New Atlas

Health & Wellbeing Audio available

Isolated Amazon tribes reveal clue to source of high blood pressure in the West

Rich Haridy November 14, 2018

A study of two isolated South American tribes has shed light on the influence of diet in the onset of hypertension, upending the common consensus that higher blood pressure is a direct, and inevitable, consequence of aging.

The isolated tribe showed no increase in blood pressure as they age, compared to a nearby ...

Health & Wellbeing

Study suggests that blue light reduces blood pressure

Ben Coxworth November 8, 2018

If you have high blood pressure, then you likely already know that it's the leading cause of stroke, and a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. So, besides things like medication, diet changes and exercise, what can be done to reduce it? Well, exposure to blue light may help.

According to the study, exposure to blue light causes a significant reduction in blood pressure

Medical

Ultrasound patch goes deep to better-monitor blood pressure

Ben Coxworth September 13, 2018

Earlier this year, we heard how scientists from UC San Diego had developed a flexible ultrasound patch that allows users to see the inner structure of irregular-shaped objects. Well, now they've made one that measures a patient's blood pressure from deep within the body.

The ultrasound patch's island-bridge structure allows it to be deformed without damage to the electronics

Health & Wellbeing

Experimental app lets iPhones monitor blood pressure

Ben Coxworth September 10, 2018

It was just last year that we heard about how scientists from Michigan State University had developed a smartphone case/app combo that could measure users' blood pressure. Now, they've created an app that does the job using nothing but an unadorned iPhone.

The blood pressure-reading app, as demonstrated on an iPhone X

Health & Wellbeing Audio available

Three drugs prove significantly better than one in lowering blood pressure

Rich Haridy August 14, 2018

A new study reports successful results from a blood pressure treatment that combines low doses of three different currently available hypertension drugs into a single pill. The new research is hoped to change worldwide guidelines for the optimal way treat people suffering from high blood pressure.

A new combination blood pressure treatment could change worldwide guidelines for treating hypertension

Health & Wellbeing

Prototype phone case checks your blood pressure

Ben Coxworth March 9, 2018

Getting your blood pressure checked typically involves going to a clinic, and having a cuff applied to your arm. Thanks to technology being developed at Michigan State University, however, the process may soon be as simple as putting your finger on your smartphone case.

An easier way to monitor your blood pressure?

Medical

Common blood pressure medication could delay onset, or even prevent, type 1 diabetes

Rich Haridy February 19, 2018

New research into off-label uses for a 50-year-old drug commonly prescribed for high-blood pressure has found that it could prevent the onset of type 1 diabetes. The promising research also suggests a new approach for investigating drugs that could help treat a variety of autoimmune diseases.

An already approved drug commonly prescribed for hypertension could help prevent the onset of type 1 ...

Health & Wellbeing

No sweat: Yoda1 molecule activates the body's exercise sensor

Michael Franco August 24, 2017

Researchers have taken us a step closer to the idea of "exercise in a pill" by examining a protein they call the body's "exercise sensor" and learning how to activate it with a molecule named after a Star Wars character.

Yoda1 has been found to increase the pressure inside arteries, much like exercise, to activate a ...

Biology Review

No need to shove up sleeves to use this wireless blood-pressure monitor

Michael Franco November 21, 2016

New Atlas gets to try out the brand-new Mocacuff, a wrist-based blood pressure monitor that makes looking after your health a more simple affair than similar products from the competition.

Health & Wellbeing

New blood pressure tech says ciao to arm cuffs

Ben Coxworth January 26, 2016

Generally, if a doctor wants to know a patient's blood pressure, they have to use an arm cuff. Not only can this be uncomfortable, but it also only indicates what the blood pressure is at the time of the test. That's why scientists are developing a cuffless blood pressure estimation system.

The cuffless system offers a more patient-friendly alternative to this