Blood Pressure
Episodes
In this clip, Dr. Benjamin Levine discusses the best exercises and lifestyle strategies for lowering blood pressure and reversing heart aging.
In this clip, Dr. Peter Attia explains that blood pressure, a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, is responsive to lifestyle modifications.
In this clip, Dr. Axel Montagne explains the damaging effects of chronic high blood pressure on the brain.
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In this clip, Dr. Benjamin Levine discusses the best exercises and lifestyle strategies for lowering blood pressure and reversing heart aging.
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In this clip, Dr. Peter Attia explains that blood pressure, a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, is responsive to lifestyle modifications.
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In this clip, Dr. Axel Montagne explains the damaging effects of chronic high blood pressure on the brain.
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In this clip, Dr. Montagne discusses promising targets for protecting brain vessels to delay Alzheimer's.
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In this clip, Dr. Krauss talks about LDL numbers that are considered high risk.
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In this clip, Dr. Mark Mattson explains the importance of stressing the cardiovascular system with behaviors such as exercise and fasting to maximize health.
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Sometimes a person's clinical biomarkers doesn't accurately reflect how well they are aging, but epigenetic clocks may give a more reliable insight into their aging.
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In this clip, Dr. Rhonda Patrick describes how the physiological effects observed during sauna use are comparable to those that occur during physical exercise.
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In this clip, Dr. Rhonda Patrick describes the effect of sex hormones on immune function.
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Dr. Jari Laukkanen describes some of the mechanisms that drive healthy blood pressure among men who use the sauna regularly.
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Dr. Matthew Walker describes how the different stages of sleep influence emotional and cardiovascular health.
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Heat Stress Alzheimer's Aging Heart Disease Podcast Video Blood Pressure Protein Aerobic CardiovascularDr. Jari Laukkanen discusses the role of heat stress in the prevention of cardiovascular & Alzheimer’s disease.
Topic Pages
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Cold exposure
Cold exposure may be a hormetic stressor that reduces inflammation, activates antioxidant enzymes, and boosts the immune system to protect against age-related diseases.
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Sodium (Salt)
Sodium plays a crucial role in human physiology, yet its consumption remains a topic of ongoing debate in health and nutrition science.
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Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a hormone that plays critical roles in many physiological processes, such as blood pressure regulation, immune function, and cell growth.
News & Publications
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Sex-specific differences in kidney function and related proteins may explain how sodium and potassium intake affect blood pressure differently in men and women. journals.physiology.org
High sodium intake raises blood pressure, while high potassium intake tends to lower it. However, these effects vary between men and women in ways that scientists do not yet fully understand. A recent study found that biological sex differences may influence how sodium and potassium affect blood pressure regulation, with the kidneys playing a crucial role in mediating these responses.
Researchers developed sex-specific computer models that simulate how the body regulates sodium, potassium, fluids, and blood pressure. These models incorporated key systems involved in this process, such as the kidneys, blood vessels, digestive system, and hormones that help manage blood pressure. The simulations accounted for known differences between men and women in kidney function, hormone responses, and nerve activity.
The models revealed that women’s blood pressure rises less than men’s in response to a high-sodium diet. This muted response appears to be due to differences in kidney transporter proteins, which control how the kidneys reabsorb sodium and potassium. However, when potassium intake increased, the models predicted a robust response wherein more potassium and sodium are excreted in urine, resulting in a substantial drop in blood pressure, even when sodium intake remains high.
These findings suggest that women possess a built-in advantage in managing high-sodium intake, likely due to differences at the kidney level. They also support increasing dietary potassium as an effective strategy for lowering blood pressure. Learn more about sodium needs in Aliquot #124: How much sodium do you actually need?
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Strawberry consumption boosts thinking speed and lowers systolic blood pressure by 3% in older adults. www.sciencedirect.com
Cognitive decline and cardiovascular disease often go hand in hand—and both become more common with age. Nutrition plays a key role in protecting brain and heart health, and certain fruits rich in antioxidants may offer targeted benefits. A recent study found that consuming fresh strawberries daily improved cognitive function and lowered systolic blood pressure by an average of 3% in older adults.
Researchers provided 35 healthy adults, ages 60 to 78, a strawberry powder or a placebo each day for eight weeks. Each person tried both options in random order, with a four-week break in between. The strawberry powder, made from freeze-dried fruit, delivered the same nutrients and antioxidants as two cups of fresh strawberries. The researchers measured the participants' cognitive function using standard tests and tracked markers of heart health, including blood pressure, waist size, blood lipids, and antioxidant levels.
The participants' thinking speed improved during the strawberry phase, while episodic memory improved modestly during the placebo phase. After eight weeks of strawberry consumption, systolic blood pressure dropped by an average of 3%, and waist size decreased slightly. Participants' blood antioxidant capacity increased with strawberries but decreased with the placebo. Triglycerides increased during the placebo period but remained stable with strawberries.
The findings from this small study suggest that regular strawberry intake supports brain and heart health in older adults. Strawberries are rich in polyphenols. Learn more about polyphenols in our overview article.
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Your brain may be aging faster than the rest of your body. While some people maintain brain health well into old age, others experience structural decline much earlier. A recent study found that multiple health factors—including hypertension, diabetes, smoking, and low educational attainment—may speed up brain aging, increasing the risk of cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases.
Researchers analyzed brain scans and long-term health data from 964 adults in northern China, monitoring them for 16 years. They used machine learning to estimate brain age based on imaging techniques and compared brain aging among groups with various high-risk health factors. They also focused on people with high blood pressure to see how it affects brain structure.
They found that people with four or five high-risk factors had considerably older-looking brains than those with fewer risks, suggesting that multiple health problems may accelerate brain aging. Hypertension, high blood sugar, elevated creatinine (a feature of metabolic disease), smoking, and lower education were the strongest predictors of brain structure decline. However, hypertension had the strongest link, with hypertensive participants exhibiting more substantial structural deterioration.
These findings suggest maintaining good cardiovascular and metabolic health may help slow brain aging. Hypertension damages the brain’s microvasculature. Learn how exercise preserves these tiny blood vessels, helping to maintain cognitive health.
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A daily dose of coenzyme Q10—100 milligrams or less—reduces blood pressure by about 4mmH systolic and 3mmHG diastolic in people with type 2 diabetes, potentially lowering cardiovascular risk. www.clinicaltherapeutics.com
Most people with type 2 diabetes know they need to manage their blood glucose levels, but many may not realize they are at higher risk for heart disease. One potential option for reducing that risk is coenzyme Q10, a naturally occurring antioxidant. A recent study found that supplementing with coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) helps lower blood pressure in people with type 2 diabetes.
Researchers reviewed data from 16 clinical trials that measured CoQ10 levels in people with type 2 diabetes. They focused on changes in blood pressure and cholesterol levels, comparing those who took the supplement to those who did not.
Their analysis revealed that CoQ10 lowered systolic blood pressure by about 4 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by about 3 mmHg. While it didn’t improve cholesterol levels overall, some subgroup analyses showed better results with lower doses (100 milligrams daily or less) and shorter study durations (less than 12 weeks). Notably, these findings were more pronounced in studies with larger participant groups (more than 50 people) and participants aged 55 or younger.
A reduction of 4 mmHg in systolic blood pressure may seem modest, but even small reductions can lower the risk of heart disease and stroke. For example, a comprehensive analysis found that a 5-mmHg decrease in systolic blood pressure reduced the risk of major cardiovascular events by approximately 10%00590-0/fulltext).
These findings suggest that CoQ10 could be a useful addition to diabetes treatment for managing blood pressure and reducing cardiovascular risk. A common feature of diabetes and cardiovascular disease is inflammation. Learn how to reduce chronic inflammation in Aliquot #84: Putting the Brakes on Chronic Inflammation
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What are the optimal time-restricted eating patterns for cardiovascular wellness? pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Time-restricted eating is a dietary pattern that restricts the time during which a person eats to a specific window, such as a “16:8" pattern, where they fast for 16 hours a day and consume food only during the remaining eight hours. Evidence suggests that time-restricted eating improves cognitive function, supports weight loss, and reduces systemic inflammation. Findings from a recent review and meta-analysis suggest that time-restricted eating also reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Researchers analyzed the findings of 33 studies involving 1,725 participants investigating the effects of time-restricted eating on markers of cardiovascular health. They conducted a sub-group analysis to determine how age, health characteristics, and eating patterns influenced the effects of time-restricted eating.
They found that the effects of time-restricted eating on cardiovascular disease varied according to a person’s risk factors, age, and when they ate. The table below presents their findings for the optimal time-restricted eating for different groups.
This meta-analysis and review identifies the optimal time-restricted eating interventions for blood pressure, obesity, lipids, and glucose. It effectively provides a best-practices guide for people interested in implementing time-restricted eating as a lifestyle modification to improve cardiovascular health. Learn more about time-restricted eating in this episode featuring Dr. Satchin Panda.
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Swapping salt with a salt substitute lowers blood pressure and reduces the risk of early death by 12 percent. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Using a salt substitute helps reduce blood pressure, a 2022 review found. Swapping salt with a salt substitute dropped systolic blood pressure by nearly 5 mmHg and reduced the risk of premature death.
Researchers reviewed the findings of 23 randomized controlled trials involving more than 32,000 people with high blood pressure. The various trials investigated the effects of switching sodium-based salt with a potassium-based salt substitute on blood pressure, urinary output of sodium and potassium, and the risk of premature death from cardiovascular disease and other causes.
They found that, on average, using a salt substitute reduced systolic blood pressure by 4.80 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by 1.48. As expected, urinary output of sodium decreased considerably, while urinary out of potassium, which exerts robust blood pressure-lowering effects, increased. Using a salt substitute reduced the risk of dying from all causes of premature death by 12 percent.
Other research has shown that a 5-mmHg reduction of systolic blood pressure reduces the risk of major cardiovascular events by about 10 percent. When combined with other lifestyle behaviors, such as exercising, maintaining a healthy weight, and sauna use, using a potassium-based salt substitute is a promising, non-pharmacological approach to reducing blood pressure.
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Rising blood pressure in young adulthood damages brain blood vessels, reducing blood flow to the brain. journals.lww.com
Gradual increases in blood pressure from young adulthood to middle age increased the risk of poor brain health in older age, a 2022 study found. Having higher blood pressure over time damaged the brain’s delicate blood vessels, reducing blood flow to the brain.
The study involved 885 adults whose blood pressures were monitored regularly over a 30-year period. Using magnetic resonance imaging studies, researchers assessed the participants' brain health at the beginning and end of the study period.
The researchers found that participants who had either high blood pressure in young adulthood or moderate blood pressure that gradually increased over time showed marked signs of microvascular disease in the white matter of their brains. The two groups also showed reduced blood flow in the gray matter of their brains.
Microvascular disease, also called small vessel disease, is a condition characterized by blood vessel dysfunction. It commonly occurs with aging and contributes to the development of cardiovascular disease, dementia, and stroke. Small vessel disease in the brain contributes to approximately 50 percent of dementia cases worldwide.
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Hot water baths before bedtime reduce the risk of hypertension. www.eurekalert.org
Older adults who regularly bathed in hot springs in the evening were less likely to have hypertension, a new study has found. Having hypertension markedly increased the likelihood of having other chronic diseases, however.
Researchers gathered information about the hot spring bathing habits and overall health of more than 10,000 older adults. The participants lived near Beppu, Japan, an area known for its many hot springs.
They found that older adults who regularly bathed in hot springs in the evening were approximately 15 percent less likely to have hypertension. Older adults who didn’t frequent the hot springs were roughly 50 percent more likely to have type 2 diabetes, heart arrhythmia, stroke, gout, or abnormal blood lipids.
Evidence suggests that chronic mental stress promotes hypertension. Research has shown that bathing in hot springs improves mental health and reduces stress. Other research has shown that hot water bathing before bedtime promotes faster sleep onset and better sleep quality, which could reduce the risk of developing hypertension.
Exercise, hot baths, and sauna use may have similar effects on promoting sleep and reducing blood pressure. Learn more about the effects of sauna use on hypertension in this clip featuring Dr. Jari Laukkanen.
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Pomegranate juice improves blood pressure and reduces arterial plaques in people with atherosclerosis. www.clinicalnutritionjournal.com
Pomegranate juice reduces symptoms associated with the narrowing of arteries that supply the brain, a small study has found. Patients who drank pomegranate juice for one year experienced improvements in blood pressure, antioxidant status, and carotid artery thickness (an indicator of the extent of plaque buildup in the arteries).
The study involved 19 people who had atherosclerosis with carotid artery stenosis, a condition in which the arteries that supply the brain thicken and narrow due to the accumulation of plaque. Ten of the participants drank 50 milliliters (about 1.7 ounces) of pomegranate juice daily for one year, while the remaining nine participants did not consume any pomegranate juice. The researchers assessed various aspects of the participants' cardiovascular health before, during, and after the intervention.
They found that several parameters of cardiovascular health improved after one year of pomegranate juice consumption. For example, the participants' carotid artery thickness decreased by up to 30 percent and their blood pressure decreased by 21 percent. In addition, their total antioxidant status increased by 130 percent. Participants who didn’t drink pomegranate juice did not experience these improvements, and in some cases, their cardiovascular measures worsened.
This small study shows that drinking pomegranate juice may improve symptoms associated with narrowing of the arteries. Pomegranates are rich in various bioactive polyphenols, including tannins, ellagic acid, and anthocyanins, that exert potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, or cardioprotective effects in humans.
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Higher serum magnesium concentrations may reduce the risk of brain aneurysms and aneurysmal brain bleeding. (2021) www.physiciansweekly.com
Higher serum magnesium concentrations reduce the risk of having a brain aneurysm.
A brain aneurysm is a weakness in a blood vessel in the brain that swells and fills with blood. If the aneurysm ruptures, it releases blood into the spaces that surround the brain. This bleeding can cause many complications, including hemorrhagic stroke, brain damage, coma, and even death. Evidence from a 2021 study suggests that higher serum magnesium concentrations reduce the risk of having a brain aneurysm.
Magnesium is an essential mineral and a cofactor for hundreds of enzymes. Found in green leafy vegetables, nuts, and seeds, magnesium participates in many physiological processes, including energy production, protein synthesis, ion transport, and cell signaling. Magnesium deficiency is linked with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes. Genetic variants called single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) influence magnesium status.
The investigators conducted an analysis using Mendelian randomization, a research method that provides evidence of links between modifiable risk factors and disease based on genetic variants within a population. Mendelian randomization is less likely to be affected by confounding or reverse causation than other types of studies, but since it is based on assumptions, the likelihood of the assumptions must be taken into consideration. Their analysis focused on five magnesium-related SNPs identified in a genome-wide association study in nearly 24,000 people of European ancestry. They found that for every 0.1 mmol/L genetically predicted increase in serum magnesium concentration, the risk of having either a ruptured or unruptured brain aneurysm decreased 34 percent.
These findings suggest that higher magnesium concentrations reduce the risk of having a brain aneurysm. Learn more about the importance of magnesium in this episode featuring Dr. Rhonda Patrick.
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Alcohol consumption increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as aortic aneurysms and reduces life expectancy. (2018) www.eurekalert.org
From the article:
The upper safe limit of drinking was about 5 drinks per week (100g of pure alcohol, 12.5 units or just over five pints of 4% ABV2 beer or five 175ml glasses of 13% ABV wine).
However, drinking above this limit was linked with lower life expectancy. For example, having 10 or more drinks per week was linked with 1-2 years shorter life expectancy1. Having 18 drinks or more per week was linked with 4-5 years shorter life expectancy.
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The researchers also looked at the association between alcohol consumption and different types of cardiovascular disease. Alcohol consumption was associated with a higher risk of stroke, heart failure, fatal aortic aneurysms, fatal hypertensive disease and heart failure and there were no clear thresholds where drinking less did not have a benefit.
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Retirement may not provide relief from work-related hypertension, increasing the risk for diseases such as aneurysms. (2009) www.sciencedaily.com
Hypertension is diagnosed when blood pressure on the artery walls is consistently too high. This condition can eventually damage cells of the arteries' inner lining, leading to angina, heart attack, stroke, aneurysm, kidney failure and other serious health problems.
“People’s occupations during their working years can clearly be a risk for hypertension after they retire,” said senior study author Paul Leigh, a professor with the Center for Healthcare Policy and Research and the Department of Public Health Sciences at UC Davis. “The body seems to have built up a stress reaction that takes years to ramp down and may last well beyond age 75.”
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What they found with retirees was consistent with studies of those who are currently employed: higher-status occupations are associated with less hypertension than lower-status occupations.
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Unlike executives and professionals like architects and engineers, Leigh explained, workers in positions such as sales, administrative support, construction and food preparation have little control over decision-making, are under pressure to get a specified amount of work done in a certain amount of time and may feel inadequate about their positions in the workplace hierarchy. Consequently, their stress levels tend to be higher, which can lead to high blood pressure and, eventually, hypertension.
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Data from nearly 80,000 twin pairs suggest that brain aneurysm ruptures are more commonly caused by environmental factors than by genes. (2010) www.sciencedaily.com
From the article:
During the past few decades, the genetic makeup has been regarded as playing a significant role in the development of SAH [subarachnoid haemorrhage]. Contrary to this belief, however, a twin study recently published in the journal Stroke showed that environmental factors account for most of the susceptibility to develop SAH Conducted in Finland, Sweden and Denmark, the study is the largest population level twin study in the world.
This means that instead of screening the close family members of SAH patients, the focus of preventive treatment may now be increasingly shifted to the efficient management of hypertension and smoking cessation intervention. This is what we do with other cardiovascular diseases as well."
The Nordic study combined data on almost 80,000 pairs of twins over several decades. All in all, the follow-up time of all of the twin pairs corresponds to a staggering 6 million person-years.
The researchers nevertheless emphasize that there are rare cases of families among whose members SAH is significantly more common than in the overall population. In these cases genetic factors are the principal cause underlying the development of the disease.
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Hypertensive smoking women have up to 20-fold higher risk of brain aneurysm ruptures. (2013) www.sciencedaily.com
From the article:
- If smoking women with high systolic blood pressure values have 20 times higher rate of these brain bleeds than never-smoking men with low blood pressure values, it may very well be that these women diagnosed with unruptured intracranial aneurysms should be treated. On the other hand, never-smoking men with low blood pressure values and intracranial aneurysms may not need to be treated at all.
In this largest SAH risk factor study ever, the study group also identified three new risk factors for SAH: previous myocardial infarction, history of stroke in mother, and elevated cholesterol levels in men. The results revise the understanding of the epidemiology of SAH and indicate that the risk factors for SAH appear to be similar to those for other cardiovascular diseases.
- We have previously shown that lifestyle risk factors affect significantly the life expectancy of SAH survivors, and now we have shown that the same risk factors also affect dramatically the risk of SAH itself.
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Cocoa shown to reduce blood pressure and arterial stiffness in first real-life study www.surrey.ac.uk
Flavonoid-rich cocoa supplement reverses arterial stiffness and decreases blood pressure.
Arterial stiffness, a condition in which the walls of arteries become more rigid, increases with age and is a strong risk factor for hypertension. The links between arterial stiffness and hypertension are likely bidirectional, with aortic stiffening driving increases in systolic pressure, and elevated pressures promoting vascular damage and accelerated stiffening. Findings from a new study suggest that flavonoid compounds in cocoa reverse arterial stiffness.
Cocoa, the principal component of chocolate, is derived from the cacao tree. A wide range of beneficial health effects have been attributed to consumption of cocoa and chocolate, especially dark chocolate, which is rich in flavonoids. Cocoa and chocolate have the highest concentrations of flavonoids among commonly consumed foods, with roughly 10 percent of the weight of cocoa powder coming from flavonoids. Robust evidence suggests that cocoa flavonoids improve blood flow, lower blood pressure, promote healthy blood lipid concentrations, lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, protect the skin against the sun, and improve blood flow to the brain.
The investigators conducted a series of single-person trials in 11 healthy adults. Participants consumed six cocoa flavonoid capsules (providing 862 milligrams of cocoa flavonoids) every morning on alternating days for eight consecutive days. On days when they didn’t take the cocoa flavonoid capsules, they took a placebo. Participants wore devices that measured their blood pressure, heart rate, and pulse wave velocity (a measure of arterial stiffness) before and every 30 minutes for the first three hours after taking the capsules and then every hour afterward for a total of 12 hours per day.
The investigators found that when the participants took the cocoa supplement, the participants' blood pressure dropped by as much as 1.7 mmHg and their pulse wave velocity decreased by as much as 0.14 m/s. These effects were observed only if the participant had high blood pressure. The greatest effects occurred in the first three hours after taking the cocoa, with the blood pressure dropping approximately 5 mmHg. Blood pressures dropped again at approximately eight hours after consuming the cocoa supplement, likely due to bacterial metabolism of the flavonoids in the gut.
These findings suggest that a flavonoid-rich cocoa supplement reduces blood pressure and markers of arterial stiffness in people with high blood pressure. Larger studies are needed to confirm these findings.
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Even after 5 years of abstinence, former heavy smokers have more than double the risk of a ruptured brain aneurysm. (2012) www.sciencedaily.com
From the article:
After taking account of influential factors, such as salt intake, working hours, weight and family history of diabetes, smokers were almost three times as likely to have a brain bleed as non-smokers.
The impact of smoking was cumulative: the longer and more heavily a person had smoked, the greater was their risk of a brain bleed.
Quitting smoking cut the risk of a ruptured aneurysm by 59% after five or more years – bringing it down to the level of non-smokers. But this was not the case among heavy smokers.
Those who had smoked 20 or more cigarettes a day were still more than twice as likely to have a ruptured aneurysm as those who had never smoked. […]
In the short term, smoking thickens blood and drives up blood pressure, both of which can increase the risk of a brain bleed. These effects can be reversed by stopping smoking. But smoking also induces permanent changes in the structure of artery walls, say the authors. These changes may be greater in heavy smokers, they say.
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Insomnia, hypertension and smoking, but not high triglyceride levels, are considered possible risk factors for brain aneurysm rupture. www.sciencedaily.com
From the article:
Data from several genome-wide association studies were used to gauge genetic associations to lifestyle and cardiometabolic risk factors. […] According to the analysis:
-A genetic predisposition for insomnia was associated with a 24% increased risk for intracranial aneurysm and aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.
-The risk for intracranial aneurysm was about three times higher for smokers vs. non-smokers.
-The risk for intracranial aneurysm was almost three times higher for each 10 mm Hg increase in diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number in a blood pressure reading).
-High triglyceride levels and high BMI did not demonstrate an increased risk for intracranial aneurysm and aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.
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Relationship of Daily Coffee Intake with Vascular Function in Patients with Hypertension www.mdpi.com
Drinking coffee improves vascular function in people with hypertension.
Coffee is one of the most consumed beverages worldwide. It is rich in polyphenolic compounds, including quercetin, chlorogenic acid, and others, that exert beneficial health effects in humans. Drinking coffee is linked with reduced disease burden and increased lifespan, possibly due to coffee’s ability to induce autophagy. A recent study suggests that coffee consumption improves vascular function in people with hypertension.
Hypertension is a chronic elevation of blood pressure that, over time, causes end-organ damage and increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, kidney dysfunction, and death. Key features of hypertension include endothelial dysfunction, an alteration of the vascular endothelium (the thin layer of cells that lines the blood vessels), and vascular smooth muscle dysfunction. Medical professionals typically use flow-mediated dilation to assess endothelial function and nitroglycerine-induced vasodilation to assess vascular smooth muscle function. When combined, the two measures are robust predictors of future cardiovascular events.
The study involved 462 adults (average age, 65 years) who had hypertension. The investigators assessed the participants' flow-mediated dilation and nitroglycerine-induced vasodilation and collected information about their coffee intake. They assigned the participants to one of two groups: coffee consumers and non-consumers.
They found that most coffee consumers drank about two cups of coffee per day. Coffee consumers were roughly half as likely to have endothelial dysfunction or vascular smooth muscle dysfunction, compared to non-consumers, even after considering other factors, including age, sex, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, abnormal blood lipids, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, smoking, and systolic blood pressure.
These findings suggest that moderate coffee intake improves measures of endothelial and vascular health. The authors posited that these benefits may be related to the effects of polyphenolic compounds in coffee, especially chlorogenic acid, a bioactive compound that exerts antioxidant properties, among others.
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Doses of omega‐3 fatty acid intake above the recommended 3 grams per day may be associated with additional benefits in lowering blood pressure www.ahajournals.org
Higher omega-3 fatty acid intake may be necessary to reduce blood pressure.
Nearly two-thirds of adults living in the United States have high blood pressure, defined as having a systolic pressure of 130 mmHg or higher or a diastolic pressure of 80 mmHg or higher. High blood pressure increases a person’s risk for heart disease and stroke and contributes to small vessel disease, a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, dementia, and stroke. Although some evidence suggests that omega-3s reduce blood pressure, researchers have not identified the optimal dose necessary to achieve this effect. Findings of a recent meta-analysis suggests that 3 grams of omega-3 fatty acids daily reduce blood pressure.
Observational data suggest that omega-3 fatty acids, especially fish-derived eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are cardioprotective. For example, a prospective study involving more than 20,000 healthy males found that those who ate one to two servings of fish twice a week had a lower risk of sudden cardiac death than those who ate fish less than once a month, likely due to the omega-3s found in fish. But the findings from the five decades of study have been remarkably inconsistent, with some studies showing benefits, and others not. Some of these inconsistencies have arisen from differences in study designs, which vary markedly in terms of study population, dose, and duration.
The authors of the analysis searched the scientific literature for randomized controlled trials investigating associations between omega-3 fatty acids and blood pressure. Then they filtered their findings based on a set of criteria designed to identify high-quality studies. Finally, they combined data from these high-quality studies and reanalyzed them so they could interpret the results on a large scale.
They identified 71 trials, involving nearly 5,000 participants. On average, those who consumed 2 to 3 grams of combined EPA and DHA daily experienced reductions in blood pressure of approximately 2 mm Hg (and as much as 3.5 mm Hg). Participants who had high blood pressure and consumed more than 3 grams of EPA and DHA daily experienced reductions of 4.5 mm Hg for those with hypertension, compared to about 2 mm Hg for those without. Higher doses (5 grams daily) of omega-3s did not confer any additional benefit, with blood pressure decreasing by approximately 4 mm Hg for those with hypertension and less than 1 mm Hg for those without.
These findings suggest that 3 grams of combined EPA and DHA daily is the optimal dose of omega-3 fatty acids necessary to achieve reductions in blood pressure. Learn more about the heart-health benefits of omega-3s in this episode featuring Dr. Bill Harris.
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Maintaining a lower systolic blood pressure (less than 120 mm Hg) may reduce the amount of white matter lesions, reducing risk of dementia www.sciencedaily.com
Maintaining a systolic blood pressure of 120 or less may protect against dementia and cognitive decline. Nearly two-thirds of adults living in the United States have hypertension (high blood pressure), defined as having a systolic pressure of 130 or higher or a diastolic pressure of 80 or higher. Hypertension damages small blood vessels in the eyes, kidneys, and other tissues, increasing the risk for disease and dysfunction. A 2019 study found that intensive blood pressure control in patients with hypertension reduces the risk of developing small blood vessel damage-related white matter lesions in the brain.
Intensive blood pressure control is an aggressive treatment protocol for hypertension that seeks to achieve a target systolic blood pressure goal of 120 or less. This differs from standard treatment protocols, which stipulate that within three months of starting medication therapy to reduce high blood pressure, a patient’s target pressures (systolic and diastolic) should be less than 140/90. After three months, the target pressures should be less than 130/80.
White matter lesions are areas in the brain that appear as intense white spots on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. They are often indicators of small blood vessel disease and are considered a risk factor for dementia.
The study involved 670 adults (average age, 67 years) who had hypertension. Roughly half of the participants underwent intensive blood pressure control treatment, while the other half underwent standard treatment. The investigators performed MRI scans of all participants at the beginning of the intervention and again about four years later.
They found that participants who underwent intensive blood pressure control had fewer white matter lesions in their brains compared to those who underwent the standard treatment. Interestingly, those who underwent intensive treatment exhibited greater brain volume losses than those who underwent standard treatment, but this difference was not statistically significant.
These findings suggest that intensive blood pressure control reduces white matter lesions in the brains of people with hypertension and support findings from a related study that demonstrated that intensive blood pressure control may reduce the risk of adverse cognitive outcomes.
Hypertension is highly preventable with lifestyle modifications that involve diet and exercise. For example, dietary components, such as potassium and magnesiumquercetin and vitamin D lower blood pressure. Aerobic exercise also lowers blood pressure. Learn about other beneficial effects of aerobic exercise in our overview article.
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Higher potassium and magnesium intake – not lower sodium – cuts heart disease risk. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Experts have long believed that high dietary sodium intake increases a person’s risk of adverse cardiovascular health outcomes, including high blood pressure. However, other dietary minerals, such as potassium, magnesium, and calcium, likely influence cardiovascular health too. Findings from a study published earlier this year suggest that dietary potassium and magnesium markedly decrease the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
Potassium is an essential mineral that plays key roles in cardiac function. It is found in a wide range of whole foods, especially potatoes, bananas, winter squashes, and some legumes. Processed foods are typically low in potassium. Nutrition experts have not established a recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for potassium, but intakes above 4,700 milligrams per day are considered optimal. Most people living in the United States consume roughly half this amount.
Magnesium is also an essential mineral. It participates in many aspects of cardiovascular health and helps maintain normal heart rhythm. Magnesium is found in green leafy vegetables, nuts, and seeds. The RDA for magnesium varies according to age, life stage, and sex, ranging from 310 milligrams per day for a young adult female to 420 milligrams per day for an older adult male.
The authors of the study drew on data from the Framingham Offspring Study, an ongoing cohort study of cardiovascular disease risk among people living in the northeastern United States. During multiple visits over a period of four years, the authors collected information from more than 2,300 adult participants (30 to 65 years old) regarding their overall health, lifestyles, and cardiovascular risks. Participants completed a food diary in which they recorded types and amounts of foods they consumed over a three-day period.
The authors' analysis revealed that even after considering sex, body mass index, dietary fiber intake, and blood pressure, lower sodium intake (less than 2,500 mg/day) did not decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, higher potassium intake (3,000 milligrams or more daily) decreased risk by 25 percent, and higher magnesium intake (320 milligrams or more daily) decreased risk by 34 percent. Higher calcium intake (700 milligrams or more daily) decreased cardiovascular risk by 19 percent, but this finding was not statistically significant.
These findings suggest that potassium and magnesium play important roles in cardiovascular health. Public health efforts to reduce sodium intake have been largely unsuccessful, with most Americans consuming nearly 3,400 milligrams every day, considerably more than the recommended 2,300 milligrams per day. Focusing efforts on increasing the intake of potassium and magnesium may have greater returns on improving cardiovascular health.
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Hypertension in mid-life reduces brain volume and increases risk of dementia. neurosciencenews.com
Many people develop hypertension (high blood pressure) with age, putting them at risk of cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, retinal damage, and stroke. Hypertension is also a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, due to damage caused by years of vessel injury, microbleeds, and lesions. Authors of a recent study report that hypertension diagnosed in early or midlife, but not late life, is a predictor of dementia.
Because hypertension damages the delicate small blood vessels of the heart, kidneys, eyes, brain, and other organs, it is a risk factor for a wide range of chronic diseases. Previous research has shown that hypertension, by restricting blood flow, reduces brain volume in key areas associated with dementia, such as the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. As the number of young adults with hypertension increases to an estimated 1.6 billion globally by 2025, research on the risks of hypertension in earlier life are needed.
The authors collected data from more than 135,000 participants with hypertension and 135,000 matched control participants without hypertension from the United Kingdom Biobank, a long-term study of United Kingdom citizens. The researchers categorized participants into four categories: younger than 35 years; 35 to 44 years; 45 to 54 years; and 55 to 64 years. They used magnetic resonance imaging data to measure brain volume, and hospital records, death records, and self-reports to assess dementia status. Participants in the study provided data at a baseline appointment between 2006 and 2010 and at a follow-up appointment between 2014 and 2021.
Participants diagnosed with hypertension at any age had smaller brain volume than their matched control participant without hypertension. Participants diagnosed earlier in life had the greatest reductions, with participants diagnosed between ages 35 and 44 exhibiting a 0.8 percent loss in volume and participants before age 35 exhibiting a 1.2 percent loss. Specifically, hypertension was associated with loss of peripheral cortical gray matter, brain tissue necessary for higher brain functions such as learning, memory, and attention. Participants diagnosed with hypertension between ages 35 and 44 were at a 61 percent higher risk of dementia than the matched control participants without hypertension.
The authors concluded that hypertension diagnosed in early mid life, but not late life, is associated with decreased brain volume and increased risk of dementia. Lifestyle strategies that reduce blood pressure, such as exercise, sauna use, dietary modification, and stress management, may reduce dementia risk.
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Recent review identifies the most successful dietary patterns for reducing blood pressure. academic.oup.com
Hypertension, defined as a systolic pressure of 130 mm Hg or higher, or a diastolic pressure of 80 mm Hg or higher, is a chronic elevation of blood pressure. Having high blood pressure markedly increases a person’s risk for heart attack, stroke, or heart failure. A recent review identified the most successful dietary patterns for reducing blood pressure.
Dietary patterns play critical roles in managing blood pressure. For example, robust evidence demonstrates that reducing salt intake or adhering to a vegetarian diet reduces blood pressure. Some of the blood pressure-lowering attributes of a plant-based diet include lower sodium content, higher potassium content, increased bioavailability of nitric oxide (a potent vasodilator), and beneficial effects on the microbiome.
The authors of the review analyzed data from 50 studies conducted over a period of more than 70 years and comprising 12 distinct dietary patterns. These patterns included Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), Mediterranean, Nordic, vegetarian, low-salt, low-carbohydrate, low-fat, high-protein, low glycemic index, portfolio, pulse, and Paleolithic diets.
The analysis revealed that the DASH diet promoted the greatest overall reductions in blood pressure, with systolic pressure dropping 3.20 to 7.62 mm Hg, and diastolic pressure dropping 2.50 to 4.22 mm Hg. Beneficial effects were noted with the Nordic, portfolio, and low-salt diets, as well. The evidence supporting the blood pressure-lowering effects of the Mediterranean, vegetarian, Paleolithic, low-carbohydrate, low glycemic index, high-protein, and low-fat diets was inconsistent. Lower salt diets effectively reduced high blood pressure among people of all ethnicities, but they also reduced blood pressure in people of Afro-Caribbean descent even if their blood pressure was normal.
These findings provide further support for dietary interventions as means to reduce blood pressure. They also underscore the need for public health messaging to promote proven dietary patterns and lower salt intake as blood pressure-lowering strategies. Many of the components in this smoothie recipe are elements of the DASH diet.
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Increases in brain-derived neurotrophic factor from aerobic exercise associated with appetite suppression, weight loss, and improved blood pressure www.sciencedaily.com
From the article:
The team evaluated blood levels of BDNF before and after a three-month program of aerobic exercise in 15 overweight or obese men and women. The seven men and eight women, ages 26 to 51, worked out on a treadmill and bicycle. They were asked about their calorie intake and told to continue eating their usual number of calories. The participants were unaware that one of the study’s objectives was to evaluate changes in food intake.
At the end of the study, the subjects had decreased BMI, waist circumference, and blood pressure, the data showed. They also reported consuming fewer calories than at the beginning of the study. Over the three months, BDNF levels greatly increased. This higher the concentration of BDNF, the less the subject’s intake of calories and the greater the weight loss, Araya said.
Thus, it is possible that increases in BDNF suppress appetite, she said. They did not test appetite suppression directly, but some past studies have shown that aerobic exercise suppresses appetite.
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Consumption of dairy products – especially high fat products – linked to lower risk of developing diabetes and high blood pressure. www.eurekalert.org
Metabolic syndrome is a constellation of disorders that includes high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess abdominal fat, and abnormal cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Having metabolic syndrome increases a person’s risk for developing cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and premature death. An estimated one billion people worldwide have metabolic syndrome. Findings from a new study indicate that dairy product intake is associated with a lower prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its complications.
Dairy products comprise a wide range of foods derived from the milk of cows, sheep, goats, and others. They provide protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals. Full-fat dairy products are high in saturated fat. The nutritional benefits of dairy products are hotly debated.
The study drew on data from the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology study, which involved participants between the ages of 35 and 70 years living in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North and South America. The authors of the study first conducted a cross-sectional analysis involving nearly 113,000 people to determine whether there was an association between dairy intake and prevalence of metabolic syndrome. The participants completed food frequency questionnaires that provided information about their dietary intake, including dairy products.
Analysis of the questionnaires revealed that people who consumed two or more servings of dairy products per day were 24 percent less likely to have metabolic syndrome. If they consumed two or more servings of high fat dairy products (instead of low fat) per day, they were 28 percent less likely to have metabolic syndrome.
The study authors also conducted a prospective analysis to determine whether there was an association between dairy intake and the incidence of hypertension and diabetes. They reviewed data from nearly 190,000 participants. People who consumed three or more servings of dairy products per day were as much as 14 percent less likely to develop the two conditions. The associations were stronger when the people consumed full fat dairy products (instead of low fat).
High fat dairy products include full fat milk, full fat yogurt, and cheese. Cheese, in particular, contains spermidine, a compound that serves as a calorie restriction mimetic, capable of inducing autophagy even in the setting of sufficient nutrient intake. Watch this clip with autophagy expert Dr. Guido Kroemer in which he describes this phenomenon.
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Study shows Vitamin C may lower blood pressure by nearly 5 mm Hg in hypertensive patients. www.sciencedaily.com
From the article:
Miller and his colleagues reviewed and analyzed data from 29 randomized, controlled, previously published clinical trials that reported systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure values and also compared vitamin C intake to a placebo. What they found is that taking an average of 500 milligrams of vitamin C daily – about five times the recommended daily requirement – reduced blood pressure by 3.84 millimeters of mercury in the short term. Among those diagnosed with hypertension, the drop was nearly 5 millimeters of mercury.
A comparison to common pharmacological treatment:
By comparison, Miller says, patients who take blood pressure medication such as ACE inhibitors or diuretics (so-called “water pills”) can expect a roughly 10 millimeter of mercury reduction in blood pressure.
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Healthy lifestyle reduces risk of disease and death. www.eurekalert.org
Cardiovascular disease is a broad class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels, including stroke, hypertension, thrombosis, heart failure, and atherosclerosis. As much as 90 percent of cardiovascular disease may be attributable to lifestyle factors and, therefore, preventable. A recent study found that having better cardiovascular health during one’s midlife years may reduce risk of premature death later in life.
The American Heart Association has developed a scoring system that describes a person’s cardiovascular health based on measures of various lifestyle behaviors, such as smoking, diet, and physical activity, and known cardiovascular disease risk factors, such as blood pressure, body mass index, and blood glucose and cholesterol levels. Having a higher cardiovascular health score is associated with reduced markers of disease, longer telomeres, and better vascular function and, consequently, lower risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and premature death.
The prospective cohort study, which spanned a 16-year period, drew on data from the Framingham Heart Study Offspring investigation and involved 1,445 men and women whose average age was 60 years. The authors of the study found that for every five-year period that a person had intermediate or ideal cardiovascular health, they had a 33 percent lower risk for high blood pressure, 27 percent lower risk for diabetes or cardiovascular disease, 25 percent lower risk for diabetes, and 14 percent lower risk for premature death, compared to people who were in poor cardiovascular health. These findings held true regardless of age or sex.
Sauna use is a lifestyle behavior that has been shown to improve cardiovascular health. A large study of health outcomes in more than 2,300 middle-aged men from eastern Finland identified strong, dose-dependent links between sauna use and reduced cardiovascular-related death and disease. Compared to men who used the sauna once weekly, men who used the sauna four to seven times per week were 50 percent less likely to die from cardiovascular-related causes. Watch this clip in which Drs. Rhonda Patrick and Jari Laukkanen discuss these findings.
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When healthy, lean individuals ate a Western-style diet for one week, their hippocampal-dependent learning and memory and appetite control declined. royalsocietypublishing.org
The Western Style Diet, sometimes referred to as Standard American Diet (SAD), is a dietary pattern characterized by high intake of refined carbohydrates, fatty meats, added fats, and sodium, and low intake of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. The Western dietary pattern has been implicated in the pathogenesis of many chronic diseases and conditions, including overweight and obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Findings from a recent study suggest that the Western dietary pattern impairs hippocampus-dependent learning and memory and drives loss of appetite control.
The hippocampus is a small organ located within the brain’s medial temporal lobe. It is associated primarily with memory (in particular, the consolidation of short-term memories to long-term memories), learning, and spatial navigation. Data from rodent studies suggest that adherence to a Western dietary pattern impairs hippocampal-dependent learning and memory (HDLM). The hippocampus also plays a role in food intake by regulating appetite. Altered hippocampal function subsequent to exposure to a Western-style diet may create a vicious cycle state that promotes increased consumption of unhealthy foods that, in turn, drives further hippocampal dysfunction.
The study involved 110 lean, healthy Australian adults between the ages of 17 and 35 years who adhered to a healthy, non-restrictive dietary pattern. The authors of the study randomized the participants to either a one-week Western-style diet intervention group or a habitual-diet control group.
On the first and eighth days of the study, the participants in the Western diet group ate a breakfast that included a toasted sandwich and a milkshake (high in saturated fat and added sugar). On the second through seventh days of the study, the participants ate two Belgian waffles for either breakfast or dessert for four of the study days. On the other two study days, they obtained their main meal and a drink or dessert from a set of options from a popular fast-food chain. They followed their normal dietary pattern for all other meals. The participants in the control group ate a breakfast consisting of a toasted sandwich and a milkshake (low in saturated fat and added sugar) on the first and eighth days and followed their normal diet for all other meals.
The authors of the study assessed the participants' HDLM function as well as their appetite control before and after the intervention and control periods and again at a three-week follow-up assessment. They found that among those who followed the Western-style diet, HDLM performance declined, compared to the control group. Their appetite control declined as well, and this was strongly correlated with HDLM decline.
These findings suggest that even short-term consumption of a Western-style diet may impair learning and appetite control due to impaired hippocampal function. This lack of appetite control could promote overeating and drive weight gain.
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Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death worldwide, claiming the lives of more than 17 million people every year. A recent meta-analysis and systematic review suggests that quercetin may exert protective effects to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Quercetin is a flavonol compound found in a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, including onions, apples, tea, and lettuce. Epidemiological data suggest that quercetin exerts protective effects against cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and other chronic diseases due to its anti-inflammatory actions.
The analysis investigated the effects of quercetin intake on several risk factors for cardiovascular disease, including lipid profiles, blood pressure, and glucose levels. It was based on findings from 17 randomized controlled trials involving nearly 900 participants who took a standardized quercetin extract.
The results of the analysis indicated that quercetin intake reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressures by approximately 3.09 mmHg and 2.86 mmHg, respectively. Quercetin intake did not appear to influence blood lipid profiles or glucose levels. However, a sub-group analysis demonstrated that longer trials of quercetin intake (8 weeks or more) had favorable effects on participants' HDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
These findings suggest that quercetin may be useful in the clinical setting for the management of risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease.