http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. Canadians can track how much salt they're eating and identify the main sources of sodium in their diet using a new online Salt Calculator. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-sodium-online-salt-sums.html Health Mon, 11 Mar 2013 09:45:49 EST news282213940 People with high blood pressure enrolled in a clinical pharmacist-led web-based monitoring program were more likely to lower their pressure to recommended level than people who did not use the program. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-free-online-blood-pressure.html Cardiology Tue, 05 Mar 2013 16:00:08 EST news281710019 New research from the University of Georgia identifies the mechanisms responsible for regenerating blood vessels in the brain. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-treatments.html Medical research Thu, 20 Dec 2012 12:17:49 EST news275228260 (HealthDay)— Although significant progress has been made in the United States in terms of decreasing smoking and lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels, a new report warns that cardiovascular disease—including heart disease and stroke—still causes the death of one American every 40 seconds. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-lifestyles-thwarting-heart-health.html Cardiology Wed, 12 Dec 2012 19:50:01 EST news274556358 While dozens of medical device makers are racing to treat medication-resistant hypertension by burning nerves inside arteries in the kidneys, Minneapolis firm CVRx is coming at the problem from a different direction. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-blood-pressure-treatment-brain.html Health Fri, 07 Dec 2012 13:20:01 EST news274106438 University of Iowa team discovers new biological pathway in blood vessel cells, which may contribute to the blood pressure-lowering effects of TZD drugs used to treat Type 2 diabetes. This finding may help to develop new therapies that retain the beneficial effect of TZDs but eliminate the adverse side effects. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-biological-pathway-discovery-scientists-redesign.html Diabetes Tue, 09 Oct 2012 11:21:27 EST news269000477 The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, which promotes consumption of more fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, and whole grain, and less meats and sweets, is a proven effective treatment for hypertension. For some individuals, adherence to the diet can be just as effective in lowering blood pressure as taking antihypertensive medication. A new study has found that greater adherence to the diet can lead to significant reductions in blood pressure, but that African Americans are less likely to adopt the diet compared to whites. The study is published online today in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-african-americans-adhere-dash-diet.html Health Wed, 19 Sep 2012 00:00:01 EST news267206314 Patients with uncontrolled renovascular hypertension saw a significant improvement in their blood pressure with renal artery stent deployment. The multicenter HERCULES trial, evaluating the safety and effectiveness of the RX Herculink Elite Stent, found that patients with higher blood pressure levels at baseline had the most dramatic reduction in blood pressure following intervention. Trial details appear in Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions, a journal published by Wiley on behalf of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-kidney-stenting-lowers-blood-pressure.html Cardiology Thu, 30 Aug 2012 12:35:36 EST news265548927 A traditional treatment for heart failure appears to be equally protective in preventing death or hospitalization among African-American patients, as compared to white patients, according to a study at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-difference-results-standard-heart-failure.html Cardiology Wed, 09 May 2012 17:00:02 EST news255784096 Chocolate, considered by some to be the "food of the gods," has been part of the human diet for at least 4,000 years; its origin thought to be in the region surrounding the Amazon basin. Introduced to the Western world by Christopher Columbus after his fourth voyage to the New World in 1502, chocolate is now enjoyed worldwide. Researchers estimate that the typical American consumes over 10 pounds of chocolate annually, with those living on the west coast eating the most. Wouldn't it be great if only chocolate were considered healthy? http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-apples-day-dark-chocolate-doctor.html Health Tue, 24 Apr 2012 17:18:00 EST news254506596 A team from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) and McGill University has made a major breakthrough by unraveling the inner workings of melatonin, also known as the "sleep hormone." The research, conducted in collaboration with scientists in Italy, reveals the key role played by the melatonin receptor in the brain that promotes deep, restorative sleep. This discovery led the researchers to develop a novel drug called UCM765, which selectively activates this receptor. The results, published in The Journal of Neuroscience, may pave the way for the development of new and promising treatments for insomnia, a common public health problem that affects millions of people worldwide. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-tireless-reveals-secrets-hormone.html Neuroscience Tue, 13 Dec 2011 17:00:14 EST news243005502