Does High Blood Pressure Run in Your Family

The study, led by researchers at the University of South Carolina’s Arnold School of Public Health, found that those who had a parent with high blood pressure but were highly fit had a 34 percent lower risk of developing high blood pressure themselves, compared to those with a low-fitness level who had the same parental history. The study involved more than 6,000 people.
“Understanding the roles that family history and fitness play in chronic diseases is critically important,” said Robin P. Shook, the study’s lead author and an Arnold School doctoral student.
“The results of this study send a very practical message, which is that even a very realistic, moderate amount of exercise — which we define as brisk walking for 150 minutes per week — can provide a huge health benefit, particularly to people predisposed to hypertension because of their family history,” he said.
Previous research indicates that parental history accounts for about 35 percent to 65 percent of the variability in blood pressure among offspring, with varying levels of risk based on which parent developed it and the age of onset.
Researchers followed a group of 6,278 predominantly Caucasian adults 20 to 80 years old for an average 4.7 years. The participants were patients of the Cooper Clinic, a non-profit organization dedicated to preventive medicine, research and education in Dallas.
Thirty-three percent of participants reported that a parent had hypertension. When the study began, all participants were healthy, reported no physician diagnosis of hypertension, and achieved an exercise test score of at least 85 percent of their age-predicted maximal heart rate. Researchers determined participants’ cardiorespiratory fitness using a maximal treadmill exercise test.
During the study, 1,545 participants reported they had developed hypertension.
Researchers found that:
• Combining those with and without a family history of high blood pressure, high levels of fitness were associated with a 42 percent lower risk of developing hypertension, and moderate levels of fitness with a 26 percent lower risk.
• People with both a low level of fitness and a parent with hypertension had a 70 percent higher risk for developing hypertension compared with highly fit people with no parental history.
• Those with a high level of fitness and a parent with hypertension experienced only a 16 percent higher risk of developing hypertension compared to those who were fit and had no parental history.
“The correlation between fitness levels, parental history and risk are impossible to ignore,” Shook said. “This awareness can serve the clinician and the patient, as they work together to find effective and reasonable ways to avoid the diseases that have affected their family members — in some cases, for generations.”
The research findings may not apply to all people because the majority of the study participants were relatively fit, well-educated, middle- to upper-class white men.
The findings support the American Heart Association’s recommendations of moderately intense physical activity, such as brisk walking, for 30 minutes or longer at least five days a week.

Although high blood pressure might run in families, that does not mean that a person has to get the disease. There are modifiable risk factors such as :

• Weight
• Exercise
• Cholesterol levels

Women Tips For High Blood Pressure

One in three American adults have
high blood pressure. Talking about
your blood pressure might just save
your life. According to the
American Heart Association, high
blood pressure is the single greatest
risk factor for stroke. Other complications
from high blood pressure
include heart disease, kidney disease
and peripheral vascular disease
(known as clogging of the arteries
or atherosclerosis in the legs and
neck arteries).
Blood pressure screening is done
at almost every visit to your health
care professional’s office. Yet, many
people don’t ask about their blood
pressure numbers when the blood
pressure cuff comes off. And sometimes
health care professionals
don’t explain your results.
Understanding your health risks
starts with knowing your blood
pressure numbers.
So, let’s get started working as a
team. Here’s what you need to
know about high blood pressure
and what YOU can do to help keep
your blood pressure under control.
Know Your Numbers
Blood pressure is the amount of
force the heart exerts against the
walls of your arteries as it pumps
blood throughout the body.
Normally, blood flows freely
through your arteries. But, if your
arteries become stiff or clogged, it’s
harder for the blood to flow freely,
and the heart has to work harder to
pump the blood around the body.
Blood pressure has two measurements:
• the systolic measurement
(or top number)
• the diastolic measurement
(or bottom number)
The systolic measurement is the
amount of pressure your heart uses
to push blood out. The diastolic
measurement is the amount of pressure
in your arteries between heart
beats. Medical experts now know
that the systolic number (the top
number) is the most important
number when it comes to tracking
blood pressure after age 50. But, we
always want both numbers to be
well controlled. Here’s a look at
blood pressure ranges. What’s yours?
High Blood Pressure
Women’s
Health Tips
P u b l i s h e d b y t h e N a t i o n a l Wome n ’s H e a l t h R e s o u r c e C e n t e r

Cutting Wine Could Save Lives

 Researchers have suggested that Britons should not consume more than three glasses of wine a week.
They also believe that more than 4,500 lives could be saved per year by changing official advice on 'safe' levels of alcohol intake.

The study suggests that it would mean recommended consumption - for men and women - would be cut to half a unit a day, the equivalent of just a couple of gulps of beer.
Experts claim that 'safe' drinking levels are three to four units a day for men or two to three for women, the Daily Mail reported.

However, the new advice is contrary to the previous studies, which have shown that drinking alcohol in moderation reduces the risk of dying from heart disease.
But the researchers, from Oxford University, claim that this benefit is far outweighed by the harm to health caused by regular drinking.lashing the consumption could stem the epidemic of alcohol-related chronic diseases set to cause 210,000 deaths during the next 20 years.
Presently, the Department of Health says 'safe' drinking levels are three to four units a day for men, or two to three for women.

The new study claims that the ideal consumption to prevent chronic disease is five grams a day - around half a unit. This is less than half a small glass of wine and just a quarter of a pint of beer.
The results could influence the first review of drinking advice for 15 years, amid concern the existing limit wrongly implies that daily drinking is healthy.

The review was prompted by a report earlier this year from the Commons Science and Technology Committee, which claimed that advice on safe drinking was confusing. It suggested new guidelines could ask people to observe two teetotal days a week.

For the new study, scientists led by Dr. Melanie Nichols, of the British Heart Foundation Health Promotion Research Group at Oxford University, analyzed the death toll of 11 conditions known to be associated to long-term alcohol consumption.
They involve heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, cirrhosis of the liver, epilepsy and five different cancers.

The team used information from large-scale studies on drinking and chronic disease risk, combined with estimates of weekly alcohol consumption among 15,000 adults in England from the 2006 General Household Survey.
It was found that just under a third of the adults were non-drinkers.
Their results displayed that cutting alcohol intake to half a unit a day would avert 4,579 premature deaths in England each year.

This result to three in 100 of all deaths from the 11 conditions studied.
And as far as the positive effects of alcohol on protecting against heart disease, the researchers pointed out that cutting consumption would lead to 843 extra deaths per year.
But this would be offset by a decrease of deaths including more than 2,600 from cancers and almost 3,000 from liver cirrhosis.

"When all of the chronic disease risks are balanced against each other, the optimal consumption level is much lower than many people believe.More than 4,000 deaths from cancer, heart disease, stroke and liver disease in England could be prevented if drinkers reduced their average level of alcohol consumption to half a unit per person per day - a level much lower than current UK government recommendations," said Dr. Nichols.

Previously this year alcohol specialists Professor Ian Gilmore and Dr. Nick Sheron calculated that drinking would cause 210,000 deaths in the next 20 years through illness, violence, and accidents.
Figures show alcohol-related injuries and illness cost the NHS in England 3.3billion pound a year.
Eric Appleby, of the charity Alcohol Concern, claimed that current guidelines were already confusing - and telling people to drink very small quantities on a daily basis was no less confusing.
"We need to make sure [guidelines] are an easy-to-understand way of watching what you drink that's practical for people to apply to their everyday lives," he said.
"The Chief Medical Officer is reviewing current alcohol consumption guidelines. She will review the evidence on alcohol and health risks including whether advice is needed on the maximum amount of alcohol that can be drunk in one session," A Department of Health spokesperson added.
This study has been published in the journal BMJ Open. (ANI)

Calcium and Women and Heart Disease

Here we go again. First it was vitamin E. Then it was beta carotene. Now calcium supplements are being called on the carpet after researchers claimed they may do more harm than good.
The flap comes in the wake of a German study that found a significantly increased risk of heart attack among women taking calcium supplements, but not among those who got their calcium from food. The study appears in the June 2012 issue of the journal Heart.
Since calcium supplements are recommended to prevent osteoporosis for virtually everyone over age 50, this leaves millions of people wondering whether they should ditch their daily calcium pills. Three Harvard professors weigh in on the issue.

Calcium and the heart

Over time, calcium can accumulate in arteries. It makes them stiffer and less responsive to the demands of the body. Rigid arteries contribute to high blood pressure, angina (chest pain with exertion or stress), and heart failure. Calcium also builds up in plaque, the cholesterol-filled pockets that grow inside arteries like tiny pimples. By narrowing arteries, plaque can choke off the supply of blood to heart muscle and other vital tissues. If a plaque bursts open, it can trigger a heart attack, stroke, or sudden cardiac arrest.
What researchers don’t know is whether this process is influenced by the amount of calcium a person takes in each day from supplements.

The Dash Diet

According to the American Health Association, an estimated 81 million Americans are affected by a least one form of cardiovascular disease. However, there is hope. In November 2011 US News & World Report ranked the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet the "healthiest diet to follow." The DASH diet is a balanced plan that research has demonstrated improved health by lowering blood pressure and cholesterol. While high blood pressure, which can lead to cardiovascular disease, cannot be cured, it can be prevented. A common but often overlooked culprit of high blood pressure is salt intake. The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) advises less that 2.4 grams (2,400 milligrams) or 1 teaspoon, per day. The DASH diet is a low-salt (sodium) plan that emphasized eating fruits and vegetables, low-fat or no-fat milk products and whole grains. Research has shown that following the DASH diet can lower blood pressure in just 14 days. Results were predominantly seen in individuals with a previously high blood pressure state or moderately high blood pressure. But even for those who had severely high blood pressure following the DASH diet improved their response to their medications and helped them keep their blood pressure under better control. The DASH diet also is associated with lowering the risk of several types of cancer like breast and colon, heart disease and stroke, and reduces the risk of developing diabetes. Because of this, DASH is a meal plan that would be good for the whole family. So what does the DASH plan look like? Let's look at a daily 1,600-calorie meal plan and a daily 2,000-calorie level meal plan that follow the DASH principles, as shown in the box below. The below meal plans are simple to implement if you learn how. More information on the diet can be found at dashdiet.org or the book "The DASH Diet Action Plan." If you have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, are overweight or have pre-diabetes, the DASH diet has proven itself a great tool to improve these medical conditions and would be worth the investment of your time.

What is High Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is the force of blood against artery walls. It is
measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg) and recorded as two
numbers—systolic pressure (when the heart beats) over diastolic
pressure (when the heart relaxes between beats). Both numbers are
important.

Blood pressure rises and falls during the day. But when it stays
elevated over time, then it's called high blood pressure. High blood
pressure is dangerous because it makes the heart work too hard, and
the high force of the blood flow can harm arteries and organs such
as the heart, kidneys, brain, and eyes. High blood pressure often
has no warning signs or symptoms. Once it occurs, it usually lasts a
lifetime. If uncontrolled, it can lead to heart and kidney disease,
stroke, and blindness.

High blood pressure affects more than 65 million—or 1 in 3—
American adults. About 28 percent of American adults ages 18 and
older, or about 59 million people, have prehypertension, a condition
that also increases the chance of heart disease and stroke. High
blood pressure is especially common among African Americans,
who tend to develop it at an earlier age and more often than Whites.
It is also common among older Americans—individuals with normal
blood pressure at age 55 have a 90 percent lifetime risk for developing
high blood pressure.

What is Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is the amount of force your blood exerts against the walls of your arteries. Normal blood pressure effectively and harmlessly pushes the blood from your heart to your body's organs and muscles so they can receive the oxygen and nutrients they need. Blood pressure is variable—it rises and falls during the day. When blood pressure stays elevated over time, however, it is called high blood pressure or hypertension.
According to the most recent estimates, about 73 million Americans age 20 and older have hypertension and nearly half are women, according to the American Heart Association. High blood pressure killed nearly 54,707 Americans in 2004 and was listed as a primary or contributing factor in 300,000 deaths. Hypertension can occur in both children and adults, but it is more common in adults, particularly African Americans and the elderly.
People with other conditions such as diabetes and kidney disease are likely to become hypertensive. In addition, being overweight, drinking alcohol excessively (defined as more than two drinks a day for men and one drink a day for women), and taking oral contraceptives may increase blood pressure. Overall, nearly one in three American adults has hypertension. About half of the 73 million Americans with high blood pressure are women. More men than women have hypertension, until women reach menopause, when their risk becomes greater than men's. An estimated 27 percent of women have high blood pressure.
Blood pressure is typically expressed as two numbers, one over the other, and is measured in millimeters of mercury (noted as mm Hg). The first number is the systolic blood pressure, the pressure used when the heart beats. The second number, diastolic blood pressure, is the pressure that exists in the arteries between heartbeats.Depending on your activities, your blood pressure may increase or decrease throughout the day. If you are not acutely ill, are over 18 years of age and are not taking antihypertensive drugs, a blood pressure reading of 119 mm Hg or below systolic and/or 79 mm Hg or below diastolic (119/79) is considered normal. If your systolic blood pressure is 120 to 139 mm Hg systolic and/or your diastolic pressure is 80 to 89 mm Hg, you have prehypertension. This means that you don't have high blood pressure now but are more likely to develop it in the future, and you have increased risk factors for cardiovascular disease and other conditions related to hypertension.
A blood pressure level of 140/90 mm Hg or higher is considered high. You have stage 1 hypertension if your systolic pressure is 140 to 159 and/or diastolic is between 90 and 99. If your systolic pressure is 160 or above and/or your diastolic is100 or more, you have stage 2 hypertension. Only one of the numbers needs to be above normal for a diagnosis of high blood pressure; that is, you can have isolated systolic or diastolic hypertension. Isolated systolic hypertension (ISH) is the most common form of high blood pressure in older Americans. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) estimates that 65 percent of people with hypertension over age 60 have ISH. The cause of approximately 90 to 95 percent of all hypertension isn't known. This type of hypertension is called primary or essential high blood pressure. Secondary hypertension is somewhat different because it represents all of the specific diseases that cause elevated blood pressure.