Hypertension, or high blood pressure, affects almost half of all people in the U.S. and can lead to serious health issues, including heart attack, stroke and kidney problems. Monitoring your blood pressure levels regularly is a key part of managing it, and the American Heart Association (AHA), with support from Elevance Health Foundation, is working… Continue reading Equalizing Health Care
Category: Hypertension
What Do You Know about OTC Pain Relievers?
While nearly half of U.S. adults have high blood pressure (HBP), only 29% think over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers may make the condition worse, according to a recent survey commissioned by the American Heart Association (AHA). High blood pressure, according to the AHA’s 2017 Guideline for the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Management of High Blood Pressure,… Continue reading What Do You Know about OTC Pain Relievers?
At Home with Blood Pressure Tests
Adults who needed to track their blood pressure regularly to confirm or refute a hypertension diagnosis preferred monitoring blood pressure at home versus at a clinic, kiosk or with a 24-hour wearable device, according to preliminary research presented today at the American Heart Association’s Hypertension Scientific Sessions 2021. The September 2021 meeting is the premier… Continue reading At Home with Blood Pressure Tests
Blood-Pressure Meds and Memory
Older adults taking blood pressure-lowering medications known to cross the blood-brain barrier had better memory recall over time compared to those taking other types of medicines to treat high blood pressure, according to new research published in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension. High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a risk factor for cognitive decline… Continue reading Blood-Pressure Meds and Memory
Leg Fat and Hypertension
Adults with fatter legs — meaning they have a higher percentage of total body fat tissue in their legs — were less likely than those with a lower percentage to have high blood pressure, according to new research to be presented at the virtual American Heart Association’s Hypertension 2020 Scientific Sessions. The meeting is a… Continue reading Leg Fat and Hypertension
High Blood Pressure Is Out of Control in America
Nearly half of American adults have high blood pressure, and about 75% of those with high blood pressure don’t have it under control. High blood pressure is the leading cause of heart attack and stroke and the most significant controllable risk factor for these conditions. It is also a contributing factor for worst outcomes for… Continue reading High Blood Pressure Is Out of Control in America
Blood Pressure Meds Help Even The Frailest Patients
Taking blood pressure medication as prescribed helped even the frailest elderly people (65 and older) live longer, and the healthiest older people had the biggest survival boost, according to a large study in northern Italy published in Hypertension, an American Heart Association journal. “We knew that high blood pressure medication was protective in general among… Continue reading Blood Pressure Meds Help Even The Frailest Patients
Heating Pad Can Help with a Type of Blood-Pressure Condition
Applying a heating pad overnight may help people with supine hypertension, a condition that causes their blood pressure to increase when they lie down, including during sleep, according to preliminary results presented at the American Heart Association’s Hypertension 2019 Scientific Sessions. Supine hypertension is present in about half of people with autonomic failure, a chronic… Continue reading Heating Pad Can Help with a Type of Blood-Pressure Condition
Poor Sleep Patterns and High Blood Pressure
A bad night’s sleep may result in a spike in blood pressure that night and the following day, according to new research. The link between poor sleep and cardiovascular health problems is increasingly being documented, but the reason for the relationship is less understoodl The study, led by the University of Arizona, will be published… Continue reading Poor Sleep Patterns and High Blood Pressure
Lower Blood Pressure Isn’t Always Good
You’ve probably heard of “white-coat hypertension,” the phenomenon of having a higher blood pressure reading in the doctor’s office when compared to the same patient’s reading outside the clinic. Now there’s another type of distorted reading that’s exactly the opposite. Investigators say that approximately 20 to 30 percent of adults in the United States may… Continue reading Lower Blood Pressure Isn’t Always Good
Poor Oral Health Linked to Higher Blood Pressure and Worse Blood Pressure Control
People with high blood pressure taking medication for their condition are more likely to benefit from the therapy if they have good oral health, according to new research published in October 2018 in the American Heart Association’s journal Hypertension. The findings of the analysis, based on a review of medical and dental exam records of… Continue reading Poor Oral Health Linked to Higher Blood Pressure and Worse Blood Pressure Control
Faith-Based Approach to Changing Lifestyle Lowers Blood Pressure
A church-based program to encourage a healthy lifestyle lowered systolic blood pressure more than an educational program alone delivered in other churches, according to new research in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, an American Heart Association journal. The Faith-based Approaches in the Treatment of Hypertension (FAITH) trial is the first and largest community-based study to… Continue reading Faith-Based Approach to Changing Lifestyle Lowers Blood Pressure
Dangerous High Blood Pressure Spikes among Blacks Happen Five Times More than Average
Black adults experience dangerous spikes in high blood pressure, called a hypertensive crisis, at a rate that is five times the national average, according to a study presented at the American Heart Association’s Joint Hypertension 2018 Scientific Sessions, an annual conference focused on recent advances in hypertension research. Hypertensive crisis is a complication of high… Continue reading Dangerous High Blood Pressure Spikes among Blacks Happen Five Times More than Average
Most Black Adults Likely to Develop High Blood Pressure Before Age 55
Approximately 75 percent of black and men women are likely to develop high blood pressure by the age of 55, compared to 55 percent of white men and 40 percent of white women in the same age range, according to new research in Journal of the American Heart Association, the Open Access Journal of the… Continue reading Most Black Adults Likely to Develop High Blood Pressure Before Age 55
To Battle High Blood Pressure, Most People Prefer Taking a Pill Over Exercising
In a survey to assess treatment preferences for high blood pressure, respondents were more likely to choose a daily cup of tea or a pill over exercise, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association’s Quality of Care and Outcomes Research Scientific Sessions 2018, a premier global exchange of the latest advances in… Continue reading To Battle High Blood Pressure, Most People Prefer Taking a Pill Over Exercising
Top Cardiologist Disagrees with New Hypertension Guidelines
Last November, a panel of medical professionals issued guideline that redefine blood pressure readings. Now, one of the nation’s leading cardiologists is challenging them, saying that the lowered numbers may lead to unnecessarily aggressive blood pressure treatments. Robert A. Phillips, M.D., Ph.D., Houston Methodist Hospital’s chief medical officer, said that while patients at higher risk… Continue reading Top Cardiologist Disagrees with New Hypertension Guidelines