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Written by Dr Margaret
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Mar 03, 2008 at 10:19 PM |
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Medical Research on Diet :The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) study published in Medical Journal the New England Journal of Medicine showed that eight weeks of a diet of fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, whole grains, poultry, fish, and nuts, with limited fats, red meat, and sweets, reduced systolic pressure(the top figure) by 11.4 mm Hg and diastolic pressure(the bottom figure) by 5.5 mm Hg. With sodium intake at a level below 100 mmol per day, systolic pressure was 3 mm Hg lower and diastolic pressure was 1.6 mm Hg lower than with the DASH diet and a higher level of sodium intake. The DASH diet below is based on a 2,000-calorie-a-day meal plan. - The DASH Diet for Control of High Blood Pressure
| | Food group | Daily Servings | Nutritional Benefit | | Low-fat or fat-free dairy | 2-3 | Calcium, potassium, magnesium and protein | | Vegetables | 4-5 | Potassium, magnesium and fiber | | Fruits | 4-5 | Potassium, magnesium and fiber | | Grains and grain products | 7-8 | Carbohydrates and fiber | | Meat, Poultry and fish | 2 or fewer | Protein and magnesium | | Nuts, seeds and beans | 4-5 per week | Magnesium, potassium, protein and fiber | | Fats and oils** | 2-3 | This applies to added fat; all other food choices should be low-fat | | Sweets | 5 per week | Make these treats low-fat whenever possible | Original source: National Heart Lung and Blood Institute.
Updates at DASH |
* Check with your healthcare practitioner before starting an exercise program. ** When choosing oils, select heart-healthy monounsaturated ones Ref Appel LJ, Moore TJ, Obarzanek E, et al. A clinical trial of the effects of dietary patterns on blood pressure. N Engl J Med 1997;336:1117-1124 For more information there is a free downloadable booklet on the DASH diet at the following URL. You'll need to copy and paste it into te address bar of your browser, but you'll need to bookmark "Australian Health Network" and come back here later. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/dash/new_dash.pdf |
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Last Updated ( Mar 15, 2008 at 03:49 PM )
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Written by Dr Margaret
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Mar 09, 2008 at 05:39 AM |
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Discovering ”Lung Age” Helps People to Quit Smoking
Research published March 2008 British Medical Journal demonstrated smokers who were told their lung age were more likely to give up smoking. As smoking accelerates age-related decline in lung function, smoking causes lung tests to give results that would be expected of an older individual(ie prematurely old lungs). The study by Parkes and colleagues from Hertfordshire, England demonstrated that informing patients of this result in terms of the age of their lungs has an impact on their determination to quit. The study included 561 smokers over 35, who were randomized into 2 groups. One group were given lung function tests and informed of the deleterious effect the smoking was having on the lifespan of their lungs. They were given the result in terms of “lung age”(ie prematurely aged lungs) The control group were just given the raw data for the test. Both groups were counselled to give up smoking. Those who were given the data in terms of “lung age” were more likely to quit. Ref G.Parkes, T.Greenhalgh, M.Griffen & R.Dent Effect on smoking quit rate of telling patients their lung age: the Step2quit randomised controlled trial. BMJ, doi:10.1136/bmj.39503.582396.25 (published 6 March 2008) Write Comment (0 comments) |
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Last Updated ( Mar 15, 2008 at 04:58 PM )
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Written by Dr Margaret
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Feb 27, 2008 at 07:20 AM |
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Years of cumulative research has identified a list of “risk factors” for heart disease ie who is likely to have a Heart Attack. This means a person is more likely to have a heart attack than persons who doen’t have them. The more risk factors a person has, the greater the likelihood they will suffer premature death from coronary artery thrombosis (Heart Attack). Over time, the list has grown. Our current knowledge base includes the following as risk factors for premature heart disease: · Smoking - the more you smoke and the longer you smoke for the higher the risk · Diabetes -greater with Type I Diabetes than Type II, very high when Type I Diabetes is combined with Smoking · High Cholesterol- greater with low HDL Cholesterol and high LDL Cholesterol · Genetic/Family History - Persons with a first degree relative with premature heart disease(under age 65yrs) · High Blood Pressure - A persistent elevation of BP above 135/85 · Metabolic Syndrome- A combination of insulin resistance with increased abdominal fat and elevated Triglycerides. High BP, low HDL increased tendency to clot and increased inflammatory proteins in the blood are also likely to be present which multiplies the likely risk for Heart Disease<!--[endif]--> · Elevated Homocysteine- Elevation of an amino acid called homocysteine in the blood. This is an Independent risk factor · Elevated ESR or C-Reactive Protein – These 2 blood tests measure inflammation in the blood stream, which are the elevation of which is also known to be associated with increased cardiovascular risk · Inactivity · Poor Western Diet - high in meat, fried foods and carbonated beverages, but low in whole grains, fresh fruit and vegetables · Obesity-Especially if a high abdominal to hip ratio is present |
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Last Updated ( Mar 04, 2008 at 12:05 AM )
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