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Boomers, Seniors High Risk for High Blood Pressure
Dairy Products Making Comeback During Stroke Month
New studies show lowered risk for stroke, heart
disease with milk, low-fat dairy
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May is Stroke Month |
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Could you be the next face of stroke? Each year there are
700,000 new and recurrent strokes. For each of these 700,000
faces of stroke there are many more who feel the effect as a
family member or friend of a stroke survivor. Find out now if
you or a loved one is at risk for stroke and take action now.
more
at American Heart Association. |
| |
For
the latest statistics on Cardiovascular Disease for Senior
Citizens and Baby Boomers -
Click Here |
May 26, 2005 - A diet rich in milk does not
increase the risk of heart disease and stroke, and may even be
protective, says one study. While another suggests that increased intake
of low-fat dairy foods, as part of a DASH-based eating plan, may lower
blood pressure more effectively than a conventional low-fat diet -- a
significant finding for the millions of Baby Boomers and Senior Citizens
who suffer from high blood pressure, a major risk factor for stroke and
heart attack.
(See "What is High Blood Pressure"
and "What is a Stroke" below news story.)
The Milk Study
The research team in the milk study asked a
representative sample of 764 men to weigh and record every item of food
and drink they consumed for seven consecutive days. Just under 90% of
the sample (665) produced complete and detailed diaries.
The men, who were all aged between 45 and 59, were
taking part in the Caerphilly Cohort Study, which was set up between
1979 and 1983.
They were given comprehensive health check-ups,
including a heart tracing (ECG) at the start of the study and
subsequently every five years for a period of 20 years. Hospital and
family doctor records were also checked.
During the study period, 54 men had a stroke and
139 developed symptomatic ischaemic heart disease (heart attack or
angina), and 225 died.
At the start of the study, virtually all milk
consumption was whole (full fat) milk, but a random sample of the
surviving men in 2000, showed that almost all of them had switched to
skimmed or semi skimmed milk within the preceding eight years.
Men who consumed the most milk every day (a pint or
more) had a higher energy intake, suggesting that they were more active.
Cholesterol levels and blood pressure readings were similar in high and
low milk consumers (less than half a pint), and men who drank the least
milk tended to drink the most alcohol.
Men who drank the most milk had a lower risk of
ischaemic heart disease or stroke than those who drank the least, and in
the case of stroke this risk was significantly lower. The findings held
true even for those men who had started out drinking full fat milk.
The authors suggest that milk has had something of
a bad press in respect of its impact on cholesterol, and they conclude:
"The present perception of milk as harmful, in increasing cardiovascular
risk, should be challenged, and every effort should be made to restore
it to its rightful place in a healthy diet."
Their study is published in the Journal of
Epidemiology and Community Health.
http://press.psprings.co.uk/jech/june/502_ch27904.pdf
The High Blood Pressure Study
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Who Has High Blood Pressure? |
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The following have high blood pressure
(defined as systolic pressure of 140 mm Hg or higher or
diastolic pressure of 90 mm Hg or higher, or taking
antihypertensive medicine):
> At ages 55-64, 46.6
percent of men and 55.5 percent of women.
> At ages 65-74, 60.9
percent of men and74.0 percent of women.
> At age 75 and older,
69.2 percent of men and 83.4 percent of women. |
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Researchers studying low-fat dairy foods compared
two diets -- one based on the DASH eating pattern and the other a
typical low-fat diet -- combined with increased physical activity. The
study found that for comparable weight loss, the DASH-based diet
resulted in a greater decrease in blood pressure than did the low-fat
diet.
The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension)
eating plan was developed by the National Heart, Lung and Blood
Institute (NHLBI) and is comprised of 3 daily servings of lowfat dairy
foods and eight to ten daily servings of fruits and vegetables. The
government recently highlighted the health benefits of DASH by
recommending the eating plan in the new Dietary Guidelines and MyPyramid,
and NHLBI has designated May as National Blood Pressure Education Month.
Click to information on DASH.
The study participants, consisting of 54
middle-aged men with a body mass index of about 30, were assigned to one
of the two diets for 12 weeks and engaged in similar levels of physical
activity. Both diet plans included lowfat or fat free dairy foods,
fruits and vegetables, but at week 12, the DASH-based group reported a
higher intake of dairy foods (approximately 4 daily servings compared to
2 1/2 among the low-fat group). There was no reported difference in
fruit and vegetable intake between the two diet groups.
The authors speculate that a combination of factors
such as lower sodium and increased potassium, calcium, and magnesium --
key nutrients found in dairy -- may be responsible for the greater
effect of the DASH-based diet on the obesity-related elevated blood
pressure. Potassium has long been seen as a key nutrient in lowering
blood pressure. Each 8-ounce serving of milk provides about 350-400 mg
of potassium, or 11 percent of the Daily Value (DV) per serving. Fluid
milk is the number one source of potassium in the American diet and
dairy foods provide 18 percent of the potassium in the U.S. food supply.
"DASH-recommended foods like fruits, vegetables and
lowfat milk, cheese, and yogurt have been shown to be very effective in
lowering blood pressure, as well as reducing the risk of other chronic
diseases," said Melissa Joy Buoscio, MS, RD, CDE, National Dairy
Council. "It's good news for people who can still eat foods they enjoy
-- like chocolate milk, yogurt parfaits or even pizza with veggies and
lowfat cheese -- and still get the health benefits."
The study was published this month in the American
Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
For more information on the nutritional benefits of
dairy foods, visit
http://www.nationaldairycouncil.org/
. In addition, parents and educators can get recipes and tips on how to
get 3-A-Day of Dairy at
http://www.3aday.org/ .
The American Dairy Association/National Dairy
Council (ADA/NDC) is managed by Dairy Management Inc., the nonprofit
domestic and international planning and management organization
responsible for increasing demand for U.S.-produced dairy products on
behalf of America's dairy farmers.
What is High Blood Pressure
Blood pressure is the force of blood against the
walls of arteries. When that force stays too high, it becomes a
life-threatening condition—high blood pressure (also called
hypertension). It makes the heart work too hard, hardens the walls of
arteries, and can cause the brain to hemorrhage or the kidneys to
function poorly or not at all.
A blood pressure reading of 140/90 mmHg or higher
is considered high. Normal blood pressure is less than 120/80 mmHg.
Who does high blood pressure impact?
More than 65 million American adults — 1 in 3 —
have high blood pressure
Nearly 60 million Americans are over age 55 which
means they have a 90 percent likelihood of developing high blood
pressure in their lifetimes.
African Americans are more likely to develop high
blood pressure than any other racial or ethnic group and tend to develop
it earlier and more severely than others.
18 million Americans have diabetes which increases
their chances of developing high blood pressure.
122 million American adults are overweight or obese
which increases their chances of developing high blood pressure.
Risky business
Anyone can develop high blood pressure. But these
factors increase the risk: being overweight or obese, being physically
inactive, high salt and sodium intake, low potassium intake (due to not
eating enough fruits and vegetables), excessive alcohol consumption, and
diabetes.
Why should you care about high blood pressure?
High blood pressure can lead to numerous other
life-threatening conditions, including heart disease, stroke, and kidney
failure, the #1, #3, and #9 causes of death in the United States.
High blood pressure is a factor in 67 percent of
heart attacks in the United States.
High blood pressure is a factor in 77 percent of
strokes—the #3 cause of death in the United States.
High blood pressure precedes 74 percent of cases of
heart failure in the United States.
High blood pressure is the second leading cause of
chronic kidney failure in the United States—responsible for 26 percent
of all cases.
High blood pressure causes more visits to doctors
than any other condition—just a 10 percent decline in the number of
visits would save $478 million each year.
High blood pressure affects circulation—creating a
higher risk for mental deterioration and Alzheimer's.
High blood pressure and its complications cost the
U.S. economy more than $100 billion each year.
More from National Institutes of Health -
http://hin.nhlbi.nih.gov/mission/abouthbp/abouthbp.htm
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI).
Facts about high blood pressure.
http://hin.nhlbi.nih.gov/mission/abouthbp/abouthbp.htm .
What is a stroke?
A stroke or brain attack occurs when a blood clot
blocks a blood vessel or artery, or when a blood vessel breaks,
interrupting blood flow to an area of the brain. When a brain attack
occurs, it kills brain cells in the immediate area. Doctors call this
area of dead cells an infarct. These cells usually die within minutes to
a few hours after the stroke starts.
When brain cells in the infarct die, they release
chemicals that set off a chain reaction called the "ischemic cascade."
This chain reaction endangers brain cells in a larger, surrounding area
of brain tissue for which the blood supply is compromised but not
completely cut off. Without prompt medical treatment this larger area of
brain cells, called the penumbra, will also die. Given the rapid pace of
the ischemic cascade, the "window of opportunity" for interventional
treatment is about six hours. Beyond this window, reestablishment of
blood flow and administration of neuroprotective agents may fail to help
and can potentially cause further damage.
When brain cells die, control of abilities which
that area of the brain once controlled are lost. This includes functions
such as speech, movement, and memory. The specific abilities lost or
affected depend on where in the brain the stroke occurs and on the size
of the stroke (i.e., the extent of brain cell death). For example,
someone who has a small stroke may experience only minor effects such as
weakness of an arm or leg. On the other hand, someone who has a larger
stroke may be left paralyzed on one side or lose his/her ability to
express and process language. Some people recover completely from less
serious strokes, while other individuals lose their lives to very severe
strokes.
More from National Stroke Association -
http://www.stroke.org/HomePage.aspx?P=94dab59ecbbd47f2804a5e44d275e29e
More from the American Stroke Association
http://www.strokeassociation.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=1200037
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