Category: Blood Pressure

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).

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).

Eating a handful of this fruit per day can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

A daily intake of one cup of blueberries will reduce blood pressure and arterial stiffness, which decreases heart disease risk.

The effect of lowering blood pressure and arterial stiffness may be due to a rise in nitric oxide production in the blood vessels.

Blueberries are a rich source of flavonoids such as anthocyanin, a natural compound that acts as an antioxidant.

Flavonoids have an anti-inflammatory effect as well as increasing the production of nitric oxide in the body.

Nitric oxide can make the inner muscles of the blood vessels relax and so they widen and circulation improves.

By increasing blood flow through the body, blood pressure will consequently go down.

In the study, a group of subjects were fed an equivalent of one cup of blueberries per day for 8 weeks to see if they had any effect on lowering blood pressure.

There were no other changes in these participants’ normal diet and routines.

After 8 weeks, there was a reduction of 7 mm/Hg in their systolic blood pressure and 5 mm/Hg reduction in their diastolic blood pressure.

Systolic blood pressure is the top number of the blood pressure reading, which is the pressure when the heart beats.

Diastolic blood pressure is the bottom number, which is the pressure when the heart rests between beats.

In addition, arterial stiffness was reduced by 6.5 percent in participants who were in the blueberry-treated group.

The study shows that the nitric oxide level in these people was increased by 68.5 percent, which explains the declines in blood pressure.

Dr Sarah A. Johnson, the study’s first author, said:

“Our findings suggest that regular consumption of blueberries could potentially delay the progression of prehypertension to hypertension, therefore reducing cardiovascular disease risk.”

She continued:

“Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.

Our findings suggest that the addition of a single food, blueberries, to the diet may mitigate the negative cardiovascular effects that often occur as a result of menopause.”

The study was published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (Johnson et al., 2015).

The juice reduced blood pressure just three hours after consuming it.

Montmorency cherry juice can lower blood pressure by a similar amount to medication, research finds.

The study examined the effects of Montmorency tart cherry juice on vascular function in hypertensive men.

These participants consumed 60 ml of Montmorency tart cherry juice diluted with 100ml of water.

The subjects’ blood pressure was reduced by 7 mmHg just three hours after drinking the juice.

High blood pressure is a serious health concern as if it is not treated can lead to coronary artery disease, heart attack and stroke.

Currently, about 1 out of every 3 American adults and more than 1 in 4 adults in England suffer from hypertension.

A normal blood pressure for an adult is considered to be 120 mmHg (systolic) over 80 mmHg (diastolic).

Several studies have shown a 5 mmHg to 6 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure can lower the risk of heart disease by 23 percent and stroke by 38 percent.

Systolic blood pressure is the top number of the blood pressure readings and diastolic blood pressure is the second number.

Systolic blood pressure is the more important of these two as it is an indicator of cardiovascular disease.

Montmorency tart cherry is a type of sour cherry which is rich in phenolic acids (a type of polyphenol).

The phenolic acids show high levels of antioxidant activity and are beneficial to vascular function.

Protocatechuic and vanillic acid belong to the phenolic acids family and are the reason for the reduction in blood pressure.

Dr Karen Keane, the study’s first author, said:

“The majority of cardiovascular disease is caused by risk factors that can be controlled, treated or modified, such as high blood pressure, cholesterol, obesity, tobacco use, lack of physical activity and diabetes.

Raised blood pressure is the leading cause of deaths from cardiovascular disease, yet relatively small reductions in blood pressure can have a large impact on mortality rates.

The magnitude of the blood pressure lowering effects we observed was comparable to those achieved by a single anti-hypertensive drug and highlights the potential importance that Montmorency cherries could have in the effective management of high blood pressure.”

Blueberry, cranberry, and blackcurrant are also high in these phenolic acids and so they can benefit the blood vessels, improve blood flow and help reduce vascular disease.

Professor Glyn Howatson, study co-author, said:

“We believe these benefits might be linked to the combined actions of some of the plant compounds within the Montmorency concentrate and the positive impact they exert on vascular function.”

The study was published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Keane et al., 2016).

These two techniques lead to the most dramatic fall in blood pressure and weight loss.

A little exercise plus following the DASH diet leads to a remarkable reduction in blood pressure and weight loss, a study has found.

Lifestyle change is a powerful way to reduce the need for antihypertensive drugs in overweight or obese people.

The study involved a group of overweight and obese adults who had high blood pressure.

They were put on a 16-week program consisting of the DASH diet plus weight management and exercise.

The subjects’ blood pressure was between 130/80 mmHg to 160/99 mmHg but none were on any hypertension treatment.

They focused on the DASH diet with the help of the study nutritionist, attended exercise sessions 3 times a week and a cognitive behavioral weight loss treatment session each week.

‘DASH’ stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), a diet designed to fight high blood pressure.

The DASH diet involves eating lots of fruit, vegetables and whole grains and also includes fish, poultry, nonfat or low fat dairy, nuts, seeds, legumes, and vegetable oils.

In the exercise sessions participants warmed up for 10 minutes, then they were engaged in 30 minutes high-intensity aerobic activities like biking or jogging, followed by a 5 minute cool-down workout.

After 16 weeks of following the plan, participants lost 8.7 kg (19 pounds), and saw a 16 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure and a 10 mmHg reduction in diastolic blood pressure.

Those who were only on the DASH diet plan saw a reduction of 11 mmHg in systolic and 8 mmHg in diastolic blood pressure but only lost 0.3 kg of weight.

Dr Alan Hinderliter, the study’s first author, said:

“Lifestyle modifications, including healthier eating and regular exercise, can greatly decrease the number of patients who need blood pressure-lowering medicine.

That’s particularly the case in folks who have blood pressures in the range of 130 to 160 mmHg systolic and between 80 and 99 mmHg diastolic.”

The purpose of this study was to find out whether the DASH diet alone or combined with aerobic exercises could lower cardiovascular risk factors such as blood pressure.

These results confirmed that a lifestyle modification that includes a healthy diet combined with physical fitness and cognitive behavioural weight management plan would result in an impressive amount of weight loss and a decrease in blood pressure.

The study was presented at the American Heart Association’s Joint Hypertension 2018 Scientific Sessions.