Hypertension/high blood pressure health centre

News and features related to hypertension

Physical fitness may reduce hypertension

15th May 2012 - A new study suggests that even with a family history of high blood pressure, you can significantly reduce your risk by taking moderate exercise. The US study of more than 6,000 people found those who were fit, but who had a parent with high blood pressure, had a 34% lower risk of dev
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Taking blood pressure readings in both arms 'could prevent deaths'

30th January 2012 — Differences in blood pressure readings taken from the left and right arms of patients could be a sign of vascular disease, says a study. A review of available evidence has concluded that doctors should routinely compare readings from both arms to prevent unnecessary deaths. Perip
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A nice cup of tea for your blood pressure?

24th January 2012 - Many of us look forward to a nice cup of tea, now new research suggests it can help lower blood pressure. Australian researchers compared a group of people drinking three cups of black tea a day with another group given a similar tasting dummy drink. The black tea drinkers’ syst
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Reducing blood pressure in middle age ‘most important for heart disease risk’

Reducing your blood pressure in middle age lowers your risk of heart diseases for the rest of your life, a study shows. Also, people who have low blood pressure at the age of 55 years have the lowest lifetime risk of heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes. High blood pressure increases your chanc
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Does cutting down on salt help people with high blood pressure?

High amounts of salt in the diet can raise blood pressure. So doctors usually recommend that people avoid salt as much as possible, particularly if they have high blood pressure. But recently a review of studies suggested that reducing salt alone may not be enough to make a difference to your chance
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Take medicines at bedtime for better blood pressure control?

High blood pressure is extremely common, affecting 1 in 3 men and women in the UK. If left untreated, it can damage the walls of blood vessels, increasing the risk of heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease, and heart failure. Although lifestyle changes (such as eating less salt, exercising, and losi
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High salt levels in bread warning

2nd September 2011 - Which is saltier - a packet of crisps or a slice of bread? The answer may surprise you. New research has found that a slice of bread from one in four loaves contains as much salt per slice as a packet of crisps. The health campaign group Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH
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High blood pressure: Ambulatory and home testing recommended

24th August 2011 - The days of having your blood pressure taken repeatedly at a GP's surgery could soon be a thing of the past after NICE (the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) published an updated guideline on the diagnosis and treatment of high blood pressure (hypertension). D
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Social climbing may prevent high blood pressure

High blood pressure affects around 1 in 3 adults in the UK. If left untreated, it increases the risk of a heart attack or a stroke. Being overweight, not exercising, smoking, eating an unhealthy diet, and getting older are all linked to a higher chance of having high blood pressure. People who are b
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Is it worth cutting salt for heart health?

A low-salt diet can help to lower your blood pressure, which is why doctors recommend it, especially for people with high blood pressure who are at risk of having a heart attack or stroke. But studies show that most people can only lower their blood pressure by a small amount - about 1 point - throu
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