With hypertension (HTN) affecting nearly 80 million people in the United States and cardiovascular disease (CVD) the leading cause of death, any intervention that can lower blood pressure has the potential to save lives. In a study in the current issue of the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Florida State University researchers found that daily consumption of blueberries for eight weeks resulted in significant reductions of both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
Although the prevalence of HTN is associated with aging in both sexes, the increased incidence of high blood pressure, particularly systolic blood pressure (SBP), in women after menopause exceeds that of men. Endothelial dysfunction may play an important role in the increases in blood pressure that occur after menopause. Further, endothelial dysfunction is known to increase arterial stiffness, which is involved in the development and progression of both HTN and CVD.
