Americans visit the doctor an average of three times a year. And during each visit, the doctor or a nurse typically takes vital signs.
There are four standard vital signs:
But new research makes the case that there should be a fifth.
A review of more than 140 recent studies looked at the relationship between muscle mass and overall health.… Read More
If you walk into your doctor’s office and your blood pressure is high, chances are you’ll be told to eat less salt. And if your reading is higher than 130/80, it’s likely you’ll be prescribed a blood pressure drug.
But a surprising study shows that hypertension in many people may be caused by a common dental problem. And in these patients, eating less salt and taking blood pressure drugs don’t work.… Read More
Doctors have known for years that saunas are good for your heart.
One study found that regular sauna users have less than half the stroke risk of those of us who never take a sauna.i
And sauna takers have a 46% lower chance of having high blood pressure.ii
The problem is that most of us don’t have easy access to a sauna.… Read More
We all know that high blood pressure is bad for us. But what about low blood pressure?
The question is important because blood pressure guidelines have changed in recent years.
It used to be that doctors routinely prescribed hypertension drugs to patients whose systolic (upper number) reading was greater than 140. Now the recommendation has dropped to 130. This means far more people are candidates for blood pressure drugs.… Read More
If you go to the doctor and your blood pressure is high, two things are likely to happen…
First, your physician will tell you to cut down on salt.
Second, you’ll be handed a prescription for a hypertension drug.
But a new study finds that your doctor should talk to you about stopping what could be the root cause of your high blood pressure. … Read More
You’ve probably seen the recent headlines about how low-dose aspirin is no longer recommended for people who haven’t had a heart attack.i
This is a big change. For decades, doctors routinely told older patients to take daily aspirin if they had any heart risk factors.
Now the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force says the risk of bleeding caused by aspirin outweighs the heart benefit for people who haven’t had a heart attack.… Read More