A novel pill that blocks the hormone aldosterone shows promise for lowering blood pressure and potentially delaying the progression of kidney disease in people with both conditions.  The preliminary findings were presented Saturday at an American Heart Association (AHA) meeting in Baltimore and simultaneously published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. The Phase 2 clinical trial, known as FigHTN, found that the new medication, baxdrostat, yielded a roughly 5% reduction in systolic blood pressure when given to patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) who were unable to control their high blood pressure with existing medications.  Systolic blood pressure is the top number in a blood pressure reading. It measures pressure against your artery walls as the heart beats, according to the AHA. “These findings are encouraging for people living with chronic kidney disease and high blood pressure, two conditions that often go hand-in-hand and create a dangerous cycle,” said study leader Dr. Jamie Dwyer, a professor of medicine at University of Utah Health in Salt Lake City. Unmanaged blood pressure can worsen kidney function, and declining kidney function can, in turn, further elevate blood pressure, creating a challenging loop for patients, he explained. Reported previously in HealthDay News, the new drug also showed benefit in other patients with treatment-resistant high blood pressure when taken once a day for three months. In an…  read on >  read on >

A heart health journey may start much earlier than once thought, as new research shows that kids with higher blood pressure at age 7 had a sharply increased risk of dying of heart disease by their mid-50s. The preliminary findings were presented Sunday at an American Heart Association (AHA) meeting in Baltimore and simultaneously published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.  The study is the first to examine the impact of both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in childhood on the long-term risk of heart-related death across a diverse group of children.  Systolic blood pressure, the top number in a blood pressure reading, is the force exerted in arteries while the heart is beating. Diastolic pressure is force between beats. “We were surprised to find that high blood pressure in childhood was linked to serious health conditions many years later,” said lead author Alexa Freedman, an assistant professor at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Evanston, Ill. “Specifically, having hypertension or elevated blood pressure as a child may increase the risk of death by 40% to 50% over the next five decades of an individual’s life,” she added in a news release. The study followed some 38,000 children who were part of a massive health study across 12 U.S. sites in the 1960s and 1970s. Their blood pressure was measured at age…  read on >  read on >

A heart health journey may start much earlier than once thought, as new research shows that kids with higher blood pressure at age 7 had a sharply increased risk of dying of heart disease by their mid-50s. The preliminary findings were presented Sunday at an American Heart Association (AHA) meeting in Baltimore and simultaneously published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.  The study is the first to examine the impact of both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in childhood on the long-term risk of heart-related death across a diverse group of children.  Systolic blood pressure, the top number in a blood pressure reading, is the force exerted in arteries while the heart is beating. Diastolic pressure is force between beats. “We were surprised to find that high blood pressure in childhood was linked to serious health conditions many years later,” said lead author Alexa Freedman, an assistant professor at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Evanston, Ill. “Specifically, having hypertension or elevated blood pressure as a child may increase the risk of death by 40% to 50% over the next five decades of an individual’s life,” she added in a news release. The study followed some 38,000 children who were part of a massive health study across 12 U.S. sites in the 1960s and 1970s. Their blood pressure was measured at age…  read on >  read on >

Older adults managing high blood pressure might just have one more tool in the toolbox.  A new study suggests that artificial intelligence (AI)-powered voice agents can help older adults manage their high blood pressure, potentially transforming how remote patient care is delivered.  These preliminary findings were presented Sunday during an American Heart Association meeting in Baltimore. During the study, an AI voice agent prompted patients who were missing blood pressure data or whose most recent BP reading was not within the normal range of less than 120/80 mm Hg to report home blood pressure readings. The research aimed to assess how adding AI into the clinical workflow could improve patients’ management of home blood pressure checks and identify those needing follow-up medical care.  The voice agent was designed to function like a health care professional, contacting patients, talking to them and asking them to provide blood pressure readings. “Controlling blood pressure remains a cornerstone for improving cardiovascular outcomes for patients, however, capturing timely, compliant blood pressure readings remains a challenge, particularly for patients with limited access to care,” said lead author Dr. Tina-Ann Kerr Thompson, a senior vice president at Emory Healthcare in Atlanta.  “In our study, we were able to improve accuracy of blood pressure measures and patient outcomes,” she added in a news release. Home monitoring is recommended for all adults with any…  read on >  read on >

Older adults managing high blood pressure might just have one more tool in the toolbox.  A new study suggests that artificial intelligence (AI)-powered voice agents can help older adults manage their high blood pressure, potentially transforming how remote patient care is delivered.  These preliminary findings were presented Sunday during an American Heart Association meeting in Baltimore. During the study, an AI voice agent prompted patients who were missing blood pressure data or whose most recent BP reading was not within the normal range of less than 120/80 mm Hg to report home blood pressure readings. The research aimed to assess how adding AI into the clinical workflow could improve patients’ management of home blood pressure checks and identify those needing follow-up medical care.  The voice agent was designed to function like a health care professional, contacting patients, talking to them and asking them to provide blood pressure readings. “Controlling blood pressure remains a cornerstone for improving cardiovascular outcomes for patients, however, capturing timely, compliant blood pressure readings remains a challenge, particularly for patients with limited access to care,” said lead author Dr. Tina-Ann Kerr Thompson, a senior vice president at Emory Healthcare in Atlanta.  “In our study, we were able to improve accuracy of blood pressure measures and patient outcomes,” she added in a news release. Home monitoring is recommended for all adults with any…  read on >  read on >

Most people with high blood pressure aren’t skipping the salt shaker in favor of a salt substitute, according to a new study. Incredibly few Americans use salt substitutes, essentially waving aside a simple and effective way to manage their blood pressure, researchers reported Thursday at an American Heart Association (AHA) meeting in Baltimore. “Overall, less than 6% of all U.S. adults use salt substitutes, even though they are inexpensive and can be an effective strategy to help people control blood pressure, especially people with difficult-to-treat high blood pressure,” lead researcher Yinying Wei said in a news release. She is a doctoral candidate in applied clinical research and hypertension at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. Salt substitutes replace some or all of the sodium with potassium, which tastes similar to regular salt, researchers said in background notes. A salt-heavy diet causes the body to retain fluid, which can increase blood pressure by drawing more water into the bloodstream, according to the Cleveland Clinic. For the new study, researchers analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey gathered between 2003 and 2020, using food questionnaires to track use of salt substitutes. Overall, salt substitute use among U.S. adults remained low during the study period. At most, more than 5% used salt substitutes during the 2013-2014 survey. These results were similar when looking at adults…  read on >  read on >

Most people with high blood pressure aren’t skipping the salt shaker in favor of a salt substitute, according to a new study. Incredibly few Americans use salt substitutes, essentially waving aside a simple and effective way to manage their blood pressure, researchers reported Thursday at an American Heart Association (AHA) meeting in Baltimore. “Overall, less than 6% of all U.S. adults use salt substitutes, even though they are inexpensive and can be an effective strategy to help people control blood pressure, especially people with difficult-to-treat high blood pressure,” lead researcher Yinying Wei said in a news release. She is a doctoral candidate in applied clinical research and hypertension at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. Salt substitutes replace some or all of the sodium with potassium, which tastes similar to regular salt, researchers said in background notes. A salt-heavy diet causes the body to retain fluid, which can increase blood pressure by drawing more water into the bloodstream, according to the Cleveland Clinic. For the new study, researchers analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey gathered between 2003 and 2020, using food questionnaires to track use of salt substitutes. Overall, salt substitute use among U.S. adults remained low during the study period. At most, more than 5% used salt substitutes during the 2013-2014 survey. These results were similar when looking at adults…  read on >  read on >

Deaths from blood-pressure-driven kidney disease have increased dramatically during the past quarter-century, according to a new study. Deaths from high blood pressure-related kidney disease increased by nearly half in the U.S. over the past 25 years, researchers reported Thursday at an American Heart Association (AHA) meeting in Baltimore. The highest death rates were among Black Americans, followed by Hispanic people, results show. “Despite national efforts to reduce health inequalities, Black individuals still had over three times the death rate compared to other groups of people,” researcher Dr. Joiven Nyongbella said in a news release. He’s an internal medicine resident at Wayne State University/Henry Ford Rochester Hospital in Detroit. High blood pressure is a known risk factor for kidney damage, according to the AHA. It can damage the blood vessels in and around the kidneys, contributing to scarring of the organs. For the new study, researchers looked at death certificate data from 1999 to 2023 maintained by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Results showed a 48% increase in deaths from kidney disease related to high blood pressure. Men and Black or Hispanic adults had rates that were even higher than average, researchers found. “High blood pressure isn’t just about strokes or heart attacks — it’s also a major cause of kidney disease and death, especially in Black and Hispanic communities,” Nyongbella said.  Overall,…  read on >  read on >

Deaths from blood-pressure-driven kidney disease have increased dramatically during the past quarter-century, according to a new study. Deaths from high blood pressure-related kidney disease increased by nearly half in the U.S. over the past 25 years, researchers reported Thursday at an American Heart Association (AHA) meeting in Baltimore. The highest death rates were among Black Americans, followed by Hispanic people, results show. “Despite national efforts to reduce health inequalities, Black individuals still had over three times the death rate compared to other groups of people,” researcher Dr. Joiven Nyongbella said in a news release. He’s an internal medicine resident at Wayne State University/Henry Ford Rochester Hospital in Detroit. High blood pressure is a known risk factor for kidney damage, according to the AHA. It can damage the blood vessels in and around the kidneys, contributing to scarring of the organs. For the new study, researchers looked at death certificate data from 1999 to 2023 maintained by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Results showed a 48% increase in deaths from kidney disease related to high blood pressure. Men and Black or Hispanic adults had rates that were even higher than average, researchers found. “High blood pressure isn’t just about strokes or heart attacks — it’s also a major cause of kidney disease and death, especially in Black and Hispanic communities,” Nyongbella said.  Overall,…  read on >  read on >

An experimental pill might help people with stubborn high blood pressure that won’t relent to other treatments, clinical trial results show. Patients with treatment-resistant high blood pressure saw a significant drop after taking the new drug baxdrostat once a day for three months, researchers reported Aug. 30 in the New England Journal of Medicine. Blood pressure fell by 9 to 10 mm/Hg in those taking baxdrostat, results show. “This level of reduction is linked to substantially lower risk of heart attack, stroke, heart failure and kidney disease,” senior researcher Dr. Bryan Williams, chair of medicine at University College London, said in a news release. About 4 out of 10 baxdrostat patients achieved a healthy blood pressure, compared to fewer than 2 in 10 given a placebo tablet, researchers found. Baxdrostat works by blocking the body’s production of aldosterone, a hormone that helps the kidneys regulate salt and water balance. Some people produce too much aldosterone, causing their bodies to hold onto salt and water. This pushes blood pressure up and makes it hard to keep at a healthy level, researchers said. “Around half of people treated for hypertension do not have it controlled,” Williams said. “However, this is a conservative estimate and the number is likely higher, especially as the target blood pressure we try to reach is now much lower than it was previously.”…  read on >  read on >