Waikato District Health Board’s Older Persons and Rehabilitation staff today took 114 peoples blood pressure in two hours at Waikato Hospital.
Thirty of those – a mixture of staff and patients – were referred to their GPs with high blood pressure for follow-up.
Blood pressure checks should be done on both arms, say researchers at the University of Exeter Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry. The study looked at the differences in blood pressure when testing both arms and found that differences of 10mm Hg and 15mm Hg or more could be useful for identifying patients who may require further assessment.
Three cups of black tea every day can lower blood pressure, according to a paper published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Research has revealed that eating three kiwifruits a day can help lower blood pressure. The study looked at 118 men and women over the age of 55 who had moderately high blood pressure, and found that the group who had eaten three kiwifruits a day for eight weeks, versus the group that ate one apple per day, had lower systolic blood pressure.
A study undertaken at Maastricht University in the Netherlands has revealed that resveratrol, a substance derived from grape skin, can lower sugar and fat levels and reduce blood pressure.
Mothers that breastfeed are less likely to develop high pressure, according to a US study of 56,000 women.
Almost half of New Zealanders tested on Blood Pressure Awareness Day showed high blood pressure readings, revealed the Stroke Foundation today. The figures show there has been no improvement in blood pressure health since the last awareness day in September 2009.
