I'm eager to share with you results of the three research projects which I came across recently. You can apply the learnings from these projects immediately to lower blood pressure and heart rate and hence reduce he risk of a heart attack or stroke. Let's dive in.
Here is the outcome of the 1st research. Scientists have confirmed that practicing mindfulness (slow breathing, meditation, etc). is an effective way to lower blood pressure. The scientists reviewed 12 studies about mindfulness protocols and their impact on overall health.
It turns out that mindfulness interventions led to lower anxiety less perceived stress, fewer symptoms of depression and improved systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
The mental health benefits appear to be the reason for the blood pressure improvements. These mindfulness practices help to reduce stress, lead to lower blood pressure and a higher quality of life overall. Here is the link to this study.
The 2nd exciting research was published in the Journal of the American Heart Association and it suggests that better heart healthy behaviours and managing heart disease risk factors described below are associated with a younger biological age and lower risk of heart disease, stroke and death. The heart healthy behaviours include the following items:
dietary intake
physical activity
hours slept per night
smoking status.
There are also four clinical measurements which include:
body mass index
cholesterol
blood sugar
blood pressure.
The study has analysed DNA methylation levels which is a biomarker of biological age. Scientists have found that for every 13 Point increase in the American Heart Association Life Essential eight cardiovascular health score (which includes all eight items above), the risk of developing cardiovascular disease is reduced by 35%, cardiovascular deaths reduced by 36% and deaths from all causes is reduced by 29%. Here is the link to this study.
Research #3 is actually a podcast from Dr Andy Galpin who is a professor of the California State University. Andy talks about the three indicators which he regularly reviews:
VO2Max
Resting heart rate
Respiratory rate Share
Dr Galpin explains very well why it is critically important to have VO2Mx as high possible and why it is important to have a resting heart rate below 60 bit per minute. Also why lower respiration rate is better. Reviewing these indicators regularly at home may give you a signal to visit your doctor. Here is a link to the podcast with Dr. Andy Galpin.
One more thing. If you believe that growing your VO2Max is great for your health, check out the podcast episode with Professor Martin Gibala from McMaster University in Canada, which my friend, biochemist Dr. Chong He and myself published recently.
Professor Gibala explains in more detail why VO2Max is so important, how everyone can improve it and how to measure progress at home.
Please let me know if you found this post useful and what other topics related to heart health you would like me to cover. Stay healthy!