Eminent vascular neurologist at the Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, USA, Dr.
Shaneela Malik gave this piece of advice while addressing a public awareness
seminar organised by Shifa International Hospital (SIH) here Saturday to mark
World Stroke Day.

Stroke, a condition in which the brain or spinal cord is damaged by an
abnormality of the blood supply, is the second leading cause of death and the
leading cause of long-term disability. As many as 15 million people suffer from
stroke every year; among them, one-third die and one-third become permanently
disabled.

“Hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, smoking, orally chewing tobacco and
heart diseases are leading causes of stroke,” she listed.

Hypertension affects the entire body. Over time, uncontrolled blood pressure
can cause our blood vessels to harden. This leads to build-up of cholesterol in
the blood vessel and causes it to become narrow. Eventually, this may cause
heart attack or stroke. According to Dr. Shaneela, hypertension is a big
problem because firstly, people don’t know they have it.

Moving on to how diabetes can cause stroke, Dr. Shaneela explained that
diabetes can increase the rate at which cholesterol plaque gets deposited into
your blood vessels, thus hardening the blood vessels.

Smoking is another risk factor for stroke. Tobacco smoke contains carbon
monoxide which decreases the amount of oxygen in the blood. This affects the
oxygen going to the brain as well. In addition, the nicotine in cigarettes
increases heart rates and blood pressure. Smoking affects factors that thin our
blood, increases triglycerides (cholesterol), decreases HDL (good cholesterol),
and damages the lining of our blood vessels. This risk is almost 50% more among
people who smoke than those who do not. Studies have shown that quitting
smoking will decrease the risk of stroke by 50% in the first year alone. In 5
years, the risk of stroke in former cigarette smokers is equal to that of
someone who never smoked.

The first thing you should try to stay away from if you have problems with anxiety is caffeine. The thing concerning caffeine is that it has the ability to increase your pulse rate. This will in addition cause you to end up getting less sleep which can in addition cause you to be more vulnerable to having anxiety problems. You will additionally find that caffeine can be found in more than just tea and coffee, most sodas also contain high levels of caffeine. By keeping away from these items that contain caffeine, you may be able to decrease the effects of your anxiety.

You will furthermore find that alcohol should also be avoided for any person with anxiety issues. Not only can alcohol effect the amount of sleep you get but you will in addition realize that it will dehydrate you. These kinds of effects that over consumption of alcohol have on your body can actually wind up leading to your anxiety to be worse. So steering clear of drinking too much can help to lower your anxiety.

On the subject of things that can help you with your anxiety, you will recognize that carbohydrates will be able to help you loosen up. These carbohydrates including potatoes and also pasta, will end up taking longer to process, and this will help to keep your blood sugar at a steady level. If you have a lot of pasta you will realize that you are normally calm and maybe even tired afterwards, this is because carbohydrates like this may be generating more serotonin in your brain which has a very comforting effect on your body.

You should also make sure that you take your vitamins. Vitamins such as your B vitamins, will also help your body to create serotonin. Vitamin B-6 is especially important to increasing your serotonin levels. But it is not just the B-vitamins you should make sure you are getting enough of, as all the necessary vitamins and minerals can help your body function as it should. The more balanced your body is, the better it will be able to deal with your anxiety. When taking your supplements, you should also make sure you are drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day. This will help to make sure your body is never dehydrated.

By following the suggestions above you may find that you will be able to reduce or even eliminate your anxiety symptoms. Many people have reported that following these guidelines has made it possible for them to live a more normal life with reduced anxiety problems. If you would like to get the same results as these other individuals you just need to take the first step and start following the tips above.

Learning about the different types of stress and simple stress relief techniques to relax and reduce stress in your life is crucial for maintaining a healthy body and mind. These stress relief tips will help you to achieve a state of balance to live a better and happier life

(courtesy of Warren Tattersall)

Its called ‘Hypnotension’, and I’m one a growing national network of trained practitioners offering this new programme. It works of helping you to identify and change key emotional and lifestyle factors that contribute to your Hypertension.

It’s a programme that gives you back control and more importantly supports the work that you and your GP put into place to help you.

“Most people are hypertensive; it affects one in every three adults.

“The unfortunate  thing about it is that if it is not detected early or if left untreated, it can cause a heart attack, stroke or death.” According to the doctor, high blood pressure occurs when the force of blood pumping through the  blood vessels is higher than it should be.

Blood pressure is  measured in two numbers, with the higher number called ‘systolic  pressure’, which refers to the force of blood that pushes against the  blood vessels’ walls when the heart beats.

The lower number is  called the ‘diastolic blood pressure’, which refers to the pressure in  the blood vessels between heartbeats (when the heart is at rest), he  explained.

“When an individual’s systolic pressure is 80 to 120, it means the individual’s blood pressure is normal.

“If the systolic  pressure is 120-139, the individual is said to be pre-hypertensive.  However, if the individual’s pressure is higher than 140, the individual is said to be hypertensive.”

Okafor said smoking, high alcohol intake, stress, anxiety, diets high in salt and fat, the  lack of or inadequate exercise and processed foods increased the risk of being hypertensive.

“Excessive alcohol intake can raise the blood pressure; smoking increases the chance of a heart attack or stroke.

“People should reduce their salt intake because salt makes the body to retain more fluid, which makes the heart work harder.”

He said that though  hypertension could not be cured, it could be managed by the use of drugs to control the blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart attacks and  strokes.

According to him, diuretic is usually the first medication given to first-time patients for its effective management.

Because high blood  pressure usually has no symptoms, “people should ensure they check their blood pressure regularly to avoid becoming victims of stroke, heart  attack or even death,” he said.

Okafor advised people to imbibe the act of healthy eating, limit their alcohol intake and quit smoking.

“People should also inculcate the habit of exercising regularly and should cut down on their intake of salt.”

The medical doctor  advised people to eat more of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, poultry and fish, and less of processed and refined foods.

“People should strive to do away with stress and anxiety so as to reduce the risk of high blood pressure.”

Yes, say researchers. It could indicate an increased risk of stroke.

Researchers analyzed data from a dozen studies involving more than 500,000 subjects to see whether stroke risk was affected by slightly elevated blood pressure, known as prehypertension. The review was published online in the journal Neurology.

Prehypertension is defined by the National Institutes of Health as a systolic pressure (the top number) of 120 to 139, and a diastolic pressure (the bottom number) of 80 to 89. Readings of 140/90 or above are considered hypertension, or high blood pressure.

The scientists found that particularly for people under 65, those with blood pressure readings in the high normal range — 130 to 139 and 85 to 89 — were nearly 80 percent more likely to have a stroke than those with normal blood pressure. Those under 65 whose readings were in the lower part of the range (120-129 and 80-84) were just 22 percent more likely to have a stroke.

Interestingly, the study found no elevated risk of stroke for those over 65 with slightly higher blood pressure readings.

This does not mean that middle-aged people with prehypertension should start taking blood pressure-reducing medication, Bruce Ovbiagele, MD, lead author of the study and a professor of neurosciences at the University of California, San Diego, said in a news release.

Instead, he urged older adults to consider the elevated readings a sign that they should  make lifestyle changes, such as reducing salt intake and maintaining a normal weight.

“Modifying one’s lifestyle is relatively safe and could potentially lower not just the risk of future strokes, but possibly other complications of prolonged elevation of blood pressure, including heart attacks, heart failure and kidney disease,” he said.

Posted on AARP 10/12/2011 by Candy Sagon

For many people, stress is a normal part of working life.

But in the current economic climate, work-related anxiety has become so intense that many employees simply can’t cope.

As a result, stress is now the number one cause of long-term sickness absence.

A new report from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and health-care company Simplyhealth has found stress has, for the first time, moved ahead of problems such as repetitive strain injury or acute medical conditions such as cancer to become the top reason for taking sick leave of four weeks or longer in the UK.

The study also found a link between job security and mental health issues, with employers planning redundancies significantly more likely to report problems among staff.

Overall, an average public sector employee has 9.1 days a year off sick, compared to 7.1 days for workers in the private sector and 5.7 days in the manufacturing industry, according to the CIPD.

If the cause of that sick leave is stress, Dr Steve Mowle, vice-chairman of the Royal College of General Practitioners, says there may be any number of physical manifestations.

These include headaches, back and neck pain – linked to increased tension in the body – chest pain, panic attacks and eye strain. Sleep and concentration may also be affected.

Dr Mowle said: “People may have no physical signs of stress, but simply feel overwhelmed by the level of stress at work.”

He says the amount of stress each person can cope with is variable, and GPs will try to measure symptoms against the effect they’re having on the patient’s life.

The more serious effects of stress can include cardiovascular problems such as heart attacks and strokes, linked to high blood pressure.

When a person is stressed, steroid hormones are released in the body, and such hormones can raise blood pressure.

Dr Mowle said: “It’s not just the stress, it’s the fact that if you’ve got a stressful job you might drink or smoke more, eat less healthily and exercise less”.

If a person goes to their GP suffering from stress, the doctor will want to know what the impact is on the patient’s life and work before signing them off.

They may be referred to another practitioner for cognitive behavioural therapy, counselling, or perhaps to an occupational health specialist. If the stress has caused depression, anti-depressant drugs may be prescribed.

Dr Mowle said: “GPs are undoubtedly seeing lots of employees in various states of distress linked to uncertainty surrounding their job, or because of the threat of redundancy.

“There are a lot of unhappy patients out there, whose lives have been turned upside down by what’s happening at work.

“If stress is having a persistently negative effect on your health, either mental or physical, go and see your GP.

“The GP is the right person to help navigate you out of the situation and find strategies for dealing with it.”

However, consultant psychiatrist Dr Cosmo Hallstrom, a spokesman for the Royal College of Psychiatrists, says it’s important for sufferers to try to recognise for themselves what the root of the problem is.

He said: “Look at what’s going on – step back a bit emotionally and try and work out what’s happening.

“Sometimes situations are stressful and need to be adjusted, other times it may be your reaction to it. But just persisting with it indefinitely isn’t good. The danger of seeing a doctor is that they medicalise everything, and you shouldn’t be surprised if you come out with a medical solution. That may or may not be the right thing.”

The psychiatrist says that while medication may help in certain situations, he doesn’t believe people should take pills unless they’ve developed an illness, such as depression.

He said: “It depends what you think the medication can achieve. Long-term medication for an outside problem is probably not a good idea.”

(source: Evening Telegraph)

Started six years ago by a group of UA students interested in preparing for dental school, the club is part of the Delta Delta Sigma Pre-Dental Honor Society and is open to any student interested in dentistry.

“It’s been an amazing experience watching this club grow because they started out very small and I remember we could meet in a tiny room or seating area,” said facility adviser Stephanie Rollins. “At the banquet we held at the end of the year we had about 80 members.”

The next Pre-Dental Club meeting will be today at 6 p.m. in the Agave Room of the Student Union Memorial Center. The club meets every other week on Tuesdays at this time. Two weeks ago the club’s first meeting of the semester saw more than 40 interested students attend the information session, according to Julius Hindy, a psychology senior and president of the Pre-Dental Club.

“We had a lot of freshmen attend this year’s first meeting and I think it went really well,” Hindy said. “I feel anyone who had a little spark of interest was there. Each meeting we usually try to bring a dental related person from the community or specialist to get a sense of what they do.”

A goal the club wants to accomplish this year is proving more information on oral hygiene for elementary education. This semester, the club will visit schools in the Tucson Unified School District and teach children the benefits of teeth care by supplying new toothbrushes, toothpaste and floss to children donated by local dentists around Tucson.

“When we go to the schools we have a curriculum and we teach that curriculum to fourth and fifth graders to get them excited about oral health care,” Hindy said. “We have a dentist from the community come with us to take pictures of the kids’ teeth and then a month later we go back to the school and see how well they did.”

Another project the club will participate in this year is Hope Fest 2011. The event will provide free dental and medical care to the public at Kino Sports Complex on Oct. 22. Other items, including free clothing, hygiene products and food, will also be at the event. Kimberly Engols, a senior studying ecology and evolutionary biology and secretary of the club, volunteered last year helping dental practices at the event and remembers the large turnout.

“Oral heath professions like dentists and hygienists get together and perform free dentistry for people who can not afford it on a regular basis,” Engols said. “We help out as many people as we can. I have seen people camp out the night before the event just to make sure they will get seen when the gates open to the stadium in the morning.”

With projects and events lined up this school year, Rollins says the club will be trying to give experience to students as a way to stand out when applying to dental school after graduation from the UA.

“It’s a little more challenging finding experience in the dental setting than it is for students who are interested in getting some clinical experience who are pre-med,” Rollins said. “So having an active club that helps connect students with local dentists to get that kind of experience is really valuable for the students interested in the field.”

Hypertension
(high blood pressure) is one of the major risk factors for heart disease and
stroke.
Restless legs syndrome, also known as RLS is a
disorder in which patients have an uncontrollable urge to move their legs. Often
there is a strange and unpleasant sensation in their legs. The only form of
relief is to move the limbs. Patients have used the following words when the
sensation in their legs builds up, triggering the urge to move them: tingling,
tugging, itching, electric shocks, creeping, crawling, burning, and/or aching.
In some cases, the arms are affected too.

RLS symptoms tend to become
worse and more frequent in the evening and after going to bed, and improve in
the morning.

RLS is twice as common in females as males. Symptoms onset
tends to occur during middle age or later, but can occur at any age.

RLS
frequently affects sleep quality. Patients, especially those with severe
symptoms, commonly suffer from fatigue
during the day, as well as depression,
and other problems linked to poor quality sleep and insomnia.

The
authors found that:

• 26% of females with 5 to 14 RLS episodes each month suffered from
  hypertension
• 33% of those with over 15 episodes per month had hypertension
• 21% of those with no RLS had hypertension

The authors concluded:

“Women with restless legs syndrome have a higher prevalence of
hypertension, and this prevalence increases with more frequent restless legs
symptoms.”