Hypertension

High blood pressure increases a patient's risk of heart attack, stroke and other diseases. Most people with hypertension have no symptoms. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says nearly half of U.S. adults have hypertension, or high blood pressure, and only about 1 in 4 of those individuals has their hypertension under control. The World Health Organization (WHO) expects the epidemic of hypertension world-wide will exceed 1.56 billion people by 2025. Major efforts are underway to better control this primary risk factor through screenings, medication and invasive procedures such as renal denervation in severely uncontrolled patients.

artificial intelligence in cardiology

No-contact blood pressure and diabetes screening with AI shows promise

The new technology, still under development, could help physicians screen patients for diabetes and hypertension with high-speed video recordings. 

Renal denervation systems from Recor Medical, Medtronic receive new outpatient payments

Both FDA-approved systems previously received inpatient payments in August. 

Standing desks gained popularity in recent years, especially once the COVID-19 pandemic had more and more people working from home, but they may not necessarily make that much of a difference.

Standing desks fail to lower blood pressure or minimize heart risks—they may even do damage

Sitting too long can be bad for the heart, but standing desks do not appear to make a difference.

https://www.dynocardia.care/

NIH awards commercialization grant for wrist-worn continuous ICU-grade blood pressure monitor

Dynocardia has now received nearly $5.1 million in funding from the NHLBI to help speed commercializing its wrist-worn monitor to avoid the need for invasive catheter BP monitoring.

How patient positioning during blood pressure measurements impacts accuracy

Something as simple as resting a patient's arm the wrong way can make their BP reading inaccurate. 

5:2 intermittent fasting diet

It’s not what you eat, but when: Intermittent fasting boosts heart health of high-risk patients

“Unlike expensive pharmaceuticals like Ozempic, which require lifetime use, time-restricted eating is a simple lifestyle change that does not cause side effects and can be maintained indefinitely,” one doctor explained. 

voice audio recording smartphone

AI detects hypertension in voice recordings

A machine learning-powered smartphone app was trained to detect hundreds of biomarkers in the human voice, using even the tiniest detail to anticipate when patients may present with symptoms of hypertension. 

pharmaceutical drug approval process

Drugmaker to ‘challenge’ FDA after only receiving tentative approval for inhaled PAH treatment

An exclusivity agreement is stopping Liquidia Corporation from gaining full FDA approval of its new inhalation powder for pulmonary arterial hypertension. The company said it is disappointed with the agency's decision and plans to "take quick action."

Around the web

Ron Blankstein, MD, professor of radiology, Harvard Medical School, explains the use of artificial intelligence to detect heart disease in non-cardiac CT exams.

Eleven medical societies have signed on to a consensus statement aimed at standardizing imaging for suspected cardiovascular infections.