Pulmonary Hypertension

Low renin hypertension (LRH) is a subtype of high blood pressure. It describes hypertension with low levels of an enzyme called renin. Renin works with other molecules in the body to keep your electrolytes in balance. Having low renin levels could mean that your body has too much sodium or that you have salt-sensitive hypertension. According to one 2018 study , LRH may affect up to 30 percent of people with hypertension. Diagnosing LRH is important in determining the best course of treatment for your high blood pressure. But your doctor will also want to check for other factors. When the RAAS works as expected, high levels of renin increase your blood pressure. But with LRH, you experience high blood pressure even with low or typical renin levels. You may not have enough renin to help set off the processes that control your blood pressure. Causes of LRH vary based on subtype. This 2018 study suggests it may be caused by: inherited genetic syndromes acquired genetic mutations environme...

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a disease spectrum encompassing a continuum of progressive liver diseases, including simple steatosis (>5% of fatty infiltration of hepatocytes without injury), nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH; fatty infiltration and inflammation), fibrosis (excessive deposition of extracellular matrix) and cirrhosis (advanced stage of fibrosis with distorted vasculature and architecture) [1-3]. NAFLD is diagnosed by excluding other causes of liver diseases such as alcohol and is considered as a hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome (MetS), which is characterized by three or more of the five conditions that increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and other health problems. These five conditions of the MetS that may occur together include high blood glucose, low blood high-density lipoprotein (HDL), high blood triglycerides, high blood pressure, and large waist circumference or "apple-shaped" body [2,4-5]. ...

Most of us may not immediately connect leg problems with heart health. While we may be aware that health conditions like diabetes can cause issues with the feet, calves, and thighs, certain symptoms in our lower extremities can also signify serious heart trouble. Read on to find out which signs to watch for for in your legs, what they could mean, and when to get your heart checked. READ THIS NEXT: 3 Ways Your Stomach Is Telling You That Your Heart's in Trouble. Kittima05/Shutterstock The medical term for swelling is edema, and it can occur anywhere in your body for a number of reasons. But if you have swelling in your feet and lower legs, it might mean your heart isn't circulating blood properly, there's a vein blockage in your leg, or that you're suffering from congestive heart failure (CHF). "CHF is a chronic condition where the heart does not pump blood as well as it should," says Edo Paz , MD...

Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn is a serious disorder that occurs when a baby fails to adapt to the circulatory transition as they breathe through their lungs after birth. Circulatory adaptation occurs minutes after birth as the baby transitions from receiving oxygen from the placenta through the umbilical cord to breathing independently. When this does not happen, the blood flow from the heart to the lungs becomes insufficient. In turn, not enough oxygen reaches the bloodstream to supply the brain and the rest of the body. This article discusses pulmonary hypertension in newborns, its signs and symptoms, risks, and complications. Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) occurs when conditions like low oxygen levels or breathing problems prevent natural circulatory changes. During pregnancy, babies get their oxygen from the placenta, an organ in the womb supplying oxygen and nutrients from the mother's blood to the baby through the umbilical cord. Up...

At a Glance In mice, a compound called SP9 blocked the excess secretion of mucus, a feature of many lung diseases that can cause difficulty breathing and other symptoms. The compound has the potential to be developed into a drug to treat mucus accumulation in many common lung diseases. Mucus plays a vital role in lung health. It serves as a lubricant to keep tissues from drying out. It helps filter out dust, allergens, and harmful microorganisms. But excess mucus production followed by rapid secretion (called mucus hypersecretion) can clog the airways and make it hard to breathe. Mucus hypersecretion is a hallmark of many serious lung diseases, including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and cystic fibrosis. Drugs developed to treat some of these conditions can reduce inflammation, expand the airways, or thin the mucus, which can help people breathe. But no treatments stop rapid mucus secretion. An international team of re...

How to check your blood pressure at home and what is a healthy range for young and old people; know from an expert.  World Hypertension Day is celebrated every year on May 17(Pixabay) Published on May 13, 2022 02:32 PM IST By Parmita Uniyal We all hear about this silent killer called hypertension or high blood pressure and how it can lead to many diseases and damage heart, kidney, brain without showing any notable symptoms in many people. But do we know what blood pressure really is? (Also read: World Hypertension Day 2022: Believing in these blood pressure myths can be fatal) Blood pressure is the force exerted by circulating blood against the walls of the body's arteries, the major blood vessels in the body; hypertension is when blood pressure is too high, according to World Health Organization (WHO). We all know that blood pressure reading has two values. But what do they signify? WHO says the first (systolic) number repr...

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a condition many people deal with. In fact, it's not uncommon for someone to have elevated blood pressure for quite some time and not even know it, as it doesn't always come with obvious symptoms. If not taken seriously, hypertension can become very serious, leading to a stroke or a heart attack. According to Mayo Clinic , your chances of developing this condition are greater as you get older, so we reached out to Dr. Mike Bohl, MD, MPH, ALM, a member of the Eat This, Not That! Medical Expert Board regarding the best ways to prevent high blood pressure. Read on to learn more, and next, check out The 6 Best Exercises for Strong and Toned Arms in 2022, Trainer Says. Shutterstock To have a better understanding, your blood pressure consists of two parts: the supply of blood that's pumped by your heart, and how much resistance there is to the blood that's running through your arterie...