Latest High Blood Pressure News

Physical Fitness Lowers Risk of High Blood Pressure in People With Family History

By Jennifer Warner WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD

May 14, 2012 -- Does high blood pressure run in your family? Keeping physically fit may lower your odds of developing high blood pressure by a third.

A new study shows that physically fit people with a family history of high blood pressure were up to 34% less likely to develop high blood pressure than people who rarely exercised.

And it didn't take hours of working out at the gym every day to get that benefit.

"The results of this study send a very practical message, which is that even a very realistic, moderate amount of exercise -- which we define as brisk walking for 150 minutes per week -- can provide a huge health benefit, particularly to people predisposed to hypertension because of their family history," researcher Robin P. Shook, a doctoral graduate student in the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, says in a news release.

Having a parent with high blood pressure is one of the biggest risk factors for developing the condition yourself. Previous research suggests that having a parent with high blood pressure may account for about 35% to 65% of the variability of blood pressure levels.

The new study, published in Hypertension, included more than 6,000 healthy adults. About a third of them had a parent with high blood pressure.

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Fitness Fights High Blood Pressure Genes

St. Monica Senior Citizen Home and Assisted Living

SENIOR HEALTH AND INFORMATION FAIR: Exhibitors will offer senior-related health services including free blood sugar and skin cancer checks. There will be informative breakout sessions and door prizes (including a TV). A homemade bakery sale will be held with proceeds to benefit the St. Monicas Activities Program. A lunch of barbecued sandwiches or brats will be sold. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. May 19, St. Monicas, 3920 N. Green Bay Road, Caledonia. For more information, call (262) 639-5050.

Aurora Wellness Center

HEALING WITH YOGA: This series is open to those currently undergoing cancer treatment and those who have completed treatment. Learn techniques to relieve stress through imagery, breathing, gentle stretching and deep relaxation. The focus for cancer patients is on restoring and nurturing all parts of mind and body, and on regaining a sense of control, optimism, energy and wholeness. Participants may start six weeks after surgery; a doctors permission slip is required. 10:30-11:45 a.m. Tuesdays through Sept. 25 (participants may join at any time), Aurora Wellness Center, 300 McCanna Parkway, Burlington. Free, registration is required, go to http://www.aurorahealthcare.org or call (800) 499-5736.

Fitness File is published every Wednesday and includes notices of nonprofit fitness and health-related programs. The deadline to submit an announcement is seven days before the desired publication date. Mail information to Fitness File, c/o Diane Collins, 212 Fourth St., Racine, WI 53403; fax to (262) 631-1780; or submit it to the online calendar at http://www.journaltimes.com/calendar and use the Health-and-fitness category.

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Health & Fitness File, May 16

PITTSBURGH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

As a leading life-science company dedicated to personalized cancer care, Precision Therapeutics will be present at the 12th Annual Womens Health & Fitness Expo to distribute educational materials about ovarian cancer and personalizing cancer treatments. The 2012 Expo is being held in Kingston, NY on Saturday, May 19th, and is the largest and only event of its kind in New York State.

The 12th Annual Womens Health & Fitness Expo attracts top speakers, authors, medical professionals, artists and experts from all over the Hudson Valley and beyond. 100 booths and exhibits provide seminars, workshops and interactive experiences which include free health screenings.

National Womens Health Week is an important time to focus on educating women to become their own health advocates, says Sean McDonald, President and CEO of Precision Therapeutics. Precision is dedicated to the continuous development and improvement of technologies that aim to provide physicians with comprehensive information that supports individualized treatment decisions for their cancer patients. It is an honor to support the local communities in their efforts to bring quality health education to women.

For more information about the Womens Health & Fitness Expo, visit http://www.womenshealthexpo.com.

About Precision Therapeutics

Precision Therapeutics, a leading life-science company based inPittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is dedicated to personalized cancer care. Precision offers a portfolio of products developed to help guide physicians and patients with difficult clinical decisions throughout the cancer care continuum.

Precision's state of the art Comprehensive Tumor Profiling is an integrated straightforward approach combining three core platforms of personalized medicine to capture the total sum of genomic, proteomic and functional information for each patient's cancer.

Precision's first commercial test, ChemoFx, is a proprietary drug response marker which measures an individual's malignant tumor response to a range of standard therapeutic alternatives under consideration by a physician. Precision currently receives ChemoFx specimens from 271 top medical institutions including 20 of the 21 National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Member Institutions, and 8 of the US News and World Report Top 10 Hospitals for Cancer Care. To date, approximately 80,000 patient specimens have been submitted for ChemoFx testing using 105 unique chemotherapy treatments and combinations.

For more information, visit: http://www.precisiontherapeutics.com or http://www.chemofx.com.

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Precision Therapeutics Supports The 12th Annual Women’s Health & Fitness Expo 2012 in Honor of National Women’s Health ...

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

American workers, shaken by the realities of the Great Recession, have adjusted their visions of retirement according to the 13th Annual Transamerica Retirement Survey released today by the non-profit Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies (The Center). The Center surveyed more than 3,600 American workers and found that the majority of workers plan to work past age 65 (56 percent) and the majority (54 percent) plan to continue working after they retire. Despite workers demonstrated commitment to saving, just 39 percent believe they are building a sufficient nest egg, thereby underscoring the need to redefine retirement readiness in a way that is better suited to these new realities.

For the past few years, the annual Transamerica Retirement Survey has seen an emerging trend of workers who plan to work past age 65, including some workers who do not plan to retire. This years survey found that these expectations are prevalent to varying degrees among workers of all age ranges, not just older workers.

American workers are adjusting their expectations of retirement, including working past age 65 and planning to work part-time in retirement, said Catherine Collinson, president of the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies. American workers have reshaped their vision of retirement, now its time to provide an updated roadmap to help them achieve retirement income to last throughout their lifetime.

Following careful analysis, The Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies proposes the following definition of Retirement Readiness:

A state in which an individual is well-prepared for retirement, should it happen as planned or unexpectedly, and can continue generating adequate income to cover living expenses throughout his/her lifetime through retirement savings and investments, employer pension benefits, government benefits, and/or continuing to work in some manner while allowing for leisure time to enjoy life.

Plan for the Best, Prepare for the Unexpected

According to the survey, more than half of workers polled (57 percent) have a retirement strategy, including 12 percent who have a written plan and 45 percent who have a plan that is not written down. Of those with any form of strategy, only 15 percent have factored in contingency plans for retiring sooner than expected and/or savings shortfalls. Meanwhile, among all workers, many still leave their future retirements up to guesswork; when asked how they estimated their savings needs for retirement, 47 percent admitted to guessing.

The effects of the Great Recession have been reflected in workers changing expectations of retirement. Working past age 65 is an important opportunity to continue to earn income, save more, and help to alleviate a retirement savings shortfall; however, its more important than ever for workers to have a retirement strategy including contingency plans if they are forced to retire sooner than expected. The fact that so few workers have a backup plan is a scary reality that must be addressed, said Collinson. Lifes unforeseen circumstances, such as a job loss or health issues, can have a devastating impact on the best laid plans. The what if scenarios are mission critical for American workers of all age ranges to include in their long-term preparations.

A significant majority (84 percent) prefers a do-it-yourself decision-making style regarding saving and investing for retirement, including nearly half (49 percent) of workers who seek advice but make their own final decisions and 35 percent who do their own research and make their own decisions. Despite these decision making styles, most workers (70 percent) agree that they do not know as much as they should about retirement investing.

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Transamerica Study Shows American Workers Shifting Expectations of Retirement, Reveals Need to Redefine ‘Retirement ...

The average American will face a 28% income shortfall in retirement, according to a recent survey by Fidelity Investments. And that's just the broad percentage: In dollars-and-cents terms, Gen Xers will be scrambling to find an extra $1,700 a month to cover living expenses, while baby boomers will fall a whopping $2,100 a month short of what they need to maintain their current standards of living.

That may sound like an insurmountable problem, but don't throw in the towel. As Fidelity's Kathy Murphy says, "finding the money to fill the income gap is not unattainable."

But if you want to do so, "take action now -- and the sooner the better."

Read the story on DailyFinance here

Here are five relatively easy steps you can take -- some as soon as today -- that will help prevent an income deficiency when you do retire.

1. Boost Your Stock Exposure. If you're 40 or younger, adding a higher percentage of stocks to your portfolio with a lower allocation to bonds will allow your portfolio to grow more quickly than if you were in a "safer" allocation focused on a higher bond exposure.

Stocks have historically grown at roughly 10% a year, but even an allocation of 83% stocks and 17% bonds (as Fidelity hypothetically uses) could return 8.4% a year.

Unfortunately, if you're older than 40, a higher allocation to stocks is riskier and -- although it could help your portfolio grow more rapidly -- could have a detrimental effect on your investments if you retire during a bear market.

2. Save More. A Lot More.

Most Americans still don't participate in employer-sponsored retirement plans like 401(k)s. And this is a colossal mistake.

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A 5-Step Plan to Fill That Scary Retirement Income Gap

Not so long ago debt "was a four-letter word when spoken in the same breath as "retirement." Before waltzing into their golden years, older Americans paid off their loans, then celebrated by burning the mortgage.

How things have changed!

Now a third of folks 65 and older have a mortgage vs. 20% two decades ago, according to recent Census data. Median balance: $56,000.

Meanwhile, seniors 65 and up carry an average $10,235 on credit cards, think tank Demos reports.

The affluent are not immune, either. Among households headed by those 65 and up with incomes over $100,000, 25% have nonmortgage liabilities, says the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College.

You don't have to be totally debt-free before your golden years, to be sure. But financial planners caution that too much red ink, and the wrong kinds, can diminish your standard of living.

Make sure IOUs won't weigh you down by taking these steps before retirement:

See how you'd manage. Remember that your income is likely to decline once you leave the workforce.

"You don't want to go into retirement with more obligations than you can honor," says Gail Cunningham of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling.

So use T. Rowe Price's Retirement Income Planner to estimate what you'll get annually from pensions, Social Security, and investments. Then total up the monthly nut on mortgages, car loans, and other installment loans; add on what it would take per month to pay off your credit card in three years and your HELOC in five (you can use CNNMoney's debt-reduction planner to calculate both). Divide the sum by your projected monthly income.

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Don't Let Debt Weigh Down Your Retirement

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire -05/16/12)- BMO Financial Group released a study today indicating that many Canadian homeowners are feeling the pinch of balancing mortgage responsibilities with saving for retirement.

The survey, conducted by Leger Marketing, found the following:

"Paying off your mortgage prior to entering retirement is very important, because it will eliminate a significant amount of debt and keep you from having to manage higher debt loads after you stop working," said Tina Di Vito, Head, BMO Retirement Institute. "When you are no longer receiving employment income, it makes it much harder to let go of large amounts of money."

While saving for retirement and paying off a mortgage can often become competing priorities, many experts recommend finding a balance between both but placing extra focus on paying off a mortgage first.

"If your retirement is only a few years away, it is wise to try and pay off your mortgage before you enter retirement," said Laura Parsons, Mortgage Expert, BMO Bank of Montreal. "On the other end of the spectrum, for younger Canadians entering homeownership, it's important to consider options that will ensure mortgage debt can be paid down faster and well before their retirement years."

Ms. Parsons added that choosing a shorter amortization and taking advantage of pre-payment privileges where possible is one way to achieve a mortgage-free retirement.

"If you're buying a home at the age of 30, the difference between paying off your mortgage at 55 instead of 60 can have a significant financial impact on your retirement picture," said Ms. Parsons.

Regionally, the survey revealed:

Trying to pay down your mortgage faster? BMO provides the following advice:

Choose a shorter amortization: Choose a mortgage with a shorter amortization, which allows you to build equity in your home. A shorter amortization will help you pay less in total interest, protect against the possibility of rising interest rates and help secure a debt-free retirement.

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Mortgage Debt Hindering Retirement Planning: BMO Study

FRAMINGHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Staples, Inc. (Nasdaq: SPLS - News) announced today the results for its first quarter ended April 28, 2012. Total company sales for the first quarter of 2012 were $6.1 billion, a decrease of one percent in U.S. dollars and flat on a local currency basis compared to the first quarter of 2011. Net income for the first quarter of 2012 decreased six percent year over year to $187 million. Diluted earnings per share, on a GAAP basis, decreased four percent to $0.27 from $0.28 achieved in the first quarter of 2011.

During the first quarter of 2012, the company recorded $28 million of pre-tax expenses primarily related to headcount reductions in North America, Europe and Australia, as well as the settlement of a contractual dispute associated with the acquisition of Corporate Express. These expenses negatively impacted the companys first quarter 2012 diluted earnings per share, on a GAAP basis, by approximately $0.03.

In North America we continue to build momentum in categories beyond office supplies while trends in our international business remain soft, said Ron Sargent, Staples chairman and chief executive officer. Our plans remain on track to grow both sales and earnings during 2012.

On a GAAP basis, first quarter 2012 operating income rate decreased 43 basis points to 5.21 percent. This decrease primarily reflects severance costs related to headcount reductions, as well as deleverage of fixed expenses on lower sales in International Operations, partially offset by reduced marketing and supply chain expense.

The company generated operating cash flow of $147 million and invested $52 million in capital expenditures, resulting in free cash flow of $95 million during the first quarter of 2012. The company returned $75 million to shareholders through cash dividends and repurchased 5.9 million shares for $93 million during the first quarter of 2012. At the end of the first quarter, the company had $2.3 billion in liquidity, including $1.2 billion in cash and cash equivalents.

North American Delivery

North American Delivery sales for the first quarter of 2012 were $2.6 billion, an increase of two percent compared to the prior year period. This primarily reflects double-digit sales growth in facilities and breakroom supplies and strong growth in copy and print and promotional products. Operating income rate increased three basis points to 7.87 percent compared to the first quarter of 2011. This increase primarily reflects supply chain efficiencies, partially offset by a pre-tax expense of $8 million related to headcount reductions and the settlement of a contractual dispute associated with the acquisition of Corporate Express, as well as lower product margins.

North American Retail

North American Retail sales of $2.3 billion were essentially flat compared to the first quarter of 2011. Comparable store sales for the first quarter of 2012 were flat, as average order size and customer traffic were unchanged versus the prior year. Operating income rate decreased 43 basis points to 7.18 percent compared to the first quarter of 2011. This decrease primarily reflects a pre-tax expense of $4 million related to headcount reductions and the settlement of a contractual dispute associated with the acquisition of Corporate Express. The decline also reflects ongoing investments to drive growth in categories beyond office supplies, partially offset by reduced marketing and depreciation expense. During the first quarter, the company opened three and closed six stores in the U.S. and opened one and closed one store in Canada, ending the first quarter of 2012 with 1,914 stores in North America.

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Staples, Inc. Announces First Quarter 2012 Performance

ALBANY, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Momentive Performance Materials Inc., a leading global provider of silicones and advanced materials, focused on some of the fastest growing trends in personal care products with new additive technology exhibited at NYSCC Suppliers Day in Edison, New Jersey, May 15-16. These trends include enhanced color protection, as more and more consumers with different hair types are coloring their hair; advanced thermal protection, as the popularity of thermal hair styling continues to grow; more effective sun protection, with continued consumer concern over the harmful effects of ultraviolet light; and improved sustainability, with increasing consumer interest in products that have minimized or eliminated the use of such ingredients as parabens and ethylene oxide.

Momentives celebrated history of innovation in personal care technology traces back more than 25 years with the introduction of the first commercialized silicone for 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner in 1986. Since then, the company has helped many of the personal care industrys leading brands bring competitively differentiated products to market that address key consumer preferences in hair care, sun care, skin care and color cosmetics.

Over the years, the science behind feeling beautiful has grown increasingly complex, as the range of benefits offered to consumers has become more diversified and personal care products themselves becoming more versatile or more specialized, said David Cohon, Global Marketing Director, Personal Care, Momentive Performance Materials. At Momentive, our job is to help our customers continually create and feed consumer demand by providing additives that help their formulations do more. Its hard for consumers to see, but theres a lot of science that goes into helping them look and feel their best. And because these are consumer products, formulators want to work with companies they can trust companies, such as Momentive, that have been in the business for years and have the global bandwidth to develop and deliver products anywhere they are needed.

Recent product introductions that offer some of the most sought-after product performance and processing benefits are highlighted below. To download a copy of Momentives personal care brochure, please click here for Silicone Specialties for Personal Care.

For more information about Momentives solutions for the personal care industry, please call 800.295.2392 in North America (+1 614 986 2495 everywhere else), email 4information@momentive.com or visit http://www.momentive.com.

About Momentive Performance Materials Inc.

Momentive Performance Materials Inc. is a global leader in silicones and advanced materials, with a 70+ year heritage of being first to market with performance applications for major industries that support and improve everyday life. The company delivers science-based solutions, by linking custom technology platforms to opportunities for customers. Momentive Performance Materials Inc. is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Momentive Performance Materials Holdings LLC. Additional information is available at http://www.momentive.com.

About Momentive

Momentive Performance Materials Holdings LLC is the ultimate parent company of Momentive Performance Materials Inc. and Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc. (collectively, Momentive). Momentive is a global leader in specialty chemicals and materials, with a broad range of advanced specialty products that help industrial and consumer companies support and improve everyday life. The company uses its technology portfolio to deliver tailored solutions to meet the diverse needs of its customers around the world. Momentive was formed in October 2010 through the combination of entities that indirectly owned Momentive Performance Materials Inc. and Hexion Specialty Chemicals Inc. The capital structures and legal entity structures of both Momentive Performance Materials Inc. and Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc. (formerly known as Hexion Specialty Chemicals, Inc.), and their respective subsidiaries and direct parent companies, remain separate. Momentive Performance Materials Inc. and Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc. file separate financial and other reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Momentive is controlled by investment funds affiliated with Apollo Global Management, LLC. Additional information about Momentive and its products is available at http://www.momentive.com.

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New Technology from Momentive Performance Materials Focuses On Fastest Growing Trends in Personal Care Products

COLTS NECK, N.J., May 16, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In early-May, more than 150 RetroFitness franchise owners, vendor partners, and company corporate executives joined together at The Borgata Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, N.J. to celebrate the growth and success of the national fitness company's franchise system.

With an emphasis on providing value to consumers at the current $19.99 a month memberships, the two-day event kicked off with a vendor trade show where RetroFitness franchise owners experienced firsthand new product and equipment innovations available to them to gain a more competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Eric Casaburi, founder and CEO of RetroFitness, held an hour-long corporate meeting and shared the company's vision for 2012 and strength of the brand as a whole.

"It will be a strong year for our company. We are adding incredible value to our gyms without increasing price. By demanding high-quality gyms and increasing the experience of our member's workouts, we will stand out against the competition," Casaburi said. "The conference was a high-energy event that produced new ideas on what we need to do to remain a leading fitness concept. The takeaways were unbelievable and we look forward to another impressive year of growth for RetroFitness."

To further position the franchisee's for success, company executives spoke at a series of business seminars that lasted throughout the course of the conference, educating franchisees on how to drive the RetroFitness culture and enhance business performance levels within their gyms.

Adding to the excitement in the conference was a guest speech by NFL legend, Rocky Bleier, most notable as former Pittsburgh Steelers running back and four-time Super Bowl champion, spoke to the crowd about leadership and teamwork.

Since it began franchising, RetroFitness currently has more than 100 new clubs in its development pipeline, nearly 250,000 members, and more than 80 clubs operating. In 2011, RetroFitness opened 20 new gyms and inked more than 25 franchise agreements. The company projects 300 gyms in the next three years, focusing on key markets such as Maryland, New York, Virginia, and Washington D.C.

The RetroFitness franchise model continually attracts high-quality, single and multi-unit investors who have a strong business acumen. Offering entrepreneurs the opportunity to open in 10,000 to 16,000 sq. ft. spaces in key U.S. markets where prime real estate is more affordable than ever before, RetroFitness is "fit" for investors in the current economy.

RetroFitness features a full collection of top-of-the line strength equipment and cardio machines from industry leaders, such as Life Fitness and Iron Grip, complete with individualized LCD television monitors. Each gym offers members a RetroTheatre where members can work out in a darkened room on cardio machines while watching movies. In addition, members can enjoy personal training, tanning, full-service locker rooms, a RetroBlends juice bar and onsite chiropractic services, in addition to other amenities.

For more information, please visit http://www.retrofitness.net or call 1800-RETRO-04.

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RetroFitness Celebrates Past Years' Success and Focuses on Bright Future at Fourth Annual National Conference