Blood Pressure Archive

Broken heart syndrome (officially known as takotsubo syndrome) causes symptoms similar to a heart attack. While intense emotional stress can trigger the condition, physical stressors such as surgery or severe illness are more common causes. Most cases occur in women, but proportion of cases recognized in men has risen in recent decades. Most people fully recover within weeks to months. But those who also have other serious health conditions may face a higher risk of dying within two months after being diagnosed with takotsubo syndrome.

A 2024 study suggests that reallocating as little as five minutes per day from time spent sitting, standing, or walking to vigorous exercise may help lower blood pressure. Switching out a bigger block of sedentary time for exercise may offer even greater benefit.

In a 2024 study, researchers found that the heart rate variability of a dog and its owner mirror each other during interactions, which may reflect the strong emotional connection between humans and their dogs.

Each year, an estimated 700,000 Americans suffer from cardiac arrest, when the heart abruptly stops beating, causing the person to collapse and stop breathing. Immediately performing hands-on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can more than double the odds of survival. Experts recommend that all adults should take an in-person CPR class at least once and have a refresher course every two to three years.

Both the Mediterranean diet and vegan diet can help stave off heart disease. But while the Mediterranean diet is slightly more expensive than the standard American diet, a vegan diet is 19% lower in cost, according to a 2024 analysis.

According to a 2024 study, people who reported work-related stress were more likely to have unfavorable measures of cardiovascular health than those without that stress.

According to a 2024 study, people who engage in exercise (such as running or cycling) instead of less active behavior (such as sitting, standing, or slow walking) for just five minutes per day may slightly lower their blood pressure.

A gluten-free diet (which omits wheat, rye, and barley) may be low in fiber, a nutrient that's important for cardiovascular health. People who avoid gluten should try to include gluten-free grains and seeds in their menus, such as amaranth, buckwheat, millet, sorghum, teff, and quinoa. Carrots, celery, kale, and kiwis contain mostly insoluble fiber, which helps you feel full and encourages regular bowel movements. Beans, nuts, seeds, and fruits (such as berries, apples, pears, and citrus fruits) are good sources of soluble fiber, which helps lower cholesterol and blood sugar.

Although doctors and patients rarely talk about it, cardiovascular disease and its treatment can affect sexual function. Atherosclerosis can affect arteries that supply blood to the genitals, and high blood pressure medication can cause sexual side effects. Certain medications used to treat common sexual issues (namely, erectile dysfunction drugs and some types of estrogen) may be unsafe for some people with heart disease.

White-coat hypertension refers to blood pressure that's high only when measured in a medical setting. It's defined as a reading in the doctor's office of greater than 130/80 (but less than 160/100) and an average daytime blood pressure reading of less than 130/80. If home monitoring reveals mostly normal readings, treatment may not be needed. But intermittent blood pressure spikes might still damage the heart.