Category: Blood Pressure

The effect is almost the same as taking medication.

A thirty-minute walk in the morning significantly lowers blood pressure for the rest of the day, research finds.

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.

Standing up every now and then in the afternoon can also boost the benefit of morning exercise for women, the study found.

Mr Michael Wheeler, the study’s first author, said:

“Traditionally, the health effects of exercise and sedentary behavior have been studied separately.

We conducted this study because we wanted to know whether there is a combined effect of these behaviors on blood pressure.”

The study included 67 people aged 55 to 80, all of whom were overweight or obese.

Both systolic and diastolic blood pressure was reduced, the results showed.

Mr Wheeler said:

“For both men and women, the magnitude of reduction in average systolic blood pressure following exercise and breaks in sitting, approached what might be expected from antihypertensive medication in this population to reduce the risk of death from heart disease and stroke.

However, this reduction was greater for women.”

Mr Wheeler said:

“Having the study participants begin with exercise was intentional, because we wanted to focus on the novel aspect of combining exercise with breaks in sitting.

However, it means that we cannot say for sure that breaks in sitting alone had no blood pressure lowering effect in men, as any effect could have been masked by the preceding effect of exercise.”

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

This is the most effective pill to lower blood pressure, cholesterol and cut the risk of heart disease.

The ‘polypill’ is a new hope to cut heart attacks and strokes by a third, research finds.

The polypill is a once-daily pill with a combination of four different drugs at a low dosage.

Several studies have focused on the effect of the polypill and all suggest that the tablet can substantially reduce high blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

The polypill tablet contains two blood pressure lowering drugs, a blood-thinning drug and a cholesterol-lowering statin.

Currently, prescriptions for each individual drug are much higher than the polypills at a fixed dosage.

For example, cardiovascular-related drugs such as lisinopril is 10 mg, aspirin is 75 mg, atenolol is 50 mg, and simvastatin is 40 mg.

However, a daily polypill contains a lower dose of four medications used in preventing heart attack and stroke.

One study treated their patients with polypill made of three blood pressure lowering medications: 25 mg losartan, 12.5 mg hydrochlorothiazide, 2.5 mg amlodipine, and one cholesterol lowering drug: 10 mg atorvastatin.

Patients who were on the polypill saw a reduction of 9 mm Hg in their systolic blood pressure, whereas the usual care group patients only had a 2 mm Hg reduction in one year.

Also, low-density lipoproteins (LDL), known as “bad” cholesterol, in the polypill group dropped by 15 mg/dL compared to those in the usual care group who only had a reduction of 4 mg/dL.

The researchers points out that patients are naturally more likely to stick with a one-a-day pill rather than following procedures and routines for taking several medications at different times of day.

On top of that, it is more cost effective and it can be made available universally, making it cheaper for those with low socioeconomic status and in poorer countries.

Dr Munoz, the study’s first author, said:

“Patients face a variety of barriers to getting the care they need.

Those barriers can include cost and complexity of medication regimens, so innovative strategies are needed to improve the delivery of preventive care, especially when it comes to socio-economically vulnerable individuals.

When it comes to preventing cardiovascular disease, simple strategies like the polypill may offer key advantages for patients who face barriers to accessing medical care.

Simplicity is a big advantage of the polypill.

It’s once daily; easy to understand; and doesn’t require adjustment.

Patients are more likely to take their medications as prescribed, which is good for them and their frontline providers.”

The study was published in The New England Journal of Medicine (Munoz et al., 2019).

High blood pressure puts extra pressure on internal organs like the heart, brain and kidneys.

Poor sleep can be a sign of high blood pressure, research reveals.

A lack of deep sleep is a particularly strong sign of the condition.

Without deep sleep during the night, people often do not feel refreshed despite sleeping for 7-9 hours.

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

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

Signs of poor sleep include more awakenings during the night, shorter sleep duration and sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea causes shallow breathing or breathing to stop for a few seconds during sleep.

The conclusions come from a study of 784 men over 65 who were followed for an average of 3.5 years.

The results showed that men who spent less time in the deepest phase of sleep were significantly more likely to develop high blood pressure later on.

Professor Susan Redline, study co-author, said:

“Our study shows for the first time that poor quality sleep, reflected by reduced slow wave sleep, puts individuals at significantly increased risk of developing high blood pressure, and that this effect appears to be independent of the influence of breathing pauses during sleep.”

Professor Redline said that while women were not included in the study, the results would probably be the same for them.

Professor Redline continued:

“People should recognize that sleep, diet and physical activity are critical to health, including heart health and optimal blood pressure control.

Although the elderly often have poor sleep, our study shows that such a finding is not benign.

Poor sleep may be a powerful predictor for adverse health outcomes.

Initiatives to improve sleep may provide novel approaches for reducing hypertension burden.”

The study was published in the journal Hypertension (Fung et al., 2011).

The fruit is as effective as taking medication to lower blood pressure.

Eating one cup of blueberries per day lowers systolic blood pressure, research finds.

It could decrease the risk of heart disease by 20 percent.

The fruit is as effective as taking medication to lower blood pressure.

For the study, 40 healthy people were randomised to one of two groups.

One group was given a drink containing 200 grams (7 oz) of blueberries, the other had a control drink without blueberries.

Within two hours of consuming the blueberries, their blood pressure was reduced by 5 mmHg in the group who had been eating blueberries.

The effect was sustained for the whole 40 days of the study.

The researchers found that the beneficial effect is down to anthocyanins, which are antioxidants.

Anthocyanins improve the function of the endothelial cells, which act as a barrier between the blood and the body’s tissue.

The antioxidant is responsible for the pink, red, purple and blue colours of some fruits and vegetables.

Dr Ana Rodriguez-Mateos, the study’s first author, said:

“Although it is best to eat the whole blueberry to get the full benefit, our study finds that the majority of the effects can be explained by anthocyanins.

If the changes we saw in blood vessel function after eating blueberries every day could be sustained for a person’s whole life, it could reduce their risk of developing cardiovascular disease by up to 20%.”

The study was published in The Journals of Gerontology: Series A (Rodriguez-Mateo et al., 2019).

How to reduce ‘bad’ cholesterol levels in 30 days without statins, using only natural, healthy foods.

The most well-known side-effects of statins — the cholesterol-lowering drugs — are headaches and muscle aches.

Other common side-effects of statins include stomach pain, dizziness, constipation and feeling sick.

However, some people taking the cholesterol medication report problems in their hands and feet.

The sensation of pins and needles is usually caused by the blood being cut-off to a part of the body for a period.

However, some people report pins and needles in their hands and feet as a side-effect of taking statins.

Statins lower LDL cholesterol

Statins are usually used to try and lower levels of LDL cholesterol, known as the ‘bad type’ of cholesterol.

If left untreated, this type of cholesterol can cause the arteries to block and serious complications can ensue.

A high level of the ‘bad type’ of cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease.

It affects around half of adults over the age of 50-years-old.

Statins work by blocking the body’s mechanism for producing cholesterol.

Statins are also prescribed for people who have a high rate of cardiovascular disease in their family or have a condition that leads to high levels of cholesterol.

New alternatives to statins

Because of the side-effects of statins, researchers are looking for alternatives to lower cholesterol.

One method which has recently attracted attention is the use of natural foods with cholesterol-lowering properties.

One study gave patients foods with real ingredients, such as walnuts, dark chocolate and smoothies containing strawberries and bananas.

The foods used typically have high levels of plant sterols, fibre, omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants.

The results showed that cholesterol levels were decreased by 9 percent on average in three days, with some seeing reductions of 30 percent.

Dr Stephen Kopecky, the study’s first author, said:

“Based on the outcomes seen in our study, using this type of food as medicine approach expands the options for medical professionals and patients.

Many patients who are unwilling or unable to take statin drugs may be able to help manage their high cholesterol, or hyperlipidemia with a realistic food-based intervention.”

Diet lowers cholesterol

Studies have consistently found that ‘bad’ cholesterol levels can be lowered by diet.

For example:

• A plant-based diet — particularly a vegan diet — can substantially lower total cholesterol.
• Eating barley and barley products lowers the levels of two types of “bad” cholesterol; LDL (low-density lipoprotein) and non-HDL (non-high-density lipoprotein).
• Eating almonds improves the levels of ‘good’ cholesterol as well as removing ‘bad’ cholesterol.

The difficulty it getting people to change their habits when a pill is much easier to take.

Dr Elizabeth Klodas, study co-author, said:

“Nutrition contributes to 5 of the 7 modifiable risk factors for heart disease, but getting patients to change diet is incredibly challenging.

This study underscores what’s possible when we succeed. The implications of attaining such a significant cholesterol impact from a small food based intervention are profound.

We could change the health of our country in 30 days.”

The study was published in the Journal of Nutrition (Kopecky et al., 2022).

The quick workout reduces the risk of heart disease without jogging a single step or lifting a single weight.

A five-minute workout can lower the risk of a heart attack, increase your sports performance and improve clear thinking, research finds.

This is all without jogging a single step or lifting a single weight.

Inspiratory Muscle Strength Training (IMST) was developed in the 1980s to improve respiratory muscles in people with lung diseases such as bronchitis, asthma and emphysema.

It involves breathing hard through a hand-held device and improves exercise performance by increasing lung capacity and so makes breathing easier.

Imagine sucking vigorously through a straw that sucks back.

Mr Daniel Craighead, the leader of the study, said:

“IMST is basically strength-training for the muscles you breathe in with.

It’s something you can do quickly in your home or office, without having to change your clothes, and so far it looks like it is very beneficial to lower blood pressure and possibly boost cognitive and physical performance.”

In 2016, research found that 30 inhalations a day with greater resistance helped patients with obstructive sleep apnea.

This condition occurs among people with weak breathing muscles,  in which the throat muscles randomly relaxes and blocks the airway during sleep.

Snoring and shortness of breath are noticeable signs of obstructive sleep apnea.

Participants in this study, after a period of six weeks, developed an unexpected side-effect of the therapy, besides getting more restful sleep.

The subjects systolic blood pressure rapidly reduced by 12 millimetres of mercury, which is higher than many medications and twice as much as aerobic exercise’s effect.

If a high normal rate for systolic blood pressure is 130 mmHg then this means that 30 inhalations per day will reduce the rate to 118 mmHg.

There is no doubt that 30 minutes daily aerobic exercises can reduce blood pressure, but only 5% of adults follow this advice and exercise that amount.

On the other hand, 65% of middle aged people suffer from high blood pressure.

The preliminary results from the recent clinical trial confirmed that the IMST group performed better on certain memory and cognitive tests as well as seeing improvements in large-artery function and a reduction in blood pressure.

The study was presented at the Experimental Biology conference in Orlando and the abstract is published in FASB Journal (Craighead et al., 2019).

A drink that is linked to high blood pressure and increased risk of heart problems.

Energy drinks can cause an abnormal heartbeat and increased blood pressure within a few hours of drinking.

A study shows that consumption of energy drinks can put young and healthy people at risk of increased irregular heart rhythm and fatal heart conditions as well as high blood pressure.

Irregular heartbeats are caused by an abnormality in electrical signals to the heart that can lead to cardiac arrhythmia and sudden death.

Energy drinks are a fast growing global industry and their market value is estimated to be $83.4 billion by 2024.

Nearly 30 percent of American teenagers from 12 to 17 years old  regularly consume energy drinks.

There is an increasing number of patients, especially teenagers, who have been admitted to emergency rooms for problems linked to caffeinated energy drinks.

Professor Kate O’Dell, study co-author, said:

“Energy drinks are readily accessible and commonly consumed by a large number of teens and young adults, including college students.

Understanding how these drinks affect the heart is extremely important.”

For this reason, in this trial a group of  young healthy adults were given two bottle of commercially available caffeinated energy drinks or a placebo.

Less than four hours after drinking them, there was abnormality of heart electrical activities resulting in an increase QT interval by 6 or 7.7 milliseconds more than those on placebo drinks.

The QT interval is a measurement of the electrical activities of the heart.

If the QT interval is too long or short, it can potentially cause life-threatening arrhythmia.

In addition, participants’ blood pressure was increased by 5 mm Hg after consuming energy drinks.

Each bottle was 16 fluid ounces containing between 152 and 160 milligrams of caffeine.

Energy drinks on the market such a Rockstar, Monster Rippers, Red Bull, Tesco Blue Spark, and Boost Energy Drink contain that amount of caffeine per 16 ounce (460 ml) can or bottle.

Although the energy drinks consumed by participants were high in caffeine, the researchers say a dosage of caffeine under 400 milligrams should not cause any electrocardiographic changes.

Instead, they think the heart rhythm disturbances are caused by an ingredient or combination of ingredients in the energy drinks.

B-vitamins, amino acid taurine (an amino acid), and glucuronolactone (found in plant gums and connective tissues) are other ingredients commonly used in energy drinks.

Professor Sachin A. Shah, the study’s first author, said:

“We found an association between consuming energy drinks and changes in QT intervals and blood pressure that cannot be attributed to caffeine.

We urgently need to investigate the particular ingredient or combination of ingredients in different types of energy drinks that might explain the findings seen in our clinical trial.”

The study is the largest controlled research of energy drink side-effects in the hearts of healthy people.

Professor  Shah added:

“The public should be aware of the impact of energy drinks on their body especially if they have other underlying health conditions.

Healthcare professionals should advise certain patient populations, for example, people with underlying congenital or acquired long QT syndrome or high blood pressure, to limit or monitor their consumption.”

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

Around half of all Americans have high blood pressure.

Climbing the stairs can help to reduce blood pressure, recent research shows.

Stair climbing also helps reduce arterial stiffness and increases leg strength.

Around half of all Americans have high blood pressure (the figure is around 30 percent in the UK).

Many, however, are unaware since it typically has no symptoms.

The condition raises the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

The conclusions come from a study of 41 Korean women, all of whom had very high blood pressure.

Half of them climbed stairs four times a week between two to five times a day.

Each time they climbed 192 steps.

The results showed that climbing the stairs lowers blood pressure and builds leg strength.

Dr JoAnn Pinkerton, The North American Menopause Society executive director, said:

“This study demonstrates how simple lifestyle interventions such as stair climbing can be effective in preventing or reducing the negative effects of menopause and age on the vascular system and leg muscles of postmenopausal women with hypertension.”

The study was published in the journal Menopause (Wong et al., 2018).

The plant chemicals that have a cardioprotective effect, including lowering blood pressure levels.

A higher flavonoid intake improves the composition of gut microbiota and lowers blood pressure, research finds.

Flavonoids are natural compounds mainly found in fruits and vegetables, which may lower the risk of heart disease.

The diversity in gut microbiota is greater when consuming flavonoid-rich foods such as apple, pears, berries, tea, dark chocolate, and red wine which results in reducing blood pressure levels.

Researchers suggest that the composition of the gut microbiota (microorganisms in the digestive tracts) is different between people with and without cardiovascular disease.

Professor Aedín Cassidy, the study’s senior author, said:

“Our gut microbiome plays a key role in metabolizing flavonoids to enhance their cardioprotective effects, and this study provides evidence to suggest these blood pressure-lowering effects are achievable with simple changes to the daily diet.”

The research team recruited 904 adults and assessed their food intake, gut microbiome and blood pressure levels.

Here is a summary of their findings:

• Participants who consumed the highest amounts of flavonoid-rich foods such as apples, pears, and berries had an immensely diverse gut microbiota and a lower systolic blood pressure compared to those who didn’t eat enough foods rich in flavonoids.
• Up to 15 percent of the relationship between high flavonoid intake and reduction in blood pressure could be explained by the diversity of the microbiome.
• An intake of one-and-a-half cups of berries per day, equivalent to 128 grams or 1.6 servings, was linked to a 4.1 mm Hg lower systolic blood pressure.
• Drinking 250 ml of red wine per week was linked to a 3.7 mm Hg reduction in systolic blood pressure.

Professor Cassidy said:

“Our findings indicate future trials should look at participants according to metabolic profile in order to more accurately study the roles of metabolism and the gut microbiome in regulating the effects of flavonoids on blood pressure.

A better understanding of the highly individual variability of flavonoid metabolism could very well explain why some people have greater cardiovascular protection benefits from flavonoid-rich foods than others.”

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

People do not get enough of this in their diet.

A glass of orange juice a day can help to lower blood pressure, studies find.

Orange juice is rich in potassium, which has a powerful effect in lowering blood pressure.

Bananas, green leafy vegetables, avocados and beans are also high in potassium.

A typical Western diet is low in potassium and high in salt, which is bad for blood pressure.

Salt tastes particularly good to us because our ancestors got little in their diet.

The study involved 300 nurses who were split into five groups and given different combinations of supplements to test their effects.

Along with potassium, the researchers also tested the effect of magnesium and calcium, with blood pressure readings taken over a 24-hour period.

The results showed that potassium had the greatest effect on lowering blood pressure.

Professor Frank M. Sacks, the study’s first author, said:

“Surprisingly, when we put the three together, the effect was no greater than potassium alone.

In fact, it was a little lower.”

The results showed that 1,600 milligrams of potassium was enough to lower blood pressure by a modest amount.

However, people in the study did not have high blood pressure.

For people with high blood pressure, the gains would be more significant, said Professor Sacks:

“Previous studies have shown that potassium in people with high blood pressure has a greater effect of lowering blood pressure 4 to 5 mm Hg.

If he or she already has high blood pressure, then they should eat a diet high in potassium or take supplements.”

The study was published in the journal Hypertension (Sacks al., 1998).