May

31

Blood pressure is increasingly looking like the new cholesterol. Like cholesterol, blood pressure tends to go up as we get older — especially if we are getting fatter at the same time. Also, like high cholesterol, high blood pressure is an important risk factor for heart attacks. And now, just as with cholesterol, evidence is emerging that people with levels of blood pressure that were considered “normal” just a few years ago may be better off if those levels are brought down.

For decades, 120/80 was considered a “normal” blood pressure, sending a message that this was an ideal blood pressure. And readings of 135/88 were “fine.” The reality may be that you would be better off if your blood pressure stays below 120/80 and that 135/88 is actually too high.

The first major warning that the old “normal” is not ideal came when the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute published its new hypertension guidelines in 2004. The guidelines pointed out that the risk of heart attack and stroke increases when systolic blood pressure (the top number) is greater than 115 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) is greater than 75 mm Hg. For every 20-mm-Hg increase in systolic pressure or 10-mm-Hg increase in diastolic blood pressure, your risk of dying from cardiovascular diseases doubles. Based on this information, the new guidelines defined a large number of people with readings between 120-139 over 80-89 as “prehypertensive,” a label that indicates some action is needed, not necessarily drugs, to bring those numbers down.
Aggressive guidelines

A lot of physicians thought that the hypertension experts got kind of carried away. However, as happened with cholesterol, research is coming along that strongly suggests the “aggressive” guidelines to be correct.

For example, a study published in 2004 tested two different drugs for hypertension in 1,991 patients with coronary artery disease, all of whom had “normal” blood pressures. The average blood pressure at the beginning of the two-year study was 129/78 mm Hg. Read more

May

31

What Happens

After the hepatitis A virus (HAV) enters your body, the number of virus grows and grows for 2 to 7 weeks. The average incubation period is about 4 weeks.

* Your stools (feces) and body fluids contain the highest levels of the virus 2 weeks before symptoms start (if there are any symptoms). This is the time when you are most contagious. However, you still may pass the virus to another person until all of your symptoms have gone away.
* From 5 to 10 days after you become infected with HAV, your body usually starts to make HAV antibodies.
* Between 3 and 6 months after you become infected with the virus, antibodies develop that will give you lifelong protection (immunity) against HAV infection. The antibodies can always be detected in your blood, indicating that you were infected with the hepatitis A virus some time in the past.

Symptoms of hepatitis A usually last less than 2 months. More than 99% of people who have hepatitis A recover fully. Within 1 to 2 months after your symptoms go away, your liver will be completely healed.

Possible complications of hepatitis A include the following: Read more

May

31

A swatch of hair, so thick and tangled it could have belonged to man or bear, has provided answers about a mysterious culture and its origins half a world away.

The culture is that of the first people to have occupied Greenland some 4,500 years ago. Known as the first Paleo-Eskimo culture, it gave way to a second Paleo-Eskimo culture some 2,500 years ago and then 700 years ago to the Thule culture of the present-day Inuit peoples. Some archaeologists suggested that each culture might have descended from its predecessor, but proof required obtaining DNA from the earlier cultures and comparing it with that of the Inuit.

Eske Willerslev, an expert on ancient DNA at the University of Copenhagen, inspected the hair excavated from Disko Bay in western Greenland. It turned out to be human, not from bears, and contained a baleen comb, from which whale DNA was extracted. Read more

May

31

Beginning a diet to lose weight and improve health is a worthy goal, but it can be a bit overwhelming. There are bound to be challenges whenever you start something new, especially when it involves something you do several times each day — like eating and drinking.

Still, as long as you don’t try to change everything at once, you can meet your weight loss goals. Read on to learn some secrets of the masters — those who have lost weight and, more importantly, kept it off. After all, what good is losing the extra weight if you gain it right back?

1. Follow a Healthy Eating Plan

A healthy eating plan (like the WebMD Weight Loss Clinic plan) should include foods you enjoy along with plenty of healthy, not-too-processed foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, lean meats, seafood, beans, and nuts. Thanks to their ability to satisfy, these low-calorie foods will actually help you stick to your diet. The most satisfying foods have lots of fiber (like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, and nuts) and/or low-fat protein (found in meat, fish, dairy, and soy).

Ideally, you’ll slowly wean yourself off favorite foods that are heavily processed and high in fat or calories, and replace them with more nutritious options. At any time during this process, feel free to come up with a new eating plan that increases some healthful foods and decreases others. It’s best for WLC members to create a new plan at the end of the week. When you do so, the WLC electronic journal wipes your slate clean.

Don’t worry if you are a vegetarian, or have allergies or intolerances. Your personalized WLC eating plan may not include all of the recommended food groups, but it will provide adequate nutrients. We recommend that everyone take a daily multivitamin/mineral supplement to fill in any nutritional gaps.

2. Take Baby Steps

Change is hard. Making small, gradual changes in your eating patterns is the best way to overhaul your diet. Some experts suggest making just one change each week, to give you time to get used to the new behavior. Your ultimate goal is to establish new eating habits that can be sustained for a lifetime.

An excellent way to start is to stock your cupboards and refrigerator with healthy foods, and plan to prepare healthier meals at home. Pick up a new cookbook or cooking magazine specializing in healthy cuisine; post a favorite family recipe on the WLC "Recipe Doctor" board for tips on how to lighten it; or try one of the recipes from the Weight Loss Clinic collection. Read more

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