Even slightly above-normal blood pressure may cause stroke

Elevated blood pressure is a common cause for stroke. A recent study shows that people with slightly above-normal blood pressure are at increased risk of stroke. The condition known as pre-hypertension can cause stroke in young people.
The findings result from 12 studies with an impressive sample size consisting of 518,520 participants. Read the original paper here doi:10.1212/WNL.0b013e3182315234.
It is needless to say that normalizing the lifestyle and adopting a balanced approach to life can greatly help reduce high blood pressure and associated life threatening risks.

Diclofenac may increase the risk of heart disease: study

A recent study conducted by scientists at University of Toronto, Canada and University of Newcastle, Australia suggests that a popular painkiller Diclofenac can increase the risk of heart diseases. They compared other well studied non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like Rofecoxib, Ibuprofen, and Naproxen viz-a-viz Diclofenac. The findings suggest that the highest risk of cardiac disease was seen with Rofecoxib, followed closely by Diclofenac. On the other hand, Ibuprofen and Naproxen were found to be safer.
The effects were investigated based on dosages of each drug. Interestingly Naproxen was found to be risk-neutral at all doses and Ibuprofen risk was seen only with higher doses.
This study is published in PLoS Medicine.

Fatherhood promotes long life: says study

Fatherhood may be a kick in the old testosterone, but it may also help keep a man alive. New research suggests that dads are a little less likely to die of heart-related problems than childless men are. Read more.

See the original paper below.