War on Salt

[chanel]

For decades, policy makers have tried and failed to get Americans to eat less salt. In April 2010 the Institute of Medicine urged the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to regulate the amount of salt that food manufacturers put into products; New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has already convinced 16 companies to do so voluntarily. But if the U.S. does conquer salt, what will we gain? Bland french fries, for sure. But a healthy nation? Not necessarily.

This week a meta-analysis of seven studies involving a total of 6,250 subjects in the American Journal of Hypertension found no strong evidence that cutting salt intake reduces the risk for heart attacks, strokes or death in people with normal or high blood pressure.

It's Time to End the War on Salt: Scientific American

 

[Mr. H.]

Mmmmm.... salt.

 

[waltky]

Mebbe dey need to cut down on salt intake?...

CDC: Strokes rise among pregnant women, new moms
Thu Jul 28,`11 - Strokes have spiked in the U.S. among pregnant women and new mothers, probably because more of them are obese and suffering from high blood pressure and heart disease, researchers report.

Hospitalizations for pregnancy-related strokes and "mini strokes" jumped from about 4,100 in 1994-95 to around 6,300 in 2006-07, a 54 percent increase, researchers said, extrapolating from figures in a large federal database. "That is a very, very alarm-raising statistic that we need to take extremely seriously," said Dr. Olajide Williams, a neurologist at Columbia University and Harlem Hospital and an American Stroke Association spokesman. "We need to be more aggressive in screening these women for these risk factors."

The number of strokes is small, considering that around 4 million babies are born each year in the U.S. But pregnancy raises a woman's risk of a stroke because of all the hormone and blood changes that occur. If she starts out unhealthy, with a problem like diabetes or high blood pressure, she doubles her risk of suffering a stroke during or right after pregnancy, said Dr. Elena Kuklina, a stroke prevention expert at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She led the study, published Thursday in the American Heart Association journal Stroke.

Researchers used records from a sample of hospitals in nearly all states, covering up to 8 million hospitalizations each year. They looked at the number of women having strokes or transient ischemic attacks — TIAs, or "mini strokes" — while pregnant or in the three months after childbirth. Rates were highest in the South and lowest in the Northeast.

Researchers also looked at the prevalence of high blood pressure and heart disease, health problems closely related to obesity, and concluded that this accounted for nearly all the rise in stroke-related hospitalizations. Researchers also noted that women are having children at later ages, and the risk of a stroke rises with age. Sometimes pregnant women and new moms are so focused on the baby's health that they neglect to consider their own, Williams said. "They're thinking about the baby's name, the special room and what color they're going to paint the room. They're thinking about motherhood," Williams said. "But an ounce of prevention is always the best recipe for a healthy life." Kuklina agreed.

MORE

 

[editec]

Eat a moderate balanced diet and hope that your genetics give you a long life.

These "experts" are idiots.

They had us using margarine instead of butter!

They claim eggs are dangerous!

They've convince many of us that aspirin is deadly and convinced us to instead use far FAR FAR more dangerous analgesics.

Seriously, you cannot TRUST the "experts" when it comes to diet.

Your GRANDMOTHER is (or probably was) a better dietician than modern medicine.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Last week I bought the unsalted Rustic Tuscan bread from Eataly. Yuck. The bag probably had more flavor. I went back and bought the Classic Tuscan and the Raisin Tuscan too and nearly orgasmed...well OK maybe I'm exaggerating, but only a little

 

[waltky]

Psoriasis linked to stroke and heart problems...

Psoriasis 'linked to stroke risk'
28 August 2011 - People with psoriasis have nearly three times the normal risk of stroke and abnormal heart rhythm, according to scientists in Denmark.

A study of 4.5 million people, published in the European Heart Journal, showed the highest risk was in young patients with severe psoriasis. Researchers believe this may be because the skin and blood vessels may share similar sources of inflammation. The Stroke Association said this should not be an immediate cause for concern.

Super fast

Skin cells are normally replaced every three to four weeks but, in patients with psoriasis, that process can be greatly speeded up. It can take between just two and six days, resulting in red, flaky, crusty patches on the skin. The condition affects 2% of people in the UK and the cause is unknown. Researchers analysed data from everyone in Denmark between 1997 and 2006 - 36,765 had mild psoriasis and 2,793 had the severe form of the condition. In patients under 50 with mild psoriasis, the risk of abnormal heart rhythm - atrial fibrillation - increased by 50%. The risk of ischaemic stroke increased by 97%. In those with severe psoriases, the risks increased by 198% and 180% respectively. The increased risks for patients over the age of 50 were much smaller.

Inflammation

The researchers said: "The relative risks of atrial fibrillation and ischaemic stroke were highest in young patients with severe psoriasis. "The results add to accumulating evidence that patients with psoriasis are at increased cardiovascular risk." The study can say only that there is a link between psoriasis and increased risk, not that one causes the other. Psoriasis in an inflammatory disorder caused when the immune system attacks healthy skin cells, which stimulates the production of new skin. Researchers believe the inflammation may play a role in stroke and heart problems.

Dr Sharlin Ahmed, research liaison officer at The Stroke Association said: "Previous research has shown that psoriasis could increase a person's risk of heart disease and this research seems to suggest that it could also increase a person's risk of atrial fibrillation and stroke. "However, the reasons for this are not known. Psoriasis is a very common condition and the results of this research should not be an immediate cause for concern. "Anyone concerned about their stroke risk should speak to their GP."

BBC News - Psoriasis 'linked to stroke risk'

 

[strollingbones]

Psoriasis linked to stroke and heart problems...

Psoriasis 'linked to stroke risk'
28 August 2011 - People with psoriasis have nearly three times the normal risk of stroke and abnormal heart rhythm, according to scientists in Denmark.

A study of 4.5 million people, published in the European Heart Journal, showed the highest risk was in young patients with severe psoriasis. Researchers believe this may be because the skin and blood vessels may share similar sources of inflammation. The Stroke Association said this should not be an immediate cause for concern.

Super fast

Skin cells are normally replaced every three to four weeks but, in patients with psoriasis, that process can be greatly speeded up. It can take between just two and six days, resulting in red, flaky, crusty patches on the skin. The condition affects 2% of people in the UK and the cause is unknown. Researchers analysed data from everyone in Denmark between 1997 and 2006 - 36,765 had mild psoriasis and 2,793 had the severe form of the condition. In patients under 50 with mild psoriasis, the risk of abnormal heart rhythm - atrial fibrillation - increased by 50%. The risk of ischaemic stroke increased by 97%. In those with severe psoriases, the risks increased by 198% and 180% respectively. The increased risks for patients over the age of 50 were much smaller.

Inflammation

The researchers said: "The relative risks of atrial fibrillation and ischaemic stroke were highest in young patients with severe psoriasis. "The results add to accumulating evidence that patients with psoriasis are at increased cardiovascular risk." The study can say only that there is a link between psoriasis and increased risk, not that one causes the other. Psoriasis in an inflammatory disorder caused when the immune system attacks healthy skin cells, which stimulates the production of new skin. Researchers believe the inflammation may play a role in stroke and heart problems.

Dr Sharlin Ahmed, research liaison officer at The Stroke Association said: "Previous research has shown that psoriasis could increase a person's risk of heart disease and this research seems to suggest that it could also increase a person's risk of atrial fibrillation and stroke. "However, the reasons for this are not known. Psoriasis is a very common condition and the results of this research should not be an immediate cause for concern. "Anyone concerned about their stroke risk should speak to their GP."

BBC News - Psoriasis 'linked to stroke risk'

look into the treatments that have been used in the last 40 years to treat psoriasis....

we were and still are guinea pigs

 

[tonystewart1]

Eat a moderate balanced diet and hope that your genetics give you a long life.

Better look both ways before crossing the street.

 

[strollingbones]

i try real hard not to use salt...there is enough salt hidden in processed foods....

now put a damn watermelon and a salt shaker in front of me.......it will look like a blizzard

but we should all remove the salt shaker from the table (imho)

 

[Moonglow]

I've cut out salt when I drink shots of tequila

 

[strollingbones]

I've cut out salt when I drink shots of tequila

drink better tequilla you dont need salt

 

[editec]

While we're at it we might consider ending the war on EGGS and BUTTER and WHOLE MILK, too.

 

[random3434]

A home grown tomato without salt!

PERISH THE THOUGHT!

 

[random3434]

While we're at it we might consider ending the war on EGGS and BUTTER and WHOLE MILK, too.

Don't forget sugar too!

People who use that 'fake' sugar crap are doing more harm to their bodies than if they used real sugar.

I buy real sugar in the packets, put one in my unsweetened iced tea and I'm good to go.

Just like margarine has all that processed BS in it, butter is better.

 

[Big Black Dog]

I no longer put salt on my water mellon.

 

[waltky]

Undetectable damage in the brain linked to signs of aging...

Undetectable blood vessel damage linked to signs of age
2 September 2011 - Tiny clots in the brain may be the cause of some signs of old age such as stooped posture and restricted movement, say US scientists.

Researchers examining the brains of 418 deceased patients found damaged blood vessels in 29% of them which would not have been picked up by normal scans. They said higher levels of damage were linked to more limited movement. The researchers, writing in the journal Stroke, said declining mobility should not be accepted as normal ageing. Mild symptoms of Parkinson's disease - such as slow movement, rigidity, tremors and posture - increase with age and are thought to affect up to half of people by the age of 85.

Undetectable

A team of scientists at the Rush University Medical Center, in Chicago, carried out autopsies on the brains of nuns and priests who were taking part in the Religious Order Study. The brains were examined under a microscope for signs of damage which would be invisible to normal brain scans. They found 29% of patients with no previously detected sign of stroke had clotted or narrowed blood vessels. When comparing the severity of damage with a score of Parkinson's-like symptoms, the study said there was a link. It concluded that damage, undetectable with current scanning techniques, "may contribute to the development of what is currently considered 'normal' age-related motor symptoms such as parkinsonian signs".

However, it could not prove that the damage itself caused declining mobility, merely that there was a link between the two. Lead researcher Prof Aron Buchman said: "This is very surprising. "Often the mild motor symptoms are considered an expected part of aging. We shouldn't accept this as normal aging. We should try to fix it and understand it. "If there is an underlying cause, we can intervene and perhaps lessen the impact."

Dr Kieran Breen, director of research and development at Parkinson's UK, said: "We know that as people get older they are more likely to develop mini-strokes, so tiny that they cannot be detected by normal scanning techniques. "Movement problems can occur that are similar to those experienced by people with early mild symptoms of Parkinson's. "As our brains get older many changes do take place, although there is no evidence from this study that these changes lead to full-blown Parkinson's".

BBC News - Undetectable blood vessel damage linked to signs of age

See also:


US stroke rates 'rising in young'
1 September 2011 - People over 65 are normally at the greatest risk of a stroke

More children and young adults in the US are having strokes - with unhealthy lifestyles being a likely cause, scientists have said. Researchers at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analysed hospital data on up to eight million patients a year between 1995 and 2008. In Annals of Neurology, they say stroke rates in five to 44-year-olds rose by about a third in under 10 years. Higher blood pressure, diabetes and obesity were common in stroke patients. The researchers looked at figures for ischemic stroke, due to blood clots, and haemorrhagic stroke, which is caused by bleeding on the brain.

The rate of ischemic stroke increased by 31% in five to 14-year-olds, from 3.2 strokes per 10,000 hospital cases to 4.2 per 10,000. There were increases of 30% for people aged 15 to 34 and 37% in patients between the ages of 35 and 44. In all age groups the increase was greater in men than in women. Figures for haemorrhagic stroke showed decreases in age groups except the five to 14-year-olds, but the researchers said: "The increase in ischemic stroke far outweighs the decreases."

Health initiatives

The report said the prevalence of hypertension, obesity and tobacco use had increased in stroke patients. More than half of 35 to 44-year-olds who had an ischemic stroke also had hypertension. "Urgent public health initiatives are needed to reverse trends in modifiable risk factors associated with stroke in adolescents and young adults," the report concludes.

Dr Lorna Layward, from the Stroke Association in the UK, said: "People usually associate strokes with older people, but a quarter of all strokes happen to people of working age, and around 400 children have a stroke every year in the UK. "We know that high blood pressure is the biggest risk factor for stroke, along with other factors such as obesity, diabetes, poor diet and smoking. "This research emphasises the need for people to be aware that stroke can affect younger people, and for all of us, regardless of our age, to check our blood pressure and adopt a healthy lifestyle."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-14746370

 

[asedeL]

Can't live without salt...

 

[lilbug]

I haven't used salt in years. If you can give up the salt shaker for maybe a couple of weeks, you'll begin to taste the natural salt in foods and you won't miss it for a lot of foods. Still..there are some things that just need salt. For those, I use a salt substitute...No Salt...it is kind of expensive, but a lil' dab'll do ya and it lasts forever. It tastes the most like salt than any other substitute I've used.

 

[waltky]

High blood pressure increases the risk of stroke and heart attack...

High blood pressure genetic clues
11 September 2011 - More than 20 new sections of genetic code have been linked to blood pressure by an international team of scientists.

Almost everyone will carry at least one of the genetic variants, according to studies published in Nature and Nature Genetics. Researchers believe their findings could be used to develop new treatments. The British Heart Foundation said lifestyle was still key to a healthy blood pressure. High blood pressure - or hypertension - can run in families as well as being influenced by obesity, exercise and the amount of salt in the diet.

While the lifestyle risks are well known, the genetic element of hypertension has been poorly understood. Researchers now say they have made a "major advance" in understanding the role of genes. In the first study, scientists from 24 countries around the world analysed data from more than 200,000 people. They identified 16 new points on the genome which were linked to blood pressure.

One of the lead researchers, Prof Mark Caulfield, from Barts and The London Medical School, said each genetic variant was in at least 5% of people, while some of the more common ones were present in up to 14% of people. "This is having an influence across the population," he said. Uncovering the genetic basis of blood pressure has revealed processes in the body which could one day be targeted with drugs. One series of chemical reactions involving nitric oxide, which opens up blood vessels, has been highlighted as a potential target.

Gene puzzle

Prof Caulfield said: "There is substantial potential for moving the findings from the lab to the clinic. "There are, in development or in existence, drugs which could be considered." However, researchers say they have still uncovered only 1% of the genetic contribution to blood pressure. A second study, presented in Nature Genetics, identified a further six new stretches of genetic code.

The British Heart Foundation's medical director, Prof Peter Weissberg, said: "Researchers from across the world have now identified some of the genes linked to blood pressure control, which could pave the way for new treatments in the future. "But your genes are only one piece of the puzzle. You are less likely to have high blood pressure if you stick to a healthy diet, do plenty of exercise, and maintain a healthy weight."

BBC News - High blood pressure genetic clues

 

[Vel]

Eat a moderate balanced diet and hope that your genetics give you a long life.

These "experts" are idiots.

They had us using margarine instead of butter!

They claim eggs are dangerous!

They've convince many of us that aspirin is deadly and convinced us to instead use far FAR FAR more dangerous analgesics.

Seriously, you cannot TRUST the "experts" when it comes to diet.

Your GRANDMOTHER is (or probably was) a better dietician than modern medicine.

Better be careful. Rdean will accuse you of being a Republican or a Christian for doubting "science".