Heart Health Archive

High blood pressure increases the risk of stroke and plays a role in cognitive decline. Simple lifestyle changes such as eating a healthy diet, exercising, and losing weight can lower blood pressure.

A study based on data from the Women's Health Initiative suggests that a high resting heart rate is an indicator of risk of heart attack in middle-aged women.

Certain foods, such as beans, oats and whole grains, fatty fish, and fruits and vegetables that are high in fiber, can lower "bad" LDL cholesterol.

The treadmill test can reveal hidden problems in the heart.

One way to judge the health of the heart and the arteries that supply it with oxygen and nutrients is to make them work harder. That's the principle behind one of the most commonly used tests in cardiology, the exercise stress test (also known as the exercise tolerance test, treadmill test, or just the stress test). It's much the same thing a mechanic does when he or she races a car's engine.

Q. I have allergies. Could they be the reason I have high blood pressure?

A. Although allergies don't usually directly increase blood pressure, they can contribute indirectly to high blood pressure in two very different ways.

Q. Some friends invited me to accompany them to Rocky Mountain National Park. I would love to go, but I have high blood pressure and worry that high altitudes are dangerous for people with  high blood pressure. Is that the case?

A. If you have high blood pressure but are otherwise healthy, your blood pressure is under control, and you take some precautions, a trip to the Rocky Mountains should be fine.

Forget clothes. In a very real sense, testosterone makes the man.

It is responsible for the deep voice, increased muscle mass, and strong bones that characterize the gender. It stimulates the production of red blood cells by the bone marrow. The hormone also has crucial, if incompletely understood, effects on male behavior: it contributes to aggressiveness, and it is essential for the libido, or sex drive, as well as for normal erections and sexual performance. Testosterone stimulates the growth of the genitals at puberty and is responsible for sperm production throughout adult life.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is very rare in males too young to drive, but it begins to creep up after men are old enough to vote. In the U.S., the average age for a first heart attack in men is 65. That's why coronary artery disease is labeled a disease of senior citizens. But as many as 4% to 10% of all heart attacks occur before age 45, and most of these strike men. It's a reminder that men should not ignore warning symptoms just because they are "too young" to have heart disease. And since atherosclerosis can — and does — start in youth, it's a reminder that prevention should start early in life before problems develop.

What causes heart disease in young adults?

In older men, nearly all heart attacks are caused by atherosclerotic blockages in coronary arteries. Conventional coronary artery disease also predominates in young adults, accounting for about 80% of heart attacks. About 60% of these young patients have disease of just one coronary artery, while older patients are more likely to have disease in two or three arteries.

Different readings in the doctor's office and at home are cause for concern.

A single blood pressure reading, like the one made in your doctor's office, is merely a snapshot taken from an endlessly playing 24-hour movie. For some people, that one measurement is a good summary of the movie. For others, it's a poor reflection of their usual blood pressure.

Q. When doctors interpret a blood pressure reading, should they also consider the heart rate? I am a 78-year-old man and have had high blood pressure (under control) for more than 40 years. I frequently monitor my blood pressure at home, resting for five minutes before I take the reading. My blood pressure is often higher when my heart rate is close to its usual resting rate (about 50 beats per minute) and lower when my heart is beating faster than that. Can the body's demands that cause higher blood pressure be partially satisfied by a faster heart rate?

A. First, let me congratulate you on monitoring your blood pressure at home. This is a great way for you to take control of your high blood pressure, and a good step toward preventing a stroke. Knowing that your blood pressure at home is under consistent control is more important than getting isolated readings at the doctor's office. You are also resting before taking the reading, and this is important to avoid spuriously high readings that happen when someone rushes around, and then sits down quickly to take a blood pressure reading. (Readers interested in monitoring their blood pressure at home can watch a video of how this is done at www.health.harvard.edu/128.)