Wearing body-sculpting underwear and compression sportswear poses risks for people with high blood pressure, Taipei-based cardiologist Chiu Chiung-zuan (邱俊仁) said.
Chiu, head of Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital’s department of cardiology, said that compression pants and body-sculpting underwear have a negative effect on blood circulation and cardiovascular health, especially for people who have high blood pressure.
A Ministry of Health and Welfare study estimated that as many as 240,000 people in Taiwan’s 18 to 39 age group are unaware that they have high blood pressure.
Chiu said that people with high blood pressure who wear body-sculpting clothing for prolonged periods might experience hypoxia due to excessive compression of the body, which can impede normal breathing and circulation, with symptoms including chest tightness, nausea and vertigo.
A 50-year-old female patient surnamed Liu (劉) developed headaches, neck stiffness, blurred vision, a tight chest, poor sleep, vertigo and dizzy spells as a result of wearing body-sculpting underwear combined with undiagnosed high blood pressure, Chiu said.
Liu one day fainted and her systolic blood pressure reading was 220 millimeters of mercury (mmHg). She was sent to the hospital’s emergency room, Chiu said.
Compression pants also pose a health risk to people with high blood pressure, Chiu said.
“Even for people with normal blood pressure, if they often wear the type of clothing that compresses the chest, stomach, hips and thighs, it can elevate their blood pressure,” he said.
Many people mistake symptoms of hypertension — headache, panting, stiff neck and shoulders, blurred vision — as only temporary reactions from mental stress or tiredness, Chiu said.
Smoking, eating a high-sodium diet, obesity and a lack of exercise are likely causes of high blood pressure, and people should actively monitor their health and seek treatment when necessary, Chiu said.
Chiu said that instead of wearing tight clothing to appear thinner, the healthier method is to reduce body weight by changing lifestyles, such as eating a balanced diet and food low in sodium, quitting smoking and exercising regularly.
Considering that most countries issue more than five denominations of banknotes, the central bank has decided to redesign all five denominations, the bank said as it prepares for the first major overhaul of the banknotes in more than 24 years. Central bank Governor Yang Chin-lung (楊金龍) is expected to report to the Legislative Yuan today on the bank’s operations and the redesign’s progress. The bank in a report sent to the legislature ahead of today’s meeting said it had commissioned a survey on the public’s preferences. Survey results showed that NT$100 and NT$1,000 banknotes are the most commonly used, while NT$200 and NT$2,000
A NT$39 receipt for two bottles of tea at a FamilyMart was among the NT$10 million (US $312,969) special prize winners in the January-February uniform invoice lottery. FamilyMart said that two NT$10 million-winning receipts were issued at its stores, as well as two NT$2 million grand prizes and three NT$200,000 first prizes. The two NT$10 million receipts were issued at stores in Pingtung County and Yilan County’s Dongshan Township (冬山). One winner spent just NT$39 on two bottles of tea, while another spent NT$80 on water, tea and coffee, the company said. Meanwhile, 7-Eleven reported three NT$10 million winners — in New Taipei
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday reported the first case of a new COVID-19 subvariant — BA.3.2 — in a 10-year-old Singaporean girl who had a fever upon arrival in Taiwan and tested positive for the disease. The girl left Taiwan on March 20 and the case did not have a direct impact on the local community, it said. The WHO added the BA.3.2 strain to its list of Variants Under Monitoring in December last year, but this was the first imported case of the COVID-19 variant in Taiwan, CDC Deputy Director-General Lin Ming-cheng (林明誠) said. The girl arrived in Taiwan on
ANNUAL EVENT: Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in Daan Park, with an event zone operating from 10am to 6pm This year’s Taipei Floral Picnic is to be held at Daan Park today and tomorrow, featuring an exclusive Pokemon Go event, a themed food market, a coffee rave picnic area and stage performances, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said yesterday. Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in the park as attractions, with an exclusive event zone operating from 10am to 6pm, it said. Participants who complete designated tasks on-site would have a chance to receive limited-edition souvenirs, it added. People could also try the newly launched game Pokemon Pokopia in the trial area, the department said. Three PokeStops are
RSS