Heart disease is one of the biggest causes of preventable death in the United States. High blood pressure is one major heart disease risk factor. High blood pressure, also called hypertension, happens when the arteries in your body narrow or harden, making it harder for blood to travel to your heart and other body tissues. If you have high blood pressure, you are more at risk for heart attack, stroke, heart failure, kidney failure, or early death from such causes. Since the year 2000, the number of people with high blood pressure in the United States has risen by nearly one-fourth. For those aged 45 to 64, men had a nearly six-tenths increase in high blood pressure, while over one-third more women were diagnosed with high blood pressure between 2000 and 2013. Health experts believe that high blood pressure can be lowered with proper lifestyle changes, adequate medical care, medicines, and workplace wellness programs. Those who have high blood pressure (or who are at risk for it) should be sure to visit their healthcare provider on a regular basis, stay active, manage stress, and eat a heart healthy meal plan with plenty of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and [...]]]>
Nearly 65 million people, or 1 in 3 Americans, has high blood pressure. This makes it one of the most common diseases in the United States. High blood pressure can put you at risk for many other health problems, including kidney disease, heart attack, and stroke. A recent study has found that if your blood pressure is even slightly higher than normal, also known as being “pre-hypertensive,” you could be at risk for a stroke.]]>
There are many different ways to treat high blood pressure. Like so many other conditions, the best place to start is by eating healthy food and moving more. If this is not enough to lower your blood pressure, you might need to take medicine. Sometimes, more than one medicine will be needed to help your each your target blood pressure number.]]>
You may have heard that two of the most common health problems facing adults today are diabetes and obesity. What you may not know is that many people who suffer from these conditions also tend to have other medical problems, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol.]]>
Obesity rates in the United States are higher than they ever have been. Nearly 1 in 3 adults is obese, and millions more are overweight. This is also becoming a problem for children. In fact, almost 1 in 3 children today is either overweight or obese.Kids who fall into this categoryare more likely to have other health problems, including high triglycerides, prediabetes and high blood pressure.]]>
To keep your heart healthy, it is often suggested that you watch less TV and get more physical activity. A recent study published in the International Journal of Cardiology has confirmed the benefits of this suggestion. It showed that 2 hours or more of TV watching a day raises the risk of high blood pressure in children. Researchers at the University of Zaragoza in Spain and the University of S?o Paulo in Brazil looked at over 5,000 European children as part of a two-year study called “Identification and Prevention of Dietary- and Lifestyle-induced Health Effects in Children and Infants.” The study followed children between the ages of 2 and 10 for two years and looked at how active they were. They also measured their blood pressure. It was found that children who watched two or more hours of TV a day on average had a high blood pressure risk that was nearly one-third higher than those who watched less than two hours of TV. In addition, moving less than one hour a day increased children’s risk of high blood pressure by one-half. Being active dilates (opens up) your blood vessels, which makes it easier for the heart to pump [...]]]>
Alcohol raises stroke risk When you have stress in your life, you may feel like your blood pressure is rising by the moment. In order to lower stress, you may reach for comfort food, or perhaps a glass of wine. You may think that by drinking alcohol you are working to lower your blood pressure and prevent stress from causing a heart attack or stroke. However, a recent study published in the journal Stroke found that drinking alcohol can raise your risk of stroke in middle age. A long-term study of twins from Sweden found that those who drank the least when they were between 45 and 55 years old (less than half a drink each day) had the lowest incidence of stroke during a 43-year follow up. Compared to the lightest drinkers, those who drank the most alcohol (two or more alcoholic drinks a day) had an over one-third increased risk of stroke during the follow up. Also, the heaviest drinkers doubled their risk of stroke at around 60 to 75 years of age, compared to the lightest drinkers. Non-drinkers had a slightly higher stroke risk compared to the lightest drinkers. The researchers suggest that having a glass of [...]]]>
Only about half of people in the United States get the recommended daily allowance of Magnesium (400-420mg/day for men; 300-310mg/day for women). This is troubling to many experts, since a significant number of previous trials have shown that meeting the RDA for magnesium helps both healthy subjects and those with metabolic impairment (type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, high fasting glucose, high blood pressure) improve markers after only a few months. Low magnesium diets have been shown to increase these risk factors. A recent study completed with data from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute attempted to find out if these results are consistent long-term (<5 years), and whether or not magnesium intake can help in diabetes prevention and stop its onset in those with extant metabolic impairment. It was found that meeting the RDA for magnesium every day might lower type 2 diabetes risks. Read More ]]>
About half of all people with diabetes also have high blood pressure. Both high blood pressure and blood glucose play a role in the complications of diabetes, including heart disease and stroke. So, you and your healthcare provider need to take high blood pressure seriously in order to treat and control it.]]>