Shopping in ‘unhealthy’ locales up blood pressure risk: Study

The study using Pop-up health check stations in England found a possible link between “unhealthy’ shopping centres and the number of cases of suspected or diagnosed high blood pressure. Shopping in ‘unhealthy’ locales up BP risk: Study  |  Photo Credit: Thinkstock London: People who frequently indulge in shopping in “unhealthy” areas as compared to those who visiting “healthy” retail stores, were more likely to be at risk of high blood pressure, say researchers. The study using Pop-up health check stations in England found a possible link between “unhealthy’ shopping centres and…

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New blood test could predict second heart attack risk

A blood test that quickly and easily detects whether a person is at the risk of a secondary heart attack is being developed by scientists. The researchers at the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute in Australia have identified plasma lipid biomarkers (fats in the blood) that improve upon traditional risk factors in predicting heart disease and stroke. The blood test is proposed to be trialled in Australia over the next 2-3 years, said Peter Meikle, a professor Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute. Eventually this test will help better assess a…

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Single pill with two drugs can boost treatment for blood pressure, says study

A single pill with two drugs could transform blood pressure treatment as most of the patients are often reluctant to take more than a pill, according to a research. The research, published in the European Heart Journal, recognised that a major reason for poor rates of blood pressure control is that patients do not adhere to medications. Non-adherence increases with the number of pills, so administering the two drugs (or three, if needed) in a single tablet could transform blood pressure control rates, the researchers said. “The vast majority of…

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Lower indoor temperatures linked to higher blood pressure

According to a recent study, one can manage hypertension by turning up the thermostat. Comparing blood pressure readings of people in their own homes with temperature readings, the researchers at University College London found that lower indoor temperatures were linked to higher blood pressure. “Our research has helped to explain the higher rates of hypertension, as well as potential increases in deaths from stroke and heart disease, in the winter months, suggesting indoor temperatures should be taken more seriously in diagnosis and treatment decisions, and in public health messages,” said senior author Dr…

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This new blood test can predict due date and premature birth

Researchers from Standford University have developed a new blood test for pregnant women that may detect whether their pregnancies will end in premature birth. The technique can also be used to estimate a foetus’s gestational age — or the mother’s due date — as reliably and less expensively than ultrasound. There have been several studies on preterm births in the past, and the reasons for it. A study by the University of Pennsylvania linked such births to changes in the mother’s bacteria. Another study by CHU Sainte-Justine in Canada found that having a baby…

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Smoking damages your heart, leads to high blood pressure, infertility

While the popular belief is that smoking largely affects the lungs because they get directly exposed to inhaled smoke, health experts warn that it also impacts the entire cardiovascular system. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), smoking tobacco is globally the second leading cause of heart diseases after high blood pressure. Nearly 12 % of cardiovascular deaths worldwide occur due to tobacco abuse and secondhand smoking. In tobacco cigarette, there is combustion, a burning of an organic material that generates temperatures up to 900 degree Celsius. Chronic exposure to…

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