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Spouses and other partners lower blood pressure says new research

The May issue of Psychosomatic medicine reports that spending a little quality time with one's spouse and other partners seems to have a calming influence on a person's blood pressure. In a study that used portable monitors to track people's blood pressure, it turned out that the participants' pressure was lowest when they were with their partners, regardless of what they were doing....

Half of world's children are passive smokers - damning disclosure from WHO

The world health organisation has come out with a damning disclosure that half the world's children are passive smoke. In a message on "No Tobacco Day 2001," World Health Organization chief Gro Harlem Brundtland said 700 million children were exposed to the health hazard because most governments still allowed smoking in public places. She added that scientists around the world agreed that...

H2O - a cure for low blood pressure

US researchers have found that a large glass of water may be the latest blood pressure drug for some patients. Investigators at Vanderbilt's Autonomic Dysfunction Center reported that water has a powerful blood pressure raising effect in patients who experience fainting spells while standing.// Blood pressure started increasing within two or three minutes after the water was ing...

A better way to measure cholesterol

Measuring cholesterol levels is becoming an increasingly important part of a medical check. Generally, it is assumed that high density lipoprotein (HDL, or 'good' cholesterol) levels should be high, and low density lipoprotein (LDL, or 'bad' cholesterol) low. At Johns Hopkins University in the US, researchers believe that it is important to measure non-HDL cholesterol too...

Uncontrolled blood pressure

Among older people high blood pressure is poorly controlled. Drugs and lifestyle modification can help control high blood pressure (hypertension) yet these measures are not being taken by a majority of those who have the condition. At the Baylor School of Medicine, Houston, Texas, doctors have surveyed over 16,000 adults over 25 and found that 27 per cent had hypertension.//...

Nitric oxide involved in high blood pressure

High blood pressure causes inactivation of nitric oxide, a hormone involved in blood pressure control which worsens the problem. If high blood pressure is left untreated, it does not stay at one elevated level, but tends to spiral out of control. According to the researchers at the University of Texas, this study was conducted on rats and found that nitric oxide, which helps control blood...

Way to monitor blood pressure

Blood pressure measured during exercise is a better indicator of heart disease risk than blood pressure taken at rest. High blood pressure raises the risk of heart disease and stroke. Normally, doctors measure blood pressure when the patient is sitting quietly in their office. But researchers at University of San Diego now show that there could be a better way. Hence it has to be treated...

Pressure on spine cause problems

Chiropractors say that even small amounts of pressure on the nerves exiting the spine may lead to long-term health issues. A chiropractor will carefully examine the way your spine is aligned. The World Chiropractic Alliance now says that misalignments can lead to pressure on the nerves that exit the spine. And this pressure could be the cause of chronic problems.// The chiropractors c...

New Drug Effective for Low Blood Pressure

Patients with a condition called orthostatic hypotension have problems with sinking blood pressure when standing up from a sitting position.// Current treatments help increase blood pressure when standing but also cause blood pressure to soar when lying down, increasing the risk for stroke. Researchers say that a new drug application could help patients with low blood pressure. Blood pre...

Exposure To Cadmium Associated With Increased Cancer Risk

People exposed to the metal cadmium in the environment have an increased cancer risk, according to Belgian researchers.The study, authored by Dr Jan A Staessen Iuniversity of Leuven, Belgium, was reported online in The Lancet Oncology. // Cadmium, a ubiquitous pollutant in industrial nations, has toxic effects. Due to its slow half-life, it accumulates in the body over a person’s life...

Aggressive blood pressure treatment needed

Those who are most at risk from high blood pressure have the most to gain from treatment - yet they are being neglected. Doctors are often reluctant to treat people with high blood pressure when they have other risk factors, like high cholesterol or diabetes. Maybe they believe little can be done when matters have reached the 'multiple risk factor' stage, or they may worry about lowering...

Blood Pressure Drug may slow wasting in burn victims

A widely used blood pressure drug shows strong potential for slowing the metabolic overdrive that makes patients waste away after severe burns and other major injuries. In a study, researchers at Shriners Hospital for Children in Galveston, Texas, tried propranolol on 13 children with bad burns and left 12 untreated to compare. The drug, one of a class known as beta blockers, checks the s...

Borderline blood pressure- possible health risk

It is best to keep blood pressure at normal (120/80 mmHg). Better still, there is a benefit in keeping blood pressure as low as possible.High blood pressure is generally defined as a reading above 140/90 mm Hg and, if untreated, it raises the risk of stroke and heart attack. It's becoming increasingly clear that these figures don't represent a clear cut-off point below which there's no h...

Patients Pressure Would Result In Overprescription

Overprescription and subsequent overuse of antibiotics is an increasing concern, contributing to higher drug costs and the increasing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. But in many cases, doctors' over-prescribing of medication may not be due to misdiagnoses, but to insistent requests and subtle hints from their patients. // Scott and his colleagues analyzed data from a 1996...

Salt reduction lowers blood pressure

According to a new study combining a diet rich in fruit and vegetables with decreased salt intake can lower blood pressure, even in those not suffering from hypertension. The DASH (Dietary Approached to Stop Hypertension) diet can lead to significant health benefits.// Previous research has shown it lowers blood pressure, low density lipoprotein (LDL) and levels of homocysteine, an amino...

Antenatal kerosene exposure endangers child's sight

A research has found that if pregnant women whose jobs require too much exposure to solvents like kerosene, gasoline,glues etc may be more likely to have chilren with defective eyesight. Head researcher Dr. Gideon Koren and colleagues//, from Toronto published this in Jornal of Occupational health. They found that poor vision acuity (sharpness) were more common among children whose mo...

Less sodium,less pressure

Dr. Frank Sacks, chair of the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) says by reducing salt intake and following a good diet pattern are as effective in decreasing blood pressure as antihypertensive medications.In addition, following these dietary guidelines// could lead to a 20% decrease in the prevalence of heart disease and a 35% decrease in the prevalence of strokes. The DA...

Exposure to EMF may cause leukemia

Long periods of exposure to high level electromagnetic fields (EMF) at home could double the risk of childhood leukemia, a major international study has found. //The three-year review was carried out for the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) by six senior epidemiologists from major institutions around the world. Leukemia, which develops in the bone...

Vitamin E decreases high blood pressure in kidney failure

The antioxidant vitamin E was able to reduce high blood pressure in rats who had kidney failure. Researchers at the University of Texas, find that rats with impaired kidneys// and high blood pressure produce large amounts of damaging free radicals. This process, known as oxidative stress, now looks to play a key role in high blood pressure. In the latest study, they also show that giving...

Blood Pressure Drugs maintain muscle strength

Drugs used to reduce blood pressure could help to keep elderly people fitter for longer by slowing the physical decline that accompanies age.// ACE inhibitors prevent high blood pressure by blocking an enzyme that causes blood vessels to constrict. The drugs also help to preserve muscle strength in patients suffering from congestive heart failure (CHF). Researchers said the drug...

How trees affect sun exposure

Do not assume that standing under a tree affords complete protection from the sun, say researchers at Hopkins University. When the sun comes out, it's pleasant to sit under a tree and assume that the foliage must be protecting you from the sun. But don't take the shade for granted, say researchers at Purdue University in the US.// They've built a mathematical model which reveals just...

Warning on radiowave exposure

Experts at the electromagnetic radiation research center feel, that we need to learn more about the health risks of low level radiowaves. Radiowaves and microwaves play an increasing role in everyday life - what with cellphones,// wireless computers and personal digital assistants, pagers, and text messengers. We often walk past cellphone base stations, often unaware of their existence....

Impact on Lung function based on exposure

According to a new study, the the functionality of lungs can be well analysed based on the things we are exposed to in our early days. Scientists have long known a test called forced expiratory volume in 1 second, or FEV 1, //is an effective measure of lung function and predictor of morbidity and death. While FEV 1 tends to decline with age, investigators have speculated factors like expo...

Occupational exposurer aises respiratory symptoms

According to a Norwegian study of 1656 subjects over an eleven year period reveals how exposure to dust and fumes in the workplace is linked to a significant increase in respiratory symptoms.// Initially, 2500 subjects from the city of Bergen and its surroundings were enrolled in 1985 and asked about lung symptoms, workplace dust and fume exposure, smoking habits and asthma. Then, aft...

Prolonged survival not assured by psychological therapies for cancer patients

"The lifespan of people with cancer cannot be prolonged by psychological interventions", says a recent study by researchers. Does mind play a role in cancer? Yes. People with cancer can benefit from counselling and therapy// at the time of diagnosis to help them cope with treatment and the illness itself. But whether psychological intervention actually improves the survival prospects o...

More compelling reasons to lower blood pressure

A recent study by British researchers who analyzed 61 previous studies of blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, which together included 1 million people, found that lowering blood pressure, regardless of age and even if readings are in the normal range, could// have significant pay off in terms of reducing risk of strokes and heart attacks. The study which included a 13 year follo...

Lowering blood pressure beneficial for PAD patients

Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD), a risk factor for heart attacks, is characterized by atherosclerosis, a condition in which blood vessels of the legs are narrowed by fatty deposits. PAD is a risk factor for heart attacks because the atherosclerosis// probably also occurs in the coronary arteries. Researchers at the University of Colorado studied a group of 955 people with diabetes....

Response to chemotherapy could be measured by Prostate-Specific Antigen Doubling Time

Researchers from the department of urology in a hospital in Switzerland who investigated whether chemotherapeutic response to hormone-refractory prostate cancer could be measured via changes in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) found that prostate cancer doubling time may be an auxiliary marker of response to chemotherapy// in patients with hormone refractory prostate cancer. The study...

Kidney function can be affected by lead exposure

Earlier studies have shown that exposure to lead may lead to deterioration of kidney function. Researchers in Taiwan, in a new study, have now shown that kidney function in people with chronic kidney problems may be adversely affected due to environmental lead exposure. The researchers studied a group of people with chronic kidney disease in which there were some who had a normal body bur...

Blood pressure control with ACE inhibitor or diuretic?

An Australian study published in The New England Journal of Medicine has challenged the American ALLHAT trial that showed diuretics were superior to ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitors and calcium channel blockers in controlling blood pressure. The Australian study included 6,083 people who were mostly white. Blood pressure reduction was the same in those who took a diuretic an...

Night Time Aspirin Regimen Found to Reduce Blood Pressure

Patients with mild hypertension experienced a significant reduction in blood pressure as the result of regularly taking aspirin before bed, according to a new study. To investigate the effect of aspirin taken at different times of the rest-activity cycle, Ramon C. Hermida, Ph.D., of Bioengineering and Chronobiology Laboratories, University of Vigo, Campus Universitario, Spain, and colleag...

Changes in cabin pressure pose risks for moms-to-be

One of the more intriguing observations about pregnancy is that births are sometimes reported to increase right about nine months after major weather events, such as hurricanes or snowstorms. While some have speculated that the sudden changes in barometric pressure that precede a storm could boost conception rates, no research has proved any such link. Air pressure changes during air trav...

Weight and Blood Pressure

A new study highlights the importance of weight control throughout life to control blood pressure. The study also reports low birthweight and low socio-economic status during childhood can also contribute to higher blood pressure in the future.// Researchers have suggested the negative effect of birthweight on systolic blood pressure may be initiated in utero and amplified with age. Re...

Senate assures ban on smoking

Legislators last night outlawed tobacco use in the Commonwealth's restaurants, taverns, and nightclubs, and voted to lift the state's ban on Sunday liquor-store sales as the House and Senate concluded the year's business with a last-minute flurry.// Working until nearly midnight, lawmakers also approved a sales tax "holiday" designed to spur shoppers to spend more, thereby pumping up t...

Multi-Drug Therapy Effective in Lowering Blood Pressure

Researchers from the University of Florida College of Medicine designed a randomized //trial to compare two different treatments for hypertension in older patients. Researchers say most patients require more than one medication to control their blood pressure, so this study was set up to look at multidrug strategies rather than individual drugs. The study found patients had similar outc...

Exposure To Tobacco Smoke Can Lead To Sickle Cell Crisis

A recent study finds children with sickle cell disease are more likely to end up in the hospital with a sickle cell crisis if they live in households where people smoke.// Study after study has confirmed exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke can harm the health of nonsmokers. It is found that exposure to smoke affects the way the blood handles oxygen, leading to a vast array of problems....

Radiation Exposure Found To Affect Intellect Later In Life

According to recent findings researchers say the risks and benefits of using CT scanning for young children need to be re-evaluated.// Researchers from Sweden studied more than 3,000 men who received radiation therapy before 18 months of age. Participants had their intellectual capacity tested at age 18 years or 19 years. Researchers also studied school attendance records for the young m...

Poor Preventive Measures Taken By Diabetics

A recent study shows only 7 percent of diabetics take the proper preventative measures to avert // circulation and blood vessel problems. Researchers stressed continued negligence by diabetics increases their risk for vascular disease including retinopathy, neuropathy, nephropathy, coronary heart disease, stroke, and lower extremity amputations. Researchers sampled nearly 1,700 adults, a...

Cancer Risk From Exposure To Diagnostic X-Rays

Diagnostic X-rays are the largest man made source of radiation exposure to the general population. Although there are // many benefits to these X-rays, it’s also believed exposure during the test is responsible for a small number of cancers. A new study attempts to calculate the risk of cancer from exposure to diagnostic X-rays. Researchers at the University of Oxford and Cancer Research...

Study On Self Measurement Of Blood Pressure

There are two types of blood pressures -- systolic pressure is created by the contraction of the heart muscle pushing blood // into the vessels and diastolic pressure is when the heart is at rest between beats. The normal blood pressure for adults is 120/80. The first number in a blood pressure reading is the systolic pressure and the second, or bottom, number is the diastolic pressure....