(dmphoto/iStock, Getty Images) Using the wrong size cuff can lead to incorrect blood pressure readings and misdiagnosis, according to new research. People with obesity – who need large or extra-large blood pressure cuffs – were at particularly high risk for inaccurate readings if using the wrong cuff size. The findings, considered preliminary until the full…
(Deepak Sethi/iStock, Getty Images) Gay men and bisexual women may have higher rates of high blood pressure than their heterosexual counterparts, according to new research. The study analyzed self-reported data from 424,255 participants, including 1.8% who were gay or lesbian and 2.3% who were bisexual. After adjusting for demographics, insurance, body mass index and smoking…
(Ebrahim Alshawy/EyeEm, Getty Images) Acrolein, crotonaldehyde and styrene, compounds found in everything from cigarette smoke to plastics, were associated with higher blood pressure measurements for both the top, systolic, and bottom, diastolic, numbers. “Acrolein is a well-known cardiotoxic chemical, and styrene had a causative signal with diastolic blood pressure,” said lead researcher Katlyn E. McGraw,…
(recep-bg/E+, Getty Images) Young Asian women with diabetes, obesity or polycystic ovary syndrome may be more likely to have high blood pressure than their peers without those conditions, according to new research that calls for increased medical attention in this population. Nearly half of U.S. adults have high blood pressure, or hypertension, including 46% of…
(Jasmin Merdan/Moment, Getty Images) Every year, on the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, hundreds of millions of Muslims celebrate the month of Ramadan by, in part, fasting daily from sunrise to sunset. Now, new research shows it might help lower blood pressure – at least temporarily. The study, published Friday in the Journal of…
(Tetra Images, Getty Images) Losing weight can be crucial to controlling blood pressure. But when diet and exercise fail to help, medications and surgery are appropriate treatments, according to a new expert analysis of weight-loss strategies. High blood pressure, or hypertension, can lead to kidney problems, heart injury and stroke. But only a fraction of…
(PeopleImages/E+, Getty Images) People whose stress hormones reach high levels are at greater risk for developing high blood pressure or having a heart attack or stroke down the road, according to a new study. Published Monday in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension, the research analyzed levels of norepinephrine, epinephrine, dopamine and cortisol – hormones…