Govt denies Yar’Adua’s death, pressure mounts

Posted by admin | Posted on 02-08-2011

Category : Region III

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Govt denies Yar’Adua’s death, pressure mounts

AMIDST rumours yesterday of the death of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in Saudi Arabia, the Presidency has urged Nigerians to ignore the story, saying that it is “not only false, but also a figment of the writers’ imagination.”

Special Adviser to the President (Media and Publicity), Olusegun Adeniyi, said the public should discountenance the story, insisting that President Yar’Adua was not only alive, but very much conscious and getting better.

Meanwhile, Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka and some other prominent Nigerians and groups yesterday called for an urgent solution to the quagmire

According to Adeniyi, who sent his response from Angola where he said he was attending the opening ceremony of the African Cup of Nations as a member of the Presidential Task Force on Nigeria’s participation in 2010 World Cup: “The speculations are false. The President is alive and actually getting better. He is very much conscious, can talk and has been talking , including making phone calls to some people back home.”

The presidential spokesman added that he travelled to Angola with the permission of President Yar’Adua. “I am here officially. But I am coming back home, hopefully tomorrow, because he has so directed,” Adeniyi said.

Indeed “last night, former governor of Abia State, Oji Uzor Kalu told The Guardian what he called “the most authentic proof that the rumour is worse than a lie.”

“How could a man I spoke to on December 31, 2009 could have died on December 10?”

According to him, “Mutawallen Katsina spoke to me. I know his voice. Hamza, his Special Assistant who was his ADC when he was Katsina State governor, facilitated the call. ” I was in Lebanon. I called Hamza to ask after the President’s health and he told me he wouldn’t see him until about four hours later.”

After that, said Kalu, “he indeed called me back and handed the phone to President Yar’Adua. His voice was low but we exchanged banters the way he and I would normally do.”

According to the former Abia governor, the President may have been moved to one of the residential houses of the Saudi King from hospital to stave off pressures.

“But to say keeping him in-communicado means he is dead is stretching the imagination too far.”

Inside the Presidential Villa Abuja, the atmosphere was normal all through the day. There were no public engagements by Vice President Goodluck Jonathan who was still in his office at about 6pm.

But he received some visitors. The first was the Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu and, later, chairman of the National Ports Authority (NPA) and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Tony Anenih. Also, the Director General of the State Security Services (SSS), Mr Afakriya Gadzama, was with the Vice President. All officials were also on the ground in the Presidential Villa.

When The Guardian contacted the Minister of Information and Communications, Prof. Dora Akunyili, she said: “I am not aware. What I do know is that Mr. President is responding to treatment, and he recently spoke with the Vice President.”

Minister of Health, Prof. Babatunde Osotimehin, also told The Guardian that he was not aware of anything on the President “Chukwuma! You should take it easy. I have not heard of any such thing,” he said in response to the rumour of the President’s death.

Adjunct Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, United States and Joint Pioneer of Test Tube baby technology in Nigeria, Prof. Oladapo A. Ashiru OFR, in his reaction remarked:

“Medically by the time any patient with Churg-Strauss Syndrome develops renal complications followed by ureamic pericarditis — uniquely associated with kidney/renal failure — the treatment becomes extremely challenging even to the best of medical teams. At this trying time when our international image is being dented, especially with the December 25 bomb attempt, the most important thing we must sell is credibility. It is very clear that if our leaders are found to be non-credible it will tell on us. This is why those in government must quickly do their best to be truthful to the nation.”

There were also reports yesterday that governors of the 36 states of the federation may extend their emergency meeting which started late yesterday night in Abuja.

Expectedly the meeting, chaired by the Kwara state Governor Bukola Saraki may make the issue of the President’s health the kernel of meeting.

The position of the governors on the issue may be made public at the end of the meeting “if the majority of them would favour it” said a source.

Sources told The Guardian that the meeting became imperative in order to prevent further speculations about the state of health of the President.

Soyinka also yesterday spoke on the prolonged absence of Yar’Adua, saying that the nation is at a standstill.

He called for mass action by the citizenry against what he described as a ‘ridiculous regime’ holding the country to ransom to avoid the elongation of the current emergency.

Soyinka explained that the rally holding today in Abuja , the Federal Capital Territory, was organized to protest the apparent violation of the constitution by the administration and its penchant for reeling out lies to the public.

He said similar protests would be held across the country to press for the application of the constitutional provisions as panacea to what he called “this national emergency.”

The literary giant said those lying to the nation about the health of the president have committed treason, adding that they should not go unpunished.

Soyinka who was the’ guest of the month’ at the Agricultural Training School, Epe, Lagos State told the participants Nigerians must be mobilized to legitimately confront the government over its inaction.

Hailing the participants for choosing farming as an occupation, Soyinka who said he was nature friendly observed that the agricultural initiative trailed the farm settlements of the Obafemi Awolowo era in the old Western Region.

He recalled that his sad moment when he was a student at Government College, Ibadan, was when the colonial school authority slated farming as extra-curricular activity.

Soyinka also said one of the errors committed after independence was the neglect of agriculture in the school curricular.

‘ One of the saddest days was when the colonial school authorities cancelled agriculture. Football, athletics remained. It was one of the most disastrous experiences. If you cannot grow what you eat, you must encourage people who can do it… We have oil, but we cannot drink oil. Wrong sense of education made people to abandon agriculture due to oil’, he said.

The eminent scholar said, although the call for violent revolution has filled the air, it is not the best option, warning that history has shown that it usually consumes its architects.

He feared that a violent revolution may herald the emergence of another Stalin, reminiscent of the brutality the Soviet revolution unleashed on the people of Russia and other nations.

But, the retired university don frowned at the docile attitude of people to burning national issues which, he said, contrasted with the perception of foreigners about an average Nigerian.

Soyinka said that complacency often made Nigerians to attribute the problems of the country which affect their daily wellbeing to an act of God.

‘ What I will like to change is what appears to be the national character of docility. People absorb so much. This is what Yoruba call Iwosi in this country. The contempt for the people is amazing.

‘ People endure two hours of electricity per day. I know how much I pay for diesel. It is enough to award scholarship to people for their entire career. Many people outside think Nigerians are aggressive, noisy and loud. They are taking out on other people the way they cannot express at home.

‘ The president is away for 40 days without handing over and all of you are here saying that you are planting cassava’, he said.

Soyinka welcomed all legitimate solutions to the current impasse, except violence, adding that the call for an Interim National Government by his compatriot, Dr. Tunji Braithwaite, was also in order.

He said the participants at today’s rally in Abuja would make some resolutions that would aide the government to halt the tension and anxiety in the country.

‘ For me, the most important thing is to wake the nation up, to make people understand that they don’t have to accept the act of contempt from their rulers and regard it as the norm. The nation must be made one way or the other to understand that the line has been crossed by leaving this nation without a head for so long, in not sticking to the provisions of the constitution.

He said the lying spirit that has seized those at the helm of affairs in the country to make them liable to treason.

‘If the president of a nation is not in a situation where he can manage the affairs of the nation, and you keep lying and covering up to the nation, you are committing treason against the people’, he stressed.

‘ The constitution we have is not the people’s constitution. For me, that constitution must be completely overturned. We must have a genuine people’s constitution. However, that is what we have at the moment and that is why we have operated it for so many years. People should not keep the constitution as something we should follow when it is convenient. That is not healthy. It is what holds the nation together. If you don’t follow the constitution, you are laying the ground for dangerous friction in the country’, he added.

Soyinka also berated the National Assembly for failing to rise to the occasion, lamenting that their reluctance has made the conspiracy of lies to triumph in the country.

He reiterated his call for a Sovereign National Conference to discuss the contentious national issues, recalling that he has discussed the option with President Yar’Adua when he met him.

He also said he had pointed out to the president the embarrassing activities of the electoral commission under Prof Maurice Iwu and the danger of delaying the proposed electoral reforms.

However, 58 senators from the Northern part of the country met in Abuja yesterday evening to review the implications of the prolonged ill health of the President.

The lawmakers met under the platform of the Northern Senators’ Forum.

Although no official statement was issued at the end of the meeting, it was gathered that the lawmakers agreed to support a motion being put together by the entire Senate to debate the health condition of President Yarçdua.

According to sources, a key prayer of that motion is that a delegate of Senators be sent to Saudi Arabia to visit the President to acquire first-hand information on the true state of his health.

Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, had said in Minna, Niger State at the weekend that the Senate would discuss the state of the nation, including the continued absence of the president when it resumes.

But the House of Representatives may shift debate on the president’s health, earlier scheduled for today to tomorrow, Wednesday. The shift, according to sources, is to mourn the death of Hajia Aisha Nafada, the mother of the Deputy Speaker, Alhaji Usman Bayero Nafada.

Speaking with The Guardian on the telephone yesterday, the chairman of the House Committee on Finance, John Enoh, said the time had come for the House to take decisive action on the absence of the President from office for over one month.

www.fastonnews.blogspot.com


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Tennessee Health Insurance and Occasional High Blood Pressure

Posted by admin | Posted on 24-07-2011

Category : Region II

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Tennessee Health Insurance and Occasional High Blood Pressure

Variability in blood pressure appears to predict the risk of stroke more powerfully than high average or usual blood pressure. Three papers published simultaneously in The Lancet, and another study in The Lancet Neurology, all support the idea that variability is the more powerful indicator.

These studies by Professor Peter Rothwell and colleagues at the University of Oxford have major implications for diagnosing, and treating high blood pressure to prevent heart disease and stroke.

Prior to these studies, it was believed that the underlying average blood pressure determined most of the risk of complications from hypertension (raised blood pressure), and all of the benefit from the drugs that are used to lower blood pressure.

Improved Direction in Medical Guidelines Means Better Healthcare

In these studies, Rothwell’s team found that variability of blood pressure (BP) between visits to clinics was a strong predictor of angina, heart failure, myocardial infarction, and stroke, independent of mean BP.

This contradicts assumptions in current medical guidelines that patients with only occasional high readings do not require treatment. Now, it is becoming clear that such patients have a high risk of stroke and other complications. Occasional high BP that may be called episodic hypertension are associated with a high risk of stroke, and can no longer be considered to be benign.

Latest Information about Drugs to Lower Blood Pressure

Rothwell’s team also analyzed previous trials comparing the effects of blood-pressure-lowering medications. They found that different blood-pressure-lowering drugs have different effects on BP variability.

Certain prescription drugs increase this variability, which is dangerous, and others decrease variability, which is helpful. The researchers also found that these effects correlated with differences in the effectiveness of the drugs in preventing stroke.

The research shows that many patients need blood-pressure-stabilizing drugs as well as blood-pressure-lowering drugs. That’s a new concept in medical care, and it’s important to talk with your doctor about reevaluating any medications you’re currently taking that affect your BP.

New Findings Fuel Reevaluation of Prescriptions

In fact, it’s a good plan to regularly discuss all the medications you’re taking with a doctor so you are aware of possible interactions and side effects. Even doctors are joining a national prescription drug awareness campaign that is attempting to get a million people to take a better look at the medications they’re taking.

Take a better look at Tennessee Health Insurance Plans, too, for extra help with prescription medications. Health Insurance in Tennessee can include discount cards to lower your cost for medications. In addition, two of the largest providers of Health Insurance for Tennessee — Aetna and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee ‘- are offering at-home delivery for popular medications. That includes maintenance medications that are used to treat heart disease.

Tennessee Health Insurance members who enroll in mail-order prescription programs may also receive a discount for the first time they fill a prescription. Many programs offer additional coupons, free shipping, and other perks to make filling prescriptions more affordable and convenient. Some programs even offer reminders when it’s time to refill a prescription.

Not only is it important to be fully informed of the benefits and risks of medications and how to get the most savings on prescriptions, but it is also important to be educated about non-drug alternatives.

Lifestyle Still Best Bet to Prevent Heart Attack, Heart Disease, and Stroke

Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, exercising regularly, and keeping your weight under control can lower systolic BP by about 10 to 15 mmHG. Systolic pressure is measured while the heart is beating, and diastolic pressure is when the heart is at rest between beats. BP is measured in millimeters of mercury recorded as mmHg. The systolic pressure is always given first in a reading. For optimal health, those numbers should be lower than 120/80 mmHg.

By Wiley Long – President, eTNHealthinsurance.com – Tennessee’s leading independent online health insurance agency specializing in individual and family Tennessee Health Insurance plans. Get an online Tennessee Health Insurance quote, compare plans, apply online, and Save!


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Choosing Meditation to Lower High Blood Pressure? New Research Reveals Which Meditation is Most Effective

Posted by admin | Posted on 25-03-2011

Category : Region III

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Choosing Meditation to Lower High Blood Pressure? New Research Reveals Which Meditation is Most Effective

A new scientific research study conducted at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine provides further evidence that people with high blood pressure can find relief through meditation—but the study also found that not all forms of meditation are equally effective. The study compared findings from research on several well-known types of meditation and relaxation practices, and found that the only mind/body practice that produces significant changes in blood pressure is the Transcendental Meditation technique. 

 

According to a definitive new meta-analysis of 107 previous studies on stress reduction programs and high blood pressure, published in the American Journal of Hypertension (Vol. 21, 3: 310-316), the Transcendental Meditation technique was found to produce a statistically significant reduction in high blood pressure—an effect not found with other forms of relaxation, meditation, biofeedback or stress management. 

 

Significant Reductions in Blood Pressure

 

The new meta-analysis reviewed randomized, controlled trials published in peer-reviewed scientific journals over the past decades concerning stress reduction and relaxation methods used by participants with high blood pressure. Blood pressure changes through the Transcendental Meditation technique included average reductions of 5.0 points of systolic and 2.8 points of diastolic blood pressure, changes which were statistically significant, according to the review. These changes associated with Transcendental Meditation practice were consistent with other controlled studies showing reductions in cardiovascular risk factors, improved markers of heart disease, and reduced mortality rates among participants in the Transcendental Meditation program. 

 

Transcendental Meditation “equivalent to adding a second hypertensive agent”

 

“The magnitude of the changes in blood pressure with the Transcendental Meditation technique are at least as great as the changes found with major changes in diet or exercise that doctors often recommend,” said Dr. James Anderson, principal author of the study. “Yet the Transcendental Meditation technique does not require changes in lifestyle. Thus many patients with mild hypertension or prehypertension may be able to avoid the need to take blood pressure medications—all of which have adverse side effects. Individuals with more severe forms of hypertension may be able to reduce the number or dosages of their BP medications under the guidance of their doctor.”  

 

Dr. Anderson stated further: “Adding Transcendental Meditation is about equivalent to adding a second hypertensive agent to one’s current regiment, only safer and less troublesome.” 

 

Reduced Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke

 

Anderson added that long-term changes in blood pressure of this magnitude are associated with at least a 15 percent reduction in rates of heart attack and stroke. “This is important to everyone because cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in the U.S. and worldwide,” Anderson said. The study’s biostatistician, Maxwell Rainforth, assistant professor of Physiology and Health Statistics at Maharishi University of Management, said the meta-analysis used state-of-the-art statistical methods to review 107 published studies in the field of stress reduction, relaxation and blood pressure. “The twenty-three separate studies included in the final analysis met well-known criteria for high scientific quality. That is, these studies used repeated blood pressure measurements and participants were randomized to either a stress reduction technique or placebo-type control for at least eight weeks. The data we used are all published in peer-reviewed scientific journals,” Rainforth said. 

 

Side Benefits of TM vs. side effects of drugs

 

According to Dr. Robert Schneider, director of the Institute of Natural Medicine and Prevention and co-author, this rigorously conducted meta-analysis indicates that the Transcendental Meditation technique is distinctively effective compared to other scientifically studied techniques in lowering high blood pressure. “For those 100 million Americans with elevated blood pressure, here is a scientifically documented, yet simple and easy way to lower blood pressure without drugs and harmful side effects. In addition, related studies show an integrated set of positive ‘side benefits,’ such as reduced stress, reduced heart disease levels and longer lifespan with this technique to restore balance in the cardiovascular system, mind and body,” Schneider said. 

 

Overturns a previous study on meditation

 

The new meta-analysis was co-authored by researchers at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, in Louisville, and at the NIH-funded Institute of Natural Medicine and Prevention at Maharishi University of Management in Iowa. 

 

According to Dr. Anderson, the findings of this new study rebut a July 2007 report sponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the NIH-National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, which concluded that most research on meditation is low quality and found little evidence that any specific stress reduction effectively lowers blood pressure.  

 

The new meta-analysis identified all high quality meditation studies published through 2006 and rigorously analyzed their results, which the previous government report failed to do. Anderson said the new meta-analysis includes only high quality studies on all available stress reduction interventions. The studies on the Transcendental Meditation technique were conducted at five independent universities and medical institutions, and the majority of them were funded by competitive grants from the National Institutes of Health. 

 

 

 

Gary P. Kaplan, M.D., Ph.D., is a neurologist and associate professor of clinical neurology at New York University School of Medicine. He is also a recipient of the Albert H. Douglas Award from the Medical Society of the State of New York for outstanding achievements as a clinical teacher interested in promoting and improving the medical education of physicians. http://www.doctorsontm.com/high-blood-pressure


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Lower Your Blood Pressure through Massage Therapy in Tampa

Posted by admin | Posted on 24-01-2011

Category : Region II

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Lower Your Blood Pressure through Massage Therapy in Tampa

Hypertension or high blood pressure can be deadly. It can, however, be treated and prevented with massage therapy in Tampa.

According to the American Heart Association, one out of every three adults in the United States has high blood pressure. That adds up to some 73 million adults. Hypertension also afflicts some two million US teens and children. All of these people have higher risks for heart disease, heart attacks, strokes, heart failure, arterial aneurysm, arterial hardening, chronic renal failure and eye damage. Chronic high blood pressure often results in organ damage in the end. Invariably, high blood pressure shortens life expectancy.

High blood pressure refers to the pressure exerted on the arteries as they carry blood pumped out by the heart to the tissues and organs throughout the body. The blood pressure is measured by the systolic pressure over the diastolic pressure. The systolic pressure is the higher pressure measured as the heart contracts and pumps out blood to the arteries. The diastolic pressure is the lowest pressure measured when the heart relaxes right after the contraction. To be within normal range, blood pressure should measure below 120/80. Blood pressure is considered pre-hypertension at 139/89 and high at 140/90.

It is important to detect high blood pressure early so that measures can be taken to normalize it. This prevents further complications. Medication is usually prescribed, accompanied by other treatments.

Emotional tension and stress are proven triggers of high blood pressure. Stress reduction therapies are, therefore, recommended for hypertensive patients. These include meditation, mind-body relaxation techniques, biofeedback techniques and progressive muscle relaxation techniques.

Massage has been proven to be most effective in decrease stress, anxiety and depression and in lowering blood pressure, though. This was shown in a study done by the Touch Research Institute, the University of Miami School of Medicine, and the Nova Southeastern University in Florida in May 1999.

The study observed thirty hypertensive adults whose blood pressures have been controlled in the last six months. They were divided randomly into two groups. One group was the massage therapy group while the other was the progressive relaxation group.

The massage therapy group was given thirty minute massage sessions twice a week for five weeks. Sessions were done in the afternoon or early evening.

The progressive relaxation group was taught to do self-administered progressive muscle relaxation exercises which they were made to do for thirty minutes twice a week for five weeks as well. Their sessions were also done in the afternoon or early evening.

Both groups were assessed before and after treatment. Current emotions were measured with the state anxiety inventory (STAI) Levels of the stress hormone cortisol were measured with saliva samples. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures were measured. Depressive symptoms were rated with the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) questionnaire. Symptoms of depression, anxiety and hostility were further inventoried with the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) self-report symptom inventory. Urinary cortisol and catecholamines were also measured. These biologically active amines affect the nervous and cardiovascular systems.

When results were compared, both groups showed lower anxiety levels in the STAI and lower depression levels in the CES-D after five weeks of treatment. The massage therapy group, however, was the only one that showed decreases in sitting blood pressure levels, decreases in both salivary and urinary stress hormone levels, and lowered scores for depression, anxiety and hostility.

Various massage therapy styles can lower your blood pressure, including Swedish massage, deep tissue massage, sports massage and – depending on your condition – pregnancy massage in Downtown Tampa, South Tampa, Hyde Park, Macdill AFB and 33629. You can go and cool down any time at your convenience.

Massage Envy – South Tampa
Contact Name: Rachel Dunning
3830 W. Neptune St. C-2
Tampa, FL 33629
Work: (813) 251-3300
Email: rachel.dunning@massageenvy.com
Website: http://www.massageenvy.com/clinics/FL/South-Tampa.aspx


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A Pressure Suit

Posted by admin | Posted on 17-09-2010

Category : Region V

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A Pressure Suit

A pressure suit is a protective suit worn by high-altitude pilots who may fly at altitudes where the air pressure is too low for an unprotected person to survive, even breathing pure oxygen at positive pressure. Such suits may be either full-pressure (i.e. spacesuit) or partial-pressure (as used by air crew). Partial-pressure suits work by providing mechanical counter-pressure to assist breathing at altitude.

quinceanera”>http://www.himfr.com/buy-quinceanera_tiaras/”>quinceanera tiarasAt altitudes greater than 20,000 feet, additional oxygen is required to support life, while at 34,000 feet, 100% oxygen is necessary in order to equal the partial pressure of oxygen in the sea level atmosphere. Above 40,000 feet, oxygen must be under positive pressure to maintain an equivalent altitude of 10,000 feet. At altitudes above 50,000 feet a pressurized suit is required, while at 55,000 feet, the ambient atmospheric pressure is so low that the body’s water vapor expands until it boils off. Above the “Armstrong Limit” (approx. 63,000 feet), water – and hence blood[citation needed] – boils at the normal temperature of the human body, 37 °C (99 °F) and the same protective equipment is required as for vacuum conditions.

History

Russia
In Russia, the first full pressure suit was designed by engineer Evgeniy Chertanovskiy in Leningrad in 1931. The CH-1 was a simple pressure-tight suit with a helmet which did not have joints, thus requiring substantial force to move the arms and legs when pressurised. This was remedied in later suits. Work on full pressure suits was carried out during 1936-41 by the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute (TsAGI), with similar work being carried out by the Gromov Flight Research Institute (LII) after World War II. The LII produced four experimental full pressure suits for aircrews, and in 1959 began work on full pressure suits for spaceflight.[1] Chertanovskiy coined the name skafanders for full pressure suits from the Greek words skaf – boat,ship and andros – man; skafander has since become the term used by Russians to refer to standard diving dresses or space suits.

Haldane-Davis
In 1931, American Mark Ridge became obsessed with breaking the world altitude record in an open gondola balloon. Recognizing that the flight would require specialised protective clothing, he visited the UK in 1933 where he met with Scottish physiologist John Scott Haldane, who had published a concept for a fabric full pressure suit in the 1920s. The two sought the assistance of Robert Henry Davis of Siebe Gorman, the inventor of the Davis Escape Set, and with Haldane’s and Davis’ resources a prototype suit was constructed. Ridge tested it in a low-pressure chamber to a simulated altitude of 50,000 feet. However, he received no support for further work and never made his attempt on the world record. On 28 September 1936 Squadron Leader F.R.D. Swain of the Royal Air Force set the official world altitude record at 49,967 feet in a Bristol Type 138 wearing a similar suit.[2]

Wiley Post
In 1934, aviator Wiley Post, working with Russell S. Colley of the B.F. Goodrich Company, produced the world’s first practical pressure suit. The suit’s body had three layers: long underwear, a rubber air pressure bladder, and an outer suit of rubberised parachute fabric which was attached to a frame with arm and leg joints that allowed Post to operate aircraft controls and to walk to and from the aircraft. Attached to the frame were pigskin gloves, rubber boots, and an aluminium and plastic helmet with a removable faceplate that could accommodate earphones and a throat microphone. In the first flight using the suit on September 5, 1934, Post reached an altitude of 40,000 feet above Chicago, and in later flights reached 50,000 feet.

World War II
In the US, a large amount of effort was put into the development of pressure suits during World War II. While B.F. Goodrich led the field, other companies involved in such research included the Arrowhead Rubber Co., Goodyear, and US Rubber. The University of Minnesota worked with Bell Aircraft and the US National Bureau of Standards. The Bureau of Standards and the University of California acted as clearing houses to distribute information to all the companies involved. No effective fully mobile pressure suits were produced in World War II but the effort provided a valuable basis for later development.
David Clark Company
Following the war, the Cold War caused continued funding of aviation development, which included high altitude, high speed research such as NACA’s X-1. James Henry of the University of Southern California devised a partial pressure suit using a gas mask to provide pressurised oxygen, with gas pressure also inflating rubber tubes called capstans to tighten the suit and provide sufficient mechanical counterpressure to just balance the breathing pressure necessary to prevent hypoxia at a particular altitude. The David Clark Company supplied technical support and resources, and a prototype suit was tested to a simulated 90,000 feet at Wright Field in 1946. Henry’s design was subsequently developed by the David Clark Company into the S-1 and T-1 flight suit used by X-1 pilots. The X-1 was succeeded by the Douglas Skyrocket, whose objective was to exceed Mach 2, and an improved pressure suit was required. David Clark won the contract in 1951 with their first full pressure suit, the Model 4 Full Pressure Suit; it was first flown in 1953 by USMC aviator Marion E. Carl who became the first US military aviator to wear a full pressure suit, at the same time setting an unofficial worlds altitude record in the Skyrocket.

Goodrich Mk III & IV
US requirements for high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft such as the U-2, and fighters to intercept high-altitude Soviet aircraft caused the US Navy to be tasked with the development of a full pressure suit in the 1950s. Working with B.F. Goodrich and Arrowhead Rubber, the USN produced a series of designs which culminated in the Goodrich Mk III and IV. While intended for aircraft use, the Mk IV was later used by NASA with minor modifications for Project Mercury as the Navy Mark V. At the same time, David Clark won the contract to produce suits for the X-15 project; its XMC-2 suits qualified as the first US spacesuits.[3]

RAF
The RAF Institute of Aviation Medicine and the Royal Aircraft Establishment developed a partial-pressure helmet which was used with a capstan type suit purchased from the US. It was worn by Walter Gibb and his navigator to set a world altitude record on 29 August 1955 in an English Electric Canberra. However, evaluation of the suit showed that it encumbered the wearer and did not integrate well with RAF escape systems. Instead, the RAF IAM proposed a minimal-coverage suit which would provide “get-me-down” protection. The RAF never issued a partial-pressure suit, preferring instead to use anti-g trousers in conjunction with pressure jerkins (which applied mechanical counter-pressure to the wearer’s chest).

ACES
The Advanced Crew Escape Suit (ACES), which was first used by USAF pilots in the mid-1970s, replaced the similar David Clark Model 1030 full pressure suits worn by SR-71 pilots, and was identical to the XMC-2 suits worn by X-15 pilots and Gemini astronauts. Modified versions of the suit were adopted by NASA for early Space Shuttle use, the modifications consisting of attachments for a parachute harness, and inflatable bladders in the legs to prevent the crew from passing out during reentry.

High Blood Pressure And Dark Chocolate

Posted by admin | Posted on 29-08-2010

Category : Region V

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High Blood Pressure And Dark Chocolate

Is there anything left out there that doctors have decided is not dangerous to eat. Well, yes – dark chocolate as long as you don’t eat too much. Dark chocolate has a surprising number of health benefits. For one, you may be able to lower your blood pressure by eating a few pieces of 70% chocolate.

Dark chocolate is also known as “bittersweet” or “semisweet” chocolate contains a high percentage (up to 75%) of cocoa solids, and little (or no) added sugar. Milk chocolate contains powdered or condensed milk; it is a sweet, mild-flavored type of chocolate. It contains approximately 20 percent cocoa solids. White chocolate is not classified as chocolate because it does not come from cocoa beans. However, it is made from cocoa butter to which milk, sugar, and vanilla extract have been added, and it is similar to chocolate in texture.

A few years ago researchers at Harvard discovered that the flavonoids that are present in cocoa help improve blood flow to the brain. One of the causes of mental decline as you age is decreased blood flow to the brain. As you can see dark chocolate has the highest percentage of cocoa therefore contains the largest concentration of flavonoids. Foods that contain high amounts of flavonoids include blueberries, cranberries, blackberries, red and yellow fruits (especially red grapes) and vegetables and red wine. Black and green teas are also high in flavonoids.

In a study at the University of California, San Francisco though both groups were given dark chocolate for two weeks, only one group received chocolate containing flavonoids. The other group’s chocolate bars contained no flavonoids. Dark chocolate contains a rather vigorous type of flavonoid called epicatechin. Epicatechin keeps cholesterol from accumulating in the blood vessels hence reducing the risk of stroke and heart disease. There is also evidence to support that they reduce the probability of cancer and diabetes.

At the end of the two weeks each group was tested to see how well the blood vessels dilate and relaxed which is considered an indicator of healthy blood vessel function. The test subjects that consumed the dark chocolate containing flavonoids performed better on the blood vessels test. Blood tests indicated that high levels of epicatechin were in their arteries. Apparently the University of California study was the longest clinical trial to date using dark chocolate.

Another study done in Germany indicated that consuming dark chocolate can help lower blood pressure. One group was given white chocolate and one group dark chocolate. The test subjects who ate dark chocolate had a significant drop in blood pressure (by an average of 5 points for systolic and an average of 2 points for diastolic blood pressure). Those who ate white chocolate did not.

The only sad part of this story is that more is not better. You can’t eat all the dark chocolate you want. The people in the study ate about 3 ounces a day. Also try to buy dark chocolate bars that contain at least 70 percent cocoa content.

Antioxidants are a natural resource for keeping your body healthy. Want to find out which foods rich in antioxidant visit us at Curepure.com and make your grocery list for stronger immune system.

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Therapeutic Back Massage May Lower the Blood Pressure of Hypertensive Persons in Charlotte NC

Posted by admin | Posted on 18-06-2010

Category : Region II

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Therapeutic Back Massage May Lower the Blood Pressure of Hypertensive Persons in Charlotte NC

Research has shown that therapeutic back massage may lower the blood pressure of hypertensive persons. Even other types of massage have been proven by studies to have beneficial effects in lowering blood pressure. People with hypertension could try therapeutic body massage services, including back massage therapy, foot massage therapy, reflexology massage therapy, Swedish massage therapy, deep tissue massage therapy and sports massage therapy from professional massage therapists in Charlotte NC.

A study done by Christine M. Olney, MSN, RN for the University of South Florida in Tampa, titled “The Effect of Therapeutic Back Massage in Hypertensive Persons: A Preliminary Study”  was published in Biological Research For Nursing, Vol. 7, No. 2. According to the study, hypertension is one of the most prevalent diseases in the United States and it is also very dangerous since it can cause damage to vital organs. No single primary cause has been identified for hypertension but one of the main factors is long term or chronic stress response that goes unchecked. Since massage therapists have long maintained that massage therapy can decrease blood pressure and mitigate hypertension by producing the relaxation response in patients, the study tested the effects of applying regular back massage on patients who have clinically diagnosed hypertension.

The study covered 14 patients. Eight patients were in the massage group. They were given 10 sessions of 10 minute back massage done three times a week. Six patients were in the control group. They were given 10 sessions of 10 minute relaxation also done three times a week. By the end of the study, the systolic and diastolic blood pressure of patients in the massage group showed a significant decrease.

Another study of the Touch Research Institute in the University of Miami’s School of Medicine and the Nova Southeastern University in Florida, done in May 1999, showed similar findings. It involved a group of thirty adults with hypertension whose blood pressure levels were under control in the previous six months. The participants were divided randomly into two groups – a massage therapy group and a progressive relaxation group.

Patients in the massage therapy group were given massages for thirty minutes in the afternoon or early evening two times a week for five consecutive weeks. Patients in the progressive relaxation group were taught progressive muscle relaxation exercises thy could do by themselves and were instructed to perform these for thirty minutes in the afternoon or early evening two times a week for five consecutive weeks.

Assessments and evaluations on the patients were done before and after the treatment period. The State Anxiety Inventory (STAI) was used to measure their emotions. The Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) questionnaire was used to rate any symptoms of depression. The Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) Self-report Symptom Inventory was used to check other symptoms of anxiety, depression and hostility. Saliva samples were taken to measure levels of cortisol, a stress hormone. Urine samples were taken to measure levels of cortisol and catecholamines which are biologically active amines that impact the cardiovascular and nervous systems. The patients’ blood pressures were also monitored.     

By the end of the five week study, both the massage group patients and progressive relaxation patients showed lower levels of anxiety and depression. Only the patients in the massage group, however, showed lowered levels of sitting blood pressure, lowered levels of stress hormones in both urinary and salivary tests, and lowered scores in tests for anxiety, depression and hostility.

You can surprise your family and friends with hypertension with massage gift cards so that they could relax and enjoy various therapeutic body massage services, including back massage therapy, foot massage therapy, reflexology massage therapy, Swedish massage therapy, deep tissue massage therapy and sports massage therapy from professional massage therapists in Charlotte NC while lowering their blood pressure in the process.

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