Ramanisblog

Tag: hypertension

  • Blood Pressure Facts

    Blood Pressure and Sugar have a major role to play in to day’s Life.

    These two are only manageable and can not be contained.

    Yet the facts presented to us are confusing and at times contradictory.

    Let us look at some facts.

    Blood Pressure Chart
    Blood Pressure Chart

    What is Blood Pressure?

    Blood pressure refers to the force of  Blood against your Artey Walls as it Courses through your body.

    How is it measured?

    It has two numbers.

    One is Systolic,

    or the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats and fills them with blood. The second number measures diastolic pressure, or the pressure in the arteries when the heart rests between beats.

    Normal blood pressure rises steadily from about 90/60 at birth to about 120/80 in a healthy adult. If someone were to take your blood pressure immediately after you’d delivered a speech or jogged five miles, the reading would undoubtedly seem high. This is not necessarily cause for alarm: It’s natural for blood pressure to rise and fall with changes in activity or emotional state.

    It’s also normal for blood pressure to vary from person to person, even from one area of your body to another. But when blood pressure remains consistently high, talk with your doctor about treatment. Consistently high blood pressure forces the heart to work far beyond its capacity. Along with injuring blood vessels, hypertension can damage the brain, eyes, and kidneys.

    People with blood pressure readings of 140/90 or higher, taken on at least two occasions, are said to have high blood pressure. If the pressure remains high, your doctor will probably begin treatment. People with blood pressure readings of 200/130 or higher need treatment immediately. People with diabetes are treated if their blood pressure rises above 130/80, because they already have a high risk of heart disease.

    Normal Range:

    A normal systolic blood pressure is below 120.

    A systolic blood pressure of 120 to 139 means you have pre- hypertension borderline high blood pressure.

    Even people with prehypertension are at a higher risk of developing heart disease.

    A systolic blood pressure number of 140 or higher is considered to be hypertension, or high blood pressure.

    What Does the Diastolic Blood Pressure Number Mean?

    The diastolic blood pressure number or the bottom number indicates the pressure in the arteries when the heart rests between beats.

    A normal diastolic blood pressure number is less than 80.

    A diastolic blood pressure between 80 and 89 indicates prehypertension.

    A diastolic blood pressure number of 90 or higher is considered to be hypertension or high blood pressure.

    • If your blood pressure is normal (less than 120/80), get it checked at least every 2 years or more frequently as your doctor suggests.
    • If your blood pressure is borderline high — systolic blood pressure between 120 and 139 or diastolic blood pressure of 80 to 89 — check it at least every year or more often as your doctor suggests.
    • If your blood pressure is 140/90 or higher, talk with your doctor as this is high blood pressure and requires a doctor’s attention.

    As Blood Pressure changes during various times of the day,moods,depends on food take, it is advisable to take BP checked at various times before going in for medication.

    How often?

    • If your blood pressure is normal (less than 120/80), get it checked at least every 2 years or more frequently as your doctor suggests.
    • If your blood pressure is borderline high — systolic blood pressure between 120 and 139 or diastolic blood pressure of 80 to 89 — check it at least every year or more often as your doctor suggests.
    • If your blood pressure is 140/90 or higher, talk with your doctor as this is high blood pressure and requires a doctor’s attention.

    Before you take your blood pressure, it’s recommended to avoid caffeine, cigarettes, and exercise for at least 30 minutes prior to the test.

    When you take your blood pressure at home, sit up straight in a chair and place both feet on the floor. Make sure your arm is supported on a table or an even surface. Place the top of the arm at the level of your heart. Ask your doctor or nurse to show you the proper way to position your arm, so you get accurate readings.

    When you monitor your blood pressure at home, take it at the same time of day so the readings are more constant. Then, take several readings about one minute apart. Be sure to write down these readings in a journal.

    Source Web MD.

    I have not provided information on the medicines to be taken as your Doctor knows what’s best for your body,no off the shelf or standard medicine is advisable.

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  • Specific Music For Blood Pressure Reduction,Audio/Video

    Research has proved that Music can reduce mental tension and Blood Pressure.

    in India , A highly developed,mathematics based  Music called Carnatic Music has been in vogue since time immemorial.

    The Raaga called ‘Subhabanduvaraali’ is reputed to reduce Blood pressure and ease mental tension.

    I am posting a Video containing the ‘Aalapana’ of this Raaga by a noted artiste Ms.Sudha Raghunathan.( Vocal)

    Also  from  Rajarathinan Pillai on Nadaswaram, a Wind Instrument.

    Listen and see the results.

    TN Rajarathinam Pillai Subhabandhuvarrali

    If the above Link does not work Click the following Link.

    http://www.hummaa.com/music/song/subhapantuvarali-and-pallavi/128106#

  • Salt Intake-Good Or Bad For Health?

    Main complications of persistent high blood pr...
    Image via Wikipedia

    Salt consumption  is vital for Health.

    While it is necessary for the metabolism ,some times it is reported to be responsible for  health problems like heart ailments,Hypertension ,Renal Disorders and Diabetes.

    Contradicting Study results have been obtained regarding Salt intake and cardiac,hypertension and diabetes.

    It is better not to meddle with salt intake excepting in the case of Renal Disorders.

    ” A high salt diet isn’t bad for you, it’s good for healthy people, European researchers suggest.

    Jan A. Staessen, MD, PhD, of the University of Leuven, Belgium, led a study that measured urinary sodium levels in 3,681 healthy, 40-ish people and then followed their health for about eight years.

    Their finding: People with the highest sodium levels had a significantly lower risk of dying from heart disease than did people with the lowest sodium levels.

    “Our current findings refute the estimates of computer models of lives saved and health care costs reduced with lower salt intake,” Staessen and colleagues conclude in the Journal of the American Medical Association. “They do also not support the current recommendations of a generalized and indiscriminate reduction of salt intake at the population level.”

    These recommendations come from the American Heart Association (AHA), which advises everyone to limit their sodium intake to 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day — a substantial cut from the 3,600 to 4,800 milligrams of sodium most Americans get each day.”

    ”

    We now know conclusively that the U.S. government’s war on salt consumption will cause harm,” Lori Roman, president of the Salt Institute, says in a news release. “This study confirms previous research indicating that reductions in sodium lead to an increased risk of disease and death.”

    Nothing could be further from the truth, says Ralph L. Sacco, MD, president of the American Heart Association and chairman of the neurology department at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

    “We need to take this article with a large grain of salt,” Sacco tells WebMD. “There are major problems with it, and there is only this one article with these findings, which are contrary findings to what we and others have found.”

    ”

    Sacco notes that the study looks only at relatively young, white Europeans, with no sign of high blood pressure or heart disease, over a relatively short period of time. He suggests that the measure on which the study is based — collection of all urine output over a 24-hour period — is subject to large variation if even one sample is missed during the collection period.

    More to the point, Sacco notes a long string of studies linking high salt intake to high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke.

    “The AHA recommendation to reduce salt intake is based on strong science, not just extrapolations or complex math,” Sacco says. “There have even been randomized trials, the strongest evidence we have that show people who follow lower-sodium diets have lower blood pressure and fewer heart attacks and strokes.”

    Staessen and colleagues note that blood pressure did go up a bit in people with the highest sodium levels. They agree that people with high blood pressure can lower their blood pressure by lowering their salt intake. But they suggest that previous studies have overestimated the effects of salt intake on healthy people who are not oversensitive to sodium.”

    http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20110504/study-shows-salty-diet-good-heart-group-disagrees

    “A modest reduction in the mounds of salt consumed by the typical American each year could lead to 155,000 fewer heart attacks and strokes annually, according to a new analysis.

    The benefit would come from reductions in blood pressure that would result from cutting about 3 grams of salt a day.

    The average man and woman now consume 10 grams and 7 grams a day, respectively.

    That’s about 8 pounds of salt a year for a man.

    While some groups such as African-Americans, older people and those with high blood pressure would benefit the most, reducing salt would lower blood pressure throughout society, said lead author Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, an associate professor of medicine and epidemiology at the University of California, San Francisco.

    “Everybody benefits to some extent,” she said. “Everybody has slightly lower blood pressure when they reduce salt.”

    http://www.jsonline.com/features/health/82218417.html

    Diabetes and Salt:

    “Having diabetes puts you at greater risk for high blood pressure. High levels of salt (sodium) in your diet can further increase that risk. So your doctor or dietitian may ask you to limit or avoid high-salt foods”

    http://diabetes.webmd.com/diabetes-understanding-salt

    Cirrhosis and Salt Intake:

    “If you have cirrhosis, you may need to reduce your sodium intake by eating less salt. You’ll feel better and lower your risk of fluid buildup in the abdomen (ascites) and legs (edema) and other complications by following the suggestions in this Actionset. You may also want to visit with a nutritionist (registered dietitian) to help you get started or find more ways to cut down on salt and eat a healthful diet.”

    http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/eating-a-low-sodium-diet-when-you-have-cirrhosis

    Abstract

    “We have reviewed the role of salt intake in kidney diseases, particularly in relation to renal hemodynamics, renal excretion of proteins, renal morphological changes and progression of chronic renal failure. High salt intake may have detrimental effects on glomerular hemodynamics, inducing hyperfiltration and increasing the filtration fraction and glomerular pressure. This may be particularly important in elderly, obese, diabetic or black patients, who have a high prevalence of salt-sensitivity. Changes in salt intake may influence urinary excretion of proteins in patients with essential hypertension, or diabetic and non diabetic nephropathies. Moreover, high sodium intake may blunt the antiproteinuric effect of various drugs, including angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors and calcium antagonists. Experimental studies show a direct tissue effect of salt on the kidney, independent of its ability to increase blood pressure, inducing hypertrophy, fibrosis and a decrease in glomerular basement membrane anionic sites. However, no firm conclusion can be drawn about the relationship between salt consumption and progression of chronic renal failure, because most information comes from conflicting, small, retrospective, observational studies. In conclusion, it would appear that restriction of sodium intake is an important preventive and therapeutic measure in patients with chronic renal diseases of various origin, or at risk of renal damage, such as hypertensive or diabetic patients.”

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12113591

    Related:

    http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/health/articles/2011/05/04/study_questions_value_of_salt_reduction_in_healthy_people/?rss_id=Top+Stories

  • Coconut,Groundnut/Sesame Oil ,Bad for Heath?

    So is the Case with Gingely Oil.Earlier it was reported that it is cause for higher Cholesterol  level.

    Now it is found to be other wise.

    In India Languages, especially in the South, Gingely Oil(Sesame Oil) is called as ‘Good Oil’

    Tamil/Malayalam-Nallennai

    Kannada-Olle ennae

    Telugu-Manchi noone.

    Fatty acid Nomenclature Minimum Maximum
    Palmitic C16:0 7.0 % 12.0 %
    Palmitoleic C16:1 trace 0.5 %
    Stearic C18:0 3.5 % 6.0 %
    Oleic C18:1 35.0 % 50.0 %
    Linoleic C18:2 35.0 % 50.0 %
    Linolenic C18:3 trace 1.0 %
    Eicosenoic C20:1 trace 1.0 %

    Vitamins and minerals

    Sesame oil is a source of vitamin E.[13] Vitamin E is an anti-oxidant and has been correlated with lowering cholesterol levels.[14] As with most plant based condiments, sesame oil contains magnesium, copper, calcium, iron, zinc, and vitamin B6. Copper provides relief for rheumatoid arthritis. Magnesium supports vascular and respiratory health. Calcium helps prevent colon cancer, osteoporosis, migraine, and PMS. Zinc promotes bone health.

    Besides being rich in Vitamin E, there is insufficient research on the medicinal properties of sesame oil. However, the following claims have been made.

    Blood pressure

    Sesame oil has a high percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids[15] (omega-6 fatty acids)—but it is unique in that it keeps at room temperature. This is because it contains two naturally-occurring preservatives, sesamol and sesamin. (Normally, only oils predominately composed of the omega-9 monounsaturated oil, like olive oil, keep at room temperature.)

    It has been suggested that due to the presence of high levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids in sesame oil, it may help to control blood pressure. It could be used in cooking in place of other edible oils and to help reduce high blood pressure and lower the amount of medication needed to control hypertension.[16]

    The effect of the oil on blood pressure may be due to polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and the compound sesamin, a lignan present in sesame oil. There is evidence suggesting that both compounds reduce blood pressure in hypertensive rats. Sesame lignans also inhibit the synthesis and absorption of cholesterol in these rats.

    Those who gargle Gingely Oil do not get bad breath and Mouth ulcer is cured immediately.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sesame_oil

    Coconut oil, Gingely oil and groundnot oil  have been in use in India since time immemorial.They have been found to have medicinal properties.

    Coconut oil make the skin glow.

    Fatty acid content of coconut oil
    Type of fatty acid pct
    Lauric saturated C12 47.5%
    Myristic saturated C14 18.1%
    Palmitic saturated C16 8.8%
    Caprylic saturated C8 7.8%
    Capric saturated C10 6.7%
    Stearic saturated C18 2.6%
    Caproic saturated C6 0.5%
    Oleic monounsaturated C18 6.2%
    Linoleic polyunsaturated C18 1.6%
    Coconut oil contains approximately 92.1% saturated fatty acids, 6.2% monounsaturated fatty acids, 1.6% polyunsaturated fatty acids. The above numbers are averages based on samples taken. Numbers can vary slightly depending on age of the coconut, growing conditions, and variety.red: Saturated; orange: Monounsaturated; blue: Polyunsaturated

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut_oil

    Look at people from Kerala, you can find their skin glowing, because they have Coconut in their food daily in some form or the other.

    Coconut oil was supposed to be the devil himself in liquid form, with more poisonous artery-clogging, cholesterol-raising, heart-attack-causing saturated fat than butter, lard or beef tallow…

    Its bad reputation caused a panic at the concession stands back in 1994, when the Center for Science in the Public Interest put out a study claiming that a large movie-theater popcorn, hold the butter, delivered as much saturated fat as six Big Macs. “Theater popcorn ought to be the Snow White of snack foods, but it’s been turned into Godzilla by being popped in highly saturated coconut oil,” Michael Jacobson, the executive director of the center, a consumer group that focuses on food and nutrition, said at the time…

    According to Thomas Brenna, a professor of nutritional sciences at Cornell University who has extensively reviewed the literature on coconut oil, a considerable part of its stigma can be traced to one major factor.

    “Most of the studies involving coconut oil were done with partially hydrogenated coconut oil, which researchers used because they needed to raise the cholesterol levels of their rabbits in order to collect certain data,” Dr. Brenna said. “Virgin coconut oil, which has not been chemically treated, is a different thing in terms of a health risk perspective. And maybe it isn’t so bad for you after all.”

    Partial hydrogenation creates dreaded trans fats. It also destroys many of the good essential fatty acids, antioxidants and other positive components present in virgin coconut oil. And while it’s true that most of the fats in virgin coconut oil are saturated, opinions are changing on whether saturated fats are the arterial villains they were made out to be. “I think we in the nutrition field are beginning to say that saturated fats are not so bad, and the evidence that said they were is not so strong,” Dr. Brenna said.

    Plus, it turns out, not all saturated fats are created equal.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/02/dining/02Appe.html?src=me&ref=general

    Groundnut.

    Groundnuts, also known as peanuts, are considered a very healthy snack. Groundnut is the member of the legume family and is native to regions like South America, Mexico and Central America. However, it is successfully grown in other parts of the world as well. The name of the plant combines the morpheme ‘pea’ and ‘nut’. In the culinary sense, it is regarded as a nut, but in the botanical sense, the fruit of the plant is a woody legume. Since that is the case, the groundnut is actually a kind of pea. The groundnut is also known by different names like earthnuts, goobers, goober peas, pindas, jack nuts, pinders, manila nuts and monkey nuts. Throughout the world, they are known for their nutrition and health benefits. Read for information on the nutritional value and benefits of groundnuts.

    Nutritional Value of Groundnut
    Given here is the value of different nutrients in 100 grams groundnut.
    • Calcium – 93 mg
    • Carbohydrate – 16.13 gm
    • Copper – 11.44 mg
    • Fat – 49.24 g
    • Fiber – 8.5 gm
    • Iron – 4.58 mg
    • Magnesium – 168 mg
    • Manganese – 1.934 mg
    • Phosphorus – 376 mg
    • Potassium – 705 mg
    • Protein – 25.80 gm
    • Sodium – 18 mg
    • Water – 6.50 gm
    • Zinc – 3.27 mg
    Nutrition Benefits of Eating Groundnuts
    • Groundnuts and groundnut products are very beneficial in the treatment of hemophilia and other such inherited blood disorders. People suffering from nose bleeding also benefit from eating groundnuts and it is also helpful in reducing excessive menstruation bleeding in women.
    • Five main nutrients required by the body to maintain and repair the tissues namely food energy, protein, phosphorous, thiamin and niacin. These five nutrients are found in good quantity in groundnuts.
    • Groundnuts are rich vitamins and contain at least 13 different types of vitamins that include Vitamin A, B, C and E. along with this, groundnuts are also rich in 26 essential minerals like calcium, iron, zinc, boron, etc. these help in brain function and development and also help to maintain strong bones.
    • It is recommended that growing children, expecting women and nursing mothers consume roasted groundnuts with jaggery and goat’s milk. It is said to provide resistance and immunity against dangerous infections like Hepatitis and also Tuberculosis.
    • Groundnuts are rich in anti-oxidants and a chemical called resveratrol. These help in reducing the risk of contracting cardiovascular diseases, cancer risk and also help in anti-ageing, thus keeping the body young and fit.
    • http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/benefits-of-groundnut-1944.html

     

     

  • High Blood Pressure-Facts.

    High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is the most common cardiovascular disease.

    If you have high blood pressure, you’ll probably find out about it during a routine checkup. Or, you may have noticed a problem while taking your own blood pressure. But be sure to see your doctor for a definite diagnosis, and take the opportunity to learn what you can do to bring your blood pressure under control.

    Blood pressure refers to the force of blood pushing against artery walls as it courses through the body. Like air in a tire or water in a hose, blood fills arteries to a certain capacity. Just as too much air pressure can damage a tire or too much water pushing through a garden hose can damage the hose, high blood pressure can threaten healthy arteries and lead to life-threatening conditions such as heart disease and stroke.

    Hypertension is the leading cause of stroke and a major cause of heart attack. In the United States alone, approximately 73 million people have high blood pressure.

    How Is Blood Pressure Measured?

    A blood pressure reading appears as two numbers. The first and higher of the two is a measure of systolic pressure, or the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats and fills them with blood. The second number measures diastolic pressure, or the pressure in the arteries when the heart rests between beats.

    Normal blood pressure rises steadily from about 90/60 at birth to about 120/80 in a healthy adult. If someone were to take your blood pressure immediately after you’d delivered a speech or jogged five miles, the reading would undoubtedly seem high. This is not necessarily cause for alarm: It’s natural for blood pressure to rise and fall with changes in activity or emotional state.

    It’s also normal for blood pressure to vary from person to person, even from one area of your body to another. But when blood pressure remains consistently high, talk with your doctor about treatment. Consistently high blood pressure forces the heart to work far beyond its capacity. Along with injuring blood vessels, hypertension can damage the brain, eyes, and kidneys.

    People with blood pressure readings of 140/90 or higher, taken on at least 2 occasions, are said to have high blood pressure. If the pressure remains high, your doctor will probably begin treatment. People with blood pressure readings of 200/120 or higher need treatment immediately. People with diabetes are treated if their blood pressure rises above 130/80, since they already have a high risk of heart disease.

    Researchers identified people with blood pressures slightly higher than 120/80 as a category at high risk for developing hypertension. This condition is called prehypertension and affects an estimated 50 million American men and women. Prehypertension is now known to increase the likelihood of damage to arteries and the heart, brain, and kidneys, so many doctors are now recommending early treatment.

    http://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/guide/understanding-high-blood-pressure-basics

    Related:

    Doctors in the UK, using electrical pulses to stimulate nerve centers deep within the brain, report reduced high blood pressure that can’t be controlled with medication, WebMD reports.

    Researchers made the discovery after implanting a device that works as an electric stimulator of a region of the brain in a 55-year-old man who had developed chronic pain on the left side of his body following a stroke.

    Though his pain eventually returned after four months, his doctors report that their patient’s previously uncontrolled blood pressure has remained normal for nearly three years. That was a surprise because experts had long thought that pain had to be reduced to see a reduction in blood pressure.

    “Pain creates stress and that can have an effect on one’s blood pressure,” says Nikunj J. Patel, MD, a neurosurgeon at Frenchay Hospital in Bristol UK, and an author of the case study. Patel says that makes the impact of the case study “startling and exciting” because if  studies bear the findings out, deep brain stimulation may one day help people with hypertension whose blood pressure remains uncontrolled on multiple medications.

    http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1984717/blood_pressure_decreased_with_deepbrain_stimulation/index.html