Common drugs for high blood pressure can actually raise blood pressure in many patients: Simple test recommended

Nearly 8% of all patients newly prescribed a hypertension drug in this major study, and 17% in one subset, actually experienced a blood pressure increase, depending on type of drug(s) prescribed. 

Commonly prescribed drugs used to lower blood pressure can actually have the opposite effect - raising blood pressure in a statistically significant percentage of patients.

A new study suggests that doctors could avoid this problem - and select drugs most suitable for their patients - by measuring blood levels of the enzyme renin through a blood test that is becoming more widely available. (Renin is an enzyme the kidneys produce that sets off a series of chemical changes resulting in increased blood pressure.)

ATP released by active brain cells changes signals from 'awake' to 'sleep'

“ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the fundamental energy currency of cells, is released by active brain cells to start the molecular events leading to sleep."

Washington State University researchers have discovered the mechanism by which the brain switches from a wakeful to a sleeping state. The finding clears the way for a suite of discoveries, from sleeping aids to treatments for stroke and other brain injuries.

Vitamin D May Calm Factors Driving Asthma

Supplement your asthma action plan with Vitamin D and you may experience improved asthma control, according to a new review by Creighton University allergists in Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. [“The role of vitamin D in Asthma,” Sep 2010] 

“There is a possible cause-and-effect relationship between vitamin D deficiency and uncontrolled asthma,” says lead author Manbir Sandhu, MD. “Evidence suggests that vitamin D has a number of biologic factors that are important in regulating key mechanisms in asthma.”

The authors conducted a review of almost 60 years of literature on vitamin D and asthma. According to the article, vitamin D deficiency is associated with:

• Increased airway hyper-responsiveness,

• Lower lung functions,

• And inferior asthma control. 

Priming Your Immune System for Cold & Flu Season

An estimated 65 million Americans suffer from a dysfunctional immune system.  When our immune system is not functioning properly, our body may become an open target for a wide variety of health problems – ranging from relatively minor illnesses like a cold or allergies to a potentially deadly disease like cancer.

How the Immune System Works

The immune system is an intricate network of cells, tissues, and organs that work together to defend the body against attacks by “foreign” invaders. Since the human body provides an ideal environment for many different microbes, it is the immune system’s job to keep them out or, if they do get in, to seek out and destroy them.

Sea Mussel

DESCRIPTION

Support joint structure and connective tissue health with this naturally occurring component extracted from green-lipped sea mussel.

This particular sea mussel contains unique fatty acids, including one that can help support repair of damaged joint tissues. This new formula provides mucopolysaccharides (including chondroitin sulfate A), a natural remedy to help with inflammation and joint discomfort.

Product & Usage Information:

Daily Use: As a dietary supplement, take 1 capsule 1 to 4 times daily with meals or on an empty stomach.

Storage: Store in a cool, dry place.

Inactive Ingredients: Gelatin (capsule), Cellulose, Magnesium Stearate (vegetable source) and Silica. Contains shellfish derivative (sea mussel).

Initial Source: NOW® Sea Mussel is a specially prepared and freeze dried product from New Zealand. It is cultivated on marine farms, using pollution-free sea water with regular monitoring of both water and shellfish quality.

Contraindications: Persons with a known allergy to shellfish should not use this product.

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