wake-up time), and sleep regularity (the deviations in sleep midpoint). To measure visceral adiposity, which is the deep fat that surrounds our abdominal organs, we used a dual-energy, X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan during the sleep lab visit. Lastly, we measured seated blood pressure with a blood pressure monitor 3 times at 5-minute intervals, with the last 2 readings averaged.
How could healthcare providers, educators, and parents help promote regular sleep patterns among adolescents?
Adolescents with obesity should be screened for circadian misalignment, as they may carry a more adverse cardiovascular prognosis. Clinical evaluations of the sleep-wake pattern should account for adolescents’ different life scenarios, such as during the school year when they have to obey to school-start times and extracurricular obligations or while on break when they more freely can follow their endogenous or preferred timing of sleep. Taking these scenarios into account helps clinicians uncover distinct forms of circadian misalignment, such as pure delayed sleep phase, high sleep irregularity and social jetlag. One important consideration at a public health level is changing middle and high school start times to improve school attendance, academic performance and emotional functioning, as having misalignment between sleep patterns and school schedules may mean more obesity and more heart disease among adolescents.
What would be your practical advice to teens with sleep issues?
My advice would be to educate teens and their parents on how important it is to have regular sleep. They don’t need an early bedtime like younger children, but it’s important to get more regular sleep for the benefit of their heart and mental health.