Misdiagnosed with acid reflux and anxiety, her heart s arteries were blocked
Suzanne Marta, American Heart Association News
April 28, 2021
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Walking briskly up a steep hill to pick up her daughter from school, Katrien Limón felt a pain in her chest. Like I had the worst acid reflux of my life, she said.
Katrien, who lives in Montrose, California, had been treated for acid reflux before. So on that afternoon in June 2018, she took medication and drank water. The pain, however, only seemed to go away when she stopped or walked at an easy pace.
Finding no relief after two weeks, Katrien went to urgent care. She received stronger medication. It didn t help, so she followed up with her doctor a week later. The doctor thought it might be reflux-related and referred Katrien to a gastroenterologist. Tests for possible gallbladder disease and other stomach issues found no answers.
Take stock of your health with this post-lockdown checklist
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People with slightly high blood pressure may need medication
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Higher pulse pressure in smokers may signal cardiovascular disease risk
Karen Schmidt, American Heart Association News
April 27, 2021
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Consistent cigarette smoking has a small but significant effect on pulse pressure, according to research that suggests a possible new link between smoking and cardiovascular disease, especially among Black and white women.
Pulse pressure is the difference between systolic blood pressure, the top number in a reading, and diastolic blood pressure, the lower number. As that gap widens, it s problematic, said study co-author Kara Whitaker, assistant professor of health and human physiology at the University of Iowa in Iowa City.
It is measured by mmHg, which is a millimeter of mercury. So, for someone with a blood pressure reading of 120/80, the pulse pressure would be the difference between the two numbers, or 40 mmHg. The normal range is 40 to 60.