A Way to Measure Failure to Deliver Sufficient Oxygen and Nutrients to the Aging Brain
The aged vasculature is diminished in its ability to deliver blood to tissues via a range of different mechanisms and their consequences. Capillary density is lost, and the heart weakens, for example. This affects the ability to supply nutrients and oxygen to energy hungry tissues such as the brain, and this in turn affects function. The balance of supply and demand in the brain is not a steady state situation, however. It is complex, just like everything else in the body. Researchers here find a way to measure the degree to which this dynamic, complex balance becomes disrupted with age, thereby contributing to dysfunction...
Source: Fight Aging! - August 7, 2023 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs

Elderly, Constipation, And Hypertension: Unraveling The Surprising Connection From A Recent Study
Conclusion As we’ve delved into the intricate web linking constipation and hypertension, one thing becomes crystal clear: the world of medicine is vast, and understanding even commonplace issues like constipation can unlock deeper insights into more pressing concerns like cardiovascular diseases. This La Trobe University study shines a spotlight on the urgency of recognizing and effectively addressing non-traditional risk factors. For our readers, especially those gracefully journeying into their 60s and beyond, let this be a gentle nudge. Your health is a mosaic of interconnected pieces. Something as seemingly...
Source: The EMT Spot - August 6, 2023 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Michael Rotman, MD, FRCPC, PhD Tags: News Source Type: blogs

Complement-Producing Macrophages in Atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis is, fundamentally, a condition centered around the function, capabilities, and age-related dysfunction of macrophage cells. These innate immune cells are responsible for clearing excess cholesterol, transported via LDL particles, from blood vessel walls. As macrophages become more dysfunctional with age, or otherwise shift in their activities due to rising inflammatory signaling, deposits of cholesterol can reach a tipping point at which they can no longer be cleared and turn into atherosclerotic lesions. Macrophages in the lesions are overwhelmed by the excess of cholesterol, become inflammatory, and die, ...
Source: Fight Aging! - August 3, 2023 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs

Study Warns That Even Light Drinking Can Raise Blood Pressure
Conclusion In sum, the international research study underscores the significant impact of alcohol consumption on blood pressure, with effects noticed even at low levels. Contrary to common assumptions, it highlights no beneficial effects in low-level drinkers compared to non-drinkers. The findings serve as a crucial reminder of the importance of moderation, or ideally, avoidance of alcohol for effective blood pressure management and optimal cardiovascular health. The global scale and comprehensive approach of the study lend weight to its findings, making them a key resource for individuals worldwide. In the face o...
Source: The EMT Spot - August 1, 2023 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Michael Rotman, MD, FRCPC, PhD Tags: News Source Type: blogs

University of Maryland Doctor Tells Public He's Not Sure Smoking is Any More Hazardous than Vaping
In anarticle published today byABC News, a physician from the University of Maryland is quoted as telling the public that he isn ' t sure that smoking is any more hazardous than vaping.According to the article: "' We just cannot make a conclusion that it [vaping] is safer than cigarettes, ' said Dr. Jason Rose, a Pulmonary and Critical Care Physician who is also the Associate Professor of Medicine and Associate Dean for Innovation& Physician Science at The University of Maryland. "  Of course, stating that you ' re not sure if vaping is safer than cigarettes is equivalent to saying that you ' re not sure smo...
Source: The Rest of the Story: Tobacco News Analysis and Commentary - July 31, 2023 Category: Addiction Source Type: blogs

Isometric Exercises: A New Hope For Hypertension Management
Conclusion As we reflect on the power of exercise in managing hypertension, it’s clear that isometric workouts stand as a compelling addition to the traditional regimen. Their role in significantly reducing both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, as the study suggests, offers fresh hope for individuals navigating the challenges of high blood pressure. Yet, as we embrace these workouts, it’s essential to remember the words of healthcare professionals like Joanne Whitmore and Jim Pate. Exercise, though pivotal, is just one aspect of a broader strategy to manage hypertension. Alongside this, life...
Source: The EMT Spot - July 31, 2023 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Michael Rotman, MD, FRCPC, PhD Tags: News Source Type: blogs

Fight Aging! Newsletter, July 31st 2023
In conclusion, an SBP level below 130 mmHg was found to be associated with longevity among older women. The longer SBP was controlled at a level between 110 and 130 mmHg, the higher the survival probability to age 90. Preventing age-related rises in SBP and increasing the time with controlled BP levels constitute important measures for achieving longevity. « Back to Top (Source: Fight Aging!)
Source: Fight Aging! - July 30, 2023 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Newsletters Source Type: blogs

Higher Blood Pressure, Greater Mortality
In conclusion, an SBP level below 130 mmHg was found to be associated with longevity among older women. The longer SBP was controlled at a level between 110 and 130 mmHg, the higher the survival probability to age 90. Preventing age-related rises in SBP and increasing the time with controlled BP levels constitute important measures for achieving longevity. Link: https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.06.22.23291783 (Source: Fight Aging!)
Source: Fight Aging! - July 28, 2023 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs

Vasodilators For High Blood Pressure: Types, Side Effects, Drug Interactions
Conclusion In summary, vasodilators play a pivotal role in managing cardiovascular conditions, including hypertension, which is rapidly becoming a global health concern. By expanding the body’s blood vessels, these unique medications can improve blood flow and decrease the pressure exerted by the heart, thereby providing relief to numerous patients worldwide. Their applications are diverse, extending beyond hypertension to conditions like angina, heart failure, and even erectile dysfunction. However, these medications should be taken carefully and always under the supervision of a doctor due to the potent...
Source: The EMT Spot - July 27, 2023 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Michael Rotman, MD, FRCPC, PhD Tags: Blood Pressure Source Type: blogs

The Extracellular Matrix in the Age-Related Impairment of Angiogenesis
The density of capillary networks declines with aging, the result of a progressive impairment of the complex process of angiogenesis responsible for growing new vessels. This loss of the smallest components of the circulatory system is likely important in the progression of aging, in that it affects blood pressure and deprives energy-hungry tissues such as muscle and brain of the oxygen and nutrients needed for correct function. Researchers here view this aspect of vascular aging through the lens of the extracellular matrix, a tissue feature that also changes with age in ways known to be detrimental. Are these chang...
Source: Fight Aging! - July 27, 2023 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs

Profound ST depression in II, III, aVF
Conclusion:Type II MI probable due to hypoxia and tachycardia from resp arrest and amphetamine use.  Whether the ST Depression on the ECG represents ischemia or not is uncertain, but it does not represent acute coronary syndrome.===================================MY Comment, by KEN GRAUER, MD (7/26/2023):===================================The most interesting aspects of today ’s case are: i) The tale told by the 6 ECGs; and, ii) The surprise finding of positive troponins! The Sum is More than Each of its Parts:If we look back at the initial ECG&nb...
Source: Dr. Smith's ECG Blog - July 27, 2023 Category: Cardiology Authors: Steve Smith Source Type: blogs

Potassium: The Silent Ally In Your Battle With Hypertension
Conclusion: Balancing Potassium Intake As Part Of An Overall Healthy Lifestyle While elevating your potassium intake can be instrumental in your battle against high blood pressure, it’s essential to remember that it’s part of a broader health strategy. There’s no magic bullet in managing blood pressure. A symphony of lifestyle adjustments working in harmony is what lays the groundwork for victory. Eating an overall healthy diet, limiting your sodium intake, getting regular exercise, and quitting smoking if needed – all these factors dance hand in hand with your potassium intake. These habits f...
Source: The EMT Spot - July 26, 2023 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Michael Rotman, MD, FRCPC, PhD Tags: Blood Pressure Source Type: blogs

A Study Reveals The Impact Of Childhood TV Habits On Adult Blood Pressure
Conclusion In sum, monitoring and managing screen time is not just about today’s habits but a long-term investment in a child’s future health, particularly their blood pressure levels. The data linking childhood TV viewing to adult health problems like high blood pressure underscores the urgency of this matter. However, understanding is just the first step. From here, we must translate this knowledge into action – through parental control, societal initiatives, healthier dietary habits, and increased physical activity. But we must also remember that screen time isn’t all bad – the conten...
Source: The EMT Spot - July 25, 2023 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Michael Rotman, MD, FRCPC, PhD Tags: News Source Type: blogs

Mitochondrial Copy Number in Immune Cells Strongly Correlates with 15-Year Mortality
We examined a random population sample in 2003/2005 (n = 9,360, age 45-69, the HAPIEE project) and followed up for 15 years. Using a nested case-control design, we selected non-external deaths among those free from baseline cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and cancer (n = 371), and a sex- and age-stratified control (n = 785). The odds ratios (ORs) of death were 1.06 per one-decile decrease in mtDNA-CN independent of age, sex, metabolic factors, smoking, alcohol intake, and education. The age-sex-adjusted ORs of death in the second and first tertiles of mtDNA-CN vs. the top tertile were 2.35 and 1.59; an increased risk ...
Source: Fight Aging! - July 25, 2023 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Medicine, Biotech, Research Source Type: blogs

Outpatient Vascular Care: Good, bad or ugly?
BY ANISH KOKA Filling in the holes of recent stories in the New York Times, and Propublica on the outpatient care of patients with peripheral arterial disease Most have gotten used to egregiously bad coverage of current events that fills the pages of today’s New York Times, but even by their now very low standards a recent telling of a story about peripheral artery disease was very bad. The scintillating allegation by Katie Thomas, Jessica Silver-Greenberg and Robert Gebeloff is that “medical device makers are bankrolling doctors to perform artery clearing procedures that can lead to amputationsâ€...
Source: The Health Care Blog - July 24, 2023 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Ryan Bose-Roy Tags: Medical Practice Anish Koka Medical Devices Outpatient vascular care Source Type: blogs