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A recent study conducted at Copenhagen University Hospital investigated the effects of different mean arterial pressure (MAP) targets on systemic hemodynamics in comatose patients after cardiac arrest. The study found that a higher MAP target of 77 mmHg resulted in increased doses of norepinephrine, higher cardiac index, and increased systemic vascular resistance index (SVRI). However, it did not affect stroke volume index. The study concluded that a higher blood pressure target also increased heart rate. This research provides new insights into the hemodynamic effects of different blood pressure targets in intensive care after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. [Extracted from the article]

The purpose of this project is to contribute to the prevention of heart failure as well as overall cardiovascular disease, cancer, and dementia by providing health guidance according to the level of heart failure. Keywords: Asia; Blood Pressure; Cardiology; Cardiovascular Diseases and Conditions; Epidemiology; Health and Medicine; Heart Disease; Heart Disorders and Diseases; Heart Failure; Hemodynamics; Japan; Risk and Prevention EN Asia Blood Pressure Cardiology Cardiovascular Diseases and Conditions Epidemiology Health and Medicine Heart Disease Heart Disorders and Diseases Heart Failure Hemodynamics Japan Risk and Prevention 997 997 1 11/06/23 20231106 NES 231106 2023 NOV 6 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Hematology Week -- Data detailed on heart failure have been presented. [Extracted from the article]

Blood Pressure, Cardiovascular Diseases and Conditions, Health and Medicine, Hemodynamics, Hypertension, Risk and Prevention Keywords: Blood Pressure; Cardiovascular Diseases and Conditions; Health and Medicine; Hemodynamics; Hypertension; Risk and Prevention EN Blood Pressure Cardiovascular Diseases and Conditions Health and Medicine Hemodynamics Hypertension Risk and Prevention 194 194 1 10/03/23 20231003 NES 231003 2023 OCT 2 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Hematology Week -- Data detailed on hypertension have been presented. [Extracted from the article]

The US Patent and Trademark Office has published a patent application titled "Covers For Cuff Blood Pressure Measurements." The inventors, Yeung, King-Wah Walter and Yeung, Wei-Wei Vivian, have developed a method to improve the accuracy of cuff blood pressure measurements by ensuring the patient's thermal comfort during the measurement. The invention involves using a cover for the blood pressure measurement cuff and/or the patient's upper extremity to maintain a comfortable temperature. The cover can be made of various materials and can include features such as a flexible overlay or a tube to introduce warm or cool air. The patent application provides detailed descriptions of different configurations and materials that can be used for the covers. [Extracted from the article]

A recent study from the University of Birmingham suggests that consuming cocoa or green tea rich in flavanols may help protect the body's vasculature from the negative effects of fatty foods during periods of stress. The research found that high-flavanol cocoa can counteract some of the impact of fatty meals and safeguard the vascular system from stress. This study highlights the potential benefits of incorporating flavanol-rich foods into one's diet to mitigate the effects of stress on cardiovascular health. [Extracted from the article]

A report from investigators at Hong Kong Polytechnic University discusses the Windkessel model, a mathematical model used to study blood flow dynamics in the systemic arterial circulation. The researchers developed a method to quantify the uncertainty of the pressure waveform resulting from uncertainties in the Windkessel parameters and flow waveform. The proposed methodology was tested against Monte Carlo simulations and showed good agreement in estimating blood pressure uncertainties due to uncertain Windkessel parameters. The study highlights the importance of checking the confidence level in blood pressure calculations, particularly in wearable technology that uses the Windkessel model to estimate systolic and diastolic blood pressures. [Extracted from the article]

We are developing a new technique for monitoring portal hypertension by the pressure gradient between the portal vein and the inferior vena cava (PPG) based on non-invasive measurements (MRI images). Massive parametrization and classification are required to investigate the underlying relationship between the porosity and the stages of liver cirrhosis numerically, and the hepatic-portal venous system is a multi-scale system. Both of them need high computational costs. The suitability of the lattice Boltzmann method for GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) parallel computation provides an opportunity to overcome it. In this paper, we perform GPU parallelization and optimization for the volumetric lattice Boltzmann method with arbitrary geometry based on images. Three application cases, including pipe flow, hemodynamics in the portal venous system, and hemodynamics in a simple hepatic-portal venous system, are employed to prove the method can be applied in the hepatic-portal venous system based on accuracy and efficiency. The reliability of the model is qualitatively validated by the analytical solution of velocity and pressure difference distribution of pipe flow and quantitatively confirmed by the pulsatility of velocity and pressure difference that can be neglected in the portal venous system. The performance of the application cases is examined with Intel Broadwell E5-2683 v3@ 2.30 GHz (CPU) and NVIDIA Tesla V100 16GB (GPU). It shows the GPU algorithm for sparse geometry (SPARSE) has a similar speed to the regular GPU algorithm for dense geometry (DENSE) when the fluid volume fraction (q) is close to 1. And SPARSE speeds up to 2.2 times compared with DENSE when q is in the range of 0.19 ∼ 0.27. Meanwhile, the saving ratio of memory cost depends on q. For a numerical case in the hepatic-portal venous system, i.e., a large-scale system, parallel execution can be converged around half an hour with SPARSE, while the memory spills the limitation with DENSE with a single GPU. Hence, multi-GPU implementation is applied to release the limitation, and it can improve performance by increasing the number of GPU cards. In summary, the method presented in the paper is feasibility applied in the hepatic-portal venous system, laying the foundation of the new technique development. • GPU accelerated volumetric lattice Boltzmann model to investigate a new technique to monitor portal hypertension in the hepatic-portal venous system is feasible. • GPU algorithm for sparse geometry (SPARSE) has a similar speed to the regular GPU algorithm for dense geometry (DENSE) when the fluid volume fraction (q) is close to 1. And SPARSE speeds up to 2.2 times compared with DENSE when q is in the range of 0.19 ∼ 0.27. • Multi-GPU implementation is applied to release the limitation, and it can improve performance by increasing the number of GPU cards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of California San Diego has identified the genetic pathway between the heart and brain that is associated with fainting. The researchers approached the study by considering the heart as a sensory organ that sends signals back to the brain, rather than just following directions from the brain. By studying the neural mechanisms related to the Bezold-Jarisch reflex (BJR), the researchers discovered that vagal sensory neurons expressing the neuropeptide Y receptor Y2 (NPY2R) are closely linked to the BJR responses. When these neurons were activated in mice, the mice immediately fainted, exhibiting classic signs of fainting such as pupil dilation and suppressed heart rate. The findings suggest that the activation of these neurons and their neural pathways play a role not only in fainting but also in overall animal physiology, certain brain networks, and behavior. The researchers hope to further investigate the conditions that trigger these neurons and develop targeted treatments for fainting-associated conditions. [Extracted from the article]

Keywords: 11-Hydroxycorticosteroids; Adrenal Cortex Hormones; Aldosterone; Blood; Blood Pressure; Cardiology; Cardiovascular; Cardiovascular Diseases and Conditions; Cardiovascular Diseases and Conditions - Hypertension; Cardiovascular Research; Clinical Research; Clinical Trials and Studies; Health and Medicine; Hematology; Hemodynamics; Hypertension; Plasma EN 11-Hydroxycorticosteroids Adrenal Cortex Hormones Aldosterone Blood Blood Pressure Cardiology Cardiovascular Cardiovascular Diseases and Conditions Cardiovascular Diseases and Conditions - Hypertension Cardiovascular Research Clinical Research Clinical Trials and Studies Health and Medicine Hematology Hemodynamics Hypertension Plasma 170 170 1 09/19/23 20230918 NES 230918 2023 SEP 21 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Clinical Trials Week -- Staff editors report on the newly launched clinical trial, NCT06019598, which has the following summary description: "Out-of-office blood pressure is more strongly associated with cardiovascular risk than office blood pressure. In brief, out-of-office blood pressure is more strongly associated with cardiovascular risk than office blood pressure. Home blood pressure monitoring: methodology, clinical relevance and practical application: a 2021 position paper by the Working Group on Blood Pressure Monitoring and Cardiovascular Variability of the European Society of Hypertension. [Extracted from the article]

Keywords: Tianjin; People's Republic of China; Asia; Blood Pressure; Cardiovascular Diseases and Conditions; Health and Medicine; Hemodynamics; Risk and Prevention EN Tianjin People's Republic of China Asia Blood Pressure Cardiovascular Diseases and Conditions Health and Medicine Hemodynamics Risk and Prevention 735 735 1 07/10/23 20230713 NES 230713 2023 JUL 10 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Hematology Week -- Researchers detail new data in Cardiovascular Diseases and Conditions. In this paper, a fabric-based ultrasound sensors are produced for continuous non-invasive monitoring of blood pressure waveforms by combining an "S"-shaped stretchable island bridge electrode with a fabric substrate utilizing hot press transfer. [Extracted from the article]

Milan, Italy, Europe, Blood Pressure, Cardiology, Cardiovascular, Cardiovascular Diseases and Conditions, Cardiovascular Research, Health and Medicine, Hemodynamics, Hypertension, Risk and Prevention Keywords: Milan; Italy; Europe; Blood Pressure; Cardiology; Cardiovascular; Cardiovascular Diseases and Conditions; Cardiovascular Research; Health and Medicine; Hemodynamics; Hypertension; Risk and Prevention EN Milan Italy Europe Blood Pressure Cardiology Cardiovascular Cardiovascular Diseases and Conditions Cardiovascular Research Health and Medicine Hemodynamics Hypertension Risk and Prevention 580 580 1 04/17/23 20230421 NES 230421 2023 APR 17 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Hematology Week -- Data detailed on Cardiovascular Diseases and Conditions - Hypertension have been presented. [Extracted from the article]

This article provides information on a clinical trial, NCT06256432, that is investigating the use of low doses of ambrisentan in treating patients with Hepatorenal Syndrome, a condition that affects individuals with advanced cirrhosis of the liver. The trial aims to compare the effectiveness and safety of ambrisentan to terlipressin, a commonly used drug for hepatorenal syndrome. The article also discusses the diagnosis and management of acute kidney injury in cirrhosis patients, providing revised consensus recommendations from the International Club of Ascites. It includes various studies and research papers on the topic, as well as recruitment information for the clinical trial. [Extracted from the article]

A new study conducted by researchers at Iowa State University found that splitting physical activity between aerobic exercise and resistance training can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease as much as aerobic-only regimens. The study, which involved 406 participants, showed that resistance exercise on its own did not provide the same heart health benefits as the combined workout. The researchers suggest that individuals who are bored with aerobic exercise or have joint pain can replace half of their aerobic workout with strength training to achieve the same cardiovascular benefits. The findings support current physical activity guidelines recommending both resistance and aerobic exercise for individuals with obesity. [Extracted from the article]

The freeform input comprises handwritten or drawn annotations, wherein the computing device arrangement further comprises identification means communicatively coupled to the processor arrangement, wherein the processor arrangement is arranged to receive identification data comprising user information identifying a user generating the freeform input from the identification means and to label at least some of said freeform annotations based on the identification data of the user generating the freeform input." "In such fetal monitoring systems, a user typically can insert annotations into the fetal monitoring data using drop-down menus or the like that can be activated by an appropriate user interface such as a touchscreen of the portable display device. "According to an aspect, there is provided a computing device arrangement for receiving fetal monitoring data from a fetal monitoring system, the computing device arrangement comprising a display device arranged to display the fetal monitoring data; a touchscreen device; and a processor arrangement communicatively coupled to the display device and the touchscreen device, the processor arrangement being arranged to receive the fetal monitoring data from the fetal monitoring system; control the display device to display the fetal monitoring data; receive a freeform input in a region of the touchscreen device from the touchscreen device; modify the fetal monitoring data by annotating a displayed region of the fetal monitoring data with the freeform input, said displayed region corresponding to the region of the touchscreen device; and generate an output of the modified fetal monitoring data for storage in a data storage device. [Extracted from the article]

The measured functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) time series is typically corrupted by instrumental drift and physiological noise due to respiration and heartbeat giving rise to temporal correlation in the signals. Most methods proposed so far for nonparametric hemodynamic response function (HRF) estimation in fMRI data do not account for these confounding effects, and thus produce biased and inefficient estimates. The aim of this paper is to address this issue by modeling the noise in fMRI time series using an autoregressive model of order p ( A R ( p ) ). Making use of a semiparametric model to characterize the fMRI time series and the A R ( p ) to model the temporally correlated noise, a generalized least squares (GLS) estimator for voxelwise consistent nonparametric HRF estimation is derived. The proposed estimation method is a three-stage procedure that relies on first-order differencing to remove drift and a novel structured covariance estimator for the AR noise based on Cholesky decomposition to derive the best linear unbiased estimator (BLUE) of the HRF. We also establish the asymptotic consistency of the proposed estimator. Simulation results show that the proposed method generates more accurate HRF estimates compared to existing methods. When applied to real fMRI data, it demonstrates the effectiveness in uncovering the brain response temporal dynamics for both event-related and block-design paradigms. Our approach removes the two types of noise in fMRI data simultaneously, thus providing efficient estimation of brain hemodynamic responses, while allowing for flexible characterization of the shape and timing of the voxelwise HRF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"So far, we have only validated the device performance on a small but diverse population", said Xiaoxiang Gao, a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of NanoEngineering at UC San Diego and co-first author on the study. Keywords: Algorithms; Blood Pressure; Cardiac Output; Cardio Device; Cardiology; Cardiovascular; Cardiovascular Research; Cyborgs; Diagnosis; Diagnostic Techniques and Procedures; Emerging Technologies; Engineering; Health and Medicine; Heart Function Tests; Hemodynamics; Machine Learning; Medical Devices; Nanoengineering; Nanotechnology; Technology; Ultrasound Technology; University of California - San Diego EN Algorithms Blood Pressure Cardiac Output Cardio Device Cardiology Cardiovascular Cardiovascular Research Cyborgs Diagnosis Diagnostic Techniques and Procedures Emerging Technologies Engineering Health and Medicine Heart Function Tests Hemodynamics Machine Learning Medical Devices Nanoengineering Nanotechnology Technology Ultrasound Technology University of California - San Diego 66 66 1 06/05/23 20230605 NES 230605 2023 JUN 5 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Hematology Week -- A team of engineers at the University of California San Diego has developed the first fully integrated wearable ultrasound system for deep-tissue monitoring, including for subjects on the go. Algorithms, Blood Pressure, Cardiac Output, Cardio Device, Cardiology, Cardiovascular, Cardiovascular Research, Cyborgs, Diagnosis, Diagnostic Techniques and Procedures, Emerging Technologies, Engineering, Health and Medicine, Heart Function Tests, Hemodynamics, Machine Learning, Medical Devices, Nanoengineering, Nanotechnology, Technology, Ultrasound Technology, University of California - San Diego. [Extracted from the article]

Quantitative assessment of the hemodynamic impact of carotid artery stenting (CAS) represents an important ingredient to understand the CAS long-term outcomes, which are still a matter of clinical debate. Although computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has been extensively used for the biomechanical analysis of carotid arteries in healthy and stenotic conditions, there are few contributions in the literature dealing with post-stenting conditions because (i) current medical images do not have sufficient resolution to accurately reconstruct the stent geometry, and (ii) the generation of a body-fitted mesh of the stent-artery configuration is cumbersome. Motivated by these considerations, the present study proposes a numerical approach able to implicitly account for the stent geometry in the post-operative patient-specific hemodynamic CFD analysis by introducing velocity penalty terms in the weak form of the equations governing blood flow in arteries. Such an approach allows us to compare different patient-specific CAS scenarios, ranging from a healthy carotid to a post-stenting configuration after the treatment of a severe stenosis, and paves the way for rapid CFD-based investigations of the hemodynamic impact of novel endovascular devices with complex grid designs. Test computations as well as patient-specific CAS simulations are presented in this paper, with good results obtained in all cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thoracic endovascular repair (TEVAR) is a minimally invasive alternative to classical open-chest surgery for pathologies of thoracic aorta such as aneurysms or dissections. It consists of the deployment of one or more endografts to either exclude aneurysms pressurization or seal entry tears of dissection. It is a minimally invasive procedure, yet long-term efficacy is still to be demonstrated and analyzed, depending on the geometry and the consequent hemodynamics and remodeling induced by the intervention. In this paper we consider a TEVAR patient by an extensive computational analysis of pre-op, post-op, and one-year follow up data. We focus on both geometrical features like curvature, torsion and area variations, as well as near-wall and intravascular flow-related quantities (i.e., wall shear stress-based descriptors and helicity). Comparison of the different morphologies indicates a partial restoration of normal flow in the region of interest, even though low WSS are still present with the associated risks. Overall, this study demonstrates the efficacy of quantitative computational tools in understanding the long-term impact of TEVAR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

University of Ottawa researchers have developed new metrics for tracking blood pressure changes in continuous cuffless blood pressure estimations. The study highlights the importance of monitoring and controlling hypertension and diagnosing cardiovascular diseases through continuous blood pressure tracking. The proposed evaluation framework includes distance and trend similarity metrics, as well as a composite metric between reference and estimated blood pressures, which are normalized and range from -1 to 1 for intuitive interpretation. The researchers recommend the regular use of this evaluation framework in assessing continuous blood pressure monitoring systems. [Extracted from the article]

A study conducted by researchers at the University of Kashan in Iran compared the effects of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) on cardiometabolic factors in patients with type 2 diabetes. The meta-analysis of 10 studies involving 271 individuals found that HIIT led to significant reductions in fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, and systolic blood pressure compared to MICT. The research concluded that HIIT may be a more effective training method for improving cardiometabolic factors in patients with type 2 diabetes. [Extracted from the article]

Volumetric Lattice Boltzmann Method (VLBM) has been recently developed for solving complex flow with arbitrary curved boundaries. The VLBM regards fluid particles are uniformly distributed in cells and distinguishes fluid, solid, and boundary cells by introducing a volumetric parameter P ( x , t ) defining the percentage of solid volume in each cell. The advantages of VLBM stem from the self-regulation of P ( x , t ) in the volumetric lattice Boltzmann equation (VLBE) for particle collision and streaming with no spatial interpolation when dealing with an arbitrarily curved boundary with or without motion. First, the VLBE satisfies mass conservation strictly. Second, the implementation of VLBM is rather simple after the solid volume percentages are determined in boundary cells. And third, no-slip boundary condition is integrated in the streaming formulation thus significantly enhances the capability of parallelization. In this paper, we perform GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) parallelization for VLBM using a uniform computing scheme for both fluid and boundary cells. In contrast to the traditional LBM acceleration, the boundary conditions have to be imposed over boundary nodes, where branching operations are required to identify boundary nodes from others, the VLBM implementation does not need to distinguish fluid and boundary cells in the computation so that branching is minimized and the GPU kernel execution is accelerated. Furthermore, the algorithmic steps are optimized to improve coalesced access of GPU memory and avoid race condition. An application study is on a pulsatile blood flow in a patient-specific carotid artery segmented from an anonymous clinical CT image and more than 30 times speedup over the serial counterpart. Simulations of fluid dynamics and wall shear stress (WSS) are presented and known velocity skewness and WSS distributions are captured. The GPU accelerated VLBM is promising to perform patient-specific computational hemodynamics within clinical accepted time frame and is expected to reveal quantitative real-time blood flow in living human arteries to aid clinical assessment of cardiovascular diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A patent application titled "Blood Pressure Estimation" has been published online, discussing the need for improved methods of estimating blood pressure using blood volume signals. The proposed method involves processing the blood volume signal and a respiration signal to identify specific phases of the cardiac and respiration cycles. Morphology features of the blood volume signal segments corresponding to the same respiration cycle phase are then used to estimate blood pressure. This method aims to provide a more accurate and continuous prediction of blood pressure by eliminating the variation caused by respiratory effort. The invention includes an apparatus with a processing unit to perform these steps. [Extracted from the article]

Researchers at the University of Washington have developed a nanocomposite multimodal sensor array integrated with an auxetic structure for an intelligent biometrics system. The sensor array combines pressure and proximity sensing to monitor cardiopulmonary health and sleep behavior. The array, made of carbon nanotubes, can accurately detect blood pressure without intervention, and has the potential for unrestricted vital sign monitoring during sleep or driving. The study highlights the high-pressure sensitivity and extended proximity range of the sensor array, which was achieved through the use of a machine learning algorithm. [Extracted from the article]

A study conducted by researchers at Poznan University of Medical Sciences in Poland highlights the critical role of community pharmacists in monitoring blood pressure. The research emphasizes the importance of regular blood pressure measurements, particularly for individuals over the age of 40 who are at a higher risk of hypertension. The study discusses the benefits of pharmacist-provided hypertension care and suggests the development of standardized procedures to ensure consistent and effective services. The research concludes that pharmacists in Poland play a significant role in screening for hypertension through blood pressure measurements. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses a study from the University of Georgia on the effectiveness of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) for treating depression and comorbid health conditions in primary care settings. Topics include: the significant reductions in depressive and anxiety symptoms and increased well-being scores observed in participants receiving SFBT.

The article presents findings from a study at Vilnius University on the cognitive outcomes in young adults with primary arterial hypertension. Researchers examined the relationship between cognitive performance and markers of hypertension-mediated organ damage (HMOD). The study suggests that cognitive and cardiovascular markers in hypertension can be detected earlier than previously thought.

A recent study conducted by researchers at Columbia University examined the relationship between estimated pulse wave velocity (ePWV) and cognitive impairment and dementia. The study used data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and included 8,492 participants. The results showed that ePWV was associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment with no dementia and dementia. The researchers suggest that ePWV could be a useful tool and biomarker for studying cognitive aging and dementia risk in large population studies. [Extracted from the article]

Researchers from the University of California have conducted a narrative review on the echocardiographic evaluation of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in preterm infants. PDA is prevalent among extremely preterm infants and is associated with increased mortality and morbidities such as intraventricular hemorrhage and chronic lung disease. The review emphasizes the importance of assessing the hemodynamic impact of PDA rather than just its presence or size. The researchers also discuss the use of lung ultrasound as an adjunct to evaluate the impact of PDA on the lungs. This research provides valuable insights into the management of PDA in preterm infants. [Extracted from the article]

A recent study conducted by researchers at Chongqing University in China explores the use of photoplethysmography (PPG) for noninvasive blood pressure monitoring. The study highlights the advantages of PPG, such as its simplicity, portability, affordability, and ease of signal acquisition. The researchers conducted a literature search to assess PPG signal quality, estimate blood pressure without a cuff, and examine the relationship between circadian rhythm and blood pressure. The study also considers individual differences and factors that influence arterial blood pressure, as well as the impact of circadian rhythm on blood pressure. The findings of the study are summarized, and suggestions for future research directions are provided. [Extracted from the article]

A recent study conducted in Bulgaria analyzed the results of blood pressure screenings as part of the May Measurement Month (MMM) initiative. The study found that cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of mortality in Bulgaria, with a mortality rate twice the European Union average. Out of 3,908 individuals screened, 74.1% had hypertension, and of those with hypertension, 48.5% had controlled blood pressure. The study also revealed that men had higher rates of undiagnosed hypertension and lower rates of control compared to women. These findings highlight the importance of blood pressure screening in identifying and managing hypertension. [Extracted from the article]

A clinical trial, NCT06509776, is being conducted to investigate the factors that contribute to good bone health, hormonal health, muscle mass, and fat mass in young adults. The trial will measure bone mass, body composition, hormones, and epigenetic modifications to genes at birth. The study aims to understand how prenatal and childhood health influence these factors. Another study explores the relationship between birth weight and the risk of developing osteoporosis in adulthood, finding that higher birth weight is associated with an increased risk. Additionally, a research study is being conducted to investigate the relationship between DNA methylation and adiposity in individuals born in Denmark in 2006 or 2007. These studies contribute to our understanding of the factors that influence bone health and long-term health outcomes. [Extracted from the article]

A recent report from Isfahan University of Medical Sciences in Iran discusses the mutual relationship between hypertension (HTN) and chronic kidney disease (CKD). The research highlights that HTN is both a risk factor for and a complication of CKD, as high blood pressure damages blood vessels, including those in the kidneys, leading to reduced kidney function. Conversely, decreasing kidney function contributes to salt and water retention, increased activity of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, and other effects that worsen HTN. The report emphasizes the importance of tight blood pressure control through lifestyle modification and medication to slow CKD progression and reduce the risk of associated cardiovascular complications. Further research is needed to explore interventions that can disrupt the cycle connecting HTN and progressive CKD. [Extracted from the article]

A study led by Michigan Medicine has found that high systolic blood pressure, the top number on a blood pressure reading, is linked to a greater risk of stroke. The study analyzed the average systolic blood pressure of over 40,000 people with no history of stroke and found that a higher average reading during adulthood was associated with a higher risk of stroke, particularly ischemic stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage. The study also found that Black and Hispanic patients had a higher risk of certain types of stroke compared to white patients. The researchers emphasize the importance of early diagnosis and sustained control of high blood pressure to prevent stroke, especially among minority groups. [Extracted from the article]

Researchers from Suranaree University of Technology in Thailand have developed a deep learning regression model that uses phonocardiogram (PCG) data to estimate blood pressure. The model incorporates a convolutional neural network (CNN) to capture intricate patterns within the PCG signals, resulting in highly accurate blood pressure estimation. The study highlights the potential for precise blood pressure estimation using PCG signals, which could lead to a practical and non-invasive method with broad applicability in healthcare. Early detection of abnormal blood pressure levels can facilitate timely medical interventions and reduce cardiovascular disease-related mortality rates. [Extracted from the article]

A study conducted by the Ministry of Health in Moscow, Russia, explores the relationship between meteorological factors and the development of cardiovascular complications, specifically focusing on arterial hypertension. The research reveals statistically significant seasonal fluctuations in blood pressure, heart rate, cholesterol, glucose, and body mass. The study suggests that the variability of blood pressure and complications of arterial hypertension may be influenced by meteorological factors, and recommends further investigation using remote blood pressure monitoring. The research has been peer-reviewed and published in the Russian Meteorology and Hydrology journal. [Extracted from the article]

A clinical trial, NCT06467513, is currently recruiting participants in China to investigate the effects of esketamine on hemodynamics and postoperative pulmonary complications in patients undergoing heart valve replacement surgery. The trial aims to evaluate the impact of esketamine on intraoperative hemodynamics and to mitigate postoperative pulmonary complications. Eligible patients will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: a low-dose esketamine group, a high-dose esketamine group, or a blank control group. The trial is in Phase 4 and is designed as an interventional study with a randomized allocation. The trial is expected to be completed by May 2025, and data from the trial will be shared with other research teams. Contact information for the primary investigator is provided for those interested in participating. [Extracted from the article]

Koninklijke Philips N.V. has been issued a patent for an intracranial blood pressure estimation method and device. The patent describes a non-invasive method for measuring intracranial pressure using transcranial Doppler ultrasound and arterial blood pressure measurements. The method involves detecting a phase offset between the blood flow velocity and blood pressure signals and applying a phase shift to the blood pressure signal to estimate intracranial blood pressure. This method has been shown to produce accurate estimations of intracranial pressure compared to invasive methods. The patent provides detailed information on the method and its potential applications in healthcare technology. [Extracted from the article]

A research study conducted at Chosun University in Gwangju, South Korea, explores the reconstruction of arterial blood pressure (ABP) waveforms using electrocardiography (ECG) and photoplethysmography (PPG) signals. The study aims to develop a model that can estimate blood pressure and reconstruct ABP waveforms using raw ABP signals as input. The researchers found that the model, which combines the squeeze-and-excitation network (SE-Net) with a multi-task learning architecture, was able to accurately estimate blood pressure and output ABP waveforms without damaging the raw signal. The results suggest the potential for using PPG signals instead of ECG signals in non-invasive ABP waveform reconstruction. [Extracted from the article]

Abstract: Computer modeling of blood flows in the arteries is an important and very challenging problem. In order to understand, computationally, the sophisticated hemodynamics in the arteries, it is essential to couple the fluid flow and the elastic wall structure effectively and specify physiologically realistic boundary conditions. The computation is expensive and the parallel scalability of the solution algorithm is a key issue of the simulation. In this paper, we introduce and study a parallel two-level Newton–Krylov–Schwarz method for simulating blood flows in compliant branching arteries by using a fully coupled system of linear elasticity equation and incompressible Navier–Stokes equations with the resistive boundary condition. We first focus on the accuracy of the resistive boundary condition by comparing it with the standard pressure type boundary condition. We then show the parallel scalability results of the two-level approach obtained on a supercomputer with a large number of processors and on problems with millions of unknowns. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The current paper reports on the development and validation of a localized collocation meshless method (LCMM) to model laminar incompressible flows. A high order upwinding scheme was devised to dampen the numerical oscillations arising in convection-dominated flows. Subsequently, the LCMM was analytically validated and demonstrated to yield third-order accurate solutions when compared to a benchmark analytical decaying vortex solution. Numerical validations are provided by comparison with the finite volume commercial (FVM) solver Fluent 6.2. The flow geometry for the numerical validation arises from a biomedical application that consists of modeling blood flow in the inter-connection between a bypass graft and an artery. Very good agreement was found between the LCMM and the FVM. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (efMRI) has emerged as a powerful technique for detecting brains’ responses to presented stimuli. A primary goal in efMRI data analysis is to estimate the Hemodynamic Response Function (HRF) and to locate activated regions in human brains when specific tasks are performed. This paper develops new methodologies that are important improvements not only to parametric but also to nonparametric estimation and hypothesis testing of the HRF. First, an effective and computationally fast scheme for estimating the error covariance matrix for efMRI is proposed. Second, methodologies for estimation and hypothesis testing of the HRF are developed. Simulations support the effectiveness of our proposed methods. When applied to an efMRI dataset from an emotional control study, our method reveals more meaningful findings than the popular methods offered by AFNI and FSL. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A recent study conducted by researchers at Pusan National University in South Korea has investigated the design of inferior vena cava filters for the prevention of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. The study used computational fluid dynamics simulations to analyze the impact of various design parameters on hemodynamics and thrombus formation. The researchers found that a configuration with 16 arm struts, a length of 20 mm, and a tilt angle of 0° provided the best balance between thrombus capture and minimizing hemodynamic disturbance. This research contributes to the ongoing efforts to optimize the design of inferior vena cava filters for enhanced performance and thrombosis reduction. [Extracted from the article]

A recent report from the University of Science and Technology China discusses the prediction of arterial blood pressure waveforms based on multi-task learning. The researchers propose a two-stage multi-task learning network (ABPMTL) to estimate ABP waveforms using photoplethysmogram (PPG) and electrocardiogram (ECG) signals. The method considers the correlation of features between different blood pressure tasks and achieves good performance in both blood pressure value prediction and ABP waveform generation. This research has been peer-reviewed and provides valuable insights into continuous and regular blood pressure monitoring for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. [Extracted from the article]

New research from the University of Freiburg explores the estimation of blood pressure using image-free, wearable ultrasound technology. The study highlights the importance of monitoring cardiovascular health, as high blood pressure is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. The researchers developed algorithms and mathematical models to accurately extract blood pressure measurements from ultrasound data. The study validated these algorithms in silico, in vitro, and ex vivo, achieving promising results. Further research will involve in vivo measurements to confirm the accuracy of the device. [Extracted from the article]

Researchers from Hunan University of Humanities have developed an intelligent non-invasive blood pressure monitoring system based on a novel polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) piezoelectric thin film. The system aims to provide a comfortable and sustainable device for monitoring human pulse signals, which is significant for the prevention and treatment of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. The PVDF flexible pressure sensors used in the system have high sensitivity, good flexibility, and strong biocompatibility, making them suitable for health monitoring, wearable devices, and electronic skins. The research demonstrates the outstanding performance and feasibility of the system and provides innovative material choices for the development of intelligent medical devices. [Extracted from the article]

A recent report from the Chinese Academy of Sciences discusses the use of data augmentation to improve the accuracy of blood pressure measurement based on photoplethysmography (PPG). The researchers found that deep learning (DL) techniques can achieve cuff-less blood pressure measurement using PPG, but the performance is affected by limited data. To address this, the researchers used various data augmentation techniques such as cropping, flipping, DTW barycentric averaging (DBA), generative adversarial network (GAN), and variational auto-encoder (VAE). They also designed a model called PE-CNN-GRU for cuff-less blood pressure measurement. The experiment results showed that VAE was the most suitable method for PPG data augmentation, reducing the mean absolute error (MAE) of blood pressure measurement by 18.80% and 19.84%. This research provides convenient support for preventing cardiovascular diseases. [Extracted from the article]

This document provides information about a planned observational study in Russia that aims to assess the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in patients with arterial hypertension (AH) and without prior diagnoses of diabetes mellitus (DM) or chronic heart failure (CHF). The study will enroll 10,000 adult outpatients with AH and one or more CKD markers, and will collect demographic and clinical characteristics retrospectively. The study does not involve any interventions and will last for approximately 18 months or until the required number of patients is enrolled. The goal of the study is to improve early detection of CKD and reduce complications and mortality associated with the disease. [Extracted from the article]

A review article in the Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases highlights the higher risk of stroke in women compared to men in the United States. The risk of stroke in women is not solely due to their longer lifespan, but is influenced by various factors such as hypertension, obesity, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, smoking, late puberty, early menopause, pregnancy complications, and hormonal therapy. Women also appear to be more sensitive to high blood pressure than men. The study emphasizes the need for targeted approaches to reduce stroke mortality and morbidity in women, including education, early detection, and treatment. Further research on nontraditional causes of stroke is recommended to develop more prevention methods. [Extracted from the article]

A recent report from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering discusses the design and simulation of an edge compute architecture for an IoT-based clinical decision support system (CDSS). CDSS has transformed healthcare by utilizing technologies such as IoT, AI, and predictive analysis. The report highlights the drawbacks of cloud-based monitoring systems in healthcare and proposes the use of edge computing to overcome latency issues. The research demonstrates that edge computing reduces decision latency by approximately 87 times and network utilization by 1.5 times, showing its efficacy in implementing IoT-based CDSS. [Extracted from the article]