Research is showing links between people who consume high fructose corn syrup and high blood pressure. According to NorthShore University HealthSystem, Dr. Diana Jalal, of the University of Colorado Denver Health Sciences Center, and colleagues studied 4,528 adults without a history of high blood pressure. They examined their fructose intake and found that those who consumed more than 74 grams of fructose per day — that’s the equivalent of the amount in 2.5 sweetened soft drinks — boosted their risk of high blood pressure by 28 percent to 87 percent, depending on the level of hypertension.

WebMD writes that while previous researchers have linked drinking sugary soft drinks and high blood pressure, this is one of the first studies to look at fructose consumption from the total diet and associate it with higher blood pressure.

For the full report, visit NorthShore University HealthSystem’s news section.

New research is showing links between children’s bone growth and hypertension. The research shows that children with bones that are more mature than average might predict cardiovascular issues.

The study, published in the journal Hypertension, looked at children and found that those without high blood pressure had bones that reflected their chronological age within four months.

In kids with high blood pressure, there was an average difference of nearly two years between “bone age” (16 years) and chronological age (14 years), says reports from HealthDay News. Accelerated maturation refers to the tempo of biological maturity being greater than average. The research found that accelerated skeletal maturation might be an early sign of developing hypertension.

To read the specifics on the study, visit NorthShore University HealthSystem’s news section.

It is no secret that sodium can have negative effects on the heart, affecting blood pressure readings the most. Recent news emphasizes this point by highlighting patients that are already on medication for the treatment of high blood pressure. A recent publication of the journal Hypertension shows the ways in which salt can be counterproductive to hypertension treatment.
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Oral contraceptives are an effective way to avoid pregnancy, control irregular periods, or address other health concerns, such as acne. However, birth control pills can also affect your blood pressure by elevating it to sometimes unhealthy levels.
How do oral contraceptives affect blood pressure?
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While hypertension is one of the better-known kinds of heart disease, low blood pressure—known as hypotension—can also have some alarming effects. A normal blood pressure reading is usually in the range of 120/80mm. Although attributing a specific reading to be considered a candidate for low blood pressure, there are many ways to tell if one’s blood pressure becomes too low. This is especially crucial for those whose blood pressure drops too low, too suddenly.
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Getting the right kind of balance in one’s diet can be very tricky. How many calories are right? What are the right choices? How can something that looks or sounds harmless be so bad for you?
Getting the proper amount of sodium is a key to living a healthy heart lifestyle. But how much sodium is too much, and how much is just right?

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Hypertension, or high blood pressure, has been referred to as the heart’s silent killer because of its minimal or unseen symptoms. What is blood pressure and how does it affect the heart? Revolution Health states: “[w]ith each beat of the heart, blood is pumped out of the heart and into the blood vessels, which carry blood throughout your body. Blood pressure is the measurement of the pressure or force inside your blood vessels (arteries) with each beat of the heart. High blood pressure, also called hypertension, means the pressure in your arteries is above the normal range”. Read more