Hypertension News

Black individuals with atrial fibrillation (AF) had an approximately 1.5- to 2-fold greater risk of stroke, heart failure, coronary heart disease, and all-cause mortality compared to white individuals with the arrhythmia, according to a study published online by JAMA Cardiology.

Two classes of blood pressure medications, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), are associated with a 16% lower risk of strokes, heart attacks and death in patients with end-stage renal disease who are undergoing peritoneal dialysis, a new study in the journal, Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation, reports.

Intensive therapies to reduce high blood pressure can cut the risk of heart disease in older adults without increasing the risk for falls, according to doctors at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.

A smartphone-based system helped patients with chronic kidney disease monitor their blood pressure, symptoms, and medications. The system also alerted patients’ physicians about medication errors and other potential harms.

Lower blood pressure targets can help prevent heart attacks, strokes, cardiovascular disease and death in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, according to data presented at the National Kidney Foundation 2016 Spring Clinical Meetings.

New research indicates that higher systolic blood pressure is linked with poor outcomes in patients with kidney disease, although the association diminishes with advanced age. The findings, which come from a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN), provide valuable information concerning patients who are often excluded from blood pressure–lowering clinical trials.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Relypsa, Inc.'s Veltassa (patiromer for oral suspension) to treat hyperkalemia. Veltassa is the first new medicine to treat hyperkalemia in more than 50 years.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of Letairis (ambrisentan) in combination with tadalafil for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) to reduce the risks of disease progression and hospitalization for worsening PAH, and to improve exercise ability. Letairis is an endothelin receptor antagonist that was first approved in 2007 in the U.S. as monotherapy for PAH to improve exercise ability and delay clinical worsening. Tadalafil is a PDE5 inhibitor that was initially approved for PAH in the U.S. in 2009 to improve exercise ability.

Patiromer FOS, made by Relypsa Inc., significantly reduced blood potassium from baseline levels in patients with moderate-to-severe hyperkalemia (mean blood potassium levels at baseline: 5.93 mEq/L), who had chronic kidney disease and were taking at least one renin angiotensin aldosterone system (RAAS) inhibitor, according to a study published Sept. 16 in Kidney International.

The siblings of women who had hypertension during pregnancy also face an increased risk of hypertension.