Some blood pressure medications may reduce Alzheimer's risk

Certain blood pressure medications may reduce the risk of dementia due to Alzheimer's disease, U.S. researchers say. Dr. Sevil Yasar, an assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, found about 3,000 people age 75 and older with normal cognition who used diuretics, angiotensin-1 receptor blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors showed a reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease dementia by at least 50 percent. "Our study was able to replicate previous findings, however, we were also able to show that the beneficial effect of these blood pressure medications are maybe in addition to blood pressure control, and could help clinicians in selecting an anti-hypertensive medication based not only on blood pressure control, but also on additional benefits." In addition, diuretics were associated with 50 percent reduced risk in those in the group with mild cognitive impairment. Beta blockers and calcium channel blockers did not show a link to reduced risk, the scientists said. "Identifying new pharmacological treatments to prevent or delay the onset of AD dementia is critical given the dearth of effective interventions to date," Yasar said

Smart phone strategy: reminder call helps control blood pressure (USA)

Better blood pressure control may be as simple as an automated telephone call. In a study published in the September issue of The Journal of Clinical Hypertension, researchers from Kaiser Permanente Southern California made automated phone calls to hypertensive patients reminding them to visit their doctor's office to have their blood pressure checked. Patients who received the calls controlled their blood pressure significantly better than the control group who received no calls (32.5 percent vs. 23.7 percent). Kaiser Permanente Southern California is a health delivery system that provides care to more than 3.5 million people. "This study provides new information about how an automated telephone message can lead to improved BP [blood pressure] control among patients with hypertension," said the study's lead author, Teresa Harrison, SM, in a press release. "We found that this simple outreach program can improve blood pressure control, especially among patients with multiple chronic conditions."

Swimming lowers older adults' blood pressure

Many older adults like to take a dip a pool, and now a small study suggests it can be good for their blood pressure. Researchers found that among 43 older men and women, those who started swimming a few times a week lowered their systolic blood pressure - the "top" number in a blood pressure reading. On average, the swimmers started the study with a systolic blood pressure of 131 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). Three months later, it was 122 mm Hg. Normal blood pressure is defined as an average reading no higher than 120/80 mm Hg. Readings of 140/90 or higher are considered high blood pressure, and anything in between is considered "pre-hypertension." Swimming is often promoted as a good way for older people to exercise, since it's easy on the joints and it's not likely to cause overheating. And many follow that advice: after walking, swimming is the second-most popular form of exercise among the older set. But there's been little research into the health benefits of swimming - though a number of studies have suggested that it's as safe for older adults as walking and bicycling, said Hirofumi Tanaka, senior researcher on the new study. Published in the American Journal of Cardiology, the research appears to be the first to demonstrate that swimming can improve older adults' blood vessel function and curb their blood pressure

Drinking eight teas a day 'cuts blood pressure and heart disease'

Having a cup of tea has long been the preferred way for the English to relax. But now scientists have found tea really does lower the blood pressure and could prevent heart disease. Drinking eight cups of black leaf tea, such as Earl Grey or English Breakfast, a day "significantly" cuts blood pressure, researchers at the University of Western Australia found. Volunteers with normal to high blood pressure were given three drinks a day containing 429 milligrams of the plant chemicals polyphenols - the equivalent of eight and a half teas a day. A second group were given a tea-flavoured placebo. After six months, the blood pressure of the tea-drinking group had fallen by between two and three mmHg, the measurement of pressure used in medicine. A blood pressure fluctuating with the heartbeat between 112 and 63 mmHg is considered healthy, while a reading fluctuating between 140 and 90 is deemed high. If the experiment was emulated by the general population, the number of people with high blood pressure would be cut by ten per cent and the risk of heart disease would fall by between seven and ten per cent. "Our study has demonstrated for the first time to our knowledge that long-term regular consumption of black tea can result in significantly lower blood pressures in individuals with normal to high-normal range blood pressures," the team, led by Dr Jonathan Hodgson, wrote in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine. Previous studies suggest adding milk to tea does not affect the body's ability to absorb polyphenols. Green tea is widely considered to have numerous health benefits because it is high in antioxidants. It is said to aid weight loss, prevent glaucoma, reduce the risk of cancer and even treat acne.

Blood pressure 'should be measured in both arms' (UK)

Measuring blood pressure in both arms should be routine because the difference between left and right arm could indicate underlying health problems, says a study review. The Lancet research found that a large difference could mean an increased risk of vascular disease and death. Although existing guidelines state that blood pressure should be measured in both arms, it is not often done. But a heart charity said it was too early to judge the findings. The arm with the higher pressure can vary between individuals, but it is the difference between arms that counts, the study suggests. Dr Christopher Clark and colleagues, from the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Exeter, reviewed 28 previous study papers looking at this area. Most people in the study had an elevated blood pressure risk and about one-third had a normal level of risk. The study concluded that a difference in systolic blood pressure of 10 millimetres of mercury (mm Hg) between arms could identify patients at high risk of asymptomatic peripheral vascular disease

Device 'could revolutionise blood pressure monitoring' (UK)

"A device which can be worn like a watch could revolutionise the way blood pressure is monitored in the next few years, scientists say. Researchers at the University of Leicester and in Singapore have developed a device to measure pressure in the largest artery in the body. Evidence shows it gives a much more accurate reading than the arm cuff. The technology is funded by the Department of Health and backed by Health Secretary Andrew Lansley. It works by a sensor in the watch recording the pulse wave of the artery, which is then fed into a computer together with a traditional blood pressure reading from a cuff. Scientists are then able to read the pressure close to the heart, from the aorta" - BBC

Smoking around your kindergartner could raise their blood pressure

If you smoke around your children, they could have high blood pressure or be headed in an unhealthy direction before learning their ABC's, according to research reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. The study is the first to show that breathing tobacco smoke increases the blood pressure of children as young as 4 or 5 years old. "The prevention of adult diseases like stroke or heart attack begins during childhood," said Giacomo D. Simonetti, M.D., first author of the study at the University of Heidelberg in Germany and currently assistant professor of pediatrics at the Children's Hospital of the University of Berne in Switzerland. "Parental smoking is not only negative for children’s lung function, but poses a risk for their future cardiovascular health." In an extension of a standard school health exam, 4,236 kindergarten boys and girls (average age 5.7) in the German district that includes Heidelberg had their blood pressure measured. Of parents reporting they smoked, 28.5 percent were fathers, 20.7 percent mothers and 11.9 percent were both parents

Pfizer pulls hypertension drug Thelin off the markets and ends studies because of liver damage

"Pfizer Inc. has said it is pulling its blood pressure drug Thelin off the market and stopping all clinical trials because the drug can cause fatal liver damage. Thelin is sold in the European Union, Canada, and Australia as an oral treatment for severe pulmonary arterial hypertension, or high blood pressure in the pulmonary artery. Pfizer said two patients who were taking Thelin died during a clinical trial, and a review of data from clinical studies and post-marketing reports showed a new link to liver injury. Liver damage was a known side effect of Thelin and similar drugs, the company said, but the review uncovered a link to liver damage that was not tied to identifiable risk factors. It said the problem was unlikely to be detected by routine monitoring, and in some cases, the problems did not go away after patients stopped taking Thelin. Pfizer said the withdrawal was voluntary and added that it has withdrawn its filing for marketing approval in the U.S."

Florida State study finds watermelon lowers blood pressure (USA)

"No matter how you slice it, watermelon has a lot going for it - sweet, low calorie, high fibre, nutrient rich - and now, there's more. Evidence from a pilot study led by food scientists at The Florida State University suggests that watermelon can be an effective natural weapon against prehypertension, a precursor to cardiovascular disease. It is the first investigation of its kind in humans. FSU Assistant Professor Arturo Figueroa and Professor Bahram H. Arjmandi found that when six grams of the amino acid L-citrulline/L-arginine from watermelon extract was administered daily for six weeks, there was improved arterial function and consequently lowered aortic blood pressure in all nine of their prehypertensive subjects (four men and five postmenopausal women, ages 51-57). 'We are the first to document improved aortic hemodynamics in prehypertensive but otherwise healthy middle-aged men and women receiving therapeutic doses of watermelon,' Figueroa said. 'These findings suggest that this 'functional food' has a vasodilatory effect, and one that may prevent prehypertension from progressing to full-blown hypertension, a major risk factor for heart attacks and strokes" - Science Centric

Expensive new blood pressure meds no better than generics

"Expensive brand-name medications to lower blood pressure are no better at preventing cardiovascular disease than older, generic diuretics, according to new long-term data from a landmark study. Paul Whelton, MB, MD, MSc, reported the results on Aug. 13 at the plenary session of the China Heart Congress and International Heart Forum in Beijing. Whelton is president and CEO of Loyola University Health System and chairman of the Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heat Attack Trial (ALLHAT), which has examined the comparative value of different blood pressure-lowering medications. More than 33,000 patients with high blood pressure were randomly assigned to take either a diuretic (chlorthalidone) or one of two newer drugs, a calcium channel blocker (amlodipine) or an ACE inhibitor (lisinopril)"

Doctors 'cause blood pressure to rise' (UK)

"The 'white-coat' effect - where blood pressure rises during a check by a doctor - is even worse in someone whose level is already high, researchers say. The effect is due to patients becoming stressed by being in a doctor's surgery or a hospital. Writing in the British Medical Journal, an Australian team say giving people a cuff to wear for 24 hours is a better way of checking blood pressure. A UK expert said it showed clearly that external factors affected readings" - BBC

University of Florida researcher urges caution in reducing blood pressure in patients with diabetes, coronary disease

For patients with diabetes and heart disease, less isn't always more - at least when it comes to blood pressure. New data show an increased risk of heart attack, stroke or death for patients having blood pressure deemed too high - or too low, according to Rhonda Cooper-DeHoff, Pharm.D., an associate professor of pharmacy and medicine at UF. She reported her findings today (Sunday, March 14) at the American College of Cardiology's 59th annual scientific session in Atlanta. She recommends raising the systolic bar above 120 for blood pressure in patients with diabetes and coronary artery disease, saying that levels between 130 and 140 appear to be the most healthful. Based on hypertension treatment guidelines, health-care practitioners have assumed that with regard to blood pressure, "the lower, the better," Cooper-DeHoff said. But, The International Verapamil SR-Trandolapril study, known as INVEST, suggests that the range considered normal for healthy Americans may actually be risky for those with a combined diagnosis of diabetes and coronary artery disease. "Our data suggest that in patients with both diabetes and coronary artery disease, there is a blood pressure threshold below which cardiovascular risk increases," Cooper-DeHoff said. - EurekAlert

Blood pressure drug offers fresh hope for dementia (UK)

"Researchers believe a drug used to lower blood pressure could be even more effective against Alzheimer's disease than they previously thought. People taking angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) were up to 50% less likely to develop dementia than those taking other blood pressure drugs. Combined with another drug, ARBs also protected against further deterioration among those already with the disease. The study of more than 800,000 men appears in the British Medical Journal. The team from the Boston University School of Medicine presented initial results from the study two years ago, but further work suggests that ARBs - normally prescribed only to patients who cannot tolerate the more standard ACE inhibitors - confer greater protection than had been thought" - BBC

NIH launches multicenter clinical trial to test blood pressure strategy (USA)

"The National Institutes of Health is launching a large multicenter randomized clinical trial to determine whether maintaining blood pressure levels lower than current recommendations further reduces the risk of cardiovascular and kidney diseases, or age-related cognitive decline. Called the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT), the nine-year, $114 million study will be conducted in more than 80 clinical sites across the United States. Current clinical guidelines recommend systolic pressure (the top number in a blood pressure reading) of less than 140 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) for healthy adults, and 130 mm Hg for adults with kidney disease or diabetes. SPRINT will evaluate the potential benefits of maintaining systolic blood pressure at less than 120 mm Hg for adults who are at risk for heart disease or kidney disease. The study will also assess possible risks of this therapeutic strategy. Study participants will be treated with commonly available blood pressure medications to achieve one of two different levels of blood pressure control - either less than 140 mm Hg (standard group) or less than 120 mm Hg (treatment group). Those in the treatment group will take an average of three to four medications; those in the standard group will take about two medications. SPRINT participants will be seen in clinics every few months at the beginning of the study and less frequently as their blood pressure is controlled. The study will include standard tests for determining the health of the heart, kidneys, and brain. "

Heart drugs 'for all over 55s' (UK)

Everyone aged 55 and over should be taking drugs to lower their blood pressure, even if they don't need them, an expert claims. Most types of drugs to treat blood pressure will cut a person's risk of heart attacks and heart failure by around a quarter and the risk of stroke by about a third regardless of how healthy they are. But some charities fear that people will ignore advice to watch their diet and exercise more in favour of "popping a pill". Professor Malcolm Law, who led the study, said: "Beyond a certain age, we're saying everyone would benefit from taking drugs that lower blood pressure - ITN

Blood pressure control intervention works (Canada)

Canadian researchers say a simple, automated monitoring system helped lower patients' blood pressure. The study, published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, found those in the intervention group showed an average reduction of 11.9 millimeters of mercury in systolic blood pressure and 6.6 mm Hg in diastolic pressure versus the control group's reductions of 7.1 mm Hg systolic and 4.5 mm Hg diastolic. "This system worked as efficaciously as if we had added a new medication on top of the patients' other medications," senior study author Dr. Pavel Hamet of the University of Montreal said in a statement. Hamet said the computer-based system asked patients for their latest blood pressure reading at least weekly and relayed the information to each patient's physician and pharmacist who then intervened if a reading presented a problem. "For example, the system alerted pharmacists when patients had not picked up their prescription refills on time," Hamet says. The study was based on 223 hypertension patients recruited through 21 physicians at eight primary care clinics in Laval, Quebec - redOrbit

Genetic link to blood pressure (UK)

"The discovery of eight new genes gives the first explanation of how blood pressure may be regulated and paves the way for developing new treatments, scientists said. Scientists at Queen Mary, University of London, jointly led an international collaboration which identified eight common genetic variants that have an influence on high blood pressure, which affects at least 18 million people in the UK. About half the patients who are treated do not achieve the recommended targets to fully reverse their risk of stroke and heart attack, the scientists said. Professor Mark Caulfield, who helped lead the study, said: "These findings are exciting because, for the first time, they give us an explanation of how blood pressure may be regulated and how individuals in the population may develop high blood pressure." - Channel 4