Archive for the ‘high blood pressure’ Category

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Binge Drinking and High Blood Pressure Harm Your Heart

Tuesday, August 24th, 2010

Binge drinking doesn’t mean a drink or two, more like ten or twenty – not exactly “drinking socially.” And not exactly the safest for your health; consuming copious amounts of booze at one sitting has been linked to alcohol poisoning, memory problems, anxiety, bladder ruptures, and even sudden death.

And a new study in the journal Stroke says binge drinking, in combination with high blood pressure, may also heighten the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.

High blood pressure by itself is already associated with heart disease and stroke.

The research followed 6,100 South Koreans age 55 and up for two decades; teetotalers with normal blood pressure and men with high blood pressure who occasionally consume more than six drinks in one sitting.

Results found the binge drinkers had double the risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke. But the heaviest drinkers, people downing 12 or more drinks at one time, had nearly five times the risk of heart trouble. And the risk jumped to 12-fold if the extreme drinkers had severe high blood pressure.

The American Heart Association defines normal blood pressure as 120/80 mmHG or below. High blood pressure is classified as 140/90 mmHG and over. And severe high blood pressure is considered 168/110 mmHG or higher.

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is typically treated with improved diet – especially reducing salt and saturated fat intake – exercise, and medication.

Image credit: chrismetcalf

Posted in Nutrition & Health, drugs & alcohol, heart disease, high blood pressure, salt & sodium, saturated fats, stress & anxiety, stroke | No Comments »

Eating Better May Stop Metabolic Syndrome

Wednesday, August 18th, 2010

Obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol are all risk factors for cardiovascular disease; this combination of disorders is referred to as metabolic syndrome. And lack of exercise and poor diet increases your likelihood of developing any of these conditions.

But writing in the journal Diabetes Care, researchers say healthy eating can reverse metabolic syndrome.

For the study, scientists followed 339 people with metabolic syndrome for five years, finding participants who followed the nutritional guidelines of the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI), were nearly twice as likely to have reversed their metabolic syndrome.

Developed by the Harvard School of Public Health in 2002, the AHEI diet recommends eating whole grains over refined grains, white meat instead of red meat, and a lot of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and soy.

Data also showed individuals with the largest waist circumferences – more than 40 inches for men and more than 35 inches for women – who adhered to the healthiest diet were three times more likely to recover from metabolic syndrome.

So the researchers encourage people to improve the quality of their diets by adding more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

According to the World Health Organization, over 1 billion adults are overweight worldwide, with at least 300 million of them are obese.

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Posted in Nutrition & Health, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, metabolic syndrome, obesity | No Comments »

Heart Troubles Less Likely in Fish Eaters

Tuesday, July 27th, 2010

Fish is a staple in many parts of the world, especially countries near the ocean, like Japan, the Philippines, and Mediterranean nations, such as Italy and Greece.

Nutritionally fish is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids; a “good fat” linked to reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.

And now, published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, a new study involving 3,500 Korean adults, ages 40 to 69, found that men who consumed one serving of fish each day had a 57% lower risk of developing metabolic syndrome over the next three years.

Metabolic syndrome is a collection of conditions contributing to heart disease; including diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.

In the study, men consuming the most fish had the lowest risk of metabolic syndrome, compared to men eating less fish. Researchers point to omega-3 intake as being responsible for the reduction of risk, but they aren’t certain what the daily recommendation for omega-3 fatty acids should be.

But a major concern about fish and seafood is mercury contamination. Smaller fish consume pollutants that work their way up the food chain as they’re eaten by larger predatory fish like swordfish and red snapper; which people often consume at restaurants.

So by the time humans consume these varieties of fish they’ve already accumulated high levels of mercury, even canned tuna is one of the most contaminated fish available.

Image credit: Astacus

Posted in Nutrition & Health, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, mercury, metabolic syndrome, seafood & fish | No Comments »

Sugar Linked to High Blood Pressure Too

Monday, July 12th, 2010

Eat a diet of fried bacon, canned Spam, potato chips, and pork rinds, and odds are you’re going to get a touch of heart disease.

Salt has long been associated with hypertension, stroke, and cardiovascular disease, and also stomach cancer and osteoporosis.

But now sugar – mostly known for making you fat and rotting your teeth – is being linked to high blood pressure too.

Published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, experts found people consuming more than the average amount – approximately 2.5 cans of soda – of sugar each day had higher blood pressure than people who ate less.

Consuming too much fructose increased the likelihood of having blood pressure above 140/90 mmHg by 30% and 160/100 mmHg by 77%. Blood pressure over 140/90 is considered high.

But the study is not a precise indictment of sugar. Scientists admit that data on the participants’ diet was not accurate because participants were asked to describe their diets based on memory, which could have included additional fructose consumption.

Even still, sugar is not health-promoting, especially high fructose corn syrup, which has been linked to obesity. Obesity is a well established factor in the development of heart disease, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure.

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Posted in Nutrition & Health, heart disease, high blood pressure, high fructose corn syrup, salt & sodium, sugar | No Comments »

Fructose Sweetened Drinks May Raise Blood Pressure

Tuesday, July 6th, 2010

Check out the nutrition facts on a can of soda, you’ll see a lot of zeros, except for sugar, i.e. calories. Regular soft drinks are loaded with sugar.

Whether its sweetened by actual sugar or high fructose corn syrup, there’s no health reason to have a Coke and a smile, aside from a sugar rush.

And that’s why bans to tax sweetened drinks, in order to help curb obesity, have been proposed in states like New York and California.

It’s not unfounded. Consuming excess calories can lead to obesity, and obesity is linked to things like heart disease and diabetes.

Some health experts claim by 2018, medical-related expenses due to obesity could hit $344 billion; 21% of U.S. healthcare spending.

And now, writing in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, researchers say fructose sweetened beverages may significantly raise a person’s risk of developing high blood pressure.

For the study, scientists used surveys to collect history on 4,528 U.S. adults; all over 18 years of age and with no history of high blood pressure. Data showed people who consumed about 2.5 sugary drinks a day increased their risk of high blood pressure (135/85 or higher) by 28% and had a 77% higher risk of extreme high blood pressure (160/100 or higher).

A reading of 120/80 is normal, anything above that is considered high.

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Posted in Nutrition & Health, high blood pressure, high fructose corn syrup, obesity, soda, soda tax | No Comments »

UK Officials Looking to Ban Trans-Fat and Salt

Monday, June 28th, 2010

Trans-fat is hydrogenated vegetable oil, used to extend the self-life of processed foods, like snack cakes and potato chips, but trans-fat is not natural, its produced in laboratories, so as such our bodies have difficulty processing it.

Studies have shown trans-fat raises the risk of cardiovascular disease, so bans on trans-fat have been popping up all over. New York City banned trans-fat from restaurants in 2006.

And the United Kingdom is looking to move in that direction too. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) seeks to impose stricter regulations on both trans-fat and salt; many process foods contain exorbitant amounts of sodium, such as frozen dinners and canned goods.

Salt has been linked to heart disease, high blood pressure, gastric ulcers, heart burn, osteoporosis, and stomach cancer.

Officials say nearly 40,000 premature deaths and $40 billion in medical costs could be prevented each year in Great Britain alone if trans-fat is banned from food. NICE cites the health benefits of similar bans and restrictions on salt in places like the United States and Japan..

NICE claims that measures to reduce salt and trans-fat will begin to yield public health benefits in as little as 2 to 3 years.

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Posted in Nutrition & Health, heart disease, heartburn, high blood pressure, junk food, osteoporosis, salt & sodium, stomach cancer, trans-fat, ulcers | No Comments »

No Caffeine Buzz for Regular Coffee Drinkers

Friday, June 4th, 2010

Coffee is bipolar. Some say coffee is good because it is a potent source of antioxidants, but studies have also shown it contributes to high blood pressure.

And being one of the most traded agricultural commodities in the world means a lot of people can’t start the day without their morning pick-me-up.

But here’s the problem. That daily coffee buzz caffeine addicts rely on might not be much of a buzz at all.

Writing in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, researchers found people who drink a lot of coffee build up a tolerance to the stimulating effects of coffee, and that tolerance may only bring them to a baseline level of awareness, nothing more.

For the study, 379 adults – ranging from non-coffee drinkers to those who drank a lot of the black stuff – were asked to avoid coffee for 16 hours and then were given either a caffeine pill or a placebo. Data revealed the people who regularly consume high amounts of coffee were only brought back up to “normal.”

So the coffee addicts had no higher level of alertness.

And an interesting side note, the scientists found people with a genetic disposition to anxiety, tended to avoid coffee altogether.

In other coffee news, recent research has suggested one or two cups of coffee a day might help people’s hearts pump blood better.

Image credit: The Telegraph

Posted in Nutrition & Health, coffee & caffeine, high blood pressure | No Comments »

Cut Back on Soft Drinks to Lower Blood Pressure

Wednesday, May 26th, 2010

Soft drinks don’t us any favors. It’s sugar water – i.e. just sugar! And we know consuming a lot of the sweet stuff is a bad idea.

The dentist tells us sugar rots our teeth and the doctor warns it’ll make you fat.

So it’s no big shock that a new study in the journal Circulation says drinking fewer sodas helps lower blood pressure.

Researchers analyzed data on 810 adults, ages 25 to 79, with borderline high blood pressure and who consumed one serving, or 10.5 ounces, of soft drinks each day.

The types of soft drinks included soda, fruit drinks, and lemonade; either sweetened with sugar or high fructose corn syrup.

After 18 months, average soda consumption decreased and so did blood pressure readings; leading experts to claim drinking one less soft drink each day helps lower both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

But last week – in what can only be described as weird news – another studied claimed diet citrus sodas help prevent kidney stones.

Hold on! Wait a second. There’s nothing special about the soda. It’s the citric acid in the drinks. The same stuff you can get in citrus fruit, like lemons and limes.

Moral of the story, just avoid sodas altogether.

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Posted in Nutrition & Health, high blood pressure, soda | No Comments »

Healthy Diet Makes it Easier to Think

Monday, March 8th, 2010

FVIt’s impossible to eat too healthfully. A good diet will help you lose weight, stay fit, and feel great. Can’t argue with that!

But eating a healthy diet might also improve how well you think.

Published in the journal Hypertension, researchers found people who eat right had better cognitive function.

For the study, scientists followed 124 men and women with high blood pressure, age 52, and a minimum of 15 pounds overweight.

Depending on their grouping, individuals were either instructed to continue eating as they normally do or switch to a healthy diet.

And when given tests to assess mental function – in this case crossing off specific digits on a piece of paper as quickly as possible – individuals on a healthy diet did 30% better than individuals on a normal diet.

Regular exercise also contributed to the group’s success.

Researchers add that the diet and exercise groups lost an average of 19 pounds and lowered their blood pressure.

Via HealthDay News.

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Posted in Fitness, Nutrition & Health, high blood pressure | No Comments »

Green Tea May Reduce Depression After Breast Cancer

Wednesday, January 27th, 2010

GTGreen tea sounds like a lot of hocus pocus; having originated in China, it is subject to “ancient Chinese secret” clichés.

But drinking green tea has been linked to positive health effects, like lowering cholesterol and blood pressure.

And now, a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology claims green tea may help ease depression, specifically in breast cancer survivors.

In addition to exercise, findings showed among the 1,216 participants—women treated for breast cancer—the 183 women who drank green tea had a 36% lower risk of depression.

Scientists point out that exercise and tea drinking were the only factors in the study that seemed to alter depression risk; not things like alcohol, smoking, and use of herbal supplements—which were also assessed.

Via Reuters.

Image credit: HubPages.

Posted in Nutrition & Health, cholesterol, depression, high blood pressure, tea, women | No Comments »

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