Hypertension

Increased activity of the “fight or flight” nervous system contributes to obesity-associated hypertension and may be a good therapeutic target for the disease. Read More

The number and percentage of patients treated at emergency departments for hypertension are on the rise across the United States, according to a Vanderbilt study published recently in The American Journal of Cardiology. Read More

The initial results of a landmark clinical trial sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) indicate lowering systolic blood pressure below a commonly recommended target significantly reduces rates of cardiovascular events and lowers risk of death in a group of adults 50 years and older. Read More

Despite prior epidemiologic and experimental data to the contrary, new research shows that vitamin D supplementation does not reduce blood pressure in individuals with prehypertension or stage I hypertension and vitamin D deficiency. Read More

The evidence is increasing: the immune system and inflammation are key contributors to high blood pressure. Read More

New findings suggest that misfolded proteins accumulate in the heart atria, particularly in patients with hypertension, and may contribute to atrial heart disease. Read More

A copy repairman who couldn’t do his job anymore and was forced to take medical leave has returned to work. A woman who couldn’t walk from her car to her desk job has enough energy to redecorate her house. A 42-year-old mother who was too sick to care for her… Read More

An overactive stress response contributes to the development of insulin resistance in obese individuals, and blocking it may be therapeutically beneficial. Read More

Vanderbilt researchers have discovered that certain immune cells contribute to the development of hypertension, suggesting novel targets for treating the disease. Read More

Health Plus will host two sessions in March on managing hypertension as part of the Pressure Relief Network series. The classes are free. Read More

Learn healthy ways to cope with stress in today’s fast-paced world at a Pressure Relief Network class hosted by Health Plus on Feb. 26. Read More

Hypertension Clinic members include, from left, Sandy Berryhill, LPN, Lynn Christman, Cheryl Laffer, M.D., Matt Luther, M.D., Fernando Elijovich, M.D., Robert Manning, R.N., and Karen Gore, R.N. (Not pictured: Nancy Brown, M.D., Barb Dotson, R.N., and Mena Mangrum, LPN. The American Society of Hypertension (ASH) has… Read More

Clinical pharmacologist Jens Titze, M.D., and his colleagues have identified a new cast of cells and molecules that function in the skin to control sodium balance and blood pressure. Read More

Cheryl Laffer, M.D., PhD., professor of Medicine, is the new director of the Hypertension Service within the Division of Clinical Pharmacology. Read More

A newer version of an old class of blood pressure lowering drugs may offer advantages for obese patients with metabolic syndrome. Read More

Some patients may need a combo of medications to combat a condition that causes dizziness. Read More

About half of kidney patients will die from heart disease within five years of starting dialysis, yet patients with kidney failure are rarely included in heart disease research. Jorge Gamboa, M.D., T. Alp Ikizler, M.D., and Nancy Brown, M.D., completed a small study that suggests a more personalized approach to… Read More

Vanderbilt University Medical Center investigators have demonstrated that dopamine produced outside the brain – in the kidneys – is important for renal function, blood pressure regulation and life span. Read More