Lack of Vitamin D Raises Hypertension Risk

(NaturalNews) The trail of vitamin D's health benefits just keeps getting longer and longer. In the past few months alone, numerous studies have been published suggesting vitamin D has protective and beneficial effects against bone disease, heart problems, Parkinson's disease and overall mortality. Recently, another study published in the journal Hypertension has linked low levels of vitamin D in the blood with a higher risk of getting hypertension, or high blood pressure.

Details and Findings of Study

Previous studies had already suggested that a link between low levels of vitamin D in the blood and hypertension existed. Definitive data in the form of prospective studies, however, had been somewhat limited. The said study followed some 1,484 women from the Nurses' Health Study II. The study subjects did not have hypertension at its commencement, and the women were aged from 32 to 52 years, with their average age being about 43 years.

After having accounted for a series of factors which could affect blood pressure, including age, race, body mass index, level of physical activity, family history of the disease, use of oral contraceptives, as well as blood levels of calcium and phosphorous, the study team found that women with lower levels of vitamin D had much higher incidence of hypertension.

Women who ranked in the lowest quartile for blood levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, or 25(OH)D, had a 66% higher risk of having high blood pressure, as compared to those in the highest quartile. The median 25(OH)D blood levels were also lower in hypertension sufferers (25.6 ng/mL) as compared with those who did not have the condition (27.3 ng/mL).

All in all, almost two thirds, or 65.7% of the women, were found to be deficient in vitamin D (less than 30.0 ng /mL). That, in itself, is quite a startling statistic. Perhaps nurses spend the majority of their days indoors, away from the health-promoting rays of the sun. And it was found that those deficient in the vitamin were 47% likelier to develop high blood pressure than those who had enough of it.

"Given that 65.7 percent of women were vitamin D deficient, the population risk attributable to vitamin D deficiency is 4.53 new cases of high blood pressure per 1000 young women annually. If this association is causal, then vitamin D deficiency may account for 23.7 percent of all new cases of high blood pressure developing among young women every year," wrote the study team, comprising Dr John P Forman and his colleagues from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

Bottom line

As mentioned at the start of this article, knowledge of vitamin D's health benefits just keeps increasing. As far as lowering blood pressure is concerned, it is still unclear if vitamin D supplementation would do the trick, something which the study team has asked future research to look into. In meantime, most of us are well aware of the health benefits of the vitamin D which our bodies create on their own, a process which is only possible if we allow the sun's life-giving rays to touch our naked and unblocked skin.

What is B-Cell Lymphoma?

The B-Cell is part of the lymph system as a type of lymphocyte responsible for fighting infections and produce memory cells along with T-Cells to remember the type of microorganism that has invaded the system. This memorization is essential for faster immune system response the next time the same type of microorganism enters the body.

B-Cell lymphoma is a type of Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma where the malignancy is found in the B-Cell type of lymphocytes. This sub-classification of Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is also sub-classified into Follicular lymphoma, Burkitt's lymphoma, and Large Cell Lymphoma. The cause of this disease is still unknown, but some environmental and internal factors are associated with this condition. These risk factors are:

- Immunocompromised conditions - these can be either through taking immunosuppressant drugs after a transplant surgery, a genetic condition, or HIV or AIDS. Patients undergoing radiation therapy are also at risk in developing B-Cell lymphoma due to risk of developing cellular mutations.

- Diseases in which the body's own immune system is attacking itself such as rheumatoid arthritis.

- Exposure to chemical agents such as pesticides, insecticides, solvents and other organic chemicals.

Signs and symptoms of B-Cell lymphoma are the standard manifestations for lymphoma which are:

- Swollen, rubbery, non-painful lymph nodes more than 1cm in size.

- Distended abdomen due to swollen spleen or liver (splenomegaly and hepatomegaly respectively)

- Nausea and/or vomiting

- Fatigue

- High fever

- Night sweats

- Chest pain

- Dyspnea (difficulty of breathing)

To diagnose B-Cell lymphoma, your doctor will first study your medical history and conduct a physical examination. Most people suffering from this disease have swollen lymph nodes that have been there for more than 2 weeks due to accumulation of malignant B-cells. Your spleen and liver will be palpated and percussed. This is to see if the malignancy has reached these organs for they are also part of the lymphatic system. A cell biopsy is the most definitive way of diagnosing B-cell lymphoma. Afterwards, if diagnosis is confirmed, staging has to be performed through series of medical tests to know how far and how severe the malignancy has metastasized and affected the body.

Survival rate depends on early detection of B-cell lymphoma. If you suspect that you have lymphoma, it is advised that you have an appointment with your doctor so you would know what treatment is applicable and suitable for you.

Need to learn more about Lymphoma? Be sure to check out Lymphoma Symptoms which contains in-depth information on B-Cell Lymphoma, symptoms, causes, treatment and much more.

BMI Help

BMI HelpBMI is an indicator of total body fat, which is related to the risk of disease and death. The score is valid for both men and women but it does have some limits. The limits are: It may overestimate body fat in athletes and others who have a muscular build. It may underestimate body fat in older persons and others who have lost muscle mass.Use the BMI calculator or tables to estimate your total body fat. The BMI score means the following:
BMI
Underweight Below
18.5
Normal
18.5 - 24.9
Overweight
25.0 - 29.9
Obesity
30.0 and Above

What does this mean?

BMI is a reliable indicator of total body fat, which is related to the risk of disease and death. The score is valid for both men and women but it does have some limits. The limits are:It may overestimate body fat in athletes and others who have a muscular build. It may underestimate body fat in older persons and others who have lost muscle mass.Use the BMI calculator or tables to estimate your total body fat. The BMI score means the following: BMIUnderweight Below 18.5Normal 18.5 - 24.9Overweight 25.0 - 29.9Obesity 30.0 and Above

Why is Exercise Important?

Have you ever heard the expression "use it or lose it"? It's true! If you don't use your body, you will surely lose it. Your muscles will become flabby and weak. Your heart and lungs won't function efficiently. And your joints will be stiff and easily injured. Inactivity is as much of a health risk as smoking!
Helps Prevent Diseases Our bodies were meant to move -- they actually crave exercise. Regular exercise is necessary for physical fitness and good health. It reduces the risk of heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes and other diseases. It can improve your appearance and delay the aging process.
Improves Stamina When you exercise, your body uses energy to keep going. Aerobic exercise involves continuous and rhythmic physical motion, such as walking and bicycling. It improves your stamina by training your body to become more efficient and use less energy for the same amount of work. As your conditioning level improves, your heart rate and breathing rate return to resting levels much sooner from strenuous activity.
Strengthens and Tones Exercising with weights and other forms of resistance training develops your muscles, bones and ligaments for increased strength and endurance. Your posture can be improved, and your muscles become more firm and toned. You not only feel better, but you look better, too!
Enhances Flexibility Stretching exercises are also important for good posture. They keep your body limber so that you can bend, reach and twist. Improving your flexibility through exercise reduces the chance of injury and improves balance and coordination. If you have stiff, tense areas, such as the upper back or neck, performing specific stretches can help "loosen" those muscles, helping you feel more relaxed.
Controls Weight Exercise is also a key to weight control because it burns calories. If you burn off more calories than you take in, you lose weight. It's as simple as that.
Improves Quality of Life Once you begin to exercise regularly, you will discover many more reasons why exercise is so important to improving the quality of your life. Exercise reduces stress, lifts moods, and helps you sleep better. It can keep you looking and feeling younger throughout your entire life.
How Often Should I Exercise?
The benefits of any exercise program will diminish if it's disrupted too frequently. A "stop-start" routine is not only ineffective, but can cause injuries. Being consistent with exercise, therefore, is probably the most important factor in achieving desired results.
People often assume that more is better. Wrong! Doing too much too soon or performing intense exercises on a daily basis will have deleterious effects, such as muscle/tendon strains, loss of lean tissue, and fitness-level plateaus.
If you are a beginner, start off slower than you think you should. Three days per week is realistic, safe and effective. If you are experienced, do cardiovascular (aerobic) exercises such as walking, jogging and bicycling for no more than 200 minutes per week with no more than 60 minutes per session.
Weight training should be done no more than three times per week targeting the same muscle groups. Exercise the same muscle groups on non-consecutive days because muscles need adequate time to recover and cannot be effectively trained if they are tired or sore.
Many people forget to stretch or make the excuse that they don't have the time. Flexibility is important, so make the time! Stretching can be done every day, but stick to a minimum of three times per week in order to reap the benefits. When the body is warmed up, such as after a workout session, perform five to 10 stretches that target the major muscle groups. Hold each stretch for 10-30 seconds.