The heart is a magnificent and mighty organ, in fact the entire circulatory system should take a bow! Continuously sending out rich oxygenated blood throughout our bodies, and recycling it in a highly calibrated, exquisitely complex system of inputs and adjustments. The heart adjusts the force and rate of contractions while blood vessels manage pressure and perfusion based on a number of signals such as fluid volume, exertion and even our mood. The point being that our cardiovascular system operates with military precision, that is of course until it doesn’t. Heart disease defines a group of conditions related to the

What’s Already Known on This Topic? High blood pressure (or hypertension) is the leading risk factor contributing to death worldwide, primarily from heart disease and stroke. Effective lowering of blood pressure, even by small amounts, is however proven to reduce these events, and can thus save lives in middle and older age. Along with the well-recognized nutrition and lifestyle factors that contribute to higher blood pressure, there is much interest in the role of genetic factors. This aspect is receiving greater attention in recent years with the emergence of ‘genome-wide association studies’ or GWAS, an approach that involves rapidly scanning

Concussions are considered mild forms of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) that occur after some sort of trauma to the brain. The concept of the concussion alludes many clinicians, largely due to the highly variable nature of concussion symptoms, some of which are quite mild and lack clear objective biomarkers. The importance of timely and holistic treatment is imperative to reducing risk for future sequelae such as Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal dementia, and chronic traumatic encephalopathies.1 Further, it is reported that approximately 15% of people who experience a concussion, go on to experience symptoms months or even years after their injury,