Small amounts of licorice raise blood pressure, study finds
It is known that large amounts of liquorice cause high blood pressure. A study by researchers at Linköping University, Sweden, now shows that even small amounts of liquorice raise blood pressure. The individuals who react most strongly also show signs of strain on the heart. Liquorice is produced from the root of plants of the […]
Interventions Can Reduce CVD Risk Factors in HIV Patients, Studies Show
DENVER — Efforts aimed at lowering blood pressure (BP) and cholesterol in people with HIV can succeed, two randomized trials presented here demonstrated. In the first, prehypertensive Haitians on stable antiretroviral therapy (ART) who received early treatment with a calcium channel blocker experienced significantly greater reductions in systolic and diastolic BP compared with those who […]
Dementia Predicted 10 Years Before Diagnosis
Blood protein profiles predicted future dementia in healthy adults, a large longitudinal study showed. Blood samples from over 50,000 people in the U.K. Biobank showed that four proteins — glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), neurofilament light (NfL), growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15), and latent-transforming growth factor beta-binding protein 2 (LTBP2) — consistently were associated with subsequent […]
Another Prostate Cancer Screening Candidate Outperforms Standard PSA Testing
SAN FRANCISCO — A multiparametric blood test for prostate cancer showed potential to avoid more than half of unnecessary biopsies without sacrificing accuracy, a large prospective study showed. In a comparison against the current PSA testing standard of ≥4 ng/mL, the Stockholm3 biomarker, which incorporates a PSA cutoff of 15 ng/mL with other proteins and […]
Long COVID Study Suggests Immune System Response At Root Of Symptoms
LOADINGERROR LOADING Scientists may be on the path to understanding long COVID after identifying a change in blood proteins found in people with extended symptoms from the virus. A study published by the journal, Science, on Thursday found that patients experiencing long COVID symptoms had proteins that indicated part of their immune systems remained active […]
CDC: Consider Testing Blood for ‘Forever Chemicals’
Doctors may consider blood testing for the endocrine-disrupting chemicals per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to assess community-wide exposure, the CDC recommended in new guidance this week. In a new resource center detailing PFAS information, the CDC said clinicians can order blood testing to measure PFAS levels for patients on an individual basis through Clinical Laboratory […]
Blood Protein Changes May Unravel Long COVID Mysteries
Long COVID was identified in blood proteins, an analysis of longitudinal data suggested. Blood samples from long COVID patients showed changes to blood serum proteins at 6 months that indicated activation of the immune system’s complement cascade, altered coagulation, and tissue injury, reported Onur Boyman, MD, of the University of Zurich in Switzerland, and co-authors […]
Cut salt, cut blood pressure
Nearly everyone can lower their blood pressure, even people currently on blood pressure-reducing drugs, by lowering their sodium intake, reports a new study from Northwestern Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. “In the study, middle-aged to elderly participants reduced their salt intake by about 1 teaspoon a day compared […]
Women with a heart healthy diet in midlife are less likely to report cognitive decline later
Women with diets during middle age designed to lower blood pressure were about 17 percent less likely to report memory loss and other signs of cognitive decline decades later, a new study finds. Led by researchers from NYU Grossman School of Medicine, the new findings suggest that a mid-life lifestyle modification — adoption of the […]
Two probiotics identified as promising hypertension treatments
An estimated 40% of the global adult population have high blood pressure, or hypertension, which puts people at risk of cardiovascular disease and other dangerous health conditions. Recent studies suggest that probiotics may offer a protective effect, but researchers have a limited understanding of why shaping the gut microbiota can regulate blood pressure. A study […]