hypertension tagged posts

Hypertension was associated with exposure to some air pollutants commonly associated with the burning/combustion of fossil fuels, dust and dirt, a new study shows. Researchers suggest people – especially those with high blood pressure – limit their time outdoors when pollution levels are high. “In our analysis of 17 previously-published studies we discovered a significant risk of developing high blood pressure due to exposure to air pollution,” said Tao Liu, Ph.D. “People should limit their exposure on days with higher air pollution levels, especially for those with high blood pressure, even very short-term exposure can aggravate their conditions.”

They performed a meta-analysis of available published studies in the world assessing health effects of all air pollution on HT risk...

Risks associated with low-sodium intake — less than three grams per day — are consistent regardless of a patient’s hypertension status. Credit: © Sebastian Studio / Fotolia

Salt reduction only important in some people with high blood pressure. A large worldwide study has found that, contrary to popular thought, low-salt diets may not be beneficial and may actually increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and death compared to average salt consumption. The only people who need to worry about reducing sodium in their diet are those with hypertension and have high salt consumption.

The study, involving more than 130,000 people from 49 countries, was led by investigators of the Population Health Research Institute (PHRI) of McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences...

Raymond C. Harris, M.D., left, Ming-Zhi Zhang, M.D., M.Sc., and colleagues are investigating why COX-2 inhibitors cause heart problems in some patients. Credit: Photo by John Russell

It’s been about a decade since the promise of COX-2 inhibitors – drugs that relieve arthritis pain and inflammation without the gastrointestinal side effects of other painkillers – was tempered by the realization that they could cause heart problems in some patients. Now a team of Vanderbilt University Medical Center scientists are closer to understanding why. They have found that production of prostaglandins by macrophages may play a role, especially in the kidney and the skin. Their findings could lead to development of a new, better-targeted class of drugs that relieve pain without causing vascular effects.