Anesthesia may triggers asymptomatic brain changes

Patients who were given general anesthesia before surgery performed slightly worse on memory tests, this was due to cognitive changes in the brain related to immediate memory, or the ability to remember information over a brief period. 'The cognitive changes after surgery are small-probably asymptomatic and beneath a person's awareness,' said senior author Dr Kirk Hogan, a professor of anesthesiology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

For the study, Dr Hogan and his colleagues measured memory and executive function in 964 participants, with the average age of 54, who had no signs of Alzheimer's disease, dementia, or cognitive impairment before surgery. Of the participants, 312 of them had at least one surgical procedure performed and 652 of them did not. Researchers found there was a decline in immediate memory over the course of four years in participants who had surgery.

Memory became abnormal in 18 percent of those who had at least one surgical procedure compared with 10 percent of those who had not. Regarding the working memory test, surgery and anesthesia were associated with a decline in immediate memory by one point out of a possible maximum test score of 30 points. They found no differences in other measures of memory and executive function between those who had surgery and their counterparts.

 Patients having surgery and anesthesia are likely to experience impaired performance on neuropsychological tests of memory and executive function, an association that might be causal. Researchers found the activity of memory loss receptors remains high long after the drugs have been eliminated from the patient's body. Other risk factors like the sort of disease or illness a person have could impact brain function. Diseases like hypertension and diabetes may also be responsible for cognitive decline in patients who have had surgery.
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Vitamin D could prevent cardiovascular damage

A new study conducted by Ohio University scientists suggests that a little more sunlight might restore damage to cardiovascular system. The study shows that vitamin D3 which is made by the body naturally when skin is exposed to the sun can significantly restore the damage to the cardiovascular system caused by several diseases like hypertension, diabetes and atherosclerosis.

Vitamin D3 is associated with the bones. However, in recent years, in clinical settings people recognize that many patients who have a heart attack will have a deficiency of D3. It doesn't mean that the deficiency caused the heart attack, but it increased the risk of heart attack. Nanosensors shows that vitamin D3 can be beneficial, especially for the function and restoration of the cardiovascular system.

A major discovery from these studies is that vitamin D3 is a powerful stimulator of nitric oxide (NO), which is a major signaling molecule in the regulation of blood flow and the prevention of the formation of clots in the cardiovasculature. Additionally, vitamin D3 significantly reduced the level of oxidative stress in the cardiovascular system. Treatment with vitamin D3 can significantly restore the damage to the cardiovascular system caused by several diseases, including hypertension, atherosclerosis, and diabetes, while also reducing the risk of heart attack.

These studies, performed at Ohio University, are the first to identify the molecular mechanism of vitamin D3-triggered restoration of the function of damaged endothelium in the cardiovasculature. While these studies were performed using a cellular model of hypertension, the implication of vitamin D3 on dysfunctional endothelium is broader. The dysfunction of endothelium is a common denominator of several cardiovascular diseases, particularly those associated with ischemic events.

Vitamin D3 may be of clinical importance in the restoration of dysfunctional cardiac endothelium after heart attack, capillary endothelium after brain ischemia (stroke), hypovolemia, vasculopathy, diabetes and atherosclerosis. This suggestion is strongly supported by several clinical studies which indicate that vitamin D3 at doses higher than those currently used for the treatment of bone diseases, may be highly beneficial for the treatment of the dysfunctional cardiovascular system.
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MIND diet for cognitive decline

A diet created by researchers at Rush University Medical Center may help substantially slow cognitive decline in stroke survivors, according to preliminary research to the general population. The diet, known as the MIND diet, is short for Mediterranean-DASH Diet Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay. The diet is a hybrid of the Mediterranean and DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diets. Both have been found to reduce the risk of cardiovascular conditions such as hypertension, heart attack and stroke.

The foods that promote brain health, including vegetables, berries, fish and olive oil, are included in the MIND diet, the diet has slow cognitive decline in stroke survivors. MIND diet based on information from years of research about what foods and nutrients have good, and bad, effects on the functioning of the brain. The diet has been associated with reduced Alzheimer's risk in seniors who adhered to its recommendations. Even people who moderately adhered had reduced risk of Alzeimeir's disease D and cognitive decline.

The MIND diet has 15 dietary components, including 10 "brain-healthy food groups" and five unhealthy groups-red meat, butter, cheese, pastries and sweets, and fried or fast food. To benefit from the MIND diet, a person would need to eat at least three servings of whole grains, a green leafy vegetable and one other vegetable every day along with a glass of wine, snack most days on nuts, have beans every other day or so, eat poultry and berries at least twice a week and fish at least once a week. The diet also specifies limiting intake of the designated unhealthy foods, limiting butter to less than half teaspoons a day and eating less than 5 servings a week of sweets and pastries, and less than one serving per week of whole fat cheese, and fried or fast food.

From 2004 to 2017, Cherian and colleagues studied 106 participants of the Rush Memory and Aging Project who had a history of stroke for cognitive decline, including decline in one's ability to think, reason and remember. They assessed people in the study every year until their deaths or the study's conclusion, for an average of 5.9 years, and monitored patients' eating habits using food journals.
The researchers grouped participants into those who were highly adherent to the MIND diet, moderately adherent and least adherent. They also looked at additional factors that are known to affect cognitive performance, including age, gender, education level, participation in cognitively stimulating activities, physical activity, smoking and genetics.

The study participants whose diets scored highest on the MIND diet score had substantially slower rate of cognitive decline than those who scored lowest. The estimated effect of the diet remained strong even after taking into account participants' level of education and participation in cognitive and physical activities. In contrast to the results of slower decline with higher MIND diet score, stroke survivors who scored high on the Mediterranean and DASH diets, did not have significant slowing in their cognitive abilities.

The Mediterranean and DASH diets have been shown to be protective against coronary artery disease and stroke, but it seems the nutrients emphasized in the MIND diet may be better suited to overall brain health and preserving cognition. According to Cherian, studies have found that folate, vitamin E, omega-3 fatty acids, carotenoids and flavonoids are associated with slower rates of cognitive decline, while substances such as saturated and hydrogenated fats have been associated with dementia.
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New pathway for hyperaldosteronism

People with high blood pressure have secondary hypertension, meaning that the root cause of the disease is known. In such cases, when the root cause is treated, blood pressure usually returns to normal or is significantly lowered. Hyperaldosteronism, a condition in which the adrenal glands produce too much aldosterone, is the most common cause of secondary hypertension.
Research, based on a genetic model identifies an unexpected layer in the regulation of adrenal gland development and in hyperaldosteronism.

The body's adrenal glands produce a number of essential hormones, including aldosterone, which balances sodium and potassium in the blood. In hyperaldosteronism, the adrenal glands produce too much aldosterone, leading to low levels of potassium and increased sodium. Excess sodium leads to water retention, increasing the blood volume and blood pressure. The structure of the adrenal glands in mice lacking the Siah1 ubiquitin ligase gene was markedly different and they had increased levels of aldosterone.

Elevated levels of PIAS1, a Siah1 controlled protein is a key regulator of cholesterol biosynthesis,
Siah1 is a ubiquitin ligase that plays an important role in a number of cellular pathways, implicated in neurodegeneration and cancer. Patients that suffer from hyperaldosteronism exhibit mutations or epigenetic deregulation of the key pathway components, pointing to the relevance of our findings to humans and the justification for further exploration of this pathway for therapeutic purposes.
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Lung cancer causes hypertension

Shortness of breath and respiratory distress often increase the suffering of advanced-stage lung cancer patients. These symptoms can be triggered by pulmonary hypertension, the pulmonary hypertension is due to immune and inflammatory processes triggered by cancer cells. Lung cancer has long since taken on the character of an epidemic: the disease is already responsible for more than a quarter of all cancer deaths, and the trend is rising.

One reason for this is that the prognosis is poor: only one-fifth of patients are still alive five years after diagnosis. This is partly due to the fact that lung cancer is often not recognized until it is in an advanced stage. Another problem is that a variety of different lung cancers exist, each of which requires its own therapeutic concept. Doctors have observed that many patients with progressive lung cancer develop shortness of breath and respiratory distress.

The same symptoms also occur in diseases such as pulmonary arterial hypertension. Scientists measured the diameter of the pulmonary artery of many lung cancer patients using computer tomography. They found thickening of the walls of the pulmonary artery in more than half of the patients. This is a clear indication that these patients also suffer from pulmonary hypertension.

To identify the causes, the lung researchers analyzed three different forms of lung cancer in mice. These were tumour types that grow at different rates and can be experimentally induced in the lungs of mice. All three mouse models showed signs of pulmonary hypertension as tumour growth progressed.

Further experiments showed that the immune cells release various chemical messengers, as is generally observed in inflammatory reactions. Conversely, pulmonary hypertension did not occur when the mice in the experiment lacked functioning immune cells. This is an indication that inflammatory processes triggered by lung cancer may be responsible for pulmonary hypertension.
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How the skin controlled blood pressure

Skin plays a surprising role in regulating blood pressure and heart rate, Skin is the largest organ, covering two square metres in humans - helps regulate blood pressure and heart rate in response to changes in the amount of oxygen available in the environment.

High blood pressure is associated with cardiovascular disease, such as heart attack and stroke. For the vast majority of cases of high blood pressure, there is no known cause. It is often associated with reduced flow of blood through small blood vessels in the skin and other parts of the body, a symptom which can get progressively worse if the hypertension is not treated.

Previous research has shown that when a tissue is starved of oxygen - as can happen in areas of high altitude, or in response to pollution, smoking or obesity, for example - blood flow to that tissue will increase. In such situations, this increase in blood flow is controlled in part by the 'HIF' family of proteins.

To investigate what role the skin plays in the flow of blood through small vessels, a team of researchers exposed mice to low-oxygen conditions. These mice had been genetically modified so that they are unable to produce certain HIF proteins in the skin.

The study was set up to understand the feedback loop between the skin and the cardiovascular system. By working with mice. Researchers were able to manipulate key genes involved in this loop. They discovered that in mice lacking one of two proteins in the skin HIF-1α or HIF-2α, the response to low levels of oxygen changed compared to normal mice and that this affected their heart rate, blood pressure, skin temperature and general levels of activity.

Mice lacking specific proteins controlled by the HIFs also responded in a similar way.
In addition, the response of normal, healthy mice to oxygen starvation was more complex than expected. In the first ten minutes, blood pressure and heart rate rise, and this is followed by a period of 36 hours where blood pressure and heart rate decrease below normal levels. 48 hours after exposure to low levels of oxygen and blood pressure the heart rate levels had returned to normal.

Loss of the HIF proteins or other proteins involved in the response to oxygen starvation in the skin, was discovered to change when this process starts and how long it takes. Skin's response to low levels of oxygen may have substantial effects on how the heart pumps blood around the body.
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Daily magnesium supplements reduces blood pressure

Blood pressure is the pressure of the blood in arteries that is required to keep blood flowing all over the body. High blood pressure occurs if the walls of the larger arteries lose the natural elasticity and become rigid, and the smaller blood vessels become narrower.

Taking a 300mg magnesium supplements reduce blood pressure, this can lowers hypertension and boosts blood flow. Magnesium cream could be used as an alternative to medication for high blood pressure. The cream boosts levels of magnesium in the blood.

Magnesium is a mineral that’s found naturally in many foods like leafy vegetables, almond, spinach, cashew, peanut, wheat cereal, soy milk, black beans and banana.

Magnesium in the body is responsible for production of protein, healthy bone formation, maintaining healthy heart and controlling blood sugar
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Signs of severe hypertension

Hypertension does not have any symptom but severe high blood pressure can increase the risk of stroke, kidney failure, aortic aneurysm, vascular dementia and heart attacks.

An ideal blood pressure is 120/80, Low blood pressure is considered to be 90/60 or lower. High blood pressure is when your readings are consistently equal to or more than 140/90mmHg.

Severe hypertension is when your systolic blood pressure is consistently at or above 180mmHg and/or the diastolic is consistently at or above 110mmHg.

Seek medical help if you experience any of these signs of severe high blood pressure- fatigue, chest pain, severe headache, irregular heartbeat, blood in the urine and difficulty in breathing.

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Vegetable oils and their health benefits

Extra virgin olive oil
It protects memory, prevents dementia, reduces inflammation in the body and could help with conditions such as psoriasis, arthritis and eczema.

Coconut oil
Caprylic and lauric fatty acids in coconut oil reduce inflammation. It is used for treating viral and bacterial infections and skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis.

Flaxseed oil
For treating acne, eczema, psoriasis, sunburn and rosacea.
The hormone-balancing lignans and plant estrogens in flaxseed stabilise a woman's estrogen-progesterone ratio, they can have beneficial effects on the menstrual cycle, and relieve the hot flashes of perimenopause and menopause.

Sunflower oil
It is rich in oleic-acid. It contains Vitamin E, which prevents dangerous free radicals from oxidizing the body’s cholesterol. It protects against hazardous effects of UV radiation, offers photoprotection and effectively works on wrinkles, blemishes & patchy skin.

Walnut oil
Walnut oil contains high levels of monounsaturated oils such as omega 9 which help to keep arteries supple. The flexibility of the arteries promotes the flow of blood free of any hardening leading to hypertension and heart disease. It reduces inflammation and prevent diseases like arthritis. Walnuts are rich in phytonutrients and are an excellent source of selenium, phosphorous, magnesium, zinc, iron, and calcium that stabilize body hormones.

Peanut oil
Peanut oil massage is helpful for relieving arthritic pain in joints. It helps in arthritis because it is anti-inflammatory and analgesic.
Peanut oil boosts blood circulation, massage with peanut oil improves the level of prostaglandins in blood. Peanut oil is also a good cooking oil.

Avocado oil
Avocado oil consists of oleic acid, a monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid. This type of fat has been proven to help lower high blood pressure and lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. It reduces arthritis symptoms, boosts nutrients absorption and fights breast and prostate cancer.
Vitamin E and the carotenoid lutein in avocado oil reduces risk of cataracts and macular degeneration.

Rapeseed oil
Is a good source of vitamin E, high in monounsaturated fats, it has plant sterols, which are very good at lowering cholesterol.

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Natural cure for high blood pressure

Having high blood pressure increases your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. It can also lead to other problems, like kidney failure, heart failure and blurred vision.

The British Heart Foundation said: “Blood pressure is the pressure of blood running through your arteries. You need a certain amount of pressure in your arteries to keep the blood flowing.”

Experts have revealed a supplement - which is the extract of French Maritime pine bark has been used to normalise blood pressure.

Pycnogenol was investigated in a double-blind, placebo controlled study for patients with borderline hypertension.

The participants were not yet receiving
hypotensive medication. Researchers
have revealed use of Pycnogenol over a period of eight weeks lowered blood systolic blood pressure as compared to placebo.

Experts also found diastolic pressure was found to be lowered as well. Diastolic pressure is the lowest pressure, which occurs between heartbeats when your heart is relaxing.

The innermost layer of our blood vessels are lined with collagen and elastin which help our veins to expand and contract in response to blood flow and keep blood pressure within a normal range.

Pycnogenol, French maritime pine bark extract has been shown in multiple studies to supports the production of collagen and elastin in the body which results in stronger blood vessels.

Pycnogenol improves blood pressure and kidney function in patients with diabetes and metabolic syndrome. The
active ingredients in Pycnogenol can also be extracted from peanut skin, grape seed, and witch hazel bark.

Relationship between height and blood pressure

High blood pressure is when blood flows through blood vessels at higher pressure than normal, it is also known as hypertension.

Experts at Finland said people that are short in stature are at the risk of high blood pressure.

Researchers took blood pressure measurement of 534 participants including men and women  that are not taking blood pressure drugs.

They discovered that blood pressure showed strong connection with height because, height determined pulse pressure irrespective of age, body fat and physical activity of the participants.

Magnesium cream can cure high blood pressure

When blood flows through the blood vessels at higher pressure than normal is known as high blood pressure or hypertension.

Researchers from the University of Hertfordshire has discovered magnesium creams that can be used with drugs to cure high blood pressure.

Low magnesium in the body can create many health challenges including hypertension, using magnesium cream can increase magnesium levels in the body.

Magnesium cream is easy to use, so many people do not like taking magnesium pills or have difficulty ingesting the pills. The cream can be used easily everyday.

Potassium as good as sodium for healthy blood pressure

Potassium is a mineral that is needed for human body to function properly, it helps muscles to contract and promotes regular heartbeat.

Diet rich in potassium regulates harmful effects of too much salt in the body, excess consumption of sodium can cause hypertension, eating foods rich in potassium can reduce the blood pressure to normal. Foods rich in potassium are: Carrot, Banana, Sweet potato, Dark leafy greens,  Fish, and Avocado.

According to Dr Alicia McDonough of University of California, eating foods high in potassium is equivalent to taking a substance that increases production of urine and reduce sodium in the body.

High intake of potassium leads to excretion of more salt and water and decreases potassium excretion, this will put the blood pressure under control.

Researchers established the link between diet and blood pressure after accessing rodents and discovered that the body does a balancing act to control potassium in the body by using sodium.