Grapefruit, cholesterol and high blood pressure
Many people take grapefruit juice every morning at around the same time they take their cholesterol or high blood pressure medicine. Grapefruit juice has been said to contain many substances that can prevent cancer and prevent hardening of the arteries (artherosclerosis) amongst other things.
Unfortunately, grapefruit juice also contains substances that block certain enzymes in the intestines. These enzymes normally break down cholesterol and hypertension medication that you take so that only a small amount of the drug goes into the blood. When the enzymes are blocked, more of the medication gets into the blood which can cause overdose.
These effects of grapefruit juice can last for some time so simply drinking it at a different time may still have negative effects, so you may have to stop taking it altogether while you are taking these medications.
Many of them are common drugs which a lot of people take for various conditions like allergies, hypertension, depression and psychiatric problems.
Obese middle-aged women more likely to have stroke
The incidence of stroke has been rising in the US mainly due to an increase in the incidence of stroke in middle aged women. The main culprit is abdominal obesity according to recent research. The incidence of stroke between the ages of 35 and 54 years is twice as high in women as it is in men.
For some reason, abdominal obesity has a much greater impact on stroke in women than it does on men. This means that women need to be especially careful about their weight, especially in middle age and especially those that have risk factors which increase their risk of developing strokes.
Loud noises and high blood pressure
Loud noises at night may raise your blood pressure. Noises that we associate with everyday modern life like the sound of aeroplanes, cars and even music and snoring may not be enough to wake you up but they may raise your blood pressure according to recent research.
High blood pressure may lead to complications like stroke and heart disease.