Newsbites: High blood pressure; Diet to protect the brain; Standing to fight diabetes
Diet and Lifestyle Changes can Tame Uncontrolled High Blood Pressure
A new study confirms longstanding evidence that dietary and other lifestyle changes are a key solution to high blood pressure—even resistant hypertension (high blood pressure difficult to control with medication).
This randomized clinical trial enrolled 140 adults, average age 63 years, with resistant hypertension for a four-month study. One group received supervised lifestyle intervention, including weekly counseling from a nutritionist on how to follow the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet, which focuses on healthy whole foods, along with calorie goals and a sodium target of 2,300 milligrams per day or less. This group also received weekly group counseling sessions with a clinical psychologist addressing eating behaviors and behavior change strategies and engaged in physical activity three days a week for 30 to 45 minutes under supervision at a cardiac rehabilitation center.
The control group received a one-hour session with a health educator along with a personalized workbook containing guidelines on physical activity, weight loss, and nutrition goals. The control group had a mean reduction in their systolic blood pressure of seven points (mmHg) over the four-month study period and the intervention group had a mean reduction of 12 points. Fifty-nine percent of these participants achieved their blood pressure goal by the end of the study.
This study demonstrates that, even in people with resistant hypertension, adopting a healthy diet and other lifestyle changes (in addition to medication as prescribed) can lower blood pressure by a meaningful amount. The researchers concluded that a structured program including a low-sodium DASH diet, regular physical activity, and counseling support is a highly effective approach.
Dietary Intake May Help Protect your Brain
Results of a recently-published study suggest what we eat may help protect our brains from iron accumulation and associated cognitive decline.
Researchers assessed the nutrient intake of 73 healthy adults ages 61 to 86 years. They assessed participants’ brain iron concentrations (using non-invasive scans) and tested their memory. Participants who consumed more foods (like plant oils) rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids and vitamin E, as well as the amino acid lysine, had lower brain iron concentrations and better working memory performance.
While these results are observational, consuming nuts, plant oils like soybean, olive, canola, and sunflower oil, and fish has consistently been associated with better overall health. Enjoy these foods as part of a healthy dietary pattern, and you may be protecting your brain in the process!
More Time Standing May Lower Type 2 Diabetes Risk
A study of sedentary adults at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes found that spending more time standing, rather than sitting, may lower risk.
The 64 study participants, ages 40 to 65, had metabolic syndrome—a cluster of conditions (including high blood sugar, low HDL cholesterol, high triglycerides, large waist circumference, and high blood pressure) that increases risk for developing type 2 diabetes as well as heart disease and stroke. Participants wore an accelerometer (a device that measures movement) for 26 days. The researchers also measured insulin sensitivity, a measure of how well the body’s cells respond to insulin in the bloodstream. High insulin sensitivity allows glucose to enter cells more effectively, resulting in lower blood sugar. Low insulin sensitivity is a risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes.
This study found that more time spent standing was associated with better insulin sensitivity in sedentary adults at increased risk for type 2 diabetes. Other research has found that standing is associated with benefits in healthy adults as well. So, try taking standing breaks if your job or hobby involve lots of sitting time, raise your work surface to create a standing desk, and get up during commercials when watching television and between episodes if you’re streaming shows.
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