Research

Under pressure: Depression might sabotage efforts to get African-American men's high blood pressure under control, say researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing.

The study found that more than a fourth of 190 hypertensive black men from Baltimore were at high risk for depression. Their level of depression was linked to poor compliance to high blood pressure treatment.

The results indicate that doctors should address and treat depression as an essential component of care for hypertensive patients.

"People who are depressed are more likely to use alcohol or drugs and less likely to take their medication or follow a low-salt diet," all behaviors that can cause dangerous and even deadly complications for people with high blood pressure, says Miyong Kim, lead author of the study.

Men in the study were ages 30 to 56 and three times more likely to be depressed as men in the general population. Low income was a factor: more than two-thirds of the subjects reported income of less than $10,000.

The study appears in the current Annals of Behavioral Medicine.

Tips

Unleaded: The Hamilton County General Health District offers the following advice for preventing lead poisoning:

• Have your child tested. It's recommended that children be tested regularly, starting at age 1 at the latest. The health district offers lead screening.

• Keep areas where your children play as clean and dust-free as possible, since ordinary dirt and dust might contain lead.

• Check your house for loose or chipping paint, which could contain lead.

• Don't allow your child to chew on painted window sills, cribs or playpens that are covered in lead paint.

• Don't use imported or old pottery or lead crystal for food or drink.

• Get plenty of low-fat foods that are high in calcium, iron and vitamin C, all of which can reduce the amount of lead in the body.

• Wash hands before all meals and snacks to prevent passing lead from hands to mouth.

To learn more, call (800) 424-5323, or log on to EPA Web site or HUD Web site

Calendar

Talk: "Mother to Daughter," a discussion on the physical and emotional changes of puberty for women and daughters age 9 to 13, will be held Aug. 5 at St. Elizabeth Women's Wellness Center in Covington. Cost: $10 per girl. Reservations (859) 344-3939.

Help wanted

Donate: Mercy Franciscan at St. Raphael, a social service agency in Hamilton, needs air conditioners to help low-income Butler County families with health problems. Information: 603-8200.

Research: The University of Cincinnati Medical Center's Division of Urology is recruiting women with stress urinary incontinence for a clinical trial to evaluate an investigational medicine.

About 5.5 million American women suffer from stress urinary incontinence, a condition in which they leak urine due to physical exertion. No medication is now available.

For study information, call (866) 606-1020.

Shelf help

Fight: The Anorexia Diaries (Rodale; $21.95) by Linda M. Rio and Tara M. Rio tells the story of a mother and daughter's struggles to overcome an eating disorder and rebuild their relationship.

Contact Peggy O'Farrell by phone, 768-8510; fax, 768-8330; or e-mail, pofarrell@enquirer.com