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| Masked hypertension poses hidden hazard by Medical Study News, full story click here Patients with "masked" hypertension that is not detected by routine office blood pressure measurements appear to have stroke and death rates similar to that of patients with sustained high blood pressure; whereas patients with so-called "white coat" hypertension appear to have no greater risk than people with normal blood pressure, according to a new study in the Aug. 2, 2005, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. "It is important for physicians and other health practitioners to recognize at least the possibility that conventional blood pressure measurements could miss masked hypertension. Otherwise, they may not suspect masked hypertension if a patient develops organ damage or cardiovascular diseases in spite of good control of blood pressure and other risk factors according to measurements taken in the office. If these patients are not identified and do not receive appropriate treatment, they could develop further organ damage or cardiovascular problems," said Takayoshi Ohkubo, M.D., Ph.D., at Tohoku University Hospital in Sendai, Japan. Almost one out of five participants in this study had masked hypertension; that is, their blood pressure appeared to be normal according to conventional measurements in a clinic, but it was high when measured by a device that was worn by the participant over a 24-hour period. "White coat" hypertension means that a person's blood pressure appears high when it is measured during a clinic visit (typically by a physician or nurse in a white coat), but the pressure is lower when measured by the patient outside of the clinic. This is the first prospective study to reveal the risks associated with masked hypertension and "white coat" hypertension in a representative sample of a general population. The 1,332 participants (872 women and 460 men at least 40 years old) lived in Ohasama, Iwate Prefecture, Japan. In addition to obtaining "casual" blood pressure measurements in typical clinical settings, the study subjects wore ambulatory blood pressure monitors that automatically recorded data over a 24 hour period. Deaths and strokes were tracked for an average of 10 years after the initial blood pressure measurements. Participants with normal blood pressure (as measured in the clinic and with ambulatory monitoring) or "white coat" hypertension (meaning their clinic measurements were high, but the ambulatory monitor readings were normal) had similar outcomes. However, the risks of stroke or death were significantly higher for both patients with sustained hypertension (elevated both in the clinic and on ambulatory readings) and those with masked hypertension (normal in clinic measurements, but elevated according to ambulatory monitoring). "Masked hypertension has a poor prognosis, and it may not be identified by conventional blood pressure measurement. The use of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring can identify masked hypertension," Dr. Ohkubo said. "Masked hypertension is a similarly risky condition to sustained hypertension." Dr. Ohkubo said that ideally every adult should be screened with an ambulatory blood pressure monitor at least once. If universal screening with 24-hour ambulatory monitoring is difficult, he recommended screening individuals who have an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease. Home blood pressure monitors could also be used to help identify patients, he said. Based on the results of this long-running study, Dr. Ohkubo said individuals with masked hypertension should be treated the same as patients with sustained hypertension. He said individuals with "white coat" hypertension might need blood pressure treatment only if other factors put them at high risk for cardiovascular disease, but he added that they would need to be carefully followed with ambulatory or home blood pressure measurements, since their very long-term prognosis has not been clarified. |
| Hypertension by http://hearthealth.articleinsider.com/10178_hypertension.html One in four Americans suffer from high blood pressure, or hypertension. Hypertension is a leading cause in the hardening of arteries, heart attacks and strokes. Hypertension is a leading contributing factor in heart and kidney disease.Hypertension i... |
| Emerging evidence supports early detection, monitoring, and in some cases treatment for children suffering from high blood pressure by http://www.news-medical.net/?id=10077 One year after recommending that children should be checked for high blood pressure starting at age 3, medical experts reviewed additional supporting evidence for the pediatric blood pressure guidelines at the American Society of Hypertension's Twentieth Annual Meeting (ASH 2005). |
| Erectile Dysfunction, High Blood Pressure Linked by http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=24424&nfid=rssfeeds Men with high blood pressure have a new reason to get their condition under control - they may be at risk for erectile dysfunction, medical experts announced today at the American Society of Hypertension's Twentieth Annual Scientific Meeting... click link for more info. |
| Benicar and Benicar HCT significantly reduces systolic hypertension by http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=25241&nfid=rssfeeds Data from two clinical studies presented at the American Society of Hypertension's Twentieth Annual Scientific Meeting (ASH 2005) in San Francisco demonstrated that BENICAR? (olmesartan medoxomil) and BENICAR HCT? (olmesartan medoxomil/hydrochlorothiazide) were effective in treating the difficult patient with Stage 2** hypertension, as well as the less complicated Stage 1** patient, helping both achieve nationally recognized blood pressure goals... click link for more info. |
| Diabetes and Primary Care - New BHS guidelines: up-to-date hypertension management in diabetes by http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0MDP/is_4_6/ai_n9475785 Introduction The recently updated guidelines from the British Hypertension Society (BHS) have incorporated evidence from trials and other sources over the past five years, and have a particular f |
| Herbal Remedy For High Blood Pressure by http://herbal.articleinsider.com/162334_herbal_remedy_for_high_blood_pressure.html An herbal remedy for high blood pressure can be a major part treatment designed to lower blood pressure. Along with some lifestyle changes, herbs can help bring down blood pressure, clean the blood and lead to a healthier and longer life by reducing the ... |
| Diruetics Can Help Diabetics With High Blood Pressure by http://topix.net/r/0G3UF8Xfk0N0K2FaUJHRPr=2BeN4F5yVPpj=2B87k4yb6Yi0MDPTHPIALQzW7qz3Wf7R=2FK4u5fMaRrP Diruetics Can Help Diabetics With High Blood Pressure Jun 27, 2005 3:55 pm US/Central People who suffer from two complicated health problems may benefit from treatment with simple water pills,or diuretics. |
| Lowering Blood Pressure by http://herbal.articleinsider.com/162328_lowering_blood_pressure.html Lowering blood pressure is a major concern for millions of Americans. At least 50 million suffer from high blood pressure, but millions are unaware of their condition. Anyone, at any age, can develop high blood pressure and it is especially dangerous be... |
| High blood pressure's effect on the eyes by http://topix.net/r/0G3UF8Xfk0N0K2FaUJHRPr1QXwi4uCFFVZThYH7nLmzOmyWLx5KWD652VgRbsFy=2BDbKwschsMUzUPcd Q: My ophthalmologist told me that I have early signs of eye damage that is probably the result of my high blood pressure. |
| High Blood Pressure by http://hearthealth.articleinsider.com/10179_high_blood_pressure.html High blood pressure affects 23 percent of all Americans from ages 20-74. High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a condition where your heart is working harder than normal to force blood through your circulatory system. The blood presses against the wa... |
| African Americans suffering hypertension given some hope by Peter Goodyear African-Americans suffering from hypertension or high blood pressure as it is commonly known, finally have reason to be hopeful. Nebivolol, a beta-blocker currently under review by the U.S. Food & Drug Authority (FDA), has proved to be far more effective than any other beta-blocker drugs in controlling high blood pressure in patients who are black.According to statistics presented at the ISHIB2005, an annual gathering of healthcare professionals from around the globe, nebivolol proved to be significantly better than placebo in reducing systolic and diastolic blood pressure among hypertensive African-Americans. During clinical trials, Elijah Saunders, professor of medicine (cardiology and hypertension) at the University of Maryland, and his colleagues randomly administered varying doses (2.5, 5, 10, 20, or 40 mg) of nebivolol and placebo to about 300 mild-to-moderate hypertensive black patients once daily for three months. Saunders said the latest study disproved claims that beta blockers were not effective in blacks. It is still unclear why nebivolol is more effective in blacks than some other medicines. However, Saunders speculated that it could be because of a reduction in the production of nitric oxide in African-Americans compared to whites. Nebivolol is a nitric oxide-enhancing beta blocker. |
| Dark Chocolate May Ease Hypertension by http://www.rednova.com/news/display/?id=180316&source=r_health Eating half a bar of dark chocolate each day may lower high blood pressure, according to a new study--though experts cautioned that the results should not be read as an invitation for chocoholics to pig out. Rich in flavonoids--a group of beneficial chemicals found in certain fruits, vegetables, teas and red wines--dark chocolate previously had shown signs of reducing the overall risk of heart disease. But the new study, published this week in the Journal of the American Heart Association, is the first to suggest that the compounds in chocolate could specifically benefit people with hypertension. "I was surprised at the result," said Dr. Jeannette Newton Keith, assistant professor of medicine in gastroenterology and nutrition at the University of Chicago, who was not connected to the study. "Chocolate is a dessert. ... It's not something we traditionally think of as an essential nutrient." |
| Teen girls have healthier stress response than boys by By Charnicia E. Huggins NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Adolescent girls may be better protected against the effects of stress than teenage boys, according to a team of Georgia researchers. In a study of teenagers' responses to mental stress, they found that girls did not exhibit the same increase in blood pressure as did their male peers. "Very few studies have reported a teenager's response to prolonged mental stress," Dr. Gaston Kapuku, of the Medical College of Georgia said in a statement. "Our findings indicate that females are protected against the effects of stress as demonstrated by their ability to maintain lower blood pressure." The findings were presented Sunday during this year's meeting of the International Society on Hypertension in Blacks (ISHIB), held in Puerto Rico. |
| Definition of Pulmonary hypertension by http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=5126 Pulmonary hypertension: High blood pressure in the pulmonary artery that conveys blood from the right ventricle to the lungs. The pressure in the pulmonary artery is normally low compared to that in the aorta. Pulmonary hypertension can irrevocably damage the lungs and cause failure of the right ventricle. Pulmonary hypertension is conventionally divided into primary and secondary types. Primary pulmonary hypertension is considered idiopathic (of unknown origin). It occurs sporadically with no family history of the disorder and in a familial form. Secondary pulmonary hypertension may be due to congenital heart disease, pulmonary embolism, portal hypertension, collagen vascular disorders (such as lupus), sarcoidosis, and HIV infection. The goals of treatment for pulmonary hypertension are to treat the underlying cause, to reduce symptoms and improve quality of life, to slow the growth of the smooth muscle cells and the development of blood clots; and to increase the supply of blood and oxygen to the heart, while reducing its workload. Treatments include medications, oxygen, and lung transplant. |
| Salt factory workers risk hypertension by Indo-Asian News Service New Delhi Workers in salt factories face the risk of hypertension due to an increased intake of salt, a study has said. Scientists from the Desert Medicine Research Centre in Jodhpur measured the blood pressure of workers in two salt milling factories in Rajasthan. They divided the workers into two groups: those working close to a salt milling plant and were directly involved in crushing, grinding, milling and packing salt and those who worked far away from the salt milling plant and were much less exposed to salt particles, reports science portal eurekalert.org. The results of the study show that the first group of workers had a mean systolic blood pressure of 122.1 mmHg, which is significantly higher than the mean systolic blood pressure of 118.8 mmHg measured in the second group. In addition, workers from the first group had an incidence of hypertension of 12.2 per cent compared to an incidence of 7.0 per cent in the second group. Wearing facemasks and plastic spectacles for four days caused the mean systolic blood pressure of workers from the first group to drop significantly from 127.8 mmHg on the first day to 117.5 mmHg on the fourth day, the study said. "This is a new observation, though it is in line with the hypothesis that, after being inhaled, salt may be absorbed from respiratory tract or the gastrointestinal tract. Consequent increases in plasma sodium may be responsible for increase in blood pressure," the researchers said. Their findings also suggest that workers in factories such as the ones studied could easily protect themselves from the negative effects of exposure to salt particles by wearing masks and glasses. A high consumption of salt has been shown to be directly linked to high blood pressure and the development of cardiovascular and kidney diseases, which are major causes of mortality worldwide. |
| Mexico Launches Genetic Mapping Project by By THERESA BRAINE, Associated Press Writer MEXICO CITY - The Mexican government and private companies launched a project Monday to map the genes of Mexicans, in hopes of developing treatments for health problems such as diabetes, asthma and hypertension. Based on the Human Genome Project the effort is the largest study of Latin American genes and could usher in a new medical era for the region, authorities said. Completed in 2003, the Human Genome Project was a 13-year project coordinated by the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health to identify all the approximately 20,000-25,000 genes in human DNA. Mexico's National Institute of Genomic Medicine will work with California-based Applied Biosystems Group, part of Applera Corp., and IBM's Healthcare and Life Sciences division on the project to map the genes of Mexicans. The research could lead to medications designed for specific individuals and the health problems they face, said Mexican Health Secretary Julio Frenk. He said the research could help doctors shift medical science "from one of diagnosis and treatment to one of foreseeing and preventing." Frenk spoke at a ceremony at the country's Genomic Medicine institute, which was established to research ways to improve health care by using recently mapped genetic information. Tony L. White, CEO of Applera Corp, said that genetic research presages a new way of viewing disease. "This is what's going to turn medicine from an empirical science, where you just kind of guess what's wrong with someone based on symptoms, to a fact-based science where we understand the molecular basis of the disease at the individual level or the gene level, and then you work back from there for a cure," White said. Frenk said similar research is already underway in Africa, Japan, Europe and the United States. |
| Hypertension Undertreated in Elderly by By Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter Hypertension Undertreated in Elderly Yet they're at highest risk of heart attack and stroke, study says HealthDayNews -- Many older people with high blood pressure aren't receiving the recommended care for their condition, a new study finds. Researchers examined the current patterns of treatment for blood pressure, also known as hypertension, in people aged 80 and older. They wanted to find out how well blood pressure is being controlled in this group and determine the risk of high blood pressure among the elderly. "The reason why that is important is that there are very few data in this age group, and this is the fastest growing population group in the U.S.," said lead researcher Dr. Donald M. Lloyd-Jones, an assistant professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. We found that three-quarters of people aged 80 and over have hypertension. About 70 percent are on only one blood pressure medication; therefore, the rates of controlling their hypertension are very low," Lloyd-Jones said. In their study, Lloyd-Jones and his team collected data on nearly 5,300 participants enrolled in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's Framingham Heart Study. While hypertension and drug treatment increased with age, control rates were sharply lower in older people, especially women, the researchers found. Among people younger than 60 years, 38 percent of men and women had their blood pressure under control. For those 60 to 79, control rates were 36 percent for men and 28 percent for women. But among those 80 and older, blood pressure control rates were 38 percent for men and just 23 percent for women, according to the study. Moreover, those 80 and older had a high rate of "major cardiovascular events," such as heart attack or stroke. During six years of follow-up, 9.5 percent of those with normal blood pressure, 19.8 percent of those with pre-hypertension, 20.3 percent of those with stage 1 hypertension and 24.7 percent of those with stage 2 hypertension had a heart attack, stroke or heart failure, the study found. The study results appear in the July 27 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. |
| The Cause of Hypertension by Staff Writer One in four Americans suffer from high blood pressure, or hypertension. Hypertension is a leading cause in the hardening of arteries, heart attacks and strokes. Hypertension is a leading contributing factor in heart and kidney disease. Hypertension is a condition where blood pressure is consistently elevated over a long period of time. Your blood pressure is literally the pressure of your blood against the walls of your blood vessels. If you have too much pressure, it puts undue stress on your heart, your blood vessels, and your organs, and actually wears them out. No one knows exactly what causes high blood pressure. Studies have shown that diet and stress are contributing factors. One important study in Africa showed that rural Africans had a very low incidence of hypertension, but when they left their villages for city life and adopted Western ways, their incidence of high blood pressure climbed to equal that of Americans. |
| Many stroke patients lack hypertension treatment by http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=healthNews&storyID=2005-07-29T172913Z_01_B690873 NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Although there is evidence that stroke patients with high or even normal blood pressure can benefit from drug therapy to lower their blood pressure (antihypertensive therapy) at hospital discharge, a large number of patients do not receive these drugs, new research suggests. The findings also reveal great variability among hospitals in antihypertensive prescription rates for stroke patients, according to the report published in the medical journal Stroke. "There should be a concerted effort, involving patients and their doctors, to make sure that patients do not leave the hospital without being on at least one blood pressure agent to reduce their risk for secondary stroke," lead author Dr. Bruce Ovbiagele, from the University of California at Los Angeles, said in a statement. The study involved an analysis of data from 764 consecutive patients who were logged in the California Acute Stroke Prototype Registry between 2002 and 2004. The subjects had been treated at 1 of 11 California hospitals for a stroke or a transient ischemic attack - a mild stroke that leaves the patient without disability. About 30 percent of subjects were discharged without receiving a prescription for at least one antihypertensive drug. The antihypertensive prescription rates ranged from 55 percent to 100 percent among the hospitals studied. High blood pressure, diabetes, and older age all increased the odds that an antihypertensive agent would be prescribed at discharge, the authors note. The short-term risk of having another stroke is high. "That makes it even more important to be sure that patients are put on proven therapies for preventing a recurrent event," Ovbiagele added. SOURCE: Stroke 2005. |
| Sweet... by Knight Ridder Newspapers, full story here A sweet treatment for high blood pressure (KRT) - For those with hypertension, a daily dose of dark chocolate may be just what the doctor ordered. In a clinical trial, researchers found that dark chocolate may lower blood pressure in people with hypertension. The research, published in Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association, also found that in test subjects who ate dark chocolate, levels of LDL, or bad cholesterol, dropped by about 10 percent. Chocolate contains flavonoids, a natural antioxidant found in many foods, including tea, red wine and vegetables. Previous studies suggest that these flavonoid-rich foods offer cardiovascular benefits. In the study, half of the 20 participants ate dark chocolate daily while the others ate white chocolate. The blood pressure of those who ate dark chocolate dropped, while those who ate white chocolate saw no change. This doesn't mean that you should start eating dark chocolate... more time and studies are needed. I thought you might find this interesting as to what is being researched. |
| Notice about Folic acid and hypertension by Full story here Folic acid 'cuts blood pressure' Folic acid may help keep blood pressure in check, US researchers believe. The study, in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association, adds to growing evidence of folate's cardiovascular benefits. The Harvard team looked at data on about 156,000 nurses and found those with the lowest intakes of folate were at greater risk of hypertension. Last week, researchers said folic acid - found in green leafy vegetables - might benefit people at risk of stroke. Protection Pregnant women and women trying to get pregnant are advised to take extra folic acid (0.4mg per day, rather than 0.2mg per day) to protect their baby against neural tube defects such as spina bifida. Some campaigners in the UK have pushed for folic acid to be added to foods such as flour, as is already done in other countries, including the US. The Food Standards Agency does not recommend this. The study by Harvard Medical School and the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston is the first to look at the effect of folic acid on high blood pressure in a large number of people. The nurses involved had taken part in two hypertension studies that looked at diet and health over eight years. Overall, 19,720 of the women, aged between 27 and 70, had high blood pressure. After looking at other risk factors for hypertension, such as physical activity and family history, they found an apparent protective effect of increased folic acid against high blood pressure, particularly among the younger women. Young women who consumed at least 1mg per day had a 46% decreased risk of hypertension compared with those who consumed less than 0.2mg per day. Older women with higher intakes reduced their risk of high blood pressure by 18%. Fortification The researchers believe the benefits may be down to improved blood vessel function. They said: "Future trials should examine folic acid supplementation as a means of lowering blood pressure and preventing hypertension." Dr Howard Robson, a cardiologist at Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle who has been investigating whether giving folic acid to heart patients could help prevent heart attacks, said the findings were interesting. "We need more research. In the meantime, it is best to follow a healthy diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables. "We would not recommend that everyone take supplements yet." Andrew Russell from the Association for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus said the research added weight to the argument that food should be fortified with folic acid. "A deficiency of folic acid is widespread in the population. In fact, it's almost universal." He said it was extremely safe and would have multiple health benefits. Professor Jeremy Pearson of the British Heart Foundation said: "It has long been recognised that folate is particularly important for the health of pregnant women and their babies, and that extra folate in the diet is safe. "This paper from Harvard shows that those with increased folate intake, particularly younger women, had substantially lower risk of developing high blood pressure. "Boosting folate also reduces the levels of homocysteine in the blood, a risk factor for heart disease. |
| Achieving Optimum Health by Tim Ong Achieving Optimum Health Tim Ong "Optimum health is not just the absence of disease but the presence of wellness in mental, emotional, physical, spiritual and social areas. Some would also include financial health." Introduction Optimum health is essential at all levels, from the individual to the society we live in to the environment around us. We have to start thinking of wealth not just in terms of possession of money and properties but also the possession of mental, emotional, physical, social and spiritual well-being. Mental Health The truth is mind is the forerunner of all states. With a proper mindset, a poor man can still be happy. Conversely, if the mindset is not right, no matter how much material possessions you may have, you may still be a very unhappy person. Thus, Gandhi said, "The world has enough for everyones needs, but not enough for even a single persons greed." So a healthy mind is one that possesses a mindset that can lead to happiness and contentment with self and the world around us. It provides clarity of thoughts, good insight and the ability to see things through an unbiased mind. To be able to see things through an unbiased mind is no small feat. It is extremely difficult to note or observe the unfolding of events and phenomena without judging. We habitually associate emotions or feelings to events, and allow such emotions to direct our actions. Our likes for certain things and dislikes for others are closely associated with our emotions. Emotional Health It is our emotions that lead us to act impulsively at times. Thus a high level of self-awareness in this area is extremely useful. In fact, it is essential to our well-being. After all, things and relationships that may take us years to build can be destroyed in a moment of anger. There are positive and negative emotions. Positive emotions such as love, compassion and joy should be cultivated, while negative emotions such as fear, anger and hate need to be eradicated. When asked about this, a wise sage of India once illustrated with a story: An old man said to his grandson, "Boy, I have two tigers caged within me. One is love and compassion. The other is fear and anger." The young boy asked, "Which one will win, grandfather" The old man replied, "The one I feed." At times, it may seem that we have no control over our emotions. This is not true. The truth is how well we manage our emotions depends on how aware we are of our emotions, particularly on the arising of our emotions. The earlier we are able to note the arising of our emotions, we better we can manage them. More and more researches are showing that our well-being is closely linked to our emotional and mental health. Our bodys immune system is generally enhanced by positive mental outlook and emotion. Conversely, it is depressed by negative mental and emotional states. Thus, stress, worry, anger and fear are some states that may lead to physical illnesses such as hypertension, cardiac diseases, peptic ulcers, depression and a host of other ailments. Physical Health To maintain an optimum physical well-being, therefore, requires us to focus not only on our body but also our mind and emotions. On a physical level, our body can be kept healthy through adequate sleep and rest, proper nutrition, regular exercises and a healthy environment that is free from pollution. Spiritual Health Throughout the ages, wise men have consistently informed and taught us that we are essentially spiritual beings. Although medical science has not been able to reveal to us our spiritual nature, there are many indirect evidence that we would be foolish to ignore. Stories from people who had gone through a near death experience NDE, or dying people with heightened nearing death awareness, or simply a cure from an incurable disease all suggest that there is more to life than just the physical state. Major religions of the world all based their teachings on the belief that we are essentially spiritual beings. According to these teachings, our physical existence is secondary. While it may be true that we should focus our life more on our spiritual nature than our physical nature, it would be difficult for the majority of people to do so, at least not immediately. Things cannot change overnight. Mindset, however, can, and that is perhaps the best place to start. Financial Health However, on a more mundane level, most people are still stuck on how to survive from day to day, where to get the next cheque to pay for the house installment, so on and so forth. Practically, therefore, we need to look into ways to achieve a financial state that would theoretically free us from the constrain of forced work. This is where the concept of financial freedom is so attractive. According to this concept, one should strive for a state where we have one or more than one source of income that can be generated passively, that is, even when we dont work. This is what Robert Kiyosaki termed as passive income. According to him, passive income can only be achieved by becoming an investor or a business owner, not a sole proprietor or an employee. To become an investor or a business owner, you must spend the time and money to acquire financial intelligence. Unlike IQ or EQ, you can acquire financial intelligence through self education. To get a financial health check-up, consult an accountant, a banker or a financial planner you can trust. Healthy Relationship "No man is an island, entire by itself." As a medical doctor, I am in a unique position to confront and comfort dying patients. One of the most important thing that I have observed is that dying people do not ask about their money or possessions. Instead, they focus their remaining energy and strength on trying to heal wounded relationships. It is as though there is an inherent need to get a proper closure to a relationship. Thus, forming and cultivating a healthy relationship is important for our well-being. Unfortunately, this is something we often ignored until it is too late. If there is any forgiving to be done, or the need to be forgiven, leaving things to the last minutes may end up with an unfulfilled desire for a closure. Knowing this now, shouldnt we spend more time and effort in improving our relationship with our loved ones, especially with our parents, spouse, children and siblings
About The Author Tim Ong is a medical doctor and author of the online "Build From Within" newsletter series. He is also the webmaster of The Self Improvement Site http://www.theselfimprovementsite.com, Klinik Ong http://www.klinikong.com and Caring For The Terminally Ill http://www.caring-terminally-ill.com. You may sign up for his free newsletter at http://www.theselfimprovementsite.com/signup.html. |
| Hypertension & High Blood Pressure: How To Improve Life Threatening Weight-Related Diseases by By Ian Mason The American Heart Association estimates that one of three Americans have have hypertension. And yet many of us don’t know what it is, why it’s dangerous, and what the treatment options are. What Is Hypertension? Hypertension is a fancy medical word for high blood pressure. Your blood carries nutrients and oxygen to your body, and picks up waste like carbon dioxide. The heart pumps the blood through “pipes” - blood vessels called arteries- and the blood returns to the heart through veins. Blood pressure is the “push” of blood against the walls of the arteries. It is a good thing to have blood pressure - if blood pressure is zero, it means there’s no blood moving through the arteries! But like the water pipes in a house, if the blood is being pushed too hard against the walls of the vessels, they might be damaged. Extra pressure can also contribute to creating blood clots that block needed blood supply to the brain. Hypertension can lead to dangerous conditions including heart failure (when the heart has to work too hard just to get the blood moving around the body), stroke (interference with the blood flow in the brain), and kidney disease, to name a few. How Do I know If I’m At Risk? While having a family history of hypertension may increase your risk for hypertension, not all people with hypertension have family members with it. Hypertension is generally “asymptomatic” - most people don’t have symptoms as they develop it - so checking your blood pressure should be a part of regular healthcare. How Is High Blood Pressure Diagnosed? When your blood pressure is taken at a health clinic or doctor’s office, the result is a mysterious number like this: 120 / 80 The first/top number is called the “systolic” (sis-tall-ick) blood pressure; the second/bottom, the diastolic (dye-as-tall-ick) pressure. The American Heart association recommends that the top number in adults should be no higher than 120 and the bottom no higher than 80 (children have different ranges of healthy blood pressure for different age groups - ask your pediatrician if you’re concerned). If your systolic pressure is between 140 to 159 and/or your diastolic pressure is between 90 and 99, that’s considered mild hypertension. Moderate to severe hypertension includes systolic pressures over 160 and/or diastolic over 100. What Are My Treatment Options? Treatment depends on the severity of the high blood pressure. Keep in mind that a very stressful day can increase your blood pressure readings, as (for some people) can a trip to your doctor’s office. So if your blood pressure reading is on the border between healthy and hypertensive, you may need to make a return visit. If you have a pre-hypertensive blood pressure after a repeat check, your doctor or nurse practitioner may recommend a trial of lifestyle changes that can help lower blood pressure including: -exercise -a lower-salt diet -increased intake of potassium -weight loss -moderation of alcohol consumption -stress reduction However, if you have mild to severe hypertension (Stage 1 or 2), or if you have pre-hypertension in combination with conditions like heart disease, kidney disease, or diabetes, your health care provider may prescribe medications. There are many different hypertension medications. They don’t all work the same way, and different ones work differently for different people, so your provider will probably have you check in to make sure the medication first prescribed is working for you. Sometimes two medications can compliment each other, so your healthcare provider may prescribe two kinds. Once medication has been prescribed sit down with your health care provider or pharmacist and a list of all the medications you take (including over the counter medications) to make sure that there are no harmful interactions between them and tyour blood pressure medicines. In addition, keep in mind that most blood pressure medications have side effects; ask your healthcare provider to write down likely side effects for you, noting side effects and symptoms that indicate that you should come in to have your dose changed. Most importantly, medication is not enough! Make sure to modify your lifestyle to help the medications do a good job. “High Blood Pressure” Nidus Information Services, 2004 “Percentage of adults aged ≥20 who were ever told they had high blood pressure” Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports, Center for Disease Control, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, volume 51, issue 21, 2002 “Screening for high blood pressure: recommendations and rationale,”U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, American Family Physician Volume 68, issue 10, p. 2019-22 “The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure,” The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institiute (NHLBI), National Institutes of Health, Volume 3, no. 5233, 2003 Copyright (C) Shoppe.MD and Ian Mason, 2004-2005 Ian Mason, owner of Shoppe.MD, your source for Online Prescription Medications, drug information and support forums. Ian is a fat-to-fit student of health, weight loss, exercise, and several martial arts; maintaining several websites in an effort to help provide up-to-date and helpful information for other who share his interests in health of body and mind. |
| Myogen reports positive trial results by Denver biotech company Myogen Inc. on Thursday reported positive results for a trial evaluating its Myogen (Nasdaq: MYOG) said the results showed that darusentan, taken once a day, reduced blood pressure. Plus, the drug was "generally well tolerated" by patients. Based on the results, the company plans to move forward with Phase 3 clinical development of darusentan. "We are highly encouraged by the results of this trail," Myogen CEO William Freytag said in a news release. According to Freytag, there are millions of patients in the United States taking three or more drugs to treat hypertension. A significant percentage of those are not at target blood pressure levels and are at risk of complications. "Darusentan affects blood pressure through a mechanism of action different than those of currently approved antihypertensive drugs," Freytag said. "Darusentan could provide additional blood pressure lowering benefit in this patient population." |
| Hypertension; Facts You Need by By Kazeem Adefemi WHAT IS HYPERTENSION? Hypertension is derived from two root words; Hyper meaning High and Tension meaning Pressure. Hypertension simply means high blood pressure. Pressure is the force generated when the heart contracts and pump blood through the blood vessels that conduct the blood to various parts of the blood. Although hypertension does not mean or result from excessive emotional tension, but evidence shows that stress and emotional tension do cause increase in blood pressure, and if continuous, could be sustained. High blood pressure is therefore generally defined as a blood pressure exceeding 140/90mmHg confirmed on multiple occasions. The top number (140) is called the SYSTOLIC PRESSURE, and it represents the pressure in the blood vessels (arteries) as the heart contracts and pump blood into circulation. The bottom number (90) is called DIASTOLIC PRESSURE, and it represents the pressure in the blood vessels as the heart relaxes after contraction. These figures measured in millimeters of Mercury (mmHg) reflect the highest and lowest pressures the heart and blood vessels are exposed to during circulation. The generally accepted normal value for blood pressure is 120/80mmHg. Above this value but less than 140/90mmHg is not considered to be hypertensive yet but signals danger, it is therefore called High normal. An elevation of the blood pressure (Hypertension) increases the risk of developing Heart (Cardiac) diseases such as Heart Failure and Heart attack, Kidney diseases, Vascular diseases like athelosclerosis (hardening and narrowing of blood vessels), Eye damage and Stroke (brain damage). These complications called End organ damage arise as a result of long standing (chronic) hypertension. But victims of hypertension are not aware, at an early stage, that they have the disease, until these complications start appearing. This is because hypertension shows virtually no signs/symptoms at the early stage. For this reason, it is generally referred to as the ‘Silent Killer’. The damage caused by hypertension increases in severity as the blood pressure increases. Based on this hypertension can be classified as follows: CATEGORY SYSTOLIC(mmHg) DIASTOLIC(mmHg) Normal Less than 130 Less than 85 High Normal 130 – 139 85 – 89 Mild Hypertension 140 – 159 90 – 99 Moderate Hypertension 160 – 179 100 – 109 Severe Hypertension 180 – 209 110 – 119 Very Severe Hypertension Greater than 210 Greater than 120 BORDERLINE HYPERTENSION. Borderline Hypertension is defined as mildly elevated blood pressure that is found to be higher than 140/90mmHg at some times and lower than that at other times. Patients with borderline value need to have their blood pressure monitored more frequently. They also need to assess end organ damage to be aware of the significance of their hypertension. It should, however, be emphasized that patients with borderline hypertension have a higher tendency to develop a more sustained hypertension as they get older. They stand a modest risk of having heart related diseases. A close monitoring of their blood pressure and lifestyles could be very useful in this regard. WHITE COAT HYPERTENSION A single elevated blood pressure reading in the doctor’s office could be misleading, because the elevation might only be temporary. Evidence over the years has shown that anxiety related to the stress of the examination and fear of the result often result in blood pressure elevation noticed in the doctor’s office only. Infact, it has been suggested that one out of every four persons thought to have mild hypertension, actually may have normal blood pressure outside the physician’s office. This sort of elevated blood pressure noticed in the physician’s office is called ‘White Coat Hypertension’. Suggesting that the white coat, symbolic of the physician, induces the patient’s anxiety and a passing increase in blood pressure. Accordingly, monitoring of blood pressure at home, when in a more relaxed state of mind, can provide a more reliable estimate of the frequency and/or consistency of blood pressure changes. WHAT CAUSES HYPERTENSION? The Blood pressure is determined by two major parameters; Cardiac output i.e. the volume of blood pumped by the heart, and the Total peripheral resistance i.e. the resistance of the blood vessels through which blood flows. Hypertension is therefore an end result of either increased force of pumping by the heart, or constriction/narrowing of blood vessels causing increased resistance to blood flow or both. Using the cause of hypertension as a yardstick, two major types of hypertension can be described; Essential HypertensionSecondary hypertension The former also called Primary or Idiopathic hypertension is by far the most prevalent type of hypertension. It accounts for over 90% of all hypertension cases. No clear cut cause(s) can be identified for this type of accommodation, hence the name Idiopathic. The later accounts for less than 10% of all cases. In this case, the hypertension is secondary to an existing abnormality in one or more systems or organs of the body. The most common causes are related to kidney and hormonal problems. The persistent uncontrolled use of contraceptives, especially in females over 35years of age fall under hormonal causes of hypertension. Since no clear-cut cause(s) can be adduce for the most common types of hypertension, as with the case with most non-communicable diseases, we therefore talk in terms of ‘Risk Factors’ and not causes. These Risk Factors are actions/inactions that increases chances of getting a disease. Several researches over the years have shown that some factors are directly or indirectly related to the occurrence of hypertension. Some of the factors include: HEREDITARY: High blood pressure tends to run in some families and races. It is believed that some inherited traits predispose some people to hypertension. For example, high blood pressure tends to be more prevalent in blacks than whites. A family history of hypertension increases one chances of high blood pressure. Regular monitoring of blood pressure becomes very vital. HIGH SALT INTAKE: High intake of Sodium Chloride (table salt) has being linked to high blood pressure. The condition develops mostly in societies or communities that have a fairly high intake of salt, exceeding 5.8grams daily. In fact, salt intake may be a particularly important factor in relation to essential hypertension that is associated with advancing age, black racial background, hereditary susceptibility, obesity and kidney failure. Research has shown that: a. Rise in blood pressure with age is directly related to increase level of sat intake, especially in blacks. b. People who consume little sodium chloride develop no high blood pressure when they consume more, hypertension appears. c. Increased Sodium is found in the blood vessels and blood of most hypertensives. Cutting down on salt intake is therefore a reasonable step in preventing hypertension OBESITY: A close relationship exists between hypertension and obesity. In fact it is believed that most hypertensives are more than 10% overweight. Fat accumulation in the trunk or abdomen is not only related to hypertension but also to diabetes and hyperlipideamia (excess fat in the body). Obesity can contribute to hypertension in several ways. For one thing, obesity leads to a greater output of blood, because the heart has to pump more blood to supply the excess tissues. The increased cardiac output then can raise the blood pressure. For another thing, obese hypertensive individuals have a greater stiffness (resistance) in the peripheral arteries throughout the body. Finally, obesity may be associated with a tendency for the kidneys to retain salt in the body. Weight loss may help reverse problems related to obesity while also lowering blood pressure. It has been estimated that the blood pressure can be decreased 0.32mmHg for every 1kg (2.2pounds) of weight loss. The International standard for measuring overweight and obesity is based on a value called BODY MASS INDEX (BMI). This value is derived by dividing the body weight (in Kilograms) by the square of height (in Metres). i.e. BMI = Body weight (Kg) Height2 (Metres). Note: 1ft = 0.305metres. For adults, a BMI less than 25kg/m2 is preferred. 25 – 29kg/m2 is considered overweight and above 30kg/m2 is Obesity. LACK OF EXERCISE: Sedentary normal individuals have a 20 – 50% higher risk of developing hypertension when compared to very active individuals. Exercise lowers both systolic and diastolic blood pressures. For example dynamic exercises such as brisk walking or jogging, swimming or bicycle ridding for 30 – 45mins daily or 3-5times a week may lower blood pressure by as much as 5 – 15mmHg. Moreover, there appears to be a relationship between the amount of exercise and the degree to which blood pressure is lowered. Thus, to a point, the more you exercise, the more you lower your blood pressure. Provided you do not over strain yourself. Normally, a particularly type of exercise is started, and gradually built up to a satisfactory level over time. Regular exercise reduces blood pressure, burn out unnecessarily fat and also makes the body healthier. ALCOHOL AND SMOKING: These two constitute the social factors most related to high blood pressure. People who drink alcohol excessively (over two drinks per day) have a one and half to two times increase in the frequency of hypertension. The association between alcohol and high blood pressure becomes particularly noticeable when the alcohol intake exceeds the above per day. Moreover, the connection is a dose related phenomenon. In other words, the more alcohol consumed, the stronger the chances of hypertension. This, probably will explain the prevalence of hypertension in populations where alcohol consumption is a habit. Although smoking increases the risk of vascular complications (for example, heart diseases and stroke) in people who already have hypertension, it cannot be directly linked with increase in the development of hypertension. Nevertheless, smoking a cigarette can repeatedly produce an immediate, temporary rise in blood pressure of 5 – 10mmHg, but a permanent increase cannot be established. However, it is known that some substances in cigarette, e.g. nicotine, alters the composition of the blood and also affects the blood vessels. Smoking and alcohol control are integral part of any effort towards the primary control of cardiovascular diseases in any population. STRESS: Although the role of stress and other emotional factors in hypertension is difficult to define. However, it is known that stress causes a physiological rise in blood pressure and this could be sustained if the stress becomes chronic (prolonged). A STICH IN TIME Since lifestyle components such as dietary patterns, obesity, physical activity, alcohol and smoking have been recognized as important risk factors, steps to reduce the occurrence of hypertension or to alleviate the condition (for those who are hypertensives) should involve lifestyle modification. Dietary modifications include restricting salt intake cutting down or cutting out alcohol, reduced fat consumption, and reducing weight if overweight. The American Heart Association recommends a daily consumption of less than 6grams of table salt for normal individuals, and less than 4grams for hypertensives. A regular exercise program such as brisk walking, jogging, swimming, cycling e.t.c. for 30 – 45mins daily or 3–5 times a week could be very helpful. Conclusively, it is very important to remember that the only way to know if one’s blood pressure is on the high side is by taking your blood pressure frequently. Normally, your doctor would do that for you. But for a more consistent and reliable monitor of blood pressure, a self-operated blood pressure monitor is crucial. Being very handy and always around, it allows you to follow up your blood pressure regularly and report an increase immediately. Finally, always remember the WHO slogan “Know your Blood Pressure, if it’s high have it treated”. A healthy Heart adds life to years. A stitch in time, they say, saves nine. Mr. Adefemi Kazeem is a graduate of Human Anatomy from a Nigerian University and who wishes to specialize in Public Health, soon. You can contact him by e-mail – yemupz@yahoo.com; Phone – 234-803-613-6741. |
| High blood pressure linked to higher glaucoma risk by By David Douglas NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The results of a study involving more that 27,000 people with glaucoma suggest that high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is significantly more common in this group than in those who do not have hypertension, UK researchers report. They also found that treating hypertension with beta-blocker drugs, but not other types of antihypertensive drugs, lowered the risk of glaucoma. Dr. Michael J. S. Langman and colleagues at the University of Birmingham note in their report, published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, that recent work suggests that hypertension is characterized by increased sodium retention. This in turn, may increase pressure in the eye, a factor in glaucoma. To determine whether there might be a relationship between these situations in regard to hypertension and glaucoma, the researchers studied data from 27,080 patients with glaucoma and a like number of subjects of the same sex and age without glaucoma. Hypertension was significantly more common in glaucoma patients -- 29 percent -- than in controls. The researchers also found that hypertension treatment with beta-blocker drugs reduced the risk of a subsequent glaucoma diagnosis by 23 percent. This was not the case for those with hypertension who were treated with other types of antihypertensive drugs. An increase risk of glaucoma was seen in patients treated with calcium channel antagonist drugs (34 percent), angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor drugs (16 percent) and steroids (78 percent). The team concludes that hypertension and glaucoma "tend to be associated and that common mechanisms related to sodium handling are responsible." Antihypertension treatment with steroids and beta blockers, they add, appear to have "important and opposite effects on glaucoma risk." |
| Medication to help cholesterol level by By Mayo Clinic staff, full story here Too much of a good thing. That's what you have if you have high cholesterol — one of the major risk factors for heart disease. Cholesterol is needed by every cell of your body. But your risk of heart disease goes up considerably if you have too much of this waxy, fatty substance in your blood. If your cholesterol stays high, it can build up in your arteries and block the flow of blood to your heart, which can lead to a heart attack. High cholesterol causes as many as half of all deaths each year from heart disease, the nation's No. 1 killer of both men and women. To control it, you may need to take a cholesterol-lowering drug. Do you need medication? Whether you need a cholesterol-lowering drug depends on a number of factors including the levels of cholesterol and other fats in your blood and your risk of heart disease. Measuring your cholesterol Cholesterol and triglycerides — another form of fat, or lipid — are carried through your bloodstream by proteins called apoproteins. The combination of a lipid and an apoprotein is called a lipoprotein. A typical blood-screening test measures the level of two such substances, which increase your heart disease risk: low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the "bad" cholesterol" and triglycerides. It also measures the level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), the "good" cholesterol, which protects against heart disease. In the United States, each measurement is expressed in terms of milligrams per deciliter, or mg/dL. Your LDL cholesterol level is especially important because LDL forms fatty plaques in the walls of arteries. As plaques form in your blood vessels, they restrict blood flow to your heart, which can cause chest pain (angina) and lead to a heart attack. A blood clot also may form on a buildup of plaques and block an artery, causing a heart attack. If you're age 20 or older, have your cholesterol measured at your doctor's office at least once every five years. Evaluating your risk of heart disease The following factors increase your risk of heart disease and help your doctor decide whether to recommend a cholesterol-lowering drug. Age. If you're a woman, it's either age 55 or older or any age at which you may have experienced premature menopause. If you're a man, it's age 45 or older. Family history. You're at increased risk if you have a father, brother or son who developed heart disease before age 55, or a mother, sister or daughter who developed it before age 65. Smoking. This applies not only if you smoke, but also if you live or work every day with people who smoke. Low HDL cholesterol. A measurement 40 mg/dL or lower. (A measurement of 65 mg/dL or higher protects against heart disease.) High blood pressure (hypertension). Blood pressure is measured when your heart beats and rests, resulting in two numbers. If your top number (systolic pressure) is 120 to 139, or your bottom number (diastolic pressure) is 80 to 89, you have prehypertension and are at risk of developing full-fledged hypertension. If your systolic or diastolic number is higher than that, you have high blood pressure. Diabetes. The sugar in your bloodstream is measured the same way as cholesterol. A fasting blood sugar level of 126 mg/dL or higher is considered diabetes. Making the decision To determine whether you need medication, your doctor looks at your cholesterol and other blood fat levels and considers these alongside your heart disease risk factors. Treatment decisions depend on which risk factors you have. All of these risk factors work together to increase your risk of a heart attack. According to revised guidelines issued July 2004 by the National Cholesterol Education Program, you may need medication if: You have an LDL level of 190 mg/dL or higher and none or one of the heart disease risk factors You have an LDL level of 160 mg/dL or higher, two or more risk factors, and less than a 10 percent risk of having a heart attack in the next 10 years You have an LDL level of 130 mg/dL or higher, two or more risk factors, and a 10 percent to 20 percent risk of having a heart attack in the next 10 years The National Cholesterol Education Program's revised guidelines recommend especially aggressive treatment for people described as "high risk" and "very high risk." You're considered high risk and may need medication if: You have an LDL level of 100 mg/dL or higher, have heart disease or diabetes, or have two or more risk factors that give you greater than a 20 percent risk of having a heart attack in the next 10 years You're considered very high risk and may need medication if: You have an LDL level of 70 mg/dL or higher, have heart disease with multiple risk factors (especially diabetes), with poorly controlled risk factors (especially continued smoking) or metabolic syndrome (a cluster of risk factors associated with obesity, including low HDL and high triglycerides), and have greater than a 20 percent risk of having a heart attack in the next 10 years How drugs can help At first your doctor may recommend lifestyle changes. You can significantly lower your cholesterol by switching from high-fat foods to those low in saturated fat and cholesterol, maintaining a healthy weight, and gradually working up to 30 to 60 minutes a day of vigorous exercise. Sometimes, however, lifestyle changes aren't enough. If so, cholesterol-lowering drugs can help. These drugs not only prevent new plaques from forming, but also may help repair damaged blood vessels. If you have elevated LDL cholesterol, the most effective treatment is with diet, exercise and statin drugs. But which lipid-lowering drug your doctor recommends depends on many factors. These include how much good and bad cholesterol you have and whether triglycerides in your blood are high. Your age also may be a factor. No single drug works well for everyone. Nor is it necessary to take the newest drug if your current medication is effective. |
| Stress: a Worldwide Epidemic by by Richard Parenti What is stress? Stress is your body’s reaction to events in your life, along with your mind’s reaction from your mental interpretation of the event. When you are faced with a stressful situation, your body and mind interprets the event. Then, the body produces a stress response to give you energy to deal with that particular situation and your mind is stimulated. Then the mind determines "fight or flight." The hypothalamus, pituitary and adrenal glands produce stress hormones when you feel stress. These hormones suppress body functions that are not needed in the moment. Once the stressful situation has passed your hormone production and body functions return to normal. What triggers stress? Current lifestyle, smoking, too many prescribed drugs, the environment, sour relationships, surgery, intestinal disorders, anger, anxiety, depression, worry, unwanted noises, accidents, pain, intense exercise, chemical/toxin exposure, burns, poor sleep patterns, fussy children, nagging spouse, aggravating boss or coworkers, etc. Most people deal with stress by taking the newest drug on the market. They rarely seek natural healthy stress solutions. So they stay frazzled and as a result of their drug pill popping and they live in a state of stress as a way of life. In fact, up to 92% of all doctor visits in America are stress related and that number is growing. With so many causes of stress and people seeking a pill for their solution it is easy to understand why stress is a world wide epidemic. Here are some stress facts to chew on: Stress is more powerful than diet in influencing cholesterol levels. Several studies—including one of medical students around exam time and another of accountants during tax season have shown significant increases in cholesterol levels during stressful events, when there was little change in the diet. Reference: Dr. Paul Rosch, Professor Medicine, New York Medical College Stress is linked to the following illnesses: hypertension, heart attacks, gout, diabetes, asthma, chronic pain, allergies, headache, backache, various skin disorders, immune system weakness, cancer, decreases in the number of white blood cells and changes in their function. Reference: Nation’s Business, December 1994 High levels of stress cause nerve factor growth (NGF), which hinders the ability of disease-fighting cells to ward off infections, suppressing the immune system. Reference: Report in Psychology Today, January, 1996 Those who reported a history of workplace stress over the past 10 years developed colon and rectal cancers at 5.5 time the rate of the control group. Reference: Joseph Courtney, UCLA School of Public Health, Epidemiology, September, 1994 Here are some very simple solutions you can do right away to reduce your stress. Take a daily walk of twenty to thirty minutes at sunrise or at sunset. After bathing in the morning rub your body with an aromatherapy oil for your metabolic type. Eat 2 to 3 servings of fresh organic vegetables a day. Drink 8 glasses of water a day. Eat 4 to 6 fresh vegetables a day. Cut back on French fries, cola drinks, alcoholic beverages, candy, white breads, pastries and foods that contain food coloring. And if you are really serious: Sit for 5 or 15 minutes in a quiet place. Sit quietly and breathe normally and naturally through your nose noticing the cool air in and the warm air out. Notice if the force of the air entering the nose is the same as the force of air leaving the nose. Notice which nostril is open-one is always more open the other. The goal of an authentic Yoga breathing technique is to get both nostrils open equally. Notice the rise and fall of your diaphragm with the inhaling and exhaling breath. Notice the slight pause on the exhaling breath. Continue breathing normally and naturally through the nose and every time the mind wanders mentally repeat, "Mind wandering" and that will gently bring the mind back to the breath. This is a beginning Yoga breathing technique that will help you to reduce your stress. Remember that you are always breathing so why not breathe to reduce your stress and open yourself to more advanced Yoga meditation techniques. You deserve it, don’t you? Richard Parenti is the President of the Yoga Health Institute, a prestigious stress management clinic in Modesto, California, USA. He is a Yoga Therapist and the author of "Your Solution to Stress" (ISBN#0-9664007-1-2) which is available on line http://www.solutionstostress.com |
| Herbs for hypertension by check out this website here Here's a website with information about herbs for relieving stress and hypertension. http://www.hypertensionherbal.com/ |
| Heart patients to benefit by Advances in Devices Lead to Hope for Heart Patients As cardiovascular technologies and the devices that incorporate them continue to improve, heart patients have a host of new options for treatment. Erik Swain Cardiovascular care has been revolutionized in the past few years, and medical devices have had no small part in that. Ten years ago, no one had even conceived of technologies such as implantable defibrillators, ventricular assist devices, and stents that deliver a drug in addition to keeping an artery open. Such advances have made the cardiovascular sector the fastest-growing and most watched segment of the device industry. More importantly, these advances have enabled patients with severe heart problems not only to recover, but also to resume relatively normal lives.The innovations of 10–20 years ago may have enabled patients to keep living, but the innovations of recent years have allowed patients to resume a high quality of life. What is the next step? It appears that the next wave of innovations will focus on monitoring. A number of companies are developing devices, many of them implantable, that alert clinicians immediately when a patient is having a heart problem or even showing signs that a problem could be on the horizon.The process of heart surgery and even the purpose of implanted devices may evolve, too. Much progress has been made in developing minimally invasive procedures that reduce patient trauma and hospital stays. These techniques should get further refined in the coming years. And more emphasis is likely to be given to devices being used as delivery systems for drugs, biologics, and other therapeutic agents. What developments are making these things happen? Here is a sampling. Changing the Pace of Heart CareImplantable defibrillators and similar devices are changing the way clinicians think about heart care. These technologies are providing the day-to-day data that enable them to take a more-active role in their patients’ cardiac care—in many cases, without even having to see the patients in person. Defibrillators have also helped shift focus to preventive care.“Three years ago, we put in more pacemakers than defibrillators. Two years ago, it was about even. In the past year, we’ve put in defibrillators about three-quarters of the time,” says Bruce Wilkoff, MD, director of cardiac pacing and tachyarrhythmia devices at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation (Cleveland). “The improvement in defibrillators has profoundly affected us. We can now use them to protect against slow heart rhythms and arrhythmia-related deaths. Often, we will apply them for biventricular pacing as well. And that progress is based on the technology.”A lot of the progress is owing to advances in sensors that enable improved monitoring and data collection. “Within implantable cardiac rhythm management devices, the next plane of innovation is additional ways to provide sensor-augmented therapy,” says Michael Rice, medical marketing and business development manager for AMI Semiconductor Inc. (Pocatello, ID). “These are patient-specific sensors that can track changes in real time. Within the pressure management arena, a lot of good is being done with this. It can enable you to customize the properties of the implant, change them on the fly, or adjust doses of medications.”This has not only improved the quality of cardiovascular care, but also has potential for cost-effectiveness. And that has had a favorable effect on reimbursement. “There has been a dramatic change in the level of data available for analysis of technologies such as defibrillators,” says Wilkoff. “That has produced a number of fruitful clinical trials and affected the reimbursement environment. It has changed profoundly the way we practice arrhythmia therapy. It allows us to put in defibrillators in nonischemic patients for primary prevention. And we are still able to reduce total mortality. Prior to that, a patient had to have had cardiac arrest or coronary artery disease [to receive a defibrillator].”A watershed moment was the completion of the SCD-HeFT trial, which showed that implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) reduce death from heart failure by 23%. That finding prompted the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (Baltimore) to increase reimbursement for ICDs. Sensors and Algorithms“Not only have there been significant advances in devices, but also in leads and implant tools,” says Wilkoff. “The use of sensors has been very valuable. We can now measure all sorts of intracardiac pressures. Everybody is moving toward collecting more information—and not just to have it, but to do something with it. Remote monitoring may be the most important technology in that regard. We can install these devices in people’s homes and monitor their clinical status from there. In our system, the data come through the Internet and make it all the way to the electronic medical record. We are definitely ahead of the curve on this, but it’s coming.”Several companies, Rice says, are at the forefront of this movement, including Medtronic Inc. (Minneapolis). Its InSync Sentry ICD provides cardiac resynchronization. When approved in November 2004, it became the world’s first device to automatically monitor fluid status in the thoracic cavity. Thoracic fluid accumulation is a significant indicator of worsening heart failure, so the device can help doctors predict when a patient will need to be hospitalized, rather than wait for a catastrophe.Another firm using implantable devices for monitoring is Transoma Medical (St. Paul, MN), whose LVP-1000 product monitors left ventricular pressure. It has an extremely stable sensor that cuts down on pressure drift over extended periods of time. Patients with other cardiovascular conditions are expected to benefit from remote monitoring soon. For example, CVRx Inc. (Maple Grove, MN) is developing an implantable device, the Rheos, to treat hypertension. When it senses a rise in blood pressure, it sends a signal to the central nervous system. The signal prompts the brain to dilate blood vessels and improve blood flow. Likewise, CardioMEMS Inc. (Atlanta) is developing an implant to monitor aneurysm sac pressure in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms. Until recently, major surgery was required to fix the condition. Now a less-invasive procedure called a stent graft is used to strengthen the aortal wall. The device is implanted during the stent-graft surgery. It measures the pressure of the aneurysm sac and alerts clinicians if the sac is in danger of rupturing.Similar advances in sensing can be seen on external products. One, from CardioNet (San Diego), consists of a small sensor worn as a pendant or on a belt clip. It records two channels of ECG and communicates findings to a small monitor stored in the patient’s pocket or purse. When the monitor detects arrhythmia, it sends the results to a service center. The people at the center analyze the data and report them to the patient’s physician.“The sensing technologies that drive products like these have a bright future,” says Rice, who worked for several device companies before joining AMI. “A lot of the biocompatibility issues related to them may be solved in the next couple of years, and then they could really take off.”Advances in algorithms are also contributing to improved cardiovascular device technologies. One such device is the Atlas+ HF ICD from St. Jude Medical Inc. (St. Paul, MN). It has an algorithm that enables programmable timing of the left and right ventricular outputs. That allows clinicians to choose which ventricle to pace first and to decide how much of a delay is needed for the second ventricle. This can help patients who don’t respond to simultaneous biventricular pacing. Another case of innovative algorithms is the Audicor technology from Inovise Medical (Newberg, OR). It detects myocardial infarction, left ventricular hypertrophy, and other heart conditions in patients with nontraditional symptoms. It then integrates those findings into a standard ECG. Part of the system involves microphones to improve detection of abnormal heart sounds. The Audicor won a Medical Design Excellence Award in 2004.But for sensor and remote monitoring technologies to be used to their full potential, a system must optimize tracking and follow-up. That’s also in the works, says Wilkoff. “We had been implanting hundreds of defibrillators a year, and now we do more than 1000,” he says. “Every year, the biggest problem is following all of the changes to all of the patients. Nobody could sustain that kind of growth with the old systems. We have to be able to manage it. Only the use of electronic medical records and remote monitoring can handle it. So we’ve had to change our whole system. You need a comprehensive patient management system and devices with sensors and long-distance telemetry. This allows comprehensive monitoring without being invasive to the patients’ lives. It will take time to work out the kinks and for patients to get used to it. People do things the way they’re used to doing them. But not having to go to the hospital for follow-up could make a huge difference in quality of life.” Stenting Much has been written about the effect of drug-eluting stents on coronary artery disease. The two FDA-approved products, Cypher from Johnson & Johnson’s Cordis Corp. (Miami) and Taxus from Boston Scientific Corp. (Natick, MA), reduce restenosis dramatically compared with bare-metal stents. With fewer patients needing a second intervention because of reblocked arteries, improvements in quality of life and long-term cost reductions have been dramatic.But what’s next on the stent development front? New designs could extend the reach of the treatment into patients previously considered too at-risk for the procedure. However, it’s not clear when that will happen, or how significant the effect will be.Thomas Gunderson, managing director and senior research analyst for Piper Jaffray (Minneapolis), sees slow growth in stent use, with drug-eluting stents going only to patients who would have received bare-metal stents in past times. Because the technology hasn’t been around long, “it’s been hard to get clinical data to show that it’s an improvement” over anything other than bare-metal stents, he says. “It will take a long time to get more-definitive data out.”Stents should continue to play a major role in cardiovascular treatment. But how they are used and the kinds of patients they are used in could evolve in the future. “We are now investing in making drug-eluting stents reduce or eliminate the onset of thrombosis,” says Bruce Barclay, CEO of SurModics Inc. (Eden Prairie, MN), which developed the coating for Cypher. “It does not happen often, but when [thrombosis occurs], it can be catastrophic. So much work is going in to putting an antithrombotic agent on the stent. If you can eliminate or reduce the clots that form on the stent until it becomes endothelialized, then you ought to be able to reduce the onset of thrombus going forward. So that’s an active area of interest.”Michael Drues, PhD, president of Vascular Sciences (North Grafton, MA), sees more-radical applications down the road.“The current drug-eluting stents are a stepping stone to better products in the future,” he says. “I can see the day when they evolve into multiple combination products. There could be a stent with multiple drugs and multiple biologics, all of which are designed to do different things. And if you look further down the road, the real future is tissue engineering. We will be able to do things we can’t even dream of now to fix problems in the arteries and throughout the body. The whole function of medical devices will change. We might be able to use tissue-engineering biological products to encourage injured cells to regrow—and use a medical device to deliver the therapeutic to do that. Instead of delivering a stent into an artery to hold it open, we could use it as a local drug-delivery or biologic-delivery system. Most diseases are characterized by a loss of function. Medical devices alone don’t restore function. But combined with other things, they can be used to help restore function, and possibly to treat some of the most insidious diseases affecting our society today, including diabetes, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and multiple sclerosis. Some may ask, ‘Does this mean we will be using fewer devices in the future?’ On the contrary, I believe we will be using many more devices in the future than we do today; however, we will be using them in drastically different ways. In short, we must think biology, not just mechanics.” Complementary TechnologiesThese visions of more-complex implantable devices are giving rise to improvements in other areas. One research goal is to design technologies that simplify and improve the less-invasive procedures that have come into vogue. For example, Access Scientific Inc. (New York City) is developing products to be used in a procedure that would replace the Seldinger technique. For 30 years, the Seldinger technique has been the standard method to deliver balloons, stents, chemotherapy drug infusions, and the like. Access Scientific’s product would create a smaller access point, which would be less traumatic for the patient, says Janelle Anderson, general manager of Access. “It gives doctors the ability to go with a smaller needle, regardless of the size of the sheath,” she says. “It’s a micropuncture.”Research has also focused on the manufacturing of and material selection for catheters, guidewires, and other technologies that assist cardiologists and cardiac surgeons.“We are seeing a significant increase in demand for components that facilitate less-invasive cardiovascular procedures of increased complexity,” says Ron Lowell, director of sales and marketing for Upchurch Medical (Oak Harbor, WA). “We are designing and manufacturing catheters in a wide variety of materials and configurations to serve as the conduit for intravascular therapeutic and diagnostic procedures. Things are not as simple as they used to be, and the challenges must be met through higher-performance materials and processing. Extrusion, molding, machining, and assembly of biocompatible materials like PEEK and other high-end engineering thermoplastics are now required.” |
| British Hypertension Society by http://www.bpassoc.org.uk/ The British Hypertension Society provides a medical and scientific research forum to enable sharing of cutting edge research in order to understand the origin of high blood pressure and improve its treatment. An annual scientific meeting is held every September at a University Campus in the UK and Ireland. The British Hypertension Society has a track record of producing internationally renowned guidelines for the management of hypertension which are widely adopted in primary care in the UK and elsewhere. As part of our increasing engagement in improving blood pressure measurement we are now undertaking active validation of new blood pressure devices for the measurement of blood pressure. The Society has also established an educational programme to support scientists, doctors and other healthcare workers involved in understanding the basis of high blood pressure and improving its treatment throughout the UK. The British Hypertension Society Information Service provides information to doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals who work in the field of hypertension and cardiovascular disease. This service also supports the work of the BHS Information Service and Guidelines Working Party, the BHS Educational Programmes Working Party and the BHS BP Monitoring Working Party. If you are a healthcare professional and have a query relating to hypertension or the activities of the British Hypertension Society, please contact: BHS Information Service:Jackie HowarthBHS Administrative OfficerClinical Sciences Building, Level 5, Leicester Royal Infirmary,PO Box 65, Leicester, LE2 7LXTel: 07717 467 973Email: bhs@le.ac.uk If you are a member of the public please click on this link: http://www.bpassoc.org.uk (The Blood Pressure Association) for general information on blood pressure. |
