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Charleston Health Notes: June 2, 2005

Posted on: Thursday, 2 June 2005, 00:00 CDT

Meditation may lengthen life span

A report in this month's American Journal of Cardiology suggests transcendental meditation helps white and black adults with high blood pressure live longer, Reuters news service reported.

The report is based on two studies involving 202 people with pre- or mild hypertension who were assigned to meditation, or instructed to pursue other relaxation techniques. The average age was 72.

The studies followed the participants for about 19 years. Those who practiced meditation had lower blood pressure than those who didn't. Specifically, meditators were 30 percent less likely to die from heart disease and almost half as unlikely to die from cancer.

Furthermore, transcendental meditation was shown to have no harmful side effects.

New drug helps men prolong intercourse

Men dealing with premature ejaculation may now have their own version of Viagra: dapoxetine.

A clinical trial involving 2,614 men ages 18 to 77 who experience the condition found that the time of intercourse increased three to four times after the men took the drug, AFP news service reported. The men's female partners also reporter greater satisfaction.

The men were given 30 or 60 milligrams of dapoxetine over 12 weeks, but reported they noticed a difference after the first dose, according to AFP.

Between 27 percent and 34 percent of all males experience premature ejaculation, or orgasm within two minutes of intercourse or even before it occurs, AFP reported.

The reported side effects of dapoxetine were headache and nausea. The Food and Drug Administration is currently reviewing the application for the drug, which was created by an affiliate of Johnson & Johnson, according to AFP.

Cinnamon, peppermint an eye-opener in the car

A study at Wheeling Jesuit University suggests the smell of cinnamon or peppermint helps drivers stay calm and alert, Health Day News reported.

Participants were exposed to cinnamon, peppermint or no odor every 30 seconds during a 15-minute driving simulation.

The study found driving increased the participants' overall level of anger and fatigue, but that those levels were significantly less in people exposed to the scents. Cinnamon lowered a person's feelings of fatigue, while both scents increased alertness.

Fatty acids may fight kids' behavior problems

The fatty acids found in fish and seafood, omega-3 fatty acids, may curb behavioral and educational problems in children, Reuters news service reported.

The British study involved 117 children ages 5 to 12 with developmental coordination disorder.

The kids were given supplements of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, or a placebo.

The result was notable improvement in reading, spelling and behavior, and a decrease in inattentiveness and hyperactivity, according to Reuters.

Breast-fed kids show lower blood pressure

A British study suggests children who were exclusively breast fed have lower systolic blood pressure than kids who were partially breast fed or given only formula, AFP news service reported.

The finding stems from research done to identify risk factors of heart disease in children ages 9 to 15. The trial involved about 2,200 children from Estonia and Denmark.

Apparently, the longer a child was exclusively breast fed, the lower the systolic. A low systolic blood pressure score is a sign of a healthy heart.

Compiled by Morgan Kelly

Source: Charleston Gazette, The

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