Nearly one in five Americans with high blood pressure use medications that can cause blood pressure to spike, a preliminary study shows. The researchers said the findings are concerning, given how many people have difficulty controlling their high blood pressure. “A large number of Americans are not meeting their blood pressure goals,” said lead researcher… read on > read on >
FRIDAY, May 7, 2021 (American Heart Association News) — When 81-year-old Dick Connery had back surgery in 2019, his son Tim Connery became his primary caregiver. Tim moved in temporarily, ran errands and kept his dad company. Then, Tim said, “in the blink of an eye, things changed.” One morning, about three weeks after Dick’s… read on > read on >
FRIDAY, May 7, 2021 (American Heart Association News) — Barbara Stopfer hasn’t had much of a social life since her husband died six years ago. She stopped seeing coworkers, too, after her heart condition required her to cut back her hours and work remotely. But the 79-year-old stayed connected to people at her residential community… read on > read on >
Air pollution isn’t hard on the hearts of adults only, suggests a new analysis that found it can raise blood pressure in kids as young as 5. Children experienced increases in blood pressure if they had short-term exposure to air polluted with coarser particles or long-term exposure to finer airborne particles, and that also happened… read on > read on >
Chronic kidney disease may carry an increased risk of dementia, according to a Swedish study. In people with chronic kidney disease, the bean-shaped organs gradually lose their ability to filter waste from the blood and eliminate fluids. “Even a mild reduction in kidney function has been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and… read on > read on >
Poor mental health after a heart attack may increase young and middle-aged adults’ risk of another heart attack or death a few years later, a new study suggests. The study included 283 heart attack survivors, aged 18 to 61 with an average age of 51, who completed questionnaires that assessed depression, anxiety, anger, stress and… read on > read on >
A bit of booze may help protect your heart by reducing stress-related brain activity, a new study suggests. “The thought is that moderate amounts of alcohol may have effects on the brain that can help you relax, reduce stress levels and, perhaps through these mechanisms, lower the incidence of cardiovascular disease,” said lead author Dr.… read on > read on >
Many American workers remain in jobs they’d rather leave — simply because they don’t want to lose their health insurance, a new Gallup poll reveals. That’s the situation for 16% of respondents in a nationwide poll of more than 3,800 adults conducted March 15-21. The fear is strongest among Black workers. Pollsters found they are… read on > read on >
That growling dog may actually be terrified of you. Fear and age-related pain are among the reasons why dogs are aggressive toward people, a new study suggests. The findings could help two-legged folks better understand and prevent aggressive behavior, such as growling, barking, snapping and biting, according to Finnish researchers. “Dogs’ fearfulness had a strong… read on > read on >
Survivors of the intensive care unit (ICU) have a higher risk of self-harm and suicide after discharge than other hospital patients, a Canadian study shows. Researchers compared the health records of 423,000 ICU survivors in the province of Ontario with those of with 3 million patients who were hospitalized but not in intensive care between… read on > read on >
