The blood pressure is one of the most important things we can control, and the blood pressure lowering benefits of exercise and diet seem to be well established.
But there’s one thing that we don’t have data for: How can you actually reduce the risk of heart disease?
Researchers at Duke University and the University of Florida are now exploring this question by looking at the effects of reducing blood pressure and the number of blood vessels that connect to them.
The researchers studied 1,821 people who had undergone angiographic coronary angiography (a procedure that uses an instrument that can detect the location of the arteries and veins), and also 1,093 people who did not have any history of cardiovascular disease.
They found that, compared to people who were not on medications, people who stopped taking statins and had their blood pressure lowered were at a lower risk of developing heart disease.
While lowering the blood volume in the arteries might seem like an obvious thing to do, reducing the risk in the veins might also be important.
As we’ve seen in other studies, lowering the veins is associated with lowering blood pressure in the coronary arteries, which could help explain why lowering the risk doesn’t translate to lowering the total risk of cardiovascular events.
So, to reduce the total burden of cardiovascular risk, you need to reduce blood pressure as well as the risk for heart disease, said study author Sarah L. Hausler, an assistant professor of medicine at Duke.
“So, if you’re going to have a reduction in the risk, lowering your blood pressure will probably be important.”
The researchers also looked at the effect of blood pressure reduction on the risk factors for heart attacks and strokes.
After controlling for other risk factors such as obesity and diabetes, people with lower blood pressure had an increased risk of stroke, but people with higher blood pressure who did the exercise had a lower incidence of stroke.
And, after controlling for those risk factors, those who had lower blood pressures had a higher risk of death from any cause, but those with higher levels of blood pressures who did exercise had the highest risk.
These results suggest that lowering the risks for cardiovascular events can reduce the burden of disease and cardiovascular disease-related death.
So the next time you’re feeling stressed out or you’re worried about your blood sugar levels, don’t feel discouraged.
If you feel like you need a bit of help with your blood levels, just take a minute to take a blood pressure measurement.
If your blood pressures are still high and you’re having trouble managing your blood sugars, your doctor may recommend a blood sugar-lowering drug.
Exercise is good for you and your body, but you also need to be mindful of the fact that it can increase your risk of becoming overweight and unhealthy, Lasker said.
It’s important to monitor your blood and heart health as a way to manage your blood weight and prevent a future increase in obesity.
“It’s not a good idea to do something that you feel bad about,” she said.
“Just know that you are being watched, that your health is being monitored, and that you’re being monitored.”
