DNA link found in those with type 2 diabetes

It has been thought that some people may be more prone to getting diabetes than others due to their family history. A recent study which looked at the DNA, or genetic code, of nearly 200,000 people with and without diabetes found that this thought may be true. It was found that there are seven variants in the DNA of those with diabetes that set them apart from those that do not have diabetes. The researchers of this study hope that data like this can help create better ways to treat type 2 diabetes in the future.
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Statins may help those with heart disease high dose or not

If you have high cholesterol levels, your risk of heart disease can increase greatly. Therefore, along with creating a heart healthy lifestyle, you may need medicine such as a statin to help lower your cholesterol. For some, a high-dose statin, which can be used alone to lower cholesterol levels, may be too much for your body to handle. A recent study found that a low-dose statin paired with another medicine called a bile acid sequestrant, may lower cholesterol just as good as a high-dose statin. Therefore, talk with your healthcare provider to see what cholesterol medicine is right for you to treat your high cholesterol.
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New guidelines promote need for gender-based stroke risk score

Each year in the United States, nearly 55,000 more women suffer from stroke than men. Because of this startling statistic, the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association found that new guidelines for stroke risk score must be made. Since women have several more risk factors for stroke than men such as hormone-based birth control use, pregnancy, and migraine with aura, this gender group has increased risk of high blood pressure that can lead to stroke. These guidelines recommend that to prevent stroke in women, blood pressure screens should be done before a women receives hormone-based birth control and calcium supplements or aspirin should be suggested to those women with a history of high blood pressure, among other things.
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Balance in your meals and your life is key for healthy weight loss

If your goal is to lose weight to improve your health, then you should be proud of yourself along this journey. However, if you become obsessed with your weight loss goals so much that it affects your daily life, then you may have gone too far and should seek help from a healthcare provider or counselor. Some signs you may have taken your weight loss goals too far include obsession with weighing yourself, avoidance of social events with friends and family, or beating yourself up if you eat an unhealthy food. It is great to want to eat healthier and lose weight, but like all things in life, balance is key to overall health and happiness.
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High blood pressure increases trips to hospital for African-Americans

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, may increase your risk of heart disease as well as trips to the hospital, especially if you are African-American. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that African-American women between the ages of 18 and 44 years had over 5 times more trips to the hospital for high blood pressure between 2007 and 2010 than their Caucasian counterparts. This same high trend was also seen in adult men as well. Therefore, it is suggested that early prevention and diagnosis should be improved in African Americans as well as improved care for those who already have high blood pressure so hospital visits for high blood pressure can be reduced.
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