Disrupting certain nerves in the kidneys can safely and effectively lower blood pressure in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and hypertension, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN). The findings indicate that the procedure might improve CKD patients' heart health...

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High blood pressure was listed as a primary or contributing cause of death for approximately 336,000 Americans in 2007. If all patients with high blood pressure were treated to goal as outlined in current clinical guidelines, it is estimated that 46,000 deaths might be averted each year...

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A large cohort study has found that the strongest risk factors for atrial fibrillation in both men and women were a history of palpitations and hypertension. While hypertension is a well known risk factor for AF, the investigators note that "the impact of self-reported palpitations on later occurrence of AF has not been documented earlier"...

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Reinvigorating the 1967 Folsom Report's 'Communities of Solution' to Address Today's Fragmented U.S. Health Care System In the wake of federal efforts to reform the U.S. health care system, a group of rising family medicine leaders call for a reinvigoration of community-centered health systems, as originally outlined in the landmark 1967 Folsom Report...

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If your parents have a history of high blood pressure, you can significantly reduce your risk of developing the disease with moderate exercise and increased cardiovascular fitness, according to new research in the American Heart Association's journal Hypertension...

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A new study has found that, contrary to current thinking, taking beta blockers that treat high blood pressure does not decrease a person's risk of developing colorectal cancer. Published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study also revealed that even long-term use or subtypes of beta blockers showed no reduction of colorectal cancer risk...

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There are discrepancies between the recommendations for the management of cardiovascular risk factors and their implementation in clinical practice. In the latest issue of Deutsches Arzteblatt International, Christof Prugger and his fellow authors present the results of the EUROASPIRE I, II and III surveys in the Munster region of Germany (Dtsch Arztebl Int 2012; 109(17): 303)...

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Patients receiving telemonitoring along with high blood pressure management support from a pharmacist were more likely to lower their blood pressure than those not receiving extra support, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Quality of Care and Outcomes Research Scientific Sessions 2012...

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A traditional treatment for heart failure appears to be equally protective in preventing death or hospitalization among African-American patients, as compared to white patients, according to a study at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) are standard heart failure treatments...

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VASCULAR BIOLOGY Genetic variation contributes to high blood pressure High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a pervasive problem that increases risk for a number of diseases including stroke, heart attack, peripheral arterial disease and chronic kidney disease. Many molecular pathways contribute to the development of hypertension, including nitric oxide signaling...

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