Why is high blood pressure important?

High blood pressure is a risk factor for heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and dementia. This means that if you have high blood pressure you are at greater risk of developing these conditions than someone who does not have high blood pressure.

Having high blood pressure causes strain on the vessels carrying blood around your body. This strain can cause vessels to become clogged up or to weaken and this in turn can lead to narrow blood vessels and clots, which can cause damage to the heart or brain. More rarely it can lead to the blood vessels bursting. Having high blood pressure can also cause heart failure. 

Heart failure is when your heart can not pump blood around the body as well as it should and this can cause you to become short of breath and can cause your ankles to swell. Blood pressure monitors - accurate machines available to the public to use at home from an excellent online UK distributor of a wide range of medical equipment to both medical professionals and home users. 

 High blood pressure can cause kidney failure, some eye conditions, and there is some research that shows that by lowering blood pressure you may be able to prevent some types of dementia. So, there are many very good reasons for controlling your blood pressure both and now and in the future.High blood pressure is a serious condition, and one that you should not ignore. However, the really good news is that it can be lowered either by changing your lifestyle or if necessary adding in tablets. The lower you can get your blood pressure the lower your risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and dementia.

Blood Pressure Testing Week 18 - 20 September 2016

As you expect Jeremy Clarkeson to begin the new series of NOT TOP GEAR on AMAZON...And we are back!

Time ticks along an this long forgotton blog deserves a new entry.

Blood Pressure Testing Week

Know your numbers is the call of the Blood Pressure UK healthcare charity.

During this week 12 to 18 September lots of what were once called "Pressure Stations" are open to the public and giving free checks on their blood pressure.

Find out about the campaign here and learn about what the readings mean, how you can change them and for those who are thinking about meauring their blood pressure at home here is an up to date list of BHS approved monitors available

It is sad to learn that one time big supporters of the Testing Week, Lloyds Pharmacy no longer take part in all their shops throughout the UK however they do offer blood pressure checks in store to customers throughout the year and have an affordable home monitor available to buy,

So what's stopping you find out what your blood pressure is this week?

You can find your nearest free blood pressure check by entering your post code or town in the box below.

Find your nearest free blood pressure check

To find your nearest Pressure Station, enter your postcode or town and click 'Find nearest'!

Vascular dementia and high blood pressure

A cure is a long way off but new research shows that there is a lot you can do to help keep Alzheimer’s at bay. Source - The Times Appeal

High blood pressure and high cholesterol are strong risk factors particularly for vascular dementia, the second most common form after Alzheimer’s

Dr Anne Corbett lets slip a small sigh of frustration as we discuss the way that reports about “breakthrough cures” for dementia constantly fill the media. It is her role at the Alzheimer’s Society to try to leaven such breathless optimism with reality. The fact is, she says, we don’t have any cures for Alzheimer’s. And we are still a considerable way from them. What’s more, eating blueberries (or whatever the next “magic brain-boosting food” might be) won’t help, either.

Our popular belief in an instant cure is propelled by a huge weight of expectation. It feels only right that we should by now be curing dementia, which afflicts about 750,000 people in Britain. After all, in the past few decades there have been great advances in treatments for global scourges such as cancer and Aids. Yet Alzheimer’s remains stubbornly intractable. It was first identified in 1906, but we still don’t know exactly what causes it. Instead of cures, the past quarter of a century has brought false dawns. In 1986, scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York claimed to have identified a protein, christened Alz-50, that caused the condition. They hailed it as the key to defeating the disease. They were sadly wrong. The same year, scientists at Toronto University pumped artificial chemical transmitters into the brains of 100 dementia patients to act as a mind-restoring “pacemaker”. It didn’t work.

On top of false hopes, we have had decades of groundless scares, most notoriously the belief in the 1990s that cooking with aluminium pans caused Alzheimer’s. This boosted the fortunes of scrap dealers and cookware stores, but saved no lives. Yet still we get false reassurance from regular “medical breakthrough” stories promising treatments that are only on the drawing board.

Nevertheless, we can do much to reduce our risk of Alzheimer’s and other common forms of dementia, explains Dr Corbett, the Alzheimer’s Society’s research communications manager. You can’t buy the answer, but you can be it — because all the evidence shows that adopting healthy habits in diet and exercise can work wonders.

The lesson is straightforward: your brain is the most complex piece of thinking equipment in the known Universe. Your body is its life-support system. The human brain is a very hungry piece of kit. While it constitutes only about 2 per cent of your body’s mass, it uses more than a fifth of its energy production. Efficient supply and maintenance are vital. If your physical health declines, your brain is in serious danger of following suit.

“This is why preventing dementia is all about everyday healthy living,” explains Dr Corbett. “We have strong evidence for what medical conditions increase your risk. They are high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, high cholesterol and depression. If you have these from midlife onwards you are at higher risk of dementia.”

Not only are high blood pressure and high cholesterol risk factors in themselves, they also significantly raise a person’s odds of suffering a stroke. One person in three who has a stroke will go on to develop dementia, she explains. “We are not entirely sure of the link yet, but the evidence is strong that if you prevent stroke, then you should prevent dementia.”

Diabetes is also strongly associated with dementia. “There may be good reasons for this,” Dr Corbett says. “People who develop type 2 diabetes in midlife are more likely to be overweight, to smoke or have an unhealthy lifestyle. There is also evidence that insulin plays a role in dementia. We are not sure exactly how yet, but it regulates chemical pathways in the brain that keep brain cells healthy. The important message with diabetes is that it is diagnosed early and treated well.

“If you can prevent those physical problems, you stand a very good chance of preventing dementia,” she adds. After all, genetics are responsible for only about a quarter of Alzheimer’s cases. The other major risk factor is clinical depression. This may precipitate chemical changes in the brain that are similar to those seen in dementia. “On top of this, people who are depressed may have lifestyles that are unhealthy and socially isolated,” says Dr Corbett.

Worryingly, Department of Health figures predict that cases of depression, diabetes and stroke will soar. For example, over the next 40 years, incidences of Alzheimer’s are expected to triple, according to a recent report in the journal Lancet Neurology.

A great deal of this could be prevented through simple and easy changes in habit. Just taking a little more exercise could make a huge difference for millions of people.

“More than 13 studies show that exercise can reduce risk by up to 45 per cent,” says Dr Corbett. “Evidence shows that the exercise does not have to be strenuous to have this benefit: it can involve active walking for around 30 minutes a day. The exercise just has to raise the heartbeat by a little.”

Adopting healthy eating habits can also significantly reduce the risk of dementia. The evidence from a range of studies indicates that Mediterranean-style diets work best because they are low in fat and salt and high in oily fish. And there is good news where drinks are concerned. “While we hesitate to say this, the evidence for alcohol reducing risk is good,” says Dr Corbett.

“The conclusion from 15 separate studies shows that moderate drinking (with the emphasis on moderate) may cut your dementia risk by around 25 per cent. There is a similar sort of rationale about caffeine in green tea and coffee, when drunk in moderate amounts.”

Enjoying your drinks in good company seems important, too. Evidence shows that being socially active may lower your risk of dementia. This is particularly true of people (men especially) after they retire, where they are at risk of becoming less engaged with others.

Similarly, in midlife, making friends with your GP is a good idea. High blood pressure and high cholesterol are strong risk factors particularly for vascular dementia, the second most common form after Alzheimer’s, so people are urged to have regular check ups both in the surgery and where possible by regular home monitoring. Getting a routine test for homocysteine levels in your blood can also make a real difference. Raised levels of this amino acid have been linked with loss of brain volume and dementia. But in a study last year, Professor Celeste de Jager, of Oxford University, found that taking vitamin B supplements can lower the danger significantly. In older people with high homocysteine, taking the supplement daily reduced their brain shrinkage by four fifths. The people taking extra B vitamins also did better in memory tests.

Some much-touted preventatives are, however, only myths. Beware any claim about a single food, says Dr Corbett. Only last year, an important report in the Journal of the American Medical Association punctured the idea that ginkgo biloba is a brain-saver. The study of more than 3,000 adults found that it made no difference at all.

Likewise, expensive computerised “brain-training games” have failed to prove any medical benefit. Studies show that you may get better at playing the games, but the benefits go no farther. It is the same with crosswords and Su Doku. They should be enjoyed for themselves, rather than taken as a substitute for a healthy diet and exercise.

For Dr Corbett, the most important message to put across is that preventing dementia involves doing things a little, and early. “It’s not too late to change your habits by the time you’re 50, but we are finding that early in midlife — in your forties — is the really critical time. That is when lifestyle-related risks begin to increase significantly.”

There is little point waiting instead for the medical cavalry to come charging over the horizon with a wonder cure. There won’t be one coming any time soon, sadly. Worse, the sector is under-financed, thanks perhaps to the condition’s “unsexy” image as an illness. “Research into dementia is largely under-invested,” says Dr Corbett. “Cancer research gets about eight times as much funding.

We need far more clinical trials and more potential treatments being developed.

“There are some interesting new approaches. But on average, out of every ten potential treatments to enter clinical trials, only one will come through the process and be approved for use on patients. There are only three treatments in the penultimate stage of clinical trials at the moment. By the law of numbers, that is not very promising.”

Instead, it remains for all of us as individuals to take responsibility to reduce our own risk. But can that really be so bad? It just means making small changes in ways that stave off a whole gamut of dismally debilitating illnesses — and which can only give us a better quality of life all round.

New research on effects of statins

Statins, the drugs designed to prevent high blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes, are also effective in battling respiratory illness and other infections, research suggests.

Scientists at Imperial College London found that patients who took the drugs in a trial that ended in 2003 are faring better than those who took a placebo, even though most participants from both groups have been taking statins since.

The biggest difference between the groups eight years on is that patients who have taken statins for longer are less susceptible to lung infections such as pneumonia. The overall death rate since the trial began is 14 per cent lower in the group who were prescribed statins from the beginning.

Peter Sever, Professor of Clinical Pharmacology at the university, said that more work would be necessary to find out why 460 of the statins group had died compared with 520 in the placebo group. “This result is very unexpected,” he said.

“The benefits of statins for preventing heart attacks and strokes are well-established, but the most significant effects seem to be on deaths from other causes. It’s quite remarkable that there is still this difference between the two groups, eight years after the trial finished.

“Some studies have suggested that statins protect against death from infectious diseases such as pneumonia. More research is needed to explain how these drugs might have unforeseen actions that prevent deaths from other illnesses.”

The latest findings were presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in Paris yesterday and simultaneously published in the European Heart Journal.

In the lipid-lowering arm of the trial, over 10,000 patients in the UK, Ireland and Scandinavia with high blood pressure were randomly allocated either atorvastatin or placebo between 1998 and 2000. In 2003, the trial was stopped early because the statin proved to be highly beneficial in preventing heart attacks and strokes.

Deaths from cardiovascular disease were also lower in the original statin group, but the difference was not statistically significant. There was no difference in deaths from cancer.

The initial results of the trial had a huge influence on guidelines recommending the use of statins for people at risk of heart disease.

Four in one pill for blood pressure control

A daily pill can cut the risk of heart attacks and strokes by more than half, a study has found.

The four-in-one “polypill” contains aspirin, statins to lower cholesterol and two medicines to lower blood pressure, combining elements from separate pills that are already taken by millions of people around the world.

 Doctors have long hoped that a combined tablet would be easier and cheaper for patients, even suggesting it could eventually be taken by everyone over 55. Cardiovascular disease accounts for one in three deaths in Britain.

The first international trial of a polypill tested it on 378 people in Britain, Australia, Brazil, India, New Zealand, the Netherlands and the US. All had a more than 7.5 per cent risk of developing heart disease within five years, but none had previously been prescribed any of the polypill components. After 12 weeks, there had been “sizeable reductions” in cholesterol and blood pressure, researchers report in the journal Public Library of Science One.

“The results show a halving in heart disease and stroke can be expected for people taking this polypill long term,” said Anthony Rodgers of the George Institute for Global Health, who led the consortium. “We know from other trials that, long term, there would also be a 25 to 50 per cent lower death rate from colon cancer, plus reductions in other major cancers, heart failure and renal failure.”

The Red Heart Pill used in the trial is likely to be available in India within a few years, costing a few pounds a month, though it may cost more in wealthier countries.

Ted Bianco, Director of Technology Transfer at the Wellcome Trust, which helped to fund the study, said: “Few of us would dissent from the view that prevention is better than cure in most matters medical. It is good news, indeed, to see the evidence base grow for the potential use of a new generation of combination products as a safe and affordable option in the battle against heart attack and stroke.”

Couples seek counselling because one has become obsessed with exercise

Having just watched the impressive film of the desert challenge for Comic Relief and as thousands train for the London Marathon in April with the hopes of acheiving personal triumph, improved cardiovascular health and of couse as a way to donate to charity it is interesting to read that:

Extreme exercise can jeopardise relationships

According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, increasing numbers of couples in America are seeking counselling because one partner has become obsessed with exercise, leaving the other as a workout widow or widower. British experts say that the trend is just as evident here. With record numbers of mid-life converts, aged 30-45, being drawn to extreme endurance events, such as marathons and triathlons, long-term relationships are being intruded upon more than ever before by exercise and the training partnerships it entails.

“Oh yes, I’ve come across the marathon effect,” Christine Northam, a counsellor for Relate, says. “What is an amazing personal goal to one individual has the potential to wreak havoc in a relationship.”

It’s not difficult to see why; training for a marathon consumes your life. Stuart Holliday, an exercise psychologist and running coach, says: “The average [runner] needs to cover 30-55 miles a week for four months to prepare adequately for a marathon, so it’s not surprising he or she sees less of any partner.”

During the months of preparation, every minute of spare time and every ounce of excess energy are gobbled up either doing the activity or thinking about it and preparing for it.

You take over the kitchen with your immune boosting supplements and isotonic drink powders. You talk about running all the time with endless monologues about mileage and muscle pain, shin splints and speed sessions, oblivious to the rolling eyes of your partner.

You become engrossed in running magazines and training schedules and speak in alien, athletic terminology. And you are permanently knackered, too tired to socialise past 9 o’clock and too exhausted for sex much of the time.

For the workout widower, the regime is equally draining, albeit for different reasons. Left at home, he can wake to an empty pillow beside him, his partner having left for an early morning session before work. The demands of the training schedule can accentuate niggles about who does the housework, takes the kids to Brownies or goes shopping. Its effects can creep into every aspect of daily life, with family meals being cooked to accommodate a daily run, and conversation dwindling to a halt every evening as intense exercise takes its toll.

“Often the non-exercising partner feels neglected simply because his or her partner is devoting so much time and energy to this chosen activity,” Northam says. “But if the exercising partner is also the kind of person who becomes incredibly focused and goal-orientated, blocking out everything else in the process, then it is a real cause for concern.”

It’s not just a lack of time together that can begin to cause cracks in a relationship. Intense feelings of insecurity, even jealousy, can arise when one partner not only gets a more toned body, but a boosted social life and heightened self-confidence.

Jane, a runner from Berkshire, was a vehement anti-exerciser until, at the age of 49, a friend dragged her out for a jog around the local park. She has now joined a running club, takes part in 10km races and half-marathons, and says that the sport has provided an entirely new circle of friends.

“Two years ago I was pre-menopausal, putting on weight and looked puffy and pear shaped,” she says. “I’ve lost two stone and I am the weight I was when I was 20. My husband loves it, but he’s also very wary about the new me. I’ve thrown myself into an activity that he can’t relate to and while my confidence has grown I can just sense that he feels he is losing me slightly.”

There are no statistics for the effect of extreme training on separation or divorce, although the correlation is almost certainly getting stronger as more people devote more time to working out. You can lessen the blow, Holliday says, by discussing your goal before you start training for it.

“Schedule in time for your partner when you plan your training,” he says. “Make sure he or she is as involved as they want to be and that they feel needed.”

It could be, of course, that participating in a marathon or triathlon is a consequence, rather than the cause of a troubled relationship. “I trained for my first marathon with my then girlfriend of two years and we broke up before the race,” Holliday says. “It provided some sort of clarity.”

Blueberries Lower Blood Pressure and Risk of Heart Disease

(Article first published as A Handful of Berries Each Day Lowers Blood Pressure and Risk of Heart Disease on Technorati.)

Bioactive compounds found in the full spectrum of berries, and especially blueberries are shown to lower blood pressure and prevent hypertension, according to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The results provide fresh proof that this great tasting source of beneficial phytonutrients can lower the risk associated with a heart attack.

“Our findings are exciting and suggest that an achievable dietary intake of anthocyanins may contribute to the prevention of hypertension,” said lead author Professor Aedin Cassidy of the Department of Nutrition at the University of East Anglia's Medical School. Approximately one-quarter of all adults worldwide and as many as one in three Americans suffer from hypertension, a leading cause of heart disease and death from a heart attack.

Anthocyanins in Berries Reduce Risk of Hypertension

The team of scientists followed nearly 200,000 men and women over a period of 14 years and assessed their intake of flavonoids from a variety of natural foods including apples, orange juice, blueberries, red wine, and strawberries. They found that the group consuming the highest amount of anthocyanins (found mainly in blueberries and strawberries in the US) were 8% less likely to develop hypertension over the period of the study.

A more in-depth analysis showed that consumption of blueberries in particular conveyed the highest degree of protection against developing high blood pressure with a 10% lower incidence for those eating the fruit once a week. Dr. Cassidy noted "Our findings are exciting and suggest that an achievable dietary intake of anthocyanins may contribute to the prevention of hypertension". Hypertension is a leading risk factor for heart attack, and this finding could translate to a significant reduction in the number of people suffering a cardiovascular event.

A Daily Dose of Berries Can Prevent Heart Disease, Stroke and Dementia

Nutrition researchers will now begin to identify the different sources of anthocyanins as well as the ideal dose necessary to prevent hypertension. Most berry varieties are packed with flavonoids and anthocyanins that have been shown to lower the risk of chronic illness from heart disease, stroke, diabetes and premature brain aging.

Extensive scientific studies now exist showing how berry consumption, and especially blueberries help to prevent diseases of the brain that result in cognitive decline and dementia. The special compounds that give berries their deep purple and reddish colors are able to cross into the brain where they exert a powerful effect to thwart functional decline.

We now have evidence that berry consumption can prevent hypertension and lower heart attack risk. Until exact standards are developed, nutrition experts advise eating one-half to a full cup of berries several times a week to protect the heart and the brain.

Happiness is a Healthy Heart - Video How to Keep A Heart Healthy

A popular New Year's resolutions is to get fit which means maintaining a healthy heart.

Video How to Keep A Heart Healthy

In this Video How to Keep A Heart Healthy we offer five ways to keep your heart strong and healthy.

Ways to keep the heart in good condition.

Read labels. Doctors say look at what you are eating, especially when it comes to trans fats.

A healthy heart means healthy arteries, and healthy blood pressure. When arteries become clogged from cholesterol and fat, they shut off blood flow that's needed to keep the body running and the heart pumping. When blood pressure is high, it can weaken the heart and other organs.

And, try a little laughter.

Researchers still say that laughter can sometimes be the best medicine, especially for your cardiovascular system.

music can have similar effects as laughter some researchers have found. Listening to your favorite music opens up your blood vessels, in the same way laughter can some studies have shown.

Exercise of course. A brisk daily walk of at least half an hour can also make a big difference to your heart's health.

Keep in touch with friends. Some doctors say their studies have shown that being socially active reduces of stress, and losing stress can reduce your risk of heart disease.

High Fat and Ecessive Salt in Children's Hosptial meals

Children's hospital meals 'too salty and fatty'

A recent Survey by the Food Standards Authority revealed that half of meals served by NHS hospitals contravene standards for healthy diets for school meals.

A high proportion of children's hospital meals tested poorly for saturated fat and or unecessarily high salt content.

Almost half of meals served in hospital to children have too much fat and contain excessive amounts of salt.

A report by the Consensus Action on Salt and Health (Cash) and campaign group aworrying number of child hospital meals to be too unhealthy and unlikely to be served in schools because they exceeded salt and fat limits introduced in 2008.

A third of all 451 meals tested would be classified as “red” for saturated fat or salt, according to the Food Standards Agency’s traffic light labelling scheme, meaning they should be eaten in smaller amounts or infrequently.

Cash wants the government to create nutritional guidelines for hospital food. The Department of Health said it was concerned by the group’s report, which found a chicken tikka masala and rice served in a hospital contained 14 times more salt (2.2g) and 8.5 times more saturated fat (6g) than a chicken and vegetable balti with rice in a school dinner.

Professor Graham McGregor the chairman of Cash, said: “With everything we know about the risk of children developing high blood pressure and diet-related diseases such as obesity, it is vital to keep their consumption of salt and saturated fat as low as possible, while still being appetising.”

A Department of Health spokesman said: “We recognise the importance of good quality food for patients of all ages, both in terms of improving their health and in relation to their overall experience of services.

“Tools are available to support caterers in assessing the nutritional content of meals.”

Is it better to eat standing up?

On the positive side you may burn more calories but you could also end up snacking your way through more food

The boss has decided not to sit down at work. His desk has been raised so that he can type standing up and he also likes to eat while standing. Now he is encouraging us to do the same, arguing that sitting down is not good for the digestion. Is this true?
 

This is an “interesting one”. From a political point of view, you clearly can’t go bowling in to tell your boss that you think he’s nuts. Saying that, there may be some health advantages that are worth considering.
The main one is that standing up all day — versus sitting down — means that you burn more calories. If a 9st 7lb woman sits for eight hours she will burn around 510 calories. If she were to stand for the same amount of time, she would burn something like 1,085. There is also evidence that sitting down for long periods may increase your risk, if already prone, of developing deep vein thrombosis.


I can’t find any convincing evidence that standing up is better for your digestion, although Jeya Henry, Professor of Nutrition at Oxford Brookes University, says that diet-induced thermogenesis may increase if a person stands while eating. In simple terms, this means that the natural phenomenon, whereby more calories are burnt after you eat, rises farther.

But there are disadvantages, too. One is that it encourages people to eat more, for example, if they are cooking and absentmindedly picking at ingredients or hoovering up leftovers while clearing the table. Even worse, we are less likely to remember eating these extra titbits. Of course, given that lots of people graze all day at their desks from charity snack machines to fully loaded christmas gift hampers, this argument probably doesn’t hold much water in a work environment.

Another concern about standing and eating while working is that it implies you will be spending all day at your desk. Again, I know a lot of people do this while seated, but it is better for your general well-being to take a break away from the office at lunchtime — whether standing or sitting — and to eat in a different environment. Doing this could produce more digestive juices, making you less prone to indigestion. It also encourages you to eat more slowly, which in turn can help you to eat less.

Taking this farther, it is a good rule not to allow any food at your desk. If you want a snack, leave your work station — you are more likely to remember it and account for it in your mental calorie count for the day.
Ultimately, perhaps the solution lies in doing a bit of both. In the World Health Organisation’s offices in Copenhagen, staff apparently have adjustable desks that have a lever at the side and can be raised to allow you to stand and work, and lowered again to sit when you need a break.

Given that most offices in the UK probably won’t invest in this kind of office furniture because more staff are keen to have more home like furniture, perhaps the best way forward is to improvise.

Here’s one: stand while making phone calls. That should burn a few calories.

Salt in Restaurant Food

Hypertension - all the medical data has for years, pointed to salt, being overweight and stress contributing to high blood pressure.

The doctors lay this on you, usually during a high stress office visit, in a medical environment, while the GP has a white coat on. It is astounding to discover the amount of people who are on drugs for hypertension, prescribed during the office visit, or worse yet, during a physical. A good suggestions is track the blood pressure readings over time, and see if you can help to control it. Salt and sugar are everywhere, and almost impossible to measure, unless you pour either, yourself.

Restaurants thrive on salt so people enjoy the food. No-one has any idea what or how much salt is added.

Salt is a major issue and a defininte problem for everyone. Everyone today could stand with a significant reduction in both their salt and their sugar content.

The restaurants today are amongst the biggest offenders.

Life Without Coffee

From an ex-coffee addict:

I used to feel dull and tired every morning, and I woke up with a strong craving for coffee. Then I stopped drinking coffee entirely. It was difficult for a few days, but then the feeling of tiredness in the morning and the desire for coffee just went away. Now I wake up feeling alert, and with no desire at all for coffee.

So my experience backs up this research. Fatigue in the morning is actually a result of coffee addiction. Coffee is counterproductive to alertness in the long run. It gives you a short boost, but then alertness falls lower than before.Fortunately, it's possible to break the addiction in a few days with a little will power.

Related articles

• Regular Coffee Drinkers May Not Feel Boosting Effects Of Caffeine (medicalnewstoday.com)

White Coat Effect on Blood Pressure Readings

What is the "white coat effect"?

... Many people find their blood pressure rises when it is being measured in the presence of a [nurse or] doctor (with or without white coat) and this has cast doubt on the accuracy of these readings.'

Especially an attractive one! (As was pointed out by a colleague a couple of years ago when I had rather unexpectedly high blood pressure readings.)

More about the white coat effect here

More seriously, when is culinary salt going to be taxed - to help discourage its use? And perhaps food itself should be taxed more highly if it contains a lot of salt.

Other areas of concern include food labelling where excessive salt is disguised by not publishing the salt content, and only giving the (far lower) sodium content: I was horrified to find that a jar of Patak's Mango Pickle contains 4.4% sodium, which is equivalent to 10.6% salt! Wake up FSA!!!

Healthy Eating And Food Preservation

Eating's a necessity, not an ideological statement or a fashion statement. The rise of food preservation technology coincided with the Allies winning the Second World War (fed with tinned food) then getting postwar fat (fed with tinned food) and losing the undeclared ongoing commerce war with lean and hungry Asians, Africans, Indians. Building 'burger palaces in the USA's competing nations, then expecting the locals to follow our example and become overfed and sedentary was the subtext of the Reagan administration.

What food is good for you and what is going to kill you seems to change weekly. Last week a Subway sub was best, but now its bad because its made with lunch meat. But now head back to McDonalds. That Quarter Pounder with cheese has 1190 mg sodium, whereby a 6" Blackforest Ham with cheese has 1295 mg. Not a whole lot different actually.

The fact of the matter is BOTH have WAY to much sodium. If its not salty enough I know how to fix that easily, but its sure hard to take out the sodium if I don't want it. Even the rolls have over 400mg sodium which is crazy.

Hulacize For Heath Hula Hoops Are Back

Hurah for Hula Hoops - no no the salty processed potato snack but the hip swinging hoop that has been a popular playground toy for many years.

Hulacize for Health

Now adults are joining in the craze - spinning and gyrating during demanding cardiovascular exercise - great for the lungs and heart - hula hoops are back.

It has been well reported that fitness exercises show an improvement in blood pressure readings - so for the price of a coffee and cake you can have your own hoop and start to hula hula for your heart and see your readings change

Burj Tower Dubai Flights Heart Racing Jump

This incredible stunt performed from the newly opened Burj Tower in Dubai is enough to set the heart racing just watching it. Imagine the strain put upon the base jumpers cardiovascular system - not least gettng to the very top of the world's tallest building but then leaping out to freefall back to the ground.

Security at the tower has been stepped up to prevent further attempts of this adrenaline rush - but with the ever increasing numnber of flights to dubai it is expected that a mass jump from the Dubai tower will be inevitable soon.

Women Shopping and Blood Pressure

In the Mood - Checking out Fashion, Living and Blood Pressure

A recent programme on LivingTV suggested that what you wear not only affects your mood and confidence which is common knowledge but in turn those effects are beneficial to general health.

This may be the answer to why shopping for some women is an addiction - in the same way people become dependent on exercise for the feel good factor of endorphine release.

Lingerie and Dresses

Shopping - especially clothes shopping can be a double edge sword though.

Lingerie

Lingerie can set the heart racing - the elation of finding boutique lingerie shops offering stylish underwear that looks fabulous on the lingerie manequin can easily turn to disappointment when the outfit is unwrapped and worn back home.

Dresses

Dresses too can be a source of terrible frustration - with bulges and creases in all the wrong places - the pressure builds to find the perfect fit. Fitting room lighting and mirrors have long been known to enhance the appearance of dresses and ladies outfits. However when the dress is revealed in natual light the shadow effect can be deeply dis-dressing.

Shoes

The ultimate shopping rush for many women - footwear fashion has been likened to addictive chemicals - the need for new heals knows no bounds.

Boost Your Health Get Winter Sunshine on Holiday in Spain

Sunny Spain - Winter Holidays in Andalucia

The Costa del Sol is traditionally a destination for family holidays in summer but the surrounding region is becoming of interest for those looking for a break from the grey skies of winter in the UK and at the same time benefiting their health.

Low season travellers are finding it easy and affordable to bask in pleasantly warm sunshine in Andulaucia, Spain and visit some of the regions fascinating towns and cities. Most regional airports run scheduled flights to Malaga and there are many cheap package holidays deals to the region especially at this time of year its easy to see why more and more holidaymakers are choosing to pack their bags.

So cheap are the deals that canny travellers are taking advantage of cheap flights combined with hotel accomodation on the Costa del Sol along with cheap car rental to explore the wider region of Andalucia including , Jerez, Corbobra, Seville and Granada all which benefit from year round sunshine.

Year Round Sunshine - Relaxing and Lowering Blood Pressure

The easy car blog offers the following sunshine information on its car hire Malaga page:

Boasting around 300 days of sunshine every year, flying to Malaga, the gateway to the Costa del Sol in southern Spain, is the ideal choice for a lazy beach holiday or tour of Andalucia at any time of the year!

Car hire Spain Getting Around Andulucia

Andalucia is adequately served by public transport although many bus services require an early start which can mean missing your hotel breakfast if taking advantage of the package deals on the Costa del Sol. A frequent inexpensive train runs along the Costa del Sol from Feungirola to Malaga. Buses run out of Malaga to Granada and Cordobra and there is an excellent rail connection between Jerez, Seville and Malaga. Alternatively you can take advantage of the massive over supply of cars during the low season prices are especially competative which makes considering renting a car to allow more freedom to explore the region at your own relaxed pace and car parking is easier too!

If you are planning to go on holiday this winter please read out blood pressure and travel article

Healthy Christmas Snacks

Healthy Christmas

Following on from the illuminating suggestions about healthy alternatives for a healthy Christmas dinner here we offer our seasonal ideas for healthy festive snacks

Did you know?

• There are almost 6g of fat in a single 37ml shot of Bailey's Irish Cream?
• Two cans of Stella Artois contain 442 calories (the same as 1.5 Mars bars)?
• Just one segment of a Terry's Chocolate Orange has 46 calories and 2.5g of fat?

Instead of: Dry-roasted or salted peanuts

Why not: Brazil nuts, peanuts and walnuts in their shells. There's no added salt and trying to open them will give you a work out too!

Instead of: Closed shop-bought mince pies with cream or sugar

Why not: Open-topped home-baked mince pies (less sugar and calories) with apple slices or clementine pie.

Instead of fun food why not no-fun food?

Keep your powder dry and your blood pressure low - seasons greetings!

Chips for Health | Chip on Shoulder

Got High Blood Pressure?

try a chip on your shoulder?

We may literally have to shoulder the responsibility of taking our medicines in the future. Pharmaceutical company Novartis has found a microchip on the shoulder may be the perfect way to remind people with high blood pressure to take their pills.

Researchers trialled the system on 20 people who were taking blood pressure tablets. Each person put a microchip patch on their shoulders, and tablets also contained a tiny edible microchip of their own. The chips in the tablets told the shoulder chips when they had been taken.

When a person forgot to take their tablet, the shoulder chip sent a text message to their mobile phone - including the latest pay as you go phones - to remind them that their next one was due.

Over the six-month trial 80 per cent of people remembered to take their tablet every day, compared with 30 per cent before the trial started.