|
Health News
High cholesterol may raise blood pressure
.....People with high cholesterol also have a greater risk of high blood pressure, researchers reported in one of the first studies to demonstrate that one may cause the other. A study of 3,000 men monitored for 14 years showed that those who developed the unhealthiest cholesterol levels raised their risk of hypertension by 39 percent. The risk factors for high blood pressure and high cholesterol are similar -- a diet rich in fat, low in whole grains, fruits and vegetables and a lack of exercise.
....The study suspects that the damage cholesterol causes to the walls of arteries makes them less elastic, leading to high blood pressure. These findings could lead to new means of preventing hypertension.
....The study reported that men with the worst levels of bad cholesterol had a 54 percent higher risk of high blood pressure compared to the men with the healthiest levels.
....Men with the highest levels of total cholesterol were 23 percent more likely to develop hypertension than men with the lowest levels. But men with the highest HDL or "good" cholesterol levels had a 32 percent lower risk of high blood pressure than those with the lowest HDL levels.
..... According to Health Canada, hypertension is a disease affecting 20 to 25% of Canadians. |
... |
|
Going To The Hospital?
Going to the hospital and back home again…make your care seamless. Here’s what you can do to help
..... Whether you are going to the hospital or coming home after a hospital stay, working with your Peoples Pharmacist can help you enjoy seamless care, helping you avoid medication problems and making it easier to get back on your feet sooner.
.....As you prepare to go to the hospital, the Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA) offers these suggestions for issues to discuss with your community pharmacist:
 • Make sure you know all the medications you are taking, and why you are taking them.
• Ask your pharmacist for a list of all your prescription medications.
• Make sure it shows the exact dose of each medication that you take, as well as how often you take it. Add to the list any nonprescription drugs, herbal and natural health products and vitamins you are taking. If you take medication regularly, it's always a good idea to have such a list on hand anyway, in case of emergency.
• Bring the list to the hospital with you and present it to the admissions staff so they can place it in your chart. Make sure your caregivers know the list is available.
• Ask about the medications you are already taking. You should know if they will be continued while you are in the hospital.
Once you are ready to be discharged, your hospital pharmacist can help you make the transition from hospital to home. CPhA offers these tips on how you can help:
• Make sure you understand how to take your medicine properly before you go home.
• Be certain about whether you are to continue taking medications you were taking before your admission to hospital.
• Tell the hospital pharmacist, doctor and nurse the name of your regular community pharmacy.
• Ask for a list of medications you are taking and give it to your family doctor and community pharmacist.
.....Plan to make contact with your Peoples Pharmacist as soon as possible after your discharge from hospital.
|
|
WHERE PEOPLE COME
FIRST