Risk factors for hypertension: men vs women

The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute and MayoClinic list the following as the most common risk factors for hypertension:

• Older age
• Race or ethnicity
• Overweight or obesity
• Gender
• Stress
• Lack of physical activity
• Use of tobacco
• Family history of hypertension
• High alcohol consumption
• High sodium in the diet
• Low vitamin D levels
• Low potassium in the diet

This latest study by Chinese researchers reports that risk factors can contribute differentially to the developing hypertension depending on individual’s gender. The researchers studied 834 men and 835 women aged 15 to 84 years old in an ethnically isolated group and assessed their risk factors by collecting data on lifestyle, diet, and demographics as well as performing blood tests, genotyping, and blood pressure measurements.

The differences they observed were as follows:

Prevalence of hypertension	lower in women
Awareness	lower in women
Treatment	lower in women
Mean blood pressure	lower in women (116/72 vs 119/75)

Lifestyle risk factors

As expected, age is a common risk factor both gender that cannot be altered. However, several lifestyle risk factors seem to be strongly linked to males.

Lifestyle risk factors which are specific for males are:

• Physical activity
• Alcohol consumption
• Body weight and body mass index (BMI)
• Waist circumference

A lifestyle risk factor which is specific for females is calcium intake in the diet.

Other lifestyle risk factors common to both males and females are:

• education level
• plasma lipid profile (e.g. cholesterols and triglycerides)
• dietary intakes of energy, fat, sodium, and potassium

Genetic risk factors

Gene markers also varied between males and females. Genetic polymorphisms affecting the following genes encoding:

• calpastatin
• lipoprotein lipase
• thyrotropin-releasing hormone receptor
• Willebrand factor

are specific for women.

Conversely, polymorphisms in the genes encoding the following:

• angiotensin-converting enzyme
• aldehyde dehydrogenase
• hepatic lipase

 are specific for men.

Since this study was conducted on an ethnically isolated group of people and it is not clear how the results can be extrapolated to the general population. The researchers themselves are a bit cautious with the interpretation of the data and conclude that

“Sex differences in the prevalence of hypertension in the Hei Yi Zhuang population may be mainly attributed to the differences in dietary habits, lifestyle choices, sodium and potassium intakes, physical activity level, and some genetic polymorphisms.”

Whatever future studies will show, they wouldn’t change the fact that an unhealthy lifestyle is a strong factor in getting hypertension - whether you are male or female!

Photo credit: gender symbols by kikoashi at stock.xchng

               

CVD Weekend Newswatch September 5

Once again, I am bringing you a round up of heart-related news for this weekend. Happy reading.

CVD lifestyle watch

Poor teen sleep habits may raise blood pressure, lead to CVD

TV, Internet, technology - you name it, most young people nowadays have it. A recent article in the American Heart Association journal Circulation reports:

Poor sleep quality and shorter sleep periods in teens may increase the odds of elevated blood pressure.

Researchers found poor sleep quality in teens may be more likely than shorter sleep periods to lead to pre-hypertension.

Researchers say technology in bedrooms (i.e., music, phones, computers) may be part of the problem

CVD gender watch

Sex hormones link to heart risk

While female hormones seem to provide protection for cardiovascular health, male hormones seem to increase the risk for cardiovascular disorder (CVD). Men are more likely to die of heart disease than their female counterparts of the same age. And the male sex hormones estradiol, estrone, testosterone and androstenedione seem to be the culprit.

CVD nutrition watch

Grape antioxidant dietary fiber improves lipid profile and hypertension

Spanish researchers report that the natural plant product grape antioxidant dietary fiber (GADF) contains high conetrations of fiber and flavanoids. GADF nutritional supplements were shown to reduce in lipid levels (triglycerides, total cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol) and systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

CVD blood pressure watch

Babies’ rapid weight gain linked to higher blood pressure as adults

How does baby’s weight gain influence its risk for hypertension? This report in Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association says that

Babies that are lighter at birth have higher systolic blood pressure as adults.

Babies that gain weight more rapidly in the first five months after birth and from about ages 2 to 5 years have higher systolic blood pressure in young adulthood.

Immediate weight gain after birth is associated with higher adult diastolic blood pressure

CVD chemical watch

Bisphenol A linked to metabolic syndrome in human tissue

The notorious bisphenol A (BPA), the carcinogen hiding in hard plastics is also linked to metabolic syndrome. Researchers from the University of Cincinnati report that BPA suppresses adinopectin, a hormone responsible for many key processes in the body, including insulin sensitivity regulation. Metabolic syndrome is a combination of risk factors such such low insulin response, hypertension, and high blood sugar and lipid levels.

               

Birth weight and cardiovascular health - where is the connection?

How much did you weigh at birth? Your baby/babies? Does it matter?

A new study by British researchers published in the European Heart Journal shows that there is a link between low birth weight and predisposition to hypertension later in life.

Increasing evidence suggests that adverse prenatal environments, as indicated by low birth weight, cause long-term changes in cardiovascular physiology that predispose to circulatory disease.

The study followed up 140 healthy children aged 7 to 9 years old who were born at full-term, had a wide-range of birth weights though still considered normal. Blood pressure and heart rate (by ECG) were regularly monitored. In addition, the children were also subjected to psychological stress tests (e.g. speaking in public, mental arithmetic task) and the response in the form of cardiac impedance was measured.

The results show that there birth weight is linked to certain cardiovascular response to stress. However, the relationship is different depending on gender. Boys with low birth weights are more like to have higher vascular resistance and higher blood pressure during the stress test. In girls, this link is not evident. However girls with low birth weight tended to have higher activity of the sympathetic nervous system in response to stress. This is the part of the nervous system usually located in the spinal cord and is responsible for regulation of many processes in the body, including stress response. Both responses translate to a predisposition to cardiovascular problems later in life.

The study concludes

Smaller size at birth is associated with sex-specific alterations in cardiac physiology; boys had higher systemic vascular resistance and girls had increased cardiac sympathetic activation.

The results of this study are based on children with birth weights considered to be low, nevertheless still within a range considered normal.

Can you imagine what possible health problems premature babies with below normal birth weights can have? A baby is considered premature when born before the 37th week of gestation. Premature babies - preemies for short - tend to be smaller and weigh less than full-term babies. Several studies have shown that preemies are more likely to have health problems ranging from respiratory problems to autism

This doesn’t mean that preemies are doomed to be ill for the rest of their lives. My twins were born 5 weeks early but I didn’t resign myself to the fact that they will be just as healthy as their peers just because they were small babies. I strongly believe in the power of prevention through a healthy lifestyle. Exercise, proper nutrition, and the right attitude can make a lot of difference and I can to attest this when I look at how my boys can outrun and outcycle other kids of their age.

Still, now that the health consequences of low birth weight are known, pregnant and wanna-be pregnant women should pay closer attention to factors that can affect a fetus’ growth in the womb - and these include maternal nutrition, smoking, and alcohol consumption.

Photo credit

               

Heavy drinking: bad for both male and female hearts

Heavy drinking is bad for the heart and for the arteries. Furthermore, heavy alcohol consumption affects men and women differently - although in the long run, the effects are never beneficial. This is according to a report presented at American Society of Hypertension 2008 Annual Meeting in New Orleans, LA in May.

Men: Heavy drinking among men leads to elevated blood pressure. Chronic high blood pressure then leads to stiffening of the arteries.

Women: Among women, heavy drinking does not necessarily cause high blood pressure but they are more at risk of developing enlarged hearts with structural abnormalities.

“Women … are at greater risk of developing increased left ventricular mass and septal thickness, whereas men experience more arterial and ventricular stiffness.“

The study investigated 200 men and women in Dublin, Ireland who were patients in a hypertension clinic. The drinking habits of the patients were classified as follows:

• nondrinkers
• moderate drinkers (males: 1 to 21 units of alcohol per week; females: 1 to 14 units per week)
• heavy drinkers (males: >21 units per week; females: >14 units per week)

The patients were then followed up by blood pressure measurements, conventional ECG and tissue Doppler imaging. Pulse-wave velocity and augmentation index were used to measure arterial stiffness.

“Investigators observed in men a dose-response relationship between alcohol intake and aortic systolic and diastolic blood pressure, the augmentation index, pulse-wave velocity, and indices of diastolic function. Even among those who drank moderately, there were significant increases in aortic blood pressures and the augmentation index. These findings, however, differed from the females in the study. In women, there was a dose-response relationship between alcohol and left ventricular septal and posterior wall thickness and left ventricular mass index. Even among heavy female drinkers, there was no relationship between drinking and arterial stiffness and high blood pressures.“

The results, especially those for women, were especially surprising. For one thing, heavy drinker females do not necessarily develop hypertension. It is a common belief that it is chronic hypertension that leads to the deleterious cardiovascular effects. Women, however, are more likely to develop liver disease than men. This difference is due to the fact that women are smaller and have relatively lesser liver enzymes to metabolize alcohol.

The study, however, shows that women are not only at risk for liver disease, but for heart disease as well. In fact, for women, the bad effects are not evident in the arteries but directly in the heart itself.

The heart enlargement among heavy drinking women can eventually lead to heart failure. With this condition, the heart muscles become weaker and weaker and will eventually lose the capacity to contract.

A rise in the rate of alcohol consumption among females has been the trend in Ireland. The researchers speculate that this might be due to the country’s booming economy as well as the belief that alcohol is actually beneficial to your health.

Indeed, several recent studies have reported that light to moderate alcohol consumption may actually be good for the heart. However, it seems that we need to draw a line between moderate drinking and drinking that is harmful to our health.

Photo credit

               

6 Risk Factors for Multiple Sclerosis

By Robert Groth

There are several recognized risk factors in Multiple Sclerosis, although there is not a definite known cause. These risk factors do not guarantee that you will be diagnosed with the disease, but they do increase your chances.

Heredity is the first of the known risk factors for Multiple Sclerosis. If no one has Multiple Sclerosis in your family, then your chances of having MS are only 1 in 750. Having a parent or sibling with MS increases the odds to 1 in 100. If you have an identical twin with MS, your chances are 1 in 4, although both twins do not always have MS. For this reason, many researchers believe that Multiple Sclerosis is not just a genetic disease, although heredity does affect the chances you will have it.

Environmental factors are the second risk factor for Multiple Sclerosis. Research shows that bacteria and viruses, especially at certain ages, can increase your chances of having MS. Alone these infections should not cause MS, but when combined with other risk factors for Multiple Sclerosis, especially heredity, they can greatly increase the odds of having it. The infections that could be related to MS are measles, herpes, chickenpox, rubella, mononucleosis, chlamydia, and some types of flu. These may have the most risk when they are contracted as a teenager.

Geography is the third risk factor in Multiple Sclerosis. For some unknown reason, MS is more common in temperate climates such as Europe, southern Canada, northern United States, and southeastern Australia. This geographical factor seems to be most important during puberty.

Gender is the fourth risk factor for Multiple Sclerosis. Women are 2 to 3 times more likely than men to have MS. This is believed to be due to hormonal differences. Men who smoke are twice as likely as men who do not smoke to be diagnosed with MS.

Age is the fifth risk factor for Multiple Sclerosis. Usually MS is diagnosed to people between 20 and 50. It is possible to be diagnosed during childhood or after the age of 50, but this age range seems to be the most critical.

The sixth risk factor in Multiple Sclerosis is giving cow’s milk to babies. This is a newly discovered risk, and the reasons are not yet known. It may be proven in the future to be in no way linked to MS. Pediatrician’s advise against cow milk for infants under one year of age, anyway, so it would be best to be careful. Breast milk is believed to be the best food for infants because it helps the brain develop faster and more fully. This may be the link between cow’s milk and MS, since the brain would not be as developed.

Heredity is probably the only risk factor for Multiple Sclerosis that may cause the disease on its own, but combining several of these factors together may greatly increase your odds. Since many of these things are beyond your control, if you meet several of these risk factors for Multiple Sclerosis, you may want to consult a doctor. At the least watch for any symptoms related to the disease. Anything you can due to reduce your chances or your loved one’s chances of meeting these risk factors for Multiple Sclerosis would be worth the effort.

© CG Groth 2007

Robert Groth, author and speaker was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1990. Receive more information and a free inspirational daily email on how you can beat multiple sclerosis at www.beatmultiplesclerosis.com

Article Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_Groth