health department

From NEJM : The guideline defines normal blood pressure as below 120/80 mm Hg and elevated blood pressure as 120 to 129. What is now called stage 1 hypertension was previously labeled “prehypertension” — a term meant to alert patients and to prompt physicians to provide lifestyle education By reclassifying people formerly considered to have prehypertension as having hypertension, the guideline creates a new level of disease affecting people previously deemed healthy. According to this definition, about 46% of U.S. adults have hypertension, as compared with about 32% under the previous definition. The guideline recommends daily sodium intake of less than 1500 mg — a goal that’s difficult for many people to achieve and that was derived from short-term studies. The primary change in recommendations regarding pharmacologic therapy is the elimination of beta-blockers from first-line therapy for patients with primary hypertension. Read more here: Redefining Hypertension — Assessing the New B

This study from Germany  included 633 students. Use of computer games was found to be negatively related to all personality and mental health variables: self-esteem, extraversion, narcissism, life satisfaction, social support and resilience. The use of platforms that focus more on written interaction (Twitter, Tumblr) was linked to depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms. In contrast, Instagram use, which focuses more on photo-sharing, was linked to positive mental health variables. The major 5 personality factors are abbreviated in the acronyms OCEAN or CANOE: - Openness to experience (inventive/curious vs. consistent/cautious) - Conscientiousness (efficient/organized vs. extravagant/careless) - Extraversion (outgoing/energetic vs. solitary/reserved) - Agreeableness (friendly/compassionate vs. challenging/callous) - Neuroticism (sensitive/nervous vs. resilient/confident) References: What does media use reveal about personality and mental health? An exploratory investigation among Ger

From The Lancet: Life expectancy in the UK continues to increase by 2 years per decade. Unfortunately, these extra years do not seem to be spent in better health, with morbidity and dependency increasing over the past 20 years. So what can be done to develop resilience with increasing age? Seize control of your health and be better prepared—physically, mentally, and socially—for our later years. This a recurring theme covering 3 domains: physical, mental and social. The Lancet reviewed the book Enlightened Aging: Building Resilience for a Long, Active Life , by Eric B Larson and Joan DeClaire. One of the most memorable vignette from the book was of Evangeline Shuler, a centenarian, with a “glass half full” approach to life: as she grew older and her friends died, her attitude was to go out and “make new ones”; an avid reader, as she became blind, she switched to audio books. Translating scientific facts into practical strategies early in the life course can help us live better for lon

From WSJ : Snap judgments people make about others’ trustworthiness are wrong more often than most people think. These first impressions are formed in milliseconds, based on instinctive responses in the brain’s emotion-processing center, the amygdala. Some people conclude a stranger is reliable because he or she looks like someone trustworthy the person already knows. Or they make judgments based on stereotypes, such as an unconscious belief that older or more feminine-looking people are more trustworthy. This poses a challenge to anyone who must gain others’ trust to perform well in meetings, interviews or other gatherings. There are ways to head off other people’s shaky snap judgments, try this: - a happy expression , with the corners of the mouth turned upward and eyebrows relaxed, is likely to inspire trust. Facial expressions are important even when you think no one is looking. People tend to distrust others whose “dominant face,” or habitual expression, is grumpy, disapproving or

Sleep is a key element in adolescent development. However, teens are spending increasing amounts of time online with health risks related to excessive use of electronic media (computers, smartphones, tablets, consoles, etc.). This excessive use is negatively associated with daytime functioning and sleep outcomes. Adolescent sleep becomes irregular, shortened and delayed in relation with later sleep onset and early waking time due to early school starting times on weekdays which results in rhythm desynchronization and sleep loss. In addition, exposure of adolescents to the numerous electronic devices prior to bedtime has become a great concern because LEDs emit much more blue light than white incandescent bulbs and compact fluorescent bulbs and have therefore a greater impact on the biological clock. A large number of adolescents move to evening chronotype and experience a misalignment between biological and social rhythms which, added to sleep loss, results in: - fatigue - daytime slee