Prescribing blood pressure meds can be a “mud up against the wall” or a “the salesman gave me free samples of this” thing.  But new research in the American Journal of Hypertension showed that renin levels in your blood can help prescribe the right BP drug.  Patients with low-renin hypertension responded best to diuretics and calcium channel blockers, while those with high renin levels did best on ACE inhibitors, ARBs, and beta blockers.  Being on the wrong drug actually elevated blood pressure in some patients, so trial and error is not the way to go.  Most heart attacks and strokes happen between 3 am and 10 am, so take your prescription at night to block that early morning BP spike.  Take diuretics right after breakfast and if you take a second dose, take it before 4 pm to avoid nighttime bathroom trips.

Who inherits the IRA?  The legal document you need is not the will – it’s the beneficiary designation form you get from the bank, brokerage or other custodian that holds the account.  Check into that paper before you need it, and while you’re at it check the fine print in the IRA plan.  You may need to rock n’ roll it if it restricts you or your heirs from moving to another company.

The natural folate found in leafy greens, orange juice and other foods is perfectly healthy, but recent studies found that the folic acid supplement levels found in cereals, breads and breakfast bars may be causing lung and prostate cancers to grow.  If you take a multivitamin and eat lots of cereal, rice and bread, you may be getting way more than the 400 mcg recommended.  Switch to whole grain products that aren’t fortified, read labels, and remember that your multi alone has the RDA.  Vitamin A, vitamin E and iron are three more to consume with caution.