DALLAS, Sept. 23, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- News Tips from the American Heart Association's High Blood Pressure Research 2011 Scientific Sessions:
| Walt Disney Dolphin Resort, Orlando, Fla. |
| Sept. 20-24, 2011 |
| Abstract P497 – Red wine doesn't help mild high blood pressure |
Studies have shown that drinking a glass or two of red wine a day is associated with a lower risk of heart disease, but a new Dutch study found that consuming the chemicals in red wine thought to be responsible didn't lower borderline or early-stage high blood pressure when they were taken in dairy drinks.
In a double-blind, placebo controlled study, 61 people with borderline high blood pressure consumed dairy drinks that contained either a placebo or red wine polyphenols. Polyphenols are antioxidant chemicals in red wine that are believed to benefit the heart.
After four weeks, those who drank the polyphenol equivalent of two or three glasses of red wine daily showed no significant difference in blood pressure compared to those who consumed the placebo-laced drinks.
"Our findings do not support the idea that red wine polyphenols can account for the suggested cardiovascular benefits of red wine consumption by lowering blood pressure," said Ilse P.G. Botden, the study's lead researcher.
Abstract P548 – Measuring sodium in skin may help find link to high blood pressure
Measuring the subtle changes in the amount of sodium in your skin may help scientists understand how too much sodium results in high blood pressure.
Lowering sodium — found mostly in salt — can lower your blood pressure, but the mechanism behind the relationship between sodium and blood pressure is not fully known.
The human skin is a reservoir for salt, yet little is known about how daily biological variations in the skin, differences between genders or changes in hormones affect sodium levels in hypertensive patients.
Using a special MRI scanning technique for the first time, German researchers examined and tracked minute fluctuations in sodium levels in volunteers' skin.
After using the technique in five people, 25 to 68 years old, the researchers found that higher sodium levels appeared to be associated with aging in men. Concentrations increased with age, from 41 millimoles per liter at 25 years to 58 millimoles per liter at 68.
Statements and conclusions of study authors that are presented at American Heart Association scientific meetings are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect association policy or position. The association makes no representation or warranty as to their accuracy or reliability. The association receives funding primarily from individuals; foundations and corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations and fund specific association programs and events. The association has strict policies to prevent these relationships from influencing science content. Revenues from pharmaceutical and device corporations are available at www.heart.org/corporatefunding.
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