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
The Top 10 Health Chatbots
This study from March 2023 reports how an app developed to help patients’ bowel preparation can increase compliance and thus, the number of successful colonoscopies.
In some cases, health chatbots are also able to connect patients with clinicians for diagnosis or treatment, but that is one step further down the line. The general idea is that in the future, these talking or texting smart algorithms might become the first contact point for primary care. Patients will not get in touch with physicians or nurses or any medical professional with every one of their health questions but will turn to chatbots first. If th...
Source: The Medical Futurist - August 1, 2023 Category: Information Technology Authors: berci.mesko Tags: Artificial Intelligence in Medicine Future of Medicine Healthcare Design List medical Personalized medicine AI technology chatbot digital health chatbots health chatbot Innovation Source Type: blogs
Health care workers under attack [PODCAST]
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes! Join Harry Severance, an emergency physician, as we explore the factors contributing to this issue, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the demonization of health care workers. Discover the alarming statistics and consequences presented by organizations like the Association of American Medical
Read more…
Health care workers under attack [PODCAST] originally appeared in KevinMD.com. (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog)
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - July 31, 2023 Category: General Medicine Authors: The Podcast by KevinMD Tags: Podcast Emergency Medicine 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
Ensuring fair reimbursement for emergency procedures
The applicability of add-on payment/reimbursement qualifiers/modifiers for emergency procedures should not be limited to patients’ emergency conditions alone. They should also be applicable to situations where arrangements are made for procedures outside regular office hours or on weekends. This includes cases where proceduralists choose to schedule procedures during after-hours or patients choose to have procedures
Read more…
Ensuring fair reimbursement for emergency procedures originally appeared in KevinMD.com. (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog)
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - July 30, 2023 Category: General Medicine Authors: Deepak Gupta, MD and Shushovan Chakrabortty, MD Tags: Physician Emergency Medicine Practice Management Source Type: blogs
A woman in her 50s with chest pain and lightheadedness and " anterior subendocardial ischemia "
Written by Pendell MeyersA woman in her 50s presented with acute chest pain and lightheadedness since the past several hours. Here is her triage ECG during active symptoms:What do you think?The ED physician read this as " Normal sinus rhythm. LVH. Marked ST abnormality, possible anterior subendocardial injury. " Smith: I suspect this was a confirmation of the conventional computer interpretation. These are often wrong and lead the physician astray.This is wrong on many levels. The rhythm is some form of heart block (see Ken ' s comments at end of post) with junctional escape. The STD maximal in ...
Source: Dr. Smith's ECG Blog - July 30, 2023 Category: Cardiology Authors: Pendell Source Type: blogs
How Automated Lineage Improves Healthcare Data
The following is a guest article by Ernie Ostic, Chief Evangelist at Manta
The healthcare industry creates a vast amount of data each year — roughly 30% of worldwide data — the bulk of which must conform with regulatory standards. That data lives in a complex and evolving ecosystem, integrated with multiple applications and infrastructures, creating countless dependencies.
Between the volume of data and the web of interconnected systems, those dependencies remain hidden from most users in a “black box” of sorts. Without insight into the inner workings of their own flow of information, most healthcare organizations...
Source: EMR and HIPAA - July 27, 2023 Category: Information Technology Authors: Guest Author Tags: Analytics/Big Data Clinical Health IT Company Healthcare IT Hospital - Health System Interoperability CHRISTUS CHRISTUS Health Data Breaches Data Lineage Ernie Ostic Healthcare Automation Healthcare Data HIPAA Lineage in Health 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
Central Agonists For High Blood Pressure: Types, Side Effects, Drug Interactions
Conclusion
In summary, central agonists, a notable class of hypertension medications, offer an alternative modality when other first-line antihypertensive treatments fail to show desired results or cause intolerable side effects.
They operate via a unique neurocentric mechanism that primarily functions centrally in the brain, impacting blood pressure regulation by decreasing systemic arterial pressure and heart rate.
Despite their potential side effects and potential for interactions with other drugs, their therapeutic utility in the context of hypertension management remains undiminished.
Moreover, certain cen...
Source: The EMT Spot - July 27, 2023 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Michael Rotman, MD, FRCPC, PhD Tags: Blood Pressure Source Type: blogs
Is More Physician-Owned Hospitals the Solution to our Health Cost problem?
BY JEFF GOLDSMITH
Robert Frost once said, “Home is where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in.”
Increasingly, in our struggling society, that place is your local full service community hospital. During COVID, if it wasn’t your local hospital standing up testing sites, pumping out vaccinations and working double overtime helping patients breathe, we would have lost several hundred thousand more of our fellow Americans.
But it wasn’t just COVID where hospitals leaped into the breach. As primary care physicians’ practices collapsed from documentation overburde...
Source: The Health Care Blog - July 26, 2023 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Ryan Bose-Roy Tags: The Business of Health Care Affordable Care Act COVID Jeff Goldsmith Physician-Owned hospitals Source Type: blogs
Handling Heat On Blood Pressure Medication: Your Summer Health Guide
Conclusion
Summing it up, individuals taking blood pressure medication must be cautious during the hot weather season. Heat exposure can significantly impact blood pressure and may amplify the effects of medication, leading to potentially harmful health conditions.
These risks, however, can be managed with the right precautions such as staying hydrated, dressing appropriately, and planning outdoor activities during cooler times of the day.
Importantly, each person’s response to heat and medication varies. Hence, a one-size-fits-all approach isn’t ideal. Your healthcare provider is an invaluable resourc...
Source: The EMT Spot - July 26, 2023 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Michael Rotman, MD, FRCPC, PhD Tags: Blood Pressure 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
Smart Pants Track Physical Activity
Engineers at the Federal University of Espirito Santo in Brazil have developed smart pants that can non-intrusively track physical movements and provide updates to caregivers if the people they’re taking care of are showing signs of distress. This application could be very useful for people who are monitoring elderly patients in healthcare facilities. The technology may also be applicable in tracking and quantifying movements, such as range of motion, for patients undergoing physical rehabilitation. The pants contain a series of fiber optic cables and a signal acquisition unit that can be carried in the pants pocket....
Source: Medgadget - July 25, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Geriatrics Materials Orthopedic Surgery Rehab Sports Medicine ufesoficial Source Type: blogs
