Submitted By: Scrub1 on 2008-04-28
About the video: From London - Nutrition and bacterial flora in the intestines may influence blood pressure more than our genes. A study published in Nature analyzed the urine metabolites or breakdown products of over 4,600 subjects, and found that various nutritional factors influenced the risk of developing high blood pressure, including a high salt diet, formic acid, and the presence of alanine, an amino acid found in animal meat.

From Philadelphia - The American Heart Association is recommending that those diagnosed with ADHD be screened for heart conditions, because stimulants used to treat the condition may raise the risk of high blood pressure and arrhythmias. The study, published in Circulation, is recommending that an EKG be obtained prior to the initiation of treatment. If normal, screening should continue on a regular basis.

And finally, from Minnesota - While men are known to have a higher risk of heart disease, new research shows that the raised risk may start in adolescence. In a study that followed over 500 adolescents for a number of years, males and females were similar in terms of blood pressure, blood fats and cholesterol at the start of the study. By the age of 19, however, boys had higher blood pressure, lower HDL levels and higher insulin resistance, all of which raise the risk of heart disease.

For Insidermedicine in 60, I'm Dr. Susan Sharma.