Does the weather affect blood pressure?
Research from the University of Glasgow
has found that some people’s blood pressure is affected more by the cold weather and this blood pressure sensitivity to temperature may be a marker of early mortality.
The study involved assessing over 169,000 blood pressure measurements in 16,010 patients who attended the Glasgow Blood Pressure Clinic between 1970 and 2011. Each patient’s blood pressure measured at every clinic visit was mapped to prevailing weather conditions in the area on that day and the response of blood pressure to weather determined.
Blood Pressure UK said: ‘It is really interesting to know there may be a relationship between the weather and blood pressure; more research is needed to understand the potential mechanisms behind this.
‘However until we can control the weather, we can still rely on more traditional ways of controlling our blood pressure, such as eating more fruit and vegetables, less salt and alcohol, and taking more exercise.
‘Even if the sun isn't shining, we would advise going for a brisk walk as a more reliable way of reducing your long-term blood pressure.’
Click here for the paper in Hypertension
Click here for a review of the story in Behind The Headlines (NHS)