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May 22, 2013
John Thorne:
They launched the 'Arab Spring' but now yearn for the good old days of a strongman
May 20, 2013
Richard A. Serrano: Is Meir Kahane's assassin now a changed man?
Melissa Healy: Genetic copies of living people from embryos no longer science fiction
Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : Jews Inducted into Rock Hall of Fame; Anton Yelchin co-stars in New "Trek" film; Kutcher (but not Kunis) visits Israel; Jewish TV Star Praises Jewish Rap Star
The Kosher Gourmet by Cathy Pollak: WARNING: This WALNUT CAKE WITH PRALINE FROSTING, perfect for afternoon coffee, is addicting
May 13, 2013
Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo: Why the giving of the document that would permanently change the world could only be done in desolation
David G. Savage: Church-state, literally? Supreme Court weighing public school graduation in a church
May 10, 2013
Rabbi Berel Wein: Be all that you should be
May 8, 2013
Peter Ford: Why China is welcoming both Israel's Netanyahu and Palestinians' Abbas
Warren Richey: Obama administration quietly backs out of appeal over new contraceptive mandate
Fred Weir: At Kerry-Putin meeting, US-Russia relations thaw --- a tad
The Kosher Gourmet by Leela Cyd Ross : Almost too pretty to eat, this colorful salad with Sicilian inspiration will tickle the taste buds and delight your visual sensibility
May 6, 2013
May 3, 2013
Kids, kittens the Same? With employee perks at struggling Internet pioneer Yahoo! it's hard to tell
Sandy Kleffman: Artificial kidney offers hope to patients tethered to a dialysis machine
April 29, 2013
Roy Gutman: Poland's new Jewish museum celebrates life, doesn't revisit Holocaust
Mark Clayton: Terrorism in America: Is US missing a chance to learn from failed plots?
Kim Murphy: Boston Bomber's 'Svengali' Revealed
Pete Spotts: Tiny satellites + cellphones = cheaper 'eyes in the sky' for NASA
April 26, 2013
Clifford D. May: Defense in the Age of Jihadist Terrorism
Sharon Palmer, R.D.: How to feel your best -- with plenty of energy, a healthy weight and optimal mental and physical function -- without driving yourself batty
April 24, 2013
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Jewish World Review
Ask the Harvard Experts: Blood pressure highest in the morning?
By
Howard LeWine, M.D.
Don't be alarmed. Here's why it happens
JewishWorldReview.com |
Q: I have high blood pressure. I'm taking pills to reduce the pressure and they keep it pretty well under control during the day. However, I wake up in the morning with much higher pressure. Is this normal? Is there anything I can do to lower my early morning blood pressure?
A: Blood pressure normally comes down during sleep. It then returns to your usual level just before you wake up.
Many people with high blood pressure have this pattern of good control during the day, but high readings in the morning. Here are some reasons why this may happen:
1. Your pills might not be effective for a full 24 hours. You might need to split your pills in half. Take half of your dose in the morning. Take the other half at night. Of course, check with your doctor first.
2. For reasons that aren't entirely clear, some people will have better blood pressure control all day if they take their pills before bed rather than in the morning. So talk with your doctor about switching all of your pills to a nighttime dose.
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3. You might have high blood pressure in the morning for reasons beside your medicine. Overuse of alcohol can raise blood pressure. So if you do drink alcohol, keep it to no more than a couple of drinks per day. One drink means 12 ounces of beer, 8 ounces of wine, or one shot of hard liquor.
4. Sleep apnea is another cause of high blood pressure early in the morning. With sleep apnea, the airway becomes blocked or breathing muscles stop moving. Breathing temporarily stops or becomes shallower. This can happen hundreds of times each night. Sleep apnea puts stress on the body. This raises adrenaline levels and blood pressure goes up. The most common symptoms of sleep apnea are loud snoring, poor sleep quality and excessive sleepiness during the day. Some people have morning headaches.
Talk with your doctor about these potential reasons for high morning blood pressures. Most likely some adjustment in your medications will get your readings under control. Also, maintaining a healthy weight, eating more plant-based foods, and exercising regularly help lower blood pressure all times of the day.
(Howard LeWine, M.D., is a practicing internist at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Mass., and Chief Medical Editor of Internet Publishing at Harvard Health Publications, Harvard Medical School.)
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