Articles related to HYPERTENSION/BLOOD PRESSURE

There haven’t been any national guidelines developed for managing patients with stage 1 hypertension who don’t respond to lifestyle modification. This population represents an important guideline gap: most patients with stage 1 hypertension progress to stage 2 hypertension, which increases the risk for cardiovascular events. The AHA has published a scientific statement to fill the gap – if lifestyle modification fails to reduce blood pressure, consider pharmacotherapy.

Can you determine the appropriate case management for a 68-year-old man who is evaluated for an episode of syncope and repeated episodes of near-fainting when standing and working on his tractor? On physical examination, vital signs are normal. Supine blood pressure is 124/78 mm Hg, and pulse rate is 76/min. After the patient stands for three minutes, standing blood pressure is 88/68 mm Hg, and pulse rate is 94/min. The remainder of the examination is normal. How would you proceed?

A study published in the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine puts forward a new and systematic approach to diagnosing and managing orthostatic hypotension. The article notes that current approaches to evaluating and managing the disease are based on limited data, but that patients would benefit from more consistent diagnosis and treatment methods.

Findings: Primary outcomes included AMI, HF, stroke, and CVEs; 51 secondary and safety outcomes included angioedema, cough, syncope, and electrolyte abnormalities. ACE inhibitors were associated with a significantly increased risk of four secondary and safety outcomes compared with ARBs.Design: Multinational cohort study; Patients: ~2.3M ACE, ~674K ARB 

According to Daniel A. Nation, PhD, associate professor of psychological science at University of California, Irvine: “Studies of angiotensin II receptor blockers and ACE inhibitors have suggested these medicines may confer the greatest benefit to long-term cognition, while other studies have shown the benefits of calcium channel blockers and diuretics on reducing dementia risk.”

The DASH diet is not a new fad or trend in wellness; it’s a lifelong approach to healthy eating, developed to lower blood pressure without medication. DASH – Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension – is all about limiting sodium in your diet while encouraging the intake of potassium, calcium, and magnesium – nutrients that help lower blood pressure. A valuable resource to share with your patients!