In a move toward meeting goals for better cardiovascular health in the United States over the next decade, the American Heart Association (AHA) is joining the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Hypertension Control Roundtable (NHCR)® along with other founding members in a public, private and non-profit collaboration committed to increasing blood pressure control rates to 80% by 2025.

Lifestyle changes – like eating healthier and exercising – can reduce the need for antihypertensive medications, and they can do it pretty quickly, according to a study presented at the American Heart Association's Joint Hypertension 2018 Scientific Sessions. Study participants with high blood pressure saw significant improvement within 16 weeks after making lifestyle changes. Such changes are the first step in reducing blood pressure according to the 2017 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Hypertension Guideline.

Firefighters who died from cardiac arrest were much more likely than those who died of other causes to show signs of both atherosclerotic and hypertensive heart disease at autopsy, according to new research in Journal of the American Heart Association, the Open Access Journal of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.

Even as a young adult, being overweight may cause higher blood pressure and thicken heart muscle, setting the stage for heart disease later in life, according to new research in the American Heart Association’s (AHA) journal Circulation.

Approximately 75 percent of black and men women are likely to develop high blood pressure by the age of 55, compared to 55 percent of white men and 40 percent of white women in the same age range, according to new research in Journal of the American Heart Association, the Open Access Journal of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.

Crossing your legs or even talking are among the seven common errors that can lead to inaccurate blood pressure readings, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). The organization is using May - National High Blood Pressure Education Month – to bring to light these measurement mistakes – all of which can lead to an artificially high reading:

A new study may take some of the pleasure out of those burgers you enjoy grilling in your backyard. Researchers found that people who regularly eat meat, chicken and fish grilled, broiled or roasted at high temperatures are more likely to develop high blood pressure – although they were careful to note that they identified a trend, not a cause-and effect.

An international study suggests other aspects of the diet may not offset the harmful effect of sodium on blood pressure. The study, published in the American Heart Association’s (AHA) journal Hypertension, also reaffirms the need for widespread sodium reduction in the food supply. Researchers reviewed data on sodium intake and intake of 80 nutrients, such as proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and amino acids, that may relate to blood pressure in 4,680 women and men (ages 40-59) in Japan, People’s Republic of China, the United Kingdom and the United States participating in the INTERMAP study.

Little is known about the cardiovascular risks for miners in the US as most research to date has focused on respiratory illness. Potential mining-related risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as particulate matter, carbon monoxide, noise, vibration, temperature extremes, and shift work combined with personal risk factors can put miners at greater risk of poor cardiovascular health.

From neighbors and traffic to trains and pets, noise is a part of our everyday lives. But there are serious repercussions when it comes to daily exposure to high noise levels. It’s important to stay aware of how noise can affect you—both physically and emotionally—and learn how you can protect yourself from noise pollution.