Disease Proof : Blood Pressure

Posted on April 30, 2009 by Gerald Pugliese

Presented at the 2009 American Heart Association’s Quality of Care and Outcomes Research in Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke Conference, experts claim switching to a low sodium diet is the most important lifestyle change people with heart problems can make, but many people ignore their doctor’s recommendation. Scientists surveyed 116 heart patients on what they ate for three days, finding 70% of sodium intake comes from processed foods such as deli meats and fast food; HealthDay News reports.

Posted on April 29, 2009 by Gerald Pugliese

New research in the journal Diabetes shows young adults who had too much belly fat as teenagers have a higher risk of heart disease later in life. Among the 612 participants, men ages 18 to 20, those whose body mass index increased during adolescence had greater amounts of fat surrounding their abdominal organs. Belly fat, or visceral fat, has been closely linked to diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease; via Reuters.

No pun intended, but this is a BIG deal. A previous report reveals young men who are obese at age 18 are more likely to die prematurely as adults. Too make matters worse, our high rate of childhood obesity is expected to skyrocket heart disease among teenagers.

Posted on April 3, 2009 by Gerald Pugliese

Listen up. If you’re a heartbreaker, you might as well be a killer. Printed in the American Journal of Cardiology, researchers determined broken heart syndrome, the weakening of heart muscles usually due to intense stress following a relationship breakup, might be responsible for 67% of women admitted to a Rhode Island hospital who underwent emergency cardiac catheterization; via EurekAlert!

But a bad relationship isn’t good either. Presented at the recent American Psychosomatic Society in Chicago, women in bad marriages may have increased heart risks. Experts studied over 300 middle-aged women who had been married for more than 20 years with each couple filling out relationship questionnaires and undergoing lab tests. Results revealed women with a lot of marital strife were more likely to have things like metabolic syndrome, hypertension, high cholesterol and more; Reuters reports.

Maybe getting high will help you deal with a crumby marriage. A new study in The Journal of Clinical Investigation reveals an active ingredient in marijuana kills brain cancer cells. Testing of two patients with "recurrent glioblastoma multiforme" a fast moving brain cancer showed tetrahydrocannabinol or THC eliminated cancer cells, while leaving healthy cells intact; from HealthDay News.

Speaking of bad habits, research by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention claims people in the United States consume twice the recommended amount of salt, heightening risk of high blood pressure, stroke and heart attacks. Nearly 70% of adults are high-risk and would benefit from a reduction of salt in their diet; Reuters explains.

Now, onto to bad food! Federal health investigators believe U.S. food manufacturers and distributors are unable to pinpoint the suppliers or recipients of their products, despite federal regulation requiring them to do so. When contacted, one-quarter of food facilities were not aware they are supposed to be capable of tracing their supplies; The New York Times investigates.

The 2 million pounds of salmonella-pistachios seem to have been found by accident. Two weeks ago, a private firm voluntarily hired by Kraft Foods Inc. discovered the contamination, immediately prompting the recall. A company representative said if this testing hadn’t been conducted nobody would have found out until someone got sick; via The Associated Press.