Archive for the Blood Pressure category

Remembering Tim Russert

Instead of featuring a heart(y) celebrity this month, I would like to pay my respects to Tim Russert of NBC.

I was travelling around Western Europe when I heard of his unexpected death. Even here in the old continent, his name and face was known, especially among the English-speaking community. Russert was a respected political journalist whose opinion carried a lot of weight in the political scene.

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Is white coat hypertension for real?

Are you a white-coat hypertensive?

White-coat hypertension is a type of blood pressure (BP) problem that occurs only when BP is measured in a clinical setting, e.g. by health professional in a “white coat”. However, BP measured at home or in another environment stays normal. Unlike “real” hypertension, white-coat hypertension has always been dismissed as harmless and psychosomatic in nature. This led to white-coat hypertensives being ignored as hypochrondriacs who do not need any therapy.

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What is bad for the heart is bad for the eyes

We all know that high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels are bad for our heart. A study by Irish and Canadian researchers shows that these health conditions can damage our eyes as well.

According to a recent report in the Archives of Ophthalmology
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Heavy drinking: bad for both male and female hearts

Heavy drinking is bad for the heart and for the arteries. Furthermore, heavy alcohol consumption affects men and women differently - although in the long run, the effects are never beneficial. This is according to a report presented at American Society of Hypertension 2008 Annual Meeting in New Orleans, LA in May.

Men: Heavy drinking among men leads to elevated blood pressure. Chronic high blood pressure then leads to stiffening of the arteries.

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There’s no place like home: home monitoring program for cardiovascular patients

Is home monitoring by patients with heart disease and/or hypertension a feasible alternative? According to experts and results of recent studies, there’s actually no place like home for monitoring cardiovascular patients.

Hypertension patients

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Preventing hypertension: Start `em young

When it comes to prevention, starting early - and I mean early in life - is important. Childhood blood pressure (BP) tracks throughout life. This means that elevated BP at childhood is most likely to develop into hypertension in adulthood. It is therefore important that children’s BP be managed properly.

As part of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children conducted in the UK, 5505 children aged 11 to 12 years old were followed up by monitoring physical activity and measuring BP. Physical activity was measured by an accelerometer or movement detector which the children wore around their waist for 7 days. Two BP measurements were taken during the 7-day period. This study is one of the very few to actually measure physical activity. It actually measured all normal daily activities that required movement in the vertical direction such as walking, jumping, and playing. In contrast, previous studies relied mostly on interviews and self-reports which were not always so accurate.

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Know your drugs: Warning against drugs sold over the Internet

We all get spam emails about cheap drugs sold over the Internet. However, these drugs and their distributors not only clutter your inbox, they actually present serious health hazards to those who actually buy and use them.

Here are examples of drugs that can harm your heart and badly affect your blood pressure:

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Resource for May: National Blood Pressure Awareness Month

When was the last time you had your blood pressure (BP) checked? Do you know the difference between systole BP and diastole BP and what BP measurements mean for your health? Do you know your risk factors for hypertension and other cardiovascular disorders?

May is the month to start answering these questions. Since 1984, May has been proclaimed as the National Blood Pressure Awareness Month in the United States. The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) also calls it the National High Blood Pressure Education Month.

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May is High Blood Pressure Awareness Month

May is High Blood Pressure Awareness Month, as initiated by the American Heart Association (AHA). More details soon!

High Blood Pressure & The Damage It Can Cause

By Thomas Parker

High blood pressure is a very serious disease. It can cause damage to your vital organs and in the worst cases can be fatal. Sufferers of high blood pressure often do not show any symptoms and when the symptoms do show, the damage has often already occurred. Therefore, the best way to determine whether you have high blood pressure or not is to go and see a trained doctor and get it checked out.

Blood pressure is said to be normal if it is 140 over 85. However, it can differ between different races and geographic locations. Generally speaking blood pressure above 140 over 85 is said to be high. A few degrees above normal may not cause any significant problems but a significant increase can be dangerous.

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