Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “blood pressure”
You may have heard the buzz that fermented foods have benefits for your health. Fermented foods include things like yogurt, sauerkraut, and kimchi (a pickled vegetable dish from Korea) and beverages called kefir and kombucha. These products contain “good” bacteria called probiotics. Eating fermented products increases the good bacteria that naturally live in your intestines. This is called the gut …
Doctors have known that having type 2 diabetes raises the odds for developing dementia. Now, new research suggests that the age at which your diabetes is diagnosed makes a difference in your risk. The longer you have diabetes, the greater your chances of having problems with thinking skills and memory down the road. That’s worrying because the average age of …
If you’ve put on weight over the last year, you are not alone. Eating more, moving less, and coping with pandemic stress have taken a toll on our bodies and health. Almost a third of Americans reported exercising less than before the COVID crisis hit, according to a poll from the University of Southern California. You probably know how bad …
More and more, researchers are finding that pregnancy health and related factors in young women are connected to the future heart health of older women. The latest review of 32 studies is the most powerful evidence yet. It is called an “umbrella study,” because it combines the results of many other review studies. Umbrella studies are considered among the highest …
You’ve probably heard that many people who get COVID-19 have light symptoms or no symptoms at all. Others aren’t so lucky. People with certain conditions are at a greater risk for bad problems when COVID-19 strikes. According to the CDC, obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure increase the chances that a patient will have severe symptoms or need a machine …
Since COVID-19 started spreading around the world earlier this year, doctors have realized that it is especially dangerous for people with heart problems and risk factors for heart disease like high blood pressure. COVID-19 mostly affects the lungs, but when the lungs don’t work well, it puts a strain on the heart. If you already have a heart condition, high …
Heart disease is the top killer of men and women, but it affects men and women differently. It’s important to understand the differences to protect the hearts and lives of women and help them get the best care. For Heart Month, we look at some of the differences between men and women. In the past, experts used to think women’s …
You may have heard that drinking alcoholic beverages like red wine can help your heart. That may be true, but it all depends on how much you drink. More and more research shows that heavy drinking is harmful for your heart. Studies have linked it to risks like high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, and abnormal heart rhythms or beats. …
To keep your heart healthy, you’ve probably heard it’s good to eat only small amounts of saturated fats like butter and full-fat dairy as well as carbs like white bread and starchy vegetables. But one food ingredient doesn’t get enough attention when it comes to heart health: sugar. More and more research shows that the sweet stuff can be rough …
Everyone knows a walk in the park or the woods is good for the soul. But did you know it might also be good for your heart? More and more research shows that spending time in green spaces boosts heart health. In a study in the Journal of the American Heart Association in 2018, researchers found that people who lived …
You probably know that diet and exercise are important for your heart health. But did you know that the way you think about life also makes a difference? It’s true. A growing number of studies show that people who are optimistic (think in positive, hopeful ways, such as seeing a glass half full instead of half empty) have better heart …
You expect to lose weight when you eat less. But what if eating a little less also lowered your blood pressure, improved your cholesterol, reduced inflammation in your body, and helped with blood sugar control? Looks like it does. That was the surprising finding of a recent study in the Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. It followed 218 people ages 21 …
You might have heard that people who are depressed are more likely to have heart disease. People who have heart disease are also more likely to get the blues. Having both heart disease and depression is worse for your health than just having heart disease. A 2017 study found that people diagnosed with depression after they’d had a heart attack …
Here’s some good news about heart disease, the number one killer of Americans: the rate of heart attacks and strokes is dropping and has been for decades. That means you are less likely to develop these problems than in the past. But there’s bad news, too: heart attacks are striking more young people, particularly younger women. New research shows that …
A healthy diet is the first step toward a healthier heart. Eating lots of vegetables, fruits, beans, whole grains, healthy fats like olive oil, and lean protein like fish and chicken, can’t be beat for preventing heart attacks and strokes. But how you prepare these foods also makes a big difference. A variety of herbs have been shown to give …
Heart disease is called a silent killer because you often don’t know it’s there until you have a heart attack or stroke. But there can be clues, if you know where to look. Here are 10 surprising signals that you may be at risk for heart problems. Sore or Bleeding Gums Bad dental health can lead to bleeding gums, which …
For many years, the number of people dying from heart disease has decreased. But now that trend is starting to slow down. In 2016, more than 415,000 people died from a heart problem that could have been prevented. This unexpected number comes from a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The organization is trying to …
From time to time, everyone feels down, worried, or nervous. But when feelings of mental suffering last a long time or are out of control, it may lead to heart problems. A new study from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland found this out when researchers looked at the connection between upsetting feelings and heart attacks and strokes in more …
Exercise. Eat healthy. Stay slim. Lower your stress. This “to-do” list is great for a healthy heart, but it may not sound like fun. Thank goodness, there’s chocolate! Hundreds of studies have found that chocolate—specifically, dark chocolate— keeps the heart and blood vessels in good shape. Here are some of the ways this delicious treat helps the heart: It may …
Vitamin D plays many important roles in the body—from strengthening your bones to boosting your immune system to help keep you healthy. Research also shows it keeps your heart and blood vessels in good working condition. Here are a few of the ways the so-called “sunshine vitamin” keeps the heart strong and healthy: Preventing stroke A new report from Italy …
Racing through traffic. Meeting a deadline. Giving a presentation. These and other stressors take a toll on your immediate health, increasing blood pressure, heart rate, and the release of harmful hormones like cortisol. But it’s the long-term effects you may really need to worry about. Chronic stress is associated not only with complaints like insomnia, muscle aches, and gastrointestinal distress, …
Even if you’re not overweight, cutting calories could lower inflammation by nearly 50 percent, improve other major risk factors for heart attack and stroke, including blood pressure and cholesterol, and even add years to your life, suggests a new National Institute on Aging (NIA) study. The findings, which were published in Journal of Gerontology: Medical Science, “are quite intriguing,” said …
Omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA–found in fatty fish and fish oil supplements–reduce blood pressure as effectively as lifestyle changes such as exercising more, cutting back on salt, or limiting alcohol, according to a recent meta-analysis published in American Journal of Hypertension. That’s good news for the 70 million Americans who suffer from hypertension (HTN). Defined as blood pressure of …
May marks National High Blood Pressure Education Month, dedicated to raising awareness of a disorder that claims more lives each year than obesity, pre-diabetes and high cholesterol combined, accounting for about 1,000 deaths a day in the US, according to a 2015 paper published in Journal of Human Hypertension. In most countries, more than 80 percent of adults have blood …
About 70 million Americans–one in three adults–have high blood pressure, but only about half of them have it under control. That’s alarming since a new study by the CDC reports that U.S. deaths related to hypertension (HTN) have soared by 61.8 percent, from 245,220 in 2000 to 396,675 in 2013. The researchers examined files from the National Vital Statistics System …
It sounds too good to be true, but a variety of tasty treats – including nuts, berries, and even dark chocolate – help protect against cardiovascular disease, according to new research. Here is a look at some of the latest discoveries about which foods are the most beneficial. Peanuts may help prevent heart disease. Eating peanuts may protect against fatal cardiovascular …
Romance, marriage and even hugs can have surprising cardiovascular benefits, studies show. For example, couples who attempt heart-healthy lifestyle changes together are up to 11 times more likely to succeed than people who try changes on their own, according to a new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine. The study examined data from 3,722 married or cohabiting couples aged 50 …
