Ames, Iowa — When you visit the doctor’s office, someone will usually check your height, weight and blood pressure. New research from Iowa State University finds that last simple procedure could help to reduce the risk of a heart attack or stroke.
Dr. Jim Lang, an ISU professor of kinesiology, says they put a blood pressure cuff on test patients for five minutes or so and did that three or four times — with surprising results.
Much the way exercise helps muscles adapt to more strenuous workouts, studies find that short, repeated bouts of reduced circulation with a blood pressure cuff may help reduce tissue damage and prevent the worst outcomes of heart attacks and strokes. The research finds people who’ve survived a heart attack or stroke may benefit from routine use of a blood pressure cuff, and it could also have positive impacts on people with diabetes and other ailments.
A decent blood pressure cuff only costs about 25 dollars and Lang says the study suggests this do-it-yourself, non-invasive procedure can boost vascular and cardiac functions, modestly lower blood pressure and reduce the heart’s workload.
Using the cuff could benefit someone preparing for an upcoming surgery, people who are pre-hypertensive or who have sleep apnea, Lang says, adding, even astronauts could find the procedure as an effective supplement to their workouts in orbit. Lang’s study was recently published in the Journal of Physiology.
