U.S. dietary guidelines suggest people eat no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day, while the AHA recommends an even lower threshold of 1,500 daily milligrams. The AHA estimates 97 percent of children and teens eat too much salt, putting them at risk for high blood pressure and eventual heart disease. For the study, researchers compared more than 3,200 kids between ages 8 and 17 who were part of a nutritional survey from 1988 and 1994 and compared them to more than 8,300 kids who were surveyed from 1999 to 2008. Researchers accounted for differences between the group that could affect the results, such as race, gender, body mass index and daily sodium intake.
For the original version including any supplementary images or video, visit http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-204_162-57593970/high-blood-pressure-risk-rising-among-u.s-youths/
Experiments On Rats’ Neck Nerves Could Point To High Blood Pressure Solutions
And, a study from Florida State University researchers shows that an amino acid found — called L-citrulline/L-arginine — in watermelon could also have blood pressure-lowering effects. The researchers had nine people with prehypertension take 6 grams of the L-citrulline/L-arginine amino acid a day over a six-week period. They found that the study participants had lower blood pressure, as well as better functioning of their arteries. Flickr photo by Gudlyf. (Purple) Potatoes Spuds may get a bad rap in the foodsphere, but a small study presented last year at a meeting of the American Chemical Society showed that the purple-hued root vegetables have blood pressure-lowering powers that are nearly as effective as oatmeal, without packing on pounds.
For the original version including any supplementary images or video, visit http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/03/neck-nerves-blood-pressure-rats-hypertension-treatment_n_3860434.html
‘Hypervigilance’ about race linked to blood pressure
“Given the socially dominant status of whites in the United States, higher levels of race consciousness could reflect greater awareness of white privilege,” the authors note in the study. “Another explanation, particularly among whites who reside in areas with a high black population, is that race consciousness reflects a heightened fear of victimization, an anxiety-provoking stressor. Scholars of critical race theory are still debating whether race consciousness enhances or adversely affects the health of whites.” Cooper notes that it can be stressful for black people to go in a store and feel they are being watched more closely than others. Another example that is equally stressful, she says, is waiting a long time to be served at a restaurant and being ignored, possibly because of one’s race. More research is needed to understand the biological consequences of race consciousness, including those related to stress, she adds, with a goal of developing interventions to help people effectively cope with environmental stressors. “We need to help people of all races cope with race-related stress in a healthier way,” she says.
For the original version including any supplementary images or video, visit http://hub.jhu.edu/gazette/2013/september/news-race-linked-to-blood-pressure
Rachel Lucas 