Archives: October 2023
Should Your Blood Pressure Be Taken Lying Down?
Recent data¹ presented at the American Heart Association Hypertension Scientific Sessions from a long-term study has shown that there’s always something to learn, even with modern medicine and the technological advances we have enjoyed. This long-term study consisted of about 11,000 patients and began in the late 1980s. The thinking behind this study is that not all cases of high blood pressure will be found when blood pressure readings are taken sitting. Indeed, this was true, with approximately 16% of participants showing high blood pressure while lying down but not while sitting.
The data suggests that a blood pressure reading while patients sit and then lie down could be more valuable in evaluating heart disease risk than blood pressure readings with patients sitting up alone.
Semaglutide Study on Cardiovascular Disease
With obesity rising in the United States and worldwide, providers and patients seek novel ways to combat the diseases associated with excess weight. People use several methods to lose weight, from fad diets to surgical weight loss, but with almost 75% of the adult population overweight or obese, something needs to change. Our standard measures of healthy and unhealthy weights are based on a somewhat archaic formula known as the body mass index (BMI). Obesity is defined as patients with a BMI greater than 30, while those considered overweight are between 25 and 29.9. The BMI has several limitations discussed in one of our other blogs. However, it is the simplest and best formula we have today.