New online tool could revolutionize how high blood pressure is treated
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 2-Jan-2026 17:11 ET (2-Jan-2026 22:11 GMT/UTC)
A first-of-its-kind Blood Pressure Treatment Efficacy Calculator built on data from nearly 500 randomised clinical trials in over 100,000 people allows doctors to see by how much different medications are likely to lower blood pressure.
As nearly half of the country suffers from some form of cardiovascular disease (CVD), another 1 in 4 adults experience a mental health disorder, signaling a cardiotoxic overlap. Now, a new report from Emory University shows that certain mental health conditions escalate the risk of developing heart disease by 50-100 percent—and the risk of adverse outcomes from existing heart conditions by 60-170 percent.
The report associated these conditions with these corresponding risks in developing CVD: major depression, 72 percent; PTSD, 57 percent; bipolar disorder, 61 percent; panic disorder, 50 percent; phobic anxiety, 70 percent; and schizophrenia, nearly 100 percent.