If your parents have a history of high blood pressure, you can significantly reduce your risk of developing the disease with moderate exercise and increased cardiovascular fitness, according to new research in the American Heart Association's journal "Hypertension."

In a study of more than 6,000 people, those who had a parent with high blood pressure but were highly fit had a 34 percent lower risk of developing high blood pressure themselves, compared to those with a low fitness level who had the same parental history.

"Understanding the roles that family history and fitness play in chronic diseases is critically important," said Robin Shook, study lead author and a doctoral graduate student in the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina in Columbia. "The results of this study send a very practical message, which is that even a very realistic, moderate amount of exercise — which we define as brisk walking for 150 minutes per week — can provide a huge health benefit, particularly to people predisposed to hypertension because of their family history."

Researchers followed a group of 6,278 predominantly Caucasian adults 20- to 80-years-old for an average 4.7 years. The participants were patients of the Cooper Clinic, a non-profit organization dedicated to preventive medicine, research and education in Dallas. Thirty-three percent of participants reported that a parent had hypertension.

When the study began, all participants were healthy, reported no physician diagnosis of hypertension and achieved an exercise test score of at least 85 percent of their age-predicted maximal heart rate. Researchers determined participants' cardiorespiratory fitness using a maximal treadmill exercise test.

During the study, 1,545 participants reported they had developed hypertension.

Researchers found that:

—Combining those with and without a family history of high blood pressure, high levels of fitness were associated with a 42 percent lower risk of developing hypertension, and moderate levels of fitness with a 26 percent lower risk.

—People with both a low level of fitness and a parent with hypertension had a 70 percent higher risk for developing hypertension compared to highly fit people with no parental history.

—Those with a high level of fitness and a parent with hypertension experienced only a 16 percent higher risk of developing hypertension compared to those who were fit and had no parental history.

Information courtesy of the American Heart Association.

Q and A

Q: Is yoga enough exercise to help me lose weight?

A: Some studies do suggest that yoga could play a role, although results vary depending on the type of yoga. A study of six healthy young adults who did the Sun Salutation (a series of 12 poses repeatedly going from standing to floor) estimated that they burned about 230 calories in a half-hour session. That's comparable to what the average person burns in the same period on a brisk walk. Since these people weighed less than 135 pounds on average, a person who weighs more would likely burn somewhat more calories. In addition, researchers found that as these subjects were doing this more actively moving form of yoga, they were working out at a heart rate that could improve cardiovascular fitness if done regularly. Yoga that involves more sitting and less movement would burn fewer calories and have less effect on cardiovascular fitness. Aside from any weight impact, yoga increases flexibility, improves balance and relieves stress. Depending on the type of yoga and your health goals, it may or may not offer all the strength-building exercise you need to maintain body muscle. Yoga can be an excellent choice of exercise. We tend to get the most benefit from a mixture of different types of activity, each providing different benefits, so it would be ideal to also add in some regular walking, swimming, biking or other type of aerobic activities. Note that research clearly shows that physical activity plays a major role in maintaining weight. For weight loss, almost everyone also needs to make some changes in eating habits to decrease calorie consumption.

Information courtesy of the American Institute for Cancer Research.

RECIPE

Here is a great weeknight meal from Cooking Light's May 2012 magazine. You can make it in less than 20 minutes and it has less than 10 grams of fat per sandwich.

Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches

1/2 cup no-salt-added ketchup

2 tablespoons honey mustard

2 tablespoons water

3/4 teaspoon ancho chile powder

3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

3 cups shredded skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken

3 tablespoons canola mayonnaise

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

3 cups packaged coleslaw

1/3 cup chopped green onions

6 hamburger buns, toasted

Combine first 10 ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer; cook 10 minutes. Combine sauce and chicken. Combine mayonnaise, vinegar, and sugar. Add coleslaw and onions; toss. Place about 1/2 cup chicken mixture on bottom half of each bun. Top each serving with about 1/2 cup coleslaw mixture; top with top half of bun. Serves 6 (serving size: 1 sandwich).

Per serving: 316 calories, 21.4 grams protein, 35.3 grams carbohydrate, 9.9 grams fat, 53 milligrams cholesterol, 2.1 grams fiber, 548 milligrams sodium.

Charlyn Fargo is a registered dietitian from Springfield, Ill. For comments or questions, contact her at [email protected]. To find out more about Charlyn Fargo and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.