New Drug ALT-711 decreases blood vessel stiffness
A novel drug that breaks down collagen bonds in the body's blood vessels significantly decreases the stiffness of vessels in older people, according to a study conducted by National Institute on Aging (NIA) scientists and others. The finding suggests the medication could be a new treatment for high blood pressure, heart failure, and certain complications of diabetes. The drug, ALT-711, sn...Arterial stiffness prevented by light drinking
People who have one or two drinks a day have more flexible arteries than non-drinkers and heavy drinkers. Researchers at the National Institute on Ageing Gerontology have found another of those U-shaped relationships for alcohol consumption and health. In the U-shaped relationship, light to moderate drinkers enjoy more health benefits than either abstainers or heavy drinkers. Arterial sti...New method of measuring arterial stiffness in elderly hypertensives
Researchers have now discovered a new method by which arterial stiffness in elderly hypertensive patients can be evaluated, using the "arterial stiffness index", which is measured by computerized oscillometry at the upper arm. The researchers from the Osaka University Medical School in Japan studied 42 patients, 26 of whom were over 60 years of age. They evaluated arterial stiffness index...Artery Stiffness Linked To Increasing Levels Of C-reactive protein
Mayo Clinic researchers have shown that increased levels of C-reactive protein in the blood are associated with the stiffening of the arteries. This finding could lead to new and improved // public health strategies to prevent heart disease, such as developing drugs that suppress inflammation to improve the health of arteries before full-blown heart disease develops. The Ma...Artery Stiffness Reversed By Smoking Termination
In a cross-sectional study reported in Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association, ex-smokers reached former smoker’s level// of arterial stiffness ten years after they stopped smoking. "Smoking is a major risk factor, not only for lung disease and cancer, but also for heart attack, stroke and heart failure," said lead author Noor Ahmed Jatoi, M.B.B.S., D.C.N., D.M.M.D. "Ou...