Blood Pressure Archive

Sitting in a sauna is one way to chase away the cold. A new report in JAMA Internal Medicine makes this pastime even more appealing: regularly spending time in a sauna may help keep the heart healthy and extend life. Among 2,300 middle-aged Finnish men, those who took a sauna bath four or more times a week were less likely to have died over a 20-year period than those who took a sauna once a week or less. Frequent visits to a sauna were also associated with lower death rates from cardiovascular disease and stroke. Sauna baths are generally safe and likely beneficial for people with well-controlled coronary artery disease or mild heart failure, but may not be so hot for those with unstable angina or a recent heart attack. The high temperature in a sauna can boost the heart rate to a level often achieved by moderate-intensity physical exercise. Is sitting in a sauna the equivalent of exercising? No. But exercising and then taking a sauna seems like a very healthy routine.

Exercise, eat a healthy diet, and manage blood pressure and cholesterol to lower your odds.

Poor sleep is linked to high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. Now a study published in Neurology Dec. 10, 2014, suggests that people with conditions that rob them of oxygen and deep sleep are more likely to have changes in the brain that may lead to dementia. Researchers say conditions such as emphysema and sleep apnea reduce the amount of oxygen in the blood during sleep, which can lead to silent, undetectable "ministrokes." Researchers also found that people who spend less time in deep sleep, called slow-wave sleep, are more likely to have loss of brain cells than people who spend more time in slow-wave sleep. Slow-wave sleep is important in processing new memories and remembering facts. The researchers noted that past evidence has shown that using a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine for obstructive sleep apnea may improve cognition, even after dementia has developed. "Sleep quantity and quality are important to maintain optimal health and prevent disease," says sleep expert Dr. Lawrence Epstein, an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School. "By getting enough sleep, you ensure that you are getting all the types of sleep, which is necessary to maintain proper functioning." 

Q. I just discovered that I have a hole in my heart that my doctor called a patent foramen ovale, which was found during an ultrasound. What are the pros and cons of having it repaired?

A. All people start off with an oval, flap-like opening (called a foramen ovale) between the right and left upper chambers of their hearts. This small hole usually closes during infancy. But in about one in four people, it stays open and is known as a patent foramen ovale (PFO). Most people with the condition have no symptoms and never know they have it unless it's discovered by accident, as happened to you.

Known as non-obstructive coronary artery disease, this condition can trigger heart attacks down the road.

You just had a cardiac stress test and you passed with flying colors. Does that mean you are free of heart attack risk? Not necessarily, says Dr. Ron Blankstein, assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and preventive cardiologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Well-educated people who report memory problems may face a higher risk of stroke.

Minor memory slips—such as losing your keys or forgetting an acquaintance's name—are common as we age. However, people who express concern about their memory may have a heightened risk of stroke, particularly if they're highly educated, according to a study in the January 2015 Stroke.

A device called RESPeRATE may help, but questions remain.

Beets rarely rank high on anyone's list of most-loved vegetables. But here's a reason to give these ruby-red roots another try: beet juice may help lower blood pressure, according to a study in the February 2015 Hypertension.

Beets contain naturally high levels of nitrates, which your digestive system converts into nitric oxide. This compound relaxes and widens blood vessels, which, in turn, lowers blood pressure.

A week or so after having a heart attack, if you can take a brisk walk without any heart-related symptoms, it's fine to have sex. So say the guidelines from the American Heart Association. But most doctors don't share this advice with their patients, according to a study in the December 2014 Circulation.

The study included more than 2,300 women and 1,100 men between the ages of 18 and 55. Just 12% of women and 19% of the men reported receiving any counseling about sexual activity within a month of their heart attacks. Those who did get advice were often given restrictions (such as to limit sex or to take a more passive role) that are not supported by evidence or guidelines. Being female or older was linked to a lower likelihood of receiving counseling.

Some plastic bottles, food containers, and linings of cans contain bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical that's been under close scrutiny because of its potential effects on human health. Most Americans have traces of BPA in their urine, and some research hints of a possible link between BPA exposure and cardiovascular disease. Now, a study in the September 2014 Hypertension finds that BPA exposure from cans may raise blood pressure.

Sixty older adults drank two servings of soymilk provided one of three ways: in two glass bottles (providing the least BPA), two cans (most BPA), or one glass bottle and one can. Two hours after participants drank from the cans, their urinary BPA levels were much higher than after they drank from two glass bottles. And their systolic blood pressure (the first number in a blood pressure reading) was roughly 4.5 mm Hg higher after two cans versus two glass bottles.