Hypertension

It's 3 a.m. and you're wide awake. It's not because you had too much coffee or need to use the bathroom. You're up because a panic attack jolted you out of your sleep. You're sweating, breathing hard, your heart is racing and you can't shake the panic or dread you're feeling in that moment. Advertising Policy Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy Why did this happen and is there any way to prevent this going forward? Clinical psychologist Scott Bea, PsyD, explains why nighttime panic attacks occur and gives us some ways to possibly manage them. How common are nighttime panic attacks? "They're pretty common and the majority of people who have been diagnosed with panic disorder have probably experienced nocturnal panic attacks," says Dr. ...

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), more recently known as major depressive disorder with a seasonal pattern, mostly affects people in the winter months. However, some people can experience it in the summer. As days grow shorter and the weather turns colder in winter, many people find themselves feeling a little down. But for some people, this sadness is more than just a passing feeling and is actually a symptom of SAD. SAD is a type of depression that usually occurs during the winter months when there is less daylight. It affects around 5% of people in the United States annually. In rare instances, some individuals experience SAD in the summer. If individuals feel unusually down, tired, or anxious during the summer, they should check with their doctor to see if they have summer SAD. Medical treatment, counseling, and lifestyle changes can make living with summer SAD easier. This article looks at summer SAD, its differences from winter SAD, causes, and treatment. SAD is a recurrent majo...

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that's found throughout your body. It often gets a bad reputation, but you actually need a certain amount of cholesterol to make substances that are essential for good health, such as: bile acids, which help you absorb fat-soluble vitamins hormones, like estrogen and androgen cell membranes However, cholesterol levels that are too high can increase the risk of several chronic conditions, including a stroke. Read on to learn how high cholesterol can cause a stroke, plus ways to reduce your blood cholesterol if needed. The cholesterol in your blood is made by your liver. Your lifestyle and the foods you eat can affect your cholesterol levels. Cholesterol is unable to travel through your blood on its own. Your liver makes lipoproteins, or particles that transport cholesterol in your arteries. There are different types of cholesterol: LDL cholesterol. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, or "bad" cholesterol, transports cholest...

Abstract Behavioral measurements in mice are critical tools used to evaluate the effects of interventions. Whilst mice are nocturnal animals, many studies conduct behavioral tests during the day. To better understand the effects of diurnal rhythm on mouse behaviors, we compared the results from behavioral tests conducted in the active and inactive phases. C57BL/6 mice were used in this study; we focus on sensorimotor performance, anxiety, learning and memory. Overall, our results show mice exhibit slightly higher cutaneous sensitivity, better long-term contextual memory, and a greater active avoidance escape response during the active phase. We did not observe significant differences in motor coordination, anxiety, or spatial learning and memory. Furthermore, apart from the elevated-O-maze, there was no remarkable sex effect among these tests. This study provides information on the effects of different diurnal phases on types of behavior and demonstrates the importance of the circadian...

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A person with high blood pressure has several medication and lifestyle change options to help reduce their blood pressure reading. Doctors categorize resistant hypertension as high blood pressure that does not respond to aggressive medical treatment. Blood pressure is the amount of pressure the blood places against the artery walls. Hypertension, or high blood pressure, occurs when the pressure on the artery walls is higher than it should be. Over time, the extra pressure can damage a person's artery walls, which can lead to a buildup of plaque. Plaque buildup can eventually partially block or fully block the flow of blood, which can lead to heart disease or stroke. The following article discusses resistant hypertension, its symptoms, possible causes, treatment, and more. Resistant hypertension occurs when a person's high blood pressure does not improve when a person's blood pressure remains above their goal, and they are taking three blood pressure medications at the maxim...

Smoking tobacco – in any form – is "very harmful to your heart", the British Heart Foundation noted. The chemicals in cigarettes, for example, make the walls of the arteries sticky. Sticky arteries are at increased risk of collecting fatty material that could clog the artery and reduce blood flow around the body. If, for example, blood flow is restricted to the heart, a heart attack follows; if blood is blocked to the brain, then a stroke occurs. Smoking not only causes sticky arteries (increasing the risk of death), it can further increase the chance of developing a deadly blood clot. Moreover, the unhealthy habit can instantly raise your heart rate and immediately increase your blood pressure. Damaging your body in this way will reduce the amount of oxygen tissues and organs receive. Smoking is considered one of the "biggest risk factors" for heart and circulatory diseases. READ MORE: Statins side effects – Three 'common' reactions when trying to ...

Saturated fat is found in: Butter, ghee, suet, lard, coconut oil and palm oil Cakes Biscuits Fatty cuts of meat Sausages Bacon Cured meats like salami, chorizo and pancetta Cheese Pastries, such as pies, quiches, sausage rolls and croissants Cream, crème fraîche and sour cream Ice cream Coconut milk and coconut cream Milkshakes Chocolate and chocolate spreads. You should try to replace saturated fats with unsaturated fats which are better for your heart, advises Heart UK. Lean meat, especially offal, such as liver, kidney, sweetbreads, heart and tripe, is a good source of unsaturated fat. There are some foods which are low in saturated fat but high in cholesterol. These include eggs, some shellfish, liver, liver pate and offal.

Many people think of bipolar disorder as a mental health condition where a person has episodes of mania or depression. However, some people with bipolar disorder have periods of time when they may experience both. These periods of time were formerly called "mixed episodes," but are now known as "mixed features." During these times, individuals have symptoms of mania and depression at the same time. About one-third to one-half of people with bipolar disorder have mixed states. Knowing more about mixed features can help people navigate an episode and get help. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5), provides doctors with criteria for determining a bipolar episode with mixed features. This criteria is outlined below. How does a bipolar mixed feature episode compare with a bipolar manic episode? In a manic episode, symptoms can include: elevated mood doing enjoyable activities rapid speech risky behaviors less sleep racing thou...

Reappraising test anxiety in a positive light can improve performance on an upcoming exam, according to findings published in  Social Psychological and Personality Science . Students who read about the adaptive benefits of stress before taking their math exam reported lower math anxiety and earned higher test scores. Stress and anxiety are common reactions to evaluative situations like job interviews, public performances, and school exams. But researchers Jeremy P. Jamieson and his team say that stress reactions are not necessarily a bad thing. Instead, it is the cognitive appraisal process — the way a person interprets their stress — that matters. "The dominant cultural narrative is that stress is unilaterally negative, and the best way to regulate stress is to avoid or reduce it. Often, however, stressors cannot be avoided, and in fact, we would never grow as people or innovate without engaging with stressors. My research seeks to help develop tools that can support act...