What is blood pressure?
Blood pressure is a measure of the strength of the heart’s pumping of blood through the walls of the arteries in the body. Blood pressure is measured by means of an inflatable arm placed on the hand and a pressure gauge. A blood pressure reading consists of two numbers:
First or upper : It measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats (systolic pressure).
Second or lower : It measures the pressure in the arteries between beats (diastolic pressure).
A mid-day nap is good for blood pressure
A new study presented at the European Society of Cardiology conference on Saturday found that a mid-day nap is associated with lower blood pressure levels and the use of fewer antihypertensive medications.
– studying:
The researchers studied 200 men and 186 women, with an average age of 61.4 years, who had arterial hypertension.
– Results:
For participants who took a midday nap, average systolic blood pressure readings were 5% lower over the 24-hour period. Compared to those who do not sleep at all in the middle of the day.
The research team noted that longer hours of sleep during the midday nap were more beneficial. Because patients slept for 60 minutes in the middle of the day, their average 24-hour systolic blood pressure decreased by 4 mmHg.
It was observed that the participants who slept at noon took fewer antihypertensive drugs. compared to those who did not sleep in the middle of the day.
It must be noted that reductions as small as 2 mmHg in systolic blood pressure can reduce the risk of cardiovascular events by up to 105 and therefore should not be underestimated.
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