Food and Drug Administration

Even the Food and Drug Administration is weighing in, with recent deliberations on whether salt contents should be posted clearly on food labels. After years of acrimonious debate on the true dangers of sodium, anti-salt crusaders contend that the writing is on the wall. “The evidence is overwhelming,” said Dr. J. James Rohack, a Texas cardiologist who is working with the American Medical Association to rid the nation of its high-salt habits.

One plan of attack: calling on food companies and restaurants to cut the salt they serve by half over the next 10 years. The move could eventually end one of the major obstacles in fighting hypertension, the self-control and vigilance required when it comes to eating prepared or packaged foods. “People wouldn’t have to make a conscious decision,” said Dr. Lawrence J. Appel, a heart nutrition expert at Johns Hopkins University. “It could really make a difference.”

Practical Blood Pressure Advice, Too Often Shelved for Convenience

Gonzalo Garcia has his blood pressure checked at the CAC-Florida medical

A low-salt, heart-healthy diet is staging a comeback as some 60-plus drugs fail to rein in rising hypertension rates.

As many as half of the 70 million Americans with hypertension are sensitive to salt, versus 10 percent of Americans in general.

When combined with the right diet, cutting back on salt can lower blood pressure as well as any single hypertension pill.

Older, cheaper drugs for high blood pressure may work just as well as, or better than, new and expensive ones.

It tastes bland and can be a tough daily regimen to follow, so it’s not the ideal medicine for high blood pressure. But a low-salt, heart-healthy diet is staging a comeback as some 60-plus drugs fail to rein in staggering rates of hypertension in the United States.

Secondhand smoke

Secondhand smoke has been classified as a known cause of lung cancer in humans (Group A carcinogen).

Tobacco smoke

Some of the chemicals associated with tobacco smoke include ammonia, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, propane, methane, acetone, hydrogen cyanide and various carcinogens. Other chemicals that are associated with chewing or sniffing tobacco include aniline, naphthalene, phenol, pyrene, tar, and 2-naphthylamine.

Tobacco use and exposure may cause an acceleration of coronary artery disease and peptic ulcer disease. It is also linked to reproductive disturbances, esophageal reflux, hypertension, fetal illness and death, and delayed wound healing.

The bronchus in the lungs

The bronchus in the lungs are lined with hair-like projections called cilia that move microbes and debris up and out of the airways. Scattered throughout the cilia are goblet cells that secrete mucus which helps protect the lining of the bronchus and trap microorganisms.

Tobacco and its various components increase the risk of several types of cancer especially cancer of the lung, mouth, larynx, esophagus, bladder, kidney, pancreas, and cervix. Smoking also increases the risk of heart attacks, strokes and chronic lung disease.