The American Heart Association just released a scientific statement on blood pressure (BP) measurement that outlines new guidelines for accurately measuring blood pressure. This is the first time the AHA has made significant updates to their recommendations since 2005. In the statement they describe and compare different methods of measuring BP and make many recommendations. What are the key points that a physician should learn from this new paper?

SunTech announced just last week that a new veterinary blood pressure algorithm is under development. This new algorithm will be fine-tuned for equine physiology and will offer a non-invasive way to measure blood pressure on horses. To make the announcement, SunTech exhibited at the 64th Annual Convention of the American Association of Equine Practitioners in San Francisco. I had the opportunity to attend the convention with the primary goal of better understanding how veterinarians use and measure blood pressure today in their equine patients.

September 29th is World Heart Day and the World Heart Federation is letting you share your activity on their worldwide map. Whether you are running for someone you know, spreading awareness or just getting your blood pressure checked, let the world know at world-heart-federation.org.

To celebrate National Dog Day and to promote canine health, we took a look at some of the most common causes of hypertension in dogs

In honor of International Cat Day, we’ve put together a list of the easiest things any cat owner can do to make sure their cat is as healthy and happy as possible.

Gone are the days where your cardiovascular health could be summed up in two numbers. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure, measured at the brachial artery, were the key tools for staving off heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular disease (CVD). Have a BP of under 140/90? Great! You are going to live a long and healthy life. Over 140/90? Time to watch your salt and medicate away. While lowering BP in hypertensive patients has been proven to be an effective intervention, it may not be so simple any more. Research, such as the SPRINT study, are finding benefits for managing BP in pre-hypertensive patients. With that, a new series of indices and measurements are offering more tools for doctors to measure and treat hypertension.

Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) - a procedure in which a patient wears an automatic blood pressure device for 24 hours as readings are taken every 30-60 minutes - is a widely used hypertension diagnostic tool in many countries, but not the US.

Traditionally, blood pressure (BP) measurement is largely confined to the doctor's office, using manual measurements to provide a snapshot of a patient's blood pressure and cardiovascular risk.

Anyone who has had a stress test knows that stress tests are not easy and can even be painful! The commonly-used Bruce protocol for treadmill exercise tests includes 7 stages of 3 minutes each. The first stage starts at a 10% grade at a speed of 1.7 miles per hour. Each stage increases by 2% and between 5-9 miles per hour. Even though a stress test can last for over 20 minutes, most people don't last longer than seven minutes on the treadmill. However, it is important to keep going as long as possible to collect lots of data and be sure to reach the target heart rate. Each additional minute of a stress test could yield important information about the heart's condition.

As beloved pets age, it can be difficult to know how their health care needs to change so we will be discussing 3 ways to better care for senior animals. After all, your cat or dog can’t tell you what he or she is feeling. To stay on top their health into old age, it is important to adjust their veterinary care as needed, including going to the vet more often. Here are a few tips for ensuring that your furry friend receives top notch senior health care.

Just like humans, dogs can have hypertension, which is higher than normal blood pressure. The best way to prevent hypertension in your pet is through a healthy diet and exercise. The risk of high blood pressure increases as the animal ages. One study found that up to 10% of dogs may suffer from high blood pressure¹!

This past week my colleague, Jacinta McGlone, and I visited the Wake County SPCA located in Raleigh, NC. While there, we spoke with Staff Veterinarian Dr. Anna Boswell and Medical Assistant Allison Baker at the shelter. These ladies provided us valuable information on their ongoing battle to save countless animals' lives.

A blood pressure check is one of the first procedures done when you go to the doctor. So it should be no surprise that your veterinarian will likely check your pet’s blood pressure, too!

It is becoming more and more common for vets to regularly check blood pressure at every checkup. However, many pet owners do not realize that their pet’s blood pressure is constantly changing in response to many factors. Being aware of these factors and ensuring that your pet is comfortable in its environment will help the vet to get the most accurate blood pressure reading. Here is a list of 5 factors that may cause significant changes in your pet’s blood pressure: