Heart Healthy Blog » Blood pressure

Ways that Pets Can Boost Health

admin — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 16:25:18 +0000

There’s no doubt that pets can make their owners feel happy and relieve stress at the end of a long day. But house pets can provide additional health related benefits like boost heart health, and encourage stronger immune systems. Pets can even encourage people to stay active and be conscious of their daily exercise routine.

According to several studies, heart attack patients who have pets tend to survive longer than those without. Pets can help lower blood pressure and lessen anxiety. Male pet owners even have fewer signs of heart disease, like lower triglyceride and cholesterol levels than non pet owners.

Additional studies have shown that children who grow up around furry pet animals can reduce their risk of allergies and asthma later in their life. They can also have higher levels of some immune system chemicals, which signify an overall stronger immune system.

Click here for more information on the heart effects of high blood pressure.

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Fructose Can Affect Blood Pressure

admin — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:47:20 +0000

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.

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Children’s Bone Maturation May Link to Hypertension

admin — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:08:29 +0000

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.

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The Importance of Sodium Control

admin — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:38:07 +0000

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.

According to Yahoo! Health News:
Individuals with so-called resistant hypertension showed sharp reductions in their blood pressure when they dramatically cut their salt intake, Dr. Eduardo Pimenta of the University of Queensland School of Medicine in Brisbane, Australia and his colleagues found.
“It was an amazingly large reduction in blood pressure,” Dr. Lawrence J. Appel of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore… Appel estimated that 10% to 20% of people have resistant hypertension, meaning they are taking three or more blood pressure medications but their blood pressure is still too high.
Throughout the study, patients consumed a diet of varying amounts of sodium. One week, they took a higher sodium diet of about 5.7 grams of sodium daily, then 1.15 grams another week. “In the study by Pimenta and his team, going on the low-salt diet reduced people’s systolic blood pressure by 22.7 mm Hg, on average, and their diastolic pressure by 9.1 mm Hg.”
While medications can help lower blood pressure, it is equally, if not more important to pay close attention to one’s diet. Visit NorthShore University HealthSystem’s nutrition section to learn more.

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Birth Control Pills Can Affect Blood Pressure

admin — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 22:34:13 +0000

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?

One of the main components to the birth control pill is progesterone. According to About.com, “Progesterone is a hormone that can affect blood pressure. The mechanism by which this occurs is complicated, but involves both hormone cascades and direct effect on small blood vessels. Because of these effects, it is possible that taking birth control pills can cause your blood pressure to rise. This increase in blood pressure can range from very mild to potentially serious, and may sometimes warrant discontinuing the birth control”.
It is vital that women talk to their healthcare providers extensively over their medical history. NorthShore University HealthSystem states that some birth control methods may not be safe for you, depending on your health. To make sure a method is right for you, your doctor will need to know if you:
• Smoke.
• Are or could be pregnant.
• Are breast-feeding.
• Have any serious health problems, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, migraine headaches, or diabetes.
• Have had blood clots in the legs (deep vein thrombosis) or lungs (pulmonary embolism), or have a close family member who had blood clots in the legs or lungs.
• Have ever had breast cancer.
• Have a sexually transmitted disease.

In the end, women’s heart health should be the top priority when choosing the right form of birth control.

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A Look at Low Blood Pressure

admin — Thu, 07 May 2009 20:31:43 +0000

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.

According to the American Heart Association, “[s]everely low blood pressure can indicate serious heart, endocrine or neurological disorders and can deprive the brain and other vital organs of oxygen and nutrients, leading to shock, which can be a life-threatening condition”. Here are a few symptoms to look out for:

Dizziness

Fainting

Nausea

Depression

Unusual thirst

Rapid, shallow breathing

Cold, pale and clammy skin

Additionally, there are a few factors that can make people susceptible to low blood pressure. Some of these include: medications, pregnancy, dehydration, blood loss and nutritional deficiencies. If you are experiencing these symptoms and are unsure about low blood pressure, it’s best to seek the help of your physician.

There are many prevention methods for heart disease out there, with control and balance being the key. While low blood pressure might not be as big of an issue as high blood pressure, it can still have dangerous effects.

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Are You Getting Too Much Sodium?

admin — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 19:56:53 +0000

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?

According to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, one should try to stay within the range of 2,300mg of sodium a day.
It can be hard to figure out how much sodium is in the food we eat, but it does not have to be this way all the time. The number one rule for sodium management should be to read the nutrition labels located on the packaging of what one eats:

It is important to note the sodium content of this can of chicken noodle soup. Be mindful of the serving size as well, as it might not be what one expects. This particular can of soup contains 2,225mg of sodium–almost all of the sodium allotted for one day! Reading nutrition labels can make a difference both day in and day out, as well as in the long run. Processed and prepared foods can be tricky for those watching their sodium intake, so it is best to avoid them. One should look for foods that say reduced sodium, or no salt added. Keep in mind that something that has no salt added does not mean it is low in sodium. Sodium occurs in natural foods like vegetables and meats, so always keep this in mind.

Sodium containing condiments such as table salt and soy sauce can also take a toll on your sodium intake, so it is important to cook with other spices such as basil, oregano, sage, pepper and many other spices which do not add any sodium.

What else can one do to avoid over indulging in sodium (which can cause or worsen high blood pressure)? NorthShore University Health System recommends using the DASH diet, which seeks to limit use of salt.

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High Blood Pressure Overview and Treatment

admin — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 14:50:13 +0000

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”.

Blood pressure is measured in systolic pressure (pressure in the arteries when the heart beats and fills the arteries with blood) and diastolic pressure (pressure in the arteries when the heart rests between beats). A normal reading ranges between 115/75 to about 140/90. Do you suffer from high blood pressure? Here are some tips on how to treat high blood pressure:

You can help lower your blood pressure by making healthy changes in your lifestyle. If those lifestyle changes don’t work, you may also need to take pills. Either way, you will need to control high blood pressure throughout your life.

If you have prehypertension, your doctor will likely recommend lifestyle changes. These may include losing extra weight, exercising, limiting alcohol, cutting back on salt, quitting smoking, and eating a low-fat diet that includes more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy foods.

If you have high blood pressure without any organ damage or other risk factors for heart disease, your doctor may recommend that you take medicine in addition to making lifestyle changes.

If you have high blood pressure and have some organ damage or other risk factors for heart disease, you may need to try various combinations of medicines in addition to making big lifestyle changes.

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