BP reading above normal may up risk of stroke

A new study has found that any blood pressure reading higher than the normal 120/80 mmHg may increase the risk of stroke.

The meta-analysis looked at all of the available research on the risk of developing stroke in people with “prehypertension,” or blood pressure higher than optimal but lower than the threshold to be diagnosed with high blood pressure, which is 140/90 mmHg.

A total of 19 prospective cohort studies with more than 760,000 participants were included in the analysis, and participants were followed for time periods ranging from four to 36 years. From 25 to 54 percent of study participants had pre-high blood pressure.

The analysis found that people with pre-high blood pressure were 66 percent more likely to develop a stroke than people who had normal blood pressure.

The results were the same after researchers adjusted for other factors that could increase the risk of stroke, such as high cholesterol, diabetes and smoking.

The researchers determined that nearly 20 percent of strokes in the study population were due to pre-high blood pressure.

Considering the high proportion of the population who have higher than normal blood pressure, successful treatment of this condition could prevent many strokes and make a major difference in public health, study author Dingli Xu, of Southern Medical University in Guangzhou, China, said.

The study is published in the online issue of journal Neurology®.

Source: Daily news and analysis


If You Have An Irregular Heartbeat, Take Blood Thinners

The American Academy of Neurology on Monday issued new guidelines on the use of blood thinners for people with an irregular heartbeat, after last considering the issue in 1998. Since then, several new anticoagulants have proven at least as effective as the traditional warfarin treatment for non–valvular atrial fibrillation, and is safe for those who’ve survived stroke or its precursor, a transient ischemic attack.

Dr. Antonio Culebras, an Academy fellow at SUNY Upstate Medical University, says blood thinners are especially important for people at risk of stroke. “The World Health Organization has determined that atrial fibrillation is nearing epidemic proportions, affecting 0.5 percent of the population worldwide,” he said in a statement.

Although presenting no immediate danger, an irregular heart rhythm allows blood to collect in the heart’s upper chambers, where it may clot. Eventually, blood clots forming in the heart may flow to the brain, obstructing vessels and arteries. Approximately one in 20 Americans with an untreated irregular heartbeat will suffer stroke this year, the Academy says. To date, doctors have exercised caution in prescribing blood thinners, wary of the risk of bleeding. However, new drugs on the market carry a reduced risk of bleeding in the brain, with much greater convenience. Patients on warfarin today require frequent blood testing to monitor risk for bleeding.

But wait, there’s more. A greater safety profile for blood thinners extends the range of patients who might benefit. Such drugs may now help more elderly patients, including those with dementia and those at moderate risk of falls — factors considered too dangerous for the old-line of anticoagulants.

“Of course, doctors will need to consider the individual patient’s situation in making a decision whether or not to use anticoagulants, and which one to use, as the risks and benefits can vary for each person,” Culebras said.

Source: Medical Daily

 


Giving blood pressure medications right after stroke not beneficial

A major study has found that giving patients medications to lower their blood pressure during the first 48 hours after a stroke does not reduce the likelihood of death or major disability.

The study is published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

At least 25 per cent of the population has high blood pressure, which greatly increases the risk of stroke. Lowering blood pressure has been shown to reduce the risk of stroke. The study investigated whether there also would be a benefit to lowering blood pressure immediately after a stroke.

The study included more than 4,000 stroke patients in 26 hospitals across China who were randomly assigned to receive or discontinue blood pressure medications. At 14 days or upon hospital discharge, there were no statistically significant differences between the groups in mortality or disability.

Blood pressure often is elevated following a stroke.

“But in most cases, treatment is unnecessary because the blood pressure declines naturally over time, and lowering blood pressure may be contraindicated,” said stroke specialist Dr Jose Biller, chair of the department of neurology of Loyola University Medical Centre. “It is important not to over treat and cause low blood pressure because the most important objective is to maintain adequate blood flow to the brain.”

Dr Biller was a member of the study’s Data and Safety Monitoring Board. Dr Paul K Whelton, former president and CEO of Loyola University Health System, was chair of the monitoring board.

First author of the study is Dr Jiang He of Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.

The study is called the China Antihypertensive Trial in Acute Ischemic Stroke (CATIS). It involved patients who had suffered ischemic strokes, which account for about 85 per cent of all strokes. Such strokes are caused by blood clots that block blood flow to a part of the brain.

Source: India Medical Times


Three reasons why fast food is bad for you

Most people now flock to fast food every day due to hectic schedules in the fast-paced world, which is really unhealthy and dangerous for your health. Below are three reasons why eating fast food is bad:

Obesity: Junk food is a major contributor to obesity, which increases the risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and other chronic health problems. According to studies, kids who eat junk food regularly as part of their diet consume more fat, carbohydrates and processed sugar and less fiber leading to weight gain than those who do not eat fast food on a regular basis.

Bad cholesterol level: Since most of the fast foods contain high levels of saturated fat, eating these foods regularly can up the levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) in the blood. High levels of cholesterol can cause heart attack and stroke.These foods also contain trans fat, which is the worst type of fat. Trans fat is linked to increased levels of bad cholesterol in the blood.

Sodium: Many fast foods contain high levels of sodium, which can cause high blood pressure, obesity, osteoporosis, etc. We need to eat certain amount of salt every day but overconsumption is harmful for the body. Experts have linked bowel cancer to overconsumption of salt.

Source: Zee news


Olive oil may help prevent breast cancer

A new study led by an Indian origin researcher has found that a major component of olive oil, hydroxytyrosol, may help prevent breast cancer in postmenopausal women.

“We know there is a correlation between breast density and breast cancer,” Tejal Patel, M.D., breast medical oncologist with Houston Methodist Cancer Center said. “A decrease in density of one percent can potentially translate into a nearly two percent reduced risk of developing breast cancer.

Previous research has shown that olive oil provides many health benefits including lowering the risk for heart disease, high blood pressure and possibly stroke.

Houston Methodist will enroll 100 patients — 50 premenopausal and 50 postmenopausal women. Each patient will take one 25 mg hydroxytyrosol capsule for 12 months and undergo checkups every three months. There is no placebo control.

In addition to looking at whether hydroxytyrosol has an impact on breast density, researchers will also note possible side effects of the chemical.

Source: DNA India


Shingles dramatically increases heart disease, stroke risk

If you’ve had shingles before the age of 40, you could be at an increased risk for heart disease and stroke.

According to Counsel & Heal, researchers followed individuals for an average of 6.3 years after they had contracted shingles. The study found that participants who had shingles before age 40 were 50 percent more likely to have a heart attack than people who did not have the disease; they were also 74 percent more likely to have a stroke.

Given these findings, lead researcher Dr. Judith Breuer of University College London recommended that anyone with shingles be screened for heart and stroke risk factors.

“The shingles vaccine has been shown to reduce the number of cases of shingles by about 50 percent,” Breuer told Counsel & Heal.

Current shingles vaccination recommendations are for anyone over the age of 60. Researchers have yet to determine the role of vaccination in younger individuals, Breuer said.

Source: Fresh news US


Top 5 reasons to indulge in a chocolate treat

Are you keeping a distance from indulging in your favourite chocolate treat, only because all that you are worried about is putting on those extra pounds? Surely, you are not aware of the wonders that a piece of chocolate can do to your health.

Hold on; don’t jump on to grab a bar of chocolate yet. Your favourite milk chocolate or white chocolate may not give you the desired benefits. It’s the dark chocolate, that is power packed with health benefits and when taken in moderation can actually help keep your heart healthy, improve brain power and even help maintain a slimmer figure. There are 5 Proven Reasons You Should Be Eating More Dark Chocolate. Here are the top excuses that make when indulging in a chocolate treat:

Keeps heart healthy: Dark chocolate (containing at least 60% cocoa solids) helps protect against cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks and strokes.

Flavanols present in cocoa produce a chemical in the body called nitric oxide which helps relax blood vessels making it easier for blood to pass through them. Moderate consumption of dark chocolate can help lower blood pressure, “bad” LDL cholesterol and the risk of heart diseases.
Improves brain power: The antioxidants in dark chocolate help improve blood flow to the brain, thus enhancing your cognitive ability. In a study published in online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, researchers found that drinking hot chocolate did help older people keep their brains healthy and their thinking skills sharp. Helps deal with mood swings: Dealing with terrible mood swings? Bite on a chocolate.

Chocolate contains phenylethylamine (PEA), the same chemical our brain creates when one falls in love. The magnesium content in chocolate aids relaxation; anandamide- a neurotransmitter- helps regulate mood, and phenylethylamine raises endorphin levels making you feel happier.
Helps manage weight: Unlike the popular assumption that eating chocolates can lead to weight gain, consuming dark chocolate in moderation can actually help you keep your BMI (body mass index) in check.

Chocolates boost metabolism, thus balancing out the calorie intake. Rich in fiber, it can actually help keep you full for long, so you’ll eat less. Chocolates may even reduce cravings for sweet, salty and fatty foods. May help fight diabetes: According to a study, eating dark chocolate improves the body’s ability to metabolise sugar.

The team concluded that flavanol was responsible for the effect because it neutralised potentially cell-damaging substances known as oxygen free radicals. However, commercial chocolates don’t have the same effect as they are high in calorie and fat content.

Despite all the health benefits of dark chocolates, researchers warn people to be careful about chocolate consumption. Anything in moderation would do no harm, so dig your way into the favourite dark chocolate treat.

Source: Journey Line


More walking tied to lower stroke risk among men

Older men who spend several hours walking each day are less likely to have a stroke than their peers who rarely walk, a new study suggests. And walking pace didn’t seem to matter.

Researchers said few studies have looked specifically at how both walking speed and walking time or distance is linked to stroke risk.

“Stroke is a major cause of death and disability and it is important to find ways to prevent it, especially in older people who are at high stroke risk,” Barbara J. Jefferis told Reuters Health in an email. She led the research at University College London in the UK.

“Our study suggests that maintaining an active lifestyle, specifically by spending more time on all forms of walking, could be an important part of stroke prevention strategies in older people,” Jefferis said.

She and her coauthors analyzed data from men enrolled in a long-term British heart study.

The men entered the study in 1978 to 1980. In 1998 to 2000, when they were in their 60s and 70s, they filled out surveys about how often they were physically active.

The new analysis includes 2,995 men who had not had a stroke or heart disease at the time of that survey. Researchers followed them for another 11 years.

More than half of the men walked an hour or less each day. About one in six reported walking more than two hours per day.

During the follow-up period, 195 of the men had a stroke. The researchers found that the more time men spent walking, the lower their risk of stroke.

Men who walked four to seven hours each week were 11 percent less likely to have a stroke than men who walked for three hours per week or less. But that difference could have been due to chance, Jefferis and her colleagues reported in the journal Stroke.

A stronger finding was that men who walked the most – for more than three hours each day – had a two-thirds lower risk of stroke than those who spent the least time walking.

Walking pace was also tied to stroke risk, such that average-pace or brisk walkers had a 38 percent lower risk of stroke than slow walkers. But distance walked explained that finding: men who walked at an average or brisk pace also walked further than their slower peers, according to the study.

The findings don’t prove walking prevents strokes. But they could not be explained by factors known to increase a person’s risk of stroke, like age, blood pressure and cholesterol. More recently identified markers of stroke, such as proteins associated with inflammation; blood clotting or heart muscle damage also weren’t behind the link.

“What we found was that all of these factors explained only a small amount of the relationship between time spent walking and onset of stroke,” Jefferis said. “This suggests that there may be other factors operating which explain why walking protects against stroke.”

Her team’s study was funded by the National Institute for Health Research and the British Heart Foundation.

Although it only included men, Jefferis said other research has suggested walking is good for women, too.

For instance, a team of Spanish researchers reported late last year that women who walked briskly for at least three and a half hours per week had a lower risk of stroke than inactive women

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), close to 800,000 people in the U.S. have a stroke every year, and strokes are the most common cause of serious long-term disability.

“Getting into the habit of walking every day for at least an hour could protect against stroke,” Jefferis said. That can include walking that is done while running errands, walking for leisure in a park or just walking around indoors.

Both the World Health Organization and CDC recommend adults get at least two and a half hours of moderate exercise each week.

Source: Reuters

 


Soon, pill to prevent stroke, heart attack

A pill to prevent stroke, University of North Carolina discover for a new class of antithrombotic therapies

Researchers have uncovered a key platelet protein that may offer a new angle for developing drugs to prevent stroke and heart attack.

Lead study author Stephen Holly , PhD, assistant professor of biochemistry and biophysics at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, said that I think we’re at the start of an exciting journey of drug discovery for a new class of antithrombotic therapies.
In the human circulatory system, platelets are something of a double-edged sword. Without their clotting abilities, even a minor injury could result in potentially fatal bleeding.

But during a heart attack or stroke, platelets form a clot that can potentially block blood flow through our veins and arteries, a dangerous condition called thrombosis, which can deprive tissues of oxygen and lead to death.

Holly and his colleagues uncovered several potential drug targets using a screening technique that has never before been applied to the cardiovascular system.

The technique, called activity-based protein profiling, has been used in cancer research and allows researchers to track the actual activities of proteins operating within a cell.

The team first pre-screened human platelets to narrow the field of drug-like compounds then generated an activity-based protein profile using one of these compounds to single out proteins that play a role in platelet activation.

This new knowledge of platelets’ natural “on-off” switches could be exploited to develop drugs that keep platelets from forming pathological blood clots. As a next step, the researchers hope to investigate the proteins’ roles in animal models before potentially pursuing clinical trials in humans.

The study has been published online in the journal Chemistry and Biology.