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High blood pressure: The green fruit that raises hypertension - ‘contains a lot of salt'

Heart and cardiovascular disease is one of the UK's biggest killers. On average someone dies from a form of heart disease every three minutes. Experts consider the umbrella of diseases the biggest killer in terms of years of life lost. The reason for this is due to average age of heart attack victims compared to the average age of dementia patients.

Although heart disease is one of the most serious risk factors for heart disease it is, fortunately, one of the most manageable.

The most effective way to manage hypertension is through lifestyle changes including quitting smoking, reducing alcohol consumption, exercising regularly, and consuming a balanced diet of fruit and vegetables.

However, while most vegetables have a positive impact on cardiovascular health, some of them do not.

Although common accompaniments to dinner, olives are a form of vegetable not recommended for those trying to manage their blood pressure.

he reason for this, the charity Blood Pressure UK states, is because olives "contain a lot of salt"; the higher salt intake the higher blood pressure rises.

Blood Pressure UK explain: "Salt makes your body hold onto water. If you eat too much, the extra water in your blood means there is extra pressure on your blood vessel walls, raising your blood pressure.

"If you already have high blood pressure, too much salt will raise it further, and may mean that any blood pressure medicines don't work as well as they should."

Blood pressure medications often taken by patients include ACE inhibitors, Angiotensin-2 receptor blockers, calcium channel blockers, beta blockers, and diuretics.

In common with almost all other conditions, heart disease has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recent data shows the number of people admitted to hospital with a heart attack during the pandemic fell by more than a third.

Furthermore, the number of people seeking help for major heart attacks fell by 17 percent while admissions for heart failure fell by 28 percent.

However, this fall in admissions does not mean there were few heart attacks.

However, this fall in admissions does not mean there were few heart attacks.

 Getty Images Heart attack admissions fell during the lockdowns.

In fact, the reason is rather different.Dr Ramesh Nadarajah of the University of Leeds explains: "We know that the decline in admissions was not due to a reduction in the amount of heart disease.

"In fact, during the first way almost half of deaths from heart disease occurred out of the hospital setting, with the greatest excess deaths related to heart disease in people's homes."

The reasons for the decline are down to people receiving treatment at home or not coming forward when they experienced symptoms.

Daily Express Symptoms of a heart attack.

Dr Nadarajah added: "The collateral damage of missed diagnoses and treatments will continue to accrue unless mitigation strategies are implemented."

As a result of the pandemic thousands of patients will be diagnosed at later stages of heart disease when treatment is harder to administer.

Furthermore, the result of patients presenting later is beginning to place a greater burden on an NHS already stressed by over a decade of pressure.

Consultant cardiologist Professor Christopher Gale said: "Urgent action is needed to address the burden of cardiovascular disease left in the wake of the pandemic."

Reference:  Daily Express: Christopher Sharp

‘Nose-bleed virus’ spread by ticks kills 18 and is spreading

Provided by Metro The World Health Organisation (WHO) issued a warning about Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (Picture: AFP/Getty)

A viral ‘nose-bleed’ infection spread by ticks is on the rise and has already killed 18 people, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned.

Formally known as Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, it causes rapid and severe internal and external bleeding, including through the nose.

It has been detected in 120 people in Iraq since January and at least 18 people have died so far.

WHO officials fear it is spreading at an unprecedented rate but it is centred around the southern province of Dhi Qar.

The virus is hosted in ticks and people catch it by coming into contact with someone infected with animal blood, who usually work with livestock or in slaughterhouses.

According to WHO, profuse bleeding, fever, body aches, dizziness, neck pain, headache and sore eyes are all the main symptoms.

Sore throat, diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting have also been detected in infected patients.

To tackle the virus, Mustafa al-Kadimi, Iraq’s president, has allocated one billion dollars to spraying livestock farms with pesticide in a bid to kill the ticks.

© Provided by Metro Doctors are working to help people suffering from the virus (Picture: AFP / Getty Images)

© Provided by Metro Pesticides are being used to clean areas (Picture: AFP / Getty Images)

© Provided by Metro It is a tick-borne virus (Picture: AFP / Getty Images)

Veterinary clinics have also been issued with pesticides and people are urged to purchase meat only from licenced suppliers.

According to Ahmed Zouiten, WHO’s representative in Iraq, the rise in cases could be down to the country’s failure to see through pesticide-spraying campaigns in 2020 and 2021 because of Covid.

‘We have not yet reached the stage of an epidemic, but the infections are higher than last year,’ he said earlier this month.

‘The procedures adopted by the different authorities are not up to par, particularly with regards to unregulated slaughters.’ 

Reference: Metro:  Jasper King

Man has double hand transplant in ‘world first’ for scleroderma patient

A man whose hands were left unusable by scleroderma has been given a new lease of life after what is believed to be the world’s first double hand transplant for the condition. Steven Gallagher, 48, was diagnosed with scleroderma, an autoimmune disease that causes scarring of the skin and internal organs, after he developed an unusual rash on his cheeks and nose about 13 years ago, and pains in his right arm.

 PA Media Steven Gallagher, from Dreghorn, Ayrshire, is the first person in the world to have a double hand transplant after suffering from the rare disease scleroderma

Doctors initially said it could be lupus, then thought it was carpal tunnel syndrome and he underwent an operation, but when the pain returned in both arms he was referred to a specialist who confirmed he had scleroderma. The condition affected areas including his nose, mouth and hands and, about seven years ago, his fingers started curling in until they were in a fist position and he was suffering “horrendous” pain.

When experts suggested the idea of a double hand transplant the father-of-three initially dismissed the idea but then decided to go ahead despite the risks. He said: “My hands were unusable, I couldn’t do a thing apart from lift things with two hands.

“When Professor Hart in Glasgow mentioned to me about a double hand transplant, at the time I laughed but, after thinking about it for a wee while, I spoke more to Professor Hart, and I went down to Leeds and spoke to Professor Kay. They were really understanding and were really open about what might happen, that I could lose my hands altogether, they said it was unlikely but it was a risk.

“My wife and I spoke about it and came to the agreement to go for it. I could end up losing my hands anyway, so it was just a case of letting them know I was going to go with it.”

Mr Gallagher, from Dreghorn in North Ayrshire, had to undergo psychological evaluation to ensure he was prepared for the prospect of a transplant. He then underwent the 12-hour operation in mid-December 2021 after a suitable donor was found.

The hand transplant team at Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust, which carried out the surgery, said it is the first time anywhere in the world that hand transplantation has been used to replace hands terminally affected by scleroderma. Mr Gallagher said: “After the operation I woke up and it was quite surreal because before it I had my hands and then when I woke up from the operation I still had hands so in my head I never really lost any hands."

Mr Gallagher, who has three daughters aged 12, 24 and 27, spent about four weeks in Leeds General Infirmary following the operation and has regular visits to hospitals in Glasgow for physiotherapy and monitoring. More than five months on from the operation, his condition is improving and he can do things like stroke his dog, turn on the tap and fill a glass of water.

Professor Simon Kay, of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “This operation has been a huge team effort. We and our expert clinical psychologists assess and prepare patients, in order to be sure that they will be able to cope psychologically with the permanent reminder of their transplant." 

Reference: Hull Live: Lucinda Cameron, PA & Nick Wood

A bacteria found in showerheads can cause 'potentially fatal' pneumonia - are you at risk?

Bacteria are microscopic infectious agents that cannot be seen with the naked eye. The inhalation of some microbes, namely Legionella bacteria, has been implicated as a transmission mode for potentially deadly pneumonia known as Legionnaires' disease. According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, one in 10 people who contract the disease die due to their illness.

Legionella bacteria, which causes the potentially deadly Legionnaires' disease, typically builds up in a shower or water outlet that isn't used regularly.

The bacteria specialises in infecting human immune cells, such as macrophages, which are in charge of eradicating foreign invaders.

When people turn on the shower or tap, water droplets contaminated with Legionella bacteria spread via the spray that is produced in small droplets known as aerosols, according to the water specialist treatment company WCS.

"People breathe these aerosols into the lungs via aspiration as they are small enough to inhale," explains the company.

© Getty deadly bacteria

"The lungs then become infected with Legionella bacteria, and the person catches Legionnaires' disease or Pontiac fever."

Some people contract develop Legionnaires disease after drinking contaminated water, with those who suffer from swallowing difficulties at greater risk of infection.

The government's Health and Safety Executive website states: "Legionnaires' disease is a potentially fatal form of pneumonia and everyone is susceptive to infection."

Those who are particularly vulnerable to severe inflammation of the lungs, however, include smokers, heavy drinkers, people who suffer from chronic respiratory disease, diabetics and anyone over the age of 45.

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According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in every 10 people who contract the disease dies due to complications from their illness.

"For those who get Legionnaires' disease during a stay in a healthcare facility, about one of every four will die," adds the CDC.

Pontiac fever, on the other hand, which is also caused by legionella bacteria, can cause fever, headaches, and muscle aches.

The government's website states: "If untreated, the infection may become more severe within the first week, and infected people may experience further symptoms such as coughing up green phlegm and becoming short of breath."

© Getty Legionella bacteria

Almost half of the patients with the disorder develop an ailment relating to the nervous system, such as confusion, delirium, depression, disorientation, and hallucinations.

Symptoms tend to merge within two to 10 after the infection, adds the website.

How to avoid the infection

In 2017, researchers warned a combination of rusty water and stainless steel taps could put people at risk of a life-threatening disease.

Scientists rang the alarm after discovering the protective coating on the fixtures, degraded over time and encouraged the growth of the deadly bacteria.

The findings emerged during an experiment conducted by Wilco van der Lugt, a safety engineer who contributed to European guidelines on preventing the bacteria.

© Getty shower

The expert and his team experimented with three kinds of taps commonly found in households and found when rust mixed with Legionella in the stainless steel tap, half of the samples ended up infected.

It had previously been established that rust particles which can come from iron pipes encourage the growth of Legionella bacteria.

This is usually because the water in the system has remained stagnant for too long, allowing the bacteria to fester.

The WCS Group recommends keeping the showerhead clean to prevent infections and conducting regular inspections.