That Stink May Help Your Blood Pressure

Test of drug niacin halted when results became clear

(NEWSER) - Raising your “good” HDL cholesterol might not be such a good idea. A federally funded study into the effectiveness of the HDL booster niacin has been abruptly cut off, after it became clear that the drug did nothing to reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke—and in the case of one type of stroke, may actually have increased it, officials announced yesterday. The finding is a major blow to what had been a promising treatment for cardiovascular disease. More»

New study defies conventional wisdom, but experts not convinced

(NEWSER) - In a world with constantly changing nutritional guidelines (eggs are bad for you; no, they're good for you! ), one food has seemed to be consistently maligned: salt. But a new, and highly contested, study finds that low-salt diets do not prevent high blood pressure—and actually increase the risk of death from heart attack or stroke. But CDC officials, in a rare move, criticized the study as flawed: It's too small, used subjects that were too young, and contradicts a body of evidence showing that high sodium consumption is dangerous. Supporters, however, claim that other studies have found adverse effects from low-sodium diets. More»

(USER SUBMITTED) - A new surgical technique can lower blood pressure by up to 30% by destroying tiny nerves in the arteries leading to the kidneys. These nerves regulate blood supply, but can be overactive in some patients, dangerously boosting blood pressure. This new procedure inserts a small probe through a catheter in the renal arteries and produces heat sufficient to kill off the nerves. More»

Spicy food could counter hypertension: Study

(NEWSER) - Good news for spicy food lovers: Eating chili peppers may lower blood pressure over the long term. A new study, carried out on rats, is the first to establish a link between long-term ingestion of capsaicin, the ingredient that makes chilis spicy, and lowered blood pressure in animals predisposed to hypertension. The researchers behind the study say the next step is to compare rates of high blood pressure across regions with spicier and less spicy cuisines. More»

Agency flags flawed study, may ban diabetes drug

(NEWSER) - As the FDA prepares to consider whether to ban Avandia, agency scientists have discovered another problem with the diabetes drug: flaws that disqualify a clinical study sponsored by its maker. The trial, organized by GlaxoSmithKline, sought to evaluate the relative heart risks of Avandia and two other diabetes drugs, but was an "open label" trial, meaning the researchers and patients knew which drugs they were getting, USA Today reports. More»