The American Society of Hypertension 30th Annual Scientific Meeting and Exposition
The annual meeting of the American Society of Hypertension was held from May 15 to 19 in New York City and attracted more than 17,000 participants from around the world, including clinicians, academicians, allied health professionals, and others interested in high blood pressure management. The conference highlighted recent advances in the prevention, detection, and treatment of hypertension and related cardiovascular conditions, as well as in the pathobiology of hypertension.
In one study, Anwar Gilani, M.D., of the Aga Khan University in Karachi, Pakistan, and colleagues found that small servings of almonds (10 g), consumed before breakfast, may improve sub-optimal high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients, in addition to improving low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and triglycerides.
“More than half of CAD patients, despite having well-managed LDL, have sub-optimal HDL. Almonds fail to show significant HDL elevation in clinical trials, perhaps because the baseline HDL of participants was not considerably low,” Gilani said. “In this study conducted on sub-optimal HDL, we showed that almond supplementation at a low dose (10 g/daily on an empty stomach) improved HDL at the sixth and 12th week. Total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides, LDL, very-LDL, TC:HDL ratio, LDL:HDL ratio, and atherogenic index were markedly reduced in the two almond arms compared to no intervention. Low-dose almonds (10 g), consumed before breakfast, can potentially improve suboptimal HDL in CAD patients.”
In another study, Jose Bonardi, M.D., of the University of São Paulo in Ribeirão Preto, Brazil, and colleagues evaluated the effect of aerobic training in sedentary workers at a Public Health Unit in Brazil. The investigators assessed 19 individuals, including 12 individuals with normal blood pressure levels.
“After 12 weeks of training during working hours, we observed a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure of employees, concomitantly with significant reduction in waist circumference, with no change in body mass index,” the authors write.
Using data from the National Health Interview Survey (2004 to 2013), Nwakike Ojike, M.D., of the New York University School of Medicine in New York City, and colleagues evaluated whether individuals with hypertension are more likely to experience psychological distress. After adjusting for cardiovascular risk factors, including age, race, body mass index, diabetes, physical activity, sleep duration, marital status, educational level, and poverty status, the investigators found that individuals with hypertension were 30 percent more likely to experience psychological distress.
“Results of this study characterized factors associated with the presence of hypertension,” the authors write. “Consistent with our hypothesis, individuals with hypertension were more likely to experience psychological distress. Therefore, individuals with hypertension should be screened for the presence of psychological distress.”
ASH: ‘Short’ and ‘Long’ Sleepers Seem to Have Higher Stroke Risk
FRIDAY, May 15, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Patients with hypertension who sleep less than five hours or more than eight hours each night may have significantly higher odds of a stroke, new research suggests. Findings from the study are scheduled to be presented Friday at the annual meeting of the American Society of Hypertension, held from May 15 to 19 in New York City.
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