3 months ago
NEW YORK (NBC) -- Looking for a way to lower your blood pressure? It could be as easy as doing, well, nothing. That story tops our Healthbeat Headlines.
Story #1 - Meditation
Meditation could be the key to keeping the college student in your life healthy and happy. In a study of over 150 students considered to be at risk for developing hypertension, Transcendental Mediation helped lower their blood pressure and stress levels significantly.
The reductions lowered their risk for developing hypertension by more than half. And keeping blood pressure and mental stress low also reduces the risk of later heart attacks and strokes.
Story #2 - Diabetes Numbers
Alarming new projections for diabetes are out this morning. University of Chicago researchers say Americans can expeect diabetes cases to nearly double in the next 25 years, from 23 million, to 44 million in the year 2034.
That translates into a nearly tripling of costs associated with diabetes. And that's without any increase in the prevalence of obesity. Even though obesity levels have been rising, experts predict those levels will reach their peak in the next decade, and then decline slightly to 27% of the population.
Story #3 - Pre-schoolers and TV
Pre-schoolers who spend their days in daycare centers watch signifcantly less TV than many who are in home-based care. Doctors at Seattle Children's Resarch Institute looked at television use in 168 child care programs.
Pre-school aged children in home care settings watched nearly 2 1/2 hours of TV on average each day, compared with less that half and hour among kids in center-based programs. Most pediatricians recommend against any more than 2 hours of TV for this age group.
Story #4 - Cut Out the Salt
Eating high amounts of salt is linked to a much greater risk of strokes and cardiovascular disease, according to a new review of research. Researchers suggest cutting the average daily salt intake in half would reduce stroke incidence by 23% and cardiovascular disease by 17%.
The World Health Organization recommends a limit of 500 milligrams of salt daily, but estimates most adults consume over a thousand milligrams a day. And actually doctors say most of our salt intake isn't from the shaker, it's from processed and fast foods.
Story #5 - Stroke Prevention
Men may need to hit the treadmills in order to prevent a stroke. A new study from Columbia University Medical Center finds men who regularly take part in moderate to heavy intensity exercise, like jogging or tennis, are 63% less likely to have a stroke than men who don't exercise at all.
The protective effect was not found among women. The study included data on more than 3,000 older adults who were followed for nearly a decade.
