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TUESDAY, May 26, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Many people with high blood pressure may have an unrecognized hormonal condition driving their numbers up, a new study suggests. The condition, called primary aldosteronism, arises when the adrenal glands overproduce the hormone aldosterone. That causes the body to retain sodium and lose potassium, spurring a spike in blood pressure. Doctors have long considered the condition an uncommon cause of high blood pressure. But that, researchers say, is because they are simply not testing for it. In the new study, about 22% of patients with more severe high blood pressure had primary aldosteronism. The same was true of almost 16% of patients with milder, stage 1 high blood pressure, according to findings published online May 26 in the Annals of...

TUESDAY, May 26, 2020 (American Heart Association News) -- Weighing in at about the same as when he graduated high school, Brian Muscarella, 62, eats a healthy diet and enjoys plenty of physical activity. Indeed, he has completed the New York City Marathon four times. But at 53, Muscarella's life changed dramatically when he had a spinal stroke, which accounts for just over 1% of all strokes. "I had great blood work, I was in shape, and I didn't have any other basic signals that a stroke could happen," said Muscarella, who lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. Those signals, or risk factors, include obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, smoking cigarettes, drinking too much alcohol and a lack of physical activity. Like brain strokes, spinal strokes are...

TUESDAY, May 26, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- If anxiety and fear about COVID-19 are keeping you awake, rest assured: Adopting a few easy-to-follow habits will help you get a good night's sleep. "Now more than ever, we need to get good sleep," said Dr. Amy Guralnick, a pulmonologist at Loyola Medicine in Chicago. "Sleep can help our immune system function at its best. Getting a good night's sleep also helps us to think clearly and to problem-solve better." And, she added, too little sleep can lead to depression, anxiety and other mental health conditions. So what can you do to get more -- and better -- Zzzzzzz's? Make a sleep schedule and follow a routine, Guralnick advised. "Having a daily, fixed wake up time is the most important part of the schedule," she said. In the hours before...

TUESDAY, May 26, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- With businesses beginning to reopen, the National Safety Council (NSC) has tips for doing it right. "We hope these universal actions, the detailed playbooks and the recommendations within them will help employers safely navigate reopening operations while prioritizing employees' rights to safe work environments," said Lorraine Martin, NSC president and CEO. Here are top tips for employers: Phase in the return to work, taking into account risk and exposure levels. Disinfect before workers return and make changes to allow for physical distancing. Screen the health of all employees. Have a plan to deal with sick employees, and encourage behaviors for hygiene and infection control. Follow proper contact tracing steps if workers get...