Alcohol intake may increase blood pressure

Link between alcohol and blood pressure may be greater than previous studies suggest – The relationship between heavy drinking and hypertension is more significant than previously thought according to a new analysis of recent studies by researchers at Bristol University, published in PLoS Medicine.

Psychological distress linked to increased risk of stroke

Psychological distress, but not depression, may increase the risk of stroke. Previous studies have shown that stroke often leads to depression, but the evidence was mixed as to whether depression could lead to stroke. – Psychological distress, but not depression, may increase the risk of stroke, according to a study published in the March_4, 2008, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Previous studies have shown that stroke often leads to depression, but the evidence was mixed as to whether depression could lead to stroke.

New York unveils electronic health record technology

New York City’s Electronic Health Records Set New Standard for Health Care Nationwide; Technology Will Help Transform System of Disease Care into One of Preventing Disease. – New York’s Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas R. Frieden unveiled the City’s next-generation electronic health records (EHRs), already in use at more than 200 primary-care providers across the city that care for more than 200,000 New Yorkers.

Patients are benefiting from the new GP contract, says BMA, UK

The new GPs’ contract is benefiting patients as it has enabled GPs to spend more time with them, the British Medical Association (BMA) has said. – General Physicians (GP) are spending more time with their patients and the work they do has become more complex, GP leaders said in response to the National Audit Office (NAO) report on the GP contract in England.

Baxter recalls remaining heparin sodium vial products

Baxter International on thursday recalled nearly all of its heparin blood-thinning products six weeks after they were linked to severe allergic reactions in some patients. – Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) announced that the company is proceeding with the voluntary recall of all remaining lots and doses of its heparin sodium injection multi-dose, single-dose vials and HEP-LOCK heparin flush products.

Reducing kids’ salt intake lowers soft drink consumption

A reduction in salt intake could play a role in helping to reduce childhood obesity through its effect on sugar-sweetened soft drink consumption. – Children who eat less salt drink fewer sugar-sweetened soft drinks and may significantly lower their risks for obesity, elevated blood pressure and later-in-life heart attack and stroke, researchers reported in the print and online issue of Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association.

Daytime dozing increases stroke risk in elderly

Older people who have significant trouble staying awake during the day have more than four times the normal risk of having a stroke, US researchers said. – Regular daytime dozing forewarns of a significantly increased risk of stroke in older Americans, researchers reported at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference 2008.

Memory loss, less common in older Americans

Good news on gray matter: Memory loss and other cognitive impairment becoming less common in older Americans, U-M study finds; Better education, finances & cardiovascular care may be boosting brain health. – It appears that memory loss and thinking problems are becoming less common among older Americans. A new study shows a downward trend in the rate of “cognitive impairment” – the umbrella term for everything from significant memory loss to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease – among people aged 70 and older.

Herpes virus link to complications in pregnancy

Exposure to viral infection – especially viruses of the herpes group – may be associated with pregnancy-induced hypertensive disease (pre-eclampsia) and also with pre-term birth. – Viral infection with high blood pressure during pregnancy may lead to pre-term birth, revealed by researchers at Adelaide’s Women’s & Children’s Hospital and the University of Adelaide.

Part of ACCORD study halted due to safety concerns

Canadian Diabetes Association has issued its position statement regarding safety concerns of diabetes treatment in ACCORD study. It is important that people with diabetes not make any changes to their treatments or adjust their blood glucose targets without speaking to their healthcare team. – Canadian Diabetes Association has issued its position statement regarding safety concerns of diabetes treatment in ACCORD study – “It is important that people with diabetes not make any changes to their treatments or adjust their blood glucose targets without speaking to their healthcare team”.

Aircraft noise raises blood pressure even whilst sleeping

Acute effects of night-time noise exposure on blood pressure in populations living near airports – Effects of noise exposure on elevated subsequent BP measurements were clearly shown. The effect size of the noise level appears to be independent of the noise source. – Night-time noise from aircraft or traffic can increase a person’s blood pressure even if it does not wake them, according to a new study published in the European Heart Journal. Scientists from Imperial College London and other European institutions monitored 140 sleeping volunteers in their homes near London Heathrow and three other major European airports.

Most with high blood pressure do not follow DASH diet

The dietary profile of adults with HTN (Hypertension) in the United States has a low accordance with the (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) DASH dietary pattern, and the dietary quality of adults with HTN has deteriorated since the introduction of the DASH diet, suggesting that secular trends have minimized the impact of the DASH message. – A relatively small proportion of individuals with hypertension (high blood pressure) eat diets that align with government guidelines for controlling the disease, according to a report in the February 11 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

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