Capsules

Blood-Pressure

New guidelines suggested

Blood pressure-lowering drugs should be offered to all individuals at high risk of a heart attack or stroke regardless of their blood pressure at the start of treatment, according to a meta-analysis involving over 6,00,000 people, published in The Lancet. The authors call for a revision of BPlowering guidelines, including those of NICE and the European Society of Hypertension, that have relaxed BP targets from 130/85 mmHg to 140/90 mmHg, and for the elderly to even higher 150/90 mmHg. They recommend a shift from rigid targets to individualised risk-based targets, even when the BP is below 130 mmHg. High BP, No 1 cause of heart disease and stroke, affects over one billion individuals worldwide, and kills 9.4 million every year.

Holiday Hazards

Watch what your pet eats

If your dog received a stocking full of pet treats, make sure he doesn’t gobble them all up at once, says the US Food and Drug Administration. If your pet eats treats whole, or eats too many at once, he may not be able to digest them. Unchewed treats can get stuck in the windpipe or the gastrointestinal tract. If your dog is in distress from eating too much too fast, contact your vet immediately. Some telltale signs are drooling, choking, or vomiting. Also, while decorating your tree and wrapping or unwrapping gifts, take care where you leave the tinsel, string, and ribbons — your cat may find them irresistible because they look easy-tocatch, sparkly, and wiggly. But they can cause serious stomach and intestinal damage, the FDA adds.