Archive for January, 2010
As people grow older and adulthood stretches into middle age, blood pressure becomes an increasingly important indicator of cardiovascular health. Regular checkups are important, of course, but people can only make it to the doctor’s office every so often. It makes sense, then, that so many Americans have come to rely on a home blood pressure monitor.
These monitors feature handy readouts that fill us in on systolic and diastolic pressure information. Systolic measures the pressure as the heart contracts, and diastolic the pressure when the heart muscle is relaxed. Generally speaking, when systolic pressure dips below 90 and diastolic below 60, a person has hypotension or low blood pressure. Hypertension is characterized by a systolic reading of 120 or greater combined with a diastolic reading of at least 80.
Don’t Let Arthritis Keep You Down
A relatively common condition among aging individuals, arthritis can put a significant damper on physical activity. Osteoarthritis, the most widespread form, is caused by a combination of trauma to joints and the natural aging process. Rheumatoid arthritis, another well-known variant, occurs when the body’s immune system inflames joints and cartilage in an effort to ward off disease.
No matter the specific type of arthritis, the condition is characterized by debilitating pain. A variety of treatment options exist, and the best solution may very on a case-by-case basis. For some people, a lifestyle change such as a healthier diet or increased exercise regimen does the trick. Others turn to topical creams for their arthritis pain relief. Either way, arthritis should be treated at its earliest signs so that the sufferer can get back to the business of living.