$13,500 to cure hypertension - permanently

[Revere]

Is that too much?

Treatment zaps high blood pressure at the source - Yahoo! News

CHICAGO (Reuters) – A device that destroys nerves leading to the kidney safely lowered blood pressure in people with treatment-resistant hypertension, potentially offering a new option for millions of people who struggle to keep their disease in check, researchers said on Wednesday.

The device, made by privately held Ardian Inc of Mountain View, California, lowered the top blood pressure reading by an average of 32 points after six months, compared with no change in patients who took the best available medicines.

The treatment is already approved for use in Europe, and Ardian Chief Executive Andrew Cleeland said the company is in talks with the Food and Drug Administration to structure a late-stage U.S. trial, which could start next year.

Cleeland said the procedure costs 10,000 euros, or about $13,500.

 

[uscitizen]

I would be very concerned about zapping nerves going to my kidneys or the like.
I expect this to have some bad long term effects on at least some people.

I do not believe all hypertension is caused by the kidneys anyway.

and notice approved for treatment resistant pations. A last ditch effort it would seem.

 

[Revere]

Well, yes, but so are procedures for otherwise untreatable seizures.

 

[Crystal015]

i think maybe it is no the truth, i can not believe it

 

[ibnujusup]

any improvement in the hypertension problem is most welcomed, but with a high price like that, not all people can afford it... other giant pharmaceutical company should support this project... make it less expensive to laymen people :-(

 

[waltky]

Granny been usin' sesame oil to cook Uncle Ferd's fried chicken in...

Sesame, rice bran oil cuts blood pressure
WASHINGTON, Sept. 22,`12 (UPI) -- Cooking with a blend of sesame and rice bran oils may reduce blood pressure and improve cholesterol levels, researchers in Japan say.

Dr. Devarajan Sankar, a research scientist in the Department of Cardiovascular Diseaseat Fukuoka University Chikushi Hospital in Chikushino, Japan, said rice bran oil, like sesame oil, is low in saturated fat and appears to improve a patient's cholesterol profile. The study involved 300 equal men and women in New Delhi average age 57 with mild to moderately high blood pressure who were divided into three groups.

One group was treated with the blood pressure lowering medication calcium-channel blocker, or nifedipine. The second group was given 1 ounce of oil blend and told to use it each day in their meals. The third group received the calcium channel blocker and the oil blend. Systolic blood pressure dropped an average of 14 points for those using only the oil blend and 16 points for those taking medication, but those using both oil blend and medication saw a 36-point drop. Diastolic blood pressure -- the bottom number -- also dropped significantly: 11 points for those eating the oil, 12 for those on medication and 24 for those using both.

Those using the oils saw a 26 percent drop in their low-density lipoprotein, the "bad," cholesterol and a 9.5 percent increase in the high-density lipoprotein, the "good" cholesterol. There were no changes in cholesterol for those taking the medication and those taking both had a 27 percent drop in LDL levels and a 10.9 percent increase in the HDL. The findings were presented at the American Heart Association's High Blood Pressure Research Scientific Sessions in Washington.

Read more: Sesame, rice bran oil cuts blood pressure - UPI.com

 

[Noah_raffi]

nopes

 

[waltky]

Now ya can wear a blood pressure monitor on your wrist...

Wrist sensor may be better measure of blood pressure
7 June 2013 > A new device could improve how blood pressure is measured, according to NHS researchers.

A team at University College London showed a sensor worn on the wrist could measure the pressure of blood leaving the heart throughout the day. Normally blood pressure is measured in the arteries in the arm, but the pressure at the heart might be a better predictor of future health problems. If blood pressure is too high it can lead to heart attacks and stroke. About a third of people in the UK have hypertension, dangerously high blood pressure, but most are unaware of the condition.

A team at the NHS National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) trialled the sensor, which contains a mini-plunger that moves up and down as blood pulses past with every heartbeat. A computer programme in the wrist strap used this "pulse wave" to work out the pressure in the heart. This was compared with measures taken from sensors in patients' hearts. "It was remarkably accurate," said Prof Bryan Williams, the director of the NIHR University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre.

Disease predictor

Guidelines in the UK recommend that blood pressure is measured at home over the course of 24 hours before drugs for hypertension are prescribed. Their study, published in the journal Hypertension, showed that the measurements in the arm did not reflect the true changes in blood pressure at night.

All in the wrist: Device monitors fluctuations in blood pressure

Prof Williams said: "What we have shown is that pressures by the heart do not dip as much during sleep as we previously thought. "We know the pressure when someone is asleep is a strong predictor of heart disease. This [the device] almost certainly gives a better measure than blood pressure in the arm. "This is not mainstream, but in the future you could see people having their central blood pressure measured instead of in the arm." Clinical trials will now test whether using the device leads to better diagnoses.

Amy Thompson, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: "It's still early stages for this new measuring device, but advances in technology could lead to better prevention and treatment of high blood pressure in the future. "The only way to know if your blood pressure is high is to have it measured. The easiest way to do this is by visiting your GP surgery. "However, blood pressure fluctuates throughout the day depending on what you're doing, and if it's found to be high you may need to have it tested several times."

BBC News - Wrist sensor may be better measure of blood pressure

 

[Mr. H.]

Proper diet combined with regular exercise doesn't cost an extra penny.

 

[Kooshdakhaa]

This is just for people who can't be treated by any other means. Losing weight, healthy diet and exercise don't work for them. Blood pressure medication doesn't work for them. They are treatment resistant.

Shoot, now I'm going to go take my blood pressure.

.............

Oh, hell, it was high. 149 over 78. I'll wait a few minutes and check it again. Blood pressure fluctuates constantly. I don't usually get readings that high. At least I know I'm not having a heart attack at the moment. : )

Update: Did deep breathing and ate dark chocolate. It was down to 125 over 76 last time I checked. Whew, that's better.

 

[Politico]

What could possibly go wrong?

 

[editec]

Or we could always go back to leaching.

Yeah that works, ya know.

 

[waltky]

Granny says, "Dat's right - it's the lil' things dat'll get ya...

Tiny adrenal tumours 'cause high blood pressure'
Treating tiny benign tumours in the adrenal glands may prevent huge numbers of cases of high blood pressure, say researchers.

The team at the University of Cambridge and Addenbrooke's Hospital think that up to 10% of cases may be caused by the growths. Their study, published in Nature Genetics, said young patients could be freed from a lifetime of medication. The British Heart Foundation said it was an "exciting development". High blood pressure can have fatal consequences as it increases the risk of heart attacks and stroke.

Most cases are caused by lifestyle choices such as smoking and diet. Researchers had already found that large growths in the adrenal glands, which sit on the kidneys and produce hormones, could raise blood pressure. An operation to remove any tumours can reduce blood pressure. Now the researchers in Cambridge have found that much smaller growths, in a different part of the glands, are producing the same effect.

Hormonal

Both increase the amount of aldosterone made in an adrenal gland. Release of this hormone regulates the kidneys to retain more salt in the body, so increasing blood pressure. Around 5% of high blood pressure cases are down to the large growths, but the researchers argue that the discovery of the small tumours means far more people have preventable blood pressure. Prof Morris Brown told the BBC: "We think it could be twice that amount. My guess is around 10%, so it could be as many as one million people [in the UK]."

Living with high blood pressure for too long causes changes in the heart and arteries that mean that operations later in life may not reverse the condition. "We can't go looking for the 50 and 60-years-olds, we've missed the boat. We should go looking for the 30-year-olds," said Prof Brown. Prof Jeremy Pearson, of the British Heart Foundation, said: "It is an exciting development, as this group of patients can be completely cured of high blood pressure once they have been identified, so the quicker they are diagnosed the better."

BBC News - Tiny adrenal tumours 'cause high blood pressure'

 

[waltky]

Granny says is `cause dey get all worked up when somebody says sumpin' dey don't like...

Study: Heavy Internet Use May Cause High Blood Pressure in Teens
October 08, 2015 - Heavy Internet use may lead to high blood pressure among teenagers, according to a new study.

The results showed that teens who spent at least 14 hours a week online were found to be at risk for elevated blood pressure. The study by Henry Ford Hospital looked at a sample of 335 14- to 17-year-olds in the Detroit, Michigan area. Of 134 teens described as “heavy Internet users,” 26 had elevated blood pressure, researchers said.

A man uses a computer at an internet cafe in central Beijing, China​

The researchers also said this was the first study to link heavy web use and high blood pressure. Other research has suggested that heavy Internet use can cause a variety of health problems such as anxiety, depression and obesity. "Using the Internet is part of our daily life but it shouldn't consume us," said the study's lead author, Andrea Cassidy-Bushrow, in a statement. "In our study, teens considered heavy Internet users were on the Internet an average of 25 hours a week.” She added that it was important for teens to take “regular breaks from their computer or smartphones and engage in some kind of physical activity.”

She suggested that parents limit their children's use of the Internet to two hours a day, five days a week. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 70 million, or 29 percent, of American adults have high blood pressure. Just over half of those have taken steps to control it. The CDC estimates high blood pressure costs the United States $46 billion each year. The study was published in the Journal of School Nursing.

Study: Heavy Internet Use May Cause High Blood Pressure in Teens

 

[waltky]

Granny says, "Dat's right - next time ya go to the doctor, have him check yer blood pressure...

Task force: All adults should be screened for high blood pressure
Oct. 13, 2015 - Because the condition affects so many people but also generally comes with no symptoms, new recommendations suggest testing people more often.

Healthy adults should be checked for high blood pressure every three to five years and high risk individuals should be screened every year, according to new guidelines published by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. The task force also recommends patients suspected of having high blood pressure be monitored at home continuously for 12 to 24 hours before doctors diagnose them or prescribe medication. A one-time measurement, members of the task force contend, may be tainted by temporary stress, be it driving, work or simply going to the doctor's office.

High blood pressure affects nearly 30 percent of adults in the United States.​

"There probably are some people who could use a lower dose than they're currently taking because they have lower blood pressures at home than in the office, and their doctor doesn't know about that," Dr. Mark Ebell, of the University of Georgia and a member of the task force, told NBC News. "We think an even bigger concern is under-diagnosis and under-treatment. There are a lot of people out there who have high blood pressure who don't know it or who have high blood pressure and it's not being adequately treated." Blood pressure testing is generally done for people who appear healthy, because the condition does not always cause visible symptoms -- screening is the primary method for discovering the condition. The prevalence of the condition suggests people should be screened more often if they do not have it, and also should be screened more often while being treated.

Hypertension and high blood pressure affected 29.1 percent of adults in the United States between 2011 and 2012. The incidence of the condition increases with age, from 7.3 percent for people between the ages of 18 and 39, to 32.4 percent in people aged 40 to 59, and 65 percent in people older than 60. Researchers on the task force report as many as 30 percent of patient blood pressure readings are higher than their normal pressure because of momentary stress, including that derived from going to the doctor's office. To counter this, the task force recommends patients wear arm cuffs that measure their blood pressure every 20 to 30 minutes in order to get a more realistic picture. The study supporting the recommended guidelines is published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Panel: All adults should be screened for high blood pressure - UPI.com

 

[waltky]

Granny says, "Dat's right - check yer blood pressure...

Hypertension-related ER visits rise 20 percent since 2006
Dec. 21, 2015 | About a quarter of all emergency room visits during the last decade involved patients with hypertension.

The rate of hypertension-related visits to the emergency room has gone up more than 20 percent in the last decade, according to a new study. Researchers at Vanderbilt University found the number of hypertension patients going to emergency rooms also has increased in that time, they reported, saying the role of the emergency department in managing chronic disease is not understood. Younger patients and patients without insurance were more likely to go to the hospital though, they said. The findings, they said, highlight hypertension-related issues and may also bring to light issues patients have with managing their condition.

Roughly 1 in 3 Americans have hypertension, according to the CDC.​

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, effects roughly 1 in 3 Americans, but just a little over half have their condition under control, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "The study highlights how common hypertension is, and that it's becoming an even bigger problem affecting a large number of patients who seek care in the emergency department," Dr. Candace McNaughton, an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Vanderbilt University, said in a press release. "It speaks to the greater overall importance of hypertension and that lifestyle factors such as taking medication as prescribed, quitting smoking, exercising and eating less salt are all really important."

The researchers identified 6.4 million emergency room visits for hypertension-related reasons recorded as part of the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample between 2006 and 2012, finding hypertension-related visits had increased by 20 percent since 2006. Hypertension-related visits to the emergency room represented 23.6 percent of all ER visits during the time of the study. "The role of the emergency department in the management of chronic disease is still poorly understood, with hypertension as an opportunity to show how we can safely use the emergency department to manage patients with these conditions," McNaughton said. The study is published in the American Journal of Cardiology.

Hypertension-related ER visits rise 20 percent since 2006

 

[waltky]

Team approach helps patients control hypertension...

Team approach helps patients control blood pressure
Feb. 9, 2016 - Doctors, nurses, and pharmacists working together make it easier for patients to follow treatment guidelines.

A team-based approach to maintaining blood control treatment helped improve patient management of high blood pressure in a recent study with low-income and minority patients. Researchers at the University of Rochester found helping physicians, pharmacists and nurses work together to limit barriers of entry for patients helped hypertensive patients at a practice in New York to better control their blood pressure. Among assistance offered to patients were pill boxes to encourage proper drug regimens, automatic pharmacy refills, transportation to and from appointments, assistance with health insurance, and follow-ups for blood pressure checks and medication.

Increasing interaction between medical personnel, researchers reported, helped minimize roadblocks to treatment that patients often are unable to fix on their own. "Prior studies have demonstrated the benefits of multidisciplinary teams in highly controlled settings, but our study demonstrates that these benefits translate to real-world primary care settings," said Dr. Robert Fortuna, an assistant professor at the University of Rochester Medical Center, in a press release.

For the study, published in the Journal of the American Society of Hypertension, researchers set up an integrated system of care at the University of Rochester Medicine Primary Care Culver Medical Group, analyzing 1,007 surveys and data on 13,404 patient visits collected between 2010 and 2014.

The researchers report blood pressure control rates increased from 51 percent to 67.4 percent of patients, and the number of patients with stage 2 hypertension decreased from 11 percent of hypertensive patients to 6 percent. "Health care providers are accustomed to working with patients one-on-one, but it is hard to address a patient's needs in a 15 minute clinic visit," Rocco said. "Working together, a team of providers can cover a wide range of issues and minimize roadblocks to treatment."

Team approach helps patients control blood pressure

 

[waltky]

Myocardial infarction link to hypertension, hard labor...

Hypertension and hard labor may boost MI risk
12 Mar.`16 - Women with hypertension and physically demanding jobs are much more likely to suffer myocardial infarction than peers who are less active at work and have normal blood pressure, a recent study suggests.

Among thousands of nurses, hypertension and lots of lifting, carrying, standing and walking were linked to almost triple the odds of MI, compared with more sedentary labor, the Danish analysis found. “Physically demanding work may be associated with an elevated heart rate and blood pressure,” said lead study author Karen Allesoe of the University of Southern Denmark in Odense. Over time, a high heart rate many hours a day may cause plaques to form in the arteries, Allesoe said by email. Hypertension has also been tied to such plaques, she added. Her team thinks these links might help explain why some women ended up at higher risk for MI.

To explore the interplay between physical labor, high blood pressure and heart attack risk, Allesoe and colleagues reviewed data on more than 12,000 female nurses who participated in the Danish Nurse Cohort Study starting in 1993. Data were collected using a questionnaire, with participants rating their exertion levels as low, moderate or high. During 15 years of follow up, 580 nurses developed ischemic heart disease. Roughly 12% of the nurses reported having hypertension. About 47% of nurses reported high activity levels at work, 34% described their exertion level as moderate and 19% said they were generally sedentary. Nurses with normal blood pressure and high physical activity had a small increased risk of heart disease, but this wasn’t statistically meaningful after adjusting for other risk factors like diabetes and smoking.

These women had about five additional cases of heart disease per 10,000 people per year than would have happened if they didn’t have physically demanding jobs, the researchers calculated. With hypertension, women had about 15 additional cases of heart disease per 10,000 people per year. Combining hypertension with hard labor, however, was associated with 60 extra cases of heart disease per 10,000 people per year, researchers reported February 14 in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. One shortcoming of the study is its focus on only one profession in one country, the authors note. Because the analysis also relied on women to remember and report their activity and hypertension, it’s possible they provided incorrect information.

It’s also possible that whether women with hypertension took medication, and their lifestyles outside of working hours, could have influenced the results, said Lea Ann Matura, a researcher at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing in Philadelphia who wasn’t involved in the study. “Someone with uncontrolled hypertension may be at higher risk for ischemic heart disease due to physical activity,” Matura added by email. “We need to think about not only the work environment, but also the person’s personal life,” Matura said. “If someone has uncontrolled hypertension and they are lifting heavy loads at home then they could be at risk, similar to the study’s findings.”

Hypertension and hard labor may boost MI risk

 

[waltky]

Air Pollution Increases Hypertension...

Study Finds Air Pollution Increases Hypertension
October 24, 2016 | WASHINGTON — People who live in areas with polluted air increase their risk for developing hypertension, a leading risk factor for the development of heart disease. Known as high blood pressure, the hypertension study is the largest of its kind to establish the deadly link.

A recent study looked at hypertension in 41,000 people in five different countries – Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany and Spain – for five to eight years. It is part of the long-term “Europe Study of Cohorts for Air Pollution Effects,” known as ESCAPE, which focuses on health problems associated with pollution. At the hypertension study, beginning in 2008, none of the participants reported having high blood pressure or taking medicine to control it. By 2011, 6,200 people reported having developed hypertension and started taking blood-pressure lowering drugs. Most lived in urban areas where air pollution is highest.

A migrant worker steps out of his living quarters in an area next to a coal power plant in Beijing.​

Air pollution is measured in micrograms of particulate matter per cubic meter. The researchers found that for every five micrograms per cubic meter of particulate matter, hypertension increased by one-fifth or 22 percent in people living in the most polluted areas. Epidemiologist Barbara Hoffmann, who works for the Center for Health and Society at Heinrich-Heine University in Germany and led the study, says many of these cases of high blood pressure could be prevented. “So this is a very important result if you can see that something that you can actually change. I mean we can actually reduce air pollution, can have such an influence on such an important health outcome,” said Hoffman. The findings were published in the European Heart Journal.

Hoffmann says researchers will now study areas of where pollution is low, looking at the health effects of cleaner air. “But this is of course important in terms of regulation because you would like to regulate the air pollution down to a level where you do not see any (health) effects anymore. So, therefore it is really important to look at areas of low exposure and see how far down can you go until you do not see any effects anymore,” said Hoffman. It is believed that air pollution leads to health problems by causing lung inflammation that spreads throughout the body, eventually leading to blood vessel and heart damage.

Study Finds Air Pollution Increases Hypertension

See also:

Diesel Cars Blamed as WHO Warns About Air Pollution
October 10, 2016 — The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that 92 percent of the world’s population lives in areas of high air pollution. Many cities in Europe have pledged to phase out diesel cars - and there’s hope that sales of electric vehicles could take over as battery life improves.

The British capital is one of the most heavily polluted cities in Europe — with levels of toxic gases regularly exceeding European Union limits. Pedestrians often don’t realize how close they are to sources of ‘raw pollution’, says Martin Williams of Kings College London. “One of the difficulties of getting the message across to the public at large these days is that air pollution, although it’s a major public health problem, is actually invisible. Not like the smogs of the 1950s and 60s when not only could you see it, you could barely see anything else,” said Williams.

So what exactly are we inhaling on traffic-clogged streets? “The main problem that you are breathing in are the particulates, the soot largely from diesel exhausts, which is the primary problem as far as public health is concerned. And that’s responsible for maybe up to around 30,000 premature deaths across Britain," said Williams. "The other pollutant that’s more recently become an issue is nitrogen dioxide, again largely from diesel.”

Diesel cars are seen as the main culprit of urban air pollution. German carmaker Volkswagen’s attempt to fix emissions tests — known as ‘diesel-gate’ — has sharpened the focus on phasing out diesel engines, says Areeba Hamid of environmental campaign group Greenpeace. “It’s quite clear that the car industry is feeling the pressure of a public health crisis owing to air pollution in big cities in particular — and the aftermath of the ‘diesel-gate’ scandal. Which is the reason why it’s looking to produce new electric models,” said Hamid.

At last month’s annual Paris Motor Show, electric cars dominated the stands. Volkswagen has announced it aims to sell 2 to 3 million electric vehicles a year by 2025. Experts say electric cars could offer the solution to urban air pollution — with the proviso that the electricity is generated using renewable energy.

Diesel Cars Blamed as WHO Warns About Air Pollution

 

[waltky]

Granny always pushin' fruits an' veggies on possum an' Uncle Ferd ...

Study: Fruits and Vegetables Can Lower Blood Pressure
April 06, 2017 - There’s another reason to eat your fruits and vegetables. It could lower your blood pressure, according to new research.

Researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California have found potassium-rich vegetables like sweet potatoes, avocados, spinach, beans and bananas could help lower blood pressure. "Decreasing sodium intake is a well-established way to lower blood pressure," said professor Alicia McDonough. “But evidence suggests that increasing dietary potassium may have an equally important effect on hypertension."

To reach her conclusions, McDonough reviewed studies that looked at the link between potassium and sodium, which has been known to cause hypertension. She found that people who had more potassium tended to have lower blood pressure regardless of sodium consumption. Her research indicated that the body does a “balancing act” using sodium to control potassium levels in the blood. Potassium is important for normal muscle and nerve function. "When dietary potassium is high, kidneys excrete more salt and water, which increases potassium excretion," McDonough said. "Eating a high potassium diet is like taking a diuretic."

A new study suggests the potassium found in many fruits and vegetables can help lower blood pressure.​

She said that as humans evolved, they ate a diet rich in potassium, but low in sodium, leading us to crave sodium, not potassium. "If you eat a typical Western diet, your sodium intake is high and your potassium intake is low. This significantly increases your chances of developing high blood pressure," she said.

According to a 2004 study by the Institute of Medicine, adults should eat about 4.7 grams of potassium a day to lower blood pressure. Eating about 60 grams of beans would account for 50 percent of that, McDonough said. According to the World Health Organization, more than one billion people suffer from high blood pressure. High blood pressure accounts for 51 percent of global stroke deaths and 45 percent of deaths due to heart disease. McDonough’s study appeared in the April 2017 issue of the American Journal of Physiology - Endocrinology and Metabolism.

Study: Fruits and Vegetables Can Lower Blood Pressure