Cardiovascular Health Archives - Today's Practitioner

Flavonoids Influence Gut Bacteria and Lower Blood Pressure Levels

oids reduce blood pressure, apples, berries and tea reduces dementiasrisk

Flavonoids in foods, including berries, apples, pears and wine, may reduce blood pressure levels, which is partially explained by characteristics of the gut microbiome, according to new research published in Hypertension. “Our gut microbiome plays a key role in metabolizing flavonoids to enhance their cardioprotective effects, and this study providesRead …

Five-Minute Inspiratory Muscle Strength Training Lower Blood Pressure as Well as Exercise & Meds

Working out just five minutes daily via High-Resistance Inspiratory Muscle Strength Training (IMST), a practice described as “strength training for your breathing muscles,” lowers blood pressure and improves some measures of vascular health as well as, or even more than, aerobic exercise or medication. The study, published in JAMA fromRead …

Framingham Heart Study Data: Omega-3 Index as Predictive of Early Death and Cigarette Smoking

Low Omega-3 Index as predictive as tobacco use for early death

An inadequate Omega-3 Index may be just as powerful in predicting early death as smoking. It’s a bold statement made in a research paper published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. This study is based on data from the Framingham Heart Study. The Framingham Heart Study provided unique insightsRead …

Blood Sugar A1C Biomarker Test for Atherosclerosis?

When running a routine glycosylated hemoglobin (A1C) test to track blood sugar levels, you may want to consider also using the test to identify individuals with advanced atherosclerosis. Though the test is used primarily for the diagnosis and management of prediabetes and diabetes, the glycosylated hemoglobin test can provide aRead …

Long-Term Cardiovascular and Heart Complications of COVID-19 in Younger Adults

Young healthy adults with mild COVID-19 symptoms may have an increased risk of cardiovascular and heart complications, and may continue for some time after infection. This according to new research published in Experimental Physiology, highlights the possible long term health impacts of COVID-19 non-hospitalized young adults who had only minorRead …

New Test Measures Anti-Inflammatory Function of HDL Cholesterol

Assessing levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is already a standard part of formulas used to predict cardiovascular risk. However, a new test that measures the anti-inflammatory function of HDL cholesterol may provide additional information that is independent of the quantity of HDL. If the results are confirmed in broaderRead …

PCOS DISCOVERIES: Men with Genetic Risk Factors & Black Women at Greater Odds for Cardiometabolic Diseases

Two new studies presented at the annual ENDO 2021 meeting (March 20-23), the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting, provides valuable insight into polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The first study found that men with the genetic risk factors for PCOS can develop the same characteristics of the disease. This surprising study leadsRead …

Plant-Forward Diet Reduces Risk of Ischemic Stroke by 10%

Eating a healthy, plant-based diet that includes foods like vegetables, whole grains and beans, and decreasing intakes of less healthy foods like refined grains or added sugars may reduce the risk of ischemic stroke by up to 10%, according to a study published in the online issue of Neurology®, theRead …

Nocturnal High Systolic Blood Pressure May Pose Dementia Risk in Older Men

Nocturnal high systolic blood pressure that is higher than daytime BP may be a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease in older men. More research is needed, but these study results suggest that taking blood pressure medication at night may be advisable, according to researchers at Uppsala University, Sweden and publishedRead …

Children with COVID-19 Inflammatory Diseases Show Cardiac Complications

During the height of the pandemic, researchers at Children’s National Hospital discovered that as many as one half of children with COVID-19 and multi-system inflammatory disease in children (MIS-C) at the hospital developed cardiac complications including coronary artery abnormalities, even when diagnosed and treated promptly. The data was shared asRead …