[New Study] Couples & Blood Pressure

New research shows blood pressure in couples is often similar 😮

Most of us would think that blood pressure is an individual thing, but this was a fascinating study that showed it could be linked to your partner!

The study (published in the Journal of the American Heart Association) looked at blood pressure data from thousands of couples in the US, England, China, and India.

Overall, they found that if your partner has high blood pressure, you are more likely to have it too.

For example, wives whose husbands had high blood pressure were 9% more likely to also have high blood pressure in the US & England, 19% in India, and 26% in China.

The study didn’t look at WHY, but maybe it’s worth committing to some heart-healthy activities with your partner ❤️

Reference

Varghese JS, Lu P, Choi D, et al. Spousal Concordance of Hypertension Among Middle-Aged and Older Heterosexual Couples Around the World: Evidence From Studies of Aging in the United States, England, China, and India. J Am Heart Assoc. 2023;12(24):e030765. [link]

My Holistic Approach to the Heart

My holistic approach to heart health ❤️

Here's a sneak peek into my whole-body approach to cardiovascular health (hint: it goes a bit beyond managing blood pressure & cholesterol!)

Here are some things I consider when it comes to heart health:

1️⃣ Functional Medicine Testing can identify risk factors that are overlooked by routine screenings (things like a more specific breakdown of cholesterol, markers of inflammation, and levels of omega-3 fatty acids).

2️⃣ Stress is a massive contributor to high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. We have a toolbox full of strategies to help your body better manage stress for heart health.

3️⃣ Poor metabolic health and elevated blood sugar can lead to cardiovascular disease if they are not recognized and managed early. We take prevention seriously.

4️⃣ Nutrition & supplements can be used proactively to support heart health before any medications or interventions are needed.

5️⃣ We look at the whole person—from gut health to inflammation to sleep and mood. Body systems do not function separately but very much depend upon and influence each other. If we want to optimize heart health, we need to optimize the whole body, physically, mentally, and emotionally.

If you are concerned about heart health because of a family or personal history, we can help.

💻 Visit our website to schedule an appointment with Dr. Cantrell!

🔎https://www.elementsnatmed.com/naturopathic-visits

Good News for Weekend Warriors! 🚴‍♀️

🚴‍♀️ Good news for Weekend Warriors!

A new study in JAMA found that more physical activity—even if concentrated into 1-2 days per week—benefits cardiovascular health ❤️

Researchers looked at data from nearly 90,000 adults (average age 62) in the UK Biobank.

When looking at cardiovascular outcomes, including heart attacks and strokes, physical activity concentrated into 1-2 days per week was equally beneficial as the same amount of exercise spread throughout the week.

The takeaway?

👉 Regardless of your schedule, everyone can find ways to benefit from exercise!

Find what pattern works for you. Trust you’re doing a good thing for your health.

When do you like to exercise? Are you a Weekend Warrior—yes or no?

Reference

Khurshid S, Al-Alusi MA, Churchill TW, Guseh JS, Ellinor PT. Accelerometer-Derived “Weekend Warrior” Physical Activity and Incident Cardiovascular Disease. JAMA. 2023;330(3):247–252. [link]

How many steps do you need per day?

👣 How many steps do you need per day?

A new study found that between 6000 and 9000 steps per day is linked to a dramatically lower risk of heart disease in adults over the age of 60. 

🌏 The results were based on data from 20,000 people around the world with an average age of 63.

❤️ Compared to people who walked 2,000 steps per day, people walking between 6,000 and 9,000 steps daily had a 40% to 50% reduced risk of heart disease—including heart attacks and strokes.

This study focused specifically on the benefits of walking for heart health, but the results are similar to an earlier study that found walking 8200 steps per day reduced the risk of chronic disease. 

So grab your fitness tracker!

Do you know how many steps you take per day?

References

Paluch AE, Bajpai S, Ballin M, et al. Prospective Association of Daily Steps With Cardiovascular Disease: A Harmonized Meta-Analysis [published online ahead of print, 2022 Dec 20]. Circulation. 2022;10. [link]

Master H, Annis J, Huang S, et al. Association of step counts over time with the risk of chronic disease in the All of Us Research Program. Nat Med. 2022;28(11):2301-2308. [link]