Blood pressure meds potent day and night

A Gallup Poll once found that 58 percent of adults ages 35 to 54 and 59 percent of those ages 55 and older say they’re morning people. Only 24 percent and 20 percent, respectively, of folks in those age groups claim they’re best in the evening or late at night.

Seems pretty clear: Mornings are the majority’s best option for feeling good. But, when it comes to taking blood pressure medicines, it turns out it (mostly) doesn’t matter if you take them early or late in the day.

Results from the TIME trial, presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress, showed that there was no difference in the incidence of heart attack or stroke among the more than 21,000 people taking antihypertensives who were studied over a period of five years. Of note: One subgroup, those with diabetes (13 percent of the participants), also saw no significant difference in benefits from morning or evening dosing of their medication.

In addition, researchers say that certain groups of folks — those with sleep apnea or high blood pressure that’s resistant to control — may do better taking their blood pressure meds at night.

Chemo brain solutions

Around 75 percent to 80 percent of cancer patients experience chemo brain — confusion, memory lapses and trouble with words and focus. And, although for many folks the fogginess clears nine to 12 months after treatment, it persists for 10 percent to 20 percent of patients.

Well, finally there’s good news for anyone contending with those life-dimming side effects. Research published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation has uncovered the molecular changes that chemo causes. It turns out that it alters an important cellular pathway in the brain that’s linked to cognitive function.

They also found that there are already two drugs approved for treating multiple sclerosis that can halt those cognition-damaging biochemical changes — they’re called S1pr1-antagonists.

One MS drug, Gilenya, is also being studied to see if it can prevent neuropathic pain in patients with breast cancer who were treated with Paclitaxel.

If you have gone through chemo, are going through it now or are scheduled to, talk to your oncologist about the status of these studies. Ask if the drugs have been used safely off-label in patients (it may be too early to know that) and keep track of how the research progresses.

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fraction 44 Arrive at 47 Port near

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the news 52 Whacked

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verb 56 Extinct bird 57 Wellqualified 58 Change hair

color 59 Respond 60 Hawaiian

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neighbor 3 Fine spray 4 Kline or

Costner 5 Kilt-wearer’s

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physician 43 Calf-roping

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purchase 54 Pipe bend