Hypertension (high blood pressure)
What Are Metoprolol Side Effects When Prescribed…
Metoprolol is one of the most prescribed drugs in the United States. At last count, nearly 90 millions prescriptions were dispensed annually. It has FDA approval to treat high blood pressure and heart…
Preventing Deadly Drug Interactions Harder Than …
If I told you that over 2 million people were harmed while flying on an airplane and 100,000 people died each year in airplane crashes you would be astounded. You might be reluctant to get on an airpl…
Will a Potassium Salt Substitute Lower Your Bloo…
When epidemiologists and cardiologists give advice about hypertension, they often recommend that we cut back on salt (Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Oct. 11, 2016). Strict salt restric…
How Helpful Are Beta Blockers After Heart Attack…
Beta blockers are among the most trusted and most prescribed drugs in the pharmacy. This category of medications includes atenolol (Tenormin), carvedilol (Coreg), metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol) and th…
A Brand New Blood Pressure Drug: Tryvio (Aprocit…
It took more than 30 years but we have a new medication to treat hypertension. It is called Tryvio (aprocitentan). Will it make a big difference in the management of high blood pressure? Only time wil…
Show 1378: Rediscovering the Power of Medicinal …
This week, two guests describe their work with the healing power of medicinal herbs. They draw upon family histories of herbalism along with their own studies of how to use botanical medicines. You ma…
Tai Chi Helps Blood Pressure Control
If blood pressure begins to creep up, a person might be diagnosed with prehypertension. In some cases, the healthcare provider will offer a prescription to lower blood pressure. Other individuals migh…
Salt Substitute Can Cut the Risk of High Blood P…
Americans love salt (and we are not the only ones who do). However, doctors warn us sternly that sodium chloride (aka salt) raises blood pressure. Public health officials frequently advise cutting sal…
Is New Weight Loss Drug Zepbound Better than Weg…
As you no doubt know, the buzz machine has been working overtime promoting weight loss drugs like Wegovy (semaglutide) and now Zepbound (tirzepatide). Zepbound is a twin of the diabetes drug Mounjaro,…
Generic Metoprolol Reveals Flaws With FDA’…
We have been writing about problems with generic metoprolol for more than a decade. This beta blocker is prescribed for patients with hypertension and heart problems such as angina pectoris, heart fai…
Show 1371: America’s Pharmacist Compares N…
This week, we talk with America’s Pharmacist, Suzy Cohen, about the effectiveness of medications and natural healing. Suzy has a multimedia presence in newspapers and on television. Millions of peop…
Can You Lower Your Blood Pressure with Food?
When the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association collaborated on new blood pressure guidelines in 2017, the cut-off numbers for hypertension got lower. That means a lot more …
What Is the Best Time to Eat?
A small study shows that the timing of meals can have a profound impact on blood sugar, insulin secretion and blood pressure. But what is the best time to eat? A reader is concerned that her late-nigh…
Does Grape Juice Have Heart Healthy Benefits?
Over the years, readers have told us about using grape juice to manage a range of conditions. Some people mix it with plant pectin (Certo) to ease the pain of arthritic joints. Others report it soothe…
Does Loneliness Raise Your Risk for Parkinson Di…
In May 2023, US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy raised the alarm about an epidemic of loneliness. He suggested that up to half of American adults feel isolated and disconnected from social support. The C…
Could Your Pharmacist Help You Control Your Bloo…
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly half of American adults have high blood pressure (aka hypertension). Might you be among them? Only about one person in four with hyp…
What’s the Best Way to Measure Blood Press…
Have you ever had a nurse or doctor measure blood pressure? Of course you have. It's almost impossible to avoid having your BP tested these days. The trouble is that more often than not it is measured…
What Are the Most Common Symptoms of Long COVID?
One of the revelations from the COVID pandemic is that people can suffer debilitating symptoms long after they have recovered from the acute infection. Long COVID affects tens of millions of people wh…
Can You Trust Your Blood Pressure Measurements? …
Visit a doctor's office for almost anything that ails you and the chances are good you will have your blood pressure measured. That's because it is an essential diagnostic procedure to detect hyperten…
Lisinopril and Angioedema: A Life-Threatening Si…
Lisinopril is the most frequently prescribed blood pressure pill in the United States. At last count, about 20 million Americans take this ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme) inhibitor daily. We estim…
Seven Mistakes to Avoid When Measuring Blood Pre…
Do you have hypertension? If not, you are almost an anomaly. The AHA (American Heart Association) estimates that 122 million Americans have high blood pressure (Circulation, Feb. 23, 2023). This puts …
Show 1352: Home Tests, Tech and Tools to Improve…
Only a few decades ago, most households had very limited ways of measuring their members’ health. There were thermometers to tell if someone had a fever. A bathroom scale could tell if you were losi…
Amlodipine and Dizziness: How Common is This Sid…
Amlodipine is a commonly prescribed blood pressure medicine. At last count, 17 million people take amlodipine daily in the US. It is referred to as a calcium channel blocker (CCB) or a calcium antagon…
Do You Take Olive Oil for Your Blood Pressure?
Have you been looking for natural ways to lower your blood pressure? People who manage their blood pressure with medications are less likely to experience cognitive decline (JAMA, May 19, 2020). What'…
Is Your Home Blood Pressure Monitor Up to Snuff?
How accurate is your home blood pressure monitor? Readings can determine whether someone is put on medicine or not. How would you even begin to determine whether your measurements are accurate? Becaus…
Show 1307: Cocoa Compounds and the COSMOS Trial …
This week on our nationally syndicated radio show, we explore the power of cocoa compounds to help heart health. Our first guest is Harvard’s Dr. JoAnn Manson, lead investigator of the COSMOS trial.…
How Positive Relationships Support Your Health
When doctors assess a patient’s health, they often measure things like blood pressure, cholesterol and physical activity. A new study suggests that social relationships, in particular positive relat…
Do Blueberries Help Older People with Memory?
Could blueberries help improve blood pressure and cognitive function in older people? Researchers have been considering this question for years. The latest study suggests that wild blueberries may imp…
Diuretic Blood Pressure Pill Could Send Potassiu…
Blood pressure medications are supposed to lower blood pressure. Some, however, also lower certain crucial minerals. What happens when a water pill makes potassium way too low? This can be a life-thre…
How Can You Lower Blood Pressure Naturally?
Everyone loves pills. Doctors love to prescribe medicine. Patients love to swallow drugs. We are a pill-taking society. But all medications come with pros and cons. That is true of anti-hypertensive d…
Women Who Eat Mediterranean Diets Improve Pregna…
The Mediterranean diet has gotten a lot of attention for the health benefits it can provide. These include common but important factors like lower cholesterol, a reduced likelihood of diabetes and eve…
CoQ10 Has Heart Benefits
Doctors are frequently skeptical about dietary supplements. After all, who would guess that something with an improbable name like CoQ10 has heart benefits? Yet scientists who have studied this natura…
Can Ashwagandha Help You with Stress and Sleep?
Stress can boost blood pressure, make pain worse, interfere with cognitive processing and limit the amount of sleep a person is able to get. In addition, a person under stress has more difficulty regu…
Natural Approaches or Pharmaceuticals for What A…
Medical and pharmacy students must respect pharmaceuticals. They learn how drugs work (mechanism of action) and understand that the randomized controlled trials that lead to FDA approval are the gold …
New Analysis Disputes Dogma that All Seniors Nee…
The American Heart Association (AHA) and the American College of Cardiology (ACC) created a risk calculator that tells physicians and patients when someone should take a statin-type cholesterol-loweri…
How to Boost Your Cardiovascular Health with Coc…
Thousands of years ago, native people in Mexico, Central America and the Amazon basin treasured cacao. That's the tree whose fruit is the source of cocoa and chocolate. In fact, they domesticated it s…
Will Drinking Dragon Fruit Juice Improve your He…
Have you seen a new product on supermarket shelves lately? Some stores are stocking dragon fruit juice, which might have you wondering what that is. One of our readers is wondering whether it has heal…
Popular Blood Pressure Pills Under Cancer Cloud
Nearly a decade ago, a front-page story in the Wall Street Journal blew the lid off a highly controversial internal squabble at the FDA involving a popular category of blood pressure medicines. ARBs (…
Can Eating Beets Benefit Eyesight as Well as Blo…
Do you like beets? We do, but we've heard that a lot of people object to their earthy flavor. On the other hand, research demonstrates that people who eat beets regularly may have less trouble with hi…
Multiple BP Meds leads to Lisinopril and Losarta…
When it comes to hypertension (HTN), many physicians strive to meet guidelines set up by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA). According to these organizat…