Folic Acid May Help Women Avoid Hypertension
Posted on: Monday, 31 January 2005, 18:00 CST
Eating foods high in folate -- such as oranges, leafy greens and fortified grains -- and taking folic acid supplements might help some women reduce their risk of high blood pressure.
As the Los Angeles Times reports, researchers compiling data from an ongoing survey of nurses' health found a possible link between folate consumption and lower blood pressure.
Young women taking more than 1,000 micrograms of folate daily were less than half as likely to develop hypertension than those who consumed fewer than 200 micrograms a day.
But researchers aren't yet recommending women increase their folate intake. Food makers began adding folic acid to packaged products in the mid-1990s, about halfway through the eight-year period when the nurses' folate data were collected.
Male problems may be linked
Attention, fellas: Trouble in the bedroom may signal a looming heart problem.
A review in the Journal of Sexual Medicine found that erectile dysfunction often precedes and may be the earliest sign of a more significant cardiovascular condition.
The Minority Health Institute Expert Advisory Panel reviewed various clinical research studies and noted that in several of the reports, erectile dysfunction often was present prior to the diagnosis of heart disease, diabetes and other vascular illnesses.
The panel advised physicians and patients to think of erectile dysfunction as a potential warning sign of more generalized vascular problems. It recommended that men being evaluated for erectile problems also be checked for cardiovascular risk.
Tip of the week
Medication mistakes are the most common type of health care error. To help prevent mix-ups with your medicine, follow these tips from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations:
Keep a list of all prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins and supplements you take.
Ask your doctor and pharmacist if it's safe to take the pills on your list together. Tell them if you have allergies.
Make sure you can read the doctor's handwriting on all prescriptions. If you can't, the pharmacist might not be able to either.
Check the label on your prescription. Does it have your name on it? Is it the correct medicine?
Ask whether it's safe to drink alcohol while on your medications. Compiled by staff writer Nichole Aksamit
Source: Omaha World - Herald
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