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Update on the SPRINT trial: Preliminary results pan out
In a previous blog, I reported on the preliminary results from SPRINT, a clinical trial that examined whether a systolic blood pressure target of 120 mm Hg or less would be better than a target of 140 mm Hg in patients with hypertension (high blood pressure). The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health issued a press release with the exciting results. Now, the full paper has been published in The New England Journal of Medicine, and the results appear to be as practice-changing at it initially seemed, demonstrating a stricter blood pressure goal can reduce the likelihood of dying. In ...
Source: New Harvard Health Information - November 9, 2015 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Deepak Bhatt, MD, MPH Tags: Health Heart Health Hypertension and Stroke Source Type: news

The SPRINT trial: A major advance in treating high blood pressure
This study was sponsored primarily by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health. This trial is a wonderful example of the kind of long-term, large-scale clinical trials that are necessary to advance patient care meaningfully. The study results also illustrate the importance of randomized clinical trials — that is, studies in which patients are randomly assigned to one of two treatment arms. Lastly, credit must be given to the participants who consented to be enrolled in the study. They have generously and selflessly contributed to advancing medical science and improving the care o...
Source: New Harvard Health Information - September 16, 2015 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Deepak Bhatt, MD, MPH Tags: Hypertension and Stroke high blood pressure Source Type: news

Personalizing "lower is better" for blood pressure treatment
Many men with high blood pressure were surprised—and a little confused—when a panel of experts convened by the National Institutes of Health recommended a change in the treatment goal for people over age 60. Instead of taking medications to lower pressures to 140/90, they can now settle for a target of 150/90. Several factors come into play when deciding on the best blood pressure target, reports the May 2014 Harvard Men's Health Watch. The ideal blood pressure is under 120/80. As it rises above that threshold, the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and other health problems follows. Above 140/90, doctors generall...
Source: New Harvard Health Information - April 29, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news

Today's statin users consume more calories and fat, and weigh more, than their predecessors
People who take statin drugs to lower their cholesterol appear to have developed a false sense of security that could lead to heart disease and other obesity-related illnesses. A new UCLA-led study suggests that people who took statins in the 2009–10 year were consuming more calories and fat than those who used statins 10 years earlier. There was no similar increase in caloric and fat intake among non–stain users during that decade, researchers said. In 1999–2000, statin users were consuming fewer calories and less fat than individuals who didn't take these medications, but that is no longer the case. Increase...
Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - April 25, 2014 Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news

Lasting Impact of an Ephemeral Organ: The Role of the Placenta in Fetal Programming
Recent advances in molecular and imaging technologies, “omics” fields, and data sciences are offering researchers an unprecedented look at the placenta, the master regulator of the fetal environment.© EPA/National Geographic Channel/Alamy Studies of infants conceived during the Dutch “Hunger Winter” provided some of the earliest clues that prenatal stress could affect health much later in life.© Nationaal Archief  © Evan Oto/Science Source In one study, the placental microbiome had a similar taxonomic profile as the oral microbiome, illustrated here by...
Source: EHP Research - July 1, 2016 Category: Environmental Health Authors: Web Admin Tags: Featured Focus News July 2016 Source Type: research