Arm Positioning in Blood Pressure Readings
Arm position matters in blood pressure readings. Blood pressure readings taken on arms parallel, or extended in the same direction as the body, are up to 10 percent higher than readings taken when the elbow is at a right angle to the body, with elbow flexed at heart level, according to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Researchers measured blood pressure in 100 emergency room patients. The patients’ blood pressure was measured six times — in perpendicular and parallel arm positions while the patients were laying, sitting and standing. The proportion of seated patients classified with high blood pressure was 22 percent with the arm perpendicular and 41 percent with the arm parallel to the body.

A previously published study found that 73 percent of health care workers didn’t use proper arm positions and blood pressure cuff positions, as defined by the American Heart Association. Accurate blood pressure readings are important because they’re used to determine treatment options.

Children and Fast Food
Every day, nearly one-third of U.S. children ages 4 to 19 eat fast food, which can add six extra pounds per child per year and increases the risk for obesity.

The results of a study published in Pediatrics of 6,212 boys and girls found fast-food consumption has increased fivefold among children since 1970. Children who ate fast food consumed more fats, sugars and carbohydrates and fewer fruits and nonstarchy vegetables than youngsters who didn't eat fast food. Nearly 15 percent of U.S. youngsters and almost one-third of adults are obese.

Magnesium and Type 2 Diabetes
Studies show a diet high in magnesium may help prevent type 2 diabetes, especially in people who are overweight. In one study, Harvard School of Public Health researchers evaluated the diets of more than 85,000 women and more than 42,000 men, in data supplied over 18 years for the women and over 12 years for the men.

Their report, published in Diabetes Care, found the men and women whose diets included the largest amounts of magnesium were the least likely to develop type 2 diabetes. The research also showed most of the participantsin the study consumed magnesium through foods, such as whole grains, nuts and green leafy vegetables; less than 5 percent took magnesium supplements.

A second Harvard study of nearly 40,000 women found that overweight participants who consumed large amounts of magnesium were 22 percent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who consumed smaller amounts of the mineral.

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