These Blood Pressure Meds Fight Memory Loss

Almost half of Americans are living with high blood pressure and it is a risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia, along with other diseases.

Almost half of Americans are living with high blood pressure and it is a risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia, along with other diseases.

Two types of blood pressure medications are linked to better memory over time, a review of the research reveals.

Both ACE-inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers could reduce the risk of mild cognitive impairment by almost one-fifth.

Mild cognitive impairment, characterised by problems with memory, language and thinking greater than those expected with age, can be a precursor to dementia.

Dr Daniel A. Nation, study co-author, said:

“Research has been mixed on which medicines have the most benefit to cognition.

Studies of angiotensin II receptor blockers and angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitors have suggested these medicines may confer the greatest benefit to long-term cognition, while other studies have shown the benefits of calcium channel blockers and diuretics on reducing dementia risk.”

The researchers looked at 14 different studies including almost 13,000 people across six countries.

The results showed that the drugs linked to better memory recall crossed the blood-brain barrier.

People in the studies were primarily taking the drugs for high blood pressure.

Almost half of Americans are living with high blood pressure and it is a risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia, along with other diseases.

Dr Nation said:

“Hypertension occurs decades prior to the onset of dementia symptoms, affecting blood flow not only in the body but also to the brain.

Treating hypertension is likely to have long-term beneficial effects on brain health and cognitive function later.”

These are the names of common drugs that do cross the blood-brain barrier that are used to treat hypertension:

  • Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors): enalapril, lisinopril, ramipril, captopril, benazepril.
  • Angiotensin-receptor blocker (ARBs, sartans): valsartan, candesartan, losartan, irbesartan.

Dr Jean K. Ho, the study’s first author, said:

“These findings represent the most powerful evidence to-date linking brain-penetrant ACE-inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers to better memory.

It suggests that people who are being treated for hypertension may be protected from cognitive decline if they medications that cross the blood-brain barrier.”

Blood pressure is considered elevated above 120/80 mm/Hg although medication is not normally recommended until the reading is 140/90 mm/Hg.

Between the two readings, people are told to modify their diet and exercise habits.

The study was published in the journal Hypertension (Ho et al., 2021).

The Best Exercise To Lower Your Blood Pressure

The exercise that can reduce your blood pressure by 10 percent.

The exercise that can reduce your blood pressure by 10 percent.

The most effective type of exercise for lowering blood pressure is a combination of endurance exercise, like running, with lifting weights, research finds.

When it comes to lowering high blood pressure, exercise is as useful as drugs.

There is good evidence that systolic blood pressure — which is the highest number of any blood pressure reading — can be lowered by exercise.

The higher systolic blood pressure, the greater the risk of a heart attack or stroke.

We can easily lower high blood pressure by combining endurance training like running, swimming, cycling, jogging or even walking with strength training such as using kettlebells, doing push-ups and working out with dumbbells.

Researchers compared 194 medication trials with 197 exercise intervention trials to see the impact of drugs or exercise on lowering systolic blood pressure.

After analysing these trials, they found that exercise lowered blood pressure as much as most drugs.

They also noticed that people with higher blood pressure were benefiting more from exercise.

Replacing exercise with drugs is challenging, but blood pressure can decrease up to 10% by doing regular physical activities such as fast walking.

Start with doing 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity including gardening, dancing, walking briskly, mowing the lawn, playing tennis (doubles) throughout the week.

Symptoms of high blood pressure include a pounding in the chest, blood in the urine, and severe headaches.

More than 40% of adults in the US and many European countries are physically inactive.

About 30% of American adults suffer from high blood pressure.

Dr Huseyin Naci the lead author of the study, said:

“It’s one thing to recommend that physicians start prescribing exercise to their patients, but we also need to be cognisant of the resource implications and ensure that the patients that have been referred to exercise interventions can adhere to them and so really derive benefit.”

The study was published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine (Naci et al., 2018).

A Major Cause Of ‘Hidden’ High Blood Pressure

About half of American adults are affected by hypertension and it is a major factor in 82,000 deaths each year.

About half of American adults are affected by hypertension and it is a major factor in 82,000 deaths each year.

People who do long hours at work are most likely to have masked hypertension, which is a hidden type of high blood pressure.

Masked hypertension usually goes undetected by doctors as a patient’s blood pressure reading is normal at medical visits but high at home or outside a clinic.

Working 49 hours or more per week at the office increases the risk of high blood pressure by 70 percent, experts say.

About half of American adults are affected by hypertension and it is a major factor in 82,000 deaths each year.

A study on 3,547 Canadian office workers shows that those who worked 49 hours a week were 70 percent more likely to have masked hypertension and 66 percent more likely to have persistent high blood pressure in comparison to their colleagues who worked less than 35 hours per week.

Among those who worked 41 to 48 hours a week, their chance of having masked hypertension was 54 percent higher and they were 42 percent more likely to have persistent high blood pressure.

Dr Xavier Trudel, the study’s first author, said:

“Both masked and sustained high blood pressure are linked to higher cardiovascular disease risk.

The observed associations accounted for job strain, a work stressor defined as a combination of high work demands and low decision-making authority.

However, other related stressors might have an impact.

Future research could examine whether family responsibilities — such as a worker’s number of children, household duties and childcare role — might interact with work circumstances to explain high blood pressure.”

The study was carried out over five years and 19 percent of these employees were already on high blood pressure pills.

Around 13 percent of employees had masked hypertension but were not taking any high blood pressure medication.

The impact of long working hours on blood pressure was the same for both women and men who participated in the study.

Dr Trudel said:

“People should be aware that long work hours might affect their heart health, and if they’re working long hours, they should ask their doctors about checking their blood pressure over time with a wearable monitor.

Masked hypertension can affect someone for a long period of time and is associated, in the long term, with an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

We have previously shown that over five years, about 1 out of 5 people with masked hypertension never showed high blood pressure in a clinical setting, potentially delaying diagnosis and treatment.”

The study was published in the journal Hypertension (Trudel et al., 2019).

What High Blood Pressure Does To Your Brain

The findings are alarming, especially for younger adults, because it takes time to see the negative health impact to the brain caused by elevated blood pressure.

The findings are alarming, especially for younger adults, because it takes time to see the negative health impact to the brain caused by elevated blood pressure.

High blood pressure, technically called hypertension, is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and the leading cause of early death worldwide.

High blood pressure can damage the blood vessels and so reduce blood flow to the brain, leading to vascular dementia and cognitive declines such as memory loss.

A study has found that high blood pressure is associated with increased brain age.

According to the research, a hypertensive person is at greatly increased risk of brain aging, with every 1 mmHg increase above optimal blood pressure there is a 5 to 7 day increase in brain age.

For example, a person with pre-hypertension whose systolic pressure is 135 mm Hg and diastolic pressure 85 mm Hg has a brain more than 6 months older than a person with optimal blood pressure (110/70 mmHg).

The normal recommended range for blood pressure is considered 120/80 mmHg, but a healthier or optimal blood pressure is about 110/70 mmHg.

Professor Nicolas Cherbuin, the study’s first author, said:

“This thinking that one’s brain becomes unhealthy because of high blood pressure later in life is not completely true.

It starts earlier and it starts in people who have normal blood pressure.”

High blood pressure puts extra pressure on internal organs like the heart, brain and kidneys, all of which worsens sleep.

Lack of sleep, in turn, can make it harder for the body to regulate stress hormones, which leads to high blood pressure.

Compared to a hypertensive person, someone with optimal blood pressure is predicted to have a healthier and younger brain at midlife.

Professor Walter Abhayaratna, study co-author, said:

“It’s important we introduce lifestyle and diet changes early on in life to prevent our blood pressure from rising too much, rather than waiting for it to become a problem.

Compared to a person with a high blood pressure of 135/85, someone with an optimal reading of 110/70 was found to have a brain age that appears more than six months younger by the time they reach middle age.”

The research team carried out brain scans and blood pressure checks on 2,000 healthy adults over 40 for 12 years.

The findings are alarming, especially for younger adults because it takes time to see the negative health impact to the brain caused by elevated blood pressure.

Professor Cherbuin said:

“By detecting the impact of increased blood pressure on the brain health of people in their 40s and older, we have to assume the effects of elevated blood pressure must build up over many years and could start in their 20s.

This means that a young person’s brain is already vulnerable.”

The study was published in the journal of Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience (Cherbuin et al., 2021).

Lowering Blood Pressure With Omega-3s: What The Research Shows

The optimal daily dose of omega-3 fatty acids to lower blood pressure.

The optimal daily dose of omega-3 fatty acids to lower blood pressure.

Consuming 3 grams of omega-3 fatty acids per day as a dietary supplement or from foods has been found to be the optimal level to reduce high blood pressure.

Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are types of omega-3 fat mainly found in oily fish such as trout, salmon, herring, mackerel, and sardines.

Also, some fish oil supplements including cod liver oil contain good levels of EPA and DHA.

Much research suggests that omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil may help lower blood pressure.

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends eating fish — particularly fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, tuna, and sardines — at least twice a week.

Other omega-3-rich foods to include in your diet are:

  • flaxseed,
  • walnuts,
  • canola oil,
  • and soybeans.

How much omega-3?

Several studies have suggested that daily consumption of omega-3 fatty acids could lower hypertension but the amount that a person should take to see the effect is unknown.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a daily intake of 1.1 to 1.6 grams of omega-3 fatty acids will be adequate for a healthy adult.

This study found that the optimal dosage of omega-3 fatty acids to lower blood pressure is about 3 grams a day.

Dr Xinzhi Li, the study’s co-author, said:

“According to our research, the average adult may have a modest blood pressure reduction from consuming about 3 grams a day of these fatty acids.”

The findings are from an analysis of 71 clinical trials that looked at the effect of DHA and EPA on blood pressure and cholesterol levels in adults between 1987 and 2020.

Here is a summary of their findings:

  • A daily intake of 2 to 3 grams EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids from foods or supplements or both led to a reduction of 2 mm Hg in systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
  • Doses of omega‐3 fatty acid intake above 3 grams a day may provide even more blood pressure and cholesterol lowering benefits for those at greater risk of heart disease.
  • Participants with hypertension who consumed at least 3 grams a day of omega-3 fatty acids saw a reduction of 4.5 mm Hg in their systolic blood pressure.
  • Higher dosages than 3 grams a day of omega-3 fatty acids didn’t show further benefits for those with normal blood pressure.

A 5 ounce (140g) serving of Atlantic salmon or 3 ounces (90g) of mackerel will provide 3 grams of omega-3 fatty acids.

Dr Li said:

“Most of the studies reported on fish oil supplements rather than on EPA and DHA omega-3’s consumed in food, which suggests supplements may be an alternative for those who cannot eat fatty fish such as salmon regularly.

Algae supplements with EPA and DHA fatty acids are also an option for people who do not consume fish or other animal products.”

Dr Li addd:

“Our study supports the FDA guidance that EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by lowering high blood pressure, especially among people already diagnosed with hypertension.”

Caution

Note that more research is needed to understand the full effects of omega-3 on blood pressure, and supplementation is not a substitute for other blood pressure-lowering treatments prescribed by your doctor.

The study was published in the Journal of the American Heart Association (Zhang et al., 2022).

The Snack Proven To Lower Blood Pressure

The snack contains a type of omega-3 called alpha-linolenic acid, which is heart healthy.

The snack contains a type of omega-3 called alpha-linolenic acid, which is heart healthy.

Eating whole walnuts can help to lower blood pressure, research finds.

Walnuts contain a type of omega-3 called alpha-linolenic acid, which is heart healthy.

People in the study swapped out 5 percent of their saturated fat intake for walnuts to achieve the benefit.

After eating the walnuts for six weeks, their blood pressure was lower.

Reducing saturated fat intake helps, but there is something special about walnuts, explained Professor Penny Kris-Etherton, study co-author:

“When participants ate whole walnuts, they saw greater benefits than when they consumed a diet with a similar fatty acid profile as walnuts without eating the nut itself.

So it seems like there’s a little something extra in walnuts that are beneficial — maybe their bioactive compounds, maybe the fiber, maybe something else — that you don’t get in the fatty acids alone.”

The study included 45 overweight or obese people.

They were split into three groups and for six weeks each was fed a slightly different diet to test the effects of walnuts.

Dr Alyssa Tindall, the study’s first author, explained:

“Walnuts contain alpha-linolenic acid — ALA — a plant-based omega-3 that may positively affect blood pressure.

We wanted to see if ALA was the major contributor to these heart-healthy benefits, or if it was other bioactive component of walnuts, like polyphenols.

We designed the study to test if these components had additive benefits.”

The results of the study showed that reducing saturated fats helped reduce blood pressure.

However, walnuts produced the greatest drop in blood pressure.

Dr Tindall said:

“An average American diet has about 12 percent calories from saturated fat, and all our treatment diets all had about seven percent, using walnuts or vegetable oils as a replacement.

So, seeing the positive benefits from all three diets sends a message that regardless of whether you replace saturated fats with unsaturated fats from walnuts or vegetable oils, you should see cardiovascular benefits.”

Professor Kris-Etherton has this advice:

“Instead of reaching for fatty red meat or full-fat dairy products for a snack, consider having some skim milk and walnuts.

I think it boils down to how we can get the most out of the food we’re eating, specifically, ‘how to get a little more bang out of your food buck.’

In that respect, walnuts are a good substitute for saturated fat.”

The study was published in the Journal of the American Heart Association (Tindall et al., 2019).

The Mental Attitude That Reduces Blood Pressure

Controlling blood pressure is one of the keys to reducing the risk of stroke.

Controlling blood pressure is one of the keys to reducing the risk of stroke.

Thinking positive is linked to lower blood pressure in stroke survivors, research finds.

People who believe they can protect themselves from another stroke are better able to control their blood pressure.

The link is particularly strong in women.

Controlling blood pressure is one of the keys to reducing the risk of stroke.

Although it can be done with lifestyle changes or medication, many people find it hard to keep their blood pressure in check.

Blood pressure is not the only health condition that positive beliefs can improve.

For example, people who are more optimistic about their heart disease have better outcomes.

Similarly, holding more positive beliefs about ageing may protect against Alzheimer’s disease and those who believe they can control their weight eat more healthily.

Dr Emily Goldmann, the study’s first author, said:

“This perception that you can protect yourself from another stroke reflects the construct of self-efficacy, or a belief in one’s ability to achieve a specific outcome.”

The study included 552 stroke patients who had been treated at four New York City hospitals.

They were each asked if they agreed with this statement: “I can protect myself against having a stroke.”

One year later, the results showed that women who believed they could reduce their blood pressure were correct.

Their readings were, on average, 5.6 mm/Hg lower than those who did not believe they could reduce their blood pressure.

The finding was not statistically significant in men.

Dr Goldmann said:

“In this study, we found an association between self-efficacy and reduced blood pressure, which is consistent with previous studies linking positive psychological states to better health outcomes in the context of cardiovascular disease and stroke.

Targeted strategies to improve health beliefs after stroke may be an important component to include in risk factor management among stroke survivors.”

Many mechanisms could explain why positive health beliefs may improve outcomes, the study’s authors write:

“Having positive health beliefs, such as higher levels of self‐efficacy and confidence, motivation to take action, greater ability to cope and adjust to adversity, and accurate risk perception, may promote healthy behaviors (eg, diet, physical activity, sleep, and treatment adherence) and result in better health outcomes.

Greater psychosocial resources and better physiological functioning noted among those with positive psychological well‐being may also explain this association.

In addition, positive emotions may buffer the impact of stress on health or reduce the stress itself.”

The study was published in the Journal of the American Heart Association (Goldmann et al., 2020).

The Tasty Fruit That Lowers Blood Pressure

High blood pressure can be difficult to spot as there are few symptoms.

High blood pressure can be difficult to spot as there are few symptoms.

A cup of tomato juice each day helps to lower blood pressure, research shows.

The drop in blood pressure is enough to move someone from stage 2 hypertension down to stage 1.

Drinking tomato juice is also linked to a decrease in the levels of ‘bad’ cholesterol.

High blood pressure can be difficult to spot as there are few symptoms.

The condition is linked to cardiovascular disease.

Tomatoes, though, may help protect against the disease because, as the study’s authors explain, they…

“…contain a variety of bioactive compounds, such as carotenoid, vitamin A, calcium, and gamma‐aminobutyric acid, which may play a role in maintaining physical and psychological health, including the prevention of [cardiovascular disease].”

The study included 481 people in Japan whose blood pressure and other physiological factors were tracked.

People in the study were given unlimited access to tomato juice for one year.

They chose to drink around one cup each day (200 ml) on average.

The results showed that blood pressure dropped significantly in people with untreated hypertension.

The study’s authors write:

“To the best of our knowledge, the current study is the first to investigate the effects of tomato or tomato product intake on cardiovascular disease risk markers over the course of a year and over a wide age range.”

Other natural methods to lower blood pressure include increasing intake of fruits and vegetables and staying active.

Regular exercise helps to lower blood pressure and is also linked to weight loss.

For example, a thirty-minute walk in the morning significantly lowers blood pressure for the rest of the day.

The beneficial effect is almost the same as taking blood pressure lowering medication.

Avoiding sitting for prolonged periods during the day also helps keep blood pressure down.

The study was published in the journal Food Science & Nutrition (Odai et al., 2019).

A Delicious Hot Drink That Lowers High Blood Pressure — Used For Millennia

A certain hot drink can lower a high blood pressure reading.

A certain hot drink can lower a high blood pressure reading.

Olive leaf tea extract can lower systolic blood pressure, research finds.

Olive leaf tea has been used for thousands of years for medicinal purposes.

Olive tree leaves contain polyphenols that can help protect against many conditions.

Now scientists have tested its antihypertensive effect in a group of 40 identical twins with borderline hypertension.

For the study, they were given either 500 mg or 1,000 mg of olive leaf extract.

After eight weeks their blood pressure was measured.

The results showed that in the high dose group, blood pressure had reduced.

The study’s results on humans build on similar findings in rats.

Mr Cem Aydogan, who works for the company that produces the olive tea extract and funded the research, said:

“The study confirmed that olive leaf extract EFLA®943 has antihypertensive properties in humans.

This works showed that taking a 1000mg dose has substantial effects in people with borderline hypertension.”

Olive leaf tea is available as a tablet containing an extract and as a tea.

The study was published in the journal Phytotherapy Research (Perrinjaquet‐Moccetti et al., 2008).

This Gadget Is Linked To Lower Blood Pressure

A tool that encourages contributes to a reduction in blood pressure.

A tool that encourages contributes to a reduction in blood pressure.

One-in-five Americans wears a smartwatch and this gadget proves more effective than we might think.

Smartwatches or fitness tracker watches can be beneficial to heart health by encouraging people to exercise more.

A study shows that people walk more steps when they track their activity levels with their watch, which in turn is a useful tool for lowering blood pressure.

The research team assessed risk factors such as high blood pressure leading to cardiovascular disease.

About half of American adults have high blood pressure and many more who don’t know they have this condition are therefore left untreated.

High blood pressure can narrow and weaken the heart blood vessels and arteries around the kidneys, increasing the risk of heart or kidney failure.

In this study, participants had to wear an Apple Watch at least five hours a day and keep a record of their blood pressure.

The average diastolic blood pressure was 76 mm Hg and 122 mm Hg for systolic blood pressure which are considered normal to slightly elevated levels.

Dr Mayank Sardana, the study’s lead author, said:

“Measuring habitual physical activity in community-based settings in this way distinguishes our study from prior studies that have looked at either self-reported physical activity or used accelerometers to measure daily activity for only a short amount of time, usually about a week.”

The team found that for every 1,000 steps a day, subjects’ systolic blood pressure reduced by 0.45 points.

This means that people who walked 10,000 steps daily had 2.25 points lower systolic blood pressure than those taking 5,000 steps a day.

This level of reduction could be enough given that participants’ blood pressure levels were between normal and slightly high.

Dr Sardana said:

“This study solidifies our understanding of the relationship between physical activity and blood pressure and raises the possibility that obesity or body mass index accounts for a lot of that relationship.

Going forward, it would be useful to look at how smart devices might be leveraged to promote physical activity, reduce the burden of obesity and potentially reduce blood pressure.”

Over the five month study period, on average these subjects took 7,500 steps daily.

Those who walked more steps a day showed a significant greater reduction in their blood pressure.

The study was presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session Together with World Congress of Cardiology, March 2020.