July 17, 2020

AHA News: High Blood Pressure Increasingly Deadly for Black People

MONDAY, July 13, 2020 (American Heart Association News) -- Cardiovascular deaths related to high blood pressure, often called a silent killer, continued to rise over the last two decades, according to new research, which showed stark health inequities.

Black people had a nearly twofold higher mortality rate than their white peers for hypertension-related heart disease deaths in 2018, according to the study. That year, the death rate for Black men was 206.6 per 100,000 people, compared with 117.2 for white men. The death rates were 132.7 for Black women and 81.5 for white women. That's even after white men experienced the greatest spike during the entire research period.

July 12, 2020

More Young Americans Developing Unhealthy Predictors of Heart Disease

TUESDAY, June 23, 2020 -- A new study finds that 1 in 5 people under age 40 now have metabolic syndrome, a group of risk factors that together increase the odds for many serious conditions, including diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

The rate of metabolic syndrome is rising in all age groups -- as many as half of adults over 60 have it. But among 20- to 39-year-olds, the rate rose 5 percentage points over five years, the study reported.

July 12, 2020

Poor Americans Likely to Miss Preventive Heart Screenings: Study

FRIDAY, May 15, 2020 -- Low-income Americans are much less likely to be screened for heart disease or to receive counseling about controlling risk factors, a new study finds.

Heart health screenings -- such as regular blood pressure and cholesterol checks -- and counseling to improve diet, increase exercise or quit smoking play important roles in reducing heart disease risk.

June 15, 2020

AHA News: Both Blood Pressure Numbers Key to Pinpointing Heart Attack, Stroke Risk in Young Adults

MONDAY, June 1, 2020 (American Heart Association News) -- High blood pressure of any kind in young adults increases the risk of heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular events, according to new findings that shed light on an issue experts say has been understudied.

Blood pressure readings have two measurements. Systolic is the top number and indicates how much pressure the blood exerts against artery walls while the heart beats. Diastolic blood pressure is the bottom number that gauges the pressure between beats. High blood pressure is defined as a systolic reading of 130 or higher or a diastolic reading of 80 or higher, according to guidelines from the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association.

May 28, 2020

AHA News: How to Accurately Measure Blood Pressure at Home

FRIDAY, May 22, 2020 (American Heart Association News) -- High blood pressure is one of the top risk factors for heart attack and stroke. It's also common among people who develop severe symptoms of COVID-19.

So, with more people at home practicing social distancing and with fewer chances to check blood pressure at public pharmacy machines or doctor visits, it's more important than ever to know how to do it at home.

May 28, 2020

Could a Hormone Help Spur High Blood Pressure?

TUESDAY, May 26, 2020 -- Many people with high blood pressure may have an unrecognized hormonal condition driving their numbers up, a new study suggests.

The condition, called primary aldosteronism, arises when the adrenal glands overproduce the hormone aldosterone. That causes the body to retain sodium and lose potassium, spurring a spike in blood pressure.