Synthetic Retina Offers Hope For The Visually Impaired

A synthetic, soft tissue retina developed by an Oxford University student could offer fresh hope to visually-impaired people. this is contained in a study published in the journal, ‘Scientific Reports.’

A ‘science daily’ report stated that until now, all artificial retinal research had used only rigid, hard materials.

The retina is the lightsensitive layer of tissue at the back of the eyeball. Images that come through the eye’s lens are focused on the retina.

However, the new research by Vanessa Restrepo- Schild, a 24-year-old DPhil student and researcher at Oxford University, Department of Chemistry, was the first to successfully use biological, synthetic tissues, developed in a laboratory environment.

The study could revolutionise the bionic implant industry and the development of new, less invasive technologies that more closely resemble human body tissues, helping to treat degenerative eye conditions such as retinitis pigmentosa (RP).


Retinitis pigmentosa is an inherited, degenerative eye disease that causes severe vision impairment due to the progressive degeneration of the rod photoreceptor cells in the retina. Just as photography depends on camera pixels reacting to light, vision relies on the retina performing the same function.

The retina sits at the back of the human eye and contains protein cells that convert light into electrical signals that travel through the nervous system, triggering a response from the brain, ultimately building a picture of the scene being viewed.

Restrepo-Schild led the team in the development of a new synthetic, double layered retina, which closely mimics the natural human retinal process. The retina replica consists of soft water droplets (hydrogels) and biological cell membrane proteins.

Designed like a camera, the cells act as pixels, detecting and reacting to light to create a grey scale image. The Colombian native said: “The synthetic material can generate electrical signals, which stimulate the neurons at the back of our eye just like the original retina.

The study’s findings showed that unlike existing artificial retinal implants, the cell-cultures were created from natural, biodegradable materials and do not contain foreign bodies or living entities.

In this way, the implant was less invasive than a mechanical devise, and was less likely to have an adverse reaction on the body.

Restrepo - Schild added: “The human eye is incredibly sensitive, which is why foreign bodies like metal retinal implants can be so damaging, leading to inflammation and/or scaring."

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Too Much Exercise Risky To Health – Study

Scientists have alerted the global community that long periods of intense exercise can change the composition of gut bacteria in humans, thereby posing danger to health.

According to a new study, which unveiled these, the prolonged exertion during intense exercise could trigger ‘leaky guy syndrome’ – a condition that could let harmful substances leak into the bloodstream.

The study is published ahead of print in the ‘American Journal of Physiology’ – Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology.

The research looked at soldiers taking part in an intensive training programme and found that prolonged exercise caused the protective barrier in their guts to become permeable.

With the gut health and overall health believed to be strongly linked, intense  physiological stress could therefore raise the risks of many types of illnesses.

The new research is the first to investigate the response of gut microbiome – the term for the population of microbes in the intestine – during military training. It provides a stark warning for endurance athletes and military personnel.

“Most of us are aware that the bacteria in our gut play an important role in digestion.

Furthermore, they are known to aid the production of certain vitamins – such as vitamins B and K – and play a key role in immune function.

But increasingly, research is emerging showing how poor gut health is linked to conditions ranging from irritable bowel syndrome, diabetes, high blood pressure, depression, obesity, childhood asthma, to colitis and colon cancer.”

The study is the first to investigate the response of gut microbiome – the term for the population of microbes in the intestine – during military training.

It looked at a group of 73 Norwegian Army soldiers taking part in a militarystyle cross country skiing training programme.

The group skied 31 miles (51 km) while carrying 99-pound (45 kg) packs, across four days. Before and after the training exercise, researchers collected blood and stool samples from the soldiers.

It was found that the microbiome and metabolites – the substance formed in or necessary for metabolism – in the soldiers’ blood and stool altered ‘significantly’ by the end of the aggressive training period.

Furthermore, sucralose excretion in their urine samples rose considerably, indicating an increase in intestinal permeability (IP).

According to a ‘mailonline’ report, scientists know that healthy intestines have a semi-permeable barrier, which acts as a defence to keep bacteria and other harmful substances out, while allowing healthy nutrients into the bloodstream.

It is thought that physical stress can increase IP, increasing the risk of inflammation, illness and symptoms such as diarrhoea.

The researchers wrote that intestinal microbiota appear to be one influencing factor in the gut’s response to physical stress.

“Our findings suggest that the intestinal microbiota may be one mediator of IP responses to severe physiologic stress, and that targeting the microbiota before stress exposure may be one strategy for maintaining IP.”

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Cotton Buds Dangerous To Children's Ears

Scientists have raised the alarm that more than 12, 000 children were left needing hospital treatment after using ear buds every year. According to the result of an American study, which unveiled this, 263, 000 children were sent to Accident and Emergency (A&E), after injuring themselves with ear buds over 20 years.

The research was published in ‘The Journal of Pediatrics.’ Previous research showed that in the United Kingdom (UK), close to 7, 000 people were treated for ear bud emergencies every year. According to hospital reports, injuries caused by the cotton buds include burst eardrums, loss of balance and total loss of hearing.

The ‘mailonline’ reports that majority of injuries occurred as a result of using cotton tip applicators to clean the ears (73 per cent), playing with cotton tip applicators (10 per cent), or children falling when they have cotton tip applicators in their ear (nine per cent). Seventy-seven per cent of the injuries occurred when the child was using the cotton tip applicator by themselves.

The most common injuries were foreign body sensation, the feeling of having something stuck in the ear, (30 per cent), perforated ear drum (25 per cent) and soft tissue injury (23 per cent). Foreign body sensation was the most common diagnosis among children aged eight to 17 years, while perforated ear drum was the most common among children younger than eight years of age.

Reacting to the development, Dr. Simon Baer, a consultant ear, nose and throat surgeon at Spire Sussex Hospital, said the best way to keep your ears clean was to leave them be.
 
But a small proportion of people produced excess earwax and should seek treatment, he added. “Nothing larger than an index finger should ever be put in the ear,” he said.

Speaking further, Baer said: “An injury that would lead to hospitalisation would be a perforated eardrum, which is when the bud causes a hole to appear in the eardrum. “One particular danger appears to be falling over with an ear bud in the ear. “Ear buds could also cause damage to the little bones in the ear.

These are known as the ossicles. “In very rare cases damage to the stirrup, one of the small ear bones can cause balance problems. “And in extremely rare cases, ear bud damage can lead to total loss of hearing.”

A new study conducted by Nationwide Children’s Hospital researchers found that more than a 21-year period from 1990 through 2010, 263,000 children were treated in the United States’ hospitals for ear bud-related injuries. That’s about 12,500 children every year or 34 injuries a day, according to a ‘mailonline’ report.

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Folic Acid Boosts Children’s IQ, Vocabulary – Study

Scientists said that children whose mothers take folic acid throughout their entire pregnancy are more emotionally stable than those who do not.

After the scientists from the University of Ulster in the United Kingdom, UK, carried out a study looking at the long term effects of taking the supplement, they found that the children whose mothers took the supplement the entire time had significantly higher levels of emotional intelligence and resilience and bigger vocabularies. These were disclosed at the annual conference of the British Psychological Society in Brighton.
 
The researchers carried out the study looking at the long term effects of taking the supplement. They gave supplements of folic acid – which is found naturally in green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, to 22 mothers while the other 19 took it just for the first three months, as recommended by National Institute For Health and Clinical Excellence,NICE, guidelines. After this, the mothers were given a placebo.

At present, expecting women are only recommended to take a supplement of 400 microgrammes of folic acid, for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.

The recommendation is to ensure proper development of the brain – and to prevent spina bifida. Emotional intelligence is the ability to control and express emotions and handle relationships with others.

Resilience is the ability to deal with problems in life. Folate, forms of which are known as folic acid and vitamin B9, is one of the B vitamins. Folic acid is used to treat anaemia caused by folic acid deficiency. It is also used as a supplement by women during pregnancy to prevent neural tube defects, NTDs, in the baby. NTDs are birth defects of the brain, spine, or spinal cord.

They happen in the first month of pregnancy, often before a woman even knows that she is pregnant.

The two most common neural tube defects are spina bifida and anencephaly. In spina bifida, the foetal spinal column doesn’t close completely. Over 50 countries use fortification of certain foods with folic acid as a measure to decrease the rate of NTDs in the population.

Long term supplementation is also associated with small reductions in the risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease. Reacting to the new study, Dr. Tony Cassidy of the University of Ulster, said: “Given it has this positive effect, we wanted to know whether it would have a positive effect beyond three months.

“We found there was an advantage for children whose mothers had taken folic acid for verbal IQ and reasoning compared to those who did not take the folic acid.

“We were also looking at emotional intelligence and resilience. We found significant benefits for the children whose mothers took folic acid,’ he said.

He said that he expected that if further trials showed the same results, there would be a strong case for advising mothers to keep taking the folic acid at the recommended level after the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.

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Being Overweight Could Lead To Early Death - Study

Obesity has for long been blamed for health risks, including early death, scientists have also affirmed that being moderately overweight can also cut life expectancy.
 
Previous research had suggested having a body mass index (BMI) higher than the range considered a healthy weight, but not above the point, at which people are said to be obese, could in fact help people live longer.

A study of more than 100,000 adults by Danish researchers found people with the longest lifespan had a BMI in the ‘overweight’ category, not ‘healthy’ as might be expected.

However, the new research published in the Annals of Internal Medicine casts doubt on these findings, with being overweight associated with an increased mortality rate.

Overweight is defined as a BMI of 25 or more, thus it includes pre-obesity defined as a BMI between 25 and 30 and obesity as defined by a BMI of 30 or more. Pre-obese and overweight, however, are often used interchangeably, thus giving overweight a common definition of a BMI of between 25 and 30.

There are, however, several other common ways to measure the amount of adiposity or fat present in an individual’s body. However, Assistant Professor of Global Health at Boston University, Andrew Stokes, who led the study, said people with a history of being overweight had a six per cent increased risk of death.

He called this rise ‘modest,’ but said the findings were still “extremely worrisome” because of the high number of overweight people in the United States. According to Stokes, the study confirmed that “there is no benefit of being overweight on risk of death, and indicate thatbeingoverweightisactually associated with an increased risk of dying.”

The Danish study looked at weights at one point in time, which couldhave meant people whowereonceoverweight, but had lost weight due to fatal illnesses were counted in the ‘healthy weight’ category, said Stokes, according to the report in the USA Today. Stokes and his team attempted to compensate for this by focusing on the maximum BMI in a 16-year period of 225,000 adults aged over 50.
Obesity is been linked to increased mortality rates from diseases, including heart disease, cancer and lung disease.

At a 2014 health conference, NHS England’s chief executive, Simon Stevens said: “Obesity is the new smoking, and it represents a slow-motion car crash in terms of avoidable illness and rising health care costs."

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Nigeria's Public Water Not Safe For Consumption - Survey

A Daily Trust independent water investigation reveals germs which are harmful to human health.
Water samples obtained from different locations in Abuja, Lagos and Kaduna indicated the presence of microbiological organisms that exceeded the maximum permissible level by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality (NSDWQ) limits.

Daily Trust had conducted an analysis of public water from seven states including Enugu, Plateau, Katsina and Kano states at different testing centres.

Water sample taken from Emeka Anyaoku Street, Area 11, Garki, Abuja on Tuesday, April 4 and tested at the National Water Resources Institute, Kaduna showed “20 cfu/100ml of Thermotolerant Coliform which exceeded the 0cfu/100ml maximum permissible level (mpl) by the WHO and the Nigerian Industrial Standard 554: 2007.”

Thermotolerant Coliform are the commonly used bacterial indicator for sanitary quality of water.
Also, the Total Coliform in the sample was 37cfu/ml, which exceeded the maximum permissible level of 10cfu/ml by the WHO and NSDWQ.

The American Public Health Association (19th Edition) was used in the testing while it showed some potential pathogenic (diseases causing) organisms from faecal and environmental origins.

The analysis signed by the institute’s head, Water Supply and Sanitation, Ahmed Salisu Hassan, and analysed by Agboola Irene Omolara, revealed that the values of faecal coliform and total coliforms indicator organisms are above the standard guideline values recommended for drinking water.

The source of disease causing organisms, according to the analysts, might be the water board treated water; dirty storage tank(s); inappropriate sample collection, sample handling, contaminated sample container; possible insanitary condition of surroundings leaking service pipe(s) and or combination of both.

According to the Nigerian Industrial Standard (NIS 554:2007) by NSDWQ, the health impact of drinking water that exceeded the maximum limits of Total Coliform Count and Thermotolerant Coliform include, “urinary tract infections, bacteraemia, diarrhoea, (one of the main cause of morbidity and mortality among children), acute renal failure and haemolytic anaemia.”

Dr. J. Abdulrasheed, a medical practitioner in Ilorin, Kwara State, corroborated the provisions of the Nigeria Industrial Standard stated above.

The result of water sample from Lagos taken from 26, Dairo Street, Ketu, also shows presence of germs, thereby not safe for human consumption.

“The water sample was found to be acidic. It had high aerobic mesophilic count, Coliform and Escherichia coli,” said Martins Etaduovie, the analyst from a private laboratory that conducted the analysis.

The analysis showed that there were 148CFU/ml counts of aerobic mesophilic organism which exceeded the 102 limit by the NIS 306:2008 for potable water used by the laboratory.

The Kaduna sample was collected from Babandodo Street, Kakuri, Kaduna South Local Government Area and from the result, the level of Thermotolerant Coliform and Coliform are too numerous to count, making it totally unsafe for human.

The test which was also carried out at the National Water Institute, Kaduna used the American Public Health Association (19th Edition) in the analysis and indicated total coliforms indicator organisms above the standard guideline recommended for drinking water.

The results for Abuja and Kaduna, however, showed the colour and appearance are at acceptable level, while the levels of chemical inorganic constituents are also good. The analysis also indicated that the sample had clear appearance, un-objectional colour and lower turbidity characteristics in comparison with the maximum permissible level recommended for drinking water, which signifies the water is aesthetically acceptable.

Also, the water, according to the analysis, will not lead to wastage of soap during cleansing and scale formation on hot water boilers due to lower concentration of hardness causing substances.

“The water board treated water will not lead to elevation of blood pressure due to very low concentration of salinity in comparison with the standard guideline value recommended for drinking water,” it reads.

The analysis from Kano and Katsina shows that the water is safe for drinking with the required level of constituents. However, the maximum permitted limits for Thermotolerant Coliform in the results from the two states read 10cfu/100ml instead of the 0cfu/100ml by the WHO and NSDWQ guidelines.

The Kano sample had 0.2cfu/100ml while Katsina had 0.31cfu/100ml.The sample from Kano, taken from Giginyu, Nasarawa Local Government Area, was submitted to the privately owned laboratory on April 12.

“Based on the analysis carried out, the result of all the parameters is within the WHO guide limit and the NSDWQ most probable limit. And therefore, the Water is safe for drinking,” Ilyasu Rabiu Isihak, the scientific officer of the private laboratory in Shagari Quarters, off Zoo Road, Kano used for the analysis said.

But the analysis showed that the maximum permissible levels of Thermotolerant Coliform to be 10cfu/100ml instead of 0cfu/100ml as recommended by the WHO and NSDWQ.

While making clarification via telephone, Mr. Isihak said, “I will wish to correct some writing, the coli (thermotolerant coliform) are unwanted because recent literatures have shown that should be unwanted contrary to what was indicated there,” he said.

He, however, said the water was still safe because, “the Thermotolerant Coliform was 0.2cfu/100ml as the sample from Kano while the sample from Katsina had 0.31cfu/100ml. which is less than 0.5 which is less than one. If you round off the number it is still zero, so the water is still safe for drinking.”

However, the sample from Enugu tested at the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Zonal Office, Enugu showed that the sample taken from Edinburgh Road, Enugu was safe for drinking.

The result signed by the laboratory manager, Ogochukwu Ene, said the water was safe for drinking and other domestic or industrial activities.

The Total Coliform Count, E.coli and Enterococci are all at 0cfu.The sample was taken to the laboratory on April 4 and the result released on April 11.

The sample collected from British America Junction, off Murtala Mohammed Way, Jos, Plateau State was however free from harmful germs.

The sample collected on Thursday, April 20 was analysed at the National Water Resources Institute, Kaduna met the WHO and NSDWQ maximum permissible level for all parameters.

The analyst, Samuel Joyce Yemisi, said the good quality treated water will require pipe leakage surveillance to ensure protection against contaminant flow.

“The treated water at British America Junction off Murtala Mohammed way is suitable for domestic supply since all the necessary parameters analysed are within the standard guideline recommended for drinking water.

“However, it is imperative to improve the total residual concentration due to possible pipe(s) leakage, protection against pathogenic contaminants flow and safeguarding health of the teaming population of the area,” the report was also signed by the Ahmed Saliu Hassan, the head, Water Supply and Sanitation at the institute.

Results can’t be generalised –FCT water board
The Director, Federal Capital Territory Water Board, Hudu Bello, said the board did not compromise standard, assuring that the all parameters are verified by professionals at the board before water was dispensed to the residents.

He said the microbiological organisms might have entered the water sampled while it was been taken at the point or through the container it was taken to the laboratory.

But Mr. Toyin Ishola, the water engineer, said what should be paramount to the public water handlers should be the safety of the water running at homes and not only at the treatment plants.

Bello however, said the analysis of the result from a point cannot be generalised on all other service points. “This is just a particular area, this is a localised issue which would not have been there if you had gone back the same day,” he said.

He said it could not have been from the treatment plant and if it was localised, the hygiene of the people around that place might have contributed to it, assuring that there could not have been contamination in other areas. This is a localised post treatment contamination which cannot be said to be true reflection of water from the board.

The source said the board does not allow any contamination and if any contamination was discovered through analysis, people are stopped from using the water while the board usually supply them water with water tankers until the cause was rectified.

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Non-O Blood Group Increases Heart Attack Risk

Scientists have alerted that people with a non-O blood group have a slightly increased risk of heart attack and stroke. According to findings in a new research presented at the European Society of Cardiology, scientists stated that this could be because higher levels of a blood-clotting protein are present in people with A, B and AB blood.


The findings could help doctors better understand who is at risk of developing heart disease, the researchers said.

A blood type (also called a blood group) is a classification of blood based on the presence and absence of antibodies and also based on the presence or absence of inherited antigenic substances on the surface of red blood cells (RBCs).

These antigens may be proteins, carbohydrates, glycoproteins, or glycolipids, depending on the blood group system.

The new research analysed studies involving 1.3 million people and found that 15 in 1,000 people with a non-O blood group suffered a heart attack, compared to 14 in 1,000 people with blood group O.

Although the increase in risk was small, when applied to a whole population the numbers become more important. Previous research found that people with the rarest blood group – AB – were the most vulnerable, being 23 per cent more likely to suffer heart disease.

There are a number of factors which can increase the risk of heart disease, such as smoking, being overweight and leading an unhealthy lifestyle.

Which group an individual belongs to is determined by the genes inherited from both parents. Study author, Tessa Kole, from the University Medical Centre Groningen in the Netherlands, said more research was needed to work out the cause of the increased cardiovascular, CDV, risk in people with a non-O blood group. She stated that looking at the risk for each individual blood group would help.

She said: “In future, blood group should be considered in risk assessment for CDV prevention, together with cholesterol, age, sex and systolic blood pressure.”

People with blood group A – who are known to have higher cholesterol – may need a lower treatment threshold for high blood pressure, for example.

The analysis looked at coronary events in more than 770,000 people with a non-O blood group and more than 510,000 people with an O blood group.

Around 1.5 per cent in the first group and 1.4 per cent in the second experienced a heart attack or angina.

They also looked at CDV events in 708,000 people with non-O blood and 476,000 with O blood, which affected 2.5 per cent and 2.3 per cent of each group respectively.

When the researchers looked at fatal heart events, they found no major difference in risk between the O and non-O blood groups.

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Over 15 Million Nigerians Suffering From Asthma - Expert

Chief Medical Director of University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Professor Etete Peters, has disclosed that over 15 million Nigerian are suffering from asthma caused by air pollution.

Professor Peters, who is also the President of Nigeria Thoracic Society, NTS, made the disclosure, in Uyo on the occasion of 2017 World Asthma Day.

He said that air pollution was an important trigger for asthma, adding that most common causes of air pollution in Nigeria include biomass fumes, cigarette smoke and motor vehicles exhaust. He explained that studies have shown that the environment has huge impact on asthma exacerbation whether from cigarette smoke or pollution within the atmosphere.

This he noted, underscores the theme of this year’s celebration, Asthma-Better Air, Better Breathing. ‘’We should wage war against cigarette smoking, provide services to help current smokers quit and prevent initiation of cigarette smoking in our population.

‘’Asthma is much more common than we think, we need to see health providers if we have any symptoms suggestive of asthma.” Professor Peters added that asthma could be well managed and person with a diagnosis can live a normal life.

“Its symptoms include recurrent cough, wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, which is worse when exercising or in the night and can be relaxed with bronchodilator.

“These symptoms escalate when the patient has acute illness, breathlessness, anxiiety, restlessness and a sweaty child turns bluish because there is insufficient oxygen in the blood.”

 ‘’The key to good health is to take medications as prescribed and avoid all known trigger and promptly seek medical treatment if symptoms persist despite taking prescribed medications.”

He disclosed that the Nigeria Thoracic Society, as an umbrella body of all professionals involved in respiratory care has over the years committed its self to regular and continuous update of its members and health workers in general on the management of airways diseases, including asthma.

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"Herbal Medicines Have No Side Effects" - Obiora Atuchukwu, CEO Ako Group Of Companies

In the global battle to sustain health care, herbal medicines have consistently proven to be very efficacious and effective in treating several deadly conditions because of the natural properties they possess.

Chief Executive Officer of Ako Group of Companies, Obiora Atuchukwu, whose firm is the sole marketer of two of the most active Indian herbal medicines for diabetes and piles, asserts that herbal medicines do not have side effects.


For this reason, Atuchukwu says that he remains committed to fighting deadly diseases with natural medicines, which he noted are very safe.


He posited that he chose to start with medications for diabetes, piles and urinal tract infections because they are prevalent and have caused more harm in the African society.


Atuchukwu also stated that his decision to combat diabetes was informed by the recognition, as certified by the World Health Organisation, WHO, that diabetes is the eight most deadly disease in the world because it is common among people in low to middle income countries of the world, ranking after diarrhea, which is the 7th deadliest disease and second killer of children under five years.


Atuchukwu explained that diabetes is a group of diseases that affect insulin production and use. “In Type-1 diabetes, the pancreas can no longer produce insulin. However, the cause is not known.”


According to him, in Type-2 diabetes, the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or it cannot be used effectively. “Research says that Type-2 diabetes can be caused by a number of factors, including poor diet, lack of exercise, and obesity.”

The Indian ayurvedic medicine dealer also expressed that diabetes can be managed in so many ways, especially with the use of natural medicines like Dykure, which is effective for treatment of diabetes without side effects.

Atuchukwu also explained that it is necessary to do a quick body scan against diabetes miletus, as prevention is better than cure. “After taking bath daily, check your body from head to toe, look for cuts, sores, blisters, and in-grown toenails.”

He also advised that one should not forget the places where moisture can hide and germs can grow in the body. “Check under your arms and breasts, and between your legs and toes.

Look extra closely at your feet and use a mirror to help you see all over. And if you have cuts or scrapes, treat them quickly. Also, take a moment to moisturize dry skin.”

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Deep Slow Breathing Reduces Blood Pressure - Experts

With the number of Nigerians suffering hypertension (also known as high blood pressure) being on the rise, medical experts said learning how to regulate breathing could be the cure if the condition is diagosed early enough.

According to a new study published in the journal ‘Scientific Reports’, researchers at the University of Melbourne and Macquarie University, in Australia, stated that the neurons, which control breathing also control blood pressure and, therefore, breathing deeply can help to lower blood pressure levels Hypertension has been labelled a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and stroke.

High blood pressure is a common disease in which blood flows through blood vessels (arteries) at higher than normal pressures.One in three adults worldwide is affected by high blood pressure and implicated in over 18 per cent of death globally, but according to the World Health Organisation WHO, the number of Nigerians living with high blood pressure is estimated at about 56 million.

“It causes blindness, irregular heartbeat or eventual heart failure. It can be countered by reducing high salt intake and high calorie food and avoiding sedentary (inactive) lifestyle.”
The researchers said it was vital that effort is placed into identifying people at risk early before it’s too late. The ‘mailonline’ reports that breathing and blood pressure are functionally linked through the sympathetic nervous system, which sends signals to the heart and blood vessels.

 The researchers discovered that when neural activity was interrupted in young adults, they could control blood pressure. The altered neural activity leads to increased fluctuations in blood pressure with every breath taken.

“By interrupting the activity between these two groups of neurons during adolescence, we were able to dramatically reduce development of high blood pressure in adulthood,’ said lead researcher Professor Andrew Allen of the University of Melbourne. Professor Allen added that the research paralleled what professional athletes and eastern philosophies have long understood about the link between breathing and heart rate.

“Biathletes have to regulate their breathing to slow down their heart rate before rifle shooting, and eastern meditative practices such as yoga and pranayama have always emphasised the interaction between the two,’ he said.

Biathletes are people engaging in winter sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting.

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