Carotid bruit

A greater risk of heart attack and cardiovascular death is found among the people with carotid bruit. This has been published in The Lancet, in an article related to cardiovascular health. When the blood has to pass over an obstacle in the carotid artery, it makes a sound and this sound is called carotid bruit. Carotid artery supplies blood to the head and neck. Generally, this sound (bruit) is easily detected with a stethoscope and it indicates arterial blockage.

In past, these carotid bruits were related to bleeding events in the brain but yet it has not been confirmed that these bruits indicate bleeding events in the brain.

Times higher risk of death

By assessing the existing research associated to carotid bruits, Dr. Christopher Pickett and team made an analysis and they investigated 22 studies with 17,295 patients who were examined about fours years on average. The researchers noted that the existence of a carotid bruit in patients doubled the risk of heart attack and it was almost half in those that were without a bruit. Further, the patients with carotid bruits had 2.5 times higher risk of death due to some cardiovascular disease. In four other studies, that included this meta-analysis, patients with and without bruits were compared and the results were found quite similar.

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In its simplest meaning, the force exerted by the circulating blood on the walls of blood vessels is “Blood Pressure (BP)”. The term ‘blood pressure’ generally refers to the arterial pressure, the pressure in the larger arteries. The highest pressure in the arteries is known as the “Systolic Pressure” and the lowest pressure in the arteries is known as the “Diastolic Pressure”.

Age is directly related with many problems and blood pressure is one of these. Age normally brings many changes in lifestyle, body functions, and other aspects. As we get older the blood pressure also increases like the cholesterol. At the same time people are getting fatter. Blood pressure is also an important risk factor for heart attacks like cholesterol. Now the evidences shows that like cholesterol the level of blood pressure considered being normal should be brought down from the normal level.

“Blood Pressure” levels are expressed in a relative, ratio based expression which demonstrates the “Systolic Pressure/ Diastolic Pressure” relationship. The 120/80 readings of blood pressure was considered as normal and it was the ideal blood pressure. The readings 135/88 were thought to be as fine. But it is always good to keep the blood pressure lower to the normal 120/80 and the reading 135/88 is too high blood pressure. (more…)

Carbonated soft drinks are the single largest source of calories in the diet in America as soft drinks add large amounts of sugar to it. That is the reason they are most likely to contribute to obesity and the related health problems among the Children. controlling its consumption can avoid the risk of children being obese, and suffering the problems of high blood pressure and heart attack and stroke in later life, suggests in a study in the print and online issue of Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association.

It has already been determined that the amount of salt intake in diet determines the consumption of fluid intake in an adult, researchers at ‘St. George’s University of London’, England investigated whether the same happens in a child too.

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