You can really help your blood pressure and general health by working regular aerobic exercise into your routine but this doesn’t mean you have to start training for a marathon.

Alternative to the London Marathon

Recently we noticed this interesting fundraising page promoting one of Bob’s charity fundraising event Not running the London Marathon as a reaction to not being allocated a place in this years London Marathon. It is hoped that this concept will be seen as a solution for all fundraisers who are disappointed each year when they fail to be selected for the event.

Running or Walking – Just do it!

This approach is certainly one way to do your bit for fundraising and still get the benefits of excercise without jostling with sweaty runners and bumping into Rhinos

With the growing conciousness of the carbon footprint far flung elaborate organised charity events leave there is more interest in local sponsored walks and running events which are both green and healthy.

This is finally a good step in the right direction and none too soon.

Why not taper the salt content to zero? We’re past the days when it was needed as a preservative. If someone wants the stuff, they can always add it.

This is a great idea. By a slow reduction in salt content people will adjust to it without cutting back on purchases of the product. That will allow producers to make further cuts in salt content until we reach a more healthful level. Unfortunatley restaurants will need to make reductions as well.

The elimination of salt in most prepared food products would be a welcome development. I note with interest that so called chefs on cooking shows seem to use entirely too much salt in preparing their dishes. I have cooked salt free for my entire adult life and find my food as flavorable as any other food preparations. Salt is far from the only effective seasoning. The use of proper herbs and other non-salt spices can provide a tasty and enjoyable
palate.

But what about the sugar?

It matters not to me how much salt is removed from prepared foods. They can remove all of it as far as I’m concerned. I can always replace it, and then some, at home. But I can’t remove the sugar that food manufacturers add to foods that normally would not require sugar at all. That is, I don’t know of any recipes that call for putting sugar in tomato soup. But Campbell’s sure adds it. And so do almost every other soup and prepared food manufacturers. And it can’t be removed when you bring it home. I’m much more concerned about the arbitrary addition of sugar and other sweeteners to prepared food. And not only healthwise. It just ruins the taste of otherwise reasonably good food.

By following the advice to smoke less, take regular exercise and eat properly you are less likely to be affected by high blood pressure however there are still millions of people who take this advice but are still affected by hypertension and take a combination of drugs to treat it.  It is these people, whose blood pressure remains high even though they eat little salt and take medication that are likely to benefit from this new surgical procedure to cure high blood pressure.

Cure for High Blood Pressure

The one-hour operation called renal sympathetic-nerve ablation attempts to cure high blood pressure by disrupting signals from the brain that keep it raised. The procedure  involves inserting a wire into a blood vessel close to the kidneys to burn through nerves which carry signals that stimulate high blood pressure.

“This is the most exciting development in hypertension since the advent of anti-hypertensive medication 50 years ago. It is hard to forecast the limitations and it could eventually be compared to medication”,

said Mel Lobo, a doctor and specialist in clinical hypertension with the UK’s NHS

The tiny burns just one millimetre across are the equivalent of snuffing a candle out between the fingers. A series of four or five burns are carried out in a spiral pattern along the inside of the artery to each kidney.

The blood vessel itself does not sustain serious damage as the blood flowing along inside it cools the burn, like running a burned finger under a tap. But the burn is deep enough to affect the nerve on the other side of the vessel.

Once the connection between the brain and kidneys is distrupted the signals to raise blood pressure should stop source

Still A Need for Blood Pressure Monitors

Although it is hoped that it will help some patients stop taking medicines for high blood pressure completely it is important to note that the diagnosis of high blood pressure can only be achieved by regular and proper measuring with an accurate blood pressure monitor.

Already there are misguided reports that the operation to cure blood pressure will lessen the need to follow lifestyle guidelines suggesting that patients can forget about healthy diets and excersise for good.

Results of the Operation to Cure High Blood Pressure

Early results show it can take between one and three months for the procedure to have an effect on blood pressure.

The first person to have this operation to cure his hypertension was found to have much lowered blood pressure after two weeks

According to this report clever folk are challenging longstanding assumptions that heart disease is mainly a malady of modern societies found evidence of hardening of the arteries in Egyptian mummies dating as far back as 3,500 years.

Where did it come from? Researchers don’t know for sure. Mummies by the very nature that they have been privilidgd to be mummified will be members of upper-class Egyptian society, and their diets included meat from cattle, ducks and geese. In addition, because there wasn’t refrigeration, salt was commonly used to preserve meat and fish, raising the possibility that some of these Egyptians had high blood pressure. Whether anyone was obese couldn’t be determined by the CT scans, but tobacco wasn’t part of the pharaohs’ lifestyle.

Heart disease is the world’s leading killer, and it is increasingly common in developing countries such as China, India and in Latin America. The growing prevalence of the disease is often attributed to urbanization, fast-food diets, smoking and sedentary lifestyles characteristic of Western societies.

New to sports sponsorship are the latest group of drinks companies who are lobbying for acceptance with their latest blends of alcohol and caffine stimulation drinks – one up on poor relation taurine based Red Bull these turbo pops are fast growing in popularity.

So how is this different than a rum and coke? Irish cofee? etc. Drinkers have been mixing alcohol with caffiene forever. Now it’s wrong because the industry is doing it for us?

The drinks, which are sold under names such as Joose, Four Loko and Liquid Charge, typically combine malt liquor, vodka or another alcoholic beverage with caffeine or other stimulants.

In the US health-advocacy groups are urging government to closely regulate caffeinated alcoholic drinks, a small but fast-growing category popular among younger drinkers.

Proponents of tougher regulation are calling for everything from outright bans to warning labels stating that mixing caffeine and alcohol could carry health or safety risks.

A primary concern of the groups is that caffeine and other stimulants may mask feelings of drunkenness, which could lead users to act recklessly, such as driving while intoxicated.

Some thoughts about the health effect of these drinks

An excellent example of how researchers can twist around correlation to show whatever causation they set out to prove. I would suggest that the type of people who drink red bull and vodka, instead of something a little less party-ish, are the type of people who are more likely to do stupid things in general, and probably are out to get smashed regardless of how much caffeine the government does or doesn’t allow them to mix with their liquor. You may as well come out with a study that shows people who drink jack daniels are more likely to gt in bar fights than people who drink johnny walker – that must mean that common whiskey gets you drunker than a good scotch, right?

Even if we did put labels on these drinks, there’s still millions of helpless consumers out there mixing jack and coke. Surely a major public health campaign would have to happen. How about: if some actual hard science comes out about this, we just wait and see if it gets around without the government having to do anything, much like the common knowledge that alcohol makes you drunk?

The long half-life of caffeine makes it a less than genius decision to consume at 9 pm (which only increases alcohol’s effect on sleep quality), the notion that it can sober you up is less than genius, and the the plan to be awake enough to get drunk and be an idiot all night is also, yep, less than genius. But an idiot with a pencil can cause harm to himself and others if motivated/bored enough, not a reason to get rid of pencils. Caffeine can increase respitory rate as well, allowing me to smoke more cigarettes on the patio Saturday morning, shall we have an article on that?

Sounds like these drinks are pretty much the same as a rum and Coke.

A better use of regulatory oversight would be in monitoring products like Red Bull that are marketed to kids. High school students with a backpacks full of sugar-caffine charged beverages seems to me to be the greater health risk.

If you buy various margarines and spreads such as sun flower and vegetable oil based spreads the labling will say they’re good for you because they contain Omega 3 oil.

Now 20 of the world’s leading scientists who specialise in fats have signed a petition saying that the rules should be changed because that is misleading – Professor Jack Winkler of London Metropoloitan University has co-ordinated the petition and this interview is transcribed.

What’s happening is that some companies are putting vegetable or cheap  fish oils into their products and slapping a strong claim that they are high in omega 3 which implies that they will deliver the same health benfits for health and heart as the more expensive fish oils but they don’t.

The new regualtions make this legally permissable it would legalise the deception to consumers.

Fish Oils Best Omega 3? What about flowers and vegetable Oils?

You say fish oils – I thought that some of the omega 3 came from vegetables and plants such as sun flowers?

Thats right and they are cheaper – the companies want to use cheaper plant oils but use a claim that implies they are as good as more expensive fish oils and that is somehting that this new regualtion would make legally permissable even though it is substantively misleading.

Fish Oils Best for Omega 3s

The cheaper oils aren’t actually bad for you?

No – we actually want to claim – we have a big public health problem here – we eat too few of these healthy omega 3s – the best way to get them is to eat fish, but we don’t eat enough fish and we never will.

Add Omega 3 oil to food people like to eat

The second best way to do it is to take the food that people actually like to eat, and put the healthy omega 3s into them, fortify them. If we do that the companies will gain a commercial advantage and public health will be improved but we’ve got to have rules to make sure they do it properly and this rule will allow them to engage in trickery.

This rule is a European regulation and if it goes ahead things will effectively stay the same.

Claims such as “heart healthy omega 3 and 6″ will still be able to be made even on cheap sun flower and vegetable oil based products.

When the new law came in in 2006 there was a transition period – so all claims that existed before the law could continue but that transition period expires on the 19th january 2010 – there is a rush to get legislation in place but are making a cods of it – technicla term in the fatty food science industry.

Rather than put “heart healthy omega 3″ on the label we want them to be able to put “high in omega 3″ but the only if they are the real omega 3s – the omega 3 from fish oil that deliver the cardiovascular benefits, the mental benefits.

If we do that then we give manufacturers the incentive to put good things into food – if they only put the cheap stuff in they shouldn’t be allowed to make the healthy claims.

Charity Gifts

Charity shops have for a long time been seen as “cheap second hand” shops often attracting donations of unwanted goods that are not really fit for re-sale but some members of the public believe they are doing good and not just avoiding time consuming trips to the local dump by dropping off black sack of mixed “stuff” that they are convinced somebody will want to buy.

The good stuff is often picked up for a song and immediately re-sold on e-bay types sites by folk with dubious morals – at the very least a donation of some of the profits  should be returned as a thank you gift to the charity.

More savvy charities are now encouraging and training their volunteers to idnetify the true potential of doanted goods and where appropriate include them in their online shops.  Online charity shops are being bookmarked by online shoppers that hope they will find specialist clothing, rare books and curiosities without the waiting and gambling of auction sites.

The benefit of attracting regular shoppers to charity sites is the potential to  spread the word of unusual charity gifts – to help those in most need.  The shop pages can carry important messages about disasters and relief , promotions about charity giving.

Charity Donation

The mainstay of many charities is the receipt of donations – either direct money or unwanted books and clothes that can be sold in charity shops to raise money to support the organisation’s work.

Some charity donations can be huge – corporate sponsorship of events such as the Flora London Marathon.  Medical equipement manufacturers and drup companies are increasingly looking to associate with healthcare organisations and their support ranges from financial support, donation of equipment or collaboration to produce literature and information that raises awareness.

Charity Volunteers

Perhaps one of the most important resources for many organisations is the dedication of volunteers – who offer their time and skills free of charge.

Volunteers are often deployed to fulfil mailings, complete administrative tasks and even promote awareness of the work of the charity to the public – a good example of this is the splendid efforts of medical professionals who took part in the hugely successful testing week.

Recently a new study revealed that people with higher diastolic blood pressure reading are more likely to have cognitive impairment and go on to encourage getting your blood pressure under control as that just might help reduce thinking problems prevent memory loss.

The research study reported finding a link between memory problems and with high diastolic blood pressure – the measurement of the pressure in your blood vessels in between heartbeats, and is the second number in a blood pressure measurement.

The study from the University of Alabama sampled almost twenty thousand people aged 45 and above.

The results held even when scientists considered other things that affect thinking ability and memory skills such as education and even whether or not they smoked.

For every 10 point increase in the diastolic reading, the chances of a person suffering from cognitive problems was increased by 7 per cent, according to the findings, published in the journal Neurology.

Dr Georgio Tsivgoulis, from the University of Alabama, who led the study, said:

It is of course possible that by preventing or treating high blood pressure, we could potentially prevent cognitive impairment, which can be a precursor to dementia.

More studies of blood pressure and memory loss

Researchers say they need to do more studies to confirm these findings but other research has shown high diastolic blood pressure leads to weakening of the small arteries in the brain.

Blood Pressure Testing Week 2009

Know Your Numbers runs  7 – 14th September 2009

Always keen to support the national awareness week for blood pressure testing this years nationwide event will see free blood pressure checks throughout the UK.  Testing stations, run by professionally qualified volunteers will open their doors to the public to take blood pressure readings and offer advice and information about high blood pressure.

Find your nearest free blood pressure check

To find your nearest Pressure Station, enter your postcode and click ‘Find nearest’!

If you want to speak to someone about blood pressure the bpassoc operate an information line – 020 8772 4994 which is available Monday to Friday. Of course it is likely that the volume of calls will increase during a successful “know your numbers” awareness week.

Know Your Numbers -100,000,000

36 years ago in 1973 Omron Healthcare manufactured and began selling blood pressure monitors – by the end of August 2009 they passed a significant milestone – 100 models sold in 100 countries totalling 100 million blood pressure monitors sold enabling people around the world to keep track of their blood pressure measurements. The latest range of Omron monitors include climate change beating solar powered machines and machines that directly link into diagnostic laptop computers. which relay information to health care professionals.

Know Your Numbers -  100 days

One hundred days until the climate change meeting in Copenhagen

Conveniently coinciding with the 10:10 campaign in which participants vow to reduce their  CO2 emissions byy 10% in 20010 the Copenhagen climate change pow wow is a hundred days away and environmental groups are preparing for this by supporting the 10 10 cliamte change effort

Actor Timothy West spoke to BBC Radio 4 about the importance of supporting blood pressure testing

The following is a transcript of Timothy’s  Radio 4 Appeal on behalf of the healthcare charity the Blood Pressure Association.

It was the perfect August Bank Holiday Cath and her husband Glen were driving to a country pub to have lunch – on the way they stopped for a newspaper, Glen stopped in the car.  As Cath left the shop she was startled by the sound of a blaring car horn – she looked up to see Glen slumped at the drivers’s seat, his head on the steering wheel.

Glen had died from hypertensive heart disease, a late complication of high blood pressure which he’d had unknowingly had for years – he was just 39.

Rugby mad Glen had seemed fit and healthy with a fantastic future ahead of him, yet appearances can be deceptive.

One in three have high blood pressure

Like me, Glen had high blood pressure, unlike me he was not fortunate enough to know it – you see it’s symptomless – a silent killer. One in three of you listening today will have high blood pressure yet a third of you who do wont even know it

I’m one of the lucky ones – I was diagnosed with high blood pressure during a medical before starting a film. I got the support I needed to bring my condition under control – that’s why, twenty years later I’m talking to you now.

A group of cardivascualr professors were frustrated at seeing endless strokes and heart attacks caused by uncontrolled high blood pressure and formed a healthcare charity awareness organisation for the public’s benefit. The charity takes blood pressure testing out onto the high street. Over the past nine years they’ve provided free checks to over a million people who might not otherwise have known their blood pressure. They also support thousands of people already diagnosed with the condition.

Prevent tragedies like this – its horrific to lose someone but when its preventable its heart breaking.