heart-diseases

Fish Oil Supplementation - Heart Protective

2008-11-07T03:51:00.000-08:00

Dyerberg and group in 1978 reported in the Lancet, a health paradox that they noted in the Greenland Eskimos. The Eskimos, despite a high-fat diet, had a low rate of coronary heart disease. The researchers postulated that a protective effect was provided by the fatty oils present in their diet, rich in meat from seals, caribou and fish. Since then, this inverse relationship between fish intake and cardiovascular disease has become well established.

Fish oils are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Along with omega-6 fatty acids, they are called polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Both of these fatty acids cannot be synthesized by humans and are therefore considered 'essential'. Besides fish, omega-3 fatty acids are also found in walnuts, flaxseed, canola oil, broccoli, cantaloupe, kidney beans, spinach, grape leaves, Chinese cabbage, and cauliflower. Two omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are health and heart protective. A third kind, alpha-linolenic acid, is less potent. Omega-6 fatty acids are detrimental to heart health, and have been associated with depression. Omega-6 fatty acids are abundant in refined vegetable oils commonly used for cooking.

What is the link between fish oil intake and cardiovascular disease protection?

Several studies have shown an inverse relationship between fish consumption and coronary heart disease and death. In the DART study, 2003 men with a previous history of a heart attack were divided into two groups and monitored - one group had an increased fish oil consumption, either by diet or by supplementation compared to the other group, The increased fish oil group had a 29% reduction in death. Studied by Burr and group, this data was published in Lancet in 1989.

In a large GISSI-Prevenzione trial, 11,324 patients with a history of a heart attack were randomly assigned into groups; each group was given either 850 mg omega-3 fatty acid, 300 mg vitamin E, both, or neither. The results showed that the group given the fatty acid alone had a 45% reduction in sudden death and a 20% reduction in all-cause mortality. This was published in Lancet in 1999.

In a review of 11 studies, Markmann and Granbaek found that in populations at a higher risk of coronary heart disease, intake of 40-60 grams of fish per day could reduce the risk of death by 40%-60%. They published their data in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 1999.

How do omega-3 fatty acids protect against heart disease?

Fish oils lower blood pressure and serum triglyceride levels. They also have anti-arrhythmic, anti-thrombotic, anti-atherosclerotic, and anti-inflammatory properties. They also improve endothelial function. All these effects protect against heart attacks from coronary heart disease and sudden death due to an irregular heart rhythm.

How much omega-3 fatty acids do you need?

It is recommended that the daily intake of omega-3 fatty acid be 2.85 g/day. Healthy marine sources are fresh tuna, sardines, salmon, herring, trout and oysters. Fish should be grilled, baked, or broiled -- not fried. Fried fish loses all of its benefits. This lack of benefit from fried fish was documented by Mozaffarian in the Cardiovascular Health Study published in Circulation in 2003. As noted earlier, omega-3 fatty acids are also found in walnuts, flaxseed, canola oil, broccoli, cantaloupe, kidney beans, spinach, grape leaves, Chinese cabbage, and cauliflower. Recently, omega-3 fatty acid enriched eggs have become available in the supermarkets and can help meet the daily requirements. If one is unable to eat enough fish or other food sources of omega-3 fatty acids, fish oil supplementation should be considered. The usual amount is 1 gm EPA and DHA per day, although your physician may recommend higher doses in certain situations.

Is fish safe?

Fish at the top of the food chain often contain significant levels of methylmercury, polychlorinated biphenyls, dioxins, and other environmental contaminants. These include mackerel, shark, swordfish, and tile fish (golden bass or golden snapper). The FDA advises pregnant women, women wanting to become pregnant, nursing mothers and children to avoid these fish as they may be at an increased risk of mercury intoxication.

Are fish oils safe?

In general, most fish oils sold over the counter in the USA are safe. The FDA in 1997 indicated that the consumption of up to 3 g EPA + DHA/day from all sources is safe for American adults. Fish oils do not interact with other drugs and usually have no side effects. Fishy aftertaste can be lessened by keeping the supplements in the freezer. Rarely nausea, bloating and belching can occur. Excessive intake may cause bleeding. There is only one FDA approved fish oil preparation in the USA. It is available by prescription under the trade name of Omacor. Because of a patented refining process, toxins such as mercury are completely removed, It also has more PUFAs - 90% compared with 60% in some commercially available products. This makes Omacor more reliable and efficacious.

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Low Testosterone Levels - A Marker For Increased Cardiovascular Mortality

2008-11-07T03:50:00.000-08:00

Testosterone is predominantly produced by the testes in men. Small quantities are produced by the ovaries in women. The adrenal glands also produce small amounts in both sexes. Testosterone plays a key role in sexual functioning. Besides helping in the production of sperms, this steroid hormone also enhances libido, increases energy, helps produce red blood cells and protects against osteoporosis. Testosterone is an androgen and an anabolic steroid.

The blood levels of testosterone vary over a wide range. Testosterone levels gradually start declining during the third or early fourth decade of life at a constant rate. As a result, older men have significantly lower levels compared to their younger counterparts. Testosterone levels may also be low due to several diseases. The cutoff number is 250 ng/dL, levels below these are considered low.

What is the connection between testosterone and heart disease?

Low testosterone levels have been associated with increased risk of development and death from cardiovascular disease. In a recent study by Laughlin and associates, men with low levels and in the lowest quartile were 40% more likely to die early, especially from cardiovascular diseases. These findings were unaffected by age, lipid levels and other risk factors. The study involved 794 men aged 50-91 years, who were monitored for 20 years. The study was published in 2008 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

In 2007, results of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer in Norfolk Study were published in Circulation. In this study, Khaw and associates monitored 11,000 patients aged 40-79 for their testosterone levels and death. They found that the latter were inversely related - low testosterone levels correlated with a higher rate of death from cardiovascular disease, cancer and all other causes.

In another study, Shores and colleagues, found that low testosterone levels were associated with an increased risk for mortality in male veterans. The male population was over 40 years of age and did not have prostate cancer. The study was done in Seattle and published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in 2006.

How does low testosterone cause cardiovascular disease?

The exact mechanism by which low testosterone causes cardiovascular disease is not clear, but there are several postulated mechanisms . Patients with low testosterone levels tend to have more visceral obesity. Visceral obesity is responsible for the apple shaped body (as compared to the pear shaped body, in which the fat is predominantly deposited in the hips and buttocks). More commonly, this is called the 'pot belly' or 'beer belly'. The visceral fat is packed in between the internal organs in the peritoneal cavity (abdominal cavity). In contrast the subcutaneous fat is found under the skin and the intramuscular fat in the skeletal muscle. Visceral fat is more metabolically active and synthesizes more heart unhealthy fatty acids, triglycerides, and adipokines than nonvisceral fat. Low testosterone is also associated with the development of metabolic syndrome and diabetes. In a study published in 2007, men in the lowest levels of testosterone were four times more likely to develop diabetes when compared to men with the highest levels. This data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, was published by Selvin and group in Diabetes Care. Patients with low testosterone levels have higher levels of insulin and triglycerides, both detrimental to the cardiovascular system.

Should you take testosterone to reduce heart disease?

There has been no scientific study in which testosterone replacement has been found to reduce heart disease. A study has just not been done. However, English and associates found that in patients with established coronary artery disease, testosterone replacement reduced exercise induced chest pain. This data was published in the European Heart Journal in 2000.

Summary

Testosterone is a predominantly male hormone produced by the testis and adrenals. It is responsible for libido in both sexes and the production of sperms in the male. It is also associated with increased energy, production of red cells and prevention of osteoporosis. Testosterone levels normally decline with age, with older men having a much lower levels than their younger counterparts. Low testosterone levels have been linked to an increased incidence of cardiovascular disease and mortality, and death from all causes. There is no published research on whether taking supplemental testosterone will reduce cardiovascular disease and death.

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Ways to Lower High Cholesterol Levels

2008-11-03T23:44:00.001-08:00

Today, heart disease is a leading cause of death in the United States. High blood cholesterol levels present a significant risk factor for heart problems. Researchers estimate that 17% of our population has cholesterol levels in the danger zone.

Although the human body needs a certain amount of cholesterol, the liver manufactures all the cholesterol required by the body. In addition, cholesterol enters the body through ingestion of certain foods. Since the body cannot use this excess cholesterol, it is deposited on the walls of the arteries. Here the deposits harden and build up resulting in plaque.

The passages through which blood and oxygen are transported become narrow due to this accumulation of fatty deposits. The result is less blood and oxygen reach the heart and the brain. This situation is conducive to heart attacks and strokes.

Excessively high cholesterol levels are linked to two factors. One is the rate at which the body produces cholesterol. This is beyond the control of the individual. The other factor is the type of food a person eats. This is very much under individual control.

People can lower their cholesterol to healthy levels by making certain lifestyle changes.

It is important to maintain a healthy weight. If you are overweight, you should make every effort to drop the extra pounds. This is particularly important if you are carrying the weight on your belly or waistline.

It is also important to lose the weight sensibly. Do not opt for fad diets or pills. Try to lose slowly but steadily and not more than a pound per week. This will make it easier to keep the weight off once you accomplish your goal.

Make exercise a regular part of your daily routine. You don't have to join a gym or buy expensive equipment. A thirty-minute walk each day will do the trick. If you find walking boring, invest in some music and try dancing thirty minutes a day. This is also a good alternative for bad weather days.

Be careful about your diet. Avoid or limit foods that are high in saturated fats. Use monosaturated-cooking oils such as olive oil or canola oil.

Avocados, walnuts and almonds are good sources of heart healthy fats, however, if you have a weight problem, keep the servings small.

Definitely avoid foods that contain trans fats. To do this you must read your labels carefully. Even if the label reports 0 trans fat, read the ingredient list. If it includes the word "hydrogenated", don't buy the product.

Select lean meats and low fat or fat free dairy products.

Choose high fiber foods, fruits and fresh vegetables.

Opt for whole-wheat grains over refined flour products.

Try to eat heart healthy fish at least once a week. Alaska wild salmon and mackerel are excellent choices.

Talk to your health care provider about supplements such as Omega 3 oils, flaxseed, and COQ10.

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Help to Ease Blood Pressure Problems With Self Hypnosis

2008-11-03T23:44:00.000-08:00

You can use your own mind for blood pressure help and support. Self-hypnosis can guide you to reduce hypertension naturally. The first step is to discover whether you have the condition in the first place. There are no red flags to indicate that you have hypertension, so you may need to take tests.

Testing for Hypertension

You can take some tests to see if you need support and assistance. Your physician can take a urine test to see if there is blood or protein in your urine. An ECG (electrocardiogram) can measure heart activity. You can have your blood tested for sugar and cholesterol levels. Your physician may check to see if your kidneys are functioning properly as well.

If you think that you need to help blood pressure improve, these tests are necessary. They help your physician rule out any underlying illnesses like kidney disease. The tests check for diabetes and high cholesterol and they determine if the heart has been damaged.

The Problem with Symptoms

The major problem with the symptoms of hypertension is that there really aren't any. The condition is insidious in nature and you can have problems with hypertension without knowing it. Regular check-ups with your physician are necessary to assure that you manage your condition.

Having no symptoms does not mean that the condition doesn't cause problems in your system. Cardiovascular disease, kidney damage and damaged arteries can result from this condition.

Blood Pressure Help

Diet and exercise along with drinking lots of water are common suggestions for natural approaches to deal with hypertension. You also want to avoid excessive stress because the stressful feelings have physical ramifications. If your trouble is serious, your physician may prescribe medication.

You can improve your hypertension by using self-hypnosis as a complementary approach. This strategy makes sense for a number of reasons and you can benefit greatly from adopting hypnosis into your treatment plan. You will feel the difference right away.

Benefits of Self-Hypnosis

You can control how your body responds to stressful situations by changing your thought patterns through the subconscious mind. This process also provides the necessary relaxation you need on a regular basis. Many people do not take time to meditate or calm their systems.

When you undergo hypnosis, you are more open to suggestion. This makes you more apt to follow your physician's orders. You are more likely to make the necessary changes in your diet and exercise routine when you use hypnosis as a guide.

Self-hypnosis puts you in the frame of mind that you need in order to overcome hypertension. As you adopt new thought patterns that are conducive to relaxation and healthy living, your medication will work better. Eventually, you find that you may not need medication for you condition.

You can take control of your body by changing your thought patterns and lifestyle habits. Self-hypnosis is the perfect guide to blood pressure help.

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Heart Diseases: Uk Has The Highest Heart Disease Rates Of The World

2008-10-31T05:38:00.000-07:00

One of the highest rates of death due to heart disease in the world affects the United Kingdom (UK). According to statistics, one British adult dies from the disease every three minutes; meanwhile stroke ranks third as the country's biggest killer, causing the death of 70,000 men and women each year.

Experts explain that heart attacks happen when blood flow is closed, often because a blood clot occurs, while strokes when a blood tube in your brain suddenly are caused by blocked or burst of blood vessels.

There exist various and different heart conditions, such as heart attack, heart failure, heart muscle disease, heart valve disease, congenital heart defects, angina, hardened arteries, high blood pressure and disturbed heart rhythm.

These conditions -such as heart failure, when blood is not pumped around the body in a proper way, along with congenital heart defects- can cause long term problems and death for sufferers.

The importance of heart is vital. This body organ pumps blood through the body carrying oxygen and other nutrients to the areas that need it. However, serious illness and even death can result when this process is interrupted or does not work correctly.

Although men are more likely to suffer from heart disease than women, people with poor diet, who smoke and do not exercise, are in greater risk for developing a heart related disease.

In order to alleviate symptoms or save the lives of sufferers there exist different tests and treatments, including drugs, heart bypass surgery and transplants.

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Heart Diseases: Statistical Comparison Between Us And Africa

2008-10-31T05:36:00.000-07:00

Cardiomyopathy is a rare heart muscle disease over the world, but not in Africa where it is one of the major causes of heart failure, according to experts that reviewed all available cardiomyopathy studies performed in Africa, along with all the information about the causes and types of heart muscle disease in Africa, where 10 per cent of the world's population lives.

A 10 per cent to 17 per cent of cardiac problems found through autopsies in South Africa and Uganda, and 17 per cent to 48 per cent of heart failure diagnoses in many parts of Africa are due to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), which is an enlargement of the entire heart, explain researchers.

In the United States, 4 to 8 per 100,000 people are affected by DCM, but African overall incidence is unknown, because the corresponding studies have not been made yet.

Researchers' findings show that Peripartum cardiomyopathy has a very high incidence throughout Africa and Nigeria. This illness can cause heart failure and it develops between the last month of pregnancy and the first five months after childbirth.
Peripartum cardiomyopathy incidence in the US is 1 in 15,000 deliveries; meanwhile the incidence in South Africa is 1 in 1,000 cases.

DCM is caused by various factors, under generally accepted African theory. These include untreated high blood pressure, infective and toxic agents, inappropriate immunologic reactions, nutritional deficiencies, and genetic factors.

According to experts, it is important to do more research to understand the underlying reasons for Africa's high cardiomyopathy rate, and prevent or reduce it.

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3 Tips For Preventing Heart Disease

2008-10-21T05:49:00.000-07:00

It is simple to avoid or prevent heart disease; you simply need to steer clear of all tobacco products, stay physically active, and choose to eat the proper diet. These three tips will help you to avoid heart disease, but they are not all that easy for most people. They involve making changes to your habits.

Smoking is a tricky pattern to break, and if you are used to sitting all day in an office, is it tough to be more physically active. When it comes to exercise, what is lacking most is motivation. In today's fast-paced life, grabbing a quick bite to eat at a fast-food joint is all too often the reality of family meals. These meals are usually not all that nutritious. Break this habit and develop a healthy eating routine. Easy to say; difficult to do.

Sad to admit, but people usually only get really motivated to make these lifestyle changes when they see signs of heart disease. If you want to prevent heart disease, you must avoid tobacco, including second-hand smoke, lower your stress levels, watch and manage high blood pressure and cholesterol levels, become physically active everyday, and take steps to maintain the recommended weight for your body height and age.

Need more motivation? Visit your local hospital ward where patients are dying of heart disease. This folks didn't do enough to lower their risks of heart disease. Are you ready to go through all that just to be able to smoke one more cigarette or eat one more plate of fries?

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The Heart Un-Healthy Western Diet

2008-10-21T05:48:00.000-07:00

"God sendeth and giveth both mouth and meat." Thomas Tusser

"The beef industry has contributed to more American deaths than all the wars of this century, all natural disasters, and all automobile accidents combined. If beef is your idea of `real food for real people,' you'd better live real close to a real good hospital." Dr. Neal D. Bernard, MD

The 'Western' Diet is a 'meat-sweet' diet. This diet is high in red and processed meats, sweets, fried foods, refined grains, and desserts. And after almost a century, it has finally become clear that this diet has become a serious threat to our health.

Obesity is primarily related to excessive caloric intake. The meat-sweet diet of USA has resulted in sixty-five percent of adults aged 20 y being either overweight or obese. Unfortunately, the numbers are increasing and the estimated number of deaths ascribable to obesity growing. The western diet is strongly associated with cardiovascular disease, hypertension, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and cancer. Cardiovascular disease is the cause of 38.5% of all deaths in the US. Almost 65 million Americans suffer from cardiovascular disease. The second leading cause of death is cancer in the US. It is estimated that one third of all cancers (25% of all deaths ) are related to diet and obesity. Other chronic diseases strongly related to and influenced by the western diet are hypertension (50 million Americans), diabetes (11 million), elevated cholesterol (37 million) and osteoporosis (7.2 million) and osteopenia (39.6 million). Hip fractures greatly increase the mortality, and osteoporosis plays a major role in this disease.

Indications of the dangerous nature of the western diet started emerging almost a century ago. In 1916, Dutch physician De Langen published a study of showing the higher cholesterol levels of Dutch immigrants as those of the native Javanese. This almost double cholesterol level was associated with metabolic diseases such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, obesity, and nephritis. In 1950's, Keys and coworkers found that cholesterol levels and coronary heart disease mortality rates were high in United States and Finland, while being low in Japan and southern Europe. They attributed this to the substantial differences in the dietary patterns - an early indication that the 'Western" diet was heart unhealthy.

In 1958 a major scientific study called the Seven Countries Study, involving 12,763 men between the ages of 40 to 59 years began. These countries were the United States, Finland, the Netherlands, Italy, Greece, the former Yugoslavia, and Japan. Over a period of 25 years, about 6000 men died, of which 1500 men died of coronary heart disease. Populations with the highest consumption of animal food groups, with the exception of fish, had a much higher 25-year coronary heart disease mortality rates, when compared to populations with the highest vegetable, grains, fish and wine consumption. During the start of the study, the consumption of milk, potatoes, butter, and sugar products was very high in Finland. Netherlands had a similar but lower consumption pattern. Meat, pastry and fruit consumption (meat-sweet diet) was high in the United States. The Italians ate a lot of cereal and drank moderate amounts of wine while bread consumption was high in the former Yugoslavia. Greeks consumed high amounts of olive oil and fruit, while the Japanese were fond of fish, rice, and soy products. Heart attacks... God's revenge for eating his little animal friends. -Author Unknown

How did the western diet emerge? The Western diet developed gradually over the last 200 years and was mainly a result of industrialization. In the prehistoric times, milk intake was limited to mother's milk as it was impossible to milk wild animals. "The human body has no more need for cows' milk than it does for dogs' milk, horses' milk, or giraffes' milk." -Michael Klaper, MD, author of Vegan Nutrition: Pure & Simple. With domestication of cows and other animals and subsequent ability for refrigeration, a whole host of dairy products became a staple of the western diet. The mechanized steel roller mills and automated sifting devices of today remove most of the germ and bran of the cereal grains, leaving mainly the endosperm as flour. The recent production of high fructose corn syrup greatly increased refined sugar consumption. Industrialization also produced more atpical vegetable oils for consumption that are high in trans fatty acids, as is seen in margarine and shortening. Salt intake is very high in the United States. Unfortunately 90% of the salt in the typical US diet comes from manufactured salt that is added to the food supply, and not from salt added while cooking or from the table.

"Meat, which contains cholesterol and saturated fat, was never intended for human beings, who are natural herbivores."William C. Roberts, M.D. and Editor in Chief, American Journal of Cardiology, vol. 66, October 1, 1990. Unlike meat from wild animals or pasture raised cattle, 99% of all the beef consumed in the United States is high in the unhealthy saturated fatty acids and n-6 fatty acids and low in the beneficial n-3 fatty acids. This meat is mainly produced from grain-fed, feedlot cattle. "The beef industry has contributed to more American deaths than all the wars of this century, all natural disasters, and all automobile accidents combined. If beef is your idea of `real food for real people,' you'd better live real close to a real good hospital." -Neal D. Barnard, M.D.

The western diet is also deficient in micronutrients (At least half the US population fails to meet the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for vitamin B-6, vitamin A, magnesium, calcium, and zinc, and 33% of the population does not meet the RDA for folate), is conducive to an acidic body status (fish, meat, poultry, eggs, shellfish, cheese, milk, and cereal grains are net acid producing, whereas fresh fruit, vegetables, tubers, roots, and nuts are net base producing.), has less potassium (Industrial periods caused a 400% decline in the potassium intake while simultaneously initiating a 400% increase in sodium ingestion ) and fiber (refined sugars, vegetable oils, dairy products, and alcohol, are all devoid of fiber. Refined grains contain about 400% less fiber when compared to whole grains, and the former represent 85% of the grains consumed in the United States). These are all detrimental to the health, especially cardiac health. Because normally with Western cuisine, you'll serve vegetables separate from the meat, so kids will eat the meat and never touch the vegetables. Martin Yan. Vegetables and fruits are mainly side dishes or desserts in the Western Diet.

More die in the United States of too much food than of too little. -John Kenneth Galbraith, The Affluent Society. The western diet has also become an excessive calorie diet, resulting in the obesity epidemic in the western world, with all its health consequences. Americans eat 3,770 calories a day, and have the highest per capita daily consumption in the world. This is more than a Canadian at 3,590 calories or an Indian at 2,440, according to data from the UN Food and Agricultural Organization. Unfortunately switching to diet sodas does not help - a recent report has shown the diet soda drinkers may be more prone to the dangerous metabolic syndrome.

When combined with inactivity and smoking, the western diet has become lethal. So cut down on red meat, especially beef and change to a prudent heart healthy diet. So, as an old English Proverb warns: don't dig your grave with your own knife and fork.

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Heart Healthy Prudent Diet

2008-10-17T04:31:00.000-07:00

"1.5 million deaths per year in the U.S. are from diseases associated with diets high in saturated fats and cholesterol. The major dietary sources of fat in the American diet are meat, poultry, fish, dairy products and fats and oils. Dietary cholesterol is found only in foods of animal origin. Reduce consumption of saturated fat and cholesterol. Increase consumption of whole grain foods and cereal products, vegetables and fruits." Surgeon General's Report on Nutrition and Health, 1988.

The "western" diet, is characterized by high intakes of red and processed meats, sweets, fried foods, refined grains, and desserts. This has been found to be associated with a high incidence of chronic diseases like diabetes mellitus, cancer and the number one killer , cardiovascular diseases. Scientific data has repeatedly shown that a prudent heart healthy diet drastically reduces your propensity to succumb to these diseases.

So how do you change your diet to a heart healthy one? To start, cut down on the intake of saturated fat. A major source of saturated fat is meat, including organ meats and poultry. "Meat, which contains cholesterol and saturated fat, was never intended for human beings, who are natural herbivores." William C. Roberts, M.D. and Editor in Chief, American Journal of Cardiology, vol. 66, October 1, 1990. Other sources of saturated fats are egg yolks and dairy products like whole milk, cream, ice cream, whole milk cheeses, butter and lard. Certain plant oils like palm, kernel, and coconut are also high in saturated fat. On the other hand you can lower your cholesterol by consuming polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. Plant oils such as safflower, sesame, soy, corn and sunflower seeds are high in polyunsaturated fats. Plant oils such as olive, canola and peanuts and fruits such as avocados are high in monounsaturated fats. "Those who eat flesh are but eating grains and vegetables at second hand; for the animal receives from these things the nutrition that produces growth. The life that was in the grains and the vegetables passes into the eater.

We receive it by eating the flesh of the animal. How much better to get it direct by eating the food that God provided for our use!" 1905 Ellen G. White 1827-1915 Founder of the Seventh Day Adventists. And completely eliminate or reduce to less than 2% the consumption of the heart unhealthy trans-fatty acids. These not only raise your bad LDL cholesterol but also decrease your good HDL cholesterol. In A recent Harvard University study of more than 80,000 women suggested that replacing just 2 percent of trans fat calories with calories from healthier fats reduced the risk of heart disease by more than 50 percent. No wonder, the state of California, and cities of New York and Philadelphia have passed laws banning the use of oils, margarine and shortening containing trans fats in restaurants, bakeries, delicatessens, cafeterias, and other businesses classified as "food facilities. Deep fried fast foods are typically high in trans-fats.

Eat grilled or baked fatty fish at least once a week. Fatty fish include salmon, tuna, sardines, or mackerel. Marine life is high in omega 3 fatty acids. These protect against cardiovascular disease by their anti-atherogenic effects. They also improve endothelial and platelet function, lower levels of oxidative stress and encourage plaque stability. Omega-3 fatty acids are also present, though in smaller amounts, in flaxseed oil, walnut oil, soybean oil and canola oil.

Eat more than 400 gm of fruits and vegetables per day. "Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet." Albert Einstein. Clinical trials have shown that diets rich in fruits and vegetables decrease cardiovascular disease by several mechanisms, including improvement in cholesterol levels, lowering blood pressure and decreasing inflammation, homocysteine levels, and blood clotting. Besides providing the cholesterol lowering poly and mono unsaturated fats, certain vegetables like okra and eggplant also provide good amounts of viscous fiber. Pooled clinical trial data from 10 observational studies reveal that for every 10g/d increment in energy adjusted fiber intake, coronary events decrease by 14% and coronary deaths by 27%. Plants are also rich in healthy ingredients including several phytochemicals, the vitamin folate and the electrolyte potassium.

Eat a variety of whole grains. Foods rich in whole grains include breakfast cereals made with e25% whole grain or bran by weight, dark bread, popcorn, cooked oatmeal, wheat germ, brown rice, and bulgur, kasha, and couscous. And decrease the intake of refined grains. Foods rich in refined grains include included breakfast cereals made with <25% whole grain or bran by weight, white bread and rolls, muffins, cakes, cookies, white rice, pancakes, waffles, pasta, and pizza. "I don't understand why asking people to eat a well-balanced vegetarian diet is considered drastic, while it is medically conservative to cut people open and put them on cholesterol-lowering drugs for the rest of their lives." Dean Ornish, MD.

Control your caloric intake. According to data from the UN Food and Agricultural Organization, the western diet that the Americans eat averages 3,770 calories a day, while the eastern diet in India averages 2,440 calories. Keeping your body mass index below 25 kg/m2 is beneficial. This was best exemplified by the economic crisis of 1988-2000 in Cuba, when the decrease in per capita food intake was accompanied by a drop in diabetes by 51%, heart disease by 35% and stroke by 20%. This study was published in the September 19, 2007 issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology.

Add a Mediterranean flavor to your diet. A large study evaluating adherence to the Mediterranean diet in the US population found that mortality from cardiovascular decreased by about 20%. This study involving 214,284 men and 166,012 women, was reported in the December 10/24, 2007 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine. So add olive oil, nuts and herbs to your cooking. Mediterranean herbs such as rosemary, basil, bay leaves, thyme, saffron, oregano, or coriander not only add flavor and decrease the need for salt in your meals, but also add heart healthy minerals and vitamins. And have a drink of red wine with food. Moderate drinking is heart healthy, and should be limited to not more than two drinks in men and one drink in women. Above this, drinking alcohol becomes a health hazard.

Limit salt consumption to less than a teaspoon a day. In a study from Brigham and Women's Hospital, and published online in the British Medical Journal, people who were pre-hypertensive, reduction in salt intake by 25%-35%, reduced their risk of cardiovascular event over the subsequent 10-15 years by 25%-30%. "It is postulated that 150,000 lives could be saved in the U.S. annually if everyone cut their sodium consumption in half. Unfortunately, most Americans get their salt from processed and restaurant foods." As a result, the American Medical Association has called for a minimum 50% reduction in sodium in processed foods, fast foods and non-fast-food restaurant meals over the next 10 years.

The benefits of a prudent heart healthy diet were well summed up in a report by Franco and colleagues in a 2004 issue of the British Medical Journal . These authors postulate that theoretically one can cut the cardiovascular risk by almost 76% by ingesting a meal which includes 400 gms of fruits and vegetables (21% reduction), 114 g of fish four times a week (14% reduction), 150 ml of wine a day (32% reduction), 2.7% of garlic per day (25% reduction), 100 gm of dark chocolate (21% reduction) and 68g of almonds per day (12.5% reduction). They also postulated an increase in life span in people over the age of 50.

So it is never late to change to a heart healthy diet. "When I was 88 years old, I gave up meat entirely and switched to a plant-foods diet following a slight stroke. During the following months, I not only lost 50 pounds but also gained strength in my legs and picked up stamina. Now, at 93, I'm on the same plant-based diet, and I still don't eat any meat or dairy products. I either swim, walk or paddle a canoe daily and I feel the best I've felt since my heart problems began." Benjamin Spock, M.D. (1903-1998). Changing to a more prudent diet even after years of consuming heart unhealthy western foods can bring about beneficial changes. Besides improving your cardiovascular health, you will also benefit from a significant reduction in chronic diseases like diabetes mellitus, osteoporosis and cancer. And if you give up smoking and combine the prudent diet with moderate to vigorous physical activity like brisk walking, biking, swimming or gardening at least 30 minutes each day, your health benefits will further increase

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Heart Diseases Part V - Heart Diseases Affecting Heart Valves

2008-10-17T04:30:00.000-07:00

As we mentioned in the previous articles, heart diseases are caused by high blood pressure that contributes to the hardening of the arteries. High levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) build up in the arteries as a result of uncontrolled diet with high levels of saturated fat and trans fat.

Heart diseases affecting heart valves occur when the mitral valve in the heart narrows, causing the heart to work harder to pump blood from the left atrium into the ventricle.

Here are some types of heart disease affecting heart valves:
1. Mitral Stenosis
Mitral Stenosis is a heart valve disorder that involves a narrowing or blockage of the opening of the mitral valve causing the volume and pressure of blood in the left atrium increases.

2. Mitral valves regurgitation
Mitral regurgitation is the heart disease in which your heart's mitral valve doesn't close tightly causing the blood to be unable to move through the heart efficiently. Symptoms of mitral valve regurgitation are fatigue and shortness of breath.

3. Mitral valves prolapse
In mitral valve prolapse, one or both leaflets of the valve are too large resulting in uneven closure of the valve during each heartbeat. Symptoms of mitral valves prolapse are palpitation, shortness of breath, dizzy, fatigue and chest pains.

4. Aortic Stenosis
With aging, protein collagen of the valve leaflets are destroyed and calcium is deposited on the leaflets causing scarring, thickening, and stenosis of the valve therefore increasing the wear and tear on the valve leaflets resulting in the symptoms and heart problems of aortic stenosis.

5. Aortic regurgitation
Aortic regurgitation is the leaking of the aortic valve of the heart that causes blood to flow in the reverse direction during ventricular diastole, from the aorta into the left ventricle. Symptoms of aortic regurgitation include fatigue or weakness, shortness of breath, chest pain, palpitation and irregular heart beats.

6. Tricuspid stenosis
Tricuspid stenosis is the narrowing of the orifice of the tricuspid valve of the heart causing increased resistance to blood flow through the valve. Symptoms of tricuspid stenosis include fatigue, enlarged liver, abdominal swelling, neck discomfort and leg and ankle swelling.

7. Tricuspid regurgitation.
Tricuspid regurgitation is the failure of the right ventricular causing blood to leak back through the tricuspid valve from the right ventricle into the right atrium of the heart. Symptoms of tricuspid regurgitation include leg and ankle swelling and swelling in the abdomen.

I hope the above information will help you to understand heart diseases better. If you would like to read more of the above subject, please visit my home page at:

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Heart Diseases Part IV - Heart Diseases Affecting Heart Muscles

2008-10-17T04:19:00.000-07:00

As we mentioned in the previous articles, heart diseases are caused by high blood pressure that contributes to hardening of the arteries. High levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) building up in the arteries as a result of uncontrolled diet with high levels of saturated fat and trans fat.

In the case of heart diseases affecting heart muscles, the heart muscles are stiff, increasing the amount of pressure required to expand for blood to flow into the heart or the narrowing of the passage as a result of obstructing blood flow out of the heart.
Heart diseases affecting heart muscles include:

1. Cardiomyopathy
Heart muscle becomes inflamed and doesn't work as well as it should. There may be multiple causes such as high blood pressure, heart valve disease, artery diseases or congenital heart defects.

a) Dilated cardiomyopathy
The heart cavity is enlarged and stretched. Blood flows more slowly through an enlarged heart, causing formation of blood clots as a result of clots sticking to the inner lining of the heart, breaking off the right ventricle into the pulmonary circulation in the lung or being dislodged and carried into the body's circulation to form emboli.

b) Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
The wall between the two ventricles becomes enlarged, obstructing the blood flow from the left ventricle. Sometimes the thickened wall distorts one leaflet of the mitral valve, causing it to leak. The symptoms of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy include shortness of breath, dizziness, fainting and angina pectoris.

c) Restrictive cardiomyopathy
The ventricles becomes excessively rigid, so it's harder for the ventricles to fill with blood between heartbeats. The symptoms of restrictive cardiomyopathy include shortness of breath, swollen hands and feet.

2. Myocarditis
Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscles or the weaken of the heart muscles. The symptoms of myocarditis include fever, chest pains, congestive heart failure and palpitation.
I hope this information will help. If you need more information of the above subject please visit my home page at:

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Heart Diseases Part III - Heart Diseases Affecting Heart Chambers

2008-10-14T04:35:00.000-07:00

As we mention in the previous article, the heart is a four chambered hollow muscle and double acting pump that is located in the chest between the lungs. Heart diseases caused by high blood pressure contributes to hardening of the arteries. High levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) build up in the arteries as a result of uncontrolled diet with high levels of saturated fat and trans fat. All these add to the formation of atherosclerosis lesions and eventually arterial blockage.
In this article, we will discuss heart disease affecting the heart chambers.

Heart failure is caused by the heart not pumping as much blood as it should and so the body does not get as much blood and oxygen that it needs. The malfunctioning of the heart chambers are due to damage caused by narrowed or blocked arteries leading to the muscle of your heart.

There are 4 heart chambers as follow:

* The right atrium
* The left atrium
* The right ventricle
* The left ventricle.

Heart diseases affect the heart chambers include:

1. Congestive heart failure
Heart failure is caused by the heart not pumping as much blood as it should and so the body does not get as much blood and oxygen that it needs. The malfunctioning of the heart chambers are due to damage caused by narrowed or blocked arteries leading to the muscle of your heart.

a) Diastolic dysfunction:
The contraction function is normal but there's impaired relaxation of the heart, impairing its ability to fill with blood causing the blood returning to the heart to accumulate in the lungs or veins.

b) Systolic dysfunction:
The relaxing function is normal but there's impaired contraction of the heart causing the heart to not pump out as much blood that is returned to it as it normally does as a result of more blood remaining in the lower chambers of the heart.

2. Pulmonary heart disease
Pulmonary heart disease is caused by an enlarged right ventricle. It is known as heart disease resulting from a lung disorder where the blood flowing into the lungs is slowed or blocked causing increased lung pressure. The right side of the heart has to pump harder to push against the increased pressure and this can lead to enlargement of the right ventricle.

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Heart Diseases Part II - Types of Heart Diseases

2008-10-14T04:34:00.000-07:00

The heart is a four chambered, hollow muscle and double acting pump that is located in the chest between the lungs. Heart diseases caused by high blood pressure contributes to hardening of the arteries. High levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) build up in the arteries as a result of uncontrolled diet with high levels of saturated fat and trans fat. All these add to the formation of atherosclerosis lesions and eventually arterial blockage.
There are some major types of heart diseases:

1. Affecting heart chambers
Heart failure caused by the heart not pumping as much blood as it should and so the body does not get as much blood and oxygen that it needs. The malfunctioning of the heart chambers are due to damage caused by narrowed or blocked arteries.

2. Affecting heart muscles
The heart muscles thickens and becomes stiff, increasing the amount of pressure required to expand for blood flows into the heart or the narrowing of the passage as a result of obstructing blood flow out of the heart.

3. Affecting heart valves
These type heart diseases occur when the mitral valve in the heart is narrowing causing the heart to work harder to pump blood from the left atrium into the ventricle. The mitral valve does not close properly and prolapse occurs or narrowing of the aortic in the heart occures.

4. Affecting coronary arteries and coronary veins
The malfunctioning of the heart may be due to damage caused by narrowed or blocked arteries leading to the muscle of your heart as well as blood backing up in the veins, causing a build up leading to swelling in the feet, ankles and legs.

5. Affecting heart lining
Rheumatic heart disease results from inflammation of the heart lining when too much fluid builds up in the lungs leading to pulmonary congestion. It is due to failure of the heart to remove fluid from the lung circulation resulting in shortness of breath, coughing up blood, pale skin and excessive sweating.

6. Affecting electrical system
The electrical system within the heart is responsible for ensuring the heart beats correctly so that blood can be transported to the cells throughout our body. Any malfunction of the electrical system in the heart causes a fast, slow, or irregular heartbeat.

7. Congenital heart disease
There are several heart diseases that people are born with. Congenital heart diseases are caused by a persistence in the fetal connection between arterial and venous circulation.

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Heart Diseases Part I - Symptoms of Heart Diseases

2008-10-14T04:32:00.000-07:00

Beside cancer, heart disease kills more than 2,000 Americans everyday. Approximately 60 million Americans have heart disease. There are many causes of heart disease. Anything that serves to damage the inner lining of blood vessels and impedes the transportation of oxygen and nutrition to the heart can be defined as a risk of heart disease. Here are some early indication of heart disease symptoms:

1. Leg cramps during walking
Leg cramps during exercise might be caused by dehydration. It is important to drink a lot of fluid during exercise. Leg cramps occur when the muscle suddenly and forcefully contracts. The most common muscles to contract in this manner are muscles that cross two joints. Leg cramps during walking might be an indication of heart disease caused by arteries in your leg being clogged up by cholesterol in result of not enough oxygen being delivered to the cells in your leg. If this symptom persists, please consult with your doctor.

2. Chest pain
Chest pain is caused by blood vessels in the heart temporarily being blocked up. It is also caused by inadequate oxygen supply to the heart muscle or coronary . The persistence of chest pain would be an early indication of heart diseases.

3. Shortness of breath
Shortness of breath (dyspnea) is the major symptom of the left ventricular insufficiency. People with shortness of breath are four times more likely to die from a heart disease related cause than individuals without any symptoms.

4. Headaches
People see sparkling zigzag lines or loss of vision before a migraine attack may be at particular risk of future cardiovascular problems. Generally headaches do not cause heart diseases but a sudden, explosive onset of great pain might be.

5. Dizziness
Dizziness can have many causes including low blood count, low iron in the blood stream and other blood disorders, dehydration, and viral illnesses. Since there are many different conditions that can produce these symptoms, anybody experiencing episodes of severe headaches or dizziness ought to be checked by your doctor.

6. Palpitations
Palpitations is an extremely common symptom of heart disease. Palpitations are skips in the heart beats and irregular heart beats.

7. Loss of consciousness
It is a common symptom, most people pass out at least once in their lives. However, sometimes loss of consciousness indicates a dangerous or even life-threatening condition such as heart disease so when loss of consciousness occurs it is important to figure out the cause.

There are many more symptoms such as fatigue, memory defects, and changes in skin tone and temperature. If you have any of the above symptoms please check with your doctor.

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Lethal Meals - Postprandial Dysmetabolism and Your Heart

2008-10-12T04:55:00.001-07:00

The primary cause of postprandial dysmetabolism is the occurrence of elevated levels of glucose and fats in the bloodstream following the consumption of an unhealthy meal.

The excessive quantities of glucose and lipids that pour into the blood following a high fat, high sugar meal causes a massive release of damaging free radicals and a cascade of pathological, tissue damaging events.

The body's own antioxidants are unable to cope with this deluge of free radicals and a state of oxidative stress ensues. Oxidative stress, in turn, causes the damaging processes that characterize postprandial dysmetabolism.

Characteristics of postprandial dysmetabolism:

- Inflammation: A general inflammatory process occurs that not only aggravates the deposition of LDL (bad) cholesterol but increases the chances of atherosclerotic plaque rupture in the arteries thereby enhancing the risk for a heart attack or stroke.

- Endothelial dysfunction: The endothelium (or lining) of the arteries responds to oxidative stress by signaling the arterial wall to constrict, thereby increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke.

- Thrombosis: The blood exhibits hypercoagulability - i.e it has a greater tendency to clot and form thromboses in the heart and brain.

- Increased sympathetic nerve activity: Stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system causes vasoconstriction and narrowing of the coronary and other arteries.

The characteristics of postpradial dysmetabolism all combine to substantially increase the risk of cardiac and cerebral events both immediately after a meal and in terms of long term atherosclerotic damage to the cardiovascular system.

It is important to note that it is not the high levels of glucose and fats per se that causes the damage. Rather it is a state of oxidative stress resulting from the high levels of glucose and fats that is at the root of the problem.

The prevention of free radical damage and oxidative stress by increasing consumption of anti-oxidant rich foods such as spices is one of the ways in which we can prevent the occurrence of postprandial dysmetabolism.

Although eating substantial quantities of both animal and plant fats will cause a rise in triglyceride levels, not all types of fats or oils will cause oxidative stress. Research has shown that neither canola oil nor salmon oil cause postprandial oxidative stress while animal fats and olive oil do indeed cause this pathological condition.

Does this mean that we have to avoid eating sweet and oily foods completely?
Although the sensible thing would be to substantially reduce the excessive intake of these foods - and it would also help us to lose weight if we needed to do so - there are other ways to obviate the effects of the damaging, postprandial dysmetabolic cascade.

While high blood glucose and triglyceride levels are the primary cause of postprandial dysmetabolism it is the resulting oxidative stress that actually causes damage to the arteries.
And there are effective ways to counter oxidative stress and free radical damage.

Prevention of Postprandial Dysmetabolism

- Eat a diet high in minimally processed foods especially vegetables, fruit, whole grains, nuts, lean protein, vinegar, fish and canola oil.

- Lose excess weight and exercise regularly.

- Do not rest immediately after a meal. Research has shown that there is an increased risk of heart attack in those who rest or sleep immediately after a meal. Light exercise after a meal helps to reduce high glucose and triglyceride levels and thus reduces the effects of postprandial dysmetabolism.

- Spices: Include many different culinary herbs and spices in your diet. Spices have the highest antioxidant activity of all food types, contain natural anti-inflammatory compounds and reverse most of the pathological processes associated with postprandial dysmetabolism: They reduce the rapid absorption of fat and sugar from the gut, control high blood sugar, have strong anti-inflammatory properties, help dilate the arteries, inhibit the deposition of LDL (bad) cholesterol in the arteries and lessen the risk of thrombus formation.

The discovery of postprandial dysmetabolism has increased our understanding of the crucial role that the immediate effects of a meal play in the causation of cardiovascular disease. However it has also provided us with simple, effective measures that we can take to prevent this injurious condition from occurring.

Keith Scott is a medical doctor who has a particular interest in nutrition. He is the author of several books including the best selling Natural Home Pharmacy and more recently the ground breaking, Medicinal Seasonings, The Healing Power of Spices.

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Understanding Pacemakers

2008-10-12T04:55:00.000-07:00

A pacemaker is a device that helps to regulate the heart beat. Most individuals who need this device are older or are suffering from a particular heart condition. It helps to understand how the heart works and where the pacemaker fits into the entire scheme of things.

The heart is regulated through different electrical pulses. Naturally, the heart is regulated through electrical pulses that travel from the top of the heart to the bottom. This succession of pulses creates enough pressure to move oxygenated blood through the heart.

At times the heart slows or is irregular. It is at this point that getting a pacemaker is imperative. Individuals who have this problem usually experience dizziness, momentary blackouts and fainting spells. Some of the more urgent and serious symptoms include severe chest pain and blurred vision.

Usually, meeting with a heart specialist who has had experience in dealing with these matters is the best way to handle such a situation. He will be able to determine exactly what type of pacemaker that you will require. Choosing the correct pacemaker will ensure that your heartbeat gets back on track.

Pacemakers usually have two components: a generator and a lead. A generator is usually connected to battery as it creates an electrical current that regulates the pulse of the heart. Leads carry the pulse from the generator to the heart in order to stimulate the muscle.

There are three kinds of pacemakers: single chamber pacemakers, dual chambers, and rate responsive pacemakers. Each one serves a different purpose in the context of how they help the heart restore a natural heart beat. The single chamber pacemaker applies electrical current either to the top or the bottom of the heart, depending on which part of the heart needs the most attention. Dual chamber pacemakers apply electrical currents to both areas of the heart, stimulating the entire thing. The rate-responsive pacemaker applies electrical currents depending up the rate of the heart. Sensors can detect whether or not the heart's beat rate needs to be increased, or needs to be reduced, and then applies stimulation accordingly.

The unfortunate thing about pacemakers is that the device is only as good as the manufacturer has made it. Medtronic, one of the leading makers of heart pacemakers, has had a history of making devices that malfunction at the most inopportune time. So people have died as a result. If you would like more information regarding pacemakers, feel free to visit http://www.medtroniclawsuitattorney.com.

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Cardiovascular Diseases

2008-10-12T04:54:00.000-07:00

The cardiovascular diseases are those diseases which are caused by disorders of heart and blood vessels. Coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, hypertension, artery disease, rheumatic heart disease, congenital heart disease and failure of heart came under the category of cardiovascular diseases.

Most of the western countries face the high and increasing rate of cardiovascular diseases. More people are killed by this disease every year as compare to cancer. A survey concludes that diseases of the heart alone caused 30% of all deaths, with other diseases of the cardiovascular system causing substantial further death and disability. Every 2 out of 3 cardiac deaths occur without any diagnosis of cardiovascular disease.

After a survey it was conclude that this is the prime cause of death and disability in the United States and most European countries. A large histological study (PDAY) showed vascular injury accumulates from adolescence and makes primary prevention efforts necessary from childhood. An estimated concludes that17.5 million people died from cardiovascular disease in 2005 and this is about the 30 % of all global deaths. 7.6 million out of these were died due to heart attacks and 5.7 million were due to stroke.

Around 80% of these deaths occurred in developing or under developed countries as they have low and middle income. If not step is taken against it then according to an estimate, by 2015, 20 million people will die from cardiovascular disease every year and most of them will be from heart attacks and strokes.

Causes- The cause of cardiovascular disease is a blockage that prevents blood to go to the heart or to the brain. The most important and main cause of cardiovascular disease is build up of fatty deposits in the inner wall of blood vessels. In this particular condition, blood vessels become narrower and less broad and heart doesn't receive the blood. In that case it results to failure of heart.

Reasons- The major reasons of having cardiovascular disease are tobacco, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity. An early form of fatty deposits, which is known as fatty streaks can also be found in children. Some children may be younger than 10 years. These deposits get slowly worse as the person gets older.

Helpful tips- If you are obese or overweight then it increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes. To maintain an ideal body weight, you should take regular physical activity and eat a healthy diet.

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What is Coronary Bypass Surgery Like?

2008-10-07T06:31:00.001-07:00

Heart disease is rampant in our country. The causes are mainly heredity, diet or other diseases. Smoking does not help the situation. Some can overcome the problems of heart disease by diet and exercise plus supervision of medications by trained physicians. For many of us however, we find ourselves in the hospital before any heart symptoms were noted by medical people and we undergo coronary bypass surgery.

Coronary bypass surgery occurs daily in the United States. The object of the process is to bypass blocked arteries with veins taken from the leg. The left internal mammary artery can be freed from the inside of the breast and used to bypass. The heart is stopped during the process and a heart-lung machine provides oxygenated blood to the heart. The process may be open-heart surgery or by other less intrusive techniques such as "Minimally Invasive" bypass surgery. The later depends on the availability of the procedure in your area. Also, if the process is not working correctly in the operating room, you my end up with conventional bypass surgery.

The length of hospital stay is usually less than a week and is similar by both procedures. The first time I had bypass surgery, my stay was one week. The second time which included aortic valve replacement, I was in the hospital for three weeks because of complications.

During the hospital stay and after the patient is in rehabilitation at home, training is given in diet, stress control along with physical recovery training. After my first heart surgery, I went through a 10-week period of physical and other training at a local hospital. After my second surgery, I was put on a tread mill in the hospital a few times to help regain my balance and strength. I was given no further activity after returning home. I was given some instruction in the hospital on dieting and life style.

Your surgery wounds will partly heal in the hospital. If you chest was opened, that will be your main concern. You need to learn how to prevent injury in that area. This means that you must learn to turn over in bed without straining your chest. Just standing up can be a problem. I suffered coughing after my first surgery and that did not help the situation. My chest wound did not heal properly and a large nuisance growth developed which was removed during my second surgery leaving a weak area which is now herniated. That is not all that common. My surgeon told me that those who have herniation in the chest area do not usually have painful repair surgery. I didn't either. I'm allowed to lift less than fifty pounds, I can still bring in the groceries and cut the lawn (which I don't) so I don't worry about it.

Your second concern is the wound in your leg or legs where the veins used in the procedure were extracted. You will have a long scar on the inside of your leg. Most people have little trouble with this. You may have pain near the ankle which is minor and does not seem to go away. It may only be tender to the touch. When my dear wife rubs my legs and feet everyday, she sometimes hits a tender spot.

Smoking and obesity are the two main things that you need to avoid after surgery. You should take medications as prescribed by your doctor. Vitamin E is now out of favor and should not be used as a supplement. You get plenty from your regular diet and the daily multivitamin you should be taking. Avoid all saturated fats and trans-fats. At least limit the saturated fats. B-vitamins are sometimes recommended. There are foods like olive oil, avocados, grapefruit, nuts, etc. that are good for the heart.

A procedure that occurs before bypass surgery is the angiogram. It determines which arteries are blocked. After the results of that are in, discuss your options with one or more doctors. You may be able to avoid bypass surgery so don't be too hasty in making the decision. By proper medication and eating like a rabbit plus exercise, you may be able to reverse the progression of heart disease which blocks the arteries. I did not make this decision. Two of my sons and my son-in-law are doctors and they made the decisions for me.

I felt completely relaxed before I went into surgery for the first bypass surgery and also before the second bypass surgery and aortic valve replacement. I remember everything that occurred before the first surgery including the work of the anesthesiologist and being wheeled into the operating room full of doctors, technicians and equipment. I have no recollection whatsoever prior to the second surgery.

Before the first surgery, I had a religious vision in the morning just as I was waking up. Another patient had a similar vision which he described to me when we were in rehabilitation. Our dreams seemed to be related to our religious affiliation. I don't know how common this phenomenon is. There was no vision before or after the second surgery.

After both surgeries, I woke up in Intensive Care, not the recovery room. I don't remember this after the second surgery. You are uncomfortable for a day or two and then you are up and around again. This did also did not occur after my second surgery. Complications kept me in intensive care for about three weeks. I also had horrible visions of war, etc., for weeks which my son said was due to the long surgery the second time around.

Other than removing any drain tubes and the external wires to the pacemaker, no other procedures are needed after surgery. The nurses will have to care for you for a few days but then you can handle things on your own.

I recovered rapidly after my first surgery and was home in one week. Unfortunately, I was told to take an antihistamine to which I became allergic. It was two months before I got back to work.

I was taught in the hospital how to regulate my diet but most of that training was again given to me after I got home. I was shown how much meat I could eat and how I needed all of the food groups and that I must chew my food. I was given 10 weeks of rehabilitation at the local hospital.

Staying away from work was the best thing I could do because of the stress situations.

My neighbor owned his own business, had bypass surgery and was back in the office in two weeks.

My friend here in Idaho had bypass a couple of months ago. He's a farmer and other than being unable to left much weight, he is back in the field.

Depression can set in after heart surgery. It usually disappears shortly thereafter. I had no such problem but I saw the symptoms in others.

After surgery, take your medications, watch your weight and don't smoke. If you are well enough, get some exercise. And keep a smile on your face even if you have to watch Three Stooges movies.

The thing that concerns me most is that heart disease is not always detected until a heart attack occurs. If you have a family with a history of heart trouble more careful monitoring is required. Talk to your doctor.

How long does bypass surgery last? You usually get a "guarantee" from your surgeon for 10 years. I went 12 years but I had to have a valve replaced or I would not have had the second bypass that soon. Of the three bypasses first given to me, only one had to be replaced the second time and that was a minor procedure because the technicians that did that part of the surgery could use the stubs of my old graphs. I know people who had bypass twenty years ago with no repeats.

My main problem has been avoiding obesity. I blame the computer.

Good health to you!

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Heart Bypass Surgery

2008-10-07T06:31:00.000-07:00

A heart bypass surgery is considered to be the most anticipated and studied procedure in the surgical field of medicine. This type of surgery is an option mostly by men in middle age to relieve blocked coronary arteries therefore restoring normal blood circulation. But does this operation really needed? Valued? Major studies in Europe and US revealed that 45% of these operations are not really needed and some are questionable. Thus, it may be deduced that avoiding heart bypass surgery is also a good option of a patient.

Coronary bypass is a surgery that has become popular even before studies have really proven its capability and effectiveness. That is why year after year the number of patients undergoing the surgery is increasing. This could be a classic example of going with the trend of treatment rather than really determining if the procedure is really needed. Although there are some significant findings of comparing the surgery vs. drug therapy where it favored the later, many of the doctors and patients opted to do the procedure. Also, despite of the high cost, which is roughly around $40,000 up, by the way, coronary bypass is considered one of the most expensive operations or surgeries in the US, but still many are undergoing the operation. Today, many surgical surgeons are making a study to prove that this procedure is really not needed and that avoiding heart bypass operation is possible. With today's high technology and modernization processes, the heightened research and development in the medical field and the rising specialization and skills development of medical practitioners, it is possible that in the coming years, a heat bypass may not be necessary. Drugs, therapy, and maybe less drastic procedures and surgeries, which maybe affordable by the patients are all that a heart patient needs.

Another thing to note about the heart bypass surgeries is that it is not a cure but just relieving the symptoms like chest pain and shortness of breath brought about by the clogging of the blood vessel. Clogged arteries are bypassed using healthy blood vessels grafted and used to redirect the flow of blood away from the clogged area. Because it provides no cure of the underlying cause of the disease, studies revealed that 40% of patients who had undergone the surgery experienced again clogging of the conditions. On a positive note, the procedure proved to be effective to most severe or advanced angina cases but not for those who have mild angina. In a way, avoiding heart bypass operation can be a goal for those with mild coronary artery clogging problems.

What better to do in avoiding heart bypass operation could be to seek a second opinion. Aside from the high expense that maybe incurred, as this is a heart operation, this is a life-threatening procedure that could mean taking a high risk on the patient.

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Heart Diseases Symptoms – A Brief Overview

2008-10-04T02:46:00.001-07:00

Heart disease can be caused by many different things and comes in many different forms. When the heart valve becomes diseased, one of two things happens: it doesn’t close tightly enough (called incompetence) to keep blood from backing up into the chamber from which it flowed; or, it doesn’t open widely enough (called stenosis) to allow adequate amounts of blood to flow into the chamber.

Heart disease is very common. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. The tendency to develop heart disease can be genetic. However, certain lifestyle factors such as diet, smoking, and stress make a big difference in whether or not a person will develop heart disease.

Many of the symptoms of heart attack can be brought on by digestive disturbances or other less serious conditions. But only sophisticated medical tests can determine for sure if you're having a heart attack. Heart attacks may vary from person to person, and from heart attack to heart attack. Women, for example, may experience "atypical' symptoms such as pain between the shoulder blades rather than crushing chest pain. This may result in them delaying seeking treatment. That is a great mistake.

Heart disease symptoms can be hard to recognize. You may not have any symptoms, or you may experience chest pain and shortness of breath, especially with physical exertion. Heart disease symptoms can be different in women. It's important to know when it might be an emergency.

Signs and symptoms of heart disease occur when plaque buildup in the coronary arteries causes a reduction in blood flow to the heart. You can have heart disease for many years without experiencing symptoms. Often, the first symptom comes in the form of a heart attack. Other common heart disease symptoms include chest pain or discomfort, shortness of breath, faster heartbeats, and dizziness.

Symptoms of heart disease in the case of arrhythmias usually occur when one realizes that his or her heart is occasionally missing a beat. Often these are harmless palpitations which are caused by an excessive consumption of stimulants such as caffeine. However, one should go to a doctor to rule out symptoms of heart disease. Arrhythmias are the result of heart valve problems, which might be indicative of damage to the valve itself. They are often cured by a “shock” which may regulate heart beats, but there is a risk in this treatment, since a clot could become dislodged and cause a heart attack or stroke.

Anybody can have heart disease. It is how we take care of our heart that actually lessens the chance we have coronary heart diseases like atherosclerosis (blockage of blood in the artery), ischaemic heart disease (reduction of blood supply to the heart), cardiovascular disease (often involving the heart and the blood vessels), and pulmonary heart disease (failure of the right side of the heart to function.)

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An Overview Of Heart Diseases

2008-10-04T02:46:00.000-07:00

One of the most widely recognized causes of premature death worldwide today is heart disease. Although this may sound very depressing, the reality is that the incidence of premature deaths caused by heart disease has significantly declined in recent years. Although progress has been made in the treatment of heart disease, additional effort needs to be made to prevent this illness as much as possible. Heart disease often takes a toll on the sufferer's and his family's lives. Treating heart disease can also be very complicated, requiring specialized human resources, equipment and medication. The costs of such treatments are also very high. In summary, prevention is better than the cure. Let's now review the other factors.

Who Are At Risk?

People who have a family history of heart disease are probably the most at risk. So, bear in mind that if hereditary heart disease is prevalent in your family it would probably be a wise step to discuss this aspect with your doctor and to have regular annual appointments with him to check for potential problems. Be assured that if you do this, your chances of circumventing heart disease will be so much better.

Heart Disease Is A Leading Cause For Fatalities

Although more men are prone to heart disease than women, it is the most widely recognized cause of death in women. Strangely enough the observation that women live longer than men is also still true. Women therefore have to take certain measures to prevent the onset and development of heart disease.

Recognition Of The Problem Often Occurs Too Late

Doctors and specialists today, armed with improved technologies, are able to diagnose and treat heart disease more comprehensively than ever in the past. Unfortunately, by the time most people realize that they are suffering from heart disease, it would have escalated to an advanced stage that poses a treatment challenge for physicians. Often the onset of the illness only comes to light when the person has already been afflicted by a stroke or heart attack.

Of the many contributing factors of heart disease in people, smoking cigarettes is the most critical. Other factors such as elevated blood cholesterol levels as well as obesity, high blood pressure, sedentary lifestyles and diabetes heighten the incidence of heart disease. The person who does not deny these risk factors will have a better understanding and chance of survival should he or she be afflicted by some form of heart disease. Obviously it will mean making some necessary lifestyle changes.

Tremendous advances in medical technology have been made in many areas and also in terms of treatment protocols for sufferers of coronary heart disease. The development of drugs specifically designed to prevent heart attacks has increased and are readily available. Surgical techniques have advanced tremendously since the days of Dr. Chris Barnard and the first heart transplant. Both drug and surgery treatment protocols are designed for the elimination of heart problems and the restoration of proper heart function. The success of these developments is documented by the sharp decline of fatalities due to heart disease.

Steps Forward In Dealing With Heart Disease

Many new preventive measures have been developed to reduce the problems associated with heart disease. In addition to the advances in medical treatment for people suffering from heart disease, public awareness for these illnesses has increased dramatically. People are educating themselves with regards to the good benefits of a healthy lifestyle, staying away from smoking and drugs and working out to a cardiovascular exercise routine that is specifically designed to exercise the heart to make it stronger.

This statement by no means indicates that heart disease is not a serious threat, or that heart disease can be circumvented with minor treatment programs. Not at all! Heart disease is a serious health condition the danger of which can never be underplayed. But it is interesting and important to realize that heart disease is no longer the death threat that it was in years gone by.

Check Ups Can Prevent Heart Problems

Regular examinations by the doctor will not prevent heart disease from happening, but these examinations may have a significant impact on your heath if they are able to nip a heart problem in the bud before it becomes serious. This makes sense with regards to any illness. Detecting heart disease early in its developmental stages can motivate the patient to obtain treatment as a matter of urgency. When treatment is received promptly, the higher the chances are to successfully treat the heart disease before it turns out to be life threatening. Because this is so important regular - at least annual - checkups are necessary for those who might be at risk for heart disease.

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Heart Disease - Public Enemy Number 1?

2008-10-04T02:45:00.000-07:00

INTRODUCTION: Heart disease is a number of abnormal conditions affecting the heart and its blood vessels. Also called cardiovascular disease, it mainly affects older people and indicates that there are problems with the heart and blood vessels.

It has become the leading cause of death in the United States, is a major cause of disability, doesn't go away, but by working with your doctor, you can live longer and feel better. Types of cardiovascular disease include: Coronary artery disease (CAD), the most common type and is the leading cause of heart attacks.

In 2003, almost twice as many females died of cardiovascular disease (both heart disease and stroke) than from all cancers put together. The older she gets, the more likely she is to have cardiovascular disease; however women of all ages should be concerned.

African American and Hispanic American/Latina females are more prone to get heart disease because they tend to have a greater number of risk factors such as obesity, lack of exercise, elevated blood pressure, and diabetes than White females. Women of color are also more likely to die of the disease.

Having diabetes elevates your chances of developing heart disease and high levels of triglycerides are linked to the disease in some people. Also Being obese increases your risk. Chest or arm pain or discomfort can be a symptom of cardiovascular problems and a warning sign of an actual or impending heart attack.

If your father or brother had a heart attack before age 55, or if your mom had one before age 65, you're more likely to get heart disease. Birth control pills can present risks for some women, especially women older than 35, women with elevated blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol and those who smoke.

Nearly 700,000 people die of heart disease in the United States a year. You can find out more about heart disease by calling the National Women's Health Information Center at 1-800-994-9662.

The chance of developing coronary disease can be reduced by taking steps to prevent and control those factors that put people at larger risk for cardiovascular disease and heart attack. The very best ways to prevent the disease are to control high blood pressure, diabetes or a elevated cholesterol level and, if you smoke, stop smoking.

CHOLESTEROL: What does a high level of cholesterol have to do with heart disease? It can clog your arteries and keep your heart from getting necessary blood. People with high blood cholesterol or elevated blood triglycerides often have no symptoms, so have your blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels checked often. If your levels are high, talk to your physician about what you can do to lower them. You may be able to decrease your levels by eating better and exercising more, if not, your physician may prescribe medication to lower and bring it under control.

When there is excess cholesterol in your blood, it can build up on the walls of your arteries, forming plaque and causing blood clots. There are basically 2 types of cholesterol: Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is frequently called the "bad" type because it can block the arteries that carry blood to your heart. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is called the "good" type because it takes the bad cholesterol out of your blood and stops it from building up in your arteries.

All women 20 years of age and older should have their blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels checked at least once every five years. If you are overweight, losing weight can help reduce your total cholesterol and LDL ("bad cholesterol") levels.

Try to consume more foods low in saturated fats, trans fats, and cholesterol. Skim (fat-free) or low-fat (1%) milk and cheeses, and low-fat or nonfat yogurt, Fruits and vegetables (try for five a day), Cereals, breads, rice, and pasta created from whole grains (such as "whole-wheat" or "whole-grain" bread and pasta, rye bread, brown rice, and oatmeal), Limit consumption of organ meats (liver, kidney, brains), Egg yolks, Fats (butter, lard) and oils, Packaged and processed foods.

There are 2 diets that may help reduce your cholesterol: Heart Healthy Diet and Therapeutic Lifestyles Changes (TLC) Diet. Exercise can help reduce LDL ("bad cholesterol") and raise HDL ("good cholesterol"). If your MD has prescribed medicine to reduce your cholesterol, take it exactly as you have been told to.

CONCLUSION: Heart disease is not contagious - you can't get it like you can the flu or a cold. It is a general term that refers to a variety of acute and chronic medical diseases that affect one or more of the components of the heart. The signs you describe to your physician will help to decide if you need to be tested for heart disease. Your physician will also check if you have any conditions that can increase your chance of developing the disease.

These conditions include: high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, elevated cholesterol level, menopause in women, family members who have had heart disease at a young age. If you have cardiovascular disease, your angina can be treated by treating the heart disease. Maintaining a healthy diet and weight in addition to a regular exercise program can help you avoid developing heart disease.

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Low Testosterone Levels - A Marker For Increased Cardiovascular Mortality

2008-09-30T05:23:00.000-07:00

The blood levels of testosterone vary over a wide range. Testosterone levels gradually start declining during the third or early fourth decade of life at a constant rate. As a result, older men have significantly lower levels compared to their younger counterparts. Testosterone levels may also be low due to several diseases. The cutoff number is 250 ng/dL, levels below these are considered low.

What is the connection between testosterone and heart disease?

Low testosterone levels have been associated with increased risk of development and death from cardiovascular disease. In a recent study by Laughlin and associates, men with low levels and in the lowest quartile were 40% more likely to die early, especially from cardiovascular diseases. These findings were unaffected by age, lipid levels and other risk factors. The study involved 794 men aged 50-91 years, who were monitored for 20 years. The study was published in 2008 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

In 2007, results of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer in Norfolk Study were published in Circulation. In this study, Khaw and associates monitored 11,000 patients aged 40-79 for their testosterone levels and death. They found that the latter were inversely related - low testosterone levels correlated with a higher rate of death from cardiovascular disease, cancer and all other causes.

In another study, Shores and colleagues, found that low testosterone levels were associated with an increased risk for mortality in male veterans. The male population was over 40 years of age and did not have prostate cancer. The study was done in Seattle and published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in 2006.

How does low testosterone cause cardiovascular disease?

The exact mechanism by which low testosterone causes cardiovascular disease is not clear, but there are several postulated mechanisms . Patients with low testosterone levels tend to have more visceral obesity. Visceral obesity is responsible for the apple shaped body (as compared to the pear shaped body, in which the fat is predominantly deposited in the hips and buttocks). More commonly, this is called the 'pot belly' or 'beer belly'. The visceral fat is packed in between the internal organs in the peritoneal cavity (abdominal cavity). In contrast the subcutaneous fat is found under the skin and the intramuscular fat in the skeletal muscle. Visceral fat is more metabolically active and synthesizes more heart unhealthy fatty acids, triglycerides, and adipokines than nonvisceral fat. Low testosterone is also associated with the development of metabolic syndrome and diabetes. In a study published in 2007, men in the lowest levels of testosterone were four times more likely to develop diabetes when compared to men with the highest levels. This data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, was published by Selvin and group in Diabetes Care. Patients with low testosterone levels have higher levels of insulin and triglycerides, both detrimental to the cardiovascular system.

Should you take testosterone to reduce heart disease?

There has been no scientific study in which testosterone replacement has been found to reduce heart disease. A study has just not been done. However, English and associates found that in patients with established coronary artery disease, testosterone replacement reduced exercise induced chest pain. This data was published in the European Heart Journal in 2000.

Summary

Testosterone is a predominantly male hormone produced by the testis and adrenals. It is responsible for libido in both sexes and the production of sperms in the male. It is also associated with increased energy, production of red cells and prevention of osteoporosis. Testosterone levels normally decline with age, with older men having a much lower levels than their younger counterparts. Low testosterone levels have been linked to an increased incidence of cardiovascular disease and mortality, and death from all causes. There is no published research on whether taking supplemental testosterone will reduce cardiovascular disease and death.

Dr. Shashi K. Agarwal is a Board Certified Internist and Cardiologist with a private practice in New York City and New Jersey. He is also a diplomate of the American Board of Holistic Medicine and the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine.

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You, Too, Can Give the Gift of Life

2008-09-30T05:22:00.001-07:00

You're in the mall, the supermarket, or heading for the departure gate at the airport when you see someone ahead of you slump to the ground. As you glance around to see if anyone else is aware of what just happened, you notice a sign that says "AED" or "Defibrillator" with an arrow pointing to a box. Would you know what to do?

According to the American Heart Association, approximately 350,000 people die from sudden cardiac arrest each year in the United States alone. The majority of people exhibit no prior symptoms, so they have no warning. The current national survival rate for Sudden Cardiac Arrest is less than 5%, often because emergency medical services cannot reach them in time. The likelihood of successful resuscitation decreases by about 10% with every minute that passes.

Sudden Cardiac Arrest is most often the result of the electrical activity of the heart becoming disorganized, causing it to beat ineffectively. This arrhythmia is called ventricular fibrillation. This results in a lack of blood flow or pulse, causing loss of consciousness, cessation of breathing, and leads to death very rapidly unless properly treated. CPR is important in maintaining blood flow to the vital organs of the body for a short period of time, but defibrillation is the most effective treatment for returning a heart in ventricular fibrillation to its normal rhythm. Until recently, only credentialed health professionals and trained emergency medical service personnel were able to provide defibrillation to victims of Sudden Cardiac Arrest. Precious minutes were lost from the time of collapse to the arrival of life-saving equipment. With widespread access to defibrillators, it is estimated that an additional 40,000 lives could be saved each year in the U.S. alone.

The efficacy of defibrillation is directly tied to how quickly it is administered. The American Heart Association has determined that maximum effectiveness is achieved if defibrillation takes place within 3 to 5 minutes of collapse. After 10 minutes, the likelihood of a positive outcome is extremely poor. The importance of quick and effective intervention is outlined in the AHA's "Chain of Survival" concept; early access, early CPR, early defibrillation, early advanced care. (americanheart.org)

The proliferation of Public Access Defibrillators (PAD) since the 1990s and their accompanying PAD Programs has done much to educate the public about early access defibrillation. Public access defibrillators can be found in mass transit terminals, on commercial airplanes and in shopping malls. They are currently required by law in Federal and State government buildings, health clubs and nursing homes, with numerous bills now before Congress to provide them in an ever growing list of public facilities.
The American Heart Association and the American Red Cross are just two of the nationally recognized organizations providing lay persons all of the information and training necessary to competently assess a victim, administer CPR if indicated, and to operate an AED safely and effectively. Numerous local training and consulting organizations accredited by the American Heart Association or the American Red Cross are also available to provide training and certification.

Keeping knowledge current increases confidence. With increased confidence, the likelihood of bystander participation and positive intervention outcome increases as well. Consider the millions of "Baby Boomers" between 45 and 60-plus years of age. And getting older. They might be your customers, neighbors, co-workers, parents, or even you.

Anyone has the ability to save a life. With just a little training, everyone can have the chance to be a hero.

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Fish Oil Supplementation - Heart Protective

2008-09-30T05:22:00.000-07:00

Fish oils are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Along with omega-6 fatty acids, they are called polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Both of these fatty acids cannot be synthesized by humans and are therefore considered 'essential'. Besides fish, omega-3 fatty acids are also found in walnuts, flaxseed, canola oil, broccoli, cantaloupe, kidney beans, spinach, grape leaves, Chinese cabbage, and cauliflower. Two omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are health and heart protective. A third kind, alpha-linolenic acid, is less potent. Omega-6 fatty acids are detrimental to heart health, and have been associated with depression. Omega-6 fatty acids are abundant in refined vegetable oils commonly used for cooking.

What is the link between fish oil intake and cardiovascular disease protection?

Several studies have shown an inverse relationship between fish consumption and coronary heart disease and death. In the DART study, 2003 men with a previous history of a heart attack were divided into two groups and monitored - one group had an increased fish oil consumption, either by diet or by supplementation compared to the other group, The increased fish oil group had a 29% reduction in death. Studied by Burr and group, this data was published in Lancet in 1989.

In a large GISSI-Prevenzione trial, 11,324 patients with a history of a heart attack were randomly assigned into groups; each group was given either 850 mg omega-3 fatty acid, 300 mg vitamin E, both, or neither. The results showed that the group given the fatty acid alone had a 45% reduction in sudden death and a 20% reduction in all-cause mortality. This was published in Lancet in 1999.

In a review of 11 studies, Markmann and Granbaek found that in populations at a higher risk of coronary heart disease, intake of 40-60 grams of fish per day could reduce the risk of death by 40%-60%. They published their data in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 1999.

How do omega-3 fatty acids protect against heart disease?

Fish oils lower blood pressure and serum triglyceride levels. They also have anti-arrhythmic, anti-thrombotic, anti-atherosclerotic, and anti-inflammatory properties. They also improve endothelial function. All these effects protect against heart attacks from coronary heart disease and sudden death due to an irregular heart rhythm.

How much omega-3 fatty acids do you need?

It is recommended that the daily intake of omega-3 fatty acid be 2.85 g/day. Healthy marine sources are fresh tuna, sardines, salmon, herring, trout and oysters. Fish should be grilled, baked, or broiled -- not fried. Fried fish loses all of its benefits. This lack of benefit from fried fish was documented by Mozaffarian in the Cardiovascular Health Study published in Circulation in 2003. As noted earlier, omega-3 fatty acids are also found in walnuts, flaxseed, canola oil, broccoli, cantaloupe, kidney beans, spinach, grape leaves, Chinese cabbage, and cauliflower. Recently, omega-3 fatty acid enriched eggs have become available in the supermarkets and can help meet the daily requirements. If one is unable to eat enough fish or other food sources of omega-3 fatty acids, fish oil supplementation should be considered. The usual amount is 1 gm EPA and DHA per day, although your physician may recommend higher doses in certain situations.

Is fish safe?

Fish at the top of the food chain often contain significant levels of methylmercury, polychlorinated biphenyls, dioxins, and other environmental contaminants. These include mackerel, shark, swordfish, and tile fish (golden bass or golden snapper). The FDA advises pregnant women, women wanting to become pregnant, nursing mothers and children to avoid these fish as they may be at an increased risk of mercury intoxication.

Are fish oils safe?

In general, most fish oils sold over the counter in the USA are safe. The FDA in 1997 indicated that the consumption of up to 3 g EPA + DHA/day from all sources is safe for American adults. Fish oils do not interact with other drugs and usually have no side effects. Fishy aftertaste can be lessened by keeping the supplements in the freezer. Rarely nausea, bloating and belching can occur. Excessive intake may cause bleeding. There is only one FDA approved fish oil preparation in the USA. It is available by prescription under the trade name of Omacor. Because of a patented refining process, toxins such as mercury are completely removed, It also has more PUFAs - 90% compared with 60% in some commercially available products. This makes Omacor more reliable and efficacious.

Summary

The heart protective effects of omega-3 fatty acids are very compelling. These essential polyunsaturated fatty acids are abundant in fish and certain vegetables and nuts. People at a high risk of developing heart disease or who have established heart disease, should supplement their diet with fish oil capsules providing 1 gm EPA and DHA per day. It would be prudent to discuss this therapy with your physician.

Dr. Shashi K. Agarwal is a Board Certified Internist and Cardiologist with a private practice in New York City and New Jersey. He is also a diplomat of the American Board of Holistic Medicine and the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine.

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Heart disease starts in childhood

2008-09-28T05:08:00.000-07:00

If you thought letting your children spend their youth playing videogames and eating Fritos was just good, harmless fun, you're wrong. Researchers at the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill) have found that kids who lead inactive lifestyles - that means getting less than 20 minutes a day of moderate-intensity physical activity - are 5-6 times more likely to be at risk of heart disease than kids who get the 60 min-, utes recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

On ear creases and heart disease

2008-09-28T05:06:00.000-07:00

Q: Is there any relationship between a crease in the earlobe and heart disease?

The relationship between earlobe crease and heart disease, primarily coronary disease (heart attacks), was first suggested more than thirty years ago and has been studied many times in various populations. Some Greco-Roman statues in the Louvre Museum in Paris show the earlobe crease, so the finding goes back 2,000 years or more. The results of some studies indicate that the earlobe crease is associated with age, and age is associated with vascular disease. Others conclude that the crease is an independent predictor of heart disease and, more recently, carotid artery thickening. Whatever, the relationship is not that good because many people without the crease have heart attacks and many with the crease do not. Given my choice of a predictor of atherosclerosis and heart attacks, I'd pick the cholesterol level over the earlobe crease. But even the cholesterol is not perfect, since almost half of those with heart attacks can have normal cholesterol levels.

External pump for heart disease

2008-09-28T05:04:00.000-07:00

Q: I am under treatment for angina. When I have an attack of chest pain, I usually can get rid of it with nitroglycerin. My neighbor, exactly my age, has the same thing: coronary artery disease with angina attacks. His doctor is treating him with leg pumps. He says he has had no angina since he started the treatment. Would this help me?

A: The procedure, enhanced external counterpulsation, has been around for 10 years.

A series of cuffs, like blood pressure cuffs, is wrapped around the patient's legs. At a very precise moment in the heart cycle, the cuffs are sequentially inflated, with the lowest cuff inflated first. The pumping maneuver increases blood flow back to the heart and to the heart muscle. Angina is chest pain that comes on with activity. It indicates that one or more of the heart arteries have a blockage. People with artery blockage get enough blood to the heart muscle when they're resting, but, when they are active, the blockage prevents the increased flow required for the extra effort the heart must make. The result is the chest pain called angina.

Some people who have undergone a series of EECP treatments have fewer attacks after the treatment, and some have even discontinued medicine for angina.

EECP has yet to win universal approval. People who judge the effectiveness of medical treatments want more evidence before they recommend it for everyone. Would it work for you? Only a trial with it will tell you.

Q: There's a yellow streak on both my eyelids. What is this? Does it mean eye trouble?

A: Those streaks are xanthelasmas (ZANN-thul-AS-muhs), an aggregation of cells filled with cholesterol. In half of people with them, they indicate high blood cholesterol or high blood triglycerides. If you haven't had a check of your cholesterol or triglycerides, you should have one.

They are not a sign of eye trouble. If you find them cosmetically distressing, they can be removed.

Q: What's a "chemical" depression? I have two relatives who say that's what they have.

A: Brain cells communicate with each other through chemicals with names such as dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine. One current and popular theory about depression cites an imbalance of one or more of these chemicals as the cause. Antidepressants restore the normal balance.

Living With Heart Disease Means Making Changes in Your Life

2008-09-26T04:17:00.001-07:00

Bruce was a successful businessman who had everything... except a healthy heart. He didn't know it until he found himself in hospital having double bypass surgery.

Wendy was an active woman who didn't smoke, exercised faithfully, ate right, and surprised everyone, including herself, when she required an emergency angioplasty.

Darlene had no energy. In fact, lately it seemed her get up and go had got up and gone! When she investigated with her doctors, she was shocked to find out she needed a pacemaker. After her surgery, she had a new lease on life.

Dave was a smoker -- and yes, he was a little overweight. He knew he had to make some changes - but once he had the heart attack he started taking it more seriously.

What these people have in common is that they all have heart disease. It's the number one killer in North America. Every year hundreds of thousands die from heart disease. (451,326 in 2004*). But the good news is an estimated 80,700,000* people with some form of cardiovascular disease in the United States are living. Thanks to modern medicine, people like Bruce, Wendy, Darlene, Dave and countless others get a second chance. (* American Heart Association)

But living with heart disease can feel overwhelming. People know a lifestyle change is necessary, but often they don't know where to start. Or they may have trouble staying motivated. Sometimes they don't know where to turn to find resources such as heart rate or blood pressure monitors, exercise advice or equipment, or even heart-healthy recipes.

Sandra Thornton is one of the millions living with heart disease. After her heart event she was fortunate to participate in cardiac rehab but once she "graduated" she found herself feeling very alone. She looked for information, moral support, and all the resources to help her with her lifestyle changes. Not finding one single source, she created a website to help others. She also notes that having a heart event shakes your confidence. You feel as though your body let you down.

"I am creating a community for people living with heart disease," she says. "A virtual place to find and share information about lifestyle changes. And a place for people to access and order the resources they need -- no matter where they are. It can feel impossible if you live out in the country, or if you have difficulty getting out." One such woman wrote "There is a long history of heart disease in my family... I find your website inspirational and I appreciate that I have found it just at the time when I am needing it."

"I know what it's like," Thornton says. She was an energetic 51 year-old when she was unexpectedly admitted to a critical care bed in the cardiac care unit of her local hospital three years ago. The next day she had an angioplasty to clear a 90% blockage of her left anterior descending artery.

The location of the blockage, left untreated, would have resulted in a massive heart attack.

"I also learned I had a problem with my aortic valve (aortic stenosis)," she notes.

She experienced a rocky recovery - five stays in hospital, four angiograms, two angioplasties (she re-blocked), and six months off work.

Thornton is back on track with her life now, but she says, "It's so important for people to have support to make the changes they need to make. A great medical team, the support of loved ones, the awareness of risk factors and how to reduce them, and access to the resources you need."

And speaking of risk factors, there are only three risk factors for heart disease that you can't control - your gender, your age, and your family genes. Everything else is up to you. Whether you are living with heart disease or you want to prevent it, here's what you CAN do:

· Quit smoking - NOW!

· Get more active, start an exercise program, and lose excess weight

· Eat a heart-healthy diet - more whole foods, fruit, vegetables, fiber - less fat, salt, sugar and processed foods

· Manage your stress and make wise lifestyle choices

· Know and manage your blood pressure and cholesterol levels

· Get regular checkups

3 Natural Cures For High Blood Pressure You Can Adopt

2008-09-26T04:17:00.000-07:00

With the known side effects of pharmaceutical drugs, more people are looking for natural cures for high blood pressure. If you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure you may need to take prescribed medication to correct the problem.

There are several medications that are used to reduce blood pressure. Each of these medications may have adverse side effects and should only be used under a doctor's care. Diuretics flush the body of salts. Unfortunately, this may deplete your body of potassium and other minerals valuable in maintaining a healthy heart. Some diuretics interfere with uric acid excretion, causing or exacerbating gout and arthritis. Some diuretics increase cholesterol and others can cause sexual impotency as a side effect.

Sympathetic nerve inhibitors or alpha-blockers interfere with the message sent by the sympathetic nervous system and cause the vessels to contract thereby reducing the blood pressure. Alpha-blockers create swelling of extremities, chest pain, nausea, weight gain, vomiting, loss of bladder control, continuous and painful erections or impotence, joint and back pain, insomnia, stuffy nose, blurred vision and restlessness.

Calcium-channel blockers, another treatment for hypertension, make the arteries expand and allow the blood to flow more easily by slowing the rate that calcium enters both the heart and vessels. Some side effects of calcium-channel blocker are exhaustion, flushing, increased swelling in the feet, abdomen or ankles, heartburn, stomach upsets, difficulty swallowing, numbness, fainting, headaches, constipation, jaundice and chest pains. If you take a calcium channel-blocker, make sure that you don't smoke and reveal all medications you are taking, including herbal supplements, to your doctor. Mixing several drugs or smoking while taking hypertension medication can create other problems like tachycardia - rapid heartbeats.

Beta-blockers reduce the rate and decrease the force of the heart's contraction. Sexual impotency in men is one of the most common side effects. Fatigue, depression, nightmares and increased wheezing in asthmatics are other side effects of beta-blockers.

Many people with high blood pressure often stop taking their medication to avoid these side effects. This is extremely dangerous. If you choose to implement alternative methods of control, work with your doctor to wean you from the drugs and monitor your progress as your pressure begins to drop naturally.

The first natural cure for high blood pressure is increased physical activity. The activity should be something that you enjoy and should also increase the heart rate and help you to lose weight. This natural cure improves the blood pressure several ways. It increases your overall health and stamina. It reduces stress by releasing the 'fight or flight' hormones accumulated in your system from daily stress, and promotes weight reduction.

The second natural cure involves monitoring your diet on a daily basis. Some foods reduce cholesterol, a prime cause of artery blockage and increased blood pressure. Eliminate caffeine and nicotine, from your life. Reduce the intake of salt and increase natural fibers like those in whole grain foods, fruits and vegetables.

The third way to reduce hypertension is the use of herbal remedies and supplements. Increase your intake of calcium, vitamin C, CoQ10 and Flaxseed. Herbs that lower blood pressure include coleus forskohlii, hawthorn and mistletoe. Always speak with your doctor before starting a regimen of herb supplements.

Pharmaceutical drugs don't have to be the only option in fighting hypertension. These are three natural cures for high blood pressure you can adopt that will help you live a longer and better life.

A Matter of Life and Death - Understanding Cholesterol Ratios

2008-09-26T04:16:00.000-07:00

High cholesterol is not a laughing matter. Since it can cause you to experience heart disease, which can be life threatening, high cholesterol should not be taken lightly. A very important key to lowering cholesterol levels is having an understanding of your cholesterol ratio. Here are a few of the different things that you should know about your total ratio and your HDL LDL ratio.

The most important thing that you should know about your total cholesterol ratio is that it is a determining factor of your risk of developing heart disease, which can ultimately, and at worst case, lead to death.

The way that it works is by dividing your HDL cholesterol into your overall cholesterol. Keep in mind that cholesterol is measured in milligrams and deciliters, or mg's and dl's. Let's pretend, for example, that your total cholesterol was 200 mg/dl, while your HDL was 50 mg/dl. In this case, your cholesterol ratio would be 4-1. Having cholesterol ratio that is any higher than 5-1 is a sign that you may be at risk for heart disease.

Keep in mind that there is also something called the HDL LDL ratio, which needs to be taken into consideration as well. As you can probably guess, this ratio measures the ratio between your HDL cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. This ratio is a larger determining factor of the risk of heart disease.

The reason is because it shows the ratio between your good cholesterol and bad cholesterol, which is the largest factor that determines your risk of heart disease. The formula to determine HDL LDL ratio is much more complicated and, thus, it tends to be very pricey.

Overall, however, your HDL to LDL cholesterol ratio should not be any higher than 4.4 and you should strive to keep it at or below 3.3. Any HDL to LDL ratio level above 7 to 11 indicates a high risk of heart disease.

Keep in mind that there are several things that you can do in order to lower your cholesterol. Making healthier food choices and following an exercise routine are just two of the many different things that you can do to keep both your HDL to LDL ratio and your total cholesterol ratio down.

Eat to Live - Cholesterol Management the Easy Way

2008-09-24T22:53:00.001-07:00

If you have recently been diagnosed with high cholesterol, you are probably looking for ways to lower it. Keep in mind that there are two types of cholesterol: LDL and HDL. LDL, or bad cholesterol, causes heart disease and atherosclerosis, a condition which affects proper blood flower. HDL, or good cholesterol, works to combat against the possible damage that LDL cholesterol can do. A good diet to lower cholesterol will help decrease your LDL cholesterol, while increasing your HDL cholesterol.

There are many foods that may help lower cholesterol that you will want to incorporate into your regular diet. For starters, you will want to think about adding fruits and vegetables to your diet. Since they are known to be very healthy, it is not surprising that they are also known to lower cholesterol. Whole grains, oatmeal, nuts and legumes are all known to reduce cholesterol. A diet to lower cholesterol should contain a decent amount of all of these foods.

When looking for sample diets for lowering cholesterol, be sure to choose a diet that avoids foods which are high in trans fat or saturated fat. Greasy, fast foods should be avoided if you want to lower cholesterol. Fatty junk foods, such as potato chips, which may also contain unnecessary amounts of trans or saturated fat should also be avoided.

A diet to lower cholesterol should not contain excessive amounts of red meat or organs such as liver and dairy products. Although chicken, turkey and fish can also be very bad choices for someone who is trying to reduce their cholesterol, the way that you prepare these foods can make them healthier. Removing the skin and either baking, grilling or broiling these meats instead of frying are such healthier alternatives.

If you are still unsure of where to find sample diets for lowering cholesterol or what should be on them, you may want to think about asking your primary care physician. He or she should be able to give you a good idea of what foods can be eaten to reduce cholesterol, as well as which ones should be avoided and perhaps suggest some sample diets. Since a diet to lower cholesterol is very important, it is a good idea to make sure that you follow the doctor's instructions and reduce the amount of unhealthy foods that you choose to incorporate in your diet.

Achieving good heart health is way easier by diet than by the use of drugs like statins. Although if you are looking for ways to lower your cholesterol, and need some help doing so beyond diet, there are some very good natural alternatives that can be added to a good diet to lower cholesterol to improve your success rate.

And one company making some extremely effective and organic cholesterol management products too, and you've probably never heard of them.

How to Lower Cholesterol With a Change in Diet

2008-09-24T22:53:00.000-07:00

It is known that medication and drugs can be harmful to our bodies so it is natural that people prefer to learn how to lower their cholesterol naturally. When using natural methods we are learning how to take control of the problem ourselves in a more efficient way. To lower your cholesterol naturally it is important and beneficial for your life and general health. It reduces heart disease and also any other diseases which may not be good for your body.

Lower Your Cholesterol Levels With A Change Of Diet

Getting rid of excessive body fat deposits in your body which can cause you harm is important. By going on a diet to lower cholesterol is one of the best ways you can lower cholesterol naturally.

You need to begin by looking at a diet that is low in saturated fats, sodium and some carbohydrates. By including these foods in your diet you will not only lower your cholesterol levels but be able to maintain your levels as well. Look at adding omega 3 into your diet as well as it helps to reduce cholesterol as well as control bad cholesterol.

So when looking at your choices in foods you will want to avoid the foods which contribute to cholesterol such as beef, high fat dairy foods and most oils. Also look at your alcohol intake as this will effect your levels as well.

Adding Exercise Into Your Life

A good diet is important in lowering your cholesterol levels but the inclusion of exercise is a must. By exercising you can effectively remove the fat that accumulates in the body. You can also increase your cardiac capacity of your heart which in turn helps with your blood circulation. An effective exercise plan need not mean you send countless hours working out at the gym. All you need to do is go for a 30 minute walk on a daily basis to help keep the fat levels down. Look at swimming and other exercises but remember to consult your doctor first to see which exercise is best suited to you and your condition

The two methods on how to lower cholesterol are best used when your cholesterol levels have not reached high levels. For people that have extremely high levels it is best first to consult your doctor. They will advise the correct course of action for you whether it be a change in diet, increase in exercise or the inclusion of medication or may be a combination of them all.

Learn How to Reduce Or Eliminate Cardiovascular Disease

2008-09-24T22:52:00.000-07:00

Cardiovascular Disease is becoming a growing issue in our fast paced society, and no one is exempt from being at risk. It is classified as any disease that affects the blood vessels and the heart. It is brought on by numerous factors such as high blood pressure, high bad cholesterol, obesity, stress, and lack of exercise.

It is very important that you find out how to prevent cardiovascular disease now, no matter what age group you belong to. The cases of this disease have been dropping somewhat, but even so it remains one of the leading causes of death. As a matter of fact, over 1 million people died of complications brought on by the disease in 1999 alone. In order to stop cardiovascular disease now, it is important that you understand what exactly puts you at risk of this horrible affliction.

First on the list is cigarette smoking. Everyone knows of the risk that smoking poses to your lungs, but often the fact that it can cause cardiovascular disease is overlooked. The good news is that if you quit smoking now, you will have decreased your chance of getting cardiovascular disease by 40 percent within the first 5 years. With all the other healthy benefits of quitting smoking, you should really consider giving it up.

High blood pressure is another common cause. Basically, the lower your blood pressure within the reasonable limits, the better chance you have to prevent cardiovascular disease. If you have high blood pressure, make sure you monitor it, checking it often. Also, see your doctor regularly.

Another big risk is blood cholesterol levels. There has been clear evidence that there is a link between high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease. Research has shown that there are two kinds of cholesterol: good cholesterol or LDL, and bad cholesterol or HDL. In order to keep your bad cholesterol low, always exercise and eat heart friendly foods. These foods will always have a heart image on their packaging.

One thing is for certain, you cannot prevent cardiovascular disease if you do not exercise. Lack of exercise is one of the more common reasons why people develop cardiovascular diseases. In fact, it is regarded as one of the 4 major causes of cardiovascular disease. Make sure you begin by exercising a little bit each day and gradually working your way up; you do not have to overdo it when you first start out.

Besides the 4 major causes of cardiovascular disease, other causes include: obesity and diabetes. Those who are obese will often not get exercise and will have high blood pressure and cholesterol.

Make sure you follow the aforementioned advice and see your primary care physician if you think you may be at risk. Your doctor has many methods by which he or she can help you to prevent cardiovascular disease that may end up saving your life someday. With so many people dying from the complications that it brings on, it is important that you take the proper measures to stop cardiovascular disease now before it can have a chance to ruin your health.

The Danger Signs of a Blocked Artery

2008-09-22T23:04:00.001-07:00

If you know someone who has had a heart attack, stroke or some form of heart disease you may wonder if you will suffer too. What are the warning signs and symptoms? How can you prevent it? What are your chances of developing one of these illnesses?

The principle underlying cause of all of the above is clogged arteries. This is referred to as Atherosclerosis. Symptoms are almost impossible to detect until they've become life threatening. Consequently I want to state very clearly that most often the symptoms of clogged arteries are heart attacks, strokes and various forms of heart disease. Occasionally you will have chest pains and frequently shortness of breath as well. If this occurs it should be viewed as a major warning and should also prompt you to go see your doctor right away.

Some recent medical research has indicated that you can start developing clogged arteries in your teens and twenties. In the normal course of life no one will notice anything is wrong until they've nearly died from it. However we now know there are many ways to reduce the risk of developing dangerously clogged arteries and cardiovascular disease in general.

The most basic prevention method is to lower your "bad" (LDL) cholesterol levels and raise the "good" (HDL) cholesterol levels. This can be done by a combination of diet and exercise. When the body has an excess of LDL cholesterol in the blood it tries to counteract it with specialized white blood cells. These white blood cells are unable to process the LDL cholesterol and it ends up coating the arterial walls as plaque. This in turn prompts more action by the body thus compounding the problem. Eventually the arteries become inflamed and block blood flow to the heart or brain causing strokes and heart attacks. Your doctor can help you determine what your cholesterol levels are and the best way to reduce them.

Other risk factors include smoking, diabetes, obesity, stress and clinical depression. There are many ways to change all of these factors for the better. Many of them are interrelated. For instance, if you are overweight you increase the chances of developing type 2 diabetes, high levels of LDL cholesterol and depression. The best way to prevent clogged arteries is small, slow lifestyle changes. Make sure to consult your doctor for each major change. This will prevent you from doing too much too soon and possibly aggravating your problems.

Another way to reduce the effects is to scour the arteries using a compound known as EDTA. This is a harmless substance which causes the plaque lining the walls of all the blood vessels - not just the arteries - to be broken down and passed out of the body through the urinary system. This system could make many heart operations a thing of the past. Of course there is a lobby that disapproves, but do your research and make up your own mind. Me - I am a believer.

2 IBS Natural Remedies

2008-09-22T23:04:00.000-07:00

Neither Lactobacillus plantarum 299v nor Saccharomyces boulardii will cure everyone of IBS - that isn't how probiotics work, but both of these two have helped many people.

As the reasons why you get Irritable Bowel Syndrome vary, so do the things that minimize the symptoms of bloating, gas and diarrhea. No one thing seems to work for everyone.

Lactobacillus plantarum 299v is found in many supplements such as Tu-Zen, IBS Support and Proviva. It is the "299v" part of the probiotic bacterium name that is important.

The Lactobacillus plantarum family of lactic acid producing bacteria have been an important part of our diet for most of human evolution and it is only in the last few decades that suddenly, many of us are not getting enough of these important bacteria. For centuries the Lactobacillus plantarum family were used to preserve food. Now, with the advent of freezers and canned goods the old methods of preservation are out of favor.

Many experts believe that this sudden decrease in the beneficial bacterial component of our diet coincides with the increase in gastrointestinal problems that are now so common.

L plantarum 299v has been proven to decrease the amount of flatulence and gas in healthy volunteers and this same decrease, as well as less abdominal bloating and pain, also occurred in patients with IBS.

In test tube studies it has shown antimicrobial activity against nasties such as Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes.

Our other contender, Saccharomyces boulardii, is a yeast that is also proving itself as an IBS natural remedy and it can be found in supplements such as Florastor. It was discovered in the "bloom" on lychee fruit and was already a popular local cure for diarrhea with the Indo-Chinese before the manufacturers found it.

Both of these probiotic supplements have been in numerous studies and whilst they haven't cured everyone, every time - they have certainly helped many.

Heart Disease Means Heavy Breathing 24-7

2008-09-22T23:03:00.000-07:00

In 1995 the British Heart Journal published a study (Clark et al, 1995) done by researchers from the National Heart and Lung Institute in London. The breathing rate of all 88 heart patients at rest ranged from 10 to 18 l/min. This is about 2-3 times more than the norm: 6 l/min at rest for a 70-kg man.

In 2000 a study from the Chest magazine a group of American cardiac professionals revealed that patients with chronic heart failure had from 14 to 18 l/min (Johnson et al, 2000).

More recently, Greek doctors from the Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center in Athens recorded ventilation values ranging from 11 to 19 l/min for heart patients from their hospital (Dimopoulou et al, 2001).

Moreover, about a decade ago a group of 10 medical doctors published their findings, regarding breathing of heart patients, in the American Journal of Cardiology. These MDs conducted a hyperventilation provocation test with over 200 heart patients. Their patients were asked to hyperventilate. It was found that all patients experienced coronary artery spasms (Nakao et al, 1997). The title of their study was "Hyperventilation as a specific test for diagnosis of coronary artery spasm". The cause of the spasm was too low CO2 values in the blood due to over-breathing.

How can hyperventilation affect the heart? The main effects are due to CO2 deficiency.

* Low blood CO2 values lead to the narrowing of small blood vessels (spasm of arteries and arterioles) in the whole body. That causes two problems. First, as a group of Japanese medical professionals found, in conditions of CO2 deficiency, blood flow to the heart muscle decreases (Okazaki et al, 1991). Hence, heart tissue gets less oxygen, glucose and other nutrients. Second, since small blood vessels are the main contributors to the total resistance in relation to blood flow, CO2 deficiency increases resistance to blood flow and makes the work of the heart harder.

* The suppressed Bohr effect, due to low CO2 values in the blood, further reduces oxygenation of the heart muscle (oxygen cannot be efficiently released by red blood cells causing tissue hypoxia). Meanwhile, it is known that low oxygenation of the heart is the cause of the angina pain.

* The excited nerve cells in the heart (the cells that are called pacemakers) interfere with the normal synchronization and harmony in the working of the heart muscle. (The valves should open and close in proper time, much like a well-tuned engine.). Desynchronization can make the whole process of blood pumping less efficient or more energy- and oxygen-demanding.

* Abnormal metabolism of fats leads, as Russian medical studies revealed, to increased blood cholesterol level in some people. That condition gradually, over periods of weeks or months, produces cholesterol deposits on the walls of blood vessels in genetically predisposed people. Such deposits can induce primary hypertension. As Russian published studies suggest, the degree of overbreathing has a linear correlation with the blood cholesterol level.

* Mouth breathing (both at rest and during exercise) is an additional adverse stimulus present in most heart patients. It prevents normal absorption of nitric oxide (a hormone and powerful dilator of blood vessels) synthesized in the nasal passages.

Which parts of the cardiovascular system are going to be most affected?

That depends on genetic predisposition and environmental factors. There are so many factors that can affect the normal work of the cardiovascular system. People are different. Some may get chronic heart failure, others high blood pressure, or stroke, or various abnormalities in the heart muscle.

Therefore, it makes sense to claim that the heart disease is the disease of heavy breathers. It exists only in conditions of chronic hyperventilation. Heart patients breathe too heavy at rest, and even bigger during acute stages. If heart patients slow down and normalize their breathing rate, they would not experience their symptoms and do not require their medication. Currently, there is only one medical self-oxygenation therapy practiced by hundreds of health and medical practitioners in Russia and other countries. It is known as the Buteyko breathing method.

Powerful List of Foods That Help to Lower Cholesterol

2008-09-20T03:06:00.001-07:00

Before listing the foods that help to lower cholesterol we must define what cholesterol is. Cholesterol is a fat like substance that is manufactured by the human body and also eaten in the consumption of animal products. Cholesterol is used to form cell membranes and process hormones and Vitamin D. High cholesterol levels contribute to the development of atherosclerosis. Both a low cholesterol level and a high cholesterol level is dangerous for human beings. Too much of the wrong type of cholesterol (HDL) in the human body is closely linked with heart disease, hypertension and cardiovascular health.

Cholesterol is a steroid alcohol found in animal fats and oils, bile, blood, brain tissue, milk, egg yolk, myelin sheaths of nerve fibers, liver, kidneys and adrenal glands. It is a necessary component of all cell surface and intracellular membranes and a constituent of myelin in nervous tissue; it is a precursor of bile acids and steroid hormones, and it occurs in the most common type of gallstone, in atheroma of the arteries, in various cysts, and in carcinomatous tissue. Most of the body's cholesterol is synthesized, but some is obtained in the diet.

The preoccupation in human medicine with the relationship between cholesterol and the development of atheromatous plaques in the coronary arteries is not reflected in veterinary medicine. The importance of cholesterol to the veterinarian is limited to the measurement of blood cholesterol levels as an indicator of liver disease or thyroid activity.

List of foods that help to lower cholesterol

1. Apples

2. Pumpkin & Pumpkin seeds

3. Salmon and other oily fish such as mackerel.

4. Soy products

5. Walnuts

6. Almonds

7. Avocado

8. Bison, venison and other lean meats.

9. Cholesterol lowering margarines

10. Collard Greens

11. Dark Chocolate

12. Beans & Legumes

13. Egg plant

14. Green Tea

15. Olives

16. Onions

17. Shitake Mushroom

18. Tomato

19. Fresh berries, particularly Blueberries

20. Brown Rice

21. Cinnamon

22. Cranberries

23. Garlic

24. Grapes

25. Oats

Many people advise the daily consumption of apple cider vinegar as being a powerful aid in reducing the levels of cholesterol and helping to maintain a healthy heart. This will also help to keep the arteries clear of plaque.

The latest scientific research said get the delicious recipes that incorporated that cholesterol lowering food.

Cholesterol is a blood fat needed by the body in moderate amounts. However, high cholesterol levels can lead to atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease (CAD) and heart attack. Methods for increasing good cholesterol or lowering bad cholesterol levels include cholesterol reducing drugs such as statins, fibrates, and nicotinic acid and bile acid resins.

Apart from the cholesterol lowering food there are many cholesterol reducing drugs such as:Cholesterol-reducing drugs are medications that lower the levels of fats (lipids) in the blood, including cholesterol and triglycerides. High levels of these fats in the bloodstream increase the risk of coronary artery disease (atherosclerosis), heart attack, stroke and other heart-related conditions. Therefore, cholesterol reducers and other antilipemic medications are often prescribed for people with high cholesterol levels (hypercholesterolemia) or other elevated lipid levels (e.g., high triglycerides).

There are five main categories of cholesterol reducers: statins, bile acid resins, nicotinic acid, fibrates and ezetimibe. Most are available only by prescription, while nicotinic acid, a form of vitamin B3 (niacin), is available over-the-counter. However, niacin should only be taken under the care of a physician to monitor any side effects that could arise, such as severe upset stomach (nausea) and flushing.

So, the big question is this! If you can lower your cholesterol levels by eating the great food a listed above, and if you can supplement this by taking cholesterol reducing natural products, why would you inflict pharmaceutical drugs upon your system? People do, but I will never understand them!

How to Lower Cholesterol With a Change in Diet

2008-09-20T03:06:00.000-07:00

Eat to Live - Cholesterol Management the Easy Way

2008-09-20T03:05:00.000-07:00

Lowering Your Cholesterol - Do You Really Need To?

2008-09-18T01:41:00.001-07:00

Have you managed to catch the most recent drug commercial? The one about a guy moving down a spiral staircase with numerals printed on the steps and the numbers decreasing in value as he goes down the stairs.

It portrays how your physician may have told you that you have to lower your cholesterol levels lower than ever before to have a healthy body. Unfortunately, it is a myth and a potentially fatalistic one as well. Let us begin with a few known facts on the issue at hand, Cholesterol.

What really is cholesterol?

Is it something that is harmful for your body?

Should cholesterol levels in our body be kept as low as possible?

Let's take a moment to consider those questions.

First though, what is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a soft waxy fatty substance that can be found in our bloodstream and cells of our body. It is also present in the food that we consume daily, in meat and dairy products. It is produced in our liver for important body functions such as cell formation, hormone, vitamin and bile acid production.

Cholesterol is needed by the body to form cholic acid that is then used to produce bile salts to digest fat. Also, cholesterol is essential to the production of adrenal and reproductive hormones such as progesterone and testosterone. Cholesterol can also make our skin impenetrable by water and other harmful substances.

In addition, it can cause toxins in our bloodstream, to be bound together, reducing inflammation and protecting our nerves and organs at the same time. So, now that we know how important cholesterol is to us, the question is, why does it have such a bad name?

Rumors began when scientists and researchers made a finding correlating blood cholesterol, cholesterol in our bloodstream, with heart disease. However, if one were to return to research classes in school, they would find out that correlations are of no big importance. When two things are correlated, it just means that two things are present at the same time, or as the American Heritage Dictionary puts it; a correlation is a causal, complementary, parallel, or reciprocal relationship, especially a structural, functional, or qualitative correspondence between two comparable entities.

In plain English this means that just because a person is caught holding a gun, it does not mean he pulled the trigger.

However, where the confusion really lies is because there are two types of cholesterol. One good for you, and one bad for you. The good type is called HDL Cholesterol, and the bad type, LDL Cholesterol.

LDL Cholesterol stands for Low Density Lipoprotein, and when too much of this circulates in our bloodstream then it is bad news. Because it builds up on the inner lining of our arteries, and can cause us to have heart attacks. A bit like a kettle when it gets clogged up with limescale.

HDL Cholesterol on the other hand seems to have protective capabilities. It makes up approximately a fourth to a half of the blood cholesterol that is carried around our bodies, and seems to have a protective effect against heart disease, as it seems to be able to carry LDL cholesterol away, and hence stop it forming against the walls of our arteries. Acting a bit like a kettle de-scaling solution.

Magnesium Deficiency and Heart Disease

2008-09-18T01:41:00.000-07:00

You may not know that Magnesium plays a very important role in treating heart disease.
All muscles require magnesium to function properly. If the levels of magnesium is too low in your body, you might have irregular heartburn and/or calcification of heart muscle cells that causes the development of scar tissue. Also it can cause the damage of arterial lining and allow fat to accumulate in your body's blood vessels. Magnesium deficiency accompanies the major heart disease risk factors including:

1.High cholesterol level:
Magnesium deficiency increases triglycerides and bad cholesterol levels, while decreasing the level of good cholesterol.

2. High blood pressure:
Study suggests that high blood pressure could be significantly lowered by a diet high in magnesium, potassium, and calcium, and low in sodium and fat. Diets that provide plenty of fruits and vegetables which are good sources of potassium and magnesium are consistently associated with lower blood pressure.

3. Diabetes.
If you have low magnesium levels in you blood, study shows that magnesium deficiency can cause insulin resistance and eventually type 2 diabetes.

4. Abdominal obesity
If you are magnesium deficiency, you are probably carrying extra weight around your mid-section. That's one of the hallmark signs of metabolic syndrome that causes fat to be stored in dangerous areas, such as deep in the abdomen or around the liver, muscle, and heart tissues.

In order to prevent all problems caused by magnesium deficiency in your body, supplements of magnesium is recommended or natural foods that contain high amounts of magnesium such as nuts, legumes, and leafy greens should be eaten regularly. Please consult with your doctor before adding magnesium supplement in your diet.

If you are taking calcium supplements, be sure to check your magnesium levels. Magnesium and calcium intake ratio is 2:1. Otherwise it might increase risk of heart disease.

Secrets to Having a Healthy Heart

2008-09-15T05:36:00.002-07:00

There are some obvious tips to keeping a healthy heart. Diet is probably one of the first things you think of, with exercise being the second. There are several other things to consider. Stress can play a huge roll in how healthy your heart is. When trying to maintain your health it is important to consider all factors into the equation. Then you can make a plan to get and remain healthy. The secret to staying healthy is to know what you are doing and how you plan to keep it up. Once you have that figured out then you are all set.

What Your Diet Does For You

A diet for a healthy heart is very important. A low fat diet can protect your heart from dying young. When you reduce fat you are reducing your risk of clogged arteries, stroke, and heart attack. Low fat foods are simple to find and are an easy way to control your diet. Most people do not complain about feeling unsatisfied when they go on a reduced fat diet. Most foods today are geared towards a healthy heart anyway. Another consideration to think about is low sugar. Carbohydrates can cause many issues. The largest common issue is weight gain. Excess carbs leads to being over weight, which comes with a host of other health problems. It can be difficult to cut down on refined sugars, but it can be very beneficial in the long run to your health. The most important thing you can do for your heart is to eat a well balanced diet from all the major food groups.

Exercising Your Heart For Life

A healthy heart is a strong heart. The heart is a muscle, and like any other muscle it needs to be exercised to stay toned and healthy. When you do not get proper exercise you can end up with a much weaker heart. Even just small amounts of exercise are enough o help maintain your heart properly. A simple walk or bicycle ride can be just what your heart needs. When you make sure to get enough exercise you are ensuring that your heart is in the best condition it can be in. That will help to keep you feeling great for a long time. A well-exercised heart is one that will serve you well for your whole life.

Stress Reduction Goes A Long Way

Stress is one of the number one ways to fail fast when it comes to your heart. A healthy heart can be greatly affected by surmounting stress. Once the body enters a flight or fight mode it goes through a biological process that can cause organs to eventually fail. Most times you are not eating, sleeping, or taking care of yourself well when under lots of stress. This can weaken the heart tremendously and put you at risk for diseases such as high blood pressure. If you feel you may be under any type of stress, work hard to find out the source and get rid of it. If you cannot just rid yourself of it be sure to have an outlet to be able to cleanse and relax from it.

Natural Remedies For Lowering Cholesterol

2008-09-15T05:36:00.001-07:00

There are many people that have been diagnosed with high cholesterol that choose to take their treatment into their own hands. Changing their diet along with adding a regular exercise routine can go a long way to help control high cholesterol levels. There are a number of natural remedies for lowering cholesterol and when you do the proper research you can find many tools that will help you to achieve your cholesterol goals without having to resort to traditional pharmaceutical methods.

Herbs and Natural Nutritional Substances

There are many herbs that are said to be natural remedies for lowering cholesterol. They can be found in any natural market or on many sites online. They are often not expensive and can go a long way in helping you lower your cholesterol in a natural way. Often there are other ingredients contained in a supplement which you are considering, so be sure you speak to your health care provider to ensure that all ingredients will safely interact with any other type of medication you may be taking at present.

The way herbs and natural products work to lower cholesterol is by getting rid of fat in the blood. There has been much research done into which of the herbs and natural remedies work, but science is still unsure about exactly why they work to lower cholesterol as effectively as they do.

Natural Products Shown to Effectively Lower Cholesterol

Chromium is a natural product that has been proven effective in raising the good cholesterol HDL and lowering the LDL or bad cholesterol. Carnitine has shown that it will increase the levels of HDL resulting in an overall cholesterol reduction. B-Vitamins help to control cholesterol levels by decreasing oxidization that is the most damaging to LDL cholesterol.

Adding more fiber to your diet is another important natural substance that can help you to lower your levels of damaging cholesterol. You can incorporate fiber either through diet or fiber supplements. Vegetables and whole grains are excellent sources of fiber and some fruits are as well such as apples.

Coenzyme Q10 has had wonderful effects in total cholesterol reduction. Garlic as well has been touted for its cholesterol lowering effects. Grapeseed extract, red yeast rice, and panthothine are also part of natural remedies for lowering cholesterol. Vitamin C, soy and royal jelly are also good at lowering cholesterol. Royal jelly helps to reduce the effects that nicotine has on cholesterol elevation if you smoke.

What You Can Do ?

Before taking the drastic step of going on a pharmaceutical regime, try some natural alternatives that have proven records of helping to fight and reduce high cholesterol. There are many products available that can do what conventional medication can without the risks. Cholesterol is directly related to good cardiovascular health and finding the right natural supplement to add to your routine will help you to rid your body of dangerous toxins as well as aid in the fight against high cholesterol. Look into the ingredients of many natural supplements and find the ones that specifically target cholesterol health. OC-Max is an excellent product as it has many of the ingredients in one convenient pill to combat high levels of cholesterol.

Knowing All About Cholesterol Blood Tests

2008-09-15T05:36:00.000-07:00

If you want to know the level of cholesterol in your blood, you have to go through cholesterol blood test. This test would give you a good estimate of how much cholesterol is present in your system. It is also the test that doctors use as a guide so that they can provide the right type of medications for you. Cholesterol blood test can be performed in most clinics that have the necessary equipments. With the many health centers in operation today, getting your cholesterol tested becomes as easy as buying fruits from a grocer.

And it gets even better still. Right now, there are cholesterol blood test kits that can be bought from pharmacies. These tests can reveal your cholesterol count in a matter of minutes. These at-home tests allow patients to test their cholesterol level whenever they want and where they want, even at the comforts of their own homes. Aside from these kits, there are also devices that can read your cholesterol level, including other information relevant to your condition.

With more and more people getting concerned with their cholesterol count, many are getting alarmed about the increasing instances of heart problems. Heart diseases can strike anybody. It is a disease that is very common to people 50 years old and above. This is because of the fact that at such point in their life, their heart had worked long enough to show signs of wear and tear. The people who failed to take care of their hearts and check their cholesterol levels are the ones who are more likely to develop heart concerns.

Cholesterol is one of the unwanted substances present in the bloodstream. It finds its way inside the body through the foods that you eat. Cholesterol is contained in your meals. And there are foods that are unmistakably rich with cholesterol that when eaten, could elevate your count drastically. It is quite easy to tell yourself not to eat foods high in cholesterol. But actually doing it is the hardest thing. Changing your lifestyle and your diet can't happen overnight. It even takes a lifetime for some people to change a single detail about their life, even if it is as simple as neglecting the food they love eating.

This is where cholesterol blood test comes into play. As these tests are getting more and more accessible, people are slowly getting aware of their condition, enough to leave them alarmed at a certain point. Knowledge of your condition and its implication is very important to motivate yourself to initiate some major changes. This is one of the reasons why taking a cholesterol blood test on a regular basis can help a lot.

When your cholesterol level is checked, the total number of cholesterol shows up. Generally, the ideal number is below 200 mg/dL. That's for people who don't possess any risk of developing heart problems. You might want your number lower if you have history of heart diseases or if any member of your family had suffered from it. The number of LDL or bad cholesterol should be kept below 100 mg/dL. Your HDL level or your level of good cholesterol should be at 40 to 60 mg/dL.

All individuals aged 20 years old and above should regularly go through cholesterol blood test. Checking your cholesterol level once every five years is good enough if you are not diagnosed with any type of heart disease. Of course, it gets more frequent if you are under the direct care of a physician due to heart problems. This test is medically referred to as the lipoprotein profile test. Your doctor should know how to interpret the results and provide you with the right medications, including lifestyle and dietary changes when needed.

Don't go through life with high levels of cholesterol in your blood. Not only that condition can be very risky for you - it can also stop you from living a life like you want it. Eventually, you will feel that you have less tolerance for extraneous activities. And so your movements and your actions get restricted over time. If you have your cholesterol blood test now, heart problems can be diagnosed early on. And at its initial stages, any problem with the functions of the heart can be very treatable. You may not realize it, but this simple test can actually save your life.

Recognizing Congestive Heart Failure Symptoms

2008-09-12T05:17:00.000-07:00

Congestive heart failure symptoms, or simply heart failure symptoms, is a condition that occurs when the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the normal needs of the body's tissues. It interferes with the kidney's usual function of eliminating excess sodium and other waste from the body. Congestive heart failure can affect either the right side, left side or both sides of the heart. There are many diseases that can impair pumping efficiency and symptoms of congestive heart failure including fatigue, diminished exercise, shortness of breath, and swelling. Today, however, there are many effective measures that can be utilized to improve the symptoms, and the survival, of patients with congestive heart failure.

While all cardiac conditions carry similar symptoms of chest pain and difficulty breathing, congestive heart failure has a very specific set of symptoms and lab results, giving doctors a firm set of clues upon which to base a definite diagnosis.

Dyspnea, or difficulty breathing, coupled with severe edema (when the body retains fluid to the point of holding the imprint of an object that is pressed into the skin for several minutes) are generally the first symptoms pointing to congestive heart failure. It results in the heart not being able to efficiently pump blood throughout the body; as a result, fluid accumulates rather than being removed and causes the body to swell as if it were a water balloon. Non-pitting edema, or fluid retention that does not hold an imprint, is not caused by heart failure and indicates that another diagnosis should be made. The patient may also produce a frothy pink sputum when they cough.

In addition to the symptoms related to the fluid accumulation, general weakness and malaise, particularly during times of physical exertion are frequent symptoms of patients suffering from congestive heart failure, and should not be ignored. This is caused by a lack of nutrients and oxygen from the blood to the body tissues, and can result in permanent damage to the internal organs if they are left without these vital elements for a prolonged period of time. Anuria, or a lack of urination, is also evidential of heart failure as fluid accumulates in the tissues rather than being excreted as normal. Patients may suffer from an altered mental status due to toxins accumulating in the body.

As soon as the physician suspects heart failure based on the physical evidence, blood samples will be sent to the laboratory. BNP, or Beta-natriuretic peptide, is excellent for screening in suspected cases of heart failure. This hormone is produced in greater quantities by the failing heart muscle as fluid levels rise, with a level between one hundred and five hundred pg/mg suggesting congestive heart failure and greater than five hundred being fairly diagnostic; however, an elevated BNP should not be considered to be sufficient evidence upon which to base a decisive diagnosis, as conditions like renal failure, ventricular strain, tumors or hypoxia can also cause BNP levels to rise too. Arterial blood gases may be tested to determine the degree of hypoxemia. A decreased erythrocyte sedimentation rate, proteinuria (protein in the urine), and a mild azotemia (elevated blood urea level) becomes evident in early to moderate disease. An increased serum creatinine, hyperbilirubinemia (increased bilirubin in the blood) and dilutional hyponatremia (decreased serum sodium levels) are also evidence that the patient is suffering from a more advanced case of heart failure.

Radiology can also perform imaging studies to evaluate the condition of the heart. A chest x-ray will usually reveal cardiomegaly (enlargement of the heart) and pleural effusion (fluid around the heart). An echocardiogram is performed to study the internal structures of the heart to evaluate for any structural abnormalities, as in the case of mitral stenosis. This provides confirmation to determine the underlying cause of congestive heart failure, particularly in suspected cases of valvular heart disease.

Physicians are very like detectives, in that once these tests have all been run they will gather these pieces of evidence together to form a fairly accurate picture of the patient's condition, allowing for an accurate diagnosis leading to proper treatment.

Today there are many effective measures that can be used to improve the symptoms, and the survival, of patients with congestive heart failure.

Cardiovascular Risk Factors - 5 Hot Tips on Beating the Odds

2008-09-12T05:16:00.000-07:00

The average American is very passive when it comes to dealing with cardiovascular disease. What most people don't realize is that the absence of symptoms does not equate to the presence of health. During the course of practicing in healthcare for 16 years, I observed thousands of patients, some of which had life-threatening cardiovascular problems.

The patients with mild to advanced cardiovascular disease were often too passive about taking the right steps to prevent and reverse the problem. This attitude came from their perception that no symptoms were present. This can be a deadly mistake. By the time symptoms appear (ie. pain, shortness of breath, etc.), a patient can be teetering on the edge of a potential crisis.

It is imperative for everybody to know the risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Then, take action to avoid them. Some risk factors can be changed, others can't.

Here are the risk factors and 5 critical tips to overcome them:

The risk factors that can't be changed are: increasing age, gender (men have a greater risk of heart attack than women), and heredity (including race).

The risk factors that can be changed are: tobacco smoke (smokers are 2-4 times more likely to develop heart disease than non-smokers), high blood cholesterol, physical inactivity, obesity, Diabetes, response to stress, and excessive alcohol consumption.

1. Be proactive - Whether you have symptoms or not, get a complete physical and have your doctor order a lipid panel on you. This panel will evaluate your triglycerides, lipoprotein levels, and total cholesterol. I've seen many patients who were otherwise healthy in appearance who had dangerously high levels on this panel. Another good test to include with this panel is C-Reactive protein. This test checks for an inflammatory marker in the blood. Being proactive means to take action before symptoms surface. Young men should especially be proactive if they have a family history of cardiovascular disease.

2. Increase physical activity - Regular, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity helps prevent heart and blood vessel disease. The more vigorous the activity, the greater the benefits. A study was done several years ago where three groups of people performed a regimen of exercise over a period of several months. One group did cardiovascular exercise for one hour, three times per week. The second group did resistance exercise for one hour, three times per week. The third group did one half hour of cardiovascular and one half hour of resistance exercise, three times per week.

At the end of the study the third group showed dramatically superior results to the other two groups. They were not only better conditioned, but their body composition showed the most improvement. Moral of the story - do a combination of cardiovascular and resistance exercises.

3. Balance your diet - We have all heard "eat a balanced diet," but don't get a good explanation of what a balanced diet is. The best way to eat a balanced diet is to maintain a 40/40/20 split with protein, carbohydrates, and fats, respectively. If you are eating an 1,800 calorie per day diet, then you would consume 720 calories of proteins, 720 calories of carbohydrates, and 360 calories from fat. Limit or eliminate fried foods. Include fruits and raw vegetables.

If you are really ambitious, you can follow Jack Lalanne's philosophy. He juices fruits and vegetables several times a week. He eats a lot of fish. His philosophy is, "If man makes it, I don't eat it." In other words, no refined foods.

4. Find an outlet to eliminate stress - My outlet has always been working out with weights or cardiovascular exercise, like bike riding. Physiologically, this releases endorphins (the feel good neurotransmitters). Pick an activity that is fun to you, otherwise you may quit. Examples: Walking, jogging, biking, tennis, raquetball, swimming, etc.

5. Eat healthy chocolate - Yes, you heard right. Dark chocolate has a group of compounds called polyphenols, which are loaded with antioxidants. There is scientific evidence that these polyphenols can reverse and prevent cardiovascular disease, and help other inflammatory conditions as well. My family history includes cardiovascular disease. The scientific proof for dark chocolate was so convincing, I immediately added it to my preventive regimen.

Healthy chocolate is not the same chocolate you get in a candy bar, or at the grocery store. That chocolate has been heated, alkalized, combined with sugars, and fats. It's junk food, and its antioxidants have been destroyed in the heating process. True healthy chocolate is taken from raw cacao and is cold pressed to preserve the polyphenols. Some people even lose weight with healthy chocolate because of the appetite suppressing effect.

Follow these five tips and remember the risk factors mentioned above. Change the ones you can, and don't worry about the ones you can't. If you are unrelenting about prevention, the rewards will be self-evident.

Hypotension - Low Blood Pressure Problem

2008-09-12T05:15:00.000-07:00

Blood pressure can have many different effects on a human body. The common problem is high blood pressure, called hypertension. Another problem is having low blood pressure, called hypotension. Hypotension can be serious and it should be taken care of immediately. Low blood pressure can affect the brain and can be dangerous.

Hypotension is often caused by decreased blood volume that is known as hypovolemia. There are different reasons why this can happen. Usually there is a problem with the nervous system in the brain. Some medicines can also cause hypovolemia as a side effect. Because low blood pressure can cause problems with such an important part of the body as brain, hypotension could be even more serious than high blood pressure problem.

One of the more common forms of low blood pressure related to hypotension is orthostatic hypotension, also known as postural hypotension. It can occur because of a change in the body's position. Sometimes standing up from a sitting or lying position can briefly lower the blood flow in the body. Because of this, someone can become dizzy, and it happens on a regular basis to some people. More serious type of the syndrome can be brought on by the physical and the psychiatric medications.

Orthostatic hypotension can affect the autonomic nervous system, making it even weaker than it already is. It could be also a sign of a failing autonomic nervous system, maybe because of age or something else.

The less common than orthostatic hypotension is postprandial hypotension and it can occur 30-75 minutes after eating. Digestion of food can send a large dose of the blood to the digestive system and then the autonomic nervous system increases the body's heart rate and finds more blood to pump.

Hypotension and hypertension, affect the body very differently, but they are both cause for concern and should be taken care of immediately.

Unclog Arteries - The Way to Do It

2008-09-10T05:08:00.000-07:00

Unclog arteries, how you do it? Does it have to involve a surgery? I think many people prefer to do it naturally. Beside a surgery is very expensive and risky. If you know some natural alternative you can use, then try it. Otherwise, you might want to consider this natural way to unclog arteries for the first attempt.
You may need to know the most common causes of clogged arteries. They are caused by:

* Plaques deposit in our arteries. What cause that? Many professional think that the damage happens in the inner wall of the artery makes our body owns recovery produce a sticky substance in that area, so any cholesterol, fat, calcium, inflammatory cell, waste material, protein, fibrin that flowing in our blood stream will stick and close the damaging area.

Overtime, the plaques get harden and thick cause its inner wall narrow. When they crack, they create the condition that make the blood to clot and can block the circulation. That's when the clogged arteries happen. The tiny pieces of plaque resulted from the crack can also block a smaller vascular.
* Vascular inflammation. When the injury happen in the vascular, the inner wall automatically swells and get thick (known as inflammation, the body's response to an injury) cause the narrowing happen and the plaques to crack that make the clot and the blockage occur.

The facts about the plaque build up:

* The process takes many years and the worse thing it cause no symptoms during the process. They're found in most of the people, especially older people. People look healthy may develop this condition also.
* It usually effects throughout the body, not just only one. It can effect other vital organs such as brain, lungs, and leg.

To unclog arteries, you may need to eliminate the causes like I've just mentioned before. Doing supplementation with systemic enzymes is one way to do it naturally. Systemic enzymes are not a drug. Basically, it supports the enzymes needed by our body in order to function properly, include its own repair mechanism.

Taking particular systemic enzymes specifically for unclog arteries purpose is preferable. According to the manufacturer, this kind of enzyme is able to dissolve the blood clots, excess fibrin, dead tissue, protein, cysts, and eliminates anything that block our arteries. It also has the anti inflammatory effects that help with vascular inflammation issues. Whatever you do, it's better if you consult any of the unclog arteries method you found with a cardiologist.

Top Cholesterol Fighting Foods

2008-09-10T05:04:00.000-07:00

It is so incredibly difficult to eat healthy sometimes! Foods can be tricky. Even when you go to the supermarket, you have to stay on the lookout. Read the labels because a lot of the foods that you think look healthy are, in all actuality, not that healthy for you! One of the major health related issues with foods in the United States deals with high levels of cholesterol. While there are plenty of high cholesterol foods out there, there are also plenty of low-cholesterol foods as well. For example, if you have a choice between having scrambled eggs and toast in the morning (which is loaded with cholesterol and carbohydrates), why not choose a healthier alternative like cereal or oatmeal and a banana? Oatmeal is notorious for being a low cholesterol food. Similarly, many cereals are low in cholesterol and high in iron and other good vitamins. Bananas are high in potassium, which is also good for you.

If you are like most Americans you are probably concerned with the amount of cholesterol in your diet. And if your doctor has told you that your cholesterol levels are too elevated you are even more aware of the dangers of high cholesterol and how important it is to work to get those levels down.. Here is a list of the best foods that you can add to your diet to help get those numbers down.

Oatmeal (or oat bran) is a great way to help fight high cholesterol. Adding just a cup and half of cooked oatmeal to your diet per day will give you 6 grams of fiber which plays a vital role in the fight against high cholesterol by blocking cholesterol and making it harder for your intestines to absorb.

Research has shown that fish high in omega 3 fatty acids (or fish oil supplements) can help fight high cholesterol and can also lower the blood pressure and help reduce the chance of blood clots. It is recommended that you have baked fish at least twice a week. Fish such as mackerel, lake trout, herring, albacore and salmon all have high levels of omega 3 fatty acids to help keep your heart strong and healthy.

Walnuts are quickly becoming a new power food since, according to new research, they are high in polyunsaturated fatty acids which help to combat high cholesterol. A similar effect has also been found when adding almonds to the diet making these nuts a must have food to add to the list. And since you only need 2 grams a day you can easily have them for a snack or toss them in salad or other dish.

Last on our list is Olive Oil, which is loaded with tons of antioxidants that can lower your bad cholesterol without diminishing the good, is another great choice for the low cholesterol diet. You only need about 2 tablespoons a day. It is great for cooking and gives you yet one more simple way to be healthier.

A Sphygmomanometer, What on Earth is That? - Read On

2008-09-10T05:03:00.000-07:00

The word comes from the Greek sphygmós (pulse), plus the scientific term manometer (pressure meter). So the gargantuan name is for a gadget that measures blood pressure. The original manual device was invented by Samuel Siegfried Karl Ritter von Basch, so I suppose with a name that long his device would have a long name as well!! In 1896 along came Scipione Riva-Rocci, an Italian physician, who introduced a version that was easier to use.

Blood pressure is a tricky thing. Although it can be easily read by just about anyone, it is open to the interpretation of the operator. To get a really accurate reading you'd have to be quite invasive. This means a device must be inserted into an artery and the blood pressure constantly read. However, the most common way to measure blood pressure is to use the sphygmomanometer, (it's that word again!). A trained medical practitioner would do this because it isn't anything a layperson can do easily. Apart from that, it's very hard to buy one at the chemist!

The cuff, a sort of inflatable tourniquet, is placed around the upper arm, right or left, at roughly the same vertical height as the heart while the subject is seated with the arm supported. The cuff is inflated with a hand pump until the blood flow is stopped. Listening with a stethoscope to the brachial artery at the elbow, the examiner slowly releases the pressure in the cuff with a release valve. As the pressure in the cuffs falls, a "whooshing" or pounding sound is heard, which means that the blood flow has started again. Using the mercury column pressure-measuring device attached to the cuff, the pressure reading at which the blood flow started again is noted as the 'systolic' blood pressure. The cuff pressure is then further released until the "whooshing" sound can no longer be heard and this is recorded as the 'diastolic' blood pressure.

So, if your diastolic has been measured as 70mmhg and your systolic as 120mmhg or 120 over 70 as it is normally called, then top marks, take a bow, your blood pressure is normal. If it is more than 130 over 85, then time to do something about it. Actually, what is 'normal' will vary with age and all sorts of other factors so these figures are only generalisations.

Now, modern science has finally caught up with Herr Ritter Von Basch's invention and we now have the electronic automatic version. It uses a cuff in the same way but all you have to do to take a reading is push a button. Even I can do that! The device will automatically pump up the cuff to blood flow cut off and then release the pressure and take the readings. On the screen it will tell you your blood pressure and heart rate. You buy one at the chemist but it is probably not as accurate as the manual device, because it actually takes an average pulse reading and derives the diastolic and systolic, but it does enable you to have one in the first aid kit and keep a reasonable eye on your own blood pressure whenever you want. Most modern devices will average the last three results, so whenever you want a more accurate reading, do it three times. Easy!

High blood pressure is known as 'the silent killer' because it has no symptoms. One day, without any warning, it will kill you. That is why it is important for everyone to keep an eye on his or her own blood pressure and the easiest way to do that is to buy your own meter. They are not very expensive and are easy to use.

Bleeding Gums Can Cause Heart Problems

2008-09-10T05:01:00.000-07:00

Did you know that sore gums, which also bleed, could be an indication that you might have a heart attack? Surprised? It is true. Medical information states that bleeding gums, which is caused by an infection of a certain bacteria that thrives in your mouth as a result of poor hygiene, will cause a heart attack. This is stunning news, as people normally tend to ignore gums problems. Your dentist would advise you to increase the number of daily brushings, as well as recommending that you take adequate supplements of vitamins C and D, as well as the coenzyme Q10.

There is more to the bleeding of gums than the scare of loosing teeth, according to some medical reports. It seems that the same bacteria that cause your gums to bleed could be the same that causes heart attacks. Who would have thought that irregularly brushing your teeth or neglecting a gum inflammation could have such serious repercussions? This is reason enough for anyone to sit up and take adequate measures to prevent gum disease before it becomes a serious health problem.

In view of the seriousness of the situation, you need to learn to recognize the symptoms of gum disease, which usually starts with simple signs like sore gums, oral tissue inflammation and bleeding gums, among others. If you already suffer from such problems, then try treating it at home by increasing the frequency of your brushings, as well as flossing. You would also need to take vitamin supplements, plus a special compound known as coenzyme 10. Most likely, these measures will have your gums healthy in no time. However, in case it does not, you need to make a dental appointment and follow whatever treatment the dentist prescribes.

Who would have connected tooth loss with a heart attack? Amazing as it sounds, it looks like this is true. Ever since it was discovered that the bacteria that causes bleeding gums also causes heart attacks, gum disease treatments have become a high priority. However, instead of looking for treatment, it is always better to look for ways to prevent such a disease, which means better oral hygiene, a better diet and adequate intake of vitamin and coenzyme supplements. Often, all it takes to maintain proper oral health is brushing twice daily, followed by careful flossing.

5 Sure Fire Tips to Reduce Cholesterol

2008-09-08T04:30:00.001-07:00

It's unbelievable how little effort doctors put into showing their patients natural ways to lower cholesterol. My doctor gave me a brochure and suggested I change my diet. But no one ever mentioned how easy and straight forward it is to make the changes needed to improve my cholesterol levels.

Most individuals can do this without taking medication at all. Why put synthetic chemicals in your body, when foods and food based supplements can reduce cholesterol without the side effects.

Tip # 1-Lose weight

I know what you are thinking. "That's easier said than done." I agree, but if you follow tips #2 through #5, you will lose weight and it won't be as difficult as you think. Many medical studies have proven that cholesterol levels decrease as weight is lost. Personally, my average cholesterol came down over 20% when I lost 30 pounds.

Most of us need a structured diet plan in order to be successful. I recommend a diet that is rich in omega 3 fatty acids, and includes a large variety of vegetables.

Tip # 2-Increase your fiber intake

You can find dozens of foods and supplements on the internet that are said to reduce cholesterol. They range from red rice yeast to gugullipid to soy. But the most effective natural ways to lower cholesterol are the tried and true. It has long been known that soluble fiber lowers cholesterol. There is no question about it. The American Heart Association recommends adding both soluble and insoluble fiber to your diet. Some of the best sources of soluble fiber are oat and rice bran, fruits, and green vegetables. Nutritional supplements that include flax and psyllium also have a proven positive effect on cholesterol.

Tip #3-Cut back on saturated fats

In western cultures, the major sources of saturated fats are red meat and deep fried foods. For individuals who want to reduce cholesterol, it is recommended to limit red meat consumption to one meal each week and avoid deep fried foods like fried chicken completely.

Snacks such as potato and tortilla chips are also very high in saturated fats, but by substituting baked varieties it is possible to cut back on the saturated fats. Baked tortilla chips and salsa makes a very satisfying snack.

Tip #4-Exercise

Yes, everyone knows they should be getting more exercise, but few follow through with it. If you are serious about using natural ways to reduce cholesterol, this should be part of your plan. I recommend increasing your exercise little by little. Park further away when shopping so you have to walk across the parking lot. Walk up stairs instead of taking the elevator.

Having said this, the truth is that you will need to work up to regular aerobic exercise before it will help reduce cholesterol. Twenty to thirty minutes, 3 or 4 days a week of moderate exercise is what it will take.

Tip #5-Nutritional Supplements

While cholesterol can be lowered with only dietary changes and exercise, you will find that one of the best natural ways to lower cholesterol is with nutritional supplements. In fact, unless you are able to dedicate several hours each week to exercise, you will receive more benefit to reduce cholesterol levels from nutritional supplements than from exercise. Just don't make it a reason not to exercise.

Now it's time to start putting these natural ways to lower cholesterol to work. You will be amazed to see how quickly you reduce cholesterol. At the same time you will begin to feel better and have more energy.

Lowering LDL Cholesterol the Natural Way

2008-09-08T04:30:00.000-07:00

Let's start with the obvious.

DIET

If you start out with a healthy diet, which consists mostly of lean protein sources, vegetables that grow above the ground, and fruit, that will help. In addition to a basically healthy diet, to control cholesterol most experts counsel avoiding eating red meat and animal fat in general. For example, if you eat the breast of birds such as chickens and turkeys instead of the legs and thighs, you will eat less animal fat. You can also avoid animal fat by not eating the skin.

Now, if your cholesterol problems are diet based, eating a healthy diet will probably solve the problem. If not, then you might need to look into some sort of supplement to help you control your cholesterol levels.

I assume if you're reading this article, you've already ruled out statin drugs because they are carcinogenic and often have side effects such as muscle pain and weakness, nausea, insomnia, fatigue, slurred speech, balance problems, memory loss, liver problems, sexual dysfunction, personality changes and irritability.

Fortunately, there are less destructive and expensive alternatives available.

NIACIN

Niacin has been known to lower cholesterol since the 1950s. Of particular interest is a comparative study between Lovastatin (a popular statin drug) and Niacin. 136 patients with high cholesterol were randomly assigned either Lovastatin or Niacin over a 26 week period. Although the Lovastatin initial lowered LDL cholesterol more quickly than the Niacin, by the end of the study, there was not a whole lot of difference, with Lovastatin lowering LDL by 32% and Niacin lowering LDL by 23%.

But where Niacin really shines is in increasing HDL (the good cholesterol) and lowering Lp(a), a lipoprotein which is highly predictive of heart disease. By the end of the study, Niacin had increased HDL by 33% and lowered Lp(a) by 35%, compared to 7% and 0% for Lovastatin, respectively.

However, there are some problems with Niacin. It causes unpleasant flushing and can impair blood sugar control in diabetics. Worse, if using sustained-release Niacin, almost half of users develop liver toxicity, although it should be noted that if using regular Niacin, there is little danger of liver toxicity.

Fortunately, there is a form of niacin called inositol hexaniacinate, which has been used in Europe for many years to control cholesterol levels.

INOSITOL HEXANIACINATE

Inositol hexaniacinate's side effects are minimal and it works even better than regular niacin, according to a study comparing the effect of niacin and inositol hexaniacinate on hyperlipidemic Buscat rabbits (The role of nicotinic acid and inositol hexaniacinate as anticholesterolemic and antilipemic agents. Nutr Reports Int 1983;28:899-911). The inositol hexaniacinate caused a 79.5 % reduction in cholesterol while niacin caused a 74.9% reduction. Better yet, inositol hexaniacinate caused a 63.2% triglyceride reduction, compared to a 30.9% reduction for regular niacin.

This same correlation was found by Welsh and Ede (Inositol hexanicotinate for improved nicotinic acid therapy, Int Record Med 1961;174:9-15).

If you plan to take inositol hexaniacinate to lower your cholesterol, experts recommend that you start out with 500 mg, 3 times a day with meals for 2 weeks. If you tolerate that okay, they suggest upping the dosage to 1000 mg, 3 times a day with meals. Although inositol hexaniacinate appears to have little in the way of side effects, it might still be prudent to have your doctor test your cholesterol levels and liver enzymes with a frequency of every 3 months, at the very least.

Like regular niacin, inositol hexaniacinate is not recommended for use by diabetics, because it can interfere with blood sugar metabolism.

Given inositol hexaniacinate's effectiveness, that's probably a good choice to try first. However, if you cannot tolerate inositol hexaniacinate, there are more options you can try.

PANTETHINE

Pantethine, a stable form of vitamin B5, inhibits the production of cholesterol by the liver. In a one-year clinical trial conducted with 24 patients, pantethine was shown to decrease LDL (the bad cholesterol) by 21% and increase HDL (the good cholesterol) by 23%, with virtually no toxicity (Effectiveness of long-term treatment with pantethine in patients with dyslipidemia, Clin Ther. 1986;8(5):537-45).

The dosage of pantethine usually recommended for cholesterol management by experts is 300 mg, 3 times a day.

VITAMIN C

It has been shown that the higher the level of vitamin C in the blood, the lower the total cholesterol count and the higher the HDL (the good cholesterol) is (High plasma vitamin C associated with high plasma HDL- and HDL2 cholesterol, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 60, 100-105).

In particular, for every increase of .5 mg/dl in vitamin C plasma content, there was a corresponding increase in HDL of 2.1 mg/dl in men and 14.9 mg/dl in women.

Many experts recommend taking 2000 mg of vitamin C a day as general nutritional insurance. That should be plenty for cholesterol control purposes as well.

GARLIC

Believe it or not, garlic has a substantial effect on cholesterol levels, but you would need between 1 to 4 cloves of fresh garlic a day to achieve a significant therapeutic result. Fortunately, the compounds in garlic responsible for its therapeutic benefit can be isolated in pill form.

However, in order to be effective, the supplement must supply the equivalent of 4,000 mg of fresh garlic, not aged garlic. Aged garlic has been proven not to be as effective (A double-blind crossover study in moderately hypercholesterolemic men that compared the effect of aged garlic extract and placebo administration on blood lipids, Am J Clin Nutr. 1996 Dec;64(6):866-70).

On the other hand, a study done at the Clinical Research Center in New Orleans, Louisiana showed that treatment with standardized fresh garlic of 900 mg a day resulted in a drop of 11% in LDL (the bad cholesterol) (Can garlic reduce levels of serum lipids? A controlled clinical study, Am J Med. 1993 Jun;94(6):632-5).

So, if you wanted similar results, you could either take 900 mg a day of a standardized fresh garlic supplement or 1 to 4 cloves or fresh garlic a day.

GUGULIPID

Gugulipid is extracted from the mukul myrrh tree, which is native to India. It appears to get it's cholesterol lowering effects from increasing the liver's metabolism of LDL (the bad cholesterol).

In a double blind study of 125 patients comparing the effect of gugulipid with the cholesterol lowering drug clofibrate over a period of 12 weeks, the gugulipid group lowered their LDL (the bad cholesterol) by 11% and the clofibrate group by 10% (Clinical trials with gugulipid. A new hypolipidaemic agent, J Assoc Physicians India. 1989 May;37(5):323-8). While HDL (the good cholesterol) was unchanged in the clofibrate group, the gugulipid group typically increased HDL levels by between 16%-20%.

With purified gugulipid preparations, there are no significant side effects. Experts recommend a standardized extract of gugulipid containing 25 mg of guggulsterone per 500 mg tablet, 3 times a day for elevated cholesterol.

What's Good For Angina?

2008-09-08T04:29:00.001-07:00

Angina is basically chest pain due to heart not getting enough oxygen. Angina is a squeezing, crushing like pain, or discomfort, in the upper abdomen, back, neck, jaw, or shoulders. Angina is usually triggered by exertion or emotional stress. Pain may be accompanied by sweating, nausea, or gasping for breath. Angina pain lasts about 1 to 15 minutes, and is usually relieved by rest.

The muscles in the heart require blood and oxygen to do its work of pumping blood. To keep the circulatory system running smoothly, heart muscles must be healthy and strong, and arteries clear of plaque. Atherosclerosis (fatty deposits on artery walls) is the main reason for insufficient blood supply. Angina normally occurs when the arteries are wide enough to supply sufficient blood flow during muscular rest, but can't provide enough oxygen when the physical demands of the heart increase.

Some vitamins and herbs are considered helpful in preventing or treating angina. Herbs thought to be beneficial include: hawthorn, angelica, bilberry, berries, cocoa, evening primrose, fish, flax, garlic, ginger, ginkgo, kudzu, lovage, mullein, oats, onion, purslane, sage, and willow. Vitamins, or vitamin rich foods, thought to be useful include: C, E, magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids, potassium, and selenium.

To have a healthy heart, you need a healthy lifestyle. Plenty of water is essential; try to get 8-12 cups daily. Eat lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Your heart can't run on empty, so get a high fiber diet to keep the blood supply running like it should. Also, get moderate exercise and maintain a healthy weight. Avoid the major enemies of your heart: alcohol, unhealthy fats, and tobacco smoke. Also, avoiding stress may result in major improvements for angina sufferers.

Anyone suffering from angina should be under a doctor's care. If you've been diagnosed with angina, keep a lookout for changes in symptoms. Pain which lasts longer than 15 minutes, or that occurs when at rest, may be signs of more serious problems and should be considered a medical emergency.

Disclaimer: This article is for entertainment purposes only, and is not intended for use as diagnosis or treatment of a health problem or as a substitute for consulting a licensed medical professional.

5 Facts You Must Know About Cholesterol - How it Can Affect Your Fat Loss

2008-09-08T04:29:00.000-07:00

Cholesterol is known as a bad thing that you should avoid, especially if you wan to lose unwanted fat. Unfortunately there are a lot of myths about cholesterol. Let's see why lowering you cholesterol could actually harm your health.

1. Cholesterol you eat has no connection with blood cholesterol. In fact your liver produces three to six times more cholesterol than you can actually eat. It is proven that there is no relationship between the amount of saturated fat that you eat and the level of cholesterol levels.

2. There is no such thing as bad cholesterol. LDL cholesterol carries proteins from you liver to the whole of your body and into your cells. HDL cholesterol goes from these cells and back to your liver, where it is recycled. Recycling isn't bad, it is actually more efficient.

3. Having high cholesterol does not increase the risk of heart disease. Cholesterol is the cause of particles getting built up as plaque, which can block your arteries. However, this is only due to a deficiency in antioxidants.

4. Cholesterol is needed to make new cells. Muscles need cholesterol to help them get repaired and be built up after exercise. Cholesterol is needed form the production of hormones such as testosterone, which is vital for being healthy. Cholesterol helps to repair and build new cells that are damaged due to stress and strains.

5. High cholesterol has many benefits such as it protects you from infections and disease, makes you live longer, and raises your testosterone levels, which will build lean muscles, burn more calories and fat.

Now, don't go and eat all that high fat junk food and hope it will raise your cholesterol levels and provide you with better health. You can only get good quality cholesterol from good fat sources such as olive oil, flax seeds, nuts, and fish oils. Get your omega 3, 6 and 9. This will definitely increase you fat loss. I hope I have proved to you that fat can be good for losing weight and being healthy.

Lower Cholesterol - How to Use Dietary Fiber to Lower Cholesterol

2008-09-08T04:28:00.000-07:00

Do you have high cholesterol? Increase your fiber!
Do you have high blood pressure? Increase your fiber!
Are you overweight? Increase your fiber!

What is it with fiber (also known as roughage)? It seems to play a role in just about all our health problems.

Well, as far as blood pressure and cholesterol go, dietary fiber binds to cholesterol in circulation and helps remove it from the body. Research has shown that for every 1-2 grams of daily soluble fiber intake, LDL (bad) cholesterol is lowered 1%.

On the weight control side of things, fiber increases satiety (how full you feel), aiding efforts to lose weight and/or maintain a healthy weight.

4 Things You Need to Know to Make Dietary Fiber Work for you:

1. There are two types of fiber.

Insoluble Fiber

Insoluble fiber remains relatively intact as it passes through the digestive system. The primary function of insoluble fiber is to move waste through the intestines and maintain intestinal acid balance.

Soluble Fiber

Soluble fiber is the type of fiber responsible for lowering total cholesterol and LDL (bad) cholesterol levels.

2. Sources of insoluble fiber

* Fruit skins and root vegetable skins
* Vegetables (green beans, celery, cauliflower, zucchini, beets, turnips, potato skins, and dark green leafy vegetables)
* Wheat and whole-wheat products
* Wheat oat
* Corn bran
* Seeds and nuts

3. Sources of soluble fiber

* Oat and oat bran
* Legumes (dried beans and peas)
* Nuts
* Barley, rye
* Flaxseed
* Fruits (i.e. oranges, apples, prunes, plums, berries)
* Vegetables (i.e. carrots, broccoli, potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions)
* Psyllium husk

4. How much do you need?

Shoot for 25-35 grams of dietary fiber everyday. Of this, soluble fiber should make up 15 grams. The average US dietary fiber intake is 12-18 grams/day. If your current diet is very low in dietary fiber, don't increase to 35 grams overnight. A sudden increase will result in gastrointestinal (stomach) distress and unpleasant side effects (flatulence and diarrhea). You want to increase your fiber intake gradually.

Bottom Line:

Select high fiber foods, especially foods that contain soluble fiber. I once heard a gastroenterologist say he would be out of a job if everyone just ate more beans!

Congestive Heart Failure and the Risks to You

2008-09-01T03:23:00.001-07:00

Congestive heart failure is a dramatic and potentially deadly occurrence. It is a contributing factor is the deaths of 300,000 more individuals each year. Congestive heart failure is a condition in which the heart is unable to pump enough blood efficiently to all tissues. Congestive heart failure is the most common cause of hospitalization for people over 65 years of age. Congestive heart failure is easily confused with breathing difficulties, such as bronchitis, pneumonia, emphysema, and asthma.

The human body is a fantastic machine that works in harmony with nature. The machinery needs proper care and sometimes parts replaced on occasion. Likewise the heart also needs help to prevent failure. It may not pump enough blood to meet your body's needs, which can lead into congestive heart failure. Many other underlying conditions can also cause congestive heart failure.

Over time and with the wear and tear of the body the heart can develop such things as coronary artery disease or high blood pressure, which can lead to congestive heart failure. These things sap your strength leaving the heart with the inability to pump efficiently causing a very dangerous break down. It is very important that you take care of yourself because these things while not reversible are quite preventable.

There are many medicines and procedures that can treat the conditions you have to improve your survival rate. These medications if taken properly can help control your blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and other things that might be adversely affecting your heart. The field of medicine has come a very long way in recent years providing medicines to prevent congestive heart failure.

The cardiologist who is a heart specialist can inform you about surgical techniques such as by-pass surgery or stents to help open up the flow of your blood through your veins. Many things are possible to help prolong your life. You need only ask your doctor for advice as to what you need. It is quite possible for you to do things for yourself that will help a heart in good health.

Congestive heart failure may be prevented by making changes to your lifestyle. This does not always need to be a big change but some things in your life are controllable. Firstly look at your diet. Eating a heart healthy diet is very important for your heart. Watch out for excessive salt intake, fatty foods, and sweet indulgences as these can cause congestive heart failure. The problem of being over weight can lead to other problems such as coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. These conditions need to be kept under control in order to prevent congestive heart failure. In today's world it is increasingly important to know how to manage stress, overcome depression and simply improve the quality of our life.

Managing stress can become a stressful problem in itself for many people. Many people enjoy the benefit of belonging to a gym or owning equipment that they use in their homes. Some of us do not have the time, money, or space to afford such items. A person who sits daily in his office may feel the tensions building up to the point of no relief and even go into a depressive condition. This is very bad for the your heart. Our hearts feels our emotions like love, sadness, hate, excitement along with stress and depression. Congestive heart failure is the number one killer of men and women can be easily be prevented. Prevention begins at home with you learning to take care of your needs.

Please remember that if you are not taking care to prevent congestive heart failure you will be missing all those extra years with your loved ones and friends. My grandmother died before the birth of my children and I have always regretted that she didn't get to meet them. She was a very heavy smoker for many years and it seriously impacted on her health. Even what might be considered small steps will help to ensure that you don't become a victim of congestive heart failure.

Cardiovascular Heart Disease - Can it Be Reversed?Cardiovascular Heart Disease - Can it Be Reversed?

2008-09-01T03:23:00.000-07:00

Reversing cardiovascular disease may actually be in within our reach based on current scientific evidence. To understand how to accomplish this, it is first important to understand some basics about how arteries work and why they break down.

Our arteries are lined by a thin layer of cells, called the endothelium. This thin layer forms an interface between circulating blood and the rest of the vessel wall. Endothelial cells line all of the blood vessels in the circulatory system, including the capillaries. These cells also control the passage of materials into and out of the bloodstream.

The beginning of cardiovascular disease occurs when the endothelium starts to function improperly. One of the main reasons the endothelial cells malfunction is diminishing levels of nitric oxide. Endothelial cells normally produces nitric oxide. By controlling the elasticity of the blood vessel walls, nitric oxide protects blood vessels from injury and allows the heart to contract normally. It also helps prevent atherosclerosis.

A diminishing level of endothelial nitric oxide that occurs with aging, results in the arteries becoming stiff and blocked, which can lead to heart attack and stroke.

Another mechanism of damage occurs when low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is oxidized, it adheres to the arteries causing a buildup of blockages. Now that we know what the two main mechanisms are, what can we do to stop, and reverse the process?

Are drugs the answer? The mainstream medical community prescribes various drugs such as aspirin, statin, and hypertensive drugs. While these do have a beneficial effect on the endothelium, they really only serve as a band-aid for a serious problem. In reality, they may only postpone a serious vascular event (ie. Heart attack, stroke).

The key is to promote the body's natural defenses for the endothelium on a sub-cellular level. By increasing the nitric oxide levels and inhibiting the free radicals that oxidize the LDLs, we can accomplish this. A group of naturally occurring compounds called polyphenols have been shown to dramatically and positively influence these functions.

This antioxidant "superfood" protects the blood vessels against the inactivation of nitric oxide. In turn, this rapidly reverses a key component of endothelial dysfunction in humans. Also, since polyphenols exert strong antioxidant activity, they are able to inhibit dangerous free radical damage.

Here are the overall health benefits of Polyphenols:

1. Increases circulating Nitric Oxide.

2. Lowers vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM). VCAM is instrumental in promoting leukocyte (white blood cell) adhesion to the endothelial lining. This may play a major role in the development of artherosclerosis.

3. Lowers blood pressure.

4. Inhibits plasma lipid oxidation

5. One of the highest sources of antioxidants in U.S. diet.

6. Animal models using polyphenols inhibited atherosclerosis.

7. Reduced platelet aggregation modestly. Platelets are responsible for the formation of blood clots.

8. Improved Insulin sensitivity.

9. Improved cognitive performance

Just how potent of antioxidant is one of these specific groups of polyphenols? One spoonful is equal to 2.5 gallons of raw leafy vegetables. The bottom line is that polyphenols should be included as part of complete and healthful diet.

The Top 6 Foods That You Must Eat For a Healthier Heart

2008-09-01T03:22:00.001-07:00

Today everyone is concerned about his or her heart health and are attempting to lower cholesterol, keep blood pressure under control, maintain a healthy digestion and boost the immunity. Thus many people are jumping onto a sort of 'functional food wagon'. What exactly is a functional food wagon? In simple terms a functional food wagon is just foods that promote healthy body functions, helping the body repair itself and work optimally. Before you jump onto the trend first lay the foundation of a healthy diet with whole foods, then weave in functional foods.

Here are the experts' top 6 recommendations for foods that are vital for your heart health.

1. Calcium: Calcium in foods helps to lower high blood pressure, helps with regular heart beat, and builds strong bones (even men are at risk for osteoporosis). Calcium is a nutrient most of us aren't getting enough of. One of the best ways to get calcium is through foods like milk, cheese, and yogurt, not everyone likes or can tolerate dairy. Here's where functional foods can play a part, say the pros. Along with eating calcium-rich whole foods like dark, leafy greens, look for fortified orange juice, breads, waffles, and soy milk. And don't forget to get enough vitamin D, which is vital to calcium's absorption.

Calcium requirements: Adults and pregnant women aged 19 to 50 years - 1000 mg per day, adults over 51 years - 1200 mg and pregnant women below 19 years - 1300 mg daily.

2. Fiber: We all know that fiber aids in digestion, but keeping us regular is just the beginning. This major nutrient also helps fight disease, and may lower risk for high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Produce and whole grains are prime sources for heart-healthy fiber, while functional foods such as breads, cereals, soymilk, and yogurts can fill in gaps.

Fiber requirements: At least aim for 30 grams daily.

3. Omega-3 fatty acids: One of the most powerful nutrients known to mankind, these poly-unsaturated fats are essential for a wide range of functions. Omega-3 fatty acids not only raise good, HDL cholesterol and lower bad LDL cholesterol, they may also lower your risk of heart attack and strokes. whole foods rich in omega-3s like salmon, walnuts and flax, as well as functional foods such as omega-3-rich eggs, breads, milk, soy milk, and cereal are excellent sources.

Requirement: For people with documented heart disease 1 gram daily. For others eating fish twice a week will give the requirements that the body needs.

4. Plant sterols and stanols: Plant sterols reduce cholesterol in the blood and help people fight coronary artery disease. Plant sterols and stanols are found in small amounts naturally in grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, and seeds. To get better quantities and if you have high cholesterol, look for plant sterols in margarine, fortified juices, granola bars, among other foods.

Requirements: For those with high cholesterol levels at least 2 grams per day. For those with low or normal cholesterol no additional requirement apart from diet is recommended till date.

5. Probiotics: Probiotics are live microorganisms very similar to the beneficial ones that are already present in our gut. Though still in the early stages of study, encouraging evidence suggests that probiotics may benefit those on antibiotics, those with some bowel disorders, diarrhea, or certain infections. While yogurt is a well-known functional food with probiotics, one can also find them in juices and soy drinks though some foods have far more than others.

Requirement: No actual recommendations exist. If you feel you can actually benefit from them talk to your doctor.

6. Vitamin D: Vitamin D is one of those vitamins that we just cannot do without. Known to prevent a wide variety of illnesses including cancers, Vitamin D is easily available. Just 10-15 minutes in warm sunshine for several weeks can enable the body to synthesize its requirement. The limiting factors are geography, dark skin, sunscreens and season. Thus one has to resort to functional foods like milk, yoghurt and fruit juices for their supply of vitamin D.

Requirements: 200 international units daily for those under 50 years, 400 IU for people between 51-70 and 600 IU for those above 70 years.

Always remember that for good heart health you do need the foundations of a good diet. The basics of a heart-healthy living, includes eating lots of good-for-you foods like fruits, veggies, and whole grains, getting plenty of exercise, and maintaining your weight. In addition to this resorting to the functional foods will fortify your heart's health.

Symptoms of Heart Disease

2008-09-01T03:22:00.000-07:00

Heart disease or cardiovascular disease is the leading health problem in the Western world today, claiming more than one million lives annually. Heart disease is when the heart and blood vessels fail to maintain the minimal amount of blood circulation throughout the body due to the narrowing of blood vessels. Cardiovascular Disease is a major concern in almost every family today, as nearly everyone has been touched by the traumatic events following a Heart Attack of a family member.

Heart health contributes to health longevity because it affects not only the body but also the mind, and therefore has a long-term role in anti-aging.

Different Types of Heart Disease:

Coronary Heart Disease
Myocardial Infarction (heart attack)
Congestive Heart Failure
Heart Valve Disease
Angina

Coronary heart disease, or coronary artery disease is the accumulation of fatty deposits along the coronary arteries. The fatty deposits may have developed in your childhood, and continue to thicken and enlarge throughout your adult lifespan. That thickening narrows your arteries and can decrease or block the flow of blood to your heart.

Symptoms may include heaviness, tightness, pressure, and/or pain in your chest..

A heart attack, or myocardial infarction, occurs when your heart muscle experiences a severe or prolonged lack of oxygen caused by blocked blood flow to the heart muscle.

The blockage is often a result of a build up of cholesterol and other fatty substances, which obstruct the flow of blood and oxygen to your heart, thus reducing the flow to the rest of your body.

If the blood and oxygen supply is cut off severely or for a long period, the muscle cells of your heart may suffer damage and even die, the result of which is dysfunction of the muscles of your heart in the area affected by the lack of oxygen supply.

Symptoms may include

Severe pressure, fullness, squeezing, pain and/or discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes

Pain or discomfort that spreads to the shoulders, neck, arms, or jaw

Chest pain that increases in intensity, not relieved by rest. and/or sweating, paleness, shortness of breath, nausea or vomiting, dizziness or fainting, weakness or fatigue.

Indigestion, bloating, burping and irregular pulse.

Congestive Heart failure is another type of heart disease. It is when the heart is not supplying the other organs of the body with enough oxygenated blood, and can be the result of high blood pressure, high sodium intake, heart valve disease, previous heart attacks ,to name a few.

Symptoms include:

weight gain,
swelling of legs and ankles,
shortness of breath,
fatigue,
loss of appetite
nausea,
persistent cough.

Yet another type of cardiovascular disease can be the result of malfunctioning heart valve.
When the heart valves malfunction, it prevents the flow of blood in and out of the heart. This is called Heart Valve Disease. This can be due to damage from a previous heart attack.

Symptoms include:

chest pain,
palpitations,
shortness of breath,
fatigue,
migraines and dizziness.

Angina is when a part of the heart is not receiving enough blood. It is identified by recurring chest pain. It is a symptom of coronary heart disease.

Symptoms include:

squeezing or crushing pain in the chest,
pain in the arms, shoulders, jaw, neck and back.

Heart health contributes to health longevity because it affects not only the body but also the mind, and therefore has a long-term role in anti-aging.

Doctors must diagnose correctly if one is to receive proper and beneficial treatment for heart disease. Some common methods for diagnosing heart disease are, electrocardiogram(EKG), where a set of sensory pads are placed on strategic areas of your chest and a record of the heart's beating patterns are recorded.

Another method is the Stress Electrocardiogram(Stress EKG), where one is put under physical stress , like running on a treadmill, where abnormalities in the beat of the heart are recorded.
Angiocardiography is another method which is used to diagnose the condition of the arteries. A catheter is inserted into the artery and dye is released into the blood stream. Blockages and other abnormalities are discovered on a monitor, by observing the dye flowing through the arteries.

It is always best to have a heart check up every year as part of the normal annual check up regardless of age, as heart disease can strike at any time.

Are There Foods That Lower Cholesterol?

2008-08-30T00:51:00.000-07:00

People who are very concerned of what they eat and those who have pre-existing heart conditions are very concerned with their cholesterol level. Some might even take oral medications for it. But do you know that there are certain foods that can lower cholesterol? These are highly beneficial food items that every person might want to add in their daily diets for better health and longevity.

Here are just good examples of foods that lower cholesterol:

1. Safflower oil
Safflower oil is the best alternative to most types of cooking oil available in the market. Safflower oil can actually help lower cholesterol, unlike most oils that may increase it. This is because safflower oil contains polyunsaturated fats. These fats work against bad cholesterol in the bloodstream. Sunflower oil and corn oil contain them too. But not like safflower oil, corn oil and sunflower oil needs to go through an intensive process during production. Safflower oil can be bought unrefined and that's the reason why this oil is the better choice.

2. Fish
Fish and fish oils are high in Omega 3 fatty acids. This fatty acid belongs under the polyunsaturated fat group. And as such, it can help lower one's cholesterol level. This makes fish an official member of the types of foods that lower cholesterol. But more than that, Omega-3 can also improve the functions of the heart. It can reduce the tendency of the blood to clot as well. However, you should not confuse Omega-3 with Omega-6 fatty acids. The latter is not as beneficial as the Omega 3.

3. Almonds
Almonds are perfect for snacks. So if you wanted a healthier alternative to chips and French fries, go for almonds. Almonds contain monounsaturated fats. And monounsaturated fats can reduce the oxidation of bad cholesterol in the blood. Furthermore, it increases the number of good cholesterol in the body. Good cholesterol can help rid the blood of bad cholesterol too.

4. Avocados
Of all fruits, avocados are the ones that officially belong to the foods that lower cholesterol group. Like almonds, it also contains high levels of monounsaturated fats that lower the amount of bad cholesterol in the blood. It is best that you take avocados for breakfast or snacks. It is also the perfect dessert to take after eating lunch or dinner.

5. Oatmeal
Oatmeal, along with other wholegrain and most vegetables, are high in soluble fiber. Fiber is one substance that is very helpful in fighting off cholesterol. Soluble fiber has the ability to dissolve unwanted cholesterol, leaving you with a perfectly healthy internal system. Oatmeal is best taken during breakfast.

6. Soy
Soy is a good source of protein. It is the best substitute for animal protein too. If you have high cholesterol problems, taking soy protein on a regular basis can help you manage your condition. It is also for individuals who have heart problems and those who are at high risks of developing heart diseases. Soy milk and soy products are foods that lower cholesterol. Try to include them in your daily diet whenever you can.

7. Extra-virgin olive oil
Aside from safflower oil, extra-virgin olive oil is another type of oil that can help lower cholesterol in the blood. However, this is more expensive and is a lot harder to find than safflower oil. Take note that it has to say extra-virgin in the label. Otherwise, it won't be helpful in lowering down your cholesterol level. Extra-virgin olive oil works by keeping triglyceride levels at minimum while raising the number of good cholesterol in the blood.

8. Green Tea
Green tea is a good source of antioxidants. Cholesterol oxidizes in the blood. And you need antioxidants to keep them from synthesizing. By drinking a cup of green tea everyday, you can stop the formation of plaque in the blood. Antioxidants intercept free radicals, react with them, trap them, and flush them out of the body.

These are the foods that lower cholesterol. They can help you fight off heart diseases and other concerns brought about by high levels of cholesterol in the blood. By adding these foods in your daily diet, you should be able to limit the formation of bad cholesterol. But more than that, most of these food items contain other nutrients that are very beneficial to the body to keep it healthy and strong.

Heart Attack Prevention - What You Should Know About It

2008-08-30T00:50:00.001-07:00

Before you do any heart attack prevention, it's better if you know and understand your risks first. Then do something about them. Do your researches, consult with your doctor, make a planning, and commit to it.

Heart attack prevention doesn't always have to be complicated. At first, you may feel that way, because there're so many things that you have to adjust. Some people find that changing their habits are quite difficult, others may find it quite easy. What you need to do just do it once at a time, until they automatically become your lifestyle. Finally, you have a heart healthy life without even realize it and you enjoy it.

Having an emergency action plan is important if you or one of your families actually has a chance to have a heart attack, especially if you have heart attack family history. So when it happens, you or the rest of the member won't get panic and know what to do. This should be included in your heart attack prevention plan.

Your heart attack prevention plan may include these basic things:

* Stop your smoking habit. It is consider on the top list because, it's realized as the most preventable factor and decrease your risk dramatically within one year since you quit.
* Find your own healthy diet with fruits, vegetables, food that are rich in antioxidants, whole grains, low fat food, lower in salt (which can cause high blood pressure). You may discuss them with a nutrition professional.
* Drink a lot of water. You need at least 8 ounce glasses or 1/2 gallon of water everyday.
* Drink alcohol at moderate level. One or two a day would be enough for men, but only one for women.
* Do some exercises. It's important to do it regularly. 30 minutes a day, 3-5 times/week is considered enough. You can do any of these things: walking, walking your dog, tai chi, aerobics, bicycling, running, or taking the stairs. Doing this will increase your blood flow and make your heart stronger, help to lose weight, lower high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol and reduce stress and many other tremendous health benefits.
* Lose weight. To be overweight can give you extra burden to your heart and blood vessels. On the contrary, ideally 10% weight loss will give you significant effects, however any small changes can be helpful also.
* Manage your stress. Every second in a day we have to deal with our stress. Without the right management, it can develop to vascular inflammation then finally lead to heart attack.
* Take some natural supplement, especially for your heart health. With today improvement in supplement world, you may want to take advantages of this. Heart health supplement is recommended for heart attack prevention and can help you enhance your heart health too.
* Get heart measurement such as blood pressure every 2 years and cholesterol level every 5 years. Try to control them also.
* Control your diabetes.

Remember, that the more you do what in a heart attack prevention plan, the more you will reduce your risk.

A Guide to a High Blood Pressure Diet

2008-08-30T00:50:00.000-07:00

If you suffer from high blood pressure, the very first thing that you have to change is your diet. When your blood pressure is high, it means that your heart is working very hard to distribute blood all over your body. This can be caused by clogged arteries. Clogged arteries prohibit blood from passing through freely. And so the heart has to push the blood more strongly. This is why high blood pressure arises. Other than prescription medicines, a high blood pressure diet would help a lot in correcting this condition.

And when it comes to creating a high blood pressure diet, there are just two general rules: eat more foods that can help get rid of cholesterol in your blood and eat fewer foods that could pile them up. Your arteries and blood vessels get clogged because of too much fat or cholesterol present in it. You have to get rid of cholesterol to make blood move faster and make your blood pressure normal.

What You Should Take

A high blood pressure diet requires a very healthy diet plan. This means less fats and more fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. This is the rule of the thumb when it comes to creating a diet for patients with heart problems. The AHA, or the American Heart Association, recommends a diet composed of 25% total calories from fat, 50% carbohydrates, 15% protein, and 10% fiber. By following this guideline, you should be able to slowly put your cholesterol level and your blood pressure back to normal.

1. Wholegrain
A good high blood pressure diet would contain more than six servings of wholegrain in a given day. Wholegrain, wholegrain products, and other food items such as rye bread, brown rice, muesli, cereals, and oatmeal are perfect for breakfast and snacks. Switch to these foods rather than eating fast food meals and sugary beverages.

2. Vegetables
Everybody knows that vegetables are very nutritious foods. They can help high blood pressure patients a lot in managing their disease too. Vegetables are healthy alternatives to meats and other food items that can otherwise elevate your blood pressure. Legumes work as well too. Add more kidney beans, split peas, and lentils into your daily diet. They are rich sources of fiber, which can dissolve cholesterol in the blood. But more than that, vegetables and legumes have high vitamins and minerals content. And your body needs these for strength and longevity. Include as many as five servings of vegetables per day in your high blood pressure diet.

3. Fruits
How many times do you eat fruits in a day? In this fast-paced world, more and more people are neglecting fruits in their dinner table. But do you know that fruits can help a lot in controlling the pressure of your blood? As many as four servings of fruits in a day are recommended for high blood pressure patients. Fruits are great for snacks, breakfast, and dessert too.

What You Should Avoid

High blood pressure patients are given strict instructions by their doctors when it comes to the types of foods they should avoid. There are certain foods that trigger changes in the way your blood pressure behaves. Of course, if your blood pressure is already high, you should not complicate the matter by taking in more foods that could worsen your condition.

1. Alcohol
Never drink too much alcohol if you know for a fact that you suffer from high blood pressure. Of all types of alcoholic beverages, you should keep clear of beers the most. Beers can drastically raise your blood pressure to the extent that the walls of your blood vessels get damaged. While red wine is believed to be beneficial to the health, experts say that this is only true for people who don't have pre-existing heart conditions.

2. Fatty foods
Fatty foods pertain to all food items that are cooked, prepared, or mixed with fats. Limit your in take of red meat. Switch to lean meat and white meat instead. Animal fats should be avoided at all cost. Don't use saturated fats and trans fats in preparing your meals. Go for the healthier types of oils like canola oil, sunflower oil, soybean oil, olive oil, rice bran oil, and grape seed oil. But just the same, you have to practice moderation when using them.

Create your very own high blood pressure diet by following these guidelines. You can also ask the help of your doctor or a dietician. They should be able to help you construct different combinations of effective but satisfying meals for you to lower your blood pressure.

Natural Cures For High Cholesterol

2008-08-30T00:49:00.000-07:00

The discovery of the link between high cholesterol and heart disease or strokes is probably one of the greatest breakthroughs in medical science of the past century. If only more people would become aware or their cholesterol level and act decisively if it is too high. There would then be a major reduction in the incidence of these diseases. And lets not forget that the above two conditions are highly prevalent and a major cause of death and disability in the western world.

After having your cholesterol level checked you might well discover that it's too high. Don't become too alarmed by this, as a high level is in fact, quite common in the western world. Fatty diet and a lack of exercise are an obvious cause, but in some cases where the level is extremely high, a genetic factor has to be taken into account. If your level is in fact extremely elevated, then medication and a low fat diet are the only answer. If however your level is only slightly higher than normal (and this accounts for the majority of cases) then natural cures for high cholesterol are of real benefit.

Do natural cures for high cholesterol actually exist? Well believe it or not, some of these remedies have been around since the dawn of history and are readily available. Perhaps the most famous one is our old friend garlic. Garlic as an ingredient for cooking is of course well known but its many medicinal properties are also legendary. Not only is it a natural antibiotic but also its benefit to the heart and circulation has been backed up by modern scientific research. You don?t have to chew on raw garlic as the cowboys did; odorless garlic capsules are readily available at your local drug store.

Raw nuts have also been found to be of benefit. Wall nuts are particularly good and the quantity you need to be of benefit, is only eight half nuts (they are sold in halves) a day. Recently, a huge breakthrough has been made in terms of natural cures for high cholesterol with the discovery of plant sterols. These are a type of plant hormone and yes, plants have them too, which have been found to have a dramatic effect on cholesterol levels. Just less than two grams of sterols a day can reduce your cholesterol level by as much as ten per cent. And the product is now available in handy yogurt drinks and spreads.

The Amazing Device That Measures Your Heart Beat - The SECA ECG

2008-08-29T02:35:00.000-07:00

So what is an electrocardiogram (SECA ECG or EKG, shortened from the German Elektrokardiogramm)? It is a visual graphic produced by an electrocardiogram machine, which prints onto a piece of scaled tape the electrical signals of the heart recorded from the time the equipment is attached. Electro, which is the first part of the word is related to the electrical impulses or activity that are given out by the heart, Cardio is Greek for heart and Gram, has a Greek root meaning "to write". In the US, the abbreviation "EKG" which as mentioned earlier is the german abbreviation is often preferred over "SECA ECG". "SECA ECG" is used a lot in the United Kingdom and many other countries.

The Sinoatrial node is the place that the heart's electrical pulses come from, the electrical pulse, pulses through the heart's conductive tissue and makes it contract. The electrical pulse that is given out by the Sinoatrial node is then measured by placing electrical pads on each side of the heart. The pulse of electricity moves through the heart it is printed down by the SECA ECG machine. The figures displayed on the electrocardiograph SECA ECG are then interpreted to let the health professional understand what is happening through the heart. Giving indications of the beat of the heart and any drop of the electrical impulse through the heart.

If a health professional is attempting to ascertain the working function of the heart a health professional will look to the newer processes of ultrasound or nuclear medicine testing. SECA ECG's are the most practical way of seeing if there is an unbalanced heart beat particularly in the case of conductive tissue damage in the heart or high and low amounts of dissolved salts.

Congestive Heart Failure and It's Treatment

2008-08-29T02:34:00.000-07:00

Congestive heart failure treatment by traditional methods usually includes a regimen of medicine, proper diet, and modified daily activities. There are a range of options for congestive heart failure treatment. In a lot of cases the best congestive heart failure treatment is surgery. Heart Valve Surgery becomes a necessary congestive heart failure treatment when a heart valve ceases to open and close in the correct manner. Valve replacement is the most invasive congestive heart failure treatment and is classified as open heart surgery.

Congestive heart failure is precisely what it sounds like; it is a failure of the heart to properly function, and its effects on the body can be disastrous. Doctors do their best to treat the symptoms and give the patient the best prognosis possible; however, no real and conclusive cure for congestive heart failure exists currently.

Heart failure happens when the heart is unable to properly pump blood throughout the body; as a result of this, including distributing nutrients and oxygen to the tissues and then excreting the excess fluid into the urine the blood pools. This results in either a systemic or local edema as fluid builds up in the veins and organs, causing swelling of the extremities as well as the organs themselves (this fluid gathering is responsible for an excessive amount of stress on the heart as fluid accumulates in the pleural cavity as well as the dyspnea, or difficulty breathing, often symptomatic of heart failure). The swelling and lack of oxygen and nutrients can result in permanent damage to the organs if left untreated, providing a very poor outlook for the patient.

The first stage of treatment for congestive heart failure generally consists of the administration of extra oxygen to attempt to return the oxygen levels in the tissues to normal. Once oxygen has been administered and a pulse oximeter reveals blood oxygen levels to be acceptable the focus will shift to attempting to treat the fluid accumulation in the body. Diuretics will be given to assist the excess fluid on its path via the urinary tract out of the body , and nitrates are administered to cause the vessels to dilate, allowing blood to flow more freely without the heart having to work as hard. Treatment with diuretics is frequently accompanied by supplemental potassium, as the body will excrete potassium in the urine and long term hypokalemia can result in muscle weakness or paralysis, as well as an increased risk of fatal cardiac arrhythmia.

Patients will often be sent home from the hospital with diuretics, as well as a medication known as an ACE inhibitor (an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor) which stops the body from making angiotensin, a substance that raises blood pressure and causes the blood vessels to constrict. An angiotensin II receptor blocker may also be given if the patient continues to make angiotensin. Patients may also be treated with vasodilators other than ACE inhibitors, especially if they have responded badly to treatments with ACE inhibitors in the past. Nitroglycerin is a commonplace example of this kind of medication.

Digitalis, or Digoxin, can also be prescribed to strengthen the force of the heart's contractions, aiding it to send blood through the entire body. Treatment with a beta blocker is also advantageous in cases of congestive heart failure, preventing the heart from beating more rapidly in an effort to compensate for the poor movement of the blood in the body and placing more stress on the weakened muscle.

Blood thinners are administered to help stop the formation of clots in the body that may be caused by the decreased movement of the blood in the vessels. Coumadin and heparin are the most commonly prescribed blood thinners in use; however, due to an increased risk of bleeding, patients taking these medications must undergo coagulation tests often.

Lifestyle changes are as important as medications in the long term treatment of congestive heart failure. Patients should consult with their physician to create an appropriate (low sodium) diet and exercise program, and should do a minimum of some moderate exercise every day. Just as important is taking enough time to rest daily. The heart pumps more easily when the body is resting, which is vital to an already overstressed muscle. The nicotine from cigarettes causes an increase in the heart rate, blood pressure, and the tendency for clumping in the blood vessels; patients with congestive heart failure should refrain from smoking. Flu or pneumonia can be very hard for hearts that are failing as they try to compensate for the lack of oxygen in the bloodstream. It is very vital that patients receive an annual Flu vaccine, as well as a dose of the pneumococcal vaccine, which will protect them from the pneumococcal bacteria that cause over eighty percent of cases of bacterial pneumonia. Wearing loose clothing will help in preventing blood clots and easing blood flow to the extremeties, and in cases of very warm or very cold temperatures it is important that the patient take all precautions necessary to keep the body at an appropriate temperature..

Researchers are still looking for a cure for congestive heart failure; however, until then it is very important that patients suffering from congestive heart failure follow the treatment plan outlined by their doctor. With careful attention to maintaining their condition, the outlook associated with congestive heart failure increases dramatically.

Must Know Information About Your Weight and Heart

2008-08-29T02:33:00.000-07:00

Today, a lot of importance is placed on how much a person weighs. We go on a diet to improve our appearance according to what people think we should look like. Improved health and energy are other reasons we want to lose weight.

If your heart health is a matter of concern to you, you should certainly keep an eye on the scale. Nevertheless, your weight isn't just about pounds. The ratio of your hips to waist is actually more significant than what the scale reads.

We are cautioned by the American Heart Association that men with a waistline larger than 40 inches, and women with a waistline measuring more than 35 inches are at increased risk of developing heart disease. In fact, if your waist to hip ratio is high, you have a greater chance of heart trouble than an obese person with a lower percentage.

Visceral fat, a specific type of fat that is stored in your body, is what causes the higher likelihood of developing heart problems. This fat is located below your muscle and collects around your internal organs. Visceral fat is more stressful to your heart than any other accumulation of fat.

Among the problems it creates are high cholesterol, elevated blood sugar, and hypertension. In combination, these factors greatly increase your prospects of developing heart problems.

But one of the advantages of losing even a bit of weight from your abdomen is that it lowers your heart disease risk by a considerable amount. And surprisingly, a great way to specifically work on your waist area is by practicing yoga.

It's not at all necessary to spend your life at the gym, either. A session of exercise lasting anywhere from twenty to forty minutes each day will leave you healthier and slimmer in no time.

You can also handle your weight problem by changing your diet to include lots of fruits, vegetables, lean meat and whole grains. Eliminate food products that contain high levels of fats, particularly saturated or trans, as well as sugar.

A healthier diet helps you to lose excess fat, and it also regulates your blood sugar and blood pressure, as well as lowering your cholesterol. Together, this addresses your worries about heart disease and is the path to a healthier heart.

By getting rid of that extra weight around your waist, you might be able to fit into that new outfit. But more importantly, it will help you to stay healthy and have a more enjoyable life.

Mediterranean Diet - Can Garlic Protect Us From More Than Vampires?

2008-08-27T00:30:00.001-07:00

People have used garlic for thousand of years as both food and medicine as well as to ward off vampires. Well, although modern research has not confirmed yet that rubbing garlic on doorknobs and window frames can protect us against vampires or evil spirits, it has confirmed what our ancestors believed about the health benefits of this herb: its consumption can protect us from many ailments.

Unfortunately, for several decades, the widespread use of antibiotics has ignored the medical properties of garlic. Lately, however, interest in garlic has escalated and nowadays research is focusing on the role garlic plays in the prevention and control of heart disease.

How can garlic help prevent and control heart disease? Through the following mechanisms:

1. Garlic can lower your high blood pressure
High blood pressure is one of the health conditions where garlic treatment brings the fastest results. Studies suggest that garlic dilates blood vessel walls, increasing the diameter of the arteries. Garlic also helps prevent high blood pressure by stopping blood cells from sticking together.

In a clinical trial, the subjects ingested standardized garlic powder capsules for four years. The results showed a 9 to 18 percent reduction in plaque volume and a 7 percent decrease in blood pressure. This resulted in an increase in the diameter of the arteries by 4 percent, which is associated with an 18 percent improvement of blood flow. These effects of garlic resulted in a risk reduction for heart attacks and strokes by more than 50 percent.

2. Garlic can lower your blood cholesterol
Studies indicate that the populations that eat garlic consistently have the lowest level of blood cholesterol. Pennsylvania State University showed that men with high total blood cholesterol were able to lower its concentration by 7 percent and LDL, the bad cholesterol, by 10 percent when taking garlic supplements. The study indicated that the sulfur compounds in garlic were responsible for the results, especially S-allylcysteine, which prevents the formation of cholesterol by the liver.

3. Garlic can lower your blood platelets
Platelets are tiny cells in the blood that, when arteries get damaged, rush to the lesion site to repair them. They become sticky and form a clot. Unfortunately, although platelets' intentions are good, these clots are the first step toward the formation of a thrombus, an accumulation of platelets and protein. A thrombus may in time obstruct the flow of blood in the blood vessels. Studies have shown that small doses of garlic can prevent platelets from becoming sticky and piling up together. In a study carried out by Liverpool John Moores University, the subjects experienced a reduction of platelet stickiness after ingesting 5 milliliters of garlic extract per day for 13 weeks.

4. Garlic can reduce your plaque in the arteries
Plaque starts to form when arteries are damaged. It is made up of mounds of fat and debris deposited in the wall of the arteries that reduce the space available for blood to circulate. Plaque keeps growing and with time may block the flow of blood in the arteries.

One study showed that continuous intake of high doses of garlic powder capsules for four years reduced the plaque volume by 5 to 18 percent. It is also a fact that most people between 50 and 80 years of age have an increase in the amount of plaque. During the four years this study lasted, the volume of plaque remained constant in people within this age frame demonstrating that garlic has a preventive as well as a curative role in heart disease.

5. Garlic is an antioxidant
Garlic has been shown to protect blood vessels from the destructive effects of free radicals. Ankara University of Turkey conducted a study to investigate the effects of garlic extract on the oxidation of red blood cells. For six months, 11 patients with atherosclerosis ingested a daily dose of 1 milliliter of garlic extract per kilogram of body weight. The study showed a reduction on the level of oxidation of red blood cells in the patients.

How to get the medicinal properties out of garlic

To get the medicinal properties of fresh garlic, however, you must follow several steps, a "protocol" as I call it before consuming it. Here is what you need to do

- Peel the cloves
- Cut them in small pieces
- Crush them in a mortar.
- After you have crushed the garlic, let it sit uncovered in the mortar for 10 or 15 minutes before you put it in the food. This allows the formation of allicin, a compound necessary to unleash the medicinal properties of garlic.

Conclusion
Remember that people around the world, especially those who enjoy few chronic diseases, use garlic extensively in their daily diets. A truly wonder of nature with more than 200 chemical compounds, garlic has been a crucial contributor to the curative effects of the Mediterranean diet. So, how about going back to the basics and put some garlic in your life as a preventive measure?

WITHOUT a FACE - Impact of Cardiovascular Diseases in Sub-Saharan Africa

2008-08-27T00:30:00.000-07:00

Though sub-Saharan Africa continues to fight the battle of infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS , TUBERCULOSIS AND MALARIA and with all the international effort geared towards this diseases and with progresses made in different countries,Subsaharan Africa is heading into a different epidemic ,this time of cardiovascular diseases.Recent statistics have shown that cardiovascular diseases will become the number one cause of death in developing country within the next 10 to 15 years ,but it may well be that sub-Saharan Africa is is already in an epidemic,since there are no data to determine the magnitude and burden of the disease, the distribution amongst the population of cardiovascular diseases.

When sub-Saharan Africa is bogged down on its fight to win the battle of communicable disease, little attention if any is given to chronic and non communicable disease, mered with competition from other social and health programmes. This brings us to why the world is watching and a looming epidemic is about to sweep through susbsaharan Africa ,simply because cardiovascular disease has no face ,It does not paint a face of despair,an adult male wasted as a result of Tuberculosis , a child malnourished from being an orphan having lost mom from Aids.

those are the faces floated , that have lead to massive programmes and funding. Cardiovascular disease use to be a disease of the affluence ,but not anymore, with increasing GDP in this countries is accompanied with increasing waist line , with women being empowered come to changes In lifestyles resulting to new and emerging risk factors. Just as some may suggest, Africa has a lot to worry than good quality research,but without it one may not know the best way to tackle this problem. There has been enough talk without enough action ,this is the time to devote resources to this disease without a face that will deprive sub-saharan Africa of the needed work force, leave families shattered as their loved ones passes on suddenly and above all sub-saharan Africa will be in double jeopardy.

From High Blood Pressure to Heart Attack and Kidney Problems

2008-08-27T00:29:00.000-07:00

Blood is carried from the heart to all parts of your body in vessels called arteries. The pumping action of the heart must create enough force to push blood through the major arteries, into the smaller arteries, and finally into the tiny capillaries, where the porous walls permit fluid exchange between the blood and body tissue. The actual mechanisms which explain why the blood pressure is high has to do mainly with the constriction of the small arterioles which are in all of the tissues of the body. The body is usually successful at providing enough blood around the obstruction, but the pressure is low, including the pressure to the kidneys. In this way, that kidney may produce enough blood pressure to satisfy itself, while the rest of the body sees very high pressures as a result.

With high blood pressure, the heart works harder, your arteries take a beating, and your chances of a stroke, heart attack, and kidney problems are greater. It can enlarge the heart, create small bulges (aneurysms) in blood vessels, damage the blood vessels in the kidneys, harden arteries, produce bleeding in the eyes. In this situation, the kidney which is blocked doesn't "see" enough blood pressure, and releases chemicals causing the blood pressure to go up. If left unchecked, it can cause blood vessels in the kidneys to become thickened and narrowed, possibly leading to reduced blood supply and reduced kidney function. It is a major cause of kidney failure (renal failure) which may require dialysis Heart Failure is a frequent occurrence in long standing hypertension. Treating and controlling your hypertension can help prevent damage to your heart, brain, kidneys, blood vessels, and eyes.

Experts recommend investigation of patients who seem to be at above average risk on such epidemiological grounds as age and sex or on the presence of symptoms or signs of specific disorders. Many patients eventually require two or more drugs to effectively control their blood pressure. However, in some patients-- especially those who have made lifestyle modifications such as losing weight-- may be able to modify their anti-hypertensive medication regimen after hypertension has been controlled for at least one year. In patients with high blood pressure, side effects and costs of medications are also factors which weigh heavily on which agent if any is prescribed. For any number of reasons, patients may not take their drugs as prescribed or may not take them at all.

High blood pressure is a problem that won't go away without treatment and changes to your diet and lifestyle. The goal of treatment is to reduce your pressure to normal levels with medicine that's easy to take and has few, if any, side effects. Your physician will use both the systolic and the diastolic to determine your blood pressure category and appropriate prevention and treatment activities. For the physician, it is a difficult area due to the fact that patients don't feel bad, yet must be prescribed medicines which can be costly and have side effects which make the patient feel worse than they did prior to treatment. If your blood pressure has remained stubbornly high despite taking at least three medications, including a diuretic, you may have resistant hypertension - blood pressure that is resistant to treatment. If these causes of resistant hypertension aren't to blame or treatment doesn't work, talk to your doctor about joining a clinical trial for high blood pressure.

Five Main Items That Cause High Cholesterol

2008-08-25T03:06:00.001-07:00

In addition to diet, a few other reasons for high cholesterol are genetics, life-style and the sex and age of the individual. By keeping your cholesterol levels in the normal range, being thin and in good shape will probably not stop the attempted increase of bad cholesterol. Also because of the risk of heart problems some individuals need a strong plan of attack and medications that help lower cholesterol. Following are very important simple factors that affect cholesterol being up or normal.

Diet:
# Eating lower fat foods is an important factor to consider.

# Purchase and use only unsaturated cooking oils. When possible substitute heavy oils with cooking sprays that are low fat. Use cooking methods that call for none or at least little oil, this act will further lower the use of oils.

High cholesterol and Life-style effects:
# We are asking for trouble when we choose to eat fast foods versus good healthy foods. When eating so many fats and salty foods we are taking steps to raise the bad cholesterol level in our body. Opting to live a inactive life-style can also indirectly increase those levels also. There is a movie documentary titled "Supersize Me" that will reinforce this. You might want to rent it and observe a person tries to live on fast food and doing very little exercise. What happens to him in just 1 month will be an awakening impact to you and your family. In only 30 days his cholesterol and overall health will scare you.

# It is never too late to begin this new life-style. The best thing to do is take on professional help like a dietician or nutritionist and they can teach you the right reasons for the best health. An expense out of our pocket but well worth doing it.

# A good and regular exercise program will immediately lower cholesterol and keep your body in good shape and you will feel better about yourself. Believe it or not, going for a 30 minute walk three times a week or 30 minutes of aerobic exercise will lower cholesterol. No need for a lot of time spent or buying special clothing to perform those exercises. This is not a fashion show but your health.

When exercising, try to find one that you can enjoy. This can make the whole thing easier. What is needed is just take the first step. Keep it simple.

Hereditary:
# What your ancestry or parents have may affect your health also. Those genes can be passed down to you. If your family have problems with cholesterol and health, this info needs to be given to your doctor or health care provider. You can start earlier in your life and work harder to embrace a healthy food plan and begin a healthy life-style now.

Sex and Age:
# Studies show that the older we get cholesterol normally will go up. Women normally will have a lower cholesterol level than men in the age category of 50 to 55.

The cholesterol level begins to climb when a woman begins menopause.
# We all know that age will increase no matter what, but you can make sure that those added years will be heart healthy with a good diet and exercise. Monitor your cholesterol level and keep it controlled.

The Link Between Cholesterol and Heart Disease

2008-08-25T03:06:00.000-07:00

If you have a better idea of what cholesterol is and how you can manage it in your life, this information will lead to better heart health, and all round better feeling of well being. Cholesterol is a waxy like substance that is found in the walls of all your body cells, from your nervous system to your liver and in your blood stream as well. Your body uses this cholesterol to make necessary hormones, bile acids, vitamin D and other vital substances that your body needs to survive. There are good and bad types of cholesterol as well

Where does the Cholesterol in your body come from?

Your body manufacturers all the cholesterol your body requires from the foods you eat. This cholesterol will circulate in your bloodstream in packages known as lipoproteins, which consist of fat inside and protein on the outside. Cholesterol which is a fatty substance does not mix with the blood, just as oil does not mix with water. Your blood carries it to the parts of the body where it is required as mentioned above

Your Body has 2 Types of cholesterol in your body, both good and bad!.

Your body carries two types of cholesterol one which is good for your health and the other bad... These are known as low density lipoprotein or LDL which is the bad cholesterol which carries cholesterol that builds up in your body tissues including your heart arteries. Most cholesterol in your blood at any given time is the LDL cholesterol. The higher the levels are of LDL cholesterol in your blood stream; the higher your dangers are of contracting heart disease. So remember LDL is the bad cholesterol and you don't want high levels of this type in your body.

The good Cholesterol in your body is called HDL cholesterol. This cholesterol carries cholesterol away from your tissues to your liver where it is harmlessly removed from your body by natural secretion. Low levels of HDL increase heart disease. Healthy levels of HDL are good for you. Do not get mixed up between the two.

Why are high levels of LDL Cholesterol bad for your body?

Too much cholesterol in your blood leads to blocked and clogged up body tissues including your heart arteries. This build up is called plaque and as a result your arteries become less flexible. You may have heard the term atherosclerosis; which is hardening of your arteries and as you know the end result can be a heart attack. It is not just your heart blood vessels that can suffer from too much cholesterol, but any of the arteries in your body as well. If your coronary artery becomes blocked by too much plaque you will suffer angina because your blood is unable to get the oxygen it needs or the nutrients to the heart muscle. Hardening of the coronary artery is called coronary heart disease which you may likely by now have heard somewhere or another. This form of heart disease is becoming common in the western world due to high cholesterol in the blood from; Yes; and you guessed it; from unhealthy eating habits!

The risk factors.

Certain risk factors nothing can be done about regarding heart diseases and cholesterol levels. These factors where risks of heart disease are increased, are age groups for men and women over 45, which are ages that will increase the likelihood of coronary heart disease from atherosclerosis. Family history of early heart disease is also a factor that must be taken into consideration. The lack of regular exercise and bad eating habits increase the risk of heart disease from cholesterol as well. Most fast foods are prepared in unhealthy fats which is a high risk factor more than anything else as well...

How to lower your risks of high cholesterol.

Perhaps you have heard some of these tips before but it is prudent to go over them again for your information:

1 Avoid foods with high animal fat content. Trim excess fat off meat
2. Eat Lots of fruit, vegetables, and fiber for your health
3. Eat less salt in your diet and limit salty snacks and foods.
4. Lose some weight if you are carrying too much according to your BMI (Body Mass Index)
5. Regular sensible exercise in moderation and plenty of fresh air.
6. Stay calm and avoid stressful situations.
7. Limit your alcohol intake to a sensible level.
8. Smoke less, or give up altogether if possible.

Other treatments that can be used if your doctor has found you to have unhealthy levels of cholesterol are certain drugs called 'statins' that will control the rate which your body produces cholesterol. These drugs increase HDL and lower the bad LDL cholesterol. See above about what we mentioned about the good and bad cholesterol.

Watch your diet and eat healthily

Choose healthy fats like olive oil, avocado pears, peanut butter, unsalted nuts and fish oils. Try and limit intakes of salt, polyunsaturated fats, sunflower oils, soft margarines and salad dressings like mayonnaise. (Some newer soft low cholesterol margarine is available on the market that is completely safe to use nowadays though).

Watch out particularly to avoid eating too much animal fats on meats, eat less eggs, cheese, fatty meats, butter, and ice creams and of course take out foods. Naturally you can eat any of the above as long as you are sensible about it. Everyone tells you to eat more fiber, and by now with this advice it should be a given. If you are not eating enough greens or fresh vegetables then take some sort of antioxidants or supplements. Cut down drinking of alcohol to one or two drinks a day.

There is some great advice and diets that have been designed to help people with high cholesterol reduce these high levels. With a little research you will find the right ways to control your cholesterol.

Why Lower Blood Pressure is So Important

2008-08-25T03:05:00.000-07:00

If you're like most people, you probably think of heart attack and stroke when you think of the risks of high blood pressure. Actually, most people with hypertension never suffer these most extreme consequences. But sadly, few ever escape scot-free. That's because high blood pressure wrecks invisible havoc on your body, doing serious damage undetected.

Hypertension puts a severe load on every organ of the body, not just your heart. The kidneys are one of the organs most susceptible to damage from excess pressure. Damaged kidneys fail to sufficiently remove waste and excess fluid from the blood and excess fluid acts to further increase blood pressure. The final result of this vicious circle is kidney failure, for which the only effective treatment is a transplant.

The eyes are very sensitive to high blood pressure. If your eyes become more sensitive to touch than usual it could be a sign of hypertension as it actually increases the internal pressure in the eyeball. This can also be the cause of blurred vision or other sight problems. Tiny capillaries in the eye can burst causing a bloodshot appearance or doing even more serious damage.

But all this pales in comparison to the biggest, yet invisible, risk of the so-called "silent killer": vascular disease, more commonly called hardening of the arteries. Constant high pressure on the walls of blood vessels builds up resistance, thickening and hardening them. It's a natural defensive reaction of your body to high blood pressure; it wants to protect your blood vessels from bursting under the pressure and bringing on a stroke or other severe consequence.

Sadly, in trying to protect you from a sudden health crisis your body's reaction to hypertension is creating a long-term health crisis. Hardened arteries become thicker, restricting blood flow and contributing to a condition called ischemia or lack of blood supply. This causes further damage to the organs.

Hardened arteries also become less flexible and this has specific effects on your health. Imagine a tough old garden hose that has baked under the sun. Instead of wrapping smoothly around corners like a new hose it collapses on itself, cutting off water flow. The flexibility of blood vessels is a major factor in determining how you age. Healthy, flexible arteries can make all the difference between aging gracefully, full of good health and energy, or growing old before your time while suffering constant health problems.

Speaking of aging, there's one further problem related to blood flow that's often (incorrectly) associated with growing old. At least when it comes to men... yes, it's erectile dysfunction. I say the association is incorrect because it's actually high blood pressure and hardened arteries that are at fault. Any organ or physiological process dependent on blood flow (which is pretty much everything) is going to suffer when you have high blood pressure. If this doesn't motivate at least half the population towards lower blood pressure then nothing will!

Heart attacks and strokes are just two possible outcomes of damage that started years before, damage that accumulates invisibly when you live with high blood pressure. You may never experience these frightening results but the damage is being done. Luckily, there's a 100% surefire way to prevent all these problems: lower blood pressure. It's not difficult. Doctors agree that up to 95% of hypertension cases can be treated with lifestyle changes and other natural methods. And there are a number of powerful medications, strictly as a last resort, for those rare cases that refuse to respond to nature.

Get your blood pressure checked and take immediate action if it's too high. Don't be fooled just because you feel well.