Recent Longevity News for the seven days ending 6/5/13.  You should consult your doctor if you are taking any medications.

Zinc Protects Against Diabetes-Induced Changes in the Aorta - Medscape, 6/4/13 - "These results suggest that zinc supplementation provides a significant protection against diabetes-induced pathogenic changes in the aorta without gender difference in the type 1 diabetic mouse model. The aortic protection by zinc against diabetes-induced pathogenic changes is associated with the up-regulation of both MT and Nrf2 expression" - See Jarrow Zinc Balance at Amazon.com.

How did stevia get mainstream? - BBC News, 6/3/13 - "A naturally-sourced sugar substitute called stevia apparently has no calories, no carbohydrates, and does not raise blood sugar levels ... The concentrated extracts are about 300 times as sweet as sugar ... We don't know how the body responds to being primed for an influx of sugar that it never receives ... It may be that it fools your brain into thinking that it needs to release more insulin ... Using my own undistinguished palette, I was unable to taste the difference in a stevia-sweetened bar of chocolate. But an informal office taste test suggested that there is still a notable difference to some, which may be enough to put off consumers" - See stevia products at iHerb.

Throat Cancer Link to Oral Sex Gains Credence - NYTimes.com, 6/3/13 - "In the 1980s, only a small number of throat cancers were linked to HPV infection ... Now, about 70 percent of all throat cancers are caused by HPV, up from roughly 15 percent three decades ago ... Men are three times more likely to be diagnosed than women with HPV-related throat cancer ... The cancers typically occur decades after initial infection with HPV ... partners of people with throat cancers caused by HPV were not at greater risk of developing oral HPV infections themselves"

Companies pay almost $6,000 extra per year for each employee who smokes - Science Daily, 6/3/13 - "smoking accounts for nearly one in every five deaths -- or about 443,000 -- in the United States each year ... excess absenteeism costs an average of $517 per year; "presenteeism," or reduced productivity related to the effects of nicotine addiction, $462; smoke breaks, $3,077; and extra health care costs (for self-insured employers), $2,056 ... For employers who provide defined benefit plans, meaning they pay retirees a set amount in pension each year, a smoker's early death could result in an annual cost reduction of an estimated $296"

Daily sunscreen can slow skin aging, study finds - NBCNews.com, 6/3/13 - "The researchers randomly assigned 903 adults, ages 25-55, to use a broad spectrum sunscreen every day with frequent reapplications or to use sunscreen at their discretion ... The adults using daily sunscreen were 24 percent less likely to show increased aging" - [Video]

Vegetarian diets associated with lower risk of death - Science Daily, 6/3/13 - "The adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for all-cause mortality in all vegetarians combined vs. nonvegetarians was 0.88, or 12 percent lower, according to the study results. The association also appears to be better for men with significant reduction in cardiovascular disease mortality and IHD death in vegetarians vs. nonvegetarians. In women, there were no significant reductions in these categories of mortality, the results indicate"

Impact of Oral Nutritional Supplementation on Hospital Outcomes - The American Journal of Managed Care, 2/13/13 - "Using the instrumental variables method, this study found that the use of ONS led to statistically significant decreases in inpatient LOS, episode cost, and readmission. Given the high prevalence of malnutrition among inpatient populations, these results suggest that ONS use could help improve outcomes at relatively low cost to the healthcare system. Today, hospitals are facing pressures to find low-cost, highly effective therapy while maintaining quality of care. By increasing ONS use, hospitals can improve hospitalization outcomes and decrease healthcare spending"

Probiotics Prevent Diarrhea Related to Antibiotic Use, Review Shows - Science Daily, 5/30/13 - "Antibiotics disturb the beneficial bacteria that live in the gut and allow other harmful bacteria like C. difficile to take hold. Although some people infected with C. difficile show no symptoms, others suffer diarrhea or colitis. The so-called "good bacteria" or yeast in probiotic foods and supplements may offer a safe, low-cost way to help prevent C. difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD). This finding is important because CDAD is expensive to treat ... Probiotics taken in conjunction with antibiotics reduced the number of people who suffered diarrhea by 64%" - See probiotic products at Amazon.com.

Self-Administered Injection Boosts Low Sex Drive in Women - Medscape, 5/30/13 - "Subcutaneous injections of the melanocortin receptor agonist bremelanotide effectively and safely treat premenopausal women suffering from female sexual dysfunction ... Nausea was the most common side effect, but this occurred early after the injection, was mild, and stopped with continued use. Other side effects were flushing and headache"

Omega-3 fatty acids may help heal a broken heart - Science Daily, 5/30/13 - "The potency of these compounds corresponds to concentrations that have been measured in the blood of human subjects taking high dose fish oil supplements for short periods of time. In rabbits, researchers treated the artery with RvD at the time of the balloon angioplasty procedure by infusing the drug directly into the vessel, and found that this one-time treatment reduced inflammation and subsequent scarring of the vessel after one month"

Artificial sweeteners may do more than sweeten: It can affect how the body reacts to glucose - Science Daily, 5/29/13 - "Our results indicate that this artificial sweetener is not inert -- it does have an effect ... we need to do more studies to determine whether this observation means long-term use could be harmful ... gave subjects either water or sucralose to drink before they consumed a glucose challenge test ... When study participants drank sucralose, their blood sugar peaked at a higher level than when they drank only water before consuming glucose ... Insulin levels also rose about 20 percent higher ... when people routinely secrete more insulin, they can become resistant to its effects, a path that leads to type 2 diabetes"

Is It Better to Walk or Run? - NYTimes.com, 5/29/13 - "The walkers turned out to be hungry, consuming about 50 calories more than they had burned during their hourlong treadmill stroll ... The runners, on the other hand, picked at their food, taking in almost 200 calories less than they had burned while running ... The runners also proved after exercise to have significantly higher blood levels of a hormone called peptide YY, which has been shown to suppress appetite ... runners had far less risk of high blood pressure, unhealthy cholesterol profiles, diabetes and heart disease than their sedentary peers. But the walkers were doing even better. Runners, for instance, reduced their risk of heart disease by about 4.5 percent if they ran an hour a day. Walkers who expended the same amount of energy per day reduced their risk of heart disease by more than 9 percent"

Changing Gut Bacteria Through Diet Affects Brain Function - Science Daily, 5/28/13 - "Time and time again, we hear from patients that they never felt depressed or anxious until they started experiencing problems with their gut ... Researchers divided the women into three groups: one group ate a specific yogurt containing a mix of several probiotics -- bacteria thought to have a positive effect on the intestines -- twice a day for four weeks; another group consumed a dairy product that looked and tasted like the yogurt but contained no probiotics; and a third group ate no product at all ... compared with the women who didn't consume the probiotic yogurt, those who did showed a decrease in activity in both the insula -- which processes and integrates internal body sensations, like those form the gut -- and the somatosensory cortex during the emotional reactivity task ... Further, in response to the task, these women had a decrease in the engagement of a widespread network in the brain that includes emotion-, cognition- and sensory-related areas. The women in the other two groups showed a stable or increased activity in this network" - See probiotic products at Amazon.com or my yogurt recipe.

Surgery Trumps Proton Pump Inhibitors for Acid Reflux - Medscape, 5/28/13 - "transoral incisionless fundoplication was superior to maximal-dose PPIs in eliminating daily troublesome typical and atypical symptoms in selected patients ... The procedure reconstructs the gastroesophageal valve restoring its competency and re-establishing the barrier to reflux ... We are talking about the total elimination of symptoms at 6 months, not a 50% reduction ... Patients in surgery group underwent fundoplication with the EsophyX2 device ... Nearly three quarters of the surgery group reported being satisfied with their current health condition at 6 months, compared with only 5% of the PPI group"

Abstracts from this week's Doctor's Guide Nutrition/Dietetics plus abstracts from my RSS feeds (Click here for the journals, the PubMed ones at the top):

Quercetin Potentiates Apoptosis by Inhibiting Nuclear Factor-kappaB Signaling in H460 Lung Cancer Cells - Biol Pharm Bull. 2013;36(6):944-951 - "The herbal flavonoid quercetin inhibits the growth of various cancer cells, but how it affects human cancer cells, particularly lung cancer cells, is unclear ... Taken together, these findings suggest that quercetin may be useful in the prevention and therapy of NSCLC" - See quercetin at Amazon.com.

Circulating and dietary magnesium and risk of cardiovascular disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies - Am J Clin Nutr. 2013 May 29 - "systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate prospective associations of circulating and dietary magnesium with incidence of CVD, IHD, and fatal IHD ... Circulating magnesium (per 0.2 mmol/L increment) was associated with a 30% lower risk of CVD" - See magnesium supplements at Amazon.com.

Body Iron Stores and the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in Middle-Aged Men - Eur J Endocrinol. 2013 May 28 - "Baseline serum ferritin (sF) ... Body iron within the sF reference range is not an important determinant of T2DM risk, whereas high normal and above is associated with markedly increased risk. Iron depletion towards iron deficiency as assessed by sTfR is not protective against T2DM. A rule of thumb safe range could be 30-200 µg/L of sF"

Vitamin D3 supplementation modulates inflammatory responses from the muscle damage induced by high-intensity exercise in SD rats - Cytokine. 2013 May 10 - "we concluded that vitamin D may play a pivotal role in exercise-induced muscle damage and inflammation through the modulation of MAPK and NF-κB involved with VDR" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

Effect of Selective Alpha-blocker Tamsulosin on Erectile Function in Patients With Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms due to Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia - Urology. 2013 May 25 - "randomized single blinded study in one-to-one fashion conducted upon 60 patients, all of them married, between May 2010 and May 2011 ... Tamsulosin HCl capsules showed a significant statistical improvement in the erectile function, sexual desire, and intercourse satisfaction score with significant improvement in total IIEF in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms because of benign prostatic hyperplasia" - Note: Tamsulosin is Flomax.

Transcriptional response of HT-29 intestinal epithelial cells to human and bovine milk oligosaccharides - Br J Nutr. 2013 May 28:1-11 - "The present study suggests that milk oligosaccharides contribute to the development and maturation of the intestinal immune response and that bovine milk may be an attractive commercially viable source of oligosaccharides for such applications"

Health Focus (Hypertension):

Click here for why I feel that Micardis® (telmisartan) should be the first line treatment for hypertension.

Popular Medications/Related Topics:

• Hypertension / pulse pressure / hardening of the arteries / angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) / ace inhibitors / alpha blockers / calcium channel blockers / diuretics / beta blockers / Renin Inhibitors /  Vanlev (omapatrilat) / aldosterone blockers / dihydropyridine (DHP) calcium antagonist / first line treatment for hypertension
• DASH Diet / memory and hypertension / White Coat Hypertension

Alternative News:

• Effects of watermelon supplementation on arterial stiffness and wave reflection amplitude in postmenopausal women - Menopause. 2013 May;20(5):573-7 - "In a randomized cross-over study, 12 postmenopausal women (mean [SE] age, 57 [1] y; mean [SE] body mass index, 38.1 [2.1] kg/m; mean [SE] SBP, 153 [4] mm Hg) were assigned to watermelon supplementation (L-citrulline/L-arginine 6 g/d) or placebo supplementation for 6 weeks ... baPWV (-1.2 [0.3] m/s, P < 0.001), aortic SBP (-10 [3] mm Hg, P < 0.01), and aortic diastolic blood pressure (-7 [1] mm Hg, P < 0.001) decreased after watermelon supplementation compared with placebo ... Watermelon supplementation reduces arterial stiffness and aortic SBP by reducing pressure wave reflection amplitude in obese postmenopausal women with hypertension" - Note:  A -10 on the systolic is about what you'd get with prescription medications. - See Stimulin at Amazon.com (1,875 mg of L-citrulline) and L-arginine products at Amazon.com.
• Relationship of dietary monounsaturated fatty acids to blood pressure: the international study of macro/micronutrients and blood pressure - J Hypertens. 2013 Apr 6 - "Dietary monounsaturated fatty acid intake, especially oleic acid from vegetable sources, may contribute to prevention and control of adverse blood pressure levels in general populations"
• New evidence that egg white protein may help high blood pressure - Science Daily, 4/9/13 - "We have evidence from the laboratory that a substance in egg white –– it’s a peptide, one of the building blocks of proteins –– reduces blood pressure about as much as a low dose of Captopril, a high-blood-pressure drug ... Yu and colleagues, who are with Clemson University, used a peptide called RVPSL ... They set out to further document RVPSL’s effects, using laboratory rats that develop high blood pressure and are stand-ins for humans in such early research on hypertension ... RVPSL did not have apparent toxic effects and lowered blood pressure by amounts comparable to low doses of Captopril"
• Reducing salt and increasing potassium will have major global health benefits - Science Daily, 4/4/13 - "increased potassium intake reduces blood pressure in adults, with no adverse effects on blood lipids, hormone levels or kidney function. Higher potassium intake was linked with a 24% lower risk of stroke in adults and may also have a beneficial effect on blood pressure in children, but more data is needed" - See potassium citrate at Amazon.com.
• Clinical Evaluation of Blood Pressure Lowering, Endothelial Function Improving, Hypolipidemic and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Pomegranate Juice in Hypertensive Subjects - Phytother Res. 2013 Mar 21 - "Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) juice (PJ) contains different types of antioxidants and bioactive polyphenols and has been reported to promote cardiovascular health through several mechanisms. The present study aimed to examine the effects of 2-week intake of fresh PJ on blood pressure, flow-mediated dilatation (FMD), serum lipid profile and concentrations of inflammatory and endothelial function biomarkers. Twenty-one hypertensive patients (aged 30-67 years) were recruited into the trial and assigned to receive either PJ (150 ml/day in a single occasion between lunch and dinner; n = 11) or the same amount of water (n = 10) for a period of 2 weeks ... PJ consumption was associated with significant reductions in SBP (p = 0.002) and DBP (p = 0.038) but not FMD (p > 0.05)" - See pomegranate at Amazon.com.
• Vitamin D Supplements Tied to Lower Blood Pressure in Blacks - WebMD, 3/15/13 -"vitamin D may lower blood pressure by causing blood vessels to relax, allowing for more and easier blood flow ... Forman's team randomly assigned 250 black participants to one of three doses of vitamin D supplements or an inactive placebo ... those taking 1,000 international units (IU) of vitamin D a day saw their systolic blood pressure drop by 0.7 mm Hg. For those taking 2,000 IU, the drop was 3.4 mm Hg, and for those taking 4,000 IU, systolic pressure dropped by 4 mm Hg ... those receiving the placebo saw their systolic blood pressure rise by 1.7 mm Hg, the researchers noted ... Endocrine Society committee guidelines recommend that adults take 1,500 to 2,000 units of vitamin D daily" - [Abstract] - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Omega-3 fatty acids lower blood pressure by directly activating large-conductance Ca2+-dependent K+ channels - Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 Mar 4 - "This finding has practical implications for the use of omega-3 fatty acids as nutraceuticals for the general public and also for the critically ill receiving omega-3-enriched formulas" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• High Intake of Dietary Long-Chain ω-3 Fatty Acids Is Associated With Lower Blood Pressure in Children Born With Low Birth Weight: NHANES 2003-2008 - Hypertension. 2013 Mar 4 - "Reduced fetal growth is associated with increased systolic blood pressure ... In the 354 participants with reduced birth weight, when compared with children with the lowest tertile of intake, those who had the highest tertile of dietary eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid intake had significantly lower systolic blood pressure (-4.9 mm Hg [95% confidence interval, -9.7 to -0.1]) and pulse pressure (-7.7 mm Hg [95% confidence interval, -15.0 to -0.4])" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Folate deficiency is associated with oxidative stress, increased blood pressure, and insulin resistance in spontaneously hypertensive rats - Am J Hypertens. 2013 Jan;26(1):135-40 - "we analyzed the role of folate deficiency in pathogenesis of the metabolic syndrome in the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) ... Folate deficiency also increased systolic blood pressure by approximately 15mm Hg ... These findings demonstrate that the SHR model is susceptible to the adverse metabolic and hemodynamic effects of low dietary intake of folate. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that folate deficiency can promote oxidative stress and multiple features of the metabolic syndrome that are associated with increased risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease" - See folic acid products at Amazon.com.
• Aged garlic extract reduces blood pressure in hypertensives: a dose-response trial - Eur J Clin Nutr. 2012 Nov 21 - "A total of 79 general practice patients with uncontrolled systolic hypertension participated in a double-blind randomised placebo-controlled dose-response trial of 12 weeks. Participants were allocated to one of three garlic groups with either of one, two or four capsules daily of aged garlic extract (240/480/960 mg containing 0.6/1.2/2.4 mg of S-allylcysteine) or placebo ... Mean systolic blood pressure was significantly reduced by 11.8+/-5.4 mm Hg in the garlic-2-capsule group over 12 weeks compared with placebo (P=0.006), and reached borderline significant reduction in the garlic-4-capsule group at 8 weeks (-7.4+/-4.1 mm Hg, P=0.07). Changes in systolic blood pressure in the garlic-1-capsule group and diastolic blood pressure were not significantly different to placebo. Tolerability, compliance and acceptability were high in all garlic groups (93%) and highest in the groups taking one or two capsules daily" - See garlic supplements at Amazon.com.
• Impressive Antihypertensive Effect With Flaxseed - Medscape, 11/6/12 - "Adding flaxseed to the diets of patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) resulted in large drops in blood pressure (BP) of around 10 mm Hg systolic and 7 mm Hg diastolic after six months ... Such reductions would be expected to result in around a 50% fall in the incidence of stroke and a 30% reduction in MI ... They randomized 110 patients with PAD and an ankle-brachial index (ABI) <0.9 to milled flaxseed (30 g/day) in the form of bagels, muffins, and buns (n=58) or placebo products (n=52), made from wheat with a similar flavor, for one year" - See flax seed at Amazon.com.
• Beneficial effect of genistein on lowering blood pressure and kidney toxicity in fructose-fed hypertensive rats - Br J Nutr. 2012 Sep 21:1-7 - "The study evaluates the effects of genistein on blood pressure (BP) and ultrastructural changes in kidney of fructose-fed hypertensive rats ... Genistein administration lowered BP, restored ACE, PKC-βII and eNOS expression and preserved renal ultrastructural integrity. These findings demonstrate that genistein has effects on eNOS activity in renal cells, leading to eNOS activation and NO synthesis. These effects could have been mediated by activation of PKC-βII. The observed benefits of genistein make it a promising candidate for therapy of diabetic kidney disease" - See genistein at Amazon.com.
• Blueberry intervention improves vascular reactivity and lowers blood pressure in high-fat-, high-cholesterol-fed rats - Br J Nutr. 2012 Oct 9:1-9 - "Rats were randomly assigned to follow a control chow diet, a chow diet supplemented with 2 % (w/w) BB, a high-fat diet (10 % lard; 0.5 % cholesterol) or the high fat plus BB for 10 weeks. Rats supplemented with BB showed significant reductions in systolic BP (SBP) of 11 and 14 %, at weeks 8 and 10, respectively, relative to rats fed the control chow diet (week 8 SBP: 107.5 (sem 4.7) v. 122.2 (sem 2.1) mmHg, P = 0.018; week 10 SBP: 115.0 (sem 3.1) v. 132.7 (sem 1.5) mmHg, P < 0.0001). Furthermore, SBP was reduced by 14 % in rats fed with the high fat plus 2 % BB diet at week 10, compared to those on the high-fat diet only (SBP: 118.2 (sem 3.6) v. 139.5 (sem 4.5) mmHg, P < 0.0001). Aortas harvested from BB-fed animals exhibited significantly reduced contractile responses (to l-phenylephrine) compared to those fed the control chow or high-fat diets. Furthermore, in rats fed with high fat supplemented with BB, aorta relaxation was significantly greater in response to acetylcholine compared to animals fed with the fat diet" - See blueberry extract at Amazon.com and Garden of Life, Radical Fruits Antioxidant Complex at Amazon.com (which contains blueberry extract).
• The effect of coffee consumption on blood pressure and the development of hypertension: a systematic review and meta-analysis - J Hypertens. 2012 Oct 1 - "Ovid, MEDLINE (from 1948), EMBASE (from 1988), and all of Web of Science and Scopus ... Low-quality evidence did not show any statistically significant effect of coffee consumption on BP or the risk of hypertension. Given the quality of the currently available evidence, no recommendation can be made for or against coffee consumption as it relates to BP and hypertension"
• Sesame & Rice Bran Oil, Yogurt Help Blood Pressure - WebMD, 9/19/12 - "The first study showed a sesame and rice bran oil blend reduced blood pressure almost as well as a commonly used medication. And the second study found that people who routinely eat yogurt are less likely to develop high blood pressure ... In the yogurt study, about 2,000 adults without high blood pressure were followed for 14 years. The researchers found that participants were 31% less likely to develop high blood pressure if more than 2% of their daily calories came from yogurt" - See sesame seed oil at Amazon.com and rice bran oil at Amazon.com.
• Dark chocolate, cocoa compounds, may reduce blood pressure - Science Daily, 8/14/12 - "The researchers reviewed evidence from short-term trials in which participants were given dark chocolate or cocoa powder daily and found that their blood pressure dropped slightly compared to a control group ... Cocoa contains compounds called flavanols, thought to be responsible for the formation of nitric oxide in the body. Nitric oxide causes blood vessel walls to relax and open wider, thereby reducing blood pressure. The link between cocoa and blood pressure stems from the discovery that the indigenous people of San Blas Island in Central American, who drink flavanol-rich cocoa drinks every day, have normal blood pressure regardless of age ... Flavanol-rich chocolate or cocoa powder reduced blood pressure on average by 2-3 mm Hg" -  [Abstract] - Note:  I'm betting that this formula will cover most of those flavanols: Garden of Life, Radical Fruits Antioxidant Complex at Amazon.com.
• Decaffeinated green tea extract improves hypertension and insulin resistance in a rat model of metabolic syndrome - Atherosclerosis. 2012 Jul 15 - "Decaffeinated-GTE reduced the formation of ROS and NADPH oxidase activity and stimulated phosphorylation of eNOS and Akt in the aorta of a rat model of MetS, which resulted in improved endothelial dysfunction and IR, and eventually lowered BP" - See green tea extract at Amazon.com.
• Effects of Pycnogenol on Endothelial Function in Stable CAD - Medscape, 8/2/12 - "Recent studies suggested a blood pressure-lowering effect of Pycnogenol. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over study involving 11 patients, supplementation with Pycnogenol 200 mg q.d. significantly reduced systolic blood pressure of patients with mild-to-moderate hypertension from 139.9 +/- 3.3 to 132.7 +/- 4.18 mmHg (P < 0.05) after 8 weeks of therapy, while diastolic blood pressure remained stable (93.8 +/- 1.23 vs. 92 +/- 1.7 mmHg, P = NS) ... This study demonstrates for the first time an improvement of endothelial function after 8-week treatment with Pycnogenol at a dose of 200 mg q.d. in patients with stable CAD. Pycnogenol significantly reduced oxidative stress as assessed by plasma levels of 8-isoprostanes, but left ADMA and SDMA as well as plasma ET-1 levels unaffected" - See Pycnogenol at Amazon.com.
• Big doses of vitamin C may lower blood pressure - Science Daily, 4/18/12 - "Miller and his colleagues reviewed and analyzed data from 29 randomized, controlled, previously published clinical trials that reported systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure values and also compared vitamin C intake to a placebo. What they found is that taking an average of 500 milligrams of vitamin C daily -- about five times the recommended daily requirement -- reduced blood pressure by 3.84 millimeters of mercury in the short term. Among those diagnosed with hypertension, the drop was nearly 5 millimeters of mercury ... By comparison, Miller says, patients who take blood pressure medication such as ACE inhibitors or diuretics (so-called "water pills") can expect a roughly 10 millimeter of mercury reduction in blood pressure" - Note:  I don't consider 500 mg "Big doses".  See vitamin C at Amazon.com.
• Folate intake and incidence of hypertension among American young adults: a 20-y follow-up study - Am J Clin Nutr. 2012 Apr 4 - "Laboratory studies suggest that folate intake may decrease blood pressure (BP) through increasing nitric oxide synthesis in endothelial cells and/or reducing plasma homocysteine concentrations ... participants in the highest quintile of total folate intake had a significantly lower incidence of hypertension (HR: 0.48; 95% CI: 0.38, 0.62; P-trend < 0.01) than did those in the lowest quintile. The multivariable HRs for the same comparison were 0.33 (95% CI: 0.22, 0.51; P-trend < 0.01) in whites and 0.54 (95% CI: 0.40, 0.75; P-trend < 0.01) in African Americans (P-interaction = 0.047)" - See folic acid products at Amazon.com.
• Magnesium lowers blood pressure, study suggests - Science Daily, 3/13/12 - "In the trials, the magnesium supplementation doses ranged from 120 to 973 mg with between 3 to 24 weeks of follow-up. Although not all individual trials showed significance in blood pressure reduction, by combining the trials, the overall data indicated that magnesium supplementation reduced both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. With the best results observed at the higher dosages" - See magnesium supplements at Amazon.com.
• Magnesium linked to better blood pressure: Meta-analysis - Nutra USA, 2/13/12 - "data pooled from seven prospective studies revealed that, for every 100 mg per day increase in magnesium intake, the risk of stroke was reduced by about 9% ... magnesium supplementation was associated with a 3 to 4 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure and a 2-3 mmHg reduction in diastolic blood pressure, with the best results observed for doses over 370 milligrams per day" - See magnesium supplements at Amazon.com.
• Increased Serum Ferritin Predicts the Development of Hypertension Among Middle-Aged Men - Am J Hypertens. 2012 Jan 26 - "After adjustment for age and body mass index (BMI), the odds ratios (OR) was substantially higher for new hypertension (OR 1.54, 95% confidence intervals (CIs) 1.26-1.88; P for trend <0.001) in subjects with the highest ferritin quartiles compared with those in the lowest quartiles"
• Associations of plasma n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids with blood pressure and cardiovascular risk factors among Chinese - Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2012 Jan 20 - "Our results suggest that plasma PL n-3 PUFA was significantly inversely associated with hypertension in Chinese. It would seem appropriate for hypertensive subjects to increase their dietary n-3 PUFA which may help reduce BP" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Effects of Swimming Training on Blood Pressure and Vascular Function in Adults >50 Years of Age - Am J Cardiol. 2012 Jan 11 - "Forty-three otherwise healthy adults >50 years old (60 +/- 2) with prehypertension or stage 1 hypertension and not on any medication were randomly assigned to 12 weeks of swimming exercise or attention time control ... Casual systolic BP decreased significantly from 131 +/- 3 to 122 +/- 4 mm Hg in the swimming training group. Significant decreases in systolic BP were also observed in ambulatory (daytime) and central (carotid) BP measurements. Swimming exercise produced a 21% increase in carotid artery compliance (p <0.05). Flow-mediated dilation and cardiovagal baroreflex sensitivity improved after the swim training program"
• Vegetarian diets and blood pressure among white subjects: results from the Adventist Health Study-2 (AHS-2) - Public Health Nutr. 2012 Jan 10:1-8 - "Covariate-adjusted regression analyses demonstrated that the vegan vegetarians had lower systolic and diastolic BP (mmHg) than omnivorous Adventists (β = -6.8, P < 0.05 and β = -6.9, P < 0.001). Findings for lacto-ovo vegetarians (β = -9.1, P < 0.001 and β = -5.8, P < 0.001) were similar. The vegetarians (mainly the vegans) were also less likely to be using antihypertensive medications. Defining hypertension as systolic BP > 139 mmHg or diastolic BP > 89 mmHg or use of antihypertensive medications, the odds ratio of hypertension compared with omnivores was 0.37 (95 % CI 0.19, 0.74), 0.57 (95 % CI 0.36, 0.92) and 0.92 (95 % CI 0.50, 1.70), respectively, for vegans, lacto-ovo vegetarians and partial vegetarians. Effects were reduced after adjustment for BMI ... CONCLUSIONS: We conclude from this relatively large study that vegetarians, especially vegans, with otherwise diverse characteristics but stable diets, do have lower systolic and diastolic BP and less hypertension than omnivores. This is only partly due to their lower body mass"
• Effect of Oral L-Arginine Supplementation on Blood Pressure - Medscape, 12/30/11 - "This meta-analysis of randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials brought evidence that oral L-arginine supplementation, compared with placebo, significantly lowered systolic BP by 5.39 mm Hg (95% CI −8.54 to −2.25) and diastolic BP by 2.66 mm Hg (95% CI −3.77 to −1.54)" - See L-arginine products at Amazon.com.
• Curcumin and Piperine Prevent Remodeling of Aorta - Medscape, 12/26/11 - "N-nitro-L-arginine-methylester (L-NAME) is a nonspecific inhibitor of all three NO synthase (NOS) isoforms (neuronal - nNOS; inducible - iNOS; endothelial - eNOS) and causes an increase of blood pressure in a dose-dependent manner when administered to the experimental animals ... Administration of piperine or curcumin to animals with L-NAME-induced hypertension lead to a decrease of blood pressure, curcumin causing a more significant drop. Similar hypertension reducing effect of curcumin has been reported recently by Nakmreong et al.[34] Another study[25] registered a significant decrease of blood pressure after intravenous piperine administration. Piperine treatment was effective also in lowering blood pressure in rats with L-NAME-induced experimental hypertension described by Kumar et al.[36] The combination of curcumin and piperine in our experiment did not cause a statistically significant blood pressure decrease (with the exception of the third week) but it is apparent that it copies the course of the piperine graph curve. These differences in the results are probably related to different mechanisms of effect by the spices on blood pressure" - See curcumin products at Amazon.com and piperine at Amazon.com.
• Effect of oral l-arginine supplementation on blood pressure: A meta-analysis of randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials - Am Heart J. 2011 Dec;162(6):959-65 - "We included 11 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials involving 387 participants with oral l-arginine intervention ranging from 4 to 24 g/d. Compared with placebo, l-arginine intervention significantly lowered systolic BP by 5.39 mm Hg (95% CI -8.54 to -2.25, P = .001) and diastolic BP by 2.66 mm Hg (95% CI -3.77 to -1.54, P < .001). Sensitivity analyses restricted to trials with a duration of 4 weeks or longer and to trials in which participants did not use antihypertensive medications yielded similar results. Meta-regression analysis suggested an inverse, though insignificant (P = .13), relation between baseline systolic BP and net change in systolic BP" - See arginine at Amazon.com.
• Pomegranate Juice Lowers Cardiovascular Risk Factors - Medscape, 11/12/11 - "At 12 months, those in the juice group were taking significantly fewer antihypertensive drugs than those in the placebo group (P < .05). In the juice group, 22% of the subjects were taking fewer and 12.2% were taking more antihypertensive drugs; in the placebo group, 7.7% were taking fewer and 34.6% were taking more antihypertensive drugs" - See pomegranate at Amazon.com.
• Hypothalamic gene expression in ω-3 PUFA-deficient male rats before, and following, development of hypertension - Hypertens Res. 2011 Nov 10 - "Dietary deficiency of ω-3 fatty acids (ω-3 DEF) produces hypertension in later life ... Animals were fed experimental diets that were deficient in ω-3 fatty acids, sufficient in short-chain ω-3 fatty acids or sufficient in short- and long-chain ω-3 fatty acids, from the prenatal period until 10 or 36 weeks-of-age. There was no difference in blood pressure between groups at 10 weeks-of-age; however, at 36 weeks-of-age ω-3 DEF animals were hypertensive in relation to sufficient groups. At 10 weeks, expression of angiotensin-II(1A) receptors and dopamine D(3) receptors were significantly increased in the hypothalamic tissue of ω-3 DEF animals. In contrast, at 36 weeks, α(2a) and β(1) adrenergic receptor expression was significantly reduced in the ω-3 DEF group. Brain docosahexaenoic acid was significantly lower in ω-3 DEF group compared with sufficient groups. This study demonstrates that dietary ω-3 DEF causes changes both in the expression of key genes involved in central blood pressure regulation and in blood pressure. The data may indicate that hypertension resulting from ω-3 DEF is mediated by the central adrenergic system" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Serum Calcium Levels and Hypertension Among US Adults - J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2011 Oct;13(10):716-21 - "Elevated serum total calcium levels were positively associated with hypertension, independent of potential confounders including C-reactive protein, estimated glomerular filtration rate, serum albumin, 25(OH)D, and phosphorous. Compared with the lowest quartile of serum total calcium (referent category), the multivariable odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of hypertension was 1.49 (1.15-1.93) for the highest quartile (P=.005). This association persisted in subgroup analyses stratified by sex, age, and race-ethnicity. In contrast, serum ionized calcium levels were not associated with hypertension. Higher serum total calcium levels are positively associated with hypertension in a representative sample of US adults"
• Isomer-specific effects of conjugated linoleic acid on blood pressure, adipocyte size and function - Br J Nutr. 2011 Sep 23:1-9 - "Consumption of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) has been shown to modulate cytokine release from adipocytes and positively influence blood pressure in younger rats, but its physiological actions in older models with established hypertension and isomer-specific effects on adipocyte size remain to be determined. Therefore, we investigated the effects of CLA isomers on adipocyte size in relation to blood pressure and adipokine production by hypertrophic adipocytes in older fa/fa Zucker rats with established hypertension. fa/fa Zucker rats were fed with cis(c)9, trans(t)11-CLA or t10, c12-CLA isomers for 8 weeks and compared with lean and obese rats fed with the control diet. Blood pressure and adipocyte size were subsequently measured. Collagenase-isolated adipocytes were size-separated and angiotensinogen and adiponectin protein levels quantified by Western blotting. The t10, c12-CLA group had reduced blood pressure, fewer large adipocytes and increased serum adiponectin. Angiotensinogen was present at higher levels in the large adipocytes, whereas the converse was observed for adiponectin. The beneficial effects of the t10, c12-CLA isomer on blood pressure and adipocyte size in vivo may be due to its ability to reduce the number of large adipocytes, which alters the levels of vasoactive molecules secreted from adipose tissue" - See conjugated linoleic acid at Amazon.com.
• Feasibility and antihypertensive effect of replacing regular salt with mineral salt- rich in magnesium and potassium- in subjects with mildly elevated blood pressure - Nutr J. 2011 Sep 2;10(1):88 - "subjects consumed processed foods salted with either NaCl or Smart Salt ... 24-h dU-Na decreased significantly in the Smart Salt group (-29.8 mmol; p=0.012) and remained unchanged in the control group: resulting in a 3.3 g difference in NaCl intake between the groups. Replacement of NaCl with Smart Salt resulted in a significant reduction in SBP over 8 weeks (-7.5 mmHg; p=0.016). SBP increased (+3.8 mmHg, p=0.072) slightly in the Regular salt group" - See smartsalt.com.
• Natural therapies: Cardiologists examine alternatives to halt high blood pressure - Science Daily, 8/30/11 - "The shining star among supplements is coenzyme Q10, an enzyme involved in energy production that also acts as an antioxidant. Patients with hypertension tend to have lower levels of the enzyme, and a meta-analysis -- an overarching analysis of past studies -- found that treatment with coenzyme Q10 supplements significantly reduced blood pressure ... Coenzyme Q10 has a pretty profound effect on blood pressure, but whenever research is based on a collection of other data you have to have some skepticism ... potassium helps lower blood pressure, and there is evidence that increasing the amount of potassium we get through the foods we eat could carry some of the same mild benefits as taking supplements" - See ubiquinol products at Amazon.com and potassium citrate at Amazon.com.
• Breakfast cereals and risk of hypertension in the Physicians' Health Study I - Clin Nutr. 2011 Aug 23 - "The average age of study participants was 52.4 +/- 8.9 years (range 39.7-85.9) during the initial assessment of cereal intake (1981-1983). During a mean follow up of 16.3 years, 7267 cases of hypertension occurred. The crude incidence rates of hypertension were 36.7, 34.0, 31.7, and 29.6 cases/1000 person-years for people reporting breakfast cereal intake of 0, ≤1, 2-6, and ≥7 servings/week, respectively. In a Cox regression model adjusting for age, smoking, body mass index, alcohol consumption, fruit and vegetable consumption, physical activity, and history of diabetes mellitus, hazard ratios (95% CI) for hypertension were 1.0 (reference), 0.93 (0.88-0.99), 0.88 (0.83-0.94), and 0.81 (0.75-0.86) from the lowest to the highest category of cereal consumption, respectively (p for trend <0.0001). This association was strongest for whole grain cereals and was observed in lean as well as overweight or obese participants"
• Antihypertensive and antioxidant effects of dietary black sesame meal in pre-hypertensive humans - Nutr J. 2011 Aug 9;10(1):82 - "Twenty-two women and eight men (aged 49.8 +/- 6.6 years) with prehypertension were randomly divided into two groups, 15 subjects per group. They ingested 2.52 g black sesame meal capsules or placebo capsules each day for 4 weeks ... malondialdehyde (MDA) ... The results showed that 4-week administration of black sesame meal significantly decreased systolic BP (129.3 +/- 6.8 vs. 121.0 +/- 9.0 mmHg, P < 0.05) and MDA level (1.8 +/- 0.6 vs. 1.2 +/- 0.6 micromol/L, P < 0.05), and increased vitamin E level (29.4 +/- 6.0 vs. 38.2 +/- 7.8 micromol/L, P < 0.01). In the black sesame meal group, the change in systolic BP tended to be positively related to the change in MDA (R = 0.50, P = 0.05), while the change in diastolic BP was negatively related to the change in vitamin E (R = -0.55, P <0.05)" - See sesame seed oil at Amazon.com.  Note:  An 8.3 point drop in systolic seems impressive.  That's about what you get from medication plus it's systolic that most have a problem with.
• The effect of grape seed extract on cardiovascular risk markers: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials - J Am Diet Assoc. 2011 Aug;111(8):1173-81 - "Upon meta-analysis, grape seed extract significantly lowered systolic blood pressure (weighted mean difference -1.54 mm Hg (95% confidence interval -2.85 to -0.22, P=0.02]), and heart rate (weighted mean difference -1.42 bpm (95% confidence interval -2.50 to -0.34, P=0.01]). No significant effect on diastolic blood pressure, lipid levels, or CRP was found. No statistical heterogeneity was observed for any analysis (I(2)<39% for all). Egger's weighted regression statistic suggested low likelihood of publication bias in all analysis (P>0.05 for all), except for the effect on diastolic blood pressure (P=0.046). Based on the currently available literature, grape seed extract appears to significantly lower systolic blood pressure and heart rate, with no effect on lipid or CRP levels" - See Jarrow Formulas, OPCs + 95 at Amazon.com.
• Effect of Dietary Protein Supplementation on Blood Pressure: A Randomized, Controlled Trial - Circulation. 2011 Jul 18 - "The trial participants were assigned to take 40 g/d soy protein, milk protein, or carbohydrate supplementation each for 8 weeks in a random order. A 3-week washout period was implemented between the interventions. Three BPs were measured at 2 baseline and 2 termination visits during each of 3 intervention phases with a random-zero sphygmomanometer. Compared with carbohydrate controls, soy protein and milk protein supplementations were significantly associated with -2.0 mm Hg (95% confidence interval -3.2 to -0.7 mm Hg, P=0.002) and -2.3 mm Hg (-3.7 to -1.0 mm Hg, P=0.0007) net changes in systolic BP, respectively. Diastolic BP was also reduced, but this change did not reach statistical significance. There was no significant difference in the BP reductions achieved between soy or milk protein supplementation"
• Pine bark extract plus CoQ10 shows benefits for heart failure patients - Nutra USA, 6/23/11 - "12 weeks of daily supplementation with 350 milligrams of CoQ10 (Kaneka) and 105 milligrams of the branded pine bark extract Pycnogenol ... recruited 53 heart failure patients aged between 54 and 68 were randomly assigned to receive either the PycnoQ10 supplement or placebo for 12 weeks ... systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased following the CoQ10-pine bark combination, from 139.2 to 133.2 mmHg and 82.3 to 77.3 mmHg, respectively. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased from 140.3 to 139.5 mmHg and 83.4 to 81.2 mmHg, respectively, in the placebo group ... In addition to increases in the amount of blood pumped by the heart, the researchers also reported improvements in heart rate were also observed in the PycnoQ10 supplement group from 78.4 to 74.2 beats per minute, compared with a decrease from 79.1 to 78.4 in the placebo group" - [Abstract] - See Pycnogenol at Amazon.com and ubiquinol products at Amazon.com.
• Sodium intake in men and potassium intake in women determine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in Japanese hypertensive patients: OMEGA Study - Hypertens Res. 2011 Jun 9 - "High sodium intake was significantly related to increased SBP (P=0.0003) and DBP (P=0.0130). Low potassium intake was significantly related to increased SBP (P=0.0057) and DBP (P=0.0005). Low soybean/fish intake was significantly related to increased SBP (P=0.0133). A significantly higher prevalence of MS was found in men in the highest quartile of sodium intake compared with the lower quartiles (P=0.0026) and in women in the lowest quartile of potassium intake compared with the higher quartiles (P=0.0038). A clear relation between dietary habits and blood pressure was found in Japanese hypertensive patients using a patient-administered questionnaire. Sodium and potassium intake affect MS prevalence. Dietary changes are warranted within hypertension treatment strategies"
• Vitamin D levels linked with health of blood vessels - Science Daily, 4/3/11 - "Forty-two study participants with vitamin D insufficiency whose levels later went back to normal had an average drop in blood pressure of 4.6 millimeters mercury" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Singing lowers patient's blood pressure prior to surgery, case study reports - Science Daily, 3/30/11 - "Upon admission to the hospital for surgery the patient's blood pressure was 160/90 mm Hg, controlled by her normal regimen of nifedipine and lisinopril. In the preoperative area, the woman's blood pressure increased to 240/120 mm Hg and persisted, requiring doctors to postpone surgery ... The patient asked doctors if she could sing, which the patient reported doing frequently to calm herself down and to help with sleeping. The medical team encouraged her to so, and after two songs checked her blood pressure which had lowered to 180/90 mm Hg. With continued singing for 20 minutes, the patient's blood pressure remained lower and persisted for several hours after. As instructed by doctors, the patient sang periodically through the night which kept her blood pressure at acceptable levels. The following morning, the woman was cleared for knee replacement surgery, which was successful and without complications" - See my Karaoke page and my Song Book Page.
• Physical activity decreases salt's effect on blood pressure, study finds - Science Daily, 3/23/11 - "Investigators compared study participants' blood pressure on two one-week diets, one low in sodium (3,000 mg/day) and the other high in sodium (18,000 mg/day) ... The American Heart Association recommends consuming less than 1,500 mg/day of sodium ... Compared with the sedentary group, the odds of being salt-sensitive, adjusted for age and gender, fell: 10 percent in the next-to-lowest activity group ... 17 percent in the next-to-highest activity group ... 38 percent in the most active group"
• Olive leaf extract may help hypertension: Frutarom study - Nutra USA, 3/9/11 - "Olive leaf extract, at the dosage regimen of 500 mg twice daily, was similarly effective in lowering systolic and diastolic blood pressures in subjects with stage-1 hypertension as Captopril, given at its effective dose of 12.5–25 mg twice daily ... after eight weeks of treatment, both treatment groups experienced significant reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure from baseline. They added that such reductions were not significantly different between groups ... However, they reported that a significant reduction of triglyceride level was observed for the group receiving olive leaf extract, but not in Captopril group ... the anti-hypertensive activity “lies probably in its content of oleuropein acting synergistically with other active substances to exert both ACE inhibitory and calcium channel blocking activities."" - [Abstract] - See olive leaf extract at Amazon.com.
• Olive (Olea europaea) leaf extract effective in patients with stage-1 hypertension: Comparison with Captopril - Phytomedicine. 2011 Feb 15;18(4):251-8 - "Mean SBP at baseline was 149.3+/-5.58mmHg in Olive group and 148.4+/-5.56mmHg in Captopril group; and mean DBPs were 93.9+/-4.51 and 93.8+/-4.88mmHg, respectively. After 8 weeks of treatment, both groups experienced a significant reduction of SBP as well as DBP from baseline; while such reductions were not significantly different between groups. Means of SBP reduction from baseline to the end of study were -11.5+/-8.5 and -13.7+/-7.6mmHg in Olive and Captopril groups, respectively; and those of DBP were -4.8+/-5.5 and -6.4+/-5.2mmHg, respectively. A significant reduction of triglyceride level was observed in Olive group, but not in Captopril group. In conclusion, Olive (Olea europaea) leaf extract, at the dosage regimen of 500mg twice daily, was similarly effective in lowering systolic and diastolic blood pressures in subjects with stage-1 hypertension as Captopril, given at its effective dose of 12.5-25mg twice daily" - See olive leaf extract at Amazon.com.
• 25-hydroxyvitamin d levels and hypertension rates - J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2011 Mar;13(3):170-7 - "Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to cardiovascular disease and risk factors including hypertension ... Patients were categorized into quartiles according to 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels: ideal (≥40 ng/mL), adequate (30-39 ng/mL), deficient (15-29 ng/mL), and severely deficient (<15 ng/mL). Prevalence rates of hypertension and odds ratios were calculated for each 25-hydroxyvitamin D quartile, adjusting for age, sex, race, and renal insufficiency. A total of 2722 individuals met the inclusion criteria for the study. The overall prevalence of hypertension in the study population was 24%. Hypertension rates were 52%, 41%, 27%, and 20% in 25-hydroxyvitamin D quartiles <15 ng/mL, 15 to 29 ng/mL, 30 to 39 ng/mL, and ≥40 ng/mL, respectively (P<.001). Odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for hypertension adjusting for age, sex, race, and renal insufficiency were 2.7 (1.4-5.2), 2.0 (1.5-2.6), and 1.3 (1.2-1.6) for 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels <15 ng/mL, 15 to 29 ng/mL, and 30 to 39 ng/mL, respectively, compared with the ≥40 ng/mL group. This study demonstrates increased rates of hypertension in individuals who tested for lower levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D starting at levels <40 ng/mL. This retrospective analysis raises the question of whether supplementing to optimal vitamin D levels can prevent or improve hypertension" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Sugar-sweetened drinks associated with higher blood pressure - Science Daily, 3/1/11 - "for every extra sugar-sweetened beverage drunk per day participants on average had significantly higher systolic blood pressure by 1.6 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) and diastolic blood pressure higher by 0.8 mm Hg ... They found no consistent association between diet soda intake and blood pressure levels. Those who drank diet soda had higher mean BMI than those who did not and lower levels of physical activity ... One possible mechanism for sugar-sweetened beverages and fructose increasing blood pressure levels is a resultant increase in the level of uric acid in the blood that may in turn lower the nitric oxide required to keep the blood vessels dilated. Sugar consumption also has been linked to enhanced sympathetic nervous system activity and sodium retention"
• Effect of soya protein on blood pressure: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials - Br J Nutr. 2011 Feb 23:1-10 - "Meta-analyses of twenty-seven RCT showed a mean decrease of 2.21 mmHg (95 % CI - 4.10, - 0.33; P = 0.021) for systolic BP (SBP) and 1.44 mmHg (95 % CI - 2.56, - 0.31; P = 0.012) for diastolic BP (DBP), comparing the participants in the soya protein group with those in the control group. Soya protein consumption significantly reduced SBP and DBP in both hypertensive and normotensive subjects, and the reductions were markedly greater in hypertensive subjects. Significant and greater BP reductions were also observed in trials using carbohydrate, but not milk products, as the control diet. Meta-regression analyses further revealed a significantly inverse association between pre-treatment BP and the level of BP reductions. In conclusion, soya protein intake, compared with a control diet, significantly reduces both SBP and DBP, but the BP reductions are related to pre-treatment BP levels of subjects and the type of control diet used as comparison"
• Effect of soy isoflavones on blood pressure: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials - Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2011 Feb 8 - "A total of eleven trials were reviewed. Meta-analysis results showed a mean decrease of 2.5 mm Hg (95% CIs, - 5.35 to 0.34 mm Hg; P = 0.08) for systolic blood pressure and 1.5 mm Hg (95% CIs, - 3.09 to 0.17 mm Hg; P = 0.08) for diastolic blood pressure in the soy isoflavones-treated group compared to placebo. Meta-regression and subgroup analyses indicated that blood pressure status was a significant predictor of heterogeneity for the effect of soy isoflavones on blood pressure. Subgroup analysis of hypertensive subjects revealed that a greater blood pressure reduction was identified in the soy isoflavone-treated group compared to placebo (5 trials; SBP: - 5.94, 95% CIs [- 10.55, - 1.34] mm Hg, P = 0.01; DBP: - 3.35, 95% CIs [- 6.52, - 0.19] mm Hg, P = 0.04). In contrast, treatment with soy isoflavones did not lead to a significant reduction in blood pressure in normotensive subjects (6 trials; SBP: 0.29, 95% CIs [- 2.39, 2.97] mm Hg, P = 0.83; DBP: - 0.43, 95% CIs [- 1.66, 0.81] mm Hg, P = 0.50)" - See soy isoflavones at Amazon.com.
• A systematic review and meta-analysis of elevated blood pressure and consumption of dairy foods - J Hum Hypertens. 2011 Feb 10 - "elevated blood pressure (EBP) ... Meta-analysis of consumption of dairy foods and EBP in adults gave a relative risk (RR) of 0.87 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.81-0.94). Separation of high- and low-fat dairy foods, however, indicated a significant association with low-fat dairy foods only (RR of 0.84 (95% CI 0.74-0.95)). Additional analyses showed no association between EBP and cheese, although fluid dairy foods were significantly associated with a reduced development in EBP (RR of 0.92 (95% CI 0.87-0.98)). Little heterogeneity was observed among the data presented. This meta-analysis supports the inverse association between low-fat dairy foods and fluid dairy foods and risk of EBP"
• Polyunsaturated fatty acid intake and blood pressure in adolescents - J Hum Hypertens. 2011 Feb 10 - "systolic BP was inversely associated with intakes of polyunsaturated (b=-0.436, P<0.01), omega-3 (b=-2.47, P=0.02), omega-6 (b=-0.362, P=0.04) and long chain omega-3 fatty acids (b=-4.37, P=0.04) in boys. Diastolic BP and mean arterial pressure were inversely associated with intakes of long chain omega-3 fatty acids in boys (b=-3.93, P=0.01, b=-4.05, P=0.01, respectively). For specific long-chain omega-3s, significant inverse associations were observed between eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid, such as systolic BP decreasing by 4.7 mm Hg (95% CI -9.3 to -0.1) for a quarter gram increase in EPA, but no significant associations were observed with docosapentaenoic acid. No significant associations were observed in girls, or with the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio. Our results suggest that gender may moderate relationships between fatty acid intake and BP in adolescence" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Taurine Prevents Hypertension and Increases Exercise Capacity in Rats With Fructose-Induced Hypertension - Am J Hypertens. 2011 Feb 3 - "Five groups of 15 Sprague-Dawley rats were allocated and designated as control, high fructose-fed (fructose), high fructose-fed plus exercise (FE), high fructose-fed plus 2% taurine supplement (FT) and high fructose-fed plus 2% taurine supplement and exercise (FET) groups ... Noninvasive SBP differed significantly (P < 0.001) from week 3, both noninvasive and invasive ABP increased significantly (P < 0.001), and exercise capacity significantly decreased (P < 0.001) in the fructose group compared with the control group. The individual effects of swimming and taurine supplementation were incapable of preventing the development of hypertension and SBP significantly (P < 0.001) increased in the FE and FT groups; exercise capacity in those groups remained similar to control. The combined effects of exercise and taurine alleviated hypertension and significantly increased exercise capacity in the FET group. Insulin resistance increased significantly and plasma nitric oxide (NO) decreased significantly in the F, FE, and FT groups. Both parameters remained similar to control values in the FET group with an increasing antioxidant activity. Conclusion Taurine supplementation in combination with exercise prevents hypertension and increases exercise capacity by possibly antioxidation and maintaining NO concentrations" - See taurine at Amazon.com.
• Prediabetes and Prehypertension in Healthy Adults Are Associated With Low Vitamin D Levels - Diabetes Care. 2011 Jan 31 - "The odds ratio for comorbid PreDM and PreHTN in Caucasian men (n = 898) and women (n = 813) was 2.41 (P < 0.0001) with vitamin D levels ≤76.3 versus >76.3 nmol/L after adjusting for age, sex, and BMI. CONCLUSIONS This study strengthens the plausibility that low serum vitamin D levels elevate the risk for early-stage diabetes (PreDM) and hypertension (PreHTN)" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• The association of serum potassium level with left ventricular mass in patients with primary aldosteronism - Eur J Clin Invest. 2011 Jan 21 - "Primary aldosteronism (PA) is associated a worse cardiovascular outcome than essential hypertension. Hypokalemia, which is one major characteristic of PA, can affect both cardiac structure and function ... the control group (group 1). Thirty-two patients with serum potassium < 3.5 mmol L(-1) were defined as hypokalemia (group 2), and 53 patients with serum potassium ≥ 3.5 mmol L(-1) were defined as normokalemia (group 3) ... Group 2 patients had significant higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), log-transformed plasma aldosterone concentration, log-transformed aldosterone-to-renin ratio and lower serum potassium level than groups 1 and 3. In echocardiographic measurement, group 2 patients had higher LV mass index (LVMI) than groups 1 and 3. In multivariate analysis for factors affecting LVMI in PA patients, only serum potassium level (P = 0.001), use of spironolactone (P = 0.004) and DBP (P = 0.005) were independent factors. In the TDI study, both groups 2 and 3 had lower e' and E/e' values than group 1. Conclusions  Serum potassium level is significantly associated with LVMI in PA patients. Compared with essential hypertensive patients, PA patients had a greater impairment of cardiac diastolic function" - See potassium citrate at Amazon.com.
• Bioactive compounds in berries can reduce high blood pressure - Science Daily, 1/14/11 - "bioactive compounds in blueberries called anthocyanins offer protection against hypertension. Compared with those who do not eat blueberries, those eating at least one serving a week reduce their risk of developing the condition by 10 per cent" - See blueberry extract at Amazon.com.
• Three Whole-Grain Portions Daily May Lower Cardiovascular Risk - Medscape, 1/4/11 - "Daily consumption of 3 portions of whole-grain foods (WGF) is linked to lower cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in healthy, middle-aged people mainly by lowering blood pressure (BP) ... assigned to continue the refined diet (control) or to switch to a whole-wheat diet or to a whole-wheat plus oat diet, for 12 weeks ... Compared with the control group, the WGF groups had a significant reduction in systolic BP (6 mm Hg) and a significant reduction (3 mm Hg) in pulse pressure ... The observed decrease in systolic blood pressure could decrease the incidence of coronary artery disease and stroke by ≥ 15% and 25%, respectively"
• Blood 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration and hypertension: a meta-analysis - J Hypertens. 2010 Dec 28 - "Of the 18 studies included in the meta-analysis, 4 were prospective studies and 14 were cross-sectional studies. The pooled odds ratio of hypertension was 0.73 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.63-0.84] for the highest versus the lowest category of blood 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration. In a dose-response meta-analysis, the odds ratio for a 40 nmol/l (16 ng/ml) (approximately 2 SDs) increment in blood 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration was 0.84 (95% CI 0.78-0.90)" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Protective effect of lycopene on serum cholesterol and blood pressure: Meta-analyses of intervention trials - Maturitas. 2010 Dec 14 - "Lycopene, a carotenoid found in tomatoes ... Meta-analysis of the effect of lycopene on systolic blood pressure of all trials suggested a significant blood pressure reducing effect (mean systolic blood pressure change+/-SE: -5.60+/-5.26mm Hg, p=0.04) ... Our meta-analysis suggests that lycopene taken in doses ≥25mg daily is effective in reducing LDL cholesterol by about 10% which is comparable to the effect of low doses of statins in patient with slightly elevated cholesterol levels" - See Jarrow Lyco-Sorb (contains Lyco-O-Mato) at Amazon.com.
• Orange juice flavanone may benefit heart health: Study - Nutra USA, 12/17/10 - "The researchers reported that blood pressure was significantly lowered after 4 weeks consumption of orange juice or a hesperidin rich drink when compared to a placebo drink" - [Abstract] - See hesperidin at Amazon.com.
• Lifetime Fruit and Vegetable Consumption and Arterial Pulse Wave Velocity in Adulthood: The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study - Circulation. 2010 Nov 29 - "Vegetable consumption in childhood was inversely associated with adulthood PWV (β=-0.06, P=0.02), and this association remained significant (β=-0.07, P=0.004) when adjusted for traditional risk factors (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, systolic blood pressure, body mass index, and smoking). Vegetable consumption was also an independent predictor of PWV in adulthood when adjusted for lifestyle or traditional risk factors (β=-0.08, P=0.002 and β=-0.07, P=0.0007, respectively). Persistently high consumption of both fruits and vegetables from childhood to adulthood was associated with lower PWV compared with persistently low consumption (P=0.03 for both). The number of lifestyle risk factors (the lowest quintile for vegetable consumption, fruit consumption, physical activity, and smoking) in childhood was directly associated with PWV in adulthood (P=0.001). This association remained significant when adjusted for the number of lifestyle risk factors in adulthood ... lifetime lifestyle risk factors, with low consumption of fruits and vegetables in particular, are related to arterial stiffness in young adulthood"
• The effects of tomato consumption on serum glucose, apolipoprotein B, apolipoprotein A-I, homocysteine and blood pressure in type 2 diabetic patients - Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2010 Dec 8 - "32 type 2 diabetes patients received 200 g raw tomato daily for 8 weeks ... There were significant decreases in systolic and diastolic blood pressure and also a significant increase in apoA-I at the end of study compared with initial values"
• Whey supplements lower blood pressure: Low-cost protein gets big results in people with elevated blood pressure - Science Daily, 12/8/10 - "Beverages supplemented by whey-based protein can significantly reduce elevated blood pressure, reducing the risk of stroke and heart disease ... daily doses of commonly available whey brought a more than six-point reduction in the average blood pressure of men and women with elevated systolic and diastolic blood pressures ... blood-pressure reductions like those seen by Fluegel can reduce cardiovascular disease and bring a 35 to 40 percent reduction in fatal strokes" - See whey protein at Amazon.com.
• Role of vitamin D in arterial hypertension - Expert Rev Cardiovasc Ther. 2010 Nov;8(11):1599-608 - "Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent and may contribute to arterial hypertension. The antihypertensive effects of vitamin D include suppression of renin and parathyroid hormone levels and renoprotective, anti-inflammatory and vasculoprotective properties. Low 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels, which are used to classify the vitamin D status, are an independent risk factor for incident arterial hypertension. Meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials showed that vitamin D supplementation reduces systolic blood pressure by 2-6 mmHg ... vitamin D might be useful for the treatment of arterial hypertension as well as other chronic diseases. Therefore, we recommend that testing for and treating vitamin D deficiency in patients with arterial hypertension should be seriously considered" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Greater Coffee Intake in Men Is Associated With Steeper Age-Related Increases in Blood Pressure - Am J Hypertens. 2010 Nov 18 - "Greater coffee intake in men was associated with steeper age-related increases in SBP and pulse pressure, particularly beyond 70 years of age and in overweight to obese men"
• Blueberries linked to improved blood vessel health: Rat study - Nutra USA, 11/18/10 - "Our data provide clear evidence that the 8 week dietary treatment with 8 percent wild blueberry in the adult SHR with established endothelial dysfunction results in a significant moderation of the increased aortic vascular tone ... The berries were proposed to act via the NO pathway – nitric oxide is a potent vasodilator, or compound that promotes the dilation or relaxation of blood vessels, thereby easing blood pressure" - [Abstract] - See blueberry extract at Amazon.com.
• A Wild Blueberry-Enriched Diet ( Vaccinium angustifolium ) Improves Vascular Tone in the Adult Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat - J Agric Food Chem. 2010 Nov 24 - "The vasoconstriction elicited by Phe was reduced in the WB group, attributed to the NO pathway, favoring a lower vascular tone under basal conditions. Acetylcholine-induced vasorelaxation in the WB group was possibly mediated through the COX, but not the NO pathway. These findings document the potential of wild blueberries to modify major pathways of vasomotor control and improve the vascular tone in the adult SHR with endothelial dysfunction" - See blueberry extract at Amazon.com.
• Aged garlic shows blood pressure improvement benefits: Study - Nutra USA, 11/17/10 - "an aged garlic extract may reduce systolic blood pressure by 10.2 mmHg ... the benefits were only observed in people with initial systolic pressure (SBP) of 140 mmHg or over, and that no effects were observed in people with lower SBP ... aged garlic extract of 3.84 grams (Kyolic, Garlic High Potency Everyday Formula 112, Wakunga/Wagner) or placebo for 12 weeks ... Results showed a “marked difference” between the garlic and control groups in subjects with ‘uncontrolled hypertension’" - [Abstract] - See garlic supplements at Amazon.com.
• Aged garlic extract lowers blood pressure in patients with treated but uncontrolled hypertension: a randomised controlled trial - Maturitas. 2010 Oct;67(2):144-50 - "In patients with uncontrolled hypertension (SBP ≥ 140 mmHg at baseline), systolic blood pressure was on average 10.2 +/- 4.3 mmHg (p=0.03) lower in the garlic group compared with controls over the 12-week treatment period. Changes in blood pressure between the groups were not significant in patients with SBP<140 mmHg at baseline. Aged garlic extract was generally well tolerated and acceptability of trial treatment was high (92%)" - See garlic supplements at Amazon.com.
• Why chocolate protects against heart disease - Science Daily, 11/10/10 - "ate 75 grams of unsweetened chocolate with a cocoa content of 72 percent. To analyze what happened with the ACE enzyme, blood samples were taken in advance and then a half hour, one hour, and three hours afterward ... In the sample taken three hours afterward, there was a significant inhibition of ACE activity. The average was 18 percent lower activity than before the dose of cocoa, fully comparable to the effect of drugs that inhibit ACE and are used as a first-choice treatment for high blood pressure"
• Low serum magnesium concentrations predict increase in left ventricular mass over 5 years independently of common cardiovascular risk factors - Atherosclerosis. 2010 Sep 21 - "Mg(2+) at baseline (0.790+/-0.003mmol/l, mean+/-SEM) inversely correlated with the difference in LVM over 5 years (p<0.0001, females: p<0.002, males: p<0.024). In the lowest Mg(2+)-quintile (Mg(2+)<=0.73mmol/l), LVM (187.4+/-3.1g at baseline) increased by 14.9+/-1.2g, while in the highest Mg(2+)-quintile (Mg(2+)>=0.85mmol/l) LVM (186.7+/-3.4g at baseline) decreased by -0.5+/-2.8g (p<0.0001 between quintiles). By multivariable analysis including several cardiovascular risk factors and antihypertensive treatment, serum Mg(2+) was associated with the increase in LVM at a statistically high significant level (p<0.0001). LVM after 5 years was significantly higher in subjects within the lower Mg(2+)-quintiles. This association remained highly significant after adjustment for several cardiovascular risk factors including arterial hypertension and diabetes mellitus" - See magnesium supplements at Amazon.com.
• Consumption of 'good salt' can reduce population blood pressure levels, research finds - Science Daily, 9/13/10 - "the average potassium intake in 21 countries including the US, China, New Zealand, Germany and the Netherlands varies between 1.7 and 3.7 g a day. This is considerably lower than the 4.7 g a day, which has been recommended based on the positive health effects observed at this level of intake ... A hypothetical increase in the potassium intake to the recommended level would reduce the systolic blood pressure in the populations of these countries by between 1.7 and 3.2 mm Hg ... Earlier studies have shown that salt reduction of 3 g per day in food could reduce blood pressure and prevent 2500 deaths per year due to cardiovascular diseases in the Netherlands. In Western countries, salt consumption can be as high as 9-12 g a day whereas 5 g is the recommended amount according to WHO standards"
• Effects of myo-inositol supplementation in postmenopausal women with metabolic syndrome: a perspective, randomized, placebo-controlled study - Menopause. 2010 Aug 31 - "Myo-inositol plus diet improved systolic and diastolic blood pressure, HOMA index, cholesterol, and triglyceride serum levels with highly significant differences, compared with the groups treated only with diet and placebo. In the group treated with myo-inositol, a decrease in diastolic blood pressure (-11%), HOMA index (-75%), and serum triglycerides (-20%) and an improvement in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (22%) were shown ... CONCLUSIONS: Supplementation with myo-inositol may be considered a reliable option in the treatment of metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women" - Note:  See raysahelian.com/inositol.html  and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inositol which claim myo-inositol and inositol are the same.  See myo inositol at Amazon.com.
• Effect of increased consumption of whole-grain foods on blood pressure and other cardiovascular risk markers in healthy middle-aged persons: a randomized controlled trial - Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Aug 4 - "randomly allocated volunteers to a control (refined diet), wheat, or wheat + oats group for 12 w ... Systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure were significantly reduced by 6 and 3 mm Hg, respectively, in the whole-grain foods groups compared with the control group ... Daily consumption of 3 portions of whole-grain foods can significantly reduce cardiovascular disease risk in middle-aged people mainly through blood pressure-lowering mechanisms. The observed decrease in systolic blood pressure could decrease the incidence of coronary artery disease and stroke by ge 15% and 25%, respectively"
• Acute resveratrol supplementation improves flow-mediated dilatation in overweight/obese individuals with mildly elevated blood pressure - Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2010 Jul 29 - "Flow-mediated dilatation of the brachial artery (FMD) is a biomarker of endothelial function and cardiovascular health. Impaired FMD is associated with several cardiovascular risk factors including hypertension and obesity. Various food ingredients such as polyphenols have been shown to improve FMD ... One hour after consumption of the supplement, plasma resveratrol and FMD were measured. Data were analyzed by linear regression versus log(10) dose of resveratrol. 14 men and 5 women (age 55 +/- 2 years, BMI 28.7 +/- 0.5 kg m(-2), BP 141 +/- 2/89 +/- 1 mmHg) completed this study. There was a significant dose effect of resveratrol on plasma resveratrol concentration (P < 0.001) and on FMD (P < 0.01), which increased from 4.1 +/- 0.8% (placebo) to 7.7 +/- 1.5% after 270 mg resveratrol. FMD was also linearly related to log(10) plasma resveratrol concentration" - See resveratrol products at Amazon.com.
• Chili peppers may come with blood pressure benefits - Science Daily, 8/3/10 - "We found that long-term dietary consumption of capsaicin, one of the most abundant components in chili peppers, could reduce blood pressure in genetically hypertensive rats" - See capsaicin supplements at Amazon.com.
• Blueberries Decrease Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Obese Men and Women with Metabolic Syndrome - J Nutr. 2010 Jul 21 - "The decreases in systolic and diastolic blood pressures were greater in the blueberry-supplemented group (-6 and -4%, respectively) than in controls (-1.5 and -1.2%) (P < 0.05)" - See blueberry extract at Amazon.com.
• Fitness, Fatness, and Blood Pressure - Medscape, 7/19/10 - "In this cohort, consisting mainly of white men (average age, 46 years), normal-weight individuals had a mean systolic blood pressure 12 mm Hg lower than obese individuals (115 vs 127 mm Hg, p<0.001). In contrast, individuals with high levels of fitness, those in the highest quartile, had a 6 mm Hg lower systolic blood pressure than those least fit (119 vs 125 mm Hg, p<0.001)"
• Effects of Vitamin D Supplementation on Blood Pressure - South Med J. 2010 Jul 8 - "From 244 retrieved papers, four RCTs involving 429 participants met our inclusion criteria for this meta-analysis. Vitamin D supplementation reduced systolic blood pressure (SBP) by 2.44 mm Hg (weighted mean difference [WMD]: -2.44, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -4.86, -0.02), but not diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (WMD: -0.02, 95% CI: -4.04, 4.01) compared with calcium or placebo. Subgroup analysis suggested that the change of blood pressure did not vary markedly across the dose of vitamin D supplementation, study length, or intervention. CONCLUSIONS:: Oral vitamin D supplementation may lead to a reduction in systolic blood pressure but not diastolic blood pressure" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Cocoa flavanols improve vascular and blood pressure measures for coronary artery disease patients - Science Daily, 7/6/10 - "The findings indicate that foods rich in flavanols -- such as cocoa products, tea, wine, and various fruits and vegetables -- have a cardio-protective benefit for heart disease patients ... The study found a protective effect from a cocoa drink with 375 mg of flavanols, but according to researchers, a standard or recommended dosage has not yet been defined to achieve optimal health benefit ... In the current study, the benefit seen from the two-fold increase in circulating angiogenic cells was similar to that achieved by therapy with statins and with lifestyle changes such as exercise and smoking cessation"
• Aged garlic extract lowers blood pressure in patients with treated but uncontrolled hypertension: A randomised controlled trial - Maturitas. 2010 Jun 29 - "In patients with uncontrolled hypertension (SBP>/=140mmHg at baseline), systolic blood pressure was on average 10.2+/-4.3mmHg (p=0.03) lower in the garlic group compared with controls over the 12-week treatment period. Changes in blood pressure between the groups were not significant in patients with SBP<140mmHg at baseline. Aged garlic extract was generally well tolerated and acceptability of trial treatment was high (92%). CONCLUSION: Our trial suggests that aged garlic extract is superior to placebo in lowering systolic blood pressure similarly to current first line medications in patients with treated but uncontrolled hypertension" - See garlic supplements at Amazon.com.
• Dark chocolate lowers blood pressure, research finds - Science Daily, 6/28/10 - "Flavanols have been shown to increase the formation of endothelial nitric oxide, which promotes vasodilation and consequently may lower blood pressure. There have, however, been conflicting results as to the real-life effects of eating chocolate. We've found that consumption can significantly, albeit modestly, reduce blood pressure for people with high blood pressure but not for people with normal blood pressure ... The pressure reduction seen in the combined results for people with hypertension, 5mm Hg systolic, may be clinically relevant -- it is comparable to the known effects of 30 daily minutes of physical activity (4-9mm Hg) and could theoretically reduce the risk of a cardiovascular event by about 20% over five years" - See flavonoids at Amazon.com.
• Low calcium intake linked with increased risk of osteoporosis and hypertension in postmenopausal women - Science Daily, 6/18/10 - "a significantly increased proportion of women (35.4%) who consumed a lower amount of calcium through intake from dairy sources, had a concurrent diagnosis of both hypertension and osteoporosis, compared with women who consumed a higher amount of calcium (19.3% p<0.001) ... Further statistical analyses revealed that a lower calcium intake was associated with an increased risk of developing hypertension or osteoporosis over time when compared with controls (Odds Ratio (OR) hypertension: 1.43; 95%CI: 1.12-1.82, osteoporosis: OR 1.46; CI: 1.15-1.85). Women who consumed a lower amount of calcium were shown to be most likely to develop both conditions over time compared with women consuming a higher amount of calcium (OR 1.60; CI: 1.09-2.34)"
• Drinking fewer sugar-sweetened beverages may lower blood pressure - Science Daily, 5/24/10 - ""Our findings suggest that reducing sugar-sweetened beverages and sugar consumption may be an important dietary strategy to lower blood pressure and further reduce other blood pressure-related diseases," Chen said. "It has been estimated that a 3-millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) reduction in systolic blood pressure should reduce stroke mortality by 8 percent and coronary heart disease mortality by 5 percent. Such reductions in systolic blood pressure would be anticipated by reducing sugar-sweetened beverages consumption by an average of 2 servings per day ... a reduction of one serving/day of SSB was associated with a 1.8 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) drop in systolic pressure and a 1.1 mm Hg decline in diastolic pressure over 18 months"
• Arterial Stiffness and Wave Reflections in Marathon Runners - Am J Hypertens. 2010 May 20 - "Marathon runners had significantly higher systolic, diastolic, pulse (both aortic and brachial), and mean pressures compared to controls (P < 0.05 for all). Marathon runners had significantly higher PWV (6.89 m/s vs. 6.33 m/s, P < 0.01), whereas there was no difference in AIx and AIx corrected for heart rate (AIx@75) compared to controls (13.8% vs. 13.9%, P = 0.985 and 8.2% vs. 10.3%, P = 0.340, respectively). Marathon race caused a significant fall in both AIx (12.2% vs. -5.8%, P < 0.001) and AIx@75 (7.0% vs. 0.0%, P = 0.01), whereas PWV did not change significantly (6.66 m/s vs. 6.74 m/s, P = 0.690). Aortic and brachial systolic, diastolic, and mean pressures were also decreased (P < 0.05).Conclusions A significant fall in wave reflections was observed after marathon race, whereas aortic stiffness was not altered. Moreover, marathon runners have increased aortic stiffness and pressures, whereas wave reflections indexes do not differ compared to controls"
• Grapes reduce risk factors for heart disease and diabetes, animal study shows - Science Daily, 5/10/10 - "After three months, the rats that received the grape-enriched diet had lower blood pressure, better heart function, and reduced indicators of inflammation in the heart and the blood than rats who received no grape powder. Rats also had lower triglycerides and improved glucose tolerance" - See Jarrow Formulas, OPCs + 95, 100 mg, 100 Capsules.
• Effects of continuous vs. interval exercise training on blood pressure and arterial stiffness in treated hypertension - Hypertens Res. 2010 Apr 9 - "Continuous and interval exercise training were beneficial for blood pressure control, but only interval training reduced arterial stiffness in treated hypertensive subjects"
• Brown rice and cardiovascular protection -Science Daily, 4/26/10 - "brown rice might have an advantage over white rice by offering protection from high blood pressure and atherosclerosis ("hardening of the arteries") ... a component in a layer of tissue surrounding grains of brown rice may work against angiotensin II. Angiotensin II is an endocrine protein and a known culprit in the development of high blood pressure and atherosclerosis"

Other News:

• Optimal Blood Pressure for Cognitive Function: Findings from an Elderly African-American Cohort Study - J Am Geriatr Soc. 2013 May 6 - "Systolic BP (SBP) of approximately 135 mmHg and diastolic BP (DBP) of approximately 80 mmHg were associated with optimal cognitive function after adjusting for other variables ... High and low BP were associated with poorer cognitive performance. A joint optimal region of SBP and DBP for cognitive function has been identified, which may provide useful clinical information on optimal BP control in cognitive health and lead to better quality of life for elderly adults"
• Effects of Low-Dose Atorvastatin on Arterial Stiffness and Central Aortic Pressure Augmentation in Patients With Hypertension and Hypercholesterolemia - Am J Hypertens. 2013 Feb 28 - "50 hypertensive and hypercholesterolemic patients were allocated to receive 10mg of atorvastatin or placebo for 26 weeks ... At study end, aortic PWV (9.0+/-1.5 vs. 10.9+/-2.6 m/sec; P<0.001) and AIx(75) (24.9% +/- 9.7% vs 28.8% +/- 11.8%; P < 0.001) were significantly lower in the atorvastatin group than that placebo group. Furthermore, decreases in central aortic systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure were evident at study-end with atorvastatin but not with placebo (130+/-8 vs. 138+/-6mm Hg, P < 0.001; 48+/-7 vs. 53+/-6mm Hg, P < 0.05, respectively). Atorvastatin-induced reductions in aortic PWV during follow-up showed significant associations with changes in AIx(75) and central aortic systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure"
• Blood pressure and risk of cardiovascular diseases in type 2 diabetes: further findings from the Swedish National Diabetes Register (NDR-BP II) - J Hypertens. 2012 Aug 4 - "In treated patients, nonlinear splines for 6-year risk of fatal/nonfatal CHD, stroke and CVD by BP as a continuous variable showed a progressive increase with higher SBP from 140 mmHg and higher, and with DBP from 80 mmHg, with a J-shaped risk curve at lowest SBP levels, but not obviously at lowest DBP levels. Analysing intervals of SBP with 130-134 mmHg as reference at Cox regression, adjusted hazard ratios (HR) for fatal/nonfatal CHD, stroke and CVD with at least 140 mmHg were 1.22 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.08-1.39], 1.43 (1.18-1.72), 1.26 (1.13-1.41), all P < 0.001. HR with 115-129 and 135-139 mmHg were nonsignificant, whereas increased with 100-114 mmHg, 1.96 (P < 0.001), 1.75 (P = 0.02), 2.08 (P < 0.001), respectively. With DBP 75-79 mmHg as reference, adjusted HR for fatal/nonfatal CHD, stroke and CVD with DBP 80-84 mmHg were 1.42 (1.26-1.59), 1.46 (1.24-1.72), 1.39 (1.26-1.53), all P < 0.001. Corresponding HR with DBP at least 85 mmHg were 1.70 (1.50-1.92), 2.35 (1.99-2.77), 1.87 (1.69-2.07), all P < 0.001. Corresponding HR with DBP 60-69 and 70-74 mmHg were nonsignificant. The picture was similar in 7059 patients with previous CVD and in untreated patients ... CONCLUSION: BP around 130-135/75-79 mmHg showed lower risks of cardiovascular diseases in patients with type 2 diabetes"
• Rethinking the Association of High Blood Pressure With Mortality in Elderly Adults: The Impact of Frailty - Arch Intern Med. 2012 Jul 16:1-7 - "The association between BP and mortality varied by walking speed. Among faster walkers, those with elevated systolic BP (≥140 mm Hg) had a greater adjusted risk of mortality compared with those without (hazard ratio [HR], 1.35; 95% CI, 1.03-1.77). Among slower walkers, neither elevated systolic nor diastolic BP (≥90 mm Hg) was associated with mortality. In participants who did not complete the walk test, elevated BP was strongly and independently associated with a lower risk of death: HR, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.23-0.62 (systolic); and HR, 0.10; 95% CI, 0.01-0.81 (diastolic)"
• Too much salt may damage blood vessels and lead to high blood pressure - Science Daily, 6/18/12 - "Higher sodium intake was associated with increasing levels of uric acid and albumin over time. The higher the levels of these markers, the greater the risk of developing hypertension if dietary salt intake was high, researchers found. Compared with participants eating the least amount of sodium (about 2,200 milligrams a day), those eating the most (about 6,200 mg/d) were 21 percent more likely to develop high blood pressure. However, those who had high uric acid levels and ate the most salt were 32 percent more likely to develop high blood pressure while those with high urine albumin levels and highest salt intake were 86 percent more likely to develop high blood pressure ... A high-salt diet is believed to be responsible for 20 percent to 40 percent of all cases of high blood pressure in the United States"
• Prevalence and associated factors of subclinical hypercortisolism in patients with resistant hypertension - J Hypertens. 2012 Mar 7 - "Patients with resistant hypertension had a relatively high prevalence of subclinical hypercortisolism, and its presence is associated with several markers of worse cardiovascular prognosis"
• Serum Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone Levels Are Associated with Blood Pressure in Children and Adolescents - J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2011 Dec 28 - "There is a positive relationship between serum TSH levels and hypertension in children and adolescents, suggesting that subclinical hypothyroidism is associated with an increased risk of hypertension"
• The association of antihypertensive medication use with risk of cognitive decline and dementia: a meta-analysis of longitudinal studies - Int J Clin Pract. 2011 Dec;65(12):1295-305 - "The association of antihypertensive medication use with cognitive decline (including mild cognitive impairment) or dementia (including Alzheimer's disease (AD), vascular dementia (VD) and any dementia) has still been an area of controversy ... The quantitative meta-analysis showed that there was no significant difference in incidence of AD (RR: 0.90, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.79-1.03), cognitive decline (RR: 0.97; 95% CI: 0.92-1.03) and cognitive impairment (RR: 0.97; 95% CI: 0.92-1.03). The quantitative meta-analysis showed that the subjects with antihypertensive medication use were lower incidence of VD (RR: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.52-0.87) and any dementia (RR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.77-0.96) than those without"
• Relation Between Blood Pressure and Vascular Events and Mortality in Patients With Manifest Vascular Disease: J-Curve Revisited - Hypertension. 2011 Nov 7 - "Recent studies have challenged the notion that "lower is better" for blood pressure in relation to vascular events and mortality in patients with vascular disease, whereas practice guidelines currently recommend to lower blood pressure to <130/80 mm Hg ... For this purpose, 5788 patients with symptomatic vascular disease enrolled in the Secondary Manifestations of Arterial Disease Study were followed-up for the occurrence of new vascular events (ie, myocardial infarction, stroke, or vascular death) and all-cause mortality. During a median of 5.0 years (interquartile range: 2.6-8.1 years), 788 patients experienced a new vascular event, and 779 died. Overall, the covariate-adjusted relationship between mean baseline systolic, diastolic, or pulse pressure and the occurrence of vascular events followed a J-curve with increased event rates above and below the nadir blood pressure of 143/82 mm Hg. A similar nonlinear relationship was found for diastolic pressure and all-cause mortality. Elevated blood pressure was not associated with increased morbidity and mortality in patients with recently diagnosed coronary artery disease, ≥65 years, and having >60 mm Hg pulse pressure. Importantly, especially in these subgroups, low blood pressure could also be a symptom rather than a cause of disease. Blood pressure level below and above 143/82 mm Hg is, thus, an independent risk factor for recurrent events in patients with manifest vascular disease"
• High blood pressure may lead to missed emotional cues - Science Daily, 11/3/11 - "A recently published study by Clemson University psychology professor James A. McCubbin and colleagues has shown that people with higher blood pressure have reduced ability to recognize angry, fearful, sad and happy faces and text passages"
• Influence of low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol on arterial stiffening and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in essential hypertension - J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2011 Oct;13(10):710-5 - "In univariate regression analysis, HDL cholesterol was inversely associated with arterial stiffness parameter and E/Em (r=-0.23 and r=-0.27, respectively, P<.01). The association of HDL cholesterol with arterial stiffness and LV diastolic function was observed in both men and women. Triglycerides were weakly correlated with arterial stiffness parameter and E/Em, while low-density lipoprotein and total cholesterol were not. In multiple regression analysis, only low HDL cholesterol was found as an independent predictor for both arterial stiffness and LV diastolic dysfunction. Enhanced arterial stiffness is associated with LV diastolic dysfunction. Low HDL cholesterol may lead to the deterioration of both arterial stiffness and LV diastolic function in patients with essential hypertension"
• The effect of coffee on blood pressure and cardiovascular disease in hypertensive individuals: a systematic review and meta-analysis - Am J Clin Nutr. 2011 Aug 31 - "In 5 trials, the administration of 200-300 mg caffeine produced a mean increase of 8.1 mm Hg (95% CI: 5.7, 10.6 mm Hg) in systolic BP and of 5.7 mm Hg (95% CI: 4.1, 7.4 mm Hg) in diastolic BP. The increase in BP was observed in the first hour after caffeine intake and lasted ≥3 h. In 3 studies of the longer-term effect (2 wk) of coffee, no increase in BP was observed after coffee was compared with a caffeine-free diet or was compared with decaffeinated coffee. Last, 7 cohort studies found no evidence of an association between habitual coffee consumption and a higher risk of CVD ... In hypertensive individuals, caffeine intake produces an acute increase in BP for ≥3 h. However, current evidence does not support an association between longer-term coffee consumption and increased BP or between habitual coffee consumption and an increased risk of CVD in hypertensive subjects"
• Poor sleep quality increases risk of high blood pressure - Science Daily, 8/29/11 - "SWS, one of the deeper stages of sleep, is characterized by non-rapid eye movement (non-REM) from which it's difficult to awaken ... people with the lowest level of SWS had an 80 percent increased risk of developing high blood pressure ... Good quality sleep is the third pillar of health ... People should recognize that sleep, diet and physical activity are critical to health, including heart health and optimal blood pressure control"
• Blood pressure changes are age-related - Science Daily, 6/14/11 - "blood pressure changed at four phases throughout life: a rapid increase during adolescent growth; a gentler increase in early adulthood; a midlife acceleration (usually in the 40s); and finally for a period during late adulthood in which blood pressure increases slowly and then reverses ... Wider evidence suggests that this might in part reflect modifiable blood pressure-related factors such as diet and lifestyle that can vary with differences in social and economic circumstances ... The findings also support the wide body of evidence that show a strong link between body mass index and blood pressure throughout life"
• Midlife and Late-Life Blood Pressure and Dementia in Japanese Elderly: The Hisayama Study - Hypertension. 2011 May 9 - "We followed up a total of 668 community-dwelling Japanese individuals without dementia, aged 65 to 79 years, for 17 years and examined the associations of late-life and midlife hypertension with the risk of vascular dementia and Alzheimer disease using the Cox proportional hazards model ... The age- and sex-adjusted incidence of vascular dementia significantly increased with elevated late-life blood pressure levels (normal: 2.3, prehypertension: 8.4, stage 1 hypertension: 12.6, and stage 2 hypertension: 18.9 per 1000 person-years; P(trend)<0.001), whereas no such association was observed for Alzheimer disease (P(trend)=0.88). After adjusting for potential confounding factors, subjects with prehypertension and stage 1 or stage 2 hypertension had 3.0-fold, 4.5-fold, and 5.6-fold greater risk of vascular dementia, respectively, compared with subjects with normal blood pressure. Likewise, there was a positive association of midlife blood pressure levels with the risk of vascular dementia but not with the risk of Alzheimer disease. Compared with those without hypertension in both midlife and late life, subjects with midlife hypertension had an ≈5-fold greater risk of vascular dementia, regardless of late-life blood pressure levels. Our findings suggest that midlife hypertension and late-life hypertension are significant risk factors for the late-life onset of vascular dementia but not for that of Alzheimer disease in a general Japanese population. Midlife hypertension is especially strongly associated with a greater risk of vascular dementia, regardless of late-life blood pressure levels"
• Combined Effect of High-Normal Blood Pressure and Low HDL Cholesterol on Mortality in an Elderly Korean Population: The South-West Seoul (SWS) Study - Am J Hypertens. 2011 Apr 28 - "high-normal blood pressure (HNBP) ... Study, a prospective cohort study of 2,376 elderly Koreans, aged >60 years.ResultsDuring the median follow-up of 7.6 years, 353 deaths occurred from all causes, and 113 of these were attributed to CVD. Prehypertension was nonsignificantly associated with an increased risk of mortality (hazard ratio (HR): 1.06, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.68-1.64). Subjects with HNBP exhibited a nonsignificantly higher risk of mortality compared with those with optimal blood pressure by the ESH/ESC guideline (HR: 1.35, 95% CI: 0.84-2.18). However, the combination of low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and HNBP showed a twofold higher risk of all-cause mortality (HR: 2.01, 95% CI: 1.11-3.64) independent of other risk factors. Conclusions Although prehypertension was not associated with increased risk of mortality, individuals in the elderly Korean population with HNBP, especially when combined with low HDL cholesterol, showed a significantly increased risk of all-cause mortality"
• Aortic stiffness is reduced beyond blood pressure lowering by short-term and long-term antihypertensive treatment: a meta-analysis of individual data in 294 patients - J Hypertens. 2011 Apr 23 - "meta-analysis of individual data from 15 randomized, controlled, double-blind, parallel group trials ... In the short-term and long-term trials, PWV decreased significantly by -0.75 and -1.3 m/s in the active treatment group compared with by +0.17 and -0.44 m/s in the placebo group, respectively. Active treatment was independently related to the changes in PWV and explained 5 and 4% of the variance in the short-term and long-term trials, respectively. In the short-term trials, ACEIs were more effective than calcium antagonists and placebo on improving arterial stiffness. In the long-term trials, ACEI, calcium antagonists, beta-blocker, and diuretic reduced significantly PWV compared to placebo ... Our study shows that antihypertensive treatments improve the arterial stiffness beyond their effect on blood pressure"
• Higher Daily Coffee Intake Not Linked to Hypertension Risk - Medscape, 4/13/11 - "Habitual drinking of 3 cups/day or more of coffee is not associated with an increased risk for hypertension compared with less than 1 cup/day, but this risk was slightly elevated with light to moderate consumption of 1 to 3 cups/day"
• Treating high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes may lower risk of Alzheimer's disease - Science Daily, 4/13/11 - "After five years, 298 people developed Alzheimer's disease. The others still had mild cognitive impairment. People with risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, cerebrovascular disease and high cholesterol were two times more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than those without vascular risk factors. A total of 52 percent of those with risk factors developed Alzheimer's disease, compared to 36 percent of those with no risk factors ... Of those with vascular risk factors, people who were receiving full treatment were 39 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than those receiving no treatment. Those receiving some treatments were 26 percent less likely to develop the disease compared to people who did not receive any treatment ... Although this was not a controlled trial, patients who were treated for their high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease and diabetes had less progression of their memory or thinking impairment and were less likely to develop dementia"
• Habitual coffee consumption and risk of hypertension: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective observational studies - Am J Clin Nutr. 2011 Mar 30 - "habitual coffee consumption of >3 cups/d was not associated with an increased risk of hypertension compared with <1 cup/d; however, a slightly elevated risk appeared to be associated with light-to-moderate consumption of 1 to 3 cups/d"
• Blood pressure: 100 million Americans may be unnecessarily labeled abnormal - Science Daily, 3/9/11 - "in people aged over 50, those with SBPs above 140, independent of DBP, were significantly more likely to die prematurely. In those aged 50 or less, DBPs above 100 were linked to significant increases in premature death. The authors' analysis offers alternative cut-off points for the definition of 'normal"
• Napping may help with blood pressure management - Science Daily, 2/28/11 - "those participants who slept for at least 45 minutes during the day had lower average blood pressure after psychological stress than those who did not sleep ... The average sleep duration is now almost 2 hours shorter per night than it was 50 years ago. And this could be impacting our long-term health. For example, sleeping less has been linked to an increased risk of hypertension and cardiovascular problems generally ... One group was allotted a 60-minute interval during the day when they had the opportunity to sleep; the other group did not sleep during the day ... daytime sleep seemed to have a restorative effect with students in the sleep condition reporting lower scores of sleepiness than those who did not sleep. Although blood pressure and pulse rates rose in both groups between baseline and the stress phase, during the recovery phase, those who had napped had significantly lower average blood pressure readings than those who had not slept"
• Groundbreaking technology will revolutionize blood pressure measurement - Science Daily, 2/20/11 - "The new technology uses a sensor on the wrist to record the pulse wave and then, using computerised mathematical modelling of the pulse wave, scientists are able to accurately read the pressure close to the heart. Patients who have tested the new device found it easier and more comfortable, as it can be worn like a watch ... Being able to measure blood pressure in the aorta which is closer to the heart and brain is important because this is where high blood pressure can cause damage. In addition, the pressure in the aorta can be quite different from that traditionally measured in the arm" - Note:  There might be something to this.  It even made BBC News.
• Cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate, their ratio and hypertension: evidence of associations in male veterans from the Vietnam Experience Study - J Hum Hypertens. 2011 Feb 10 - "Cortisol and the cortisol:DHEAS ratio were positively associated with hypertension (P<0.001), whereas DHEAS was negatively associated; the latter relationship was attenuated to non-significance (P=0.06) in models that adjusted for age, sociodemographics, place of service, health behaviours and BMI. The present analyses provide confirmation of a positive association between cortisol and the cortisol:DHEAS ratio and population hypertension"
• Two medicines taken together improve control of blood pressure - Science Daily, 1/12/10 - "patients who start treatment with a single tablet containing a combination of drugs will have a 25% better response during the first six months of treatment than patients receiving conventional treatment, and -- remarkably -- are less likely to stop treatment because of side effects"
• The Farther From Town the Lower the Blood Pressure: Report From Rural Yunnan Province - Am J Hypertens. 2010 Dec 16 - "Chinese farmers ... There was a significant (P < 0.001) inverse relationship between BP and distance from populations centers. For every 10 km from the town center, the mean systolic BP (SBP) in the village decreased by 1.2 mm Hg and the mean diastolic by 0.5 mm Hg. After adjustment for age, gender, ethnicity, body mass index, smoking, and drinking, we found that SBP decreased by 1.8 mm Hg (P = 0.03) and diastolic BP by 1.0 mm Hg (P = 0.02) for every 10 km distance from the town center"
• Higher Blood Pressure Associated With Higher Cognition and Functionality Among Centenarians in Australia - Am J Hypertens. 2010 Dec 16 - "Average age of participants was 101.1 years. Hypertension was demonstrated in 1% according to the WHO criterion (≥140/90 mm Hg). However, 38% of centenarians were hypertensive, defined as having a medical diagnosis of hypertension, and/or being on antihypertensive medications, and/or having a BP measurement ≥ 140/90 mm Hg. Mean values were: systolic = 130 mm Hg (90-182 mm Hg), diastolic = 70 mm Hg (44-98 mm Hg), and pulse pressure (PP) = 60 mm Hg (20-130 mm Hg). Hypercholesterolaemia was only detected in 8% of participants. Hypertension was not associated with increased risk of hypercholesterolaemia. Low systolic BP (SBP) and narrower PP was associated with lower MMSE scores. High SBP and wider PP was associated with better functional status"
• What Is the Optimal Blood Pressure in Patients After Acute Coronary Syndromes?: Relationship of Blood Pressure and Cardiovascular Events in the Pravastatin or Atorvastatin Evaluation and Infection Therapy-Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (PROVE IT-TIMI) 22 Trial - Circulation. 2010 Nov 8 - "The relationship between BP (systolic or diastolic) followed a J- or U-shaped curve association with primary, secondary, and individual outcomes, with increased events rates at both low and high BP values, both unadjusted and after adjustment for baseline variables, baseline C-reactive protein, and on-treatment average levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. A nonlinear Cox proportional hazards model showed a nadir of 136/85 mm Hg (range 130 to 140 mm Hg systolic and 80 to 90 mm Hg diastolic) at which the incidence of primary outcome was lowest. The curve was relatively flat for systolic pressures of 110 to 130 mm Hg and diastolic pressures of 70 to 90 mm Hg. Conclusions- After acute coronary syndrome, a J- or U-shaped curve association existed between BP and the risk of future cardiovascular events, with lowest event rates in the BP range of approximately 130 to 140 mm Hg systolic and 80 to 90 mm Hg diastolic and a relatively flat curve for systolic pressures of 110 to 130 mm Hg and diastolic pressures of 70 to 90 mm Hg, which suggests that too low of a pressure (especially <110/70 mm Hg) may be dangerous"
• Children with high blood pressure more likely to have learning disabilities, study finds - Science Daily, 11/9/10
• Persistence of Mortality Reduction After the End of Randomized Therapy in Clinical Trials of Blood Pressure-Lowering Medications - Hypertension. 2010 Oct 25 - "We evaluated the persistence of mortality benefit of these agents after the end of clinical trials, when all of the patients were advised to take the same open-label therapy. We performed a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials using blood pressure-lowering medications, used in patients with hypertension, myocardial infarction, or left ventricular systolic dysfunction, (n=18; 132 854 patients; 11 988 deaths) when a second report describing results after the end of the trial was available. During the randomized (first) phase, 80% (interquartile range: 75% to 83%) of the patients randomized to receive active therapy actually received it compared with 16% (interquartile range: 7% to 22%) of those randomized to control. In this phase, mortality was lower in the intervention group (odds ratio: 0.84 [95% CI: 0.79 to 0.90]; P<0.0001). Mortality was also lower during the open-label follow-up (second) phase (odds ratio: 0.85 [95% CI: 0.79 to 0.91]; P<0.0001), when all of the patients were advised to take the same therapy, and rates of receiving active therapy were similar in the 2 groups (59% [interquartile range: 46% to 77%], among those originally randomized to active, and 43% [interquartile range: 20% to 68%], in the control). Several sensitivity analyses indicated stability of the effects. In studies of antihypertensive medications, a decrease in overall mortality persists after the end of trial phase, when most patients in both the intervention and control groups receive active therapy. These analyses imply that earlier intervention would result in better clinical outcomes"
• Long-term exposure to elevated blood pressure and mortality from cardiovascular disease in a Japanese population: the Ibaraki Prefectural Health Study - Hypertens Res. 2010 Oct 7 - "Multivariate HRs (95% confidence interval) associated with a 10 mm Hg increase in systolic BP were measured in 1993 and 1998, and their averages were 1.11 (1.05-1.16), 1.13 (1.07-1.18) and 1.17 (1.10-1.27), respectively. Multivariate HRs for a 10 mm Hg increase in time-averaged systolic BP were 1.12 (1.03-1.21) in men and 1.24 (1.13-1.35) in women. The subgroup analysis of antihypertensive use showed that multivariate HRs for time-averaged systolic BP were 1.20 (1.11-1.29) in sustained non-users and 1.17 (1.04-1.32) in sustained users. Similar results were also obtained for diastolic BP. In conclusion, long-term exposure to elevated BP substantially associates with excess risk for cardiovascular disease mortality among Japanese subjects, irrespective of antihypertensive medication use. Thus, appropriate management of BP is important in both users and non-users of antihypertensive medication"
• J-curve revisited: an analysis of blood pressure and cardiovascular events in the Treating to New Targets (TNT) trial - Eur Heart J. 2010 Sep 16 - "The relationship between SBP or DBP and primary outcome followed a J-curve with increased event rates above and below the reference BP range, both unadjusted and adjusted (for baseline covariates, treatment effect, and LDL levels). A time-dependent, non-linear, multivariate Cox proportional hazard model identified a nadir of 146.3/81.4 mmHg where the event rate was lowest. A similar non-linear relationship with a higher risk of events at lower pressures was found for most of the secondary outcomes of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, non-fatal MI, or angina. However, for the outcome of stroke, lower was better for SBP. Conclusion In patients with CAD, a low BP (<110-120/<60-70 mmHg) portends an increased risk of future cardiovascular events (except stroke)"
• Higher Blood Pressure Is Associated With Higher Handgrip Strength in the Oldest Old - Am J Hypertens. 2010 Sep 2 - "In middle-aged subjects, BP and handgrip strength were not statistically significantly associated. In oldest old subjects, higher systolic BP (SBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and pulse pressure (PP) were associated with higher handgrip strength after adjusting for comorbidity and medication use (all P < 0.02). Furthermore, in oldest old subjects, changes in SBP, MAP, and PP after 4 years was associated with declining handgrip strength"
• High fructose diet may contribute to high blood pressure, study finds - Science Daily, 7/1/10 - "people who consumed a diet of 74 grams or more per day of fructose (corresponding to 2.5 sugary soft drinks per day) had a 26%, 30%, and 77% higher risk for blood pressure levels of 135/85, 140/90, and 160/100 mmHg, respectively. (A normal blood pressure reading is below 120/80 mmHg.)"
• Lowering Systolic BP in Midlife Reduces the Risk of Late-Life Dementia - Medscape, 5/17/10 - "17.7% of cases could be attributed to prehypertension (systolic BP 120 to <140 mm Hg), regardless of treatment status, or 11 excess cases per 1000"
• Doctors 'cause blood pressure to rise' - BBC News, 5/7/10 - "The 'white-coat' effect - where blood pressure rises during a check by a doctor - is even worse in someone whose level is already high ... The effect is due to patients becoming stressed by being in a doctor's surgery or a hospital"
• Lowering Midlife Levels of Systolic Blood Pressure as a Public Health Strategy to Reduce Late-Life Dementia. Perspective From the Honolulu Heart Program/Honolulu Asia Aging Study - Hypertension. 2010 Apr 19 - "Compared with those with SBP <120 mm Hg, untreated, and <50 years of age at baseline, 17.7% (95% CI: 4.6% to 29.1%) of the cases were attributable to prehypertensive levels (SBP: 120 to <140 mm Hg) of SBP, translating into 11 excess cases per 1000. Among those who did not report taking antihypertensive medication in midlife, 27% (95% CI: 8.9% to 42.1%) of dementia cases can be attributed to systolic BP >/=120 mm Hg, translating into 17 excess cases per 1000. Although population-attributable risk estimates for population subgroups may differ by relative risk for dementia or prevalence of elevated levels of blood pressure, these data suggest that reducing midlife systolic BP is an effective prevention strategy to reduce risk for late-life dementia"
• Dementia linked to high blood pressure years earlier - Science Daily, 1/12/10 - "Women who, at the start of the study, were hypertensive, meaning a blood pressure of 140/90 or higher, had significantly more white matter lesions on their MRI scans eight years later than participants with normal blood pressure. Lesions were more common in the frontal lobe, the brain's emotional control center and home to personality, than in the occipital, parietal or temporal lobes"
• Hypertension Linked to White-Matter Disease Progression: Study - Medscape, 1/7/10 - "Long-standing hypertension is strongly associated with progression of white-matter hyperintensity (WMH), which is known to be associated with new or worsening cognitive impairment and dementia"
• High-blood-pressure treatment for the over-80s too aggressive, warns expert - Science Daily, 12/22/09 - "This review includes data from two new trials which looked specifically at the effect of antihypertensive drugs in people over the age of 80. Interestingly, the only trial that found a significant reduction in mortality was the most conservative in terms of number of drugs and dose of drugs allowed. The treatment regime involved three easy steps, with a target blood pressure of 150/80 mmHg"
• Antihypertensive Therapy Slows Cognitive Decline in Alzheimer Disease - Medscape, 9/29/09 - "patients using antihypertensive treatments had significantly higher MMSE scores at 1, 2, and 3 years, compared with patients not taking antihypertensive treatments"
• Health Buzz: Fructose-Heavy Diet Linked to Hypertension and Other Health News - US News and World Report, 9/24/09 - "A small study is among the first to show that regular consumption of fructose-heavy foods and drinks might raise blood pressure—at least in men"
• Heart Risk Factors Cut Life Span by 10 Years - WebMD, 9/18/09 - "A 50-year-old smoker who has a history of high blood pressure and high cholesterol can expect to die a decade earlier than someone of the same age with none of these heart disease risk factors"
• Insulin resistance and risk of incident hypertension among men - J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2009 Sep;11(9):483-90 - "The insulin sensitivity index was 6% lower in the cases compared with the controls (P<.001). The multivariable odds ratio for hypertension comparing the lowest with highest quartile of insulin sensitivity index was 1.09 (0.71-1.65) among the entire sample. However, the association between the insulin sensitivity index and incident hypertension differed significantly by age (P interaction <.001). Among men younger than 60 years, the multivariable odds ratio for the lowest compared with highest quartile was 1.93 (1.01-3.71) but was 0.67 (0.37-1.24) among older men. Insulin resistance is independently associated with incident hypertension among younger men"
• High Blood Pressure Linked To Memory Problems In Middle Age - Science Daily, 8/26/09 - "The study found that people with high diastolic blood pressure, which is the bottom number of a blood pressure reading, were more likely to have cognitive impairment, or problems with their memory and thinking skills, than people with normal diastolic readings ... For every 10 point increase in the reading, the odds of a person having cognitive problems was seven percent higher" - [Abstract]
• Higher Diastolic, Not Systolic, Blood Pressure Linked to Impaired Cognition - Medscape, 8/25/09 - "Higher diastolic blood pressure (DBP) levels, but not systolic blood pressure (SBP) levels, can impair cognitive status in individuals without prior history of stroke or transient ischemic attack"
• Prehypertension is associated with insulin resistance - QJM. 2009 Aug 7 - "All subjects received a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) for the measurements of IR. RESULTS: The prehypertensive subjects were more obese and had higher levels of fasting triglycerides and 2-h insulin than the normotensives. The subjects with prehypertension were more insulin resistant than the counterparts, indicated by lower insulin sensitivity index, ISI(0,120), values. While there was no difference between the two groups in insulin response of OGTT after adjustments for confounders, the prehypertension group maintained significant between-group differences in glucose response even when the incremental insulin levels were added to covariates for adjustments. DISCUSSION: Our data show that prehypertension is associated with IR. The subjects with prehypertension have clinical characteristics of the IR syndrome. It seems that the prehypertension group cannot handle oral glucose challenge as well as the normotension, probably a consequence of IR in prehypertension"
• Blood Pressure Targets: Aiming Lower Offers No Benefit, Review Finds - Science Daily, 7/7/09 - "At present there is no evidence from randomized trials to support aiming for a blood pressure target lower than 140/90, in the general population of patients with elevated blood pressure ... The review is based on the results of seven trials, which together involved 22,089 people. Whilst patients aiming for targets below 135/85 mmHg did succeed in achieving greater reductions in blood pressure than those in the standard target group, there was no difference between the two groups in terms of the number of patients dying or suffering heart attacks, strokes, heart failure or kidney failure"
• White-Coat Hypertension Not Benign - WebMD, 6/29/09
• Less Sleep Associated With High, Worsening Blood Pressure In Middle Age - Science Daily, 6/11/09 - "After excluding patients taking medication for high blood pressure and controlling for age, race and sex, the researchers found that individuals who slept fewer hours were significantly more likely to have higher systolic (top number) and diastolic (bottom number) blood pressure ... Each hour of reduction in sleep duration was associated with a 37 percent increase in the odds of developing high blood pressure"
• Blood-pressure-lowering Drugs Should Not Be Limited To People With High Blood Pressure - Science Daily, 5/19/09 - "Blood pressure lowering drugs should be offered to anyone old enough to be at risk of a heart attack or stroke (or who is otherwise known to be at risk), regardless of their blood pressure ... using any one of the main classes of blood pressure lowering drugs at standard dose reduced fatal and non-fatal heart attacks by about a quarter and stroke by about a third. Heart failure was also reduced by about a quarter. The reductions in disease were similar in people with and without clinical cardiovascular disease and regardless of blood pressure before treatment ... three drugs together, each at low dose to minimize side effects, could increase the preventive effect, reducing heart attacks by about 45% and stroke by about 60%"
• High Blood Pressure Could Be Caused By A Common Virus, Study Suggests - Science Daily, 5/16/09 - "A new study suggests for the first time that cytomegalovirus (CMV), a common viral infection affecting between 60 and 99 percent of adults worldwide, is a cause of high blood pressure, a leading risk factor for heart disease, stroke and kidney disease"
• FDA Approves Triple Combination Pill for Hypertension - Doctor's Guide, 4/30/09 - "has approved a once-daily triple combination pill consisting of amlodipine, valsartan, and hydrochlorothiazide (Exforge HCT) for the treatment of hypertension"
• Chronic Insomnia With Short Sleep Duration Is Significant Risk Factor For Hypertension - Science Daily, 4/9/09 - "participants with insomnia and an objectively measured, severely short sleep duration of less than five hours had a risk for hypertension that was 500 percent higher than participants without insomnia who slept more than six hours. People with insomnia and a moderately short sleep duration of five to six hours had a risk for hypertension that was 350 percent higher than normal sleepers"
• Heart Disease: Combined Treatment Is Best - WebMD, 3/23/09 - "Heart disease patients who achieve normal blood pressure and very low cholesterol levels with aggressive drug therapy do better than patients who achieve only one of these goals ... Patients who achieved LDL levels below 70 and systolic blood pressures of below 120 had the slowest progression, as measured by increase in plaque volume"
• Is It Really Only Our Kidneys That Control Blood Pressure? - Science Daily, 3/13/09
• High Systolic Pressure a Positive Sign in Chronic Heart Failure - Medscape, 1/5/09 - "In patients with chronic heart failure, higher systolic blood pressures paradoxically predict better survival ... The decrease in mortality rates associated with a 10 mm Hg higher systolic blood pressure was 13.0%...in the heart failure population ... in patients with cardiac disease but without chronic heart failure affecting systolic function, mean arterial blood pressure is largely determined by peripheral vasoconstriction, and higher systolic pressure indicates poor elasticity of the arteries ... In patients with heart failure, however, systolic pressure reflects the ejection fraction and cardiac output ... a higher blood pressure is associated with a decreased mortality as it serves as an indirect measure of cardiac function"
• High Blood Pressure May Make It Difficult For The Elderly To Think Clearly - Science Daily, 12/15/08 - "subjects whose average systolic blood pressure was 130 or higher saw a significant decrease in cognitive function when their blood pressure spiked ... study subjects whose average blood pressure was low or normal saw no change in their cognitive functioning – even when their blood pressure shot up"
• High Blood Pressure In The Doctor's Office May Not Predict Heart Risks - Science Daily, 11/26/08 - "Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, or measuring blood pressure at regular intervals throughout the day, is increasingly important in managing patients with this condition because of the possibility of a white-coat effect (when an individual only has high blood pressure at the physician's office)" - See Omron HEM-712C Automatic Blood Pressure Monitor with IntelliSense.  I preferred this one of the more expensive models from the same company because I hated the so called "Comfit cuff" plus I doubt if anyone uses the computer options or the ridiculous memory of past readings.
• Obesity Linked to Erectile Dysfunction - WebMD, 10/31/08 - "conditions related to obesity, particularly hypertension (or high blood pressure), are the most significant causes of obesity-related erectile dysfunction. Abnormal penile blood flow was found to be linked to high blood pressure"
• Blood Pressure and Fasting Plasma Glucose rather than Metabolic Syndrome Predict Coronary Artery Calcium Progression: The Rancho Bernardo Study - Diabetes Care. 2008 Oct 13 - "In older adults without known heart disease, blood pressure levels and fasting plasma glucose were better independent determinants of CAC progression than MetS itself"
• High Levels Of Uric Acid May Be Associated With High Blood Pressure - Science Daily, 8/26/08 - "In the study, half of the 30 teen-agers with newly diagnosed high blood pressure and higher than normal levels of uric acid in their blood underwent treatment with allopurinol twice a day for four weeks. The other half received a placebo (an inactive drug) on the same schedule. They then went without either drug for two weeks before receiving the opposite treatment for another four weeks ... blood pressures decreased to normal in 20 of the 30 teens when they were on allopurinol. By contrast, only 1 of the 30 teens had normal blood pressure when receiving placebo"
• Blood Pressure Response To Daily Stress Provides Clues For Better Hypertension Treatment - Science Daily, 8/14/08 - "Research shows that two-thirds of patients’ high blood pressure is not controlled despite the best efforts of their doctors. That is terrible ... Studies will explore fundamentals such as why about 30 percent of young healthy blacks and 15 percent of whites can’t effectively excrete sodium, a problem that raises blood pressure by increasing the body’s fluid volume. “We think there is a defect in their kidneys, in the normal mechanisms that allow them to excrete salt,” ... America’s current obesity and type 2 diabetes epidemic also has them looking at insulin, glucose and cholesterol levels and whether fat exacerbates all the factors they are following, which they believe it does"

• Single Mechanism For Hypertension, Insulin Resistance And Immune Suppression - Science Daily, 6/30/08 - "spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) ... protein receptors on the surface of SHR cells become clipped off as the animals develop hypertension. They used a novel visualization technique to show that after several weeks of ingesting doxycycline in their drinking water, the SHR rats developed cells that again bristled with normal CD18 and insulin receptors. The animals' metabolic conditions simultaneously improved; blood pressure normalized and symptoms of immune suppression disappeared" - Note: I was taking Periostat (low dose doxycycline, 20 mg) for two reasons, the help prevent gum disease and to lower CRP.  Now I have a third reason.  See doxycycline at OffshoreRx1.com (you can use a pill cutter to quarter the pills).  See:

  • Low-dose Periostat (Doxycycline) Shows Benefits in Patients with Heart Failure - Doctor's Guide, 11/20/02 - "At six-month follow-up, sub-antimicrobial dose doxycyline significantly reduced CRP levels by 45.8 percent compared to baseline values (p<0.05). The drug was also associated with a 33.5 percent reduction in interleukin-6 and a 50 percent reduction in metalloproteinase ... The findings are exciting, since research is now showing that CRP is both a key marker of inflammation leading to future acute coronary events, but also that CRP itself may contribute to the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis"
    • Blood Protein Predicts Stroke Risk - HealthDay, 6/23/03 - "whether the substance [CRP] is an independent risk factor for these episodes or merely a reflection of narrowed and crumbling arteries hasn't been entirely clear ... New research now suggests that the molecule, called C-reactive protein (CRP), is indeed its own oddsmaker ... The cholesterol-fighting drugs known as statins have been shown to lower CRP by about 25 percent or so, Stein says. However, it's not clear that that effect reduces cardiovascular trouble or increases survival"
• Hypertension: Systolic Pressure Key - Medscape, 6/17/08 - "The diagnosis of hypertension in patients aged over 50 years should focus exclusively on the systolic blood pressure, rather than using both systolic and diastolic as is current practice, according to three experts in the field"
• Reduction in Blood Pressure With Statins: Results From the UCSD Statin Study, a Randomized Trial - Arch Intern Med. 2008 Apr 14;168(7):721-7 - "Statins modestly but significantly reduced BP relative to placebo,by 2.2 mm Hg for SBP (P = .02) and 2.4mm Hg for DBP"
• Statins Lower Blood Pressure - WebMD, 4/11/08 - "We found that statins lower both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and that the effect extends to patients with pre-hypertension, with normal blood pressure, and persons not on blood-pressure lowering medications"
• Blood pressure and mortality among Chinese patients with cardiovascular disease - J Hypertens. 2008 May;26(5):859-865 - "For example, compared with those with a systolic BP less than 120 mmHg, patients with a systolic BP of 120-129, 130-139, 140-159, 160-179, and at least 180 mmHg had relative risks (95% confidence interval) of 1.28 (0.92, 1.78), 1.62 (1.19, 2.20), 2.09 (1.58, 2.77), 2.31 (1.73, 3.10), and 2.66 (2.01, 3.53) for CVD mortality, and 1.08 (0.84, 1.38), 1.26 (1.00, 1.60), 1.44 (1.17, 1.79), 1.57 (1.25, 1.96), and 1.86 (1.50, 2.30) for all-cause mortality (both P values < 0.0001 for linear trends), respectively"
• Significant Reductions In Mortality Shown Using Blood Pressure-lowering Treatment In Very Elderly - Science Daily, 3/31/08 - "Lowering the blood pressure of elderly patients could cut their total mortality by a fifth and their rate of cardiovascular events by a third"
• 2-drug Blood Pressure Therapy Dramatically Lowers Cardiovascular Risk - Science Daily, 3/31/08 - "One group received a tablet containing benazepril, which is a type of drug called an ACE inhibitor, and amlodipine, which belongs to a class of drugs known as calcium channel blockers or CCBs. The other pill combined benazepril and hydrochloro-thiazide, a type of diuretic or "water pill." The 20 percent reduction in cardiovascular events was observed with the ACE/CCB combination tablet"
• High Blood Pressure Runs in Families - WebMD, 3/24/08
• Why Certain Diabetes Drugs Appear To Lower Blood Pressure - Science Daily, 3/4/08 - "Drugs called thiazolidinediones (TDZs), which are used to treat type II diabetes, target and activate PPAR gamma. In addition to controlling blood sugar, these drugs also appear to lower blood pressure ... It appears that when PPAR gamma is activated it initiates a cascade of events that protect the blood vessel ... When we interfere with the PPAR gamma pathway, those protective mechanisms are eliminated and the blood vessel becomes dysfunctional" - I've read all the negative of thiazolidinediones (TDZs) and I still feel the good outweight the bad.  I take Actos (pioglitazone HCl) to help prevent diabetes among other thing like I feel they will eventually show that it helps prevent advanced glycation end products, a major cause of aging.
• High Blood Pressure Linked to Kidney Cancer Risk - Medscape, 3/4/08 - "Hypertension is an important risk factor of RCC, accounting for approximately 20%-30% of cases"
• Meat intake and the risk of hypertension in middle-aged and older women - J Hypertens. 2008 Feb;26(2):215-222 - "Red meat intake was positively associated, whereas poultry intake was unassociated, with the risk of hypertension in middle-aged and older women"
• Blood Pressure and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in Chinese Men and Women - Am J Hypertens. 2008 Jan 10 - "Our results indicate that there is a strong, linear, and independent relationship between BP levels and the risk of CVD in Chinese adults. Systolic BP is a stronger predictor of CVD risk compared to diastolic BP"
• Can Your Brain Control Your Blood Pressure? - Science Daily, 1/11/08
• Timing of Blood Pressure Measurement Related to Caffeine Consumption (January) - Ann Pharmacother. 2007 Dec 19 - "Reviews of caffeine's acute effect on blood pressure indicate changes of 3-15 mm Hg systolic and 4-13 mm Hg diastolic. Typically, blood pressure changes occur within 30 minutes, peak in 1-2 hours, and may persist for more than 4 hours"
• Most Adults With Conditions That Increase Cardiovascular Disease Risk Have High Blood Pressure - Science Daily, 12/17/07 - "High blood pressure was found in most persons with cardiovascular diseases and related problems ... 75 percent or more were being treated for hypertension, but only one-third to one-half of those in treatment reached goal levels for blood pressure (140/90 milligrams of mercury for most patients, or 130/80 milligrams of mercury for patients with diabetes or chronic kidney disease)"
• Blood Pressure Drugs: Is Timing Key? - WebMD, 12/13/07 - "The study was small, involving just 32 patients with chronic kidney disease taking more than one blood pressure medication ... When the patients switched just one of their blood pressure drugs from morning to bedtime, 28 experienced normalization of nighttime blood pressure patterns within eight weeks ... Most patients also showed decreases in protein levels in their urine indicative of better kidney function"
• High Blood Pressure Associated With Risk For Mild Cognitive Impairment - Science Daily, 12/12/07 - "Hypertension (high blood pressure) was associated with an increased risk of all types of mild cognitive impairment that was mostly driven by an increased risk of non-amnestic mild cognitive impairment ... Preventing and treating hypertension may have an important impact in lowering the risk of cognitive impairment"
• High Blood Pressure May Heighten Effects Of Alzheimer's Disease - Science Daily, 11/28/07 - "Having hypertension, or high blood pressure, reduces blood flow in the brains of adults with Alzheimer's disease"
• 13% of Americans Have Kidney Disease - WebMD, 11/6/07 - "Thirteen percent of Americans now have chronic kidney disease, up 3% over the last decade, mostly due to higher rates of diabetes and high blood pressure ... A recent CDC report on the same NHANES data suggested that 17% of Americans have chronic kidney disease. Coresh and colleagues came up with a lower number because the CDC analysis included people with earlier signs of kidney disease, while the Coresh team counted only those with persistent kidney disease"
• High Blood Pressure Or Irregular Heartbeat Linked To Alzheimer's Disease Progression - Science Daily, 11/5/07 - "10 with high blood pressure (systolic pressure over 160) at the time of AD diagnosis showed a rate of memory loss roughly 100 percent faster than those with normal blood pressure ... 10 with atrial fibrillation at the time of the diagnosis showed a rate of memory decline that was 75 percent faster than those with normal heartbeats"
• High Blood Pressure May Vary by Season - WebMD, 11/5/07 - "people with high blood pressure may need higher doses of medication or even different drugs in the winter months ... Blood pressure was nearly 8% less likely to return to normal in the winter than in the summer ... weight and exercise may play a role in the seasonal variations ... People gain weight in the winter and lose weight in the summer"
• When Treating High Blood Pressure, Simplicity is Best, Study Suggests - Science Daily, 11/5/07 - "initiate therapy with ACE-inhibitor/diuretic or Angiotensin receptor blocker/diuretic combination ... up-titrate combination therapy to the highest does ... add a calcium channel blocker and up-titrate ... add one of the non-first line antihypertensive agents" - I'm not a doctor but still feel people should stay away from diuretics.  See my research on first line treatments.  Also see the Alternative News section of my hypertension page.
• Drugs For Hypertension May Help Prevent And Treat Alzheimer's Disease - Science Daily, 10/26/07 - "mice genetically determined to develop Alzheimer's disease beta-amyloid production and subsequent cognitive deterioration, significantly benefit from the treatment with the anti-hypertensive agent Valsartan, found to pharmacologically prevent beta-amyloid production in the brain even when delivered to Alzheimer's disease mice at doses 3-4 fold lower than the minimal equivalent dose prescribed for the treatment of hypertension in humans. Other anti-hypertension drugs with beneficial results included Propranolol HCI, Carvedilol, Losartan, Nicardipine HCI, Amiloride HCI and Hydralazine HCI" - Note:  I'm big on Micardis (telmisartan).  Valsartan and losartan (generic names so they shouldn't have been capitalized) are also ARBs.  I'm wondering if telmisartan was in the study.
• Statin Use Linked to Better Blood Pressure Control - Medscape, 10/23/07 - "After adjustment for demographics, body mass index, diabetes, smoking, exercise, low-salt diet, and antihypertensive medications, the odds ratio for having blood pressure under control was 1.46 for statin users compared with nonusers"
• Women With High Or Increasing Blood Pressure Are Up To Three Times More Likely To Develop Diabetes - Science Daily, 10/9/07 - "women who have high blood pressure levels are three times more likely to develop diabetes than women with low blood pressure levels ... The authors suggest a possible mechanism for the relation between BP and diabetes may be endothelial dysfunction -- a dysfunction of the normal biochemical processes carried out by the layer of cells that line the inner surfaces of blood vessels. "It may be a precursor of both hypertension and diabetes," ... the progression of endothelial dysfunction may cause worsening of both BP and blood glucose. This is in line with the fact that both BP and blood glucose occur together as part of the metabolic syndrome"
• High Blood Pressure May Be Due To Excess Weight In Half Of Overweight Adults - Science Daily, 9/28/07 - "about 50 percent of overweight, hypertensive adults, ranging in age from 29 to 65 years, achieved normal body weight and blood pressure after six months of treatment with a reduced-calorie diet"
• Use of Statins and Blood Pressure - Am J Hypertens. 2007 Sep;20(9):937-941 - "Compared with people not using statin medication, significantly more statin users had their blood pressure under control (52.2% v 38.0%). After adjustment for demographic factors, statin users were two times (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.46 to 2.72) more likely to have their blood pressure under control (<140/90 mm Hg) than nonusers. After further adjustment for body mass index, diabetes, smoking, exercise, low-salt diet, and antihypertensive medications, the likelihood of having blood pressure under control remained more likely among statin users (odds ratio, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.05 to 2.05)"
• Heavy Drinking Raises Blood Pressure In Older Men Regardless Of 'Good' Cholesterol - WebMD, 8/31/07 - "When looking at men of all ages, those with the lowest level of good cholesterol had the highest blood pressure in all three groups: nondrinkers, moderate drinkers and heavy drinkers. However, high levels of good cholesterol HDL did not do as much for the heavy drinkers"
• Pioglitazone Decreases Ambulatory Blood Pressure in Type 2 Diabetics With Difficult-to-Control Hypertension - J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2007 Jul;9(7):530-7 - "add-on therapy with pioglitazone 30 to 45 mg for 20 weeks. After 20 weeks of treatment, 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring showed significant reductions (from 144+/-13 to 136+/-16 mm Hg systolic BP and from 79+/-9 to 76+/-10 mm Hg diastolic BP [P=.001]). Treatment was also associated with improvements in insulin sensitivity and glycemic and lipid profile"
• Predictors of antihypertensive drug responses: initial data from a placebo-controlled, randomized, cross-over study with four antihypertensive drugs (The GENRES Study) - Am J Hypertens. 2007 Mar;20(3):311-8 - "amlodipine (5 mg), bisoprolol (5 mg), hydrochlorothiazide (25 mg), or losartan (50 mg) daily ... The median BP responses in 24-h ambulatory recordings (systolic/diastolic) were 11/8 mm Hg for bisoprolol, 9/6 mm Hg for losartan, 7/5 mm Hg for amlodipine, and 5/2 mm Hg for hydrochlorothiazide. The highest pairwise within-subject correlations in BP responses were seen for the combinations of bisoprolol-losartan and amlodipine-hydrochlorothiazide" - Note:  Amlodipine is a calcium channel blocker, bisoprolol is a beta blocker, hydrochlorothiazide is a diuretic and losartan is an ARB.  Strange that they didn't include an ACE inhibitor.
• One Pill May Be Better Than Two For Treating Patients With High Blood Pressure - Science Daily, 5/11/07 - "Adults with high blood pressure and additional risk factors for heart disease may benefit more from taking one tablet rather than two, if their current treatment combines the lipid-lowering medication atorvastatin with the blood pressure-lowering medication amlodipine"
• Blood pressure 'is in the brain - BBC News, 4/15/07
• Predictors of antihypertensive drug responses: initial data from a placebo-controlled, randomized, cross-over study with four antihypertensive drugs (The GENRES Study) - Am J Hypertens. 2007 Mar;20(3):311-8 - "The median BP responses in 24-h ambulatory recordings (systolic/diastolic) were 11/8 mm Hg for bisoprolol, 9/6 mm Hg for losartan, 7/5 mm Hg for amlodipine, and 5/2 mm Hg for hydrochlorothiazide. The highest pairwise within-subject correlations in BP responses were seen for the combinations of bisoprolol-losartan and amlodipine-hydrochlorothiazide"
• Job Stress Jacks Up Blood Pressure - WebMD, 4/10/07 - "Their blood pressure was highest on the job, when they had 5.9/3.0 mm Hg higher blood pressure than the nonstressed workers did. But the stressed-out workers also had higher blood pressure while at home, including while they were sleeping"
• Cholesterol Busting Statins Also Reduce Blood Pressure - Science Daily, 3/8/07 - "the use of statins did produce a drop in blood pressure. The overall effect of the use of statins was a 1.9 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure and 0.9 mmHg in diastolic blood pressure. The effect was even more pronounced in patients with high blood pressure (systolic over 130 mmHg) who showed an average drop of 4.0 mmHg if treated with statins"
• High Blood Pressure: Drugs to Avoid When You Have Hypertension - WebMD, 3/6/07 - "Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) ... Migraine Headache Medications ... Weight Loss Medications"
• Prehypertension Is "On the Map" of Cardiovascular Risk Factors - Doctor's Guide, 2/20/07 - "prehypertension is systolic pressure of 120-139 ... The increased cardiovascular risk with prehypertension is certainly smaller than the risk associated with having diabetes (158% higher risk), but is greater than that associated with smoking (34% higher). Since smoking is pretty much unchallenged as a cardiovascular risk factor, perhaps prehypertension should be afforded the same acceptance"
• Study Finds Differences between Blood Pressure Medicines and Newly-Diagnosed Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 1/19/07 - "the lowest risk of new-onset diabetes occurred with ARBs or ACE-inhibitors, followed by calcium channel blockers or placebo (both of which were relatively neutral), and highest with beta-blockers or diuretics. They concluded that compared to inactive sugar-pills, diuretics or beta-blockers slightly increase the risk of becoming diabetic, whereas ARBs or ACE-inhibitors significantly decrease the risk"
• ARBs May Protect Against Diabetes Better Than ACE Inhibitors - Medscape, 1/19/07 - "Odds ratio of diabetes ... ARBs ... 0.57 ... ACE inhibitors ... 0.67 ... Calcium blockers ... 0.75 ... Placebo ... 0.77 ... Beta blockers ... 0.90 ... Diuretics (reference) ... 1.00"
• Fasting Glucose Increases in Older Adults With Hypertension Regardless of Treatment Type - Medscape, 11/16/06 - "randomized to receive treatment with chlorthalidone, amlodipine, or lisinopril to reduce blood pressure to less than 140/90 mm Hg ... During the first 2 years, the mean increase is serum glucose levels was 8.5, 5.5, and 3.5 mg/dL among the chlorthalidone, amlodipine, and lisinopril groups, respectively" - Note:  Chlorthalidone is a diuretic, amlodipine is a calcium channel blocker and lisinopril is an ACE inhibitor.
• Systolic Blood Pressure Predicts Mortality In Heart Failure Patients - Science Daily, 11/9/06 - "heart failure patients with higher systolic blood pressures had substantially lower death rates compared to patients with lower systolic pressures, and that lower systolic pressures may indicate more advanced disease and a poorer prognosis"
• Estrogen and hypertension - Curr Hypertens Rep. 2006 Oct;8(5):368-76 - "emerging evidence from recent clinical trials indicates a small increase, rather than decrease, in systolic BP with oral estrogen administration in postmenopausal women, without any detectable effect on diastolic BP ... transdermal delivery of estrogen, which avoids the first-pass hepatic metabolism of estradiol, appears to have a small BP-lowering effect in postmenopausal women and may be a safer alternative in hypertensive women"
• Long Hours Up High Blood Pressure Risk - WebMD, 8/28/06
• Effects of a New Hormone Therapy, Drospirenone and 17-{beta}-Estradiol, in Postmenopausal Women With Hypertension - Hypertension. 2006 Jun 26 - "these data show that DRSP combined with E2 significantly reduces BP in postmenopausal women with hypertension and did not induce significant increases in serum potassium"
• Elderly Blood Pressure Variability Affects Cognitive Function - Doctor's Guide, 5/26/06 - "study suggested that lowering the systolic BP by 20 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure by 10 mm Hg would have a considerable beneficial effect on the preservation of cognitive abilities in the whole population"
• Experts Explore Potential Benefits of Treating Prehypertension - Doctor's Guide, 5/19/06 - "compared to placebo over a four-year period, treatment of prehypertension with Atacand© (candesartan cilexetil) significantly reduced the relative risk of developing hypertension"
• Medication Slowed Progression to Hypertension - Intelihealth, 5/19/06 - "people with pre-hypertension who received candesartan -- an anti-hypertensive drug -- had a significantly reduced risk of developing high blood pressure compared with those who received a placebo"
• Blood Pressure and Women's Sex Drive - WebMD, 5/19/06 - "women with high blood pressure were twice as likely to experience sexual dysfunction compared with their counterparts who had normal blood pressure"
• Antihypertensive Agents May Be Linked to Decreased Risk for Alzheimer Disease - Medscape, 5/9/06 - "The use of any antihypertensive medications significantly reduced the risk of developing AD (adjusted HR, 0.64). This result did not vary by sex, APOE status, subjects' blood pressure values, or the duration of antihypertensive use ... potassium-sparing diuretics had the most significant affect on the risk of AD ... this effect was almost entirely due to the effects of potassium-sparing agents"
• Blood Pressure Test? What to Do First - WebMD, 4/25/06
• Wait a Few Minutes: Blood Pressure Readings Lower when Patients Slow Down - Doctor's Guide, 4/20/06 - "systolic blood pressure can be an average of 14 points higher when taken immediately after arriving in the exam room and sitting on an examination table rather than sitting in a chair with your back supported and feet flat on the floor"
• Sustained Blood Pressure Treatment Lowers Dementia Risk In Elderly - Science Daily, 4/10/06 - "each year of treatment reduced the risk of developing dementia during the follow-up period by about 3 percent. Compared with men who were never treated for hypertension, the risk of developing dementia during the follow-up period was: ... 60 percent lower in those treated more than 12 years -- similar to the risk in a control group of 446 men with normal blood pressure"
• Skimpy Sleep May Up Blood Pressure - WebMD, 4/3/06 - "Among people aged 32-59, those who reported getting less than six hours of nightly sleep in the original survey were twice as likely to have been diagnosed with high blood pressure"