Controlling Your Blood Pressure Archive

High blood pressure can damage the brain in several ways. Treating this common problem can protect your mind as well as your heart.

High blood pressure seldom causes any symptoms. But over time, the excessive force and friction of blood pushing against the inner walls of the arteries can damage blood vessels throughout the body. And while the biggest threat may be to your heart, your brain can also suffer.

Even slightly elevated blood pressure in middle age has been linked to a 30% higher risk of dementia two decades later. But taking blood pressure drugs may help people avoid that risk, according to a study in the May 19, 2020, issue of JAMA.

Sesame seeds may be most familiar as a topping on bagels, burger buns, and breadsticks. The tiny, tear-shaped seeds have a nutty, slightly sweet flavor that's enhanced when they're baked or lightly toasted in a skillet. Most are off-white or tan, but you can also find black varieties, which are popular in Asian cuisine.

Sesame seeds contain lignans and phytosterols, plant compounds that may have cholesterol-lowering effects. They're also a decent source of calcium and magnesium, two minerals linked to better blood pressure control.

Ask the doctor

Q. A recent electrocardiogram showed that I have a right bundle branch block. My doctor says it's fairly common and nothing to worry about, but I'm a bit concerned. What is it, exactly? And what specifically can cause this problem?

A. Bundle branch block refers to a small glitch in the heart's electrical conduction system. The term "bundle" refers to a collection of nerve fibers that receive the "contract now" signal from the atrioventricular node and relay it to the ventricles, the heart's lower chambers (see illustration).

The latest recommendations focus on newer medications, lifestyle changes, and procedures.

If you have heart disease, following a healthy diet and getting regular exercise should be a top priority. Both habits can help you reach and stay at a healthy weight and lower your blood pressure and cholesterol level. Chances are you'll also need to take medications to further improve those common heart-related risk factors. But if you also have diabetes, you may need even more aggressive treatment, according to new advice from the American Heart Association.

The recommendations, published May 12, 2020, in the journal Circulation, detail the latest evidence about treatments for people with both heart disease and diabetes. Diabetes, which affects about one in 10 adults, doubles the odds of having a heart attack or stroke (see "Why is diabetes hard on your heart?").

The novel coronavirus is especially risky for people who have or are at risk for cardiovascular disease.

Editor's note: Research and news about COVID-19 change rapidly. For updated information about the pandemic, see www.health.harvard.edu/cvrc.

When cases of COVID-19 began to surge across the globe earlier this year, doctors quickly realized the infection was particularly dangerous for people with heart disease and related conditions, especially high blood pressure. These health problems become more prevalent with age, so could that explain why COVID-19 is more deadly in older people?

Research we're watching

Most home blood pressure monitors sold in Australia are not carefully tested for accuracy, according to a study published online April 10, 2020, by the journal Hypertension.

Because more than 90% of the devices the researchers studied were purchased from international online platforms such as Amazon and eBay, that means many devices purchased in the United States and elsewhere might give inaccurate readings, the authors say.

If you haven't made a video call yet, give it a try to fight isolation.

When much of the world began lockdowns to battle coronavirus in March 2020, many people turned to video calls to fight off the loneliness that often accompanies social isolation. Tech companies reported that the use of video calls for socializing surged by as much as 80%, enabling people to "see" family and friends. But it doesn't take a lockdown to warrant the use of this technology.

The epidemic of loneliness and isolation

Loneliness affects more than a third of older Americans. Another third of older adults feel isolated: they may be living alone, lack transportation, or live far from loved ones. Or they may have outlived a spouse or friends.

News briefs

Drinking coffee is linked to many health benefits, such as less weight gain, lower average daily blood pressure, and a reduced risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. But which brewing method will help you get the most from your cup? A study published online April 22, 2020, by the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology found that filtering coffee (for example, with a paper filter) — not just boiling ground coffee beans and drinking the water — was better for health, particularly for older people. Researchers analyzed the survey responses of more than 500,000 healthy coffee drinkers (ages 20 to 79) who were followed for about 20 years. People younger than 60 who drank one to four cups of coffee, particularly filtered coffee, had lower rates of artery disease and death. The lower rate of death with filtered coffee drinkers persisted in people ages 60 or older, but was lost in people who drank five or more cups per day. The study is observational and doesn't prove that filtered coffee is healthier than unfiltered coffee, but it makes sense. Unfiltered coffee contains diterpenes, compounds that can raise cholesterol, and researchers say a cup of unfiltered coffee contains 30 times more diterpenes than a cup of filtered coffee. So use that coffee filter, save the French press or Turkish unfiltered coffee for rare occasions, and consider limiting your coffee intake to less than five cups per day, on average.

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These are the most effective ways to protect yourself.

Here are some alarming statistics about heart attacks:

• Every 40 seconds, someone in the United States has a heart attack.
• Every year, about 805,000 Americans have heart attacks, 75% of which are first-time attacks.
• The average age of a first heart attack among men: 65.

However, the most troubling fact about heart attacks is that many people don't take steps to protect themselves, says Dr. Deepak L. Bhatt, executive director of interventional cardiovascular programs at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital Heart & Vascular Center. "Reducing your risk of cardiovascular disease is the best way to guard against heart attacks," he says. "There are simple ways to do this, but unfortunately, many people still don't follow them as they should."

Here's a look at five ways you can protect yourself from cardiovascular disease, and thus possible heart attacks, and avoid being another statistic.

Ask the doctor

Q. I recently had an echocardiogram because my doctor heard a murmur, and I was told that my heart valves and heart function were both normal. But when I looked at the report, it indicated that I had an enlarged left atrium. What does that mean?

A. The left atrium is one of your heart's four chambers. Located in the upper half of the heart on the left side of your body, it receives freshly oxygenated blood from your lungs. This blood then surges down through the mitral valve into the left ventricle (the lower left chamber of the heart). Then, the blood travels up through the aortic valve and finally out to supply the body with oxygen.