Hunter-gatherers and horticulturalist lifestyle linked to lower blood pressure increases, atherosclerosis risks

ScienceDaily (May 21, 2012) ? Traditional "hunter-gatherer" and "horticulturalist" populations have significantly lower age-related increases in blood pressure and less risks of atherosclerosis than "modernized" populations. Lifestyle factors of these traditional populations -- high physical activity and high fruit and vegetable diets -- may protect against normal aging phenomena, high blood pressure and hardening of the arteries.

Hunter-gatherers and forager-horticulturalists who live off the land and grow what they need to survive have lower age-related increases in blood pressure and less risks of atherosclerosis, according to two new studies in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension.

High blood pressure and atherosclerosis -- a disease in which arteries stiffen and fill with plaque -- increase with age in the United States and other countries, raising risks for heart attack, stroke, kidney disease and death. Age-related increases in blood pressure have been observed in almost every population, except among hunters-gatherers, farmers and pastoralists.

"Surprisingly, heart disease and stroke aren't necessarily inevitable with age," said Michael Gurven, Ph.D., study author and anthropology professor and chairman of the University of California-Santa Barbara's Integrative Anthropological Sciences Unit.

Gurven's team followed 2,296 indigenous adults in 82 Tsimane villages, an area in the tropical lowlands of Bolivia's Amazon basin. Tsimane are lowland forager-horticulturalists (pop. ~11,000) subsisting on plantains, rice, corn, manioc, fish and hunted game.

"The Tsimane living conditions are similar to those of our ancestors, with greater exposure to pathogens, active lifestyle, high fertility and traditional diet. Studying chronic diseases in these populations can be very insightful," Gurven said.

Researchers found:

• Per decade, Tsimane women had a systolic blood pressure increase of 2.86 millimeter of mercury (mm Hg) and a diastolic blood pressure increase of 0.95 mm Hg.
• Per decade, Tsimane men had a systolic blood pressure increase of 0.91 mm Hg and a diastolic blood pressure decrease of 0.02 mm Hg.
• About 3 percent of Tsimane adults have high blood pressure, compared to 33.5 percent of U.S. adults.

Among Americans over age 40, systolic pressure increases by about 7 mm Hg per decade.

Around the world, 52 other societies have blood pressure two to eight times higher than the Tsimane. Americans' blood pressures are two to four times higher.

"Our classic risk factors such as high blood pressure are not universal," Gurven said. "Nor does all modernization automatically lead to poorer health, contrary to popular beliefs. While overall blood pressure was somewhat higher with more exposure to modernization, there was no evidence of a greater increase in blood pressure with age."

Between July 2002 and December 2010, researchers measured participants' blood pressure one to eight times during multiple physical exams in the Tsimane villages.

Degree of modernization was based on village distance to the nearest town, smoking status, Spanish fluency and education level.

Gurven also noted that prior research done in 2009 published in PLoS ONE showed no evidence of subclinical atherosclerosis in Tsimane adults.

In a smaller study, researchers compared the risks of atherosclerosis in traditional Pygmies -- subsistence hunters-gatherers living in the equatorial forests of Cameroon -- to two neighboring groups: semi-urbanized Pygmies and farmers known as the Bantou.

The researchers gauged atherosclerosis risks based on the elasticity of the participants' arteries, using two markers: pulse wave velocity, a direct measure of arterial stiffening; and aortic augmentation index, an indirect measure of atherosclerosis.

• Atherosclerosis risks were about 20 percent lower among traditional Pygmies than that of the other two groups.
• Pulse wave velocity for traditional Pygmies was 5.8 meters/second, 6.82 meters/second for contemporary Pygmies and 6.93 meters/second for Bantou farmers.
• The augmentation index for the three groups weren't different, but the traditional Pygmies' shorter height suggests their atherosclerosis risks are lower than the others.

"Our study shows that the effect of aging on atherosclerosis is blunted by a traditional lifestyle," said Daniel Lemogoum, M.D., M.P.H., study lead author and cardiologist at the Hypertension Clinic at H?pital Erasme of the Universit? Libre de Bruxelles in Brussels, Belgium.

In clinical exams, the Belgium researchers measured 62 adults' blood pressure, heart rate, weight, height, body mass index, pulse wave velocity and augmentation index. They calculated effects of factors including blood pressure and age.

"By focusing our attention on people with very different lifestyles from our own, we might better be able to understand that maintaining heart health is possible even as we age," Lemogoum said.

Lifestyle factors specific to hunters-gatherers might explain the minimal increases in blood pressure in the Tsimane and low atherosclerosis risks in the traditional Pygmies, the study authors said. The factors include: high physical activity, low stress levels and potentially protective diets high in fruits, vegetables and potassium and low in calories, salt and alcohol.

Gurven's co-authors are: Aaron Blackwell, Ph.D.; Daniel Eid Rodriguez, M.D.; Jonathan Stieglitz, Ph.D.; and Hillard Kaplan, Ph.D.

Lemogoum's co-authors are: William Ngatchou, M.D.; Christophe Janssen, M.D.; Marc Leeman, M.D., Ph.D.; Luc Van Bortel, M.D., Ph.D.; Pierre Boutouyrie, M.D., Ph.D.; Jean Paul Degaute, M.D., Ph.D.; and Philippe Van de Borne, M.D., Ph.D.

The National Institute on Aging funded the Tsimane study and the French Foundation for Research on Arterial Hypertension funded the Cameroon study.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by American Heart Association.

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Journal References:

1. Michael Gurven, Aaron D. Blackwell, Daniel Eid Rodr?guez, Jonathan Stieglitz, and Hillard Kaplan. Does Blood Pressure Inevitably Rise With Age? Longitudinal Evidence Among Forager-Horticulturalists. Hypertension, 2012 DOI: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.111.189100
2. Daniel Lemogoum, William Ngatchou, Christophe Janssen, Marc Leeman, Luc Van Bortel, Pierre Boutouyrie, Jean Paul Degaute, and Philippe Van de Borne. Effects of Hunter-Gatherer Subsistence Mode on Arterial Distensibility in Cameroonian Pygmies. Hypertension, May 21 2012 DOI: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.111.187757

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

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Spain's 'indignants' have huge support: poll

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Whispers in the Loggia: On Communications Day, "Silence and Word"

As we draw near to World Communications Day 2012, I would like to share with you some reflections concerning an aspect of the human process of communication which, despite its importance, is often overlooked and which, at the present time, it would seem especially necessary to recall. It concerns the relationship between silence and word: two aspects of communication which need to be kept in balance, to alternate and to be integrated with one another if authentic dialogue and deep closeness between people are to be achieved. When word and silence become mutually exclusive, communication breaks down, either because it gives rise to confusion or because, on the contrary, it creates an atmosphere of coldness; when they complement one another, however, communication acquires value and meaning.

Silence is an integral element of communication; in its absence, words rich in content cannot exist. In silence, we are better able to listen to and understand ourselves; ideas come to birth and acquire depth; we understand with greater clarity what it is we want to say and what we expect from others; and we choose how to express ourselves. By remaining silent we allow the other person to speak, to express him or herself; and we avoid being tied simply to our own words and ideas without them being adequately tested. In this way, space is created for mutual listening, and deeper human relationships become possible. It is often in silence, for example, that we observe the most authentic communication taking place between people who are in love: gestures, facial expressions and body language are signs by which they reveal themselves to each other. Joy, anxiety, and suffering can all be communicated in silence ? indeed it provides them with a particularly powerful mode of expression. Silence, then, gives rise to even more active communication, requiring sensitivity and a capacity to listen that often makes manifest the true measure and nature of the relationships involved. When messages and information are plentiful, silence becomes essential if we are to distinguish what is important from what is insignificant or secondary. Deeper reflection helps us to discover the links between events that at first sight seem unconnected, to make evaluations, to analyze messages; this makes it possible to share thoughtful and relevant opinions, giving rise to an authentic body of shared knowledge. For this to happen, it is necessary to develop an appropriate environment, a kind of ?eco-system? that maintains a just equilibrium between silence, words, images and sounds.

The process of communication nowadays is largely fuelled by questions in search of answers. Search engines and social networks have become the starting point of communication for many people who are seeking advice, ideas, information and answers. In our time, the internet is becoming ever more a forum for questions and answers ? indeed, people today are frequently bombarded with answers to questions they have never asked and to needs of which they were unaware. If we are to recognize and focus upon the truly important questions, then silence is a precious commodity that enables us to exercise proper discernment in the face of the surcharge of stimuli and data that we receive. Amid the complexity and diversity of the world of communications, however, many people find themselves confronted with the ultimate questions of human existence: Who am I? What can I know? What ought I to do? What may I hope? It is important to affirm those who ask these questions, and to open up the possibility of a profound dialogue, by means of words and interchange, but also through the call to silent reflection, something that is often more eloquent than a hasty answer and permits seekers to reach into the depths of their being and open themselves to the path towards knowledge that God has inscribed in human hearts.

Ultimately, this constant flow of questions demonstrates the restlessness of human beings, ceaselessly searching for truths, of greater or lesser import, that can offer meaning and hope to their lives. Men and women cannot rest content with a superficial and unquestioning exchange of skeptical opinions and experiences of life ? all of us are in search of truth and we share this profound yearning today more than ever: "When people exchange information, they are already sharing themselves, their view of the world, their hopes, their ideals" (Message for the 2011 World Day of Communications).

Attention should be paid to the various types of websites, applications and social networks which can help people today to find time for reflection and authentic questioning, as well as making space for silence and occasions for prayer, meditation or sharing of the word of God. In concise phrases, often no longer than a verse from the Bible, profound thoughts can be communicated, as long as those taking part in the conversation do not neglect to cultivate their own inner lives. It is hardly surprising that different religious traditions consider solitude and silence as privileged states which help people to rediscover themselves and that Truth which gives meaning to all things. The God of biblical revelation speaks also without words: "As the Cross of Christ demonstrates, God also speaks by his silence. The silence of God, the experience of the distance of the almighty Father, is a decisive stage in the earthly journey of the Son of God, the incarnate Word ?. God?s silence prolongs his earlier words. In these moments of darkness, he speaks through the mystery of his silence" (Verbum Domini, 21). The eloquence of God?s love, lived to the point of the supreme gift, speaks in the silence of the Cross. After Christ?s death there is a great silence over the earth, and on Holy Saturday, when "the King sleeps and God slept in the flesh and raised up those who were sleeping from the ages" (cf. Office of Readings, Holy Saturday), God?s voice resounds, filled with love for humanity.

If God speaks to us even in silence, we in turn discover in silence the possibility of speaking with God and about God. "We need that silence which becomes contemplation, which introduces us into God?s silence and brings us to the point where the Word, the redeeming Word, is born" (Homily, Eucharistic Celebration with Members of the International Theological Commission, 6 October 2006). In speaking of God?s grandeur, our language will always prove inadequate and must make space for silent contemplation. Out of such contemplation springs forth, with all its inner power, the urgent sense of mission, the compelling obligation "to communicate that which we have seen and heard" so that all may be in communion with God (1 Jn 1:3). Silent contemplation immerses us in the source of that Love who directs us towards our neighbours so that we may feel their suffering and offer them the light of Christ, his message of life and his saving gift of the fullness of love.

In silent contemplation, then, the eternal Word, through whom the world was created, becomes ever more powerfully present and we become aware of the plan of salvation that God is accomplishing throughout our history by word and deed. As the Second Vatican Council reminds us, divine revelation is fulfilled by "deeds and words having an inner unity: the deeds wrought by God in the history of salvation manifest and confirm the teaching and realities signified by the words, while the words proclaim the deeds and clarify the mystery contained in them" (Dei Verbum, 2). This plan of salvation culminates in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, the mediator and the fullness of all revelation. He has made known to us the true face of God the Father and by his Cross and Resurrection has brought us from the slavery of sin and death to the freedom of the children of God. The fundamental question of the meaning of human existence finds in the mystery of Christ an answer capable of bringing peace to the restless human heart. The Church?s mission springs from this mystery; and it is this mystery which impels Christians to become heralds of hope and salvation, witnesses of that love which promotes human dignity and builds justice and peace.

Word and silence: learning to communicate is learning to listen and contemplate as well as speak. This is especially important for those engaged in the task of evangelization: both silence and word are essential elements, integral to the Church?s work of communication for the sake of a renewed proclamation of Christ in today?s world. To Mary, whose silence "listens to the Word and causes it to blossom" (Private Prayer at the Holy House, Loreto, 1 September 2007), I entrust all the work of evangelization which the Church undertakes through the means of social communication.

From the Vatican, 24 January 2012, Feast of Saint Francis de Sales

BENEDICTUS PP. XVI

-30-

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Healthy Food air max 95 Options When Eating In a Restaurant ...

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Augmented reality sandbox lets you change the course of rivers, won't get you wet

Ask any kid, playing in the sandbox is fun enough on its own, but too much moisture will turn your grainy playground into a lumpy mess. Researchers at UC Davis have cooked up one solution: an augmented reality sandbox. Much like last year's SandyStation, the project uses a Kinect sensor in conjunction with a digital projector and a bit of software to overlay topographical data and simulated water over a traditional -- and dry -- sandbox. The end result is an augmented environment that can be used to teach geographic, geologic and hydrological concepts. The team hopes the project will help them develop hands-on exhibits for science museums, teaching visitors about contour lines, watersheds, catchment areas and more. Check out the video above for a full demo, or scope out the source below for the technical nitty-gritty.

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Biden endorses same-sex marriage, White House tries to take it back (Americablog)

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