| Your Health: Besides beta blockers, breathing exercises can help blood ...
Q:A few months ago, I finally yielded to my doctor's pressure and went on a blood pressure medication, against my better judgment. I am a 63-year-old female. The medication is metoprolol succinate.If you could tell me some of its side effects, I would be grateful. I am not feeling well, and I am guessing this new med is the culprit.A:Metoprolol, like other beta blocker blood pressure medicines, may cause fatigue, dizziness or diarrhea. Some people develop an itchy rash while taking the medicine, while others may find themselves short of breath. It slows heart rate, sometimes by quite a lot.Many cardiologists are reassessing beta blockers, though. Such drugs are rarely considered first-line treatments for hypertension these days (Lancet, Oct. 29, 2005). Blood pressure control is very important, so don't stop your medication on your own.
FDA Approves New Blood Pressure Medication
Tablets containing a combination of the blood pressure medication aliskiren and water pill hydrochlorothiazide have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, the product's manufacturer, Novartis AG, said Monday. Sold under the name Tekturna in the United States, the hypertension compound aliskiren was approved last March. It acts by targeting renin, an enzyme responsible for high blood pressure. The newly approved version also includes hydrochlorothiazide, a compound that inhibits the kidney's ability to retain water. This water pill is commonly used to treat high blood pressure. Tekturna HCT tablets are intended for patients whose blood pressure has not been controlled by a single drug. They will be available in early February the company said. Side effects associated with the new combination tablets include dizziness, flu-like symptoms, diarrhea, cough, tiredness and skin rashes.
Virginian finds local ties to family
What he has come up with this time is his second book, basically started in 1978, of one aspect of his father's family: the story of Belden Leslie Winters (1878-1928) and his wife, Anna Ora Eaton (1875-1956) If one were building a genealogical tree, this couple would be the ancestors of his grandmother, Estill Winters Fox, who was born in Coal Grove. Estill grew up in Lawrence County, married in 1919 and moved to Newport News, Va., in the 1930s where she spent the rest of her life. .
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