Known as the “silent killer” high blood pressure plays a major role in overall cardiovascular health. According to the American Heart Association, people with high blood pressure die an average of 5 years earlier than those with normal blood pressure. Read the rest of this entry »

While smoking does seem to temporarily raise blood pressure, a direct long term connection has yet to be found. However, smoking and tobacco do damage blood vessels and arteries which causes them to contract. These narrower passageways do contribute to high blood pressure and hypertension. Read the rest of this entry »

Many studies have been conducted to explain the relationship between coffee, caffeine and hypertension. They are largely in agreement that caffeine does slightly raise blood pressure in the short run and that over time individuals who consume large quantities of coffee are more likely be diagnosed with hypertension. Read the rest of this entry »

While it may seem natural to assume that high blood pressure would cause headaches, studies have actually proven that the reverse may be true! The relationship between headaches and high blood pressure is certainly counter intuitive for many people.

A recent study, which used data from two large epidemiologic studies, found information affirming that individuals with high systolic blood pressure actually have less of a chance of getting nonmigrainous headaches or migraines. For patients taking hypertension medication this relationship was not as obvious.

It would appear that the arterial stiffness related to having high blood pressure causes certain behavior in the baroreflex arch, which leads to hypertension-associated hypalgesia, may actually stop pain from being transmitted at the spinal and supraspinal levels.

The study is titled “High pulse pressure protects against headache” andcan be found in the journal Neurology 2008;70:1329-1336 or online.

With people looking to lower blood pressure through diet and without medications, the question, “does alcohol affect blood pressure” begs to be answered. In an effort to do just that, a group of medical professionals in 2001 conducted an in depth study of alcohol and hypertension. Read the rest of this entry »

Lifestyle changes, including exercise, are being promoted as a first line of defense against high blood pressure (hypertension). Several recent studies provide insight into how much exercise lowers blood pressure as well as what type of exercise lowers blood pressure. Read the rest of this entry »

There are usually no symptoms which indicate that you have high blood pressure! Excessive sweating, nervousness, high cholesterol and difficulty sleeping are not evidence of high blood pressure. You may have high blood pressure and these other problems, but one is not a sign of the other. The only way to know if you have high blood pressure is to have it checked by a medical professional.

For more information visit http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3008517

The normal blood pressure for children is actually calculated by considering their gender, age and height, according to the American Heart Association.

The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute provides useful tables on their website which can serve as a guide to understanding blood pressure in children.

If you discover that your child has high blood pressure, it is important to make sure that your child practices a healthy lifestyle, which includes eating a healthy diet, regular exercise and maintaining a suitable weight.

For more information visit http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3057733 or http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/bp_child_pocket/bp_child_pocket.htm

According to the American Heart Association, normal blood pressure is less than 120 systolic and 80 diastolic. However, it is noted that you should consult your doctor if your readings are significantly lower. The following summarizes blood pressure readings:

Normal: less than 120/80
Prehypertension: 120–139 systolic or 80–89 diastolic
Stage 1 Hypertension*: 140–159 systolic or 90–99 diastolic
Stage 2 Hypertension: 160 or higher systolic or 100 or higher diastolic

A hypertensive crisis is when your blood pressure rises above 180/110 mm Hg and you should immediately seek medical assistance.

*If you are hypertensive, you have medically significant high blood pressure

For more information, see http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=2112 or http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3057641

Changes in your emotional state, physical activity and environmental conditions result in natural blood pressure variances throughout the day. The American Heart Association recommends taking your blood pressure at the same time every day over a period of time to get an accurate reading and minimize the effects of external factors.

In general, blood pressure rises during physical activity, when it is cold, or when you are feeling stressed, startled or afraid. A small group of people suffer from “white coat hypertension” and their blood pressure rises as a result of their anxiety related to going to the doctor’s office. This group often benefits from monitoring their blood pressure at home.

For more information, visit http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3025166