All tests of food from Chipotle stores in Washington and Oregon came back negative for E. coli, health official says; restaurants could reopen this week
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/chipotle-stores-may-reopen-as-e-coli-outbreak-remains-unsolved/
Monday, November 9, 2015
Study: People who used meds to lower blood pressure living longer
A new report released Monday showed that people who had taken medication to lower their blood pressure were living longer lives, but how low is too low?
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/study-people-who-used-meds-to-lower-blood-pressure-living-longer/
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/study-people-who-used-meds-to-lower-blood-pressure-living-longer/
First day of medical marijuana sales in Illinois
Medical marijuana dispensaries opened in Illinois for the first time Monday, selling pot to patients with special ID cards
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/first-day-of-medical-marijuana-sales-in-illinois/
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/first-day-of-medical-marijuana-sales-in-illinois/
Does brisk walking beat the gym for weight control?
Walking workouts may be easier to stick with, and other findings from a new study on exercise and weight loss
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/brisk-walking-exercise-weight-control/
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/brisk-walking-exercise-weight-control/
Reducing blood pressure can save lives, study shows
New data confirm the health benefits of lowering blood pressure more than previously recommended
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/reducing-blood-pressure-can-save-lives-study-shows/
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/reducing-blood-pressure-can-save-lives-study-shows/
Jury Still Out on Silicone Breast Implant Safety
Latest analysis finds inconclusive evidence for any link to health risks
From: http://www.webmd.com/beauty/breast-implants/20151109/jury-still-out-on-silicone-breast-implant-safety?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Lower Blood Pressure Target Could Save Lives: Study
Risk of heart troubles was lowered by 25 percent, while death risk was reduced 27 percent
From: http://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/news/20151109/lower-blood-pressure-target-could-save-lives-study?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Medical marijuana sales begin in Illinois
Patients need to get a doctor's permission and special ID card to buy marijuana from a dispensary
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/medical-marijuana-sales-begin-in-illinois/
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/medical-marijuana-sales-begin-in-illinois/
Health benefits from lowering blood pressure
New details are out from a landmark study that found patients benefit from lowering blood pressure more than previously recommended
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/health-benefits-from-lowering-blood-pressure/
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/health-benefits-from-lowering-blood-pressure/
Mayo Clinic Minute: Wounded Warrior Project
From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1av6fcjisvg
Widely Used Antibiotics May Raise Heart Risks
Macrolides were linked to small, but significant, chances of sudden cardiac death
From: http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20151109/widely-used-antibiotics-may-raise-heart-risks-review-finds?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Could the 'Stress Hormone' Affect Weight and Memory?
Although cortisol is known as the “stress hormone,” researchers suspect it plays a much larger role in our health. WebMD has the details.
From: http://www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management/news/20151109/cortisol-stress-weight-memory?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Update on the SPRINT trial: Preliminary results pan out
In a previous blog, I reported on the preliminary results from SPRINT, a clinical trial that examined whether a systolic blood pressure target of 120 mm Hg or less would be better than a target of 140 mm Hg in patients with hypertension (high blood pressure). The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health issued a press release with the exciting results. Now, the full paper has been published in The New England Journal of Medicine, and the results appear to be as practice-changing at it initially seemed, demonstrating a stricter blood pressure goal can reduce the likelihood of dying. In the world of medicine, this is really big news.
The SPRINT researchers randomly assigned 9,361 patients at increased cardiovascular risk (though without diabetes) with a systolic blood pressure of 130 mm Hg or higher to either standard treatment or to intense treatment. Standard treatment meant a target of less than 140 mm Hg for the systolic blood pressure (the top number) and intense treatment meant a target of less than 120 mm Hg. On average, the patients in the trial were followed for 3.26 years, at which point the trial was stopped earlier than planned because researchers felt the results were too compelling to allow the study to continue. There was a 25% reduction in the rate of cardiovascular complications, including events such as heart attack, heart failure, and stroke. There was a 27% reduction in the risk of death.
It is important to note that very few interventions in medicine actually reduce the risk of death. Among physicians who lead clinical trials, this would be considered a home run.
To achieve the greater degree of blood pressure reduction, on average, three medications were needed instead of two. Not surprisingly (to any physician), this resulted in more side effects such as low blood pressure, fainting, kidney failure, and electrolyte abnormalities on blood tests. Practically speaking, that means to achieve the impressive results seen in this study, patients will need to take more medications and have to be followed carefully by their doctors. Otherwise, the benefits demonstrated in this research setting may not be fully reproducible in real-world practice, and the risk of serious side effects may be even higher.
Also, the results don’t apply to everyone at increased cardiovascular risk who has high blood pressure. For example, patients with diabetes, heart failure, a previous stroke, or younger than 50, were not enrolled in the trial. Those with a very high blood pressure (systolic of 180 mm Hg or greater) were also excluded from the study. There were many patients 75 years of age or older in the trial—which is great, because many studies exclude older people—but none of these elderly study volunteers lived in nursing homes or assisted-living facilities.
What should patients with high blood pressure do now? Making an appointment to see your primary care physician to determine if you need more aggressive blood pressure management makes sense. There is no emergency to do this, as the adverse effects of high blood pressure in the range studied in this trial typically take time to manifest. But I wouldn’t suggest waiting until your annual check-up either — the beneficial results seen in the SPRINT trial started to become apparent at approximately one year. And it may take a few visits to get on a medication regimen that lowers blood pressure without causing too many side effects. The good news is that there are many generic blood pressure medications, so with some trial and error, many patients can achieve the degree of blood pressure control noted in this study.
The reality, though, is that in the United States and worldwide, many patients have blood pressure that is not controlled even to the previously recommended goals. So, the major remaining challenge is how we can make sure that patients similar to those in the trial benefit from this major advance in our understanding of the treatment of high blood pressure. Current estimates in a paper just published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology suggest that in the U.S., the results of SPRINT would directly apply to roughly 8% of adults and approximately half are not being treated for high blood pressure—that works out to over 8 million people!
Identifying those people, some of whom may even have a blood pressure in the 130s, will not be easy, as they may not regularly seek medical care. Therefore, the SPRINT study also implies that even if you don’t have a diagnosis of high blood pressure, you should know what your blood pressure is and talk with your doctor about how to assess risks and benefits to you of treatment to achieve what is the optimal blood pressure goal for you.
Related Posts:
The post Update on the SPRINT trial: Preliminary results pan out appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.
From: Deepak Bhatt, MD, MPH http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/update-on-the-sprint-trial-preliminary-results-pan-out-201511098597
Young Adults: 5 Things on Buying Health Insurance
Open enrollment under Obamacare started Nov. 1 – if you’re uninsured, now’s the time to consider options.
From: http://www.webmd.com/health-insurance/20151109/five-things-young-adults-should-know-about-buying-health-insurance?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Wealth boosts chances of getting an organ transplant
It's illegal to buy a kidney or other organ for transplant - but a new study finds patients with money have some advantages
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/wealth-boosts-chances-of-getting-organ-transplant/
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/wealth-boosts-chances-of-getting-organ-transplant/
Should the FDA regulate caffeinated snacks?
Sen. Charles Schumer says a new caffeinated peanut butter product raises health concerns and the FDA should take action
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/should-the-fda-regulate-caffeinated-snacks/
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/should-the-fda-regulate-caffeinated-snacks/
Highlights of ACG's Annual Scientific Meeting, 2015 - IBD in the News
From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNTT2cjpQsk
Personalized 'Pills' From a 3D Printer?
Researchers investigate new dimension in customized medication
From: http://www.webmd.com/news/20151109/personalized-pills-from-a-3d-printer?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Caffeinated peanut butter raises health concerns
Sen. Charles Schumer calls on the FDA to regulate caffeinated food products
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/caffeinated-peanut-butter-raises-health-concerns/
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/caffeinated-peanut-butter-raises-health-concerns/
Genetic Risk Information for Coronary Heart Disease Leads to Lower Bad Cholesterol
From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHcGI91HJqA
Many Americans May Have 'Silent' Heart Attack
Study shows evidence of cardiac scarring often appearing on scans, even if no attack was reported
From: http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20151108/many-americans-may-experience-silent-heart-attack?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Pamela Anderson: I am cured of Hepatitis C
The former "Baywatch" star is celebrating about the big news
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/pamela-anderson-i-am-cured-of-hepatitis-c/
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/pamela-anderson-i-am-cured-of-hepatitis-c/
Google, Heart Association team up on new research venture
Google Life Sciences exec said it's time to "shake up" research on heart disease, the world's top killer
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/google-heart-association-team-up-on-new-research-venture/
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/google-heart-association-team-up-on-new-research-venture/
Barbecued, fried meat may increase cancer risk
Researchers warn of the potential health risks of cooking meats at very high temperatures
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/barbecued-fried-meat-may-increase-cancer-risk/
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/barbecued-fried-meat-may-increase-cancer-risk/
Sex Is Safe for Heart Patients With a Defibrillator
New study should calm fears of patients and their partners, experts say
From: http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/atrial-fibrillation/news/20151109/sex-is-safe-for-heart-patients-with-a-defibrillator?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Barbecued, Pan-Fried Meat and Kidney Cancer Risk
High-heat cooking methods implicated in new study
From: http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/20151109/barbecued-pan-fried-meat-may-boost-kidney-cancer-risk?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Breath Carbon Monoxide May Point to Stroke Risk
People who exhaled higher concentrations of the gas were at increased odds for an attack, researchers say
From: http://www.webmd.com/stroke/news/20151108/carbon-monoxide-levels-in-breath-might-point-to-stroke-risk?src=RSS_PUBLIC
One Energy Drink Boosts Youths' Stress Hormone
Researchers also found the beverage pushed blood pressure levels higher
From: http://www.webmd.com/news/20151108/just-one-energy-drink-sends-young-adults-stress-hormone-levels-soaring?src=RSS_PUBLIC
Home cooking may help lower type 2 diabetes risk
Americans eat out much more than we used to, and changing those habits could make a difference in health
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/home-cooking-may-help-lower-type-2-diabetes-risk/
From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/home-cooking-may-help-lower-type-2-diabetes-risk/
USDA Expands Investment in Water Conservation and Improvement in Nation's Largest Aquifer
WASHINGTON, November 9, 2015 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced USDA will invest $8 million in the Ogallala Aquifer Initiative (OAI) in Fiscal Year 2016 to help farmers and ranchers conserve billions of gallons of water annually while strengthening agricultural operations.
From: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentid=2015/11/0310.xml&contentidonly=true
From: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentid=2015/11/0310.xml&contentidonly=true
Common Medication For Heart Failure Patients Does Not Increase Activity Level
From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJTkB2Gy2Hc
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