Open plan office bad for health of workers
Why your office could be making you sick? – It’s a sneaking suspicion many of us have had at one time or another, and a new QUT study has confirmed it – working in open-plan offices is bad for our health.
High blood pressure
Job stress may cause stroke
Occupational stress related to job strain was associated with incident strokes among Japanese men. – Japanese men in high-stress jobs appear to have an increased risk of stroke compared with those in less demanding positions, according to a report in the January 12 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Hypertension susceptibility gene STK39 identified
University of Maryland researchers identify common gene variant linked to high blood pressure. STK39 gene produces protein involved in regulating how kidneys process salt. – Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine have identified a common gene variant that appears to influence people’s risk of developing high blood pressure, according to the results of a study being published online Dec. 29, 2008 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
First embryonic stem cells from rats
USC researchers derive first embryonic stem cells from rats. Finding represents major breakthrough for biomedical research. – Researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) have, for the first time in history, derived authentic embryonic stem (ES) cells from rats. This breakthrough finding will enable scientists to create far more effective animal models for the study of a range of human diseases.
Good sleep lowers heart disease risk
Longer measured sleep is associated with lower calcification incidence independent of examined potential mediators and confounders. – Participants in a study who slept on average an hour longer per night than other participants had an associated lower incidence of coronary artery calcification, which is thought to be a predictor of future heart disease, according to a study in the December 24/31 issue of JAMA.
Weight loss pills may be risky for health
FDA warns consumers about tainted weight loss pills. US Health Agency seeks recall of products that pose serious health risks. – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is alerting consumers nationwide not to purchase or consume more than 25 different products marketed for weight loss because they contain undeclared, active pharmaceutical ingredients that may put consumers’ health at risk.
High blood pressure linked to cognitive functioning
High blood pressure may make it difficult for the elderly to think clearly – Adding another reason for people to watch their blood pressure, a new study from North Carolina State University shows that increased blood pressure in older adults is directly related to decreased cognitive functioning, particularly among seniors with already high blood pressure. This means that stressful situations may make it more difficult for some seniors to think clearly.
High blood pressure in doctor’s clinic may not predict heart risks
High blood pressure in the doctor’s clinic may not predict heart risks. Round-the-clock blood pressure measurements, especially those during the night, are better predictors of major cardiovascular problems. – Continuously measuring blood pressure may help predict heart disease and related deaths among individuals with treatment-resistant hypertension, while blood pressure readings taken in a medical clinic do not appear to predict future heart risks, according to a report in November 24 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Children of centenarians live longer with no heart disease, stroke, diabetes
Centenarian offspring retain important cardiovascular advantages from their parents compared to a similarly-aged. – A recent study appearing in the November issue of Journal of American Geriatrics Society revealed that centenarian offspring (children of parents who lived to be at least 97 years old) retain important cardiovascular advantages from their parents compared to a similarly-aged cohort.
Obese women may have safe pregnancy after weight loss surgery
Weight loss surgery – bariatric surgery – may help obese women avoid pregnancy related health complications. – Obese women who have weight loss surgery before becoming pregnant have a lower risk of pregnancy-related health problems and their children are less likely to be born with complications, according to a new RAND Corporation study.
Decade of change in general practice in Australia
Australia’S GPs are older, more likely to be female and write fewer prescriptions than they did a decade ago. – It’s not only the patients in GP surgeries who are getting older, according to two new reports released today by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and the Australian General Practice Statistics and Classification Centre, an AIHW collaborating unit located at the University of Sydney.
Audio relaxation program may help lower blood pressure
Study highlights an audio-guided relaxation CD with background sounds of ocean waves and a calming voice may lower blood pressure in elderly people. – An audio relaxation program lowered blood pressure more than a Mozart sonata in a group of elderly people with high blood pressure, researchers reported at the American Heart Association’s 62nd Annual Fall Conference of the Council for High Blood Pressure Research.