Heart News
Telehealth may be a good option for people with high blood pressure
It ’ s as effective as clinic-based care , a study shows
Online care administered by pharmacists can effectively replace a clinic visit to manage high blood pressure , according to a new study .
The condition is widespread and is a major risk factor for death due to cardiovascular problems , but many people struggle to control it , with only one in five patients managing to do so in the US .
Randomised research conducted on more than 3,000 people showed that telehealth and clinic-based care were equally good at lowering blood pressure . Over time , people who received both treatments showed no major difference in their blood pressure readings .
“ These results suggest telehealth team care by pharmacists is an effective and safe alternative to clinic-based care for uncontrolled hypertension ,” said Dr Karen Margolis , a professor of medicine at the University of Minnesota Medical School and the study ’ s lead author , in a press release .
She added , however , that people in the telehealth group were actually more satisfied with their treatment at a six-month follow-up compared to those who checked in at a clinic .
“ It was big difference . They were significantly more likely to rate their care highly , report that their care was convenient , and take their blood pressure frequently at home ,” she said .
Night owls at increased risk of heart problems and diabetes
Disrupted sleep patterns might be the root cause
Being up and about until the wee hours on a regular basis may not be a healthy move for your heart , a new study suggests .
Scientists at Rutgers University found that early risers usually burn more fat because they are more active during the day than people getting up late , who burn more carbohydrates while accumulating more fat .
This difference might explain why the former tend to have reduced cardiovascular and diabetes risks compared to the latter and provide a risk factor to better find out who ’ s going to develop the conditions in the future .
“ This could help medical professionals consider another behavioural factor contributing to disease risk ,” said Prof Steven Malin , a senior author on the study and expert in metabolism at Rutgers University , according to the Guardian .
He added that the culprit for increased health risks may be disruption to sleep patterns as people who stay up late often have to get up early to go to work , meaning they don ’ t get enough sleep in a way that “ changes their physiology and increases disease risk ,” according to Forbes .
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
30 ISSUE 5 | 2022 GlobalHealthAsiaPacific . com