Risks of hypertension, rewards of healthy living

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is one of the leading contributors to Americans developing heart disease, heart attack and stroke. Today, 74 million Americans suffer from hypertension, including an astounding 50 percent of Alaska Native and American Indian elders (age 55 and older). Although this can be a deadly disease, hypertension can be detected and treated with your awareness and the help of your doctor.

May is National Hypertension Awareness Month and a perfect time to learn more about high blood pressure. By finding out if you are at risk for developing high blood pressure and understanding the things you can do to keep your blood pressure controlled, you can help prevent some of the disease's devastating consequences.

Hypertension is a commonly misunderstood disease. Many of us may think that only people who are stressed out or anxious get high blood pressure. But in fact any of us, even if we are extremely calm and relaxed, are at risk for developing high blood pressure. Some people are at increased risk of developing high blood pressure due to their age, gender, race, lifestyle or even genetics. If you are over 50 years old, overweight, smoke, have diabetes, or drink alcohol, you may be at increased risk.

Blood pressure is a measurement of the amount of pressure pushing on the walls of your blood vessels or arteries. It's measured using two numbers: a systolic pressure, the top number, and a diastolic pressure, the bottom number. For example, you might be told at the doctor's office that you have a blood pressure of "130/80." The top number (systolic) tells you the amount of pressure on the vessels while your heart is actively pumping blood. The bottom number (diastolic) tells you the amount of pressure on the walls while your heart is relaxed.

Both numbers are important, and if elevated can signal a sign of trouble. An ideal blood pressure is 120/80, but it's important to discuss with your doctor a specific blood pressure goal for you and to find out what you can do to decrease your risk of developing or worsening your high blood pressure.

What signs or symptoms should you look out for to indicate that you have high blood pressure? There are none! Although with severely elevated blood pressure, or hypertensive crisis, you may experience vision changes, headache, and bloody nose, with most cases of high blood pressure there are no symptoms. Hypertension does the damage to your body and organs silently and you may not know there's a problem until it's too late.

The damage to your heart, lungs, kidneys, blood vessels, and brain can happen slowly or suddenly, and lead to permanent injury, disability, and even death. If untreated, even mildly elevated blood pressure can lead to these terrible consequences. This makes it important to identify high blood pressure early in its course, begin treatment and make lifestyle changes as soon as it is identified.

With your doctor's help and your own commitment, you can get control of your blood pressure. By checking your blood pressure regularly, being active, watching what you eat (low salt/low calorie diet), quitting smoking and limiting alcohol consumption, you can decrease your risk of serious outcomes.

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Healthy living secret of the century: Eat less

A big barrier to better health (and based on current obesity statistics 66 percent of us have it) is we are carrying too much weight. The effects of that extra weight reverberate throughout our body. Fat is not some dormant blob of goo just hanging out. It is participatory hormonally (with all its domino effects), impacts the health of our joints, can restrict range of motion, and can contribute to depression (body image, neurochemicals, etc.). That fat doesn't just keep you out of your skinny jeans. It deteriorates your health and quality of your life.

Losing excess weight should be at the top of our health lists, not weird fitness-gadgets or insane workout regimens. The best way to do it is to, yes, eat less. Do not fear starvation mode. Do not fear wrong food this or right food that. Don't complicate it by overanalyzing six small meals or three big ones. Just eat less. We can have a lengthier discussion another time on how much less, but for now just strive for less than your current intake. Less!

Make dinner and eat half of it. Order a muffin, pull part of it off and chunk the rest. Latte? Pour some out. Get a handful of chips and put the bag back. Candy bar? Split if with a friend. That's it. Less!

No time to get healthy? I'm saving you time. You will spend less time chewing.

No money to get healthy? I'm saving you money. You will spend less money on food.

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Simple Rules for a Great Night's Sleep

Having a great night's sleep is precious, especially when you have daily responsibilities with kids and/or work.

Maximizing your bedtime hours is key. Here are a few easy-to-follow tips published by Self Magazine. Remember that your sleep should be part of your top priorities. It allows you to be sharp in the morning, and ready for all other activities!

"Here's what to do before you actually turn off the lights:

6 Hours Before Bed..Cut out caffeine. Even if you don't get a big rush from caffeine the same way others do, it's best to skip that post-dinner espresso if you have to be up early (and alert) tomorrow.

4-6 Hours Before Bed...
No more alcohol!"Alcohol is a sedative and we often think that this will help us fall asleep, however, in the middle of the night, we begin to withdraw from alcohol and this can interrupt sleep," says Undevia.

2-3 Hours Before Bed...
No more exercise. Exercise stimulates us and can make it harder to fall asleep. Your blood is pumping, your heart rate is up and your body is generally in "go" mode rather than "slow" mode.

1-2 Hours Before Bed...
Have a glass of warm milk an hour before bed (the tryptophan is relaxing), then cut off fluids.
Turn off your BlackBerry and computer -- at this point, looking at work-related emails is counterproductive. You're too tired to do much about them, but they will amp up your brain and keep you wired.
Take a warm bath.

30 Minutes Before Bed...
Do something calming: Read a book, listen to music, meditate or simply get in bed and breathe deeply, or practice progressive muscle relaxation (contract your muscles, head to toe, then slowly relax them).

At Bedtime...
Adjust thermostat to 68 to 74 degrees, and turn off the lights and TV. Darkness triggers the release of melatonin, the hormone that induces sleep. Even if your eyes are closed, light from a TV screen or computer monitor gets through, so it's best to power off your computer completely if it's in your bedroom. If it's impossible to make your room completely dark, invest in an eye cover.

Can't fall asleep? If, after 30 minutes, you're still awake, don't stay in bed. Move to another room and engage in a relaxing activity (reading, listening to music, meditating) then return to bed. If you're still amped up, write down your thoughts, which can help quiet whatever is bouncing around in your brain."


Sources: Shine and Self

Chemical Linked to Higher Cholesterol in Children

Children and teens exposed to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), the chemical used to make many non-stick and stain-proof coatings, have elevated cholesterol levels, reports a landmark study by West Virginia University researchers.
Their findings were published in this month’s edition of the peer-reviewed journal Archive of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
This research, involving 12,476 participants 1-to-18 years old, found a link between body burden levels of PFOA and serum lipid levels, an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease, metabolic problems and other long-term health consequences.

Source: EWG

New Heart Rate Goals for Women who Exercise

For most of us who exercise on a regular basis, a new big change has been released by the Northwestern Medicine in Chicago regarding targeted heart rate for women.
The typical goal is to stay within 65 to 85 percent of the estimated maximum heart rate, depending on whether we are trying to build aerobic capacity or increase endurance.
But the new study shows that for women, the number typically derived from the standard formula is far off the mark. Using the old formula of 220 minus age, a 40-year-old woman would achieve an average maximum heart rate of 180 beats per minute. That means her pulse should stay around 153 beats per minute during her workout to achieve a target heart rate of 85 percent.
Based on the new calculation, the same woman’s average maximum heart rate is 171 beats per minute, meaning her desired target heart rate is just 145 beats per minute, 8 beats a minute slower than under the old formula. Although the gap seems small on paper, it can be the difference between an exhilarating workout or a frustrating one that ends in exhaustion!

 Source: NYTimes, Northwestern Medicine