Category: Blood Pressure

A drink that is linked to high blood pressure and increased risk of heart problems.

Energy drinks can cause an abnormal heartbeat and increased blood pressure within a few hours of drinking.

A study shows that consumption of energy drinks can put young and healthy people at risk of increased irregular heart rhythm and fatal heart conditions as well as high blood pressure.

Irregular heartbeats are caused by an abnormality in electrical signals to the heart that can lead to cardiac arrhythmia and sudden death.

Energy drinks are a fast growing global industry and their market value is estimated to be $83.4 billion by 2024.

Nearly 30 percent of American teenagers from 12 to 17 years old  regularly consume energy drinks.

There is an increasing number of patients, especially teenagers, who have been admitted to emergency rooms for problems linked to caffeinated energy drinks.

Professor Kate O’Dell, study co-author, said:

“Energy drinks are readily accessible and commonly consumed by a large number of teens and young adults, including college students.

Understanding how these drinks affect the heart is extremely important.”

For this reason, in this trial a group of  young healthy adults were given two bottle of commercially available caffeinated energy drinks or a placebo.

Less than four hours after drinking them, there was abnormality of heart electrical activities resulting in an increase QT interval by 6 or 7.7 milliseconds more than those on placebo drinks.

The QT interval is a measurement of the electrical activities of the heart.

If the QT interval is too long or short, it can potentially cause life-threatening arrhythmia.

In addition, participants’ blood pressure was increased by 5 mm Hg after consuming energy drinks.

Each bottle was 16 fluid ounces containing between 152 and 160 milligrams of caffeine.

Energy drinks on the market such a Rockstar, Monster Rippers, Red Bull, Tesco Blue Spark, and Boost Energy Drink contain that amount of caffeine per 16 ounce (460 ml) can or bottle.

Although the energy drinks consumed by participants were high in caffeine, the researchers say a dosage of caffeine under 400 milligrams should not cause any electrocardiographic changes.

Instead, they think the heart rhythm disturbances are caused by an ingredient or combination of ingredients in the energy drinks.

B-vitamins, amino acid taurine (an amino acid), and glucuronolactone (found in plant gums and connective tissues) are other ingredients commonly used in energy drinks.

Professor Sachin A. Shah, the study’s first author, said:

“We found an association between consuming energy drinks and changes in QT intervals and blood pressure that cannot be attributed to caffeine.

We urgently need to investigate the particular ingredient or combination of ingredients in different types of energy drinks that might explain the findings seen in our clinical trial.”

The study is the largest controlled research of energy drink side-effects in the hearts of healthy people.

Professor  Shah added:

“The public should be aware of the impact of energy drinks on their body especially if they have other underlying health conditions.

Healthcare professionals should advise certain patient populations, for example, people with underlying congenital or acquired long QT syndrome or high blood pressure, to limit or monitor their consumption.”

The study was published in Journal of the American Heart Association (Shah et al., 2019).

Around half of all Americans have high blood pressure.

Climbing the stairs can help to reduce blood pressure, recent research shows.

Stair climbing also helps reduce arterial stiffness and increases leg strength.

Around half of all Americans have high blood pressure (the figure is around 30 percent in the UK).

Many, however, are unaware since it typically has no symptoms.

The condition raises the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

The conclusions come from a study of 41 Korean women, all of whom had very high blood pressure.

Half of them climbed stairs four times a week between two to five times a day.

Each time they climbed 192 steps.

The results showed that climbing the stairs lowers blood pressure and builds leg strength.

Dr JoAnn Pinkerton, The North American Menopause Society executive director, said:

“This study demonstrates how simple lifestyle interventions such as stair climbing can be effective in preventing or reducing the negative effects of menopause and age on the vascular system and leg muscles of postmenopausal women with hypertension.”

The study was published in the journal Menopause (Wong et al., 2018).

The plant chemicals that have a cardioprotective effect, including lowering blood pressure levels.

A higher flavonoid intake improves the composition of gut microbiota and lowers blood pressure, research finds.

Flavonoids are natural compounds mainly found in fruits and vegetables, which may lower the risk of heart disease.

The diversity in gut microbiota is greater when consuming flavonoid-rich foods such as apple, pears, berries, tea, dark chocolate, and red wine which results in reducing blood pressure levels.

Researchers suggest that the composition of the gut microbiota (microorganisms in the digestive tracts) is different between people with and without cardiovascular disease.

Professor Aedín Cassidy, the study’s senior author, said:

“Our gut microbiome plays a key role in metabolizing flavonoids to enhance their cardioprotective effects, and this study provides evidence to suggest these blood pressure-lowering effects are achievable with simple changes to the daily diet.”

The research team recruited 904 adults and assessed their food intake, gut microbiome and blood pressure levels.

Here is a summary of their findings:

• Participants who consumed the highest amounts of flavonoid-rich foods such as apples, pears, and berries had an immensely diverse gut microbiota and a lower systolic blood pressure compared to those who didn’t eat enough foods rich in flavonoids.
• Up to 15 percent of the relationship between high flavonoid intake and reduction in blood pressure could be explained by the diversity of the microbiome.
• An intake of one-and-a-half cups of berries per day, equivalent to 128 grams or 1.6 servings, was linked to a 4.1 mm Hg lower systolic blood pressure.
• Drinking 250 ml of red wine per week was linked to a 3.7 mm Hg reduction in systolic blood pressure.

Professor Cassidy said:

“Our findings indicate future trials should look at participants according to metabolic profile in order to more accurately study the roles of metabolism and the gut microbiome in regulating the effects of flavonoids on blood pressure.

A better understanding of the highly individual variability of flavonoid metabolism could very well explain why some people have greater cardiovascular protection benefits from flavonoid-rich foods than others.”

The study was published in the journal Hypertension (Jennings et al., 2021).

Eating a handful of this fruit per day can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

A daily intake of one cup of blueberries will reduce blood pressure and arterial stiffness, which decreases heart disease risk.

The effect of lowering blood pressure and arterial stiffness may be due to a rise in nitric oxide production in the blood vessels.

Blueberries are a rich source of flavonoids such as anthocyanin, a natural compound that acts as an antioxidant.

Flavonoids have an anti-inflammatory effect as well as increasing the production of nitric oxide in the body.

Nitric oxide can make the inner muscles of the blood vessels relax and so they widen and circulation improves.

By increasing blood flow through the body, blood pressure will consequently go down.

In the study, a group of subjects were fed an equivalent of one cup of blueberries per day for 8 weeks to see if they had any effect on lowering blood pressure.

There were no other changes in these participants’ normal diet and routines.

After 8 weeks, there was a reduction of 7 mm/Hg in their systolic blood pressure and 5 mm/Hg reduction in their diastolic blood pressure.

Systolic blood pressure is the top number of the blood pressure reading, which is the pressure when the heart beats.

Diastolic blood pressure is the bottom number, which is the pressure when the heart rests between beats.

In addition, arterial stiffness was reduced by 6.5 percent in participants who were in the blueberry-treated group.

The study shows that the nitric oxide level in these people was increased by 68.5 percent, which explains the declines in blood pressure.

Dr Sarah A. Johnson, the study’s first author, said:

“Our findings suggest that regular consumption of blueberries could potentially delay the progression of prehypertension to hypertension, therefore reducing cardiovascular disease risk.”

She continued:

“Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.

Our findings suggest that the addition of a single food, blueberries, to the diet may mitigate the negative cardiovascular effects that often occur as a result of menopause.”

The study was published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (Johnson et al., 2015).

The juice reduced blood pressure just three hours after consuming it.

Montmorency cherry juice can lower blood pressure by a similar amount to medication, research finds.

The study examined the effects of Montmorency tart cherry juice on vascular function in hypertensive men.

These participants consumed 60 ml of Montmorency tart cherry juice diluted with 100ml of water.

The subjects’ blood pressure was reduced by 7 mmHg just three hours after drinking the juice.

High blood pressure is a serious health concern as if it is not treated can lead to coronary artery disease, heart attack and stroke.

Currently, about 1 out of every 3 American adults and more than 1 in 4 adults in England suffer from hypertension.

A normal blood pressure for an adult is considered to be 120 mmHg (systolic) over 80 mmHg (diastolic).

Several studies have shown a 5 mmHg to 6 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure can lower the risk of heart disease by 23 percent and stroke by 38 percent.

Systolic blood pressure is the top number of the blood pressure readings and diastolic blood pressure is the second number.

Systolic blood pressure is the more important of these two as it is an indicator of cardiovascular disease.

Montmorency tart cherry is a type of sour cherry which is rich in phenolic acids (a type of polyphenol).

The phenolic acids show high levels of antioxidant activity and are beneficial to vascular function.

Protocatechuic and vanillic acid belong to the phenolic acids family and are the reason for the reduction in blood pressure.

Dr Karen Keane, the study’s first author, said:

“The majority of cardiovascular disease is caused by risk factors that can be controlled, treated or modified, such as high blood pressure, cholesterol, obesity, tobacco use, lack of physical activity and diabetes.

Raised blood pressure is the leading cause of deaths from cardiovascular disease, yet relatively small reductions in blood pressure can have a large impact on mortality rates.

The magnitude of the blood pressure lowering effects we observed was comparable to those achieved by a single anti-hypertensive drug and highlights the potential importance that Montmorency cherries could have in the effective management of high blood pressure.”

Blueberry, cranberry, and blackcurrant are also high in these phenolic acids and so they can benefit the blood vessels, improve blood flow and help reduce vascular disease.

Professor Glyn Howatson, study co-author, said:

“We believe these benefits might be linked to the combined actions of some of the plant compounds within the Montmorency concentrate and the positive impact they exert on vascular function.”

The study was published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Keane et al., 2016).

These two techniques lead to the most dramatic fall in blood pressure and weight loss.

A little exercise plus following the DASH diet leads to a remarkable reduction in blood pressure and weight loss, a study has found.

Lifestyle change is a powerful way to reduce the need for antihypertensive drugs in overweight or obese people.

The study involved a group of overweight and obese adults who had high blood pressure.

They were put on a 16-week program consisting of the DASH diet plus weight management and exercise.

The subjects’ blood pressure was between 130/80 mmHg to 160/99 mmHg but none were on any hypertension treatment.

They focused on the DASH diet with the help of the study nutritionist, attended exercise sessions 3 times a week and a cognitive behavioral weight loss treatment session each week.

‘DASH’ stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), a diet designed to fight high blood pressure.

The DASH diet involves eating lots of fruit, vegetables and whole grains and also includes fish, poultry, nonfat or low fat dairy, nuts, seeds, legumes, and vegetable oils.

In the exercise sessions participants warmed up for 10 minutes, then they were engaged in 30 minutes high-intensity aerobic activities like biking or jogging, followed by a 5 minute cool-down workout.

After 16 weeks of following the plan, participants lost 8.7 kg (19 pounds), and saw a 16 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure and a 10 mmHg reduction in diastolic blood pressure.

Those who were only on the DASH diet plan saw a reduction of 11 mmHg in systolic and 8 mmHg in diastolic blood pressure but only lost 0.3 kg of weight.

Dr Alan Hinderliter, the study’s first author, said:

“Lifestyle modifications, including healthier eating and regular exercise, can greatly decrease the number of patients who need blood pressure-lowering medicine.

That’s particularly the case in folks who have blood pressures in the range of 130 to 160 mmHg systolic and between 80 and 99 mmHg diastolic.”

The purpose of this study was to find out whether the DASH diet alone or combined with aerobic exercises could lower cardiovascular risk factors such as blood pressure.

These results confirmed that a lifestyle modification that includes a healthy diet combined with physical fitness and cognitive behavioural weight management plan would result in an impressive amount of weight loss and a decrease in blood pressure.

The study was presented at the American Heart Association’s Joint Hypertension 2018 Scientific Sessions.

Adding even a small amount of this food to your diet can make a big difference to your blood pressure.

People with elevated high blood pressure might see a big improvement by having yoghurt every day for breakfast or even as a snack.

A research team tested if yoghurt consumption has any effect on blood pressure and other risk factors for heart disease.

They found that yoghurt reduced blood pressure by seven points in people with hypertension.

Over one billion people have high blood pressure that puts them at higher risk of heart disease and stroke.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) including heart disease are the leading cause of death globally.

The death rate is different between countries, for instance, every 36 seconds someone dies from CVD in the United States while it is every 12 minutes in Australia.

Scientist are examining every possible way to help reduce CVD risk and one important area is diet, which covers types of foods and drinks and calorie intake.

Dr Alexandra Wade, the study’s first author, said:

“High blood pressure is the number one risk factor for cardiovascular disease, so it’s important that we continue to find ways to reduce and regulate it.

Dairy foods, especially yoghurt, may be capable of reducing blood pressure.

This is because dairy foods contain a range of micronutrients, including calcium, magnesium and potassium, all of which are involved in the regulation of blood pressure.

Yoghurt is especially interesting because it also contains bacteria that promote the release of proteins which lowers blood pressure.

This study showed for people with elevated blood pressure, even small amounts of yoghurt were associated with lower blood pressure.

And for those who consumed yoghurt regularly, the results were even stronger, with blood pressure readings nearly seven points lower than those who did not consume yoghurt.”

In this study a normal blood pressure was defined as 120/80 mmHg while elevated blood pressure was 140/90 mmHg or over.

Previous studies showed that people who ate yoghurt each day doubled their body fat loss.

People with higher belly fat are more likely to develop heart disease.

The study was published in International Dairy Journal (Wade et al., 2021).

A routine to battle high blood pressure caused by pollution.

People who live in polluted cities are more likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease (CVD) including arrhythmia, heart failure, heart attack, and stroke.

Air pollution increases the incidence of high blood pressure, one of the most important risk factors for CVD.

A study has found that individuals who live in areas with high levels of air pollution, but who exercise routinely, have normal blood pressure, suggesting physical activity even in polluted cities can prevent or reverse hypertension.

Habitual physical activity is simply the healthiest approach for lowering or even preventing high blood pressure.

At present over 91 percent of people live in places where World Health Organization (WHO) air quality guidelines are not met.

Air pollution is the biggest environmental risk to public health but physical activity can reduce the harm across different populations globally.

Dr iang Qian Lao, the study’s co-author, said:

“While we found that high physical activity combined with lower air pollution exposure was linked to lower risk of high blood pressure, physical activity continued to have a protective effect even when people were exposed to high pollution levels.

The message is that physical activity, even in polluted air, is an important high blood pressure prevention strategy.”

The team tracked 140,000 Taiwanese adults with healthy blood pressure for five years.

Participants, based on their physical activity levels, were divided into highly active, moderately active, and inactive.

Also, the level of exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), a widely used indicator for air pollution, was categorised into high, moderate, and low in this study.

A reading of 140/90 mm Hg was considered high blood pressure whereas the American Heart Association guidelines on hypertension defines high blood pressure as 130/80 mm Hg.

This implies 50 percent of American adults have hypertension and are at increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

The findings were as follows:

• People with high activity who lived in areas with low levels of pollution were least likely to develop high blood pressure.
• Inactive people who lived in highly polluted air were most likely to have high blood pressure.
• For each increase in levels of PM2.5, the risk of having high blood pressure rose by 38 percent but by increasing the levels of physical activity the risk was reduced to 6 percent.
• High-intensity workouts reduced the risk of hypertension by 13 percent compared to inactivity.

Dr Lao said:

“This is the largest study to analyze the combined effects of air pollution and regular physical activity on high blood pressure.

Our findings indicate that regular physical activity is a safe approach for people living in relatively polluted regions to prevent high blood pressure.

Exercise should be promoted even in polluted areas.

The findings also put a spotlight on how strongly pollution can impact blood pressure, and how important it is to control pollution levels to prevent high blood pressure.”

The study was published in the journal Circulation (Guo et al., 2020).

Higher intake of these minerals has been shown to reduce blood pressure in the long run.

People who took higher amounts of magnesium, potassium and calcium displayed lower blood pressure, a study has found.

Also, participants who consumed a daily intake of 3.2 grams of potassium combined with 3.7 grams of sodium were shown to have the lowest blood pressure.

Magnesium is an important mineral for the body since it helps calcium in bone formation, improves blood sugar level, helps nerves and muscles function, lowers blood pressure and the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Our body requires a relatively large amounts of magnesium.

Healthy men should take 400 to 420 mg of magnesium per day and women should take 310 to 320 mg daily (source: the National Institutes of Health’s Office of Dietary Supplements).

Good sources of magnesium include legumes, avocados, nuts, seeds, dark chocolate, oily fish such as salmon and mackerel, and green leafy vegetables.

Calcium is another important mineral as it is responsible for strong bones and teeth, heart health, and helps blood to clot.

The recommended amounts of this nutrient for a healthy adult is about 1,000 mg per day.

Dairy such as milk, cheese, and yogurt are the main source and lentils, dried fruit, kale, broccoli, whole grains, sardines, and salmon are also sources of calcium.

Potassium is the other vital nutrient that plays a role in lowering blood pressure and improving heart, muscle, and kidney function.

Potassium and sodium are electrolytes and together are needed in maintaining fluid balance, nerve impulses and muscle contractions.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a potassium consumption of at least 3,510 mg a day for adults in order to reduce the risk of CVD and stroke.

Fruits such as bananas, grapefruits, dried apricots, and prunes, vegetables like tomatoes, squash, broccoli, potatoes, and spinach are rich in potassium.

Dr Lynn L. Moore, the study’s first author, said:

“This study and others point to the importance of higher potassium intakes, in particular, on blood pressure and probably cardiovascular outcomes as well.

I hope that this research will help refocus the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans on the importance of increasing intakes of foods rich in potassium, calcium and magnesium for the purpose of maintaining a healthy blood pressure.”

The research followed 2,632 people for 16 years to see if low sodium intake in the diet can reduce blood pressure levels.

However, they found that eating less sodium won’t necessary lower hypertension, adding more evidence to other studies that sodium limits recommended by dietary guidelines may be incorrect.

High blood pressure or hypertension is a medical condition and an important risk factor for CVD.

The current US dietary guideline for healthy adults is less than 2.3 grams per day of sodium intake and the UK guideline for adults is less than 2.4 grams per day.

But, after the 16 years of follow-up, the study found that participants whose sodium intake was less than 2.5 grams a day had higher blood pressure than those with higher sodium diets.

Past studies found that people with either very high sodium diets or low sodium diets were at higher risk of CVD.

In contrast, people who had a middle intake of sodium in their daily foods exhibited the lowest risk of heart disease.

Dr Moore, said:

“We saw no evidence that a diet lower in sodium had any long-term beneficial effects on blood pressure.

Our findings add to growing evidence that current recommendations for sodium intake may be misguided.”

The study was published The FASEB Journal (Moore et al., 2017).