Talking on your mobile phone may spike blood pressure
New research finds that talking on your mobile phone can increase your blood pressure.
Researchers from Italy's Guglielmo da Saliceto Hospital enlisted 94 men and women who had mild to moderate high blood pressure. Subjects randomly received phone calls on their mobile, seated in a comfortable chair alone in a room, while their blood pressure measurements were taken via an automated device. The team saw that subjects' blood pressure readings jumped to 129/82 from 121/77 while they chatted on a mobile phone.
But for those who talked on their phones more than 30 times each day, the rise in systolic, or the top number, blood pressure was less dramatic, the study found.
While the researchers aren't clear as to why this happens, study lead Dr. G. Crippa speculates two possible reasons: "The subset of patients who were more accustomed to phone use were younger, which could show that younger people are less prone to be disturbed by telephone intrusions."
He adds: "Another possibility is that people who make more than 30 calls per day may feel more reassured if the mobile phone is activated since they are not running the risk of missing an opportunity."
The findings were presented Wednesday at the annual scientific meeting of the American Society of Hypertension in San Francisco.
jw/kc
