How many of you

• have high blood pressure?
• have family members with high blood pressure?
• say that you live a healthy life and you can’t possibly have high blood pressure?
• know that high blood pressure is called the silent killer because it, literally, kills people without any advanced warning?

Hypertension - high blood pressure - is a serious health issue and it’s growing.  Some groups of people are at higher risk of developing high blood pressure than others. Did you know that African Americans are at higher risk than any other ethnic group in North America?

To raise awareness, retired NBA star Darryl Dawkins, who was shocked to discover that he had high blood pressure, has teamed up with other NBA stars to tell their stories. To see what they have to say, click on the TV screen below:

~~~~

Image: iStock.com

I’ve never thought those energy drinks were a very good idea anyway, but now research suggests that they can be especially bad for people with high blood pressure or heart disease. Research showed that “the subjects’ average heart rate increased 7.8 percent the first day and 11 percent the seventh day. Blood pressure increased at least 7 percent the first and seventh days.” So if you already have high blood pressure, this could prove problematic.

Researchers were quick to point out that energy drinks are not the same as sports drinks. Sports drinks help “replenish carbohydrates and electrolytes” after a workout. Energy drinks do that.

In other words? Choose your beverages carefully.

Image: sxc.hu.

Dealing with insomnia each night may cause you more harm than just a groggy morning after. Two new studies point to a “rise in blood pressure” and an “increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior” as part of the possible outcomes that can occur when you don’t get enough sleep.

People that had insomnia for a year or longer and slept less than five hours a night were “five times as likely to have high blood pressure.” This confirms that the power is sleep is important. If you are having trouble that you think might be insomnia, seek medical attention.

Image: sxc.hu.

If you have heart disease or high blood pressure, you may want to avoid drinking the so-called energy drinks that have become so popular. The energy drinks aren’t the same thing as sports drinks, like Gatorade though. These are the ones that promise “to give you wings” or keep you awake all night.

A study that was published online on Wednesday in the Annals of Pharmacotherapy , has found that healthy adults who drank two cans a day of a popular energy drink had an increase in both blood pressure and heart rate. The researchers did point out though, that there didn’t seem to be any changes in the heartbeats themselves, as seen with an ECG (electrocardiogram).

The small study (15 men) looked at both blood pressure and heart rate for one week. Two days before the study started, the men stopped drinking or eating anything with caffeine and other than the study energy drink, they didn’t consume any for the week-long study.

What the researchers found was that the men’s heart rates rose, on average, 7.8% on the first day of the study and by 11% at the end of the week. Their blood pressure rose at least by 7% throughout the study, starting the first day.

Why would the blood pressure and pulse go up? The ingredients of the drinks do that. The main ingredients are 80 mg of caffeine (3 x the amount in a bottle of Coca Cola), 1,000 mg of taurine, an amino acid that is said to play a role in the heart, and about *5* tablespoons (not teaspoons) of sugar. All in one 250 mL can.

The role of caffeine and sugar is obvious, but we’re not so sure about the taurine. The amino acid does exist naturally in some of the food we eat, but recommendations seem to be that we shouldn’t consume more than 3,000 mg of extra taurine per day. If you drink three cans, you’re at your limit.

So, if the drinks have such an effect on healthy hearts, perhaps those with problems should avoid them altogether.

~~~~

Images: Stock.Xchng.com, MorgueFile.com

CRP or an inflammatory marker is a protein that is made when there is inflammation present in the body. CRP inflammation can be caused by high blood pressure, high blood sugar or smoking, it is also the way your body reacts to injury or infection.

CRP(C-reactive protein) inflammation encourages plaque to form in the blood vessels. This plaque will eventually cause the blood vessels to rupture causing a heart attack or stroke.

High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) is often shortened to CPR. When your health care provider is explaining your disorder they will usually use the term CRP.  You will see CRP in written articles also.

If you are experiencing any health problems related to your heart make an appointment with your health care provider immediately. Be sure to tell them at the time of your appointment, you would like your cholesterol and CRP levels checked.

People who are otherwise healthy but have high CRP levels are more likely than those with low CRP levels to have heart disease and its complications, such as heart attacks, strokes, sudden cardiac death, and peripheral arterial disease (hardening of the arteries in the legs, which causes leg cramps and poor circulation in the legs and feet). In fact, people with high CRP have 2 or 3 times the risk of heart disease compared to people with low CRP levels.

You can find more informative on this site Heart Health.

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner you may want to consider giving your love, a heart healthy treat.

For those of us with partner’s that have high blood pressure or heart problems that love their sweets, this article is a great find. Dark chocolate may be just what the answer you are looking for.

Do you know that cocoa is actually a fruit? We all know that fruits are good for us.

Researchers have found a link that shows cocoa and dark chocolate aid in the fight against cardiovascular disease.  The studies show reduced risk for blood clots, strokes, and heart attacks.

Food scientists at Cornell University found that there are twice the antioxidants in cocoa as were in red wine. The study also stated that there were three times more antioxidants in cocoa than found in green tea.  

Cocoa also appears to have anti-aging and anti-inflammatory properties. And cocoa is a good source of the minerals magnesium, sulphur, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, potassium, and manganese; plus some of the B Vitamins.

We have all heard at one time, the chocolate was not healthy. Now the findings are the the right kind of chocolate such as dark chocolate is actually heart healthy.

Studies have also proven that dark chocolate contains an amino acid Tryptophan, that aids in the fight against depression.

To find more on this interesting article click here. Dark Chocolate

A young healthy 6 foot 8 inch swimmer, in his sophomore in college, called his stepmother to tell her that he could not swim until he had seen a doctor.

The couch at his new college Fordham University in New York had taken his blood pressure and stated that it was too high.

Like most young people Danny Thrall thought he was young and athletic what could be wrong with him, other than something minor.

His test revealed that his aorta was greatly enlarged; this was due to a leaky valve. The doctor advised Danny that the surgery would have to be done quickly. During the surgery part of his aorta and valve would have to be removed and replaced with a mechanical version.

Danny flew home to Chicago for his surgery.

This was not the first time Danny had undergone heart surgery, when he was six months old doctors had to repair a narrowing aorta.

Throughout his childhood, he routinely saw cardiologists. But until these recent tests, his doctors had noted nothing more than some minor valve leakage.

To find the entire story just click here Danny Thrall.

Before you start any drug regiment, make sure to ask your health care provider first. This is even more important if you have any health issues.

Some over the counter drugs can cause problems for a number of people, especially those with heart problems and high blood pressure.

Not everyone can take an aspirin daily due to the fact some people are resistant to them. Women have proven to be more likely to be resistant to the blood-thinning effects of aspirin.

An aspirin daily is used by millions of people to prevent heart attacks. The aspirin breaks up platelets in the blood that could eventually form blood clots.

I found this information on the CNN health, click on the CNN site to view more information. 

When fatty deposits called plaque build up in the walls of your arteries over a period of time, it is called Atherosclosis. This buildup can start as early as childhood, due to their dietary habits and lack of exercise.

Children today eat fast foods more then any other time in history, they also spend less time in physical exercise. Parents need to watch their children’s eating habits more. They should also get the children involved in some sort of physical activity, even if it is just going outdoors to play.

A person can go for years without any symptoms of the plaque build up in there arteries. The fat will attach itself to the walls of your arteries and in time become calcified, causing a narrowing of the arteries. The narrowing in turn can cause a multitude of problems such as those listed below.

• Heart Failure
• The Aorta will become swollen and inhibit the flow of blood throughout the body. The swelling makes the blood vessel weak and can cause it to rupture.
• Blood clots can cause strokes, angina, pain, and heart attack due to lack of oxygen. Blood clots can also cut off the oxygen to the brain causing ischaemic strokes.
• Those with very high blood pressure are at risk of a heamorrhagic stroke, which can cause irreversible damage to the brain or in some cases death.
• When the arteries are extremely narrowed to the lower extremities such as your legs the result can be amputation.

Exactly how atherosclerosis begins or what causes it isn’t known, but some theories have been proposed. Many scientists think atherosclerosis starts because the innermost layer of the artery becomes damaged. This layer is called the endothelium. Three possible causes of damage to the arterial wall are:

• Elevated levels of cholesterol and triglyceride in the blood
• High blood pressure
• Cigarette smoke

Listed below you will find some of the sites that I referenced.

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=228

http://www.stronghealth.com/services/cardiology/Conditions/atherosclerosis.cfm

Heart disease is the number one killer of all women in the U.S.; African American women are at a 35% greater risk of some type of heart failure.

We put ourselves at a greater risk of heart failure by ignoring symptoms, such as chest pain, fatigue and perspiring more than usual.

When we are young and active we think heart failure does not happen to the young, but a heart problem has no age limit.

If you have high blood pressure, diabetes or high cholesterol and you smoke along with little or no exercise you are at a much higher risk for heart failure.

When your parents have heart problems you are also at greater risk. Just by applying a few simple rules to your daily routine you may also help to prevent heart failure. You can start by drinking caffeine free coffee and soft drinks, stop smoking, control fat intake, cut back on sweets and exercise at least three times a week. These are a few simple changes that just might save your life.

Brown bag your lunch, take foods that are low in calories and fat free. This sort of lunch will help control your weight and cholesterol. Adding fruit and water will also help to decrease your risk of heart failure. Take your lunch outdoors and go for a walk. You should also walk during break periods, if you can not go outdoors walk around your work area.

Make sure that you know your cholesterol levels HDL and LDL and work at keeping at a healthy level.

Below you will find a very informative site.

http://www.4woman.gov/minority/africanamerican/hd.cfm