Month: March 2014

Even slightly high blood pressure can increase the risk of stroke, a new review of evidence concludes. The American Heart Association classifies readings above 140/90 as high blood pressure. Below 120/80 is considered normal. The new study looked at the range in between. This is called prehypertension. Researchers put together data from 19 long-term studies. They included a total of 760,000 people. They kept track of people for up to 36 years. Depending on the study, 25% to 54% of people had prehypertension. Nearly 20% of all strokes occurred in this group. The new study also divided this group into 2 different levels of prehypertension. One group had blood pressure readings between 130/85 and 139/89. The other group had blood pressures between 120/80 and 129/84. People in the higher range were 95% more likely to have strokes than those with normal blood pressure.

Gestational diabetes may increase the risk of heart disease, even for women who don’t develop type 2 diabetes later. That’s the conclusion of a new study that included nearly 900 women. They did not have heart disease or diabetes when the study began. About 13% developed gestational diabetes. This form of diabetes occurs during pregnancy. It usually goes away afterward. But it does increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Diabetes increases the risk of heart disease. After 20 years of follow-up, researchers measured the women’s carotid arteries. Thick arteries may indicate atherosclerosis, a buildup of deposits inside arteries. This condition can lead to heart disease or stroke. Carotid arteries were thicker in women who had gestational diabetes in the past than in other women.