There is a lot of buzz these days concerning the health benefits of dark chocolate. Dark chocolate contains flavonoids which are antioxidants. These nutrients have been shown through research to lower blood pressure when it is elevated above normal levels. The more commonly encountered lighter chocolate, or milk chocolate, does not contain flavonoids in any significant amount. One reason for this is that fact that flavonoids are produced by plants whereas the milk in milk chocolate dilutes any antioxidants.

Elevated blood pressure is one of the components of the metabolic syndrome. The metabolic syndrome is a collection of conditions which include high blood pressure, increased abdominal girth, lipid abnormalities, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. In the metabolic syndrome high blood pressure and diabetes are linked by association. If a person has two of the aforementioned components of the metabolic syndrome, they are considered to have the metabolic syndrome.

When it comes to dark chocolate, the flavonoids are good for our health. Flavonoids are antioxidants that act as buffers against toxic by-products of cellular metabolism. We never outgrow our need for antioxidants. Many people are antioxidant deficient and take supplements in addition to watching their diet.

A recent study showed that the concentration of flavonoid antioxidants in dark chocolate is very high, with antioxidant levels higher than dried fruit when compared by portion.

The researchers did report that the flavonoids found in Hershey’s Kisses were highly concentrated also. This raised the question. How many calories in a Hershey’s Kiss? One Kiss weighs 1/60th of an ounce. In addition, a single kiss contains 2 and 1/3 calories. The researchers reported that a single Hershey’s Kiss per day would be sufficient to deliver the quantity of flavonoids needed.

This is very good news. We have an antioxidant whose health benefits are backed by clinical research. Not only that, but the dark chocolate in a Hershey’s Kiss is packed with flavonoids to the extent that a single Kiss per day is sufficient. With this small amount of dark chocolate comes very little sugar. Hershey’s Kisses are flavonoid pills or so it seems. By the way, should you want to indulge in more than one Hershey’s Kiss, 9 Kisses are considered to be a portion or serving.

Do you find yourself on occasion drawn to sweets at the end of a meal? Do you occasionally want something sweet as a bedtime snack? How about one or several Hershey’s Kisses to fit the bill. In doing so, you will allow yourself the treat of the moment while ingesting a powerful, proven antioxidant. The amount of sugar will be small. Give the Hershey Kiss some consideration.

By: Robert Urban M.D.

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Heart attacks and strokes do most of their damage during the first hours of the morning after we awaken. That is when they find and incapacitate most of their victims. But knowledge is power, and more than ever, doctors now know there is one silent link to many morning life-threatening emergencies - morning hypertension.

What is morning hypertension? It is a “morning surge” of your blood pressure levels that generally occurs within the first two hours after you awaken. If your blood pressure readings tend to rise above normal levels first thing in the morning and level off over the course of the day, you may have this ticking time bomb inside you.

How Do I Know If I Have Morning Hypertension?
Do not assume that you will just know. Remember, hypertension is called the silent killer for a reason. You may have no symptoms that your pressure typically rises when you do in the morning.
So how will you know? Make it a habit to measure your blood pressure levels within the first two hours after you get up. Record your results and average them for at least a week.

Morning rates that exceed 135/85 mmHg during the first two hours after you rise need further attention. The key is to know the difference between your morning and evening pressure rates. That means you must monitor your pressure levels at night as well.

Doctors look at the difference between your blood pressure readings during the last two hours before retiring and your morning levels during the first two hours after rising to assess whether you have morning hypertension. A morning surge will typically see a rise of 20 mmHg or more from the evening readings. One study found that systolic blood pressure that was just 10 mmHg higher in morning readings than in evening readings was a strong independent predictor of strokes.

What Is Causing My Morning High Blood Pressure?
Researchers are not quite sure. Several things could be responsible: problems sleeping, hypertension that has not been well-regulated, or an adrenal gland tumor are some of the more common suspects.

Who Is Most at Risk for Morning Surges?
If you already have hypertension that is not under control, you are more at risk for the dangerous elevated morning high blood pressure (hbp). The longer you are on antihypertensive medications, the more your risk increases. Other factors that increase your risk:

You are older. You are diabetic. You drink heavily. You smoke.

As with other forms of hbp, making lifestyle changes (improve your diet, stop smoking, reduce alcohol consumption, exercise) can ease the threat of morning surges.

What Should I Do Next?
If you detect a pattern of morning surges in your pressure rates, get your doctor involved right away. Remember, morning hypertension means a heightened risk for morning heart attacks and strokes, so your doctor will want to focus on decreasing that threat. This may mean supplementing the blood pressure management treatment you have already begun.

It is critical that you monitor your morning and evening pressure rates at home everyday, because this will give you the knowledge you need to identify and stop a silent killer in its tracks.

By: Sher Harrison

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High blood pressure and stroke are related to each other. High blood pressure is known to be the most significant factor in a stroke attack. It actually increases the risk factor.

Blood pressure can be defined as a measurement of the force that’s exerted on the walls of artery via the pumping blood. In case, you suffer from high blood pressure, the blood is pumped harder as compared to what it should. This results in to unnecessary strain on the vessels of the circulatory system.

Hypertension is also known as the silent killer. It is so because most people do not realize that they have developed this condition. A person suffering from high blood pressure actually does not suffer from any symptoms. Hence, the only way to diagnose is regular medical check ups.

High blood pressure can be categorized in to three stages namely; mild, moderate or severe. This problem may also result in some serious life threatening disease such as heart attack, kidney disease and heart failure. If hypertension is left untreated, it can result in permanent eye damage.

Blood pressure can be measured in two different ways. The first method is known as systolic where the pressure inside the artery as pulse of blood arrives from the heart. The upper limit is normal and counted as 140. The second method is Diastolic where the resting pressure inside the artery between pulses is checked. The upper limit of normal is 90.

The normal blood pressure is around 120/80. The stage of hypertension or high blood pressure occurs when the blood pressure is (consistent) about 140/90. Studies have proved that a person with hypertension that is left untreated is four times more at risk to have a stroke as compared to one who has a healthy blood pressure.

There are several bad effects at high blood pressure.

The most dangerous is having a risk of stroke. There are numerous ways in which high blood pressure can increase the risk of stroke in many ways.

a) High blood pressure enhances the effects of atherosclerosis. This is a condition where the arteries are narrowed due to the fatty plaques build up.

b) Blockage of blood flow to the brain, know as embolic stroke that’s caused by dislodge cholesterol plaque from the walls of the artery.

c) Weak artery walls usually lead to breakage of vessel as well as bleeding into the brain. The attack is known as hemorrhagic stroke.

d) Constant stress load leading to consistent stress load.

e) People with rare malformation of the blood vessels inside the brain usually suffer from a hemorrhagic stroke.

As your blood pressure gets too high, your chances of having a stroke increase. The stroke is characterized by loss of brain function as a result of lack of blood supply to the brain.

High blood pressure can cause a lot of damage to blood vessels. The damage can be in the following forms:

o Thickening of vessels

o Formation of clot

o Breakage of vessels

You should constantly keep a check on your blood pressure in order to reduce the risk of stroke attack.

By: Bertil Hjert

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Sometimes people may think they’re simply overstressed when in fact their condition has progressed to something more serious – a form of anxiety or depression. Stress can build and develop into outbreaks of depression and anxiety. Or, depression can also be more directly triggered by a stressful or traumatic event. Often the best treatment at this point is stress medicine. In other words: prescription medication.

Of the four major categories of medications for psychiatric symptoms, only one will be covered in some detail here. This is one of two categories that correlate more closely to stress (the other category includes the anti-anxiety medications). And within this article they’ll simply be called “stress medicine” although this certainly isn’t a medical term.

Antidepressants:

As the name implies, these medications (meds) treat the symptoms of depression. This includes low mood, low energy, appetite problems, sleep problems, and poor concentration. They can also be effective for anxiety disorders such as panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, and phobias. It may be 2, 3, 5, or even 8 weeks before the patient notices a change. And never stop taking a med without first talking to your doctor.

The newer generation of these medications for depression is called “serotonin selective reuptake inhibitors” (SSRIs). They tend to cause fewer side effects. SSRIs include Prozac, Zoloft, Serzone, Lexapro, and Luvox.

The brain chemistry of depression and anxiety is not fully understood. However, evidence supports the view that people with these disorders have an imbalance of the brain‘s neurotransmitters. These are chemicals in the brain that allow nerve cells to communicate. One of the most commonly accepted theories suggests that two naturally occurring chemicals, serotonin and norepinephrine, are believed to affect core mood and pain symptoms of depression. An imbalance in these chemicals may be an important factor in the development of depression and anxiety.

These chemical messengers (neurotransmitters) aid communication between many areas of the brain and spinal cord that affect emotional aspects of a person’s nature. They are also important in “controlling the volume” of messages about pain between the body and the brain.

The SSRIs work in this way: Serotonin is released from one nerve cell and passed to the next. In the process, some of the serotonin released is reabsorbed by the first nerve cell. SSRIs block the re-absorption of serotonin into the first nerve cell. It is this blocking action that causes an increased amount of serotonin to become available at the next nerve cell and this is how SSRIs affect the balance of serotonin in the brain.

No two meds are exactly alike. And exactly what conditions a drug can be prescribed for vary as do the side effects for each drug or medication. Not everyone has side effects but the common ones include: Nausea, vomiting, excitement, agitation, headache, sexual problems, dry mouth, dizziness, sedation, weight gain, constipation, heart palpitations, cardiac abnormalities, insomnia, memory problems, over-stimulation, and hypertensive crisis.

Another sub-category of antidepressant stress medicine is called selective SNRIs (selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor). They work on the same basic principle as the SSRIs but target other chemicals. This impacts which conditions they can be prescribed for. Cymbalta is a common med and some of the side effects are nausea, dry mouth, diarrhea, constipation, dizziness, fatigue, decreased appetite, increased sweating, and difficulty sleeping.

Wellbutrin on the other hand, helps balance the levels neurotransmitters called dopamine and norepinephrine. It’s another antidepressant. Some of the side effects are agitation, dry mouth, skin rash, loss of appetite, sweating, ringing in the ears, shakiness, stomach pain, insomnia, muscle pain, nausea, fast heartbeat, sore throat, urinating more often, constipation, headaches, and weight loss.

Talk to your doctor about any other medications you’re on BEFORE getting a prescription for one of these antidepressants sometimes called “stress medicine.” They interact with some other medications in very dangerous ways.

By: Melinda Grossman

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For almost a hundred years, pilots have been using meter to analysis oxygen levels in airplanes. When plane increase and rise in altitude, a decrease in oxygen levels can be seen. If low levels of oxygen are not neutralized, it would have vast consequences. This is why; pilots in the air force and navy are pictured wearing breathing masks. Commercial pilots are trained to used oxygen for additional support in breathing. These pilots learn the rule and regulations for using this oxygen for additional support, especially in the case of emergency. There is no supply of oxygen masks on commercial flights, due to the makeup and design of the commercial aircrafts. It is for this very reason a pulse oximeter is an excellent device for airline pilots.

A fingertip pulse oximeter is a tool use in medical practice that monitors the infiltration level of blood and the pulse rate of a person. It also uses a laser to calculate the variations in wavelengths. Sometime known as pulse ox, the pulse oximeter is not only used by pilots but athletes use them as well to calculate their pulse rate and oxygen level. Thanks to new technological advances, oximeters have become much smaller and while still being able to give accurate calculations. This makes oximeter now portable and pilots can easily store it in the cabin compartments or the their could hang it around their neck using a string. Pilots love the fact that oximeters are handy and give important facts and reliable calculations on the go. Now, many commercial airlines have begun to store oximeters in their medical kits. Medical kits are important because they included all the tools a pilot would need in an emergency.

By: Calvin M Jordan Sr

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