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A new analysis of BARBER-1 suggests that physician inertia might be the reason African-American men failed to reduce their blood pressure lower than hoped.
Earlier this week, the Institute of Medicine stirred up controversy when it stated the data are insufficient to recommend lowering sodium levels beyond 2300 mg per day. The AHA came out against the IOM report, but hypertension experts heartwire spoke with say the recommendations are right on the money.
Citing a lack of evidence linking lower sodium targets to a reduction in hard events, the IOM concludes that while Americans are consuming more sodium than required for health, the low limits set for certain high-risk groups are not supported by current evidence. The AHA respectfully disagrees.
The data suggest that owning a dog increases physical activity, but there are also good data on pets decreasing mental stress and decreasing blood pressure, according to the American Heart Association.
A new study published today showed that while the sodium content of processed foods declined from 2005 to 2011, the overall reduction was just 3.5%. Restaurants, on the other hand, fared even worse, with researchers reporting that sodium levels actually increased by 2.6% over the same six-year period.
One of the Lancet papers reviews the successes, failures, and ongoing challenges in beating back the "global tobacco epidemic," including a report from FDA scientists touting the impact of the 2009 Tobacco Control Act in the US.
Current eligibility criteria for gastric bypass and other bariatric surgeries mean it isn't offered to many patients for whom it might provide remission from diabetes, say researchers presenting at the PDMS sessions.
The ESC says that catheter-based renal denervation can be considered a therapeutic option in patients with drug-resistant hypertension who cannot get to goal with a combination of lifestyle and pharmacologic therapy.
Salaries for US cardiologists climbed in 2012, making them the second-highest paid specialty, according to the 2013 Medscape Physician Compensation Report. Some intriguing new numbers suggest changes to healthcare delivery in the US may be influencing income.
Experience at a single busy center over a recent four-year period suggested one-fourth of patients are cured of diabetes. But there are limitations on the definition of "cure," and that's only one way diabetes-management-response terminology isn't straightforward.
A new "snapshot" of how the US is faring in terms of risk-factor control and preventive practices for patients with type 1 and 2 diabetes shows there is much room for improvement.
Individuals with a history of binge drinking, an average of four years drinking to excess six times per month, had reduced flow-mediated dilation and flow-independent nitroglycerin-mediated dilation, as well as impairments in microvascular arterial beds.
Overall ischemic stroke rates have declined sharply in Sweden over the past 25 years, as have overall mortality rates after a first stroke. But some troubling trends among young Swedes are cause for alarm.
Cardiovascular disease is declining across Europe, but researchers have ambitious plans that could cut CV deaths much further—if only policymakers acted upon the science.
The small, proof-of-principle study suggests that the blood-pressure-lowering effects of dietary nitrates—already documented in normotensives—are also seen in subjects with established hypertension, but with a much lower dose of biologically inert nitrite.
An EU regulatory committee has recommended restricting the use of the osteoporosis drug strontium ranelate to reduce the risk for adverse cardiovascular events in postmenopausal women.
Exercise isn't the only heart-healthy alternative to being sedentary; simply standing up more frequently can benefit those who can't be very active, suggest Women's Health Initiative data.
From 2005 to 2009 the overall age-adjusted prevalence of self-reported hypertension increased from 25.8% to 28.3%. Nearly every state experienced an increase in the prevalence of hypertension, with absolute percentage-point increases from as small as 0.2% in Virginia to as large as 7.0% in Kentucky.
Almost 40% of patients surveyed in the waiting rooms of two primary-practice clinics said they were taking aspirin regularly, mostly for prevention of CV events. Most were taking it for primary prevention.
A taste for salt, acquired as a toddler, may be putting young Americans at risk for later hypertension. The first study to review salt content in commercial foods for babies and toddlers identified prepared meals and salty snacks for toddlers as the main culprits.