Heart Health

This news channel includes content on cardiovascular disease prevention, cardiac risk stratification, diagnosis, screening programs, and management of major risk factors that include diabetes, hypertension, diet, life style, cholesterol, obesity, ethnicity and socio-economic disparities.
 

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Diabetes, hypertension cause 64% of end-stage kidney disease cases

The CDC has released a new fact sheet on the burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the U.S., highlighting its relationship to cardiovascular disease and noting that 15 percent of American adults—or 37 million people—have CKD.

FDA speeds approval for generic valsartan amid shortage

The FDA fast-tracked the approval process for a new generic valsartan product (Diovan) amid an ongoing shortage of the blood pressure and heart failure medication.

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Napping tied to 5 mm Hg drop in systolic blood pressure

A napping habit could lower blood pressure to a similar extent as other lifestyle modifications and some drugs, according to research scheduled to be presented March 18 at the American College of Cardiology’s scientific sessions in New Orleans.

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SPRINT analysis: Intensive BP lowering could be harmful for smokers

The SPRINT trial suggested a more aggressive blood pressure-lowering target reduced the rate of cardiovascular events in hypertensive people, but a new secondary analysis of the trial indicates such an approach may actually be harmful for smokers.

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Smartphone app detects diabetes with ‘reasonable discrimination’

A smartphone’s camera and flashlight features can detect changes in blood flow and identify type 2 diabetes with accuracy comparable to traditional, clinic-based risk scores, new research suggests.

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AHA releases new statement on best practices for BP measurement

In its first scientific statement on accurately measuring blood pressure in 14 years, the American Heart Association gave a stronger recommendation for oscillometric devices and updated the evidence surrounding ambulatory and home blood pressure monitoring techniques.

75% of Roux-en-Y patients see remission of diabetes within a year

Three-quarters of patients who are diabetic and undergo Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery experience remission of the disease within a year of their procedure, Reuters reported of a Danish study March 1.

Could going vegan help solve America’s insulin problem?

A literature review out of West Virginia University suggests diabetics or those at risk for diabetes and metabolic syndrome could lower that risk by sticking to a largely plant-based diet.