Untitled

From Bottom line health

High Blood pressure.

There are both seasonal and daily fluctuations in high blood pressure. It’s normal for systolic pressure (the top number) to drop several points during the warm months, then to rise again in the winter. Cold weather is thought to trigger the release of substance known as catecholamines, which may raise blood pressure.

Most people experience a sharp rise (about 10 to 25 points systolic) In blood pressure when they first get up in the morning---this contributes to the morning peak in heart attacks.

Research shows that heart attacks are 40% to 50% more likely to occur during the first six hours after a person awakens than later in the day or during sleep.

With standard treatment for high blood pressure, a patient might experience consistent reductions in pressure, including during times when the reduction Isn’t needed.

You can ask your Doctor about taking a drug that works in sync with the daily rhythms, an example would be the calcium channel blocker verapamil (such as Verelan PM) and (Cardizem LA) as well as the beta-blocker

Propranolol ( InnoPran XL ) are all designed to be taken at bedtime.

With each of these slow-release, long-acting drugs, none of the active ingredent is released during the first four hours. Most of the drugs effects occur between 6 am and noon, when blood pressure tends to be most elevated.

William J. M. Hrushesky, MD (Chronobiology and Oncology Research Laboratory.

VA Medical Center

Adults use nine different cosmetics each day, which exposes them to about 126 chemicals, according to a study by the Environmental Working Group. This massive onslaught of synthetics can easily lead to "chemical overload" -- which can cause allergies or disease -- even among the average person. But for those with chemical sensitivities, the reaction can be much worse.

"Personal care products like shampoo, conditioner, after shave, lotion and makeup are not regulated by the FDA or any other government agency," according to The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. "It is perfectly legal and very common for companies to use ingredients that are known or suspected to be carcinogens, mutagens or reproductive toxins in the their products. Consumers buy these products at drug stores, grocery stores, online or in salons, usually without questioning the product's safety."

What Kinds of Chemicals are in Your Cleansers?

Most people know that a harsh soap or cleanser can dry out their skin, but that is a minor inconvenience when you learn of what else they can do. According to the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database, the following toxic ingredients may exist in your soap or body cleanser:

Triethanolamine: A fragrance ingredient and emulsifying agent that has been linked to cancer, immune system toxicity, allergies, organ system toxicity, and potential endocrine disruption.

Salicylic Acid: An anti-acne agent that may harm your brain or nervous system, have negative reproductive effects, cause organ system toxicity.

Triclosan: A cosmetic biocide that disrupts your endocrine system, may be carcinogenic, and showed broad systemic effects at low doses in animal studies.

Fragrance: About 95 percent of the chemicals used in fragrances are synthetic, petroleum-based compounds. For people with allergies or multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), these chemicals can lead to allergic reactions like sneezing, itchy watery eyes, wheezing and headaches.

Parabens and Phenols: Used in body wash and many other personal care products, according to the National Institutes of Health phenol is toxic and people who are hypersensitive to it could experience death or serious side effects at very low exposures. Parabens have also been linked to cancer and reproductive toxicity. continued>>