6 • BENNETT BANNER • MARCH 12, 1999
• SPORTS • HEALTH • FITNESS • SPORTS • HEALTH • FITNESS
Study of hypertension in African Americans
(NAPSA)-Hypertension, also
known as high blood pressure, af
fects more than one-third of Afri
can American adults, compared to
one quarter of American adults
overall. In addition, hypertension
is also more dangerous in African
Americans, resulting in a mortal
ity rate quadruple that of Cauca
sians.
As a result, the International
Society on Hypertension in Blacks
(ISHIB), a professional medical
society, recentlyconductedaclini-
cal study to examine the efficacy
of three medications commonly
used to treat high blood pressure in
African-American patients.
The Calcium Antagonists in
Blacks (CAB) trial compared
Adalat CC (nifedipine CC),
Procardia XL (nifedipine XL) and
Norvasc (amolodipine).
African Americans are at higher
risk of hypertension than any other
race or ethnic group, yet few stud
ies have examined treatment ef
fects exclusively in African Ameri
cans.
The CAB study shows us that
all three of these commonly used
medications provide 24-hourblood
pressure control and thus can be
used safely for the treatment of
hypertension in the African-Ameri
can population.
The most common side effects
for calcium antagonists are dizzi
ness and headaches. CAB is con
sidered a significant step forward
in the study of medications in Af
rican Americans. Different racial
populations can react differently
to medications and are rarely, if at
all, represented in clinical trials.
“Limited financial resources
and access to health care remain
particularly significant barrie ? to
the treatment of high blood pres
sure in the Afirican-American popu
lation,” said an, executive director
of ISHIB.
“It is important to provide the
most cost-effective, safe and well-
tolerated therapy with the hopes of
increasing adherence to antihyper
tensive therapy among these pa
tients.”
Adalat CC was found to be the
least expensive, and therapeutically
equivalent to the other medica
tions in the study. This finding
could ultimately mean substantial
savings for both patients and
health-care providers.
The CAB study is the first large-
scale comparative trial that looks
at several commonly used high
blood pressure drugs in Afirican
Americans, and is working toward
the goals of the Surgeon General
and Healthy People 2010 to elimi
nate the racial gap in health. The
study was supported by the Bayer
Corporation, which manufactures
Adalat CC. A less-expensive blood
pressure medication may increase
access to needed treatment among
Afiican Americans.
Women at higii risk during cold, flu season
(NAPSA)- Ronda Stingley's
alarm, goes off at 5 a.m. A gruel
ing day of preparing meals, laun
dry, helping with homework and
nine hours in classes is ahead of
her-until midnight when she col
lapses into bed.
Ronda is senior broadcast jour
nalism major from Milwaukee.
With so much depending on her,
it’s always important for Ronda to
stay healthy-but during the winter
time, when cold and flu season is
in full swing, it’s tough.
To make matters worse, there
are so many tips about beating
colds and flu that sorting out the
facts gets confusing.
The fact is, women will miss
a total of 46 million schooldays
this year because of colds and flu.
Chances are Ronda, like many
other students, will get sick three
to four times this season.
Thankfully, there is good news:
The new American Lung
Association’s Ther-MOM-eter
Campaign.
Ther-MOM-eter Campaign pro
vides straightforward, reliable
advice on options for treating and
preventing colds and flu such as
the following sample questions:
1. Should you...
A. Starve a cold and feed a fever
B. Feed a cold and starve a
fever
C. Neither
2. What is the preferred treat
ment for the aches and pains as
sociated with colds and flu?
A. Acetaminophen
B. Aspirin
C. Ibuprofen
3. What natural alternatives work
against colds and flu?
A. Zinc lozenges
B. Herbal teas
C. Orange juice
D. None of the above
Answers
1. C When suffering from a cold
or the flu, remember to maintain
an adequate intake of fluids such
as water and juice and eat enough
to satisfy your appetite.
2. A Acetaminophen is the pre
ferred choice for treating these
symptoms. Unlike aspirin and
ibuprofen, acetaminophen is less
likely to irritate the stomach.
3. D Despite the latest news about
fighting colds and flu with natural
alternatives or home remedies,
there’s no significant clinical evi
dence that they work.
This article was contributed to
by Brandy Jones, Banner editor.
Surprising cures for bad breath
collision course.
(NAPS A)-One of the most trou
bling things about bad breath is
that you may not know you have it
or which opportunities you missed
because your breath was less than
delicious.
The fear of “dragon mouth” and
its negative effect on possible suc
cess caused Americans to spend
more than $1 billion last year on
mouthwashes, breath mints,
sprays, drops, and chewing gum.
However, these remedies only
mask the problem, according to
the experts.
Recent studies indicate the cause
of bad breath is bacteria that coat
the tongue and the gases these bac
teria cause.
According to the American Den
tal Association, these gases, known
as volatile sulfur compounds, are
responsible for both bad breath
and bad taste.
To combat bacteria on the
tongue, many dentists recommend
cleaning or scraping the tongue on
a daily basis. Many see tongue
cleaning with scrapers as the next
generation of oral health care and
have compared its use to the intro
duction of dental floss.
The single most important step
for curing halitosis is tongue scrap
ing, according to a consumer
advisor for the A.D.A.
In addition to curing halitosis,
tongue scraping also enhances taste
and reduces risk of tooth decay,
gum disease and sore throats.
Not all scrapers are created equal,
however. Brushes are not only in
effective for this purpose, but they
may cause gagging. Plastic clean
ers are toodull to do a good job and
may not r^ch the posterior of the
mouth. Metal cleaners may bend
out of shape and corrode. When
choosing a tongue scraper, here’s
what to look for
• a cleaner made with special
stainless steel;
• proper shape and width to reach
the back of your tongue;
• a working edge sharp enough
to remove the tongue’s coating that
is also safe to use;
• a flat edge design and ergo
nomically designed handles;
lored handles for individual
identification
For more information, call toll-
free 1-888-2-REFRESH or visit
the Internet site
www.breathaid.com.
Tongue cleaners have dramati
cally improved the lives of those
with chronic bad breath.
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