Lack of effect of Hibiscus sabdariffa L. on cholesterol
Hibiscus sabdariffa L. (roselle, red sorrel; Arabic: karkade) grows as large shrubs or small trees that produce huge, colorful, trumpet-shaped...
Benefits of reducing salt intake: Reality sets in
The NIH Committee on the Consequences of Sodium Reduction… reports it might be time to entertain second thoughts on the...
Review: Benefits of CAM to help treat hypertension
The American Heart Association has summarized the blood pressure-lowering effects of several alternative approaches and provided recommendations for their use....
Advantages of adding exercise to statin treatment
Statins are prescribed to treat high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease. Increased fitness is recommended as an essential part of promoting...
CAM use among people with high blood pressure
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that the overall prevalence of hypertension among US adults between 2003 and...
Adverse response to exercise
Dr. Claude Bouchard and colleagues from around the US and Finland tell us that people differ in their response to...
Does losing weight reduce your risk of early death?
Despite the reported benefits, weight loss isn’t always advised for older adults because some studies have associated weight loss with...
Blood pressure effects of low- and high-salt diets
In this Cochrane review, researchers at Copenhagen University Hospital, in Denmark, estimated the effects of low-sodium vs. high-sodium intake on...
Effect of dietary protein on blood pressure levels
There’s an inverse association between dietary protein intake and blood pressure. How much? Researchers at Tulane University School of Public...
Finally, sanity in the salt wars
For decades, politicians like Mayor Michael Bloomberg of NYC have tried to get Americans to eat less salt. Now Scientific...
Relationship between functional foods and adherence to statins
It’s thought that people using functional foods with approved health claims may be less likely to adhere to prescribed drug...
Pomegranate juice improves cardiovascular risk factors
During the American Society of Nephrology Annual Meeting, researchers at Western Galilee Hospital in Nahariya, Israel, reported that patients on...
Re-assessing the sodium-heart disease connection
Almost everyone knows that moderation of salt intake might reduce cardiovascular events. Right? Researchers in Europe studied whether 24-hour urinary...
Vitamin D and high blood pressure in African-Americans
Higher prevalence of hypertension among African Americans is a key cause of racial disparity in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Researchers...
Sodium effects on blood pressure
Just how effective is a low sodium diet to treat high blood pressure? This Cochrane review presents the evidence.
Balance TrainingCancerDiabetes MellitusElderlyHeart DiseaseHigh Blood PressureOsteoarthritisOsteoporosisPainParkinson'sProf. ErnstRheumatoid DiseasesTai Chi
Reviewing the reviews of tai chi
Prof. Ernst and a colleague critically evaluated the systematic reviews of tai chi for any improvement of medical conditions or...
Defining the effect of coffee on blood pressure
Some say drinking coffee is associated with slightly higher blood pressure. However, these studies followed patients for less than 85...
Storytelling to improve blood pressure
Benefits of culturally appropriate storytelling were similar to those of antihypertensive drugs, according to researchers at Bedford Veterans Affairs Medical...
Limited value of herbals to lower blood pressure
Researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center, in New York, reviewed non-drug treatments. Let’s focus on herbals.
Benefits of chocolate on the heart
Researchers in the UK and Columbia reviewed the association between chocolate and the risk of developing cardiometabolic disorders — high...