HEALTH ISSUE : SHORT CUTS

Check blood pressure at
home, not doc's clinic


  Think you need to go to the doctor's office to check your blood pressure? Think again: The best way to predict your risk of stroke or heart attack due to high blood pressure is through systematic monitoring at home rather than periodic checks in the doctor's office, new research suggests. "With home blood pressure monitoring you get a greater number of measurements and there is no white-coat effect," lead author Teemu Nilranen at Finland's National institute of Health and Welfare said, speaking of the tendency for anxiety to drive up blood pressure. "The patient is more relaxed and this provides blood pressure values that reflect the patient's true blood pressure better."

ROllercoaster rides can damage ear:


    The sharp turns, ups and downs, and high speeds of today's rollercoasters could cause damage to your ears, say physicians at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. The study offers the first reported link between the force of acceleration in rollercoasters and a common ear injury -- ear barotrauma. In its extreme, ear barotrauma can lead to temporary hearing loss, and most commonly causes dizziness, ear discomfort or pain, or a sensation of having the ears "pop."

10 hours of sleep the key to live till 100?

  Want to live to 100? Well, then get 10 hours of sleep a night, suggests a new study. Sleep is a major factor in rejuvenating the body and activating the immune system. In the study, boffins found that people who reach 100 are three times more likely to spend at least 10 hours a night in bed, Danan Gu of Portland State University said that human cells regenerate in sleep, which also removes toxins and activates immune system cells.