A normal blood Pressure(BP) is less than 80/120.

 If your BP is 80/120 or higher you are at risk for hypertension, it is called prehypertension.

High blood pressure is diagnosed as 140/90 or higher.

Blood pressure also rises as people get older making age an unavoidable risk factor for hypertension.

This article by two doctors, gives some tips on using treats to keep the numbers down.

Purple potatoes- These spuds lower your numbers by 4%.

Raisins- They lower by 5-10%.

Pumpkin seeds, cashew and walnuts lower the top number by 3-4 points and the bottom by 2-3.

Greek yogurt, left over roast chicken, smoked salmon and nuts will lower the top number by 5 points and the bottom by1.

Dark chocolate will lowers the numbers by 5 points.

Here is the article to read:

http://www.thespec.com/living/healthfitness/article/721095–treats-that-smack-down-high-blood-pressure.

This health education program prepares people to prevent hypertension by reducing  the risk factors unhealthy eating , physical inactivity and obesity.

 Anyone can  start today through self-directed study.  Go here for the Study Room.

Obesity is a cause of heart disease, which is the number 1 killer worldwide.
Obesity is a cause of non-communicable diseases such as strokes, diabetes and some cancers.

Obesity affects the emotional wellbeing of the individual and can lead to depression.

The video talks about the factors that have contributed to obesity and showcases several community initiatives taking place to prevent and reduce obesity.

Enjoy!

ObesityEpidemic

The study was done in New York City and involved 702 non-smoking pregnant women. They were age 18-35 African-American or Dominican.

In their third trimester, for two days they used small backpacks equipped to sample the air surrounding them.

During the day the backpacks were worn and during the night they were placed near the bed.

The study found that the children of the mothers who were exposed to high levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAH) were almost twice as likely to be obese at age 5 and more than twice as likely at age 7.

To read more on the study click Here

Obese children go on to become obese adults, and are at the risk for developing diseases earlier in life than if they were not obese.

Physical inactivity, obesity, unhealthy eating, air pollution and smoking are the five health risk factors covered in our consumer health education program.

Couples who are family planning are wise to make maternal weight control part of their plans. It it a good first health insurance.

Obesity in pregnancy has been linked to many maternal illnesses, stillbirth and birth deffects, but a recent study links it to autism.

The study does not prove mom’s obesity in pregnancy causes autism, but that it increases the risk of the child being autistic.

The study involved 1000 children in California age 2-5 years. The result showed that obesity during pregnancy increases the risk to 1:53.

Women on average have a 1:88 chance of having an autistic child.

The study was reported in TheSpec.com

TheSpec – Study links mom’s obesity with autism.

The study of 200,000 found that inactive people who sat a lot  had twice the risk of dying within 3 years than those who sat least.

Physical activity is important to prevent non-communicable diseases such as cancers and heart disease, but researchers are saying that lack of it can kill.

Read about the study.

At another study researchers found that sitting for six hours a day is a health risk even if time is spent being active afterwards.

For obese/overweight people who are too busy to spend less time sitting, I’ve  developed a  list of things they can do standing or walking. I call them “Sedentary lifestyle Modifiers.”

Many of work and leisure activities that are done sitting can also be done standing or walking. For people whose busy lifestyles are centered around sitting, they can mean the difference between life and death.

Too Much Sitting Can Kill You | EHS Today.

Smokers who want to quit may find it difficult to do so on their own.

There is plenty of help available, many of them are free.

There are public health initiatives, self help support, products and even text messaging services.

According to a recent study done in the United Kingdom, giving extra help may not work and is not necessary.

Offering free nicotine patches or intensive counseling to smokers calling the English NHS helpline does not help them quit, a study in the BMJ says.

The study involved 2,500 smokers who were followed for over a year. The participants received one of the following help:
1-The first received support such as NHS Stop Smoking Services advice, letters, emails, text messages and access to a helpline.
2-The second group received the same support plus free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT)
3-The third group received standard support plus extra counseling sessions and messages from helpline staff.
4-The fourth group received the same proactive support as the third group but with added free nicotine patches.

Click Here to read about the study.

Smoking is a health risk factor used in our health program, by participating in the program smokers can learn to eliminate the habit with the help they need.

Smokers can also eliminate smoking, obesity and unhealthy eating simultaneously through the newsletter method of consumer health education.

Researchers will be using the data from the study to identify risk factors for diseases; they will be focusing on family history, environment and lifestyle.

Read more about it:

TheSpec – Ontario Health Study will make a difference.

The study is open to residents of Ontario,Canada and will be done online.

Recruitment has already started online.

Researchers expect to identify new risk factors that cause disease.

Some health risk factors already known to cause diseases are the focus of our health program, they are avoidable and can by eliminated by lifestyle changes. they are
1-Smoking
2-Unhealthy eating
3-Obesity/overweight
4-Physical inactivity
5-Air pollution

Participating in our health program prepares consumers to make the lifestyle changes necessary to prevent diseases.

One study involved 7,611 smokers- 4,776 were smokers with lung cancer and 2,835 were smokers without cancer.

This study found that the patients who smoked within 30 minutes of waking were 79% more likely to develop cancer than those who waited at least at hour.

The second study involved participants with neck and head cancers.

Read more on this study

Smoking is also a major risk factor for non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, strokes and respiratory diseases.

The findings of these studies are not reasons to ignore smoking cessation.

Patients on a test run for quitting are advised to delay the first cigarette of the day to help them quit the habit.

Veterinarians at the UUniversity of California found a link between air pollution and cardiovascular disease.

For the study Veterinarians examined the platelets of mice exposed to fine particulate matter(PM).

The study was done to assess air pollution as it applies to human health. They found platelet activation which could lead to clotting.

Cardiovascular disease can be caused by a build up of clots in the blood stream.

Cardiovascular disease is a non-communicable disease and the #1 cause of deaths globally.
For further reading, here is a link to the report on the study.
Click Here.