PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

High blood pressure potentially more dangerous for women than men

2014-01-02
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Marguerite Beck
marbeck@wakehealth.edu
336-716-2415
Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center
High blood pressure potentially more dangerous for women than men WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Jan. 2, 2014 – Doctors may need to treat high blood pressure in women earlier and more aggressively than they do in men, according to scientists at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. In a new study, published in the December edition of Therapeutic Advances in Cardiovascular Disease, the researchers for the first time found significant differences in the mechanisms that cause high blood pressure in women as compared to men. "The medical community thought that high blood pressure was the same for both sexes and treatment was based on that premise," said Carlos Ferrario, M.D., professor of surgery at Wake Forest Baptist and lead author of the study. "This is the first study to consider sex as an element in the selection of antihypertensive agents or base the choice of a specific drug on the various factors accounting for the elevation in blood pressure." Although there has been a significant decline in cardiovascular disease mortality in men during the last 20 to 30 years, the same has not held true for women, Ferrario said. In fact, heart disease has become the leading cause of death in women in the United States, accounting for approximately a third of all deaths. So why the discrepancy if men and women have been treated in the same way for the same condition? The apparent gender-related differences in the disease and the lack of understanding of the basic biological mechanisms involved prompted the research by the Wake Forest Baptist team. In the comparative study, 100 men and women age 53 and older with untreated high blood pressure and no other major diseases were evaluated using an array of specialized tests that indicated whether the heart or the blood vessels were primarily involved in elevating the blood pressure. These tests, which can be done in a doctor's office, can provide important information about the state of an individual's circulation. The tests measured hemodynamic – the forces involved in the circulation of blood – and hormonal characteristics of the mechanisms involved in the development of high blood pressure in men and women.

The researchers found 30 to 40 percent more vascular disease in the women compared to the men for the same level of elevated blood pressure. In addition, there were significant physiologic differences in the women's cardiovascular system, including types and levels of hormones involved in blood pressure regulation, that contribute to the severity and frequency of heart disease.

"Our study findings suggest a need to better understand the female sex-specific underpinnings of the hypertensive processes to tailor optimal treatments for this vulnerable population," Ferrario said. "We need to evaluate new protocols – what drugs, in what combination and in what dosage – to treat women with high blood pressure." ### Co-authors are Jewell Jessup, Ph.D., and Ronald Smith, M.D., Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.

Funding for the study was provided by Daiichi Sankyo, Inc., the National Heart, Blood, Lung Institute, grant number HL-051952, and the former CardioDynamics Corporation in San Diego, CA.


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

To grow or to defend: How plants decide

2014-01-01
To grow or to defend: How plants decide Crop breeding for semi-dwarfed plants could also improve disease resistance Scientists have discovered how plants use steroid hormones to choose growth over defence when their survival depends on it. The findings ...

Insight into likelihood of retinal detachment following open globe injury

2014-01-01
Insight into likelihood of retinal detachment following open globe injury Findings published in Jan. issue of Ophthalmology BOSTON (Jan. 1, 2014) – Ocular trauma causing open globe injury, or a breach in the wall of the eye, remains an important ...

New molecular targets identified in some hard-to-treat melanomas provide potential treatment option

2013-12-31
New molecular targets identified in some hard-to-treat melanomas provide potential treatment option December 30, 2013 New York, NY / Los Angeles, CA: Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C), the charitable initiative supporting ground-breaking research ...

Sleep to protect your brain

2013-12-31
Sleep to protect your brain A new study from Uppsala University, Sweden, shows that one night of sleep deprivation increases morning blood concentrations of NSE and S-100B in healthy young men. These molecules are typically found in the brain. Thus, ...

Researchers use Hubble Telescope to reveal cloudy weather on alien world

2013-12-31
Researchers use Hubble Telescope to reveal cloudy weather on alien world Weather forecasters on exoplanet GJ 1214b would have an easy job. Today's forecast: cloudy. Tomorrow: overcast. Extended outlook: more clouds. A team of scientists led by researchers in ...

Hyperhomocysteinemia patients with dyslipidemia are more likely to have stroke

2013-12-31
Hyperhomocysteinemia patients with dyslipidemia are more likely to have stroke Hyperhomocysteinemia and abnormal blood lipids are independent risk factors for stroke. However, whether both factors exert a synergistic effect in the onset of stroke remains unclear. ...

Fetal umbilical vein for reconstruction of middle cerebral artery

2013-12-31
Fetal umbilical vein for reconstruction of middle cerebral artery Umbilical vein has been substituted for artery in vascular transplantation, but it remains unclear whether the stress relaxation and creep between these vessels are consistent. A recent study reported ...

PLGA tubes are superior to autologous nerve graft for repaired sciatic nerve

2013-12-31
PLGA tubes are superior to autologous nerve graft for repaired sciatic nerve The viscoelasticity of natural and artificial biomaterials can be suitable for human physiological function by matching stress relaxation and creep properties. Dr. Chengdong Piao and ...

Large-aperture planar lens antennas with gradient refractive index

2013-12-31
Large-aperture planar lens antennas with gradient refractive index It was recently shown that large-aperture lens antennas can be designed by using gradient-index (GRIN) metamaterials and that higher directivity and gain can be obtained than with traditional dielectric lens antennas. ...

Cloud mystery solved: Global temperatures to rise at least 4°C by 2100

2013-12-31
Cloud mystery solved: Global temperatures to rise at least 4°C by 2100 Cloud impact on climate sensitivity unveiled

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Oil rig study reveals vital role of tiny hoverflies

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia researchers boost widespread use of dental varnish across pediatric network

iRECODE: A new computational method that brings clarity to single-cell analysis

New NUS-MOH study: Singapore’s healthcare sector carbon emissions 18% lower than expected, a milestone in the city-state’s net zero journey

QUT scientists create material to turn waste heat into clean power

Major new report sets out how to tackle the ‘profound and lasting impact’ of COVID-19 on cardiovascular health

Cosmic crime scene: White dwarf found devouring Pluto-like icy world

Major report tackles Covid’s cardiovascular crisis head-on

A third of licensed GPs in England not working in NHS general practice

ChatGPT “thought on the fly” when put through Ancient Greek maths puzzle

Engineers uncover why tiny particles form clusters in turbulent air

GLP-1RA drugs dramatically reduce death and cardiovascular risk in psoriasis patients

Psoriasis linked to increased risk of vision-threatening eye disease, study finds

Reprogramming obesity: New drug from Italian biotech aims to treat the underlying causes of obesity

Type 2 diabetes may accelerate development of multiple chronic diseases, particularly in the early stages, UK Biobank study suggests

Resistance training may improve nerve health, slow aging process, study shows

Common and inexpensive medicine halves the risk of recurrence in patients with colorectal cancer

SwRI-built instruments to monitor, provide advanced warning of space weather events

Breakthrough advances sodium-based battery design

New targeted radiation therapy shows near-complete response in rare sarcoma patients

Does physical frailty contribute to dementia?

Soccer headers and brain health: Study finds changes within folds of the brain

Decoding plants’ language of light

UNC Greensboro study finds ticks carrying Lyme disease moving into western NC

New implant restores blood pressure balance after spinal cord injury

New York City's medical specialist advantage may be an illusion, new NYU Tandon research shows

Could a local anesthetic that doesn’t impair motor function be within reach?

1 in 8 Italian cetacean strandings show evidence of fishery interactions, with bottlenose and striped dolphins most commonly affected, according to analysis across four decades of data and more than 5

In the wild, chimpanzees likely ingest the equivalent of several alcoholic drinks every day

Warming of 2°C intensifies Arctic carbon sink but weakens Alpine sink, study finds

[Press-News.org] High blood pressure potentially more dangerous for women than men