Study indicates that a common virus could cause high blood pressure – Cytomegalovirus affects majority of adults worldwide. – A new study suggests for the first time that cytomegalovirus (CMV), a common viral infection affecting between 60 and 99 percent of adults worldwide, is a cause of high blood pressure, a leading risk factor for heart disease, stroke and kidney disease.
Walking often and far or walking for 45 to 60 minutes a day at a moderate pace reduces risks in heart patients. – An exercise program that burns a lot of calories reduced cardiac risk factors better than standard cardiac rehabilitation in overweight coronary patients, researchers report in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Diet prescribed to lower blood pressure also reduces women’s risk of heart failure. – The DASH diet was initially developed to help patients lower their blood pressure, but a large study led by investigators at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) demonstrates that women who followed the diet also significantly reduced their risk of developing heart failure.
Health and well-being in old age: It’s still money that counts – The impact that wealth and social class has on people’s well-being in old age is far greater than is often assumed. New research from the Economic and Social Research Council reveals just how great the difference really is in people’s health and well-being between different social groups at older ages.
Hypertensive kids more likely to have learning/attention problems – Children who have high blood pressure are more likely to have learning disabilities and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) than children who are not hypertensive. They are also more likely to have a higher body mass index (BMI), an indicator of body fat.
An automated system that regularly contacts hypertension patients helps them to reduce their high blood pressure. – A simple, automated feedback system made hypertension patients more aware of their potentially fatal or disabling disease and helped them significantly lower their high blood pressure, according to a report published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.
Chemical found in medical devices impairs heart function – Researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have found that a chemical commonly used in the production of such medical plastic devices as intravenous (IV) bags and catheters can impair heart function in rats.
Post-surgical and other complications in patients who have obesity surgery, also known as bariatric surgery, declined 21 percent. – A new study by the Department of Health & Human Services’ (HHS) Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) found that the average rate of post-surgical and other complications in patients who have obesity surgery, also known as bariatric surgery, declined 21 percent between 2002 and 2006.
Drinking 100% Fruit Juice is Associated with Lower Risk of Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome. NHANES analysis reveals drinking juice is associated with health-promoting behaviors in adults. – If you enjoy a glass of 100% juice as part of your daily routine, chances are you also have fewer risk factors for several chronic diseases when compared to your non juice-drinking peers.
Eating fatty fish once a week reduces men’s risk of heart failure. Omega-3 fatty acids in fish oils are also beneficial. – Eating salmon or other fatty fish just once a week helped reduce men’s risk of heart failure, adding to growing evidence that omega-3 fatty acids are of benefit to cardiac health.
In this prospective analysis, psoriasis was independently associated with an increased risk of diabetes and hypertension. Future studies are needed to find out whether psoriasis treatment will reduce the risk of diabetes and hypertension. – Women with psoriasis appear to have an increased risk for developing diabetes and hypertension (high blood pressure), according to a report in the April issue of Archives of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Mayo Clinic and Microsoft deliver a powerful and personalized consumer solution for managing health. Mayo Clinic Health Manager, powered by Microsoft HealthVault, helps you and your family become better organized, better informed. – Mayo Clinic and Microsoft Corp. announced the launch of Mayo Clinic Health Manager, a privacy- and security-enhanced free online application that provides people with a place to store medical information and receive real-time individualized health guidance and recommendations based on the clinical expertise of Mayo Clinic.
