Hypertension

Share on Pinterest Berries might offer protection against a range of health conditions. Jovo Jovanovic/Stocksy Red wine and fruits such as berries, apples, and pears are rich in antioxidants called flavonoids, which may protect against cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. A new study has found that people who consume the most flavonoids tend to have lower blood pressure. The diversity and composition of the gut microbiota — which is the community of microorganisms that live in the gut — appeared to play a role in the association between flavonoids and blood pressure. This discovery could help explain why flavonoids have such variable cardiovascular benefits for different individuals. Dietary advice from healthcare professionals can seem joyless, typically requiring people to stay away from a list of treats that scientists have found to be "bad" for health. Major exceptions to this rule are flavonoid-rich foods and drinks, which include dark chocolate, blueberries, an...

Cholesterol is a waxy, fatty substance that plays an important role in the body. It is found in cells and helps produce hormones, like estrogen. Your liver produces enough cholesterol for the body to function effectively, but certain foods—primarily animal products, like eggs, dairy, and meat—also contain cholesterol. There are two types of lipoprotein that carry cholesterol to and from cells: high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL). HDL is considered the "good" cholesterol because a healthy level may protect you from cardiovascular disease. On the other hand, LDL is considered the "bad" cholesterol because it contributes to fatty buildup (plaque) in your arteries. fcafotodigital / Getty Images HDL vs. LDL Cholesterol HDL cholesterol contains a higher proportion of protein and is made up of substances that don't lead to plaque buildup in your arteries. High-density cholesterol als...

There are five blood pressure stages: normal and four specific stages of hypertension, which range from very treatable to urgent. Normal People with a blood pressure range of 90 to 120 systolic and 60 to 80 diastolic have normal blood pressure, says Dr. Wong. A systolic reading below 90 signifies low blood pressure. Elevated A blood pressure reading of 120 to 129 systolic and less than 80 diastolic signifies elevated blood pressure and, thus, a higher probability of developing hypertension. "As blood pressure elevates, there is increased workload on the heart and arteries," says Dr. Desai. "This results in [the] thickening of the heart muscle (hypertrophy), which can lead to heart failure. It also results in [the] micro-tearing of the artery wall, leading to cholesterol deposition (atherosclerosis). This leads to [the] narrowing of the vessel and further elevation of blood pressure." Hypertension Stage I Hypertension Stage I is defined by a systolic re...

While the proper pronunciation of pecan remains a subject of debate, University of Georgia researchers have shown the tree nut can dramatically improve a person's cholesterol levels. Participants at risk for cardiovascular disease who ate pecans during an eight-week intervention showed significant improvements in total cholesterol, triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or "bad" cholesterol, in a study conducted by researchers in the UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences. "This dietary intervention, when put in the context of different intervention studies, was extremely successful," said Jamie Cooper, a professor in the FACS department of nutritional sciences and one of the study's authors. "We had some people who actually went from having high cholesterol at the start of the study to no longer being in that category after the intervention." Researchers saw an average drop of 5% in total cholesterol and between 6% and 9% in L...

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Sapna Maheshwari and Devjoy Sengupta met through the League dating app in 2016. But before their first date, she did a little background checking. Mutual friends from their teen years had told Sapna Maheshwari that Devjoy Sengupta was a "keeper" at 17. She was not about to let him go when they met more than a decade later. "Incredibly, we had two mutual friends who went to a high school program in New Jersey with Devjoy," said Ms. Maheshwari, 34, a business reporter at The New York Times who graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "They remembered him as wonderful, smart and worth meeting," she said. "When I met him he was all of those things, and more." The two met in November 2016 on the League, a dating app that supplies the names of mutual friends who can provide the kind of background information that could lead to a love connection, or an outright rejection. Two weeks later, they went on a first date, to Tacombi, a M...

In recent years, coconut water has become quite the trendy beverage. In addition to being naturally sweet and hydrating, coconut water is loaded with several important nutrients, including minerals that many people don't get enough of. Here are 7 health benefits of coconut water. Coconuts grow in tropical climates on trees scientifically known as Cocos nucifera , and are botanically considered a fruit. Coconut water is the liquid found in the center of a young, green coconut. It helps nourish the fruit. As the coconut matures, which takes around 10–12 months, some of the liquid remains while the rest ripens into the solid white flesh known as coconut meat ( 1 ). Coconut water typically comes from young coconuts about 6–7 months of age, though it's also found in mature fruit. An average green coconut provides about 1/2–1 cup of coconut water. Coconut water contains 94% water and very little fat. It should not be confused with coconut milk, which is made by adding water to grated...