Tag Archives: hypertension

Study: High blood pressure in your 30s
may mean poorer brain health in your 70s

blood pressure

Photo by Thirdman via Pexels

Are hypertension and blood pressure changes in early adulthood associated with late-life brain health? According to a new study from UC Davis, the answer is yes, especially for men.

Many younger adults may pay little attention to issues like blood pressure, but it’s a good opportunity for journalists to remind their audience that heart health matters at every age. 

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New tip sheet helps clear confusion about hypertension

Photo: Bryan Costin via Flickr

If you’re confused about standards for managing hypertension in older adults, you’re not alone. When the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology updated the guidelines in November 2017,  millions of adults suddenly faced a new diagnosis of high blood pressure. Adding to the confusion: some medical organizations disagreed with the revisions, opting instead to manage their older patients according to prior standards. Continue reading

New year might see more people treating high blood pressure through nutrition

Photo: Amanda Mills/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

It’s a new year so, of course, the time is right to try a new diet. One approach that’s been consistently ranked as best for heart health and for healthy eating is the DASH diet. It’s a plan with particular relevance for older adults, who have the highest prevalence of hypertension in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Untreated hypertension can lead to stroke, kidney damage, heart disease and other serious conditions. Of course whether you’re examining rankings for diets, hospitals, or nursing homes, criteria and standards vary from publication to publication so some skepticism over the term “best” may be appropriate. Continue reading

Why reporters should check the data in a ‘brief’

A recent data brief from the National Center for Health Statistics reported a 23 percent increase in the age-adjusted hypertension-related death rate from 2000 to 2013. In that same period, the rate for all other causes of death combined decreased 21 percent. The report, “Hypertension-related Mortality in the United States, 2000–2013” is part of a series from the Centers for Disease Control on myriad health issues, morbidity and mortality.

Photo: Morgan via Flickr

Photo: Morgan via Flickr

Such reports, while an interesting starting point for a story, can easily be taken out of context and mislead your audience. That’s why building a stable of reliable health care experts to whom you can show the data and quote in your story is important.

The authors of the NCHS brief defined hypertension-related mortality as “any mention of hypertension on the death certificate or as the underlying cause of death.” Continue reading