Info on Heart Disease

Coronary Artery Disease: An Overview

2011-11-25T16:47:00.000-08:00

The heart is the hardest working muscle in the human body. It beats 100,000 times a day. It is responsible for supplying the entire body with oxygenated, nutrient rich blood so that organs can stay healthy and function properly. The heart is the hub of the circulatory system which consists of arteries, capillaries, and veins. The heart not only acts as a pump to move blood through the circulatory system to the other organs in the body, but it also supplies itself through the coronary arteries.

Arteries are the main routes in which the heart distributes oxygenated blood to surrounding tissues. They are much like rubber tubes. When healthy, they are soft and flexible and blood can freely flow without restriction. However, certain risk factors such as age, gender, family history, smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood sugar, obesity, lack of exercise, and stress can compromise arterial health and contribute to heart disease.

One sign of poor arterial health is a condition called atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a chronic disease where the arterial wall thickens due to plaque deposits. Fatty materials such as cholesterol and calcium in your blood stream can stick to the lining in the arteries creating a buildup that ultimately narrows the passageway and reduces the flow of blood. Atherosclerosis can affect any artery in the body. When it affects the arteries supplying the heart it is called Coronary Artery Disease (CAD).

Symptoms of Coronary Artery Disease usually don't present until after the age of 50. While men typically show signs 10 years earlier than women, by the age of 60 it is the leading cause of death in both men and women. Symptoms usually occur during times of physical activity when the heart is working harder than at rest. These symptoms include angina, otherwise known as chest pain, shortness of breath, and heart attack. Less commonly reported symptoms include rapid heart beat, sweating, and feeling sick to your stomach. Sometimes there are no symptoms at all.

A doctor can diagnose CAD by starting with a general physical. From there, other diagnostics such as EKGs, chest X-rays, blood work, and stress tests can be performed to further diagnose Coronary Artery Disease.

CAD is treatable through medication and surgical procedures. Some medications can are used to help lower cholesterol or blood pressure, while others assist in thinning the blood and reducing the chance of blood clots. Surgical procedures include angioplasty, use of a stent, or bypass surgery. An angioplasty is a procedure involving a long skinny balloon that is inserted into the blocked artery where it is then inflated to compress the plaque buildup. This opens up the artery and allows increased blood flow. In some cases a thin wire mesh tube is placed in the artery to ensure it stays open. Another solution to a blocked artery is to perform a bypass surgery. This is where a healthy portion of artery is grafted from the leg or chest and is strategically placed to reroute the blood around the blockage.

While some risk factors such as age, gender, and family history are beyond our control, lifestyle changes such as avoiding cigarettes and second hand smoke, eating a healthy diet, and regular exercise can reduce or even eliminate many of the risks associated with CAD. Making changes to adopt a healthy lifestyle will not only increase your quality of life but improve your overall health and reduce the risk of CAD.

For more information on family health and nutrition topics visit http://myfamilyplate.com

By Katie Shepard

Diets to Lower Triglyceride and Total Cholesterol Levels

2011-11-24T16:45:00.000-08:00

When people undergo a blood test, the LDL, HDL, triglyceride level and total cholesterol are four check points that a medic will review carefully before sharing the results to the patient.

If any one of the LDL, HDL, triglyceride level and total cholesterol levels are way above the normal range, the doctor will promptly make the timely necessary recommendations. The most commonplace advice given is usually to make changes in the existing diet. It is because by changing what food is being eaten, its proven that the results can improve dramatically.

People are well cognizant what LDL and HDL is and that is basically the bad and good cholesterol inside the bloodstream. There isn't so much said about triglyceride which is frequently referred to just as a kind of fat.

So exactly what happens if an excessive amount of triglyceride is inside the body? Every time a patient has too much of triglyceride in the blood, it poses a greater risk to the patient of succumbing to cardio diseases.

What food is being eaten makes this rise or down. Usually the person will be advised NOT to eat for at least fourteen hours prior to the checkup. The standard range should fall between ten and two hundred and fifty mgs./dl, which unfortunately a lot of people exceed.

Studies show that many patients who've got high triglyceride levels also have high total levels of cholesterol. It's a good thing that it is possible to kill two birds with one stone by consulting a dietitian to prepare a simple healthy eating plan.

The basic plan involves consuming food which might be lower in fat. Breakfast for example can be whole grain breads which has a little touch of egg whites. Stop drinking coffee and replace this with unsweetened tea. Those who prefer milk should use non-fat milk or try some fresh juice instead.

Breakfast having been light, you can chicken without skin or the choice of lean cut meats (such as flank, round, rump or sirloin) served by using vegetables as accompaniments.

Drinking bottled water is way healthier than ordering a can of diet soda because this still has certain properties that are not perfect for someone who is working to curtail cholesterol intake.

Those who love to catch a fast bite as a considerate snack can have fruit or vegetables strips. Normally you won't find this in the stores; so getting up a little earlier before going to work or preparing this the night before is an efficient idea - you can use a container to carry it to work!

Dinner also needs to be light given that body will soon rest and won t burn a lot calories when sleeping. Steamed fish will do well or even a little pasta. You can have a glass of merlot with the meal that can help it digest.

The practice of this healthy habit cannot only be done when eating home-cooked meals. This must also be practiced when dining out with friends. Any disruption from the plan is capable of having certain adverse consequences to someone who is working to make some changes in lifestyle.

Living a healthy life devoid of large volumes of triglyceride and cholesterol can be achieved. It only needs a little determination and discipline to make it happen.

Studies show that many patients who've got high triglyceride levels also have high total levels of cholesterol.

By Veer D Mich

What Is Heart Disease? An Overview of Symptoms, Risk Factors and Treatment Options

2011-11-23T16:43:00.000-08:00

Heart disease is an umbrella term that covers a number of heart ailments that negatively affect its performance. The heart is one of the most important organs of our body. It is a muscle that continuously pumps blood, oxygen and other vital nutrients to all parts of the body. An impediment in this pumping mechanism can lead to vital parts of our body like brain and kidneys being negatively affected.

Main Symptoms of Heart Disease

Generally heart disease is not something that takes a person by surprise. There are a number of signs and symptoms portrayed by the body when its most important organ is not working right.

• Angina or chest pain is one of the most common symptoms of heart disease. This is characterized by a heaviness or fullness in the chest region. Though such pain or squeezing sensation generally occurs in the chest, it might also occur in the back, neck or jaws.
• Uneven beating of the heart, shortness of breath and sweating can also be signs of an existing heart problem.
• Nausea and heart palpitations

While these symptoms are also common for several other health conditions, they should never be ignored. Getting these symptoms thoroughly checked by a physician will help ensure that heart disease doesn't catch you unawares.

Risk Factors That Can Contribute To an Ailing Heart

• High Blood Pressure: This is a major risk and can often lead to heart attacks if ignored.
• Increased Levels of Cholesterol: Cholesterol is a fat like substance in our blood which is required for the proper formation of our cell membranes and tissues. Any excess cholesterol which is not used by the body gets deposited in our arteries. Such cholesterol deposits can lead to clogging of arteries which can in turn lead to coronary heart disorder.
• Diabetes: A diabetic is much more vulnerable to heart ailments as compared to someone who is non-diabetic. Controlling your sugar levels is extremely important as these can lead to heart problems.
• Life Style Risk Factors: Smoking is a major cause of heart attacks. Eating a diet rich in fats and oils is another contributor to heart problems. A sedentary life with very little exercise can also lead to heart diseases.

Treatment Options for Heart Diseases

• Angioplasty is generally done to treat coronary heart disorder. In this the plaques blocking the arteries are blown away using a balloon which is inflated next to them.
• Surgery or bypass: If the arterial block is too big then a surgery might be performed and a stent put to provide an alternative route for the blood and oxygen to flow from.
• Medication: Blood thinners are often given to heart patients as these can help the blood flow normally even through clogged arteries.

Life style changes are the single biggest influencing factor when it comes to preventing heart diseases. A healthier lifestyle with regular exercising, low fat diet and total cessation of smoking can go a long way in treat heart problems.

By Juanita Swindell

High Protein Consumption And Protein Deposits In Blood Vessel Walls Add To Heart Attack Risk

2011-11-22T16:41:00.000-08:00

Risk Indications of a Heart Attack

Most food-related blood vessel diseases, including heart attacks, stroke, rheumatism, and angina pectoris, are not primarily disorders of sugar and fat metabolism, but diseases resulting from protein storage. Eating too much protein food can be considered one of the greatest risk factors for developing any kind of disease. The thickening of the basal membranes of blood vessels and connective tissues caused by the storage of protein affects the very lives of all cells in the body. When and wherever in the body such congestion occurs, premature aging of cells and organs result. On the other hand, wherever the capillary walls maintain their porous, flexible nature and original thinness, cell nourishment and organ vitality continue throughout life.

Fat and cholesterol are not the primary blocking agents of blood vessel walls and, can therefore, not be considered to be the main cause of heart disease or any other disease in the body. Storage of protein in the blood vessel walls, on the other hand, is the common factor in all patients who suffer from alimentary (food-caused) atherosclerosis. Since most people in the advanced nations have consistently been consuming excessively large quantities of protein, particularly since World War II, coronary heart disease has become the leading cause of death in the developed world. As you will be able to see below, most of the leadingrisk elements of suffering a heart attack are directly or indirectly linked with high protein consumption and protein deposits in the blood vessel walls. The thickening of blood is an indication of such a risk.

Thickening of blood as measured by Hemocrit or Packed Cell Volume

The Hemocrit is the volume of red blood cells in one liter of whole blood, determined by a simple and cheap blood test. If it is above 42%, the risk of a heart attack increases. A healthy person has a Hemocrit of 35% to 40%. Under the assumption that the presence of larger quantities of protein in the blood is harmless, many doctors consider a volume of 44-50% to be still in the normal range; research, however, has shown that heart attacks were twice as high when the Hemocrit reached 49% compared to when it was 42%. The fact is that the higher the Hemocrit rises the greater is the risk of suffering a heart attack.

The question arises, why would the volume of red blood increase to beyond 40%? When the basal membranes and the intercellular tissues become thickened due to storage of excessive protein, blood flow slows down and becomes obstructed. This 'naturally' increases the concentration of all blood values, including proteins, fats, and sugar. The thickening of the blood poses a great risk that affects all parts of the body. To deal with the dangerously high concentration of protein in the blood, the pancreas secretes extra insulin, but in doing so, the insulin may further injure and weaken the blood vessel walls. The cells making up the capillary walls start to absorb some the excessive protein, convert it into collagen, and deposit it in their basal membranes. Although this has a much-needed thinning effect on the blood, it also reduces nutrient transport to the cells. When the cells signal malnutrition, the blood nutrient levels begin to rise until the pressure of diffusion is high enough again to deliver enough nutrients to the cells.

In the meanwhile, this constant maneuvering raises the number of red blood cells, which contain the red colored hemoglobin. Hemoglobin combines with oxygen in the lungs and transports it to all the body cells. With increased thickness of the basal membranes, the oxygen supply to the cells also becomes restricted. The resulting increased need for oxygen by the cells raises hemoglobin concentrations in the red blood cells. However, this makes the red blood cells swell up. Eventually, they are too enlarged to pass through the tiny capillaries, blocking them altogether.

This even more drastically cuts down the nutrient and water supply to the cells, which subsequently begin to suffer dehydration. To signal dehydration, the cells release their water deficiency enzyme renin into the tissue fluid, which through a myriad of chemical events leads to an increase of heartbeat and cardiac output. This emergency measure increases water supply to the cells and prevents their demise, but it also raises the blood pressure. Known as essential hypertension, this situation causes even more stress and damage to the blood vessels than have already occurred. The vicious cycle is closed. The preconditions of suffering a heart attack are now in place.

We can therefore conclude that both factors combined (an increased Hemocrit, which indicates increased blood thickening, and a higher hemoglobin concentration in the red blood cells) reduce blood circulation. A round, red-colored face and chest are typical indications of an abnormally high blood volume and a decreased blood circulation in the adult hypertensive and diabetic patient. The cell tissues begin to dehydrate as water distribution becomes increasingly difficult. The rate and force of contraction of the heart muscle increases to help maintain the cardiac output against a sustained rise in congestion throughout the circulatory system. Eventually, the heart can no longer afford such strenuous activity and collapses.

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[This is an excerpt from the book HEART DISEASE NO MORE! by Andreas Moritz]

Moritz is a writer and practitioner in the field of Integrative Medicine and author of 13 books ( http://www.ener-chi.com/book.htm ) on various subjects pertaining to holistic health, including 'The Amazing Liver and Gallbladder Flush', and 'Timeless Secrets of Health and Rejuvenation'.

'Vaccine-Nation: Poisoning the Population, One Shot at a Time' is his newest book.

Moritz is also the creator of Ener-Chi Art and Sacred Santémony. Much of his life's work has been dedicated to understanding and treating the root causes of illness, and helping the body, mind, spirit and heart to heal naturally.

Connect with Andreas at: http://www.facebook.com/enerchi.wellness

By Andreas Moritz

Early Signs of Heart Disease: Better Act Quickly

2011-11-21T16:39:00.000-08:00

If you are like me, you have probably heard this phrase many times; there are no do over's in life! For the most part that is correct. There is one area however, where if you are lucky enough to get an early warning; you may get a do over.

I refer to your health, and specifically, your heart health. When you are lucky enough to get what may be the early signs of heart disease, you'd better act quickly or you most likely won't get another chance.

What are some signs of heart disease?

If you are lucky, your body and specifically your heart are telling you in a variety of ways that "I'm sick and struggling, so help me". Unless you were born with some sort if genetic heart defect, the most common contributor to heart disease is bad cholesterol.

The most common cause of bad cholesterol is what we eat. When we hear about the early signs of heart disease, or any heart related ailment, it sounds very scary to the layman.

The fact of the matter is, just like a computer; garbage in, garbage out. With our body; it's a very complex design that needs to be taken care of. Only in the last three decades have we started to hear that proper nutrition is essential to good heart health.

Since your heart is the control center for other essential organs, taking care of the heart through managing cholesterol is of maximum importance to avoid several types of serious illness.

If your heart were a factory and your arteries were the assembly line down which your product ran, than cholesterol is what bottles up the assembly line. LDL and triglycerides represent fat in the blood that restricts blood flow to and from the heart.

Early signs of heart disease include an irregular heart beat; that's a scary one indeed! Additionally you may feel fatigued more often, have dizzy spells and have troubling breathing.

Other early signs of heart disease or the progression to possible heart attack can include pressure in your chest, in combination with rapid heartbeat. It's also common to feel pain in your left arm from the shoulder to your hand and in some cases even pain in the jaw.

If I get these warning signs what can I do?

The first thing to do is to see your doctor. They will prescribe some sort of regimen that includes a battery of tests to determine the extent of possible damage based on early signs of heart disease.

If you are reading this and you haven't experienced any of these signs, you too can benefit from a course of prevention! Everyone, no matter where they are on this life journey should take preventative measures to avoid ever developing heart disease.

The options available to you include finally kicking the smoking habit for good, as this alone hurts your ability to make good cholesterol in the form of HDL. Keeping your body mass index down to where you should be for your height and age, and getting daily exercise.

Just walking to the point of working up a sweat for twenty minutes a day can do wonders to reduce bad cholesterol. Most importantly, it comes down to avoiding soda, sweets, excess animal fat and dairy products. Remember there are substitutes like egg beaters!

Gradually work your way off these foods by replacing them with foods containing Omega 3. Nutrition essential Omega 3 recommendations from any dietitian will include poultry, sea food with fatty acids DHA and EPA, as well as good things like fruit and green vegetables.

It's amazing how whole grain pasta tastes with tomato sauce. Guess what, there is no difference except that whole grains have a great degree of Omega 3 fatty acid that fights bad cholesterol.

Nutrition essential Omega 3 recommendations also include cold water fish for one simple reason. The oil contained in fish like sardines and salmon is filled with Omega 3 fatty acid that promotes good cholesterol and fights LDL cholesterol.

Omega 3 fatty acid has been clinically proven to help boost the good or HDL cholesterol that is essential for flushing out that LDL from the blood stream. Good heart health depends on a diet rich in Omega 3 fatty acid.

Conclusion

So it comes down to this. Early signs of heart disease can literally be your last wake up call. On the positive side, there are treatments, but the best thing you can ever do is take preventative good heart health measures by increasing your intake of Omega 3 fatty acid, get a moderate amount of exercise every day and stay away from saturated fat. Do this, and you heart will continue to chug along for many more years!

Jim Morham is a vocal advocate for healthy living and products that promote good health. Due to personal needs, Jim strives to find the very best quality products that aid good health, in order to share them with others. Visit his site at http://purest-omega-3.com/

By Jim Morham

Reducing Heart Disease

2011-11-20T16:37:00.000-08:00

Our hearts are the most important, and often the most neglected organ in our bodies. Heart disease has a way of creeping in while we think we are maintaining a healthy body. The truth is many of us who believe we are healthy are simply setting ourselves up for health problems down the road.

In this superficial world, we often see someone who is relatively thin as being basically healthy. While it is true that carrying less body fat is a very good way to avoid heart problems, preventing heart disease requires more than a slim waistline.

Diet plays a huge role in heart health. Other than smoking and hereditary factors, a poor diet is probably the biggest cause of heart disease - and the easiest to fix. It is essential to reduce fat and cholesterol intake, as cholesterol build-up in the form of plaque on the walls of your arteries is the primary cause of heart disease today. Choose low-fat varieties of your favorite foods or substitute high-cholesterol foods with alternatives. Eat more chicken and fish and save the burger for a picnic. Use canola or olive oil rather than vegetable oil or butter. A little research will reveal many ways to substitute fat-laden ingredients with healthy ones.

Movement is essential to heart health. A sedentary body actually sort of shuts down - storing even healthy food as fat. The government recommends at least ninety minutes of moderate exercise per week but it does not have to be complicated or require a gym membership. For the average person, taking a brisk, thirty-minute walk several times a week will bring tremendous cardiovascular benefits. Even for those unable to walk, some slightly strenuous resistance training with the arms and shoulders will develop muscle and increase metabolism.

Stress plays havoc on your body and can lead to heart disease. People with high stress or agitation levels tend to have higher blood pressure and triglyceride levels, as well as an accumulation of belly fat due to the stress hormone cortisol. These three factors lead to problems with insulin levels and this can cause your metabolism to become less efficient - further increasing belly fat and blood pressure in a vicious cycle. Find ways to reduce or avoid stress. The practice of yoga has been shown to have tremendous physical and mental benefits - especially in stress reduction.

Obviously, some people are genetically predisposed to heart disease. But recent studies have shown that even serious congenital heart conditions can be dramatically improved through a regimen of strict diet and frequent moderate exercise.

By Owen Walcher

Cholesterol Correlation to Heart Disease: The Proof Is Here

2011-11-19T16:36:00.000-08:00

If you are like me, you want to get the most convincing information when you are looking to answer an important question; particularly when your health is involved.

Recently, there have been some books published questioning the cholesterol correlation to heart disease. Some have actually been so bold to infer that one has nothing to do with the other.

Let's start with the facts. Many clinical studies have been performed over the years by noted and prestigious organizations such as the mayo clinic and published by the American Heart Association. These studies indeed point to a cholesterol correlation to heart disease.

Even if you subscribe to the contrarian notion that there is no definitive cholesterol correlation to heart disease, you are most likely splitting hairs over the clinical study samples and how the information was obtained.

What we do know about excess cholesterol

Clinical studies have shown that cholesterol is fat in the blood due primarily to the types of foods we eat that contain saturated fats. Too much saturated fat increases imbalance in our lipids.

LDL or low density lipoprotein is caused by consuming too few foods containing Omega 3's and eating too much saturated fat. We also know that fat build up in the blood leads to a sticky plaque that clogs the passage ways or arteries to the heart.

Secondly, cholesterol correlation to heart disease also includes high levels of triglycerides which are excess fat in the body cells. These fats are stored for energy in our cells. Too much of this fat leads to weight gain that is also a stress on the heart and can lead to stroke and heart attack.

In both cases, more stress is being placed on the heart due to clogged arteries. This stress is akin to having your bath tub drain three- quarters clogged with hair and particulate matter. The more clogged the drain, the harder it is for water to drain completely. The difference is that you can always call a plumber; in the case of your heart, you may not get a second chance to take action.

What steps can I take to fight cholesterol?

One serious step any individual can take is to eat a healthy diet filled with Omega 3 foods. The fatty acids in foods like fruit, lentils, whole grains and nuts to name a few are rich in the fatty acids that fight bad cholesterol.

One diet enhancement my own doctor strongly recommended was a fish oil diet. The same Omega 3 fatty acids that combat bad cholesterol are found in great quantities in cold water fish.

Specifically; doctors recommend fatty acids DHA and EPA to fight bad cholesterol and protect good heart health. A fish oil diet can include not only meals centered on cold water fish like blue fish and salmon, but also the dietary supplements that contain DHA and EPA. These dietary supplements come in the form of soft gels that are easy to take and provide the necessary fatty acids to your blood.

Recommendation

Now that you have heart the facts, you have a better understanding about cholesterol correlation to heart disease. To maintain good heart health, integrate the fish oil diet into your daily regimen. Remember, you are what you eat, so eat healthy and stay healthy for life!

Jim Morham is a vocal advocate for healthy living and products that promote good health. Due to personal needs, Jim strives to find the very best quality products that aid good health, in order to share them with others. Visit his site at http://purest-omega-3.com/

By Jim Morham

Heart Disease and Water Fasting

2011-11-18T16:34:00.000-08:00

Heart disease is the number one killer in America with more than 616,000 deaths attributed to it and the number of non-institutionalized adults with diagnosed heart disease has reached a staggering 26.8 million people, which equates to 12% of the population. (1)

MY CONDITION.
I am one of those non-institutionalized people that is obese, with high blood pressure, edema, gout and breathing problems. Probably the same characteristic as most with heart disease. I was diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure a couple of years ago with a 50/50 chance of making it another ten years. My height is 5'10 and weight 272 lbs. In addition to the above ailments, I also have edema, high blood pressure, psoriasis, carpel tunnel and sleep apnea.

Diseases of the heart usually do not just appear overnight. It takes many years and decades of tobacco, alcohol, bad diet and lack of exercise. Artery blockage can be extremely advanced before one might know they have a problem. It sneaks up on you and when you least suspect it, you have a heart attack. My condition has been getting progressively worse to the point where it is quite a task to go from my basement to the main floor. Physical labor is out of the question now.

I TRIED THIS BEFORE.
Last year I attempted to lose a lot of weight through a process known as Water Fasting. I had done a lot of research on the topic through the Internet and books that I bought, and it felt like it was the right thing for me to do to improve my health. I started at about 265 lbs and got down to 230 lbs in a period of 21 days. But then I quit due to what I later found out was a cleansing reaction. In that 21 days my blood pressure normalized and I quit taking my Coversyl medication. I was taking longer and longer walks, and I could even jog a short distance. This convinced me that I was on the right track but I needed to do some more research before starting another Fast. That was the summer of 2010.

By now you are asking how a Water Fast can benefit someone who has Heart Disease. Well first of all, fasting is proven to reduce blood pressure very rapidly and effectively. Notes from my fast last year indicate I was consistently around 125-130/85 from an average of 165/95, so I know the effects on blood pressure, and I am confident that if I had continued on I would have seen further improvement. In addition, it would appear that Fasting may significantly reduce the amount of plaque that lines the blood vessels which would result in more oxygen and blood to circulate and lessen the workload on the Heart. In a study published in Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, June 2001, 174 patients did a fast and all participants experienced a dramatic drop in blood pressure. The fast lasted only 10 to 11 days and the average drop in blood pressure was 37/13 mm Hg. Those with stage 3 hypertension (180/110+) experienced an average drop of 60/17 mm Hg. No other method to reduce blood pressure has ever shown such dramatic results.

THIS TIME, SUCCESS!
Because of the results I achieved last year on my fast I have decided to start another fast. The purpose being to completely normalize my blood pressure, rid myself of the edema and gout along with a few other health related issues I am dealing with. The Fast will carry on until my hunger returns, which I suspect may be anywhere from 40 to 50 days. I would love to lose 80 to 100 lbs which would take me down to about 195 lbs. This time I will be drinking Medical grade Alkaline Ionized Water to help with the cleansing reactions which stopped my fast in 2010. I will be providing stats, commentary, pictures and video on a regular basis. I invite you to follow my progress at my blog.

Source
(1) Center for Disease Control and Prevention

I did a water fast in 2010 and dramatically dropped my blood pressure. I have just started another water fast only this time it will be longer term with the goal to completely normalize my blood pressure and improve heart function.

I invite you to follow along at my blog http://www.gordons-water-fast.com

By Gordon W Farquhar

Coenzyme Q10 - An Essential Enzyme for Good Health

2011-11-17T16:32:00.000-08:00

Ever since its discovery in 1957, the benefits of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10 or ubiquinone) have been well known. It has been extensively researched and till date more than 5000 studies have been conducted. What is coenzyme Q10? It is a fat soluble compound which is both synthesized by our body as well as absorbed from the food we eat.

Coenzyme Q10 is present in every cell of our body and is essential for mitochondrial synthesis. This is the structure within our cells which convert the nutrients the body receives into energy. This is a critical function of the cells in our body especially for the heart. Since coenzyme Q10 can be synthesized by our body, scientists do not consider it to be a vitamin. We require an adequate intake of vitamin B6 for the body to synthesize coenzyme Q10.

What are the benefits of coenzyme Q10? There are numerous benefits and many of them are crucial for life. As stated above, its function of converting nutrients into energy is one of its life giving benefits, but the list does not end there. It has very good antioxidant properties and this prevents the damage free radicals do to our body. This coenzyme Q10 helps in increasing the oxygen utilization in our bodies. This is akin to turbo charging our bodies.

Research has shown that for adequate functioning our body requires between 3 to 5 milligrams per day of coenzyme Q10. On an average people get approximately 10 milligrams of coenzyme Q10 per day from their diet.

Coenzyme Q10 is mainly found in meat, poultry and fish in non vegetarian food and from vegetarian food such as spinach, soybean oils and nuts. Since vitamin B6 is essential for the body to be able to synthesize coenzyme Q10, foods rich in B6 such as potato in its jacket, bananas, garbanzo beans, chicken, pork, beef, fish etc. should be a part of our daily diet.

The benefits of coenzyme Q10 far outweigh any potential risks. As we get older, the production of coenzyme Q10 in our body decreases and in the heart it can be as much as 72%. This can seriously affect the body. Because of its antioxidant properties it is increasingly being used by doctors in a variety of heart problems including arrhythmia, angina, heart attacks, high BP, congestive heart failure etc. The Medical fraternity has found a useful tool in coenzyme Q10, in their battle against heart problems.

Research has shown that those who suffer from cancer had low levels of coenzyme Q10 in their body. It has also been found that a regimen of coenzyme Q10 supplements helped in strengthening the immune system. In one study, 41 women who had breast cancer were treated with coenzyme Q10. The condition of all 41 women improved. CoQ10 also helps in keeping our gums in good condition. It was also found to have anti-bacterial properties.

The thymus gland, one of the guardians of our immune system, starts deteriorating with age and this can be dramatically reduced using a coenzyme Q10 supplement. Coenzyme Q10 can be used to reduce the insulin requirement is diabetics.

Since it is fat soluble, we must eat some fat for it to be absorbed. If you are on a fat free diet, taking a little peanut butter will be enough. Since the cholesterol lowering statin drugs have the effect of reducing levels of CoQ10, Doctors give a supplement of CoQ10 to counteract this. With so many benefits of coenzyme Q10, taking a supplement of Q10 is well worth the money.

By Tom Chua

Acute Stress and Your Heart: Bad News

2011-11-16T16:30:00.000-08:00

Chronic anxiety is not only common in people with cardiovascular disease, but also appears to be mechanistically linked with its onset, severity and prognosis. Acute stress, whether physical, emotional or financial, can also be extremely dangerous for your heart. Three major scientific studies have confirmed this association.

Following 9/11, an extremely stressful event, especially for New Yorkers, there was a big rise in cardiac events in the days and weeks that followed. A study showing this association was presented by Dr Feng and associates from Brooklyn Hospital, New York at the American Heart Associations Scientific Sessions, 2003. They studied 425 patients arriving to the hospital with symptoms of heart problems for a period of two months following the attack and compared their records with 428 similar patients seen during the 60 days preceding the attack. They found that following September 11, 2011, there was a 35 percent increase in heart attacks and a 40 percent increase in heart irregularities.

On February 27, 2010 one of the largest ever recorded (measuring 8.8 on the Richter scale) hit Concepción, Chile's second largest city, 200 miles southwest of the capital, Santiago, Chile. There was a marked rise in new heart attacks in the area. Dr. Edgardo Escobar and his team from Santiago, compared 200,000 ECG's taken during different periods. These included the year before, the year of the earthquake and the weekend of the earthquake. They found that during the earthquake weekend, the incidence of sub-epicardial lesions as seen on the electrocardiograms doubled. This data was presented at the European Society of Cardiology Meetings in Paris in September, 2011.

The stock markets were volatile from July 2008 through January 2009. The markets began to recover and started stabilizing from January through July 2009. Duke University researchers studied more than 2,500 people who had heart attacks during three-month periods involving this volatility and recovery and plotted them against the Nasdaq composite index during each period. They found an increase in heart attacks rates during the stock market stressful periods.

These changes are probably related to sudden surges in catecholamine levels in the body. These surges increase heart rate and blood pressure, besides inducing a host of other negative biologic changes. It is extremely important for patients at risk of a heart attack remain compliant with their medication intake, especially during these stressful periods. These patients should also keep regular aspirin handy. Aspirin 325 mg should be chewed for 30 second before swallowing, to quickly inhibit platelets, and this may prevent clot development under these stressful conditions.

Dr. Agarwal is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Diseases. He is also Board Certified by the American Board of Holistic Medicine and the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine. He in private practice in New York and New Jersey.

By Shashi Agarwal MD

Vitamin E: Heart Helpful, Harmful Or Harmless?

2011-11-15T16:29:00.000-08:00

Vitamin E is a fat soluble vitamin with anti-oxidant properties. Vitamin E is a combination of 8 related tocopherols and tocotrienols. The main one of these is alpha-tocopherol. 1 IU of vitamin E is the biological equivalent of 1mg of dl-alpha-tocopherol acetate. The U.S recommended daily amount for a 25-year old male for Vitamin E is 15 mg/day. Vitamin E is naturally found in almonds, asparagus, avocado, nuts, olives, seeds, spinach, wheat germ and vegetable oils such as canola, corn, sunflower, soybean, and cottonseed.

Vitamin E is used as a supplement for its benefit in many medical conditions.These include diabetes, cancer prevention, Alzheimers's disease, Parkinson's disease, premenstrual syndrome, cataracts and to lesson the harmful effects of dialysis, chemotherapy and radiation. It is also commonly used for preventing diseases of the heart and blood vessels, including high blood pressure. However, objective data on the latter benefit is lacking.

Over the last several decades, observational evidence has suggested that taking vitamin E prevents cardiovascular disease. The supporting logic was that vitamin E is an antioxidant and by preventing LDL oxidation, it may retard atherosclerosis. However, prospective clinical trials have not confirmed this benefit and have actually shown increased mortality in people taking this supplement. This information is important as 10%-20% of the adult western population takes multivitamins as supplements on a regular basis.

The Evidence:

The most compelling evidence came from the Women's Health Study. This trial was conducted between 1992 and 2004 in 39,876 healthy women aged 45 years and older. They were randomly assigned to receive 600 IU of Vitamin E or placebo and low-dose aspirin or placebo on alternate days. After a mean follow up for 10.1 years, data showed that vitamin E showed no benefit on the primary end point, major cardiovascular events, and no effect on secondary end points, including stroke and myocardial infarction. The results of this landmark trial were published in the July 6, 2005 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

In another trial (HOPE and HOPE-TOO Trial) published earlier in the same year (Journal of the American Medical Association, March 2005), vitamin E recipients did not have any reduction in heart attacks, stroke or cardiovascular death, when followed for 7 years. There was however, a significantly higher risk of heart failure.

In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2000, researchers again failed to find any beneficial effects for vitamin E on the incidence of cardiovascular events in 9541 subjects. These patients were aged 55 or older and had known vascular disease or diabetes.

A recent meta-analysis has however significantly raised concern about the safety of vitamin E supplementation. Miller and colleagues combined data from 19 clinical trials involving 135,967 participants aged 47 to 84 years. These patients were at risk for chronic diseases, especially coronary heart disease. In 9 of the 11 trials testing vitamin E in doses of more than 400 IU/day, there was an increase in all-cause mortality. There also appeared to be a progressive increase in mortality if the dose of vitamin E was increased beyond 150 IU/day. This data was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine in November 10, 2004.

How about the benefits of vitamin E for other conditions?

Evidence based data on many common uses of vitamin E remains lacking. Vitamin E has been found to delay the progression of age-related macular degeneration Vitamin E supplementation have also found to have some beneficial effect in Alzheimer's Disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and in infants born of HIV positive mothers.

What is the final word?

Forget about Vitamin E supplementation for cardiovascular protection. Although inexpensive and without side effects, it should not be used for this purpose. As a matter of fact, scientific data suggests that its use may be harmful to heart patients. There are other supplements like aspirin and fish oils that have a plethora of compelling scientific evidence supporting their heart protective benefits. Save your vitamin E money and spend it on a healthy diet or other beneficial supplements.

By Shashi Agarwal MD

High Cholesterol Symptoms

2011-11-14T16:27:00.000-08:00

High cholesterol symptoms are not something you are likely to notice or feel at all. You cannot "feel" your cholesterol level. Symptoms of high cholesterol are the actual health problems that occur when your levels are too high for too long.

The only way for you to know what your cholesterol levels are is to have what is called a "lipid panel," which is a test that will tell you what the levels of the various types of cholesterol in your bloodstream are. Knowing your levels will give you time to lower cholesterol naturally and avoid the risks of pharmaceutical drugs.

The lipid panel will also give you the ratio of bad cholesterol to good cholesterol, which is the most important measurement to determine just what your cholesterol risk factor for heart disease is. You will also have to have your inflammatory makers, (c-reactive protein, and homocysteine) checked because these are also vitally important to determine what your risk is.

So just what are the high cholesterol symptoms we are talking about? Here are a few:
    * Persistent dizziness or a light-headed feeling that lingers
    * Unfamiliar pain or discomfort in your arms, neck, back, or shoulders
    * Cold sweats or clammy skin
    * Shortness of breath
    * Chest pain leading to nausea and/or vomiting
    * Chest pain, feelings of pain or pressure in the chest or right arm
    * Feinting, or feeling foggy headed or lethargic

Once again keep in mind that these are not so much symptoms of high cholesterol, but rather symptoms of things that high cholesterol can cause. Also note that you can have healthy cholesterol levels and a cholesterol risk factor that is low, and still have damage to your arteries from inflammation, so be sure to get your inflammatory markers checked as well.

Another set of problems that you could call high cholesterol symptoms are associated with strokes. Again, this is due to the effects of arterial plaque breaking off and traveling through the bloodstream causing a stroke.

This type of stroke is called ischemic. The other type called "hemorrhagic" can be caused by high blood pressure leading to a rupture of the artery wall. Both these types of strokes are extremely dangerous.

Here are some symptoms of strokes:
    * Nausea, vomiting, fainting, convulsions, or possible coma
    * Loss of balance, coordination, or other difficultly walking
    * Dizziness, confusion, slurred speech, or blurred vision
    * Numbness and/or weakness in your arms, legs, or face on one side of your body

Remember we are talking about indirect high cholesterol symptoms. These symptoms of high cholesterol are some of the ways that plugged arteries might manifest themselves.

These symptoms are not necessarily symptoms of high cholesterol. They could be related to other things going wrong in your body such as problems with the brain, hormone imbalances, etc.

If you are experiencing any of these things please SEE A DOCTOR right away. They are an indication that something is very wrong, and it takes a skilled medical practitioner to properly evaluate them. While it is good to lower cholesterol naturally, these symptoms require immediate attention to prevent a catastrophic problem from occurring.

High cholesterol symptoms are a warning that you have some serious problems that may or may not be due to the effects of cholesterol on your cardiovascular system. You may have healthy cholesterol levels and still experience them.

Do not attempt to self diagnose or self treat. Always defer to a doctor if you are experiencing these symptoms. It may very well be a matter of life or death!

By George Parigian

EKG Interpretation - The Heart - A Brief Glossary

2011-11-13T16:25:00.000-08:00

Aorta - the body's largest artery; the blood vessel that carries blood out of the heart's left ventricle
Superior vena cava - The vein that carries blood from the upper body into the right atrium
Inferior vena cava - The vein that carries blood from the lower body into the right atrium
Pulmonary artery - Artery that carries blood from the right ventricle into the lungs. Upon exiting the heart, it immediately divides into the left pulmonary artery and the right pulmonary artery
Pulmonary veins - veins that carry freshly oxygenated blood from the lungs into the left atrium
Atria - one of two low-pressure and thin-walled chambers of the heart. The right atrium is the entry point of the heart for deoxygenated blood that has traveled through the body; the left atrium is the entry point for blood that has been oxygenated in the lungs.
Interatrial Septum - connective tissue that forms the wall between the left and right atria
Atrial kick - the occurrence of extra blood flowing into the ventricles as a result of the contraction of the atria
Coronary arteries - the arteries that supply blood to the heart itself
Tricuspid atrioventricular valve - the valve between the right atrium and the right ventricle which prevents blood from flowing back to the right atrium once it has entered the right ventricle
Mitral (bicuspid) atrioventricular valve - the valve between the left atrium and left ventricle which prevents blood from flowing back into the left atrium once it has entered the left ventricle
Pulmonic semilunar valve - the valve between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery which prevents blood from flowing back to the right ventricle once it has entered the pulmonary artery
Aortic semilunar valve - the valve between the left ventricle and the aorta which prevents blood from flowing back into the left ventricle once it has entered the aorta
Interventricular septum - connective tissue that separates the right and left ventricles
Ventricles - the lower, high-pressure, thick-walled chambers of the heart. The right ventricle receives blood from the right atrium and pumps it into the pulmonary artery. The left ventricle receives blood from the left atrium and pumps it ito the aorta.
Myocardium - the heart muscle. It is made up of muscle fibers, capillaries and nerve cells. The term can also refer to the heart itself.
Endocardium - the inside layer of the heart muscle
Epicardium-the outer layer of the heart muscle
Pericardium - the double walled sac that surrounds the heart
Subendocardial area - the innermost half of the myocardium
Subepicardial area - the outermost half of the myocardium
Visceral layer of the serous pericardium - another name for the epicardium
Fibrous parietal pericardium - the outer layer of the pericardium
Serous pericardium - the inner layer of the pericardium
4300 gallons - approximate amount of blood that is pumped by the heart each day
150 mL - approximate volume of blood that each ventricle can hold
Cardiac cycle - refers to one complete cycle of pumping by the heart
Systole - period of contraction when blood is being ejected from a chamber. There is both atrial systole and ventricular systole. When the prefix is not supplied, however, ventricular systole is the assumed meaning
Asystole - when the period of contraction does not occur
Diastole - the period of relaxation during which the chambers are allowed to fill with blood due to the pressure differences inside the chambers.. There is both atrial diastole and ventricular diastole. When the prefix is not supplied, however, ventricular diastole is the assumed meaning

Provides a 12-Lead EKG class that is applicable for all medical personnel. Our program is a fast paced, PowerPoint based program that can be completed in 3 hours, and then reviewed endlessly at your leisure. The training includes illustrations, examples, and a voice "teaching" the course to you. Learn more about EKG Interpretation when you visit http://www.EmsEkg.com.

By Maurice Bartenleau

The Number One Secret Ingredient in Recipes for Lowering Cholesterol

2011-11-12T16:22:00.000-08:00

High cholesterol is a potentially life-threatening condition that impacts literally millions of people around the world. Study after study has shown that high cholesterol is a precursor for heart attacks and strokes. For anyone trying to lower cholesterol, there are now studies showing that there is one secret ingredient that can be effective in recipes for lowering cholesterol. This secret ingredient is the simple nut.

It doesn't really matter the type of nut that is eaten, although nuts containing a high amount of "good" fats are more beneficial than those with lower levels. Almost every type, including almonds, walnuts, and hazelnuts, have some benefit. These nuts contain unsaturated fatty acids which are very heart-healthy, and they can easily replace those unhealthy snacks that are bad for your health. On top of the health benefits, nuts are inexpensive, easy to carry with you, and very tasty either by themselves or in your favorite recipes.

Nuts have been reported to lower LDL "bad" cholesterol, which is a major contributor to heart disease. Eating nuts and lowering the LDL levels helps to lower the risk of blood clots which, if left untreated, can lead to a heart attack or stroke. In addition to this benefit, nuts can also improve the lining of your arteries.

So what is in nuts that makes them so healthy? There are a number of substances found in nuts that have significant health benefits. Most nuts contain at least one of these healthy substances. The first is unsaturated fats. Both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats lower "bad" cholesterol. The second is omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 acids are found in fish and nuts and can help prevent heart arrhythmias. The third component is fiber. Every nut contains at least some amount of fiber. Fiber lowers cholesterol and also helps you feel full. This means that fiber from nuts benefits you directly by lowering your cholesterol and indirectly by helping you to lose weight.

The benefit of nuts is that it can be a substitute for saturated fats, such as eggs, meat, or dairy products. However, since nuts can be as much as 80% fat, they should be taken in moderation. Over-eating nuts is similar to over-eating any other type of food. Eating too much has the negative effect of weight gain. The FDA recommends eating about 1.5 ounces daily of nuts such as peanuts, pecans, almonds, pine nuts, pistachio nuts, walnuts, or hazelnuts. This amount equates to about a handful per day. Eating this amount daily may lower your risk of heart disease if included as part of an overall healthy diet.

Most nuts are generally healthy although some are healthier than others. Nuts that seem to have the best effects on heart health are walnuts, pecans, macadamia nuts, almonds, and hazelnuts. Peanuts, which are technically legumes instead of nuts, have shown to have positive effects on the heart.

While this article offers you the best ingredient to use in your diet and recipes for lowering cholesterol, there are a number of foods that can help anyone struggling with this condition. It is important to always keep learning about high cholesterol and the natural ways to reduce it.

By Dustin Peek

Enlarged Heart - Learn About the Underlying Conditions and Common Diagnostic Procedures

2011-11-11T16:21:00.000-08:00

An enlarged heart is a very common symptom of cardiac disease. It is not actually a disease condition but, as stated earlier, a symptom. The medical term for an enlarged heart is cardiomegaly. The causes for an enlarged heart are varied, and they will be discussed in the following paragraphs.

An enlarged heart can be caused by an infection, high blood pressure, pulmonary hypertension, arrhythmias, conditions involving the heart valves, and even stress. Other causes that are not related to cardiac disease can be pregnancy, thyroid conditions, hemochromatosis, and amyloidosis.

In the instances where a cardiac condition is involved, the heart will be taking on too much work, thus resulting in enlargement. Your heart is a very strong muscle that pumps an approximate 2,000 gallons of blood daily. Imagine the power that will require. Now, cardiac conditions might cause your heart to use more force than what is normally needed just so it can pump out the blood. These conditions will be causing the onset of cardiomegaly. You can almost liken it to a well-exercised bicep.

The more weight you use during your workouts, the bigger it gets. So just like with the heart, the more force it uses, the bigger the heart becomes. However, when biceps become bigger, that is considered a good thing. With the heart, it is not. There are a lot of complications that can result from untreated cardiomegaly. Based on the symptoms alone, we cannot accurately conclude if the patient is really suffering from cardiomegaly or not. Its symptoms are nonspecific and can be caused by any other conditions. The best way to conclude if it is truly cardiomegaly would be to undergo a series of diagnostic procedures.

The following are some of the most common procedures performed on a patient suspected of having cardiomegaly:

• Chest X-ray

In this procedure, the outline of the heart is well-defined. Doctors have specific ways to measure the size of your heart depending on your age, gender, height, and weight. To get a rough estimate, you can compare it to the size if your fist.

• Electrocardiogram

This test records the electrical activity of your heart. Doctors will be able to pinpoint a specific problem just by basing it on your QRS complex or your ECG tracing.

• Echocardiogram

This can be likened to an ultrasound of your heart and is considered to be one of the most accurate ways to diagnose cardiomegaly. In an echocardiogram, you doctor will be able to visualize your heart as a whole, its four chambers, its different valves, and its pumping action. It can even determine if you have ever suffered from a previous heart attack.

Complications that can stem from an enlarged heart will be: heart failure, blood clots, cardiac arrest, and even death. Again, cardiomegaly is not a disease but a symptom. A diagnosis of having cardiomegaly will mean you will have to have the underlying condition treated to prevent the aforementioned complications. In the case of heart valve conditions, you may need to have heart valve surgery to correct it. In the case of high blood pressure, you will need to undergo pharmacological treatment to keep your blood pressure controlled.

Conditions involving the heart are always serious. It is best to get regular checkups to spot the disease in its early stages and have the condition treated as soon as possible.

By Danica Susan

Controlling Inflammation Through Coenzyme Q10

2011-11-10T16:18:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, some foreign particles: germs or pathogens invade the inner world of our body. Our body defense system attacks these pathogens; the battle ends in the victory of either side. This battle is characterized by certain types of reactions of our body e.g. Inflammation, fever etc. If pathogens win, our body ends up becoming a victim of that disease. Otherwise, the body's defense system succeeds in controlling inflammation. These foreign invaders have many points to enter our body.

Sometimes they enter the body through an open cut or bruise, which causes inflammation; it is the response of our body tissues to injuries. They can enter our body through oral passage as well. Often it is in reaction for injuries caused by invading pathogens. Following symptoms characterize inflammation: Increased blood flow to the tissue, increased temperature, redness, puffiness and soreness. It is mainly in response to allergy causing bacteria and viruses.

Inflammation is a process through which the body's white blood cells and chemicals protect the body from foreign particles. Inflammation can also cause blockage of the arteries in your heart. Oxidized Low Density Cholesterol causes local inflammation. After this initial response, the immune system of the body continues attacking that specific part of the body in an effort of controlling inflammation. The ultimate results of these constant attacks are clogged arteries and eventually a heart attack.

Certain supplements of chemicals can help effectively to reduce the chances of heart attack by controlling inflammation, and CoQ10 (Coenzyme Q10) is one of those. Our body produces this chemical, and we consume it in our food, as well. Fish oil, liver meat and whole grains are its rich source.

This chemical is present in substantial quantities in energy producing cells of the body and it plays part in producing a key molecule ATP (Adenosine-5-triphosophate). ATP is the instant energy currency of our cells. The levels of this chemical (Coenzyme Q10) are significantly lower in heart patients.

C-reactive protein (CRP) is a protein present in blood. Its levels rise in response to inflammation. A high level of CRP suggests a higher risk of heart failure. It actually destabilizes arterial plaque when arterial plaque destabilizes it can burst, which in result can block the flow of blood in the coronary arteries.

This blockage in the flow of blood can cause an acute heart attack.Recent researches suggest that Coenzyme Q10 can help in controlling inflammation markers up to 20% if paired in dosage with vitamin E. Here, Coenzyme Q10 can work as energy unit.

Besides energizing the heart and maintaining heart health, it also supports the immune system, blood pressure and cholesterol levels. The effectiveness of Coenzyme Q10 in reducing inflammation is remarkable, as inflammation is much greater risk for heart health as compared to high levels of cholesterol in our blood.

By Christopher H McCormick

Chocolate Is Good for Your Heart

2011-11-09T16:16:00.000-08:00

Over the past three decades, there has been a lot of information published about the health benefits of chocolate. Chocolate contains antioxidants and other beneficial chemicals that can help improve depression and help keep your heart healthy. According to the World Health Organization, there has been a substantial increase in the number of people with cardiometabolic diseases such as diabetes, metabolic syndrome, heart attacks and strokes. By 2030, it is estimated that one in three people will be obese and more than 23 million people will die from cardiovascular disease. The epidemic of type 2 diabetes continues to increase. Many research studies have shown that regular dietary intake of plant-derived foods reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke. Among healthy foods, chocolate might be one of the most important mediators of disease prevention.

Not only does chocolate taste good, but it is good for your health. Chocolate products and cocoa have been enjoyed by humans for centuries. A new study published in the British Medical Journal shows that eating chocolate is associated with a substantial reduction in the risk of cardiometabolic diseases including type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, heart attacks and strokes. In my previous writings, I have commented on the beneficial effect of cocoa on blood pressure, insulin resistance, and blood vessel health. A variety of potential mechanisms through which cocoa might exert its benefits on cardiovascular health have been proposed, including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Cocoa products contain polyphenols which are a potent antioxidant compounds. The health benefits of chocolate are mediated by the high content of polyphenols in cocoa products which subsequently lead to improvements in blood vessel function and beneficial effects on blood pressure, insulin resistance, and cholesterol.

The study in the British Medical Journal was an analysis of 53 studies on chocolate which have been published over the past few years. The researchers found that higher amounts of chocolate consumption were associated with a 30% reduction in the risk of cardiometabolic disorders. This benefit was seen for cardiovascular disease (37% reduction), diabetes (31% reduction), and stroke (29% reduction). This is a substantial reduction in risk.

These findings are not surprising. In fact there have been many studies in the past demonstrating the health benefits of chocolate. Unfortunately, most chocolate products are high in sugar and fat and low in actual cocoa. I want to emphasize that you should not eat a lot of high calorie, high fat chocolate. I recommend eating a few squares of dark chocolate (70% cocoa or higher) as a reward for having a healthy lifestyle. http://www.intelligenthealthcenter.com

By Scott Isaacs M.D.

What Is a Healthy Heart Diet?

2011-11-08T16:15:00.000-08:00

Just what is a healthy heart diet? This is a question I asked a doctor friend of mine. His reply sounded a bit ambiguous to me. "A varied diet that contains adequate percentages of fruit and vegetables." was what he said. Being me, I thought I would study on the subject a bit more as although I have two arms, legs, eyes and ears I only have the one heart and apparently it is important to make sure that it doesn't stop beating.

It turns out that it is not as simple as eating just the same old fruits and vegetables repeatedly, rather it is a large range of different fruits and vegetables as part of one's diet. The reason is that our human ancestors only had access to various fruits, vegetables, leaves and nuts in their correct seasons. This means that even as "modern man" our bodies are still pre-programmed to eat a great variety of different foods and not something like a monoculture as people that eat burgers and fries every day do. It is the same with meat, we should not really stick to the flesh from one animal as that was also fairly rarely done in the past. I know that native Americans ate a lot of buffalo but they also has access to different types of deer and birds too.

I do not propose leeching the tannins out of acorns to make them palatable or eating the roots of sea kale and rushes but I do advocate making use of a lot of the different varieties of fruits and vegetable available today. Using modern methods of growing we can get an extended season by keeping worthwhile plants under glass. Then we have to think about how far food travels and if we want to pay the price of contaminating the earth with exhaust fumes from jet aircraft from warmer climes or heating greenhouses in the far north. It turns out there is less pollution caused by flying runner beans from Kenya than there is from growing them under glass during the winter in Holland.

In conclusion then, I have learned that a healthy heart diet is one that includes a great variety of different fruits, vegetables, pulses, nuts and meat. All of these foods have different benefits for our bodies and we should therefore eat them all when they are available. Lastly, I know that wine and chocolate were not around for our forbears in Africa and Europe until comparatively recently but they too can be included in our diet to keep our hearts healthy.

By Chris L Castillo

Heart Attack Symptoms: How to Spot the Killer

2011-11-07T16:13:00.000-08:00

A myocardial infarction is one of the top killers of our society today, having caused half a million deaths in the U.S. alone. Statistics have shown that 14 million Americans have experienced a heart attack at least once in their lives. We all know that this is a serious disease, and we all should take measures to avoid it.

It is actually fairly easy to prevent the occurrence of a heart attack. You will only need regular exercise, a healthy diet, a clean lifestyle, and a stress-free environment. Actually, studies have shown that most attacks happen during Monday mornings - the start of a very stressful workweek. Since stress is something that we all cannot avoid, we have to do well with the other three preventive methods: diet, exercise, and clean lifestyle. Say goodbye to smoking, alcohol, and fast food.

Deaths caused by heart attacks are mostly due to a delay in treatment. With the advances that we have in the medical field right now, deaths are really preventable IF you get medical attention right away. In order for you to do that, you should know which symptoms of myocardial infarction you should look out for. The following would be the telltale signs of an impending attack:

- Chest pains

Some people mistake these for just plain indigestion or heartburn. That is one of the top reasons why there is a delay in treatment. They would try to self-medicate with antacids when what they truly need is emergency heart attack treatment. Medical professionals will tell you that it is very different from heartburn because in chest pain associated with a heart attack you will feel the pain radiating to your left jawline and shoulder. Pause for a while and analyze the situation. If you feel the pain radiating, go to an emergency room - fast!

- Difficulty in breathing

People experiencing symptoms of a myocardial infarction will feel shortness of breath and difficulty in breathing. A heart attack survivor once told me that he felt like he was chasing after his breath because there was this heavy weight in his chest that was restricting him from taking a full breath.

- Nausea which could be followed by vomiting

Not all myocardial infarction victims experience nausea and vomiting, but it is a common symptom nonetheless.

- Breaking out in a cold sweat

A sudden breaking out in a cold sweat is a very common symptom of a myocardial infarction. Most patients report breaking out in a sweat comes before the chest pains. That is when they know it's the real thing.

- Sudden feeling of weakness

Once your oxygen supply has been cut off, you will experience immediate weakness like the life has been drained out of you.

Myocardial infarction symptoms are manifested by 75 per cent of the patients, but there are also those that do not show any signs at all. That is the reason why we need to watch ourselves. A heart attack could sneak up on you while you are sleeping and you might never wake up. Arm yourself with information and practice a healthy lifestyle. That way, you may be able to hold heart attacks at bay.

By Wendy Lau

EKG Interpretation and the Cardiac Cycle

2011-11-06T16:11:00.000-08:00

In order to understand EKG interpretation, it is important to first understand the cardiac cycle. This is the cycle of how the heart works to pump blood through it. There are electrical signals and resulting physical events. This article discusses the physical events - that is, how blood flows through the pumping heart.

The purpose of EKG interpretation is to identify abnormal events in the functioning of the heart. The EKG measures electrical signals which can be matched to physical events of muscular contraction.

Realize that the circulatory system is a closed system. This means that an increase in pressure in one segment results in decreased pressure in another segment. And the volume of blood is constant.

Blood from the body travels through the veins ending at either the superior vena cava or the inferior vena cava, both of which empty into the right atrium. In a cycle called diastole, the right atrium relaxes and blood flows into it from the vena cavas. As the right atrium fills with blood, it enlarges, causing the tricuspid valve to open. Thus, blood flows into the right ventricle. The ventricle fills about 70% with blood. Then the atrium enters its cycle of systole. This event is called atrial kick, and enforces additional blood into the ventricle. As the atrium relaxes in its period of diastole, then ventricular systole begins. As the right ventricle contracts, blood is forced into the pulmonary artery which leads to the lungs. There, carbon dioxide and oxygen are exchanged in the blood.

The newly oxygenated blood returns to the heart through the pulmonary vein. During the period of atrial diastole the left atrium fills with blood. As the pressure grows inside the bicuspid valve opens, allowing blood to flow into the left ventricle. In the next cycle of atrial systole, additional blood is forced into the left ventricle. During this cycle of ventricular systole, blood is forced through the aortic semi lunar valve into the aorta. From here it begins its journey to the rest of the body.

The heart has two atria and two ventricles. The tricuspid atrioventricular valve separates the right atrium and the right ventricle. The bicuspid atrioventricular valve separates the left atrium and the left ventricle. This valve is also called the mitral valve. The semi lunar pulmonic valve is located between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery. The semi lunar aortic valve is located between the left ventricle and the aorta.

The tissue between the ventricles is called the interventricular septum. There are three layers of tissues that make up the heart. The innermost layer is called the endocardium. It is a thin smooth layer of tissue that lines the hearts inner chambers. The middle layer of the heart is called the myocardium. This layer is a thick muscular layer that make ups the middle portion and majority of the heart.

An infarct is an area of necrosis - or tissue death - resulting from a loss of blood supply.

Interpreting a 12-Lead EKG is a matter of using the heart's electrical signals to determine the status of the heart - specifically if there are areas where an infarction has occurred in the myocardium that would prevent it from properly functioning as a blood pump.

http://www.EmsEkg.com

Provides a 12-Lead EKG class that is applicable for all medical personnel. Our program is a fast paced, PowerPoint based program that can be completed in 3 hours, and then reviewed endlessly at your leisure. The training includes illustrations, examples, and a voice "teaching" the course to you. Learn more about EKG Interpretation when you visit.

By Maurice Bartenleau

Healthy Heart: Tips to Prevent Heart Disease Through Dietary Intake

2011-11-05T14:59:00.000-07:00

For years doctors have been warning their patients that heart disease and dietary intake go hand in hand. People who have poor eating habits and consume diets that are high in fats, sodium, and processed foods are simply a heart attack waiting to happen. Studies that have been done on the heart and dietary intake have shown there is a direct link between eating fatty fools and increased LDL (bad cholesterol) levels. When your cholesterol gets out of control hardening of the arteries to the heart can occur resulting in damage to the heart and even death.

Finally people have begun listening and have also learned that preventing heart disease and dietary intake also go hand in hand. Today more and more people are learning to eat healthier and eliminate foods from their diets that are high in fats which raise cholesterol levels. They are also consuming less sodium which can lead to high blood pressure and congestive heart disease.

Eating Heart Smart

A heart smart diet doesn't have to be restrictive it simply means choosing foods that are lower in fat, sodium, and simple carbohydrates like sugar. Choosing lean meats, vegetables and fruits as your main food sources with milk products and grains added will help you protect your heart from many of the forms of coronary heart damage.

Studies Show Fish Can Help

Several studies on heart disease show that eating fish two to five times a week can actually help reduce your chances of suffering from heart disease. Fish such as Mackerel, tuna, salmon and sardines can help to raise HDL levels by slowing the rate of triglycerides that are produced by the liver. Fish oil hdl supplements can help those who do not consume enough fish.

Fish oil hdl is often recommended by doctors both for patients who are at risk for heart disease and those who already have it. Fatty fish and fish oil is high in omega-3 fatty acid which can help reduce your risk of heart attack and help every major organ in your body as well. Fish oil hdl has been shown to help those who already suffer from heart disease to survive a heart attack should it occur.

Exercise Helps

Along with avoiding those foods that are bad for your heart while eating those that promote a healthy heart, exercise can help to keep your heart strong. Even light exercise such as walking keeps your blood circulating which means that you are bringing more oxygen to your heart and the rest of your body as well.

By understanding how heart disease and dietary intake go hand in hand, as well as including omega 3 fatty acids supplements and exercise in your daily routine you have a good chance of living a long and healthy life free of heart disease.

Jim Morham is a vocal advocate for healthy living and products that promote good health. Due to personal needs, Jim strives to find the very best quality products that aid good health, in order to share them with others. Visit his site at http://purest-omega-3.com/

By Jim Morham

Fatty Fish Oil Supplements: A Big Step to Preventing Heart Disease

2011-11-04T14:58:00.000-07:00

Heart disease is America's number one killer. More than 910,000 people die from heart disease each year which means the chances you or someone you love could die from heart disease are significantly high. However, research concerned with preventing heart disease has discovered that taking fatty fish oil supplements may actually decrease your chances of getting certain kinds of heart disease.

What Are Fatty Fish Oil Supplements

Fatty fish oil supplements are those made from those cold water fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, and anchovies. These fish contain high Omega-3 fatty acids which are known to contribute to heart health and may be the best way of preventing heart disease.

How Fish Oil Supplements Prevents Heart Disease

According to the American Heart Association the Omega-3 fatty acids contained in fatty fish oil decreases arrhythmia which is the cause of sudden heart attack death. It also decreases the amount of triglycerides your liver produces which can cause plaque buildup in the arteries. The Omega-3 fatty acids in fatty fish can also lower blood pressure which is a contributing factor in congestive heart failure.

Studies have shown that eating fish that contain omega-3 fatty acids at least twice a week or taking daily fatty fish supplements can not only work in preventing heart problems but, may also help those already suffering from poor heart health live longer and healthier lives. However, not all fish oil supplements are the same and there are some things you should look for when choosing these supplements.

What to Look For In Good Fish Oil Supplement

Fatty fish oil supplement run in price from about $5.00 to $30.00 per bottle but, price should not be a determining factor. There are as many high- priced supplements that will do little for your health as are low- priced ones. There are also low- priced supplements that may give you exactly what you need.

The two biggest things you want to know when purchasing one of these supplements is the specific species of fish that the oil comes from to ensure that the oil comes from fish high in Omega 3 fatty acids and a guarantee that the fish the oil came from was toxin free. Some fish contain mercury and other heavy metals that can harm your health rather than helping it so you need to know that the supplement you are taking is safe.

Conclusion

While there is no guarantee that everyone who takes fish oil supplements high in omega-3 fatty acids will live their lives free of any heart disease these supplements can increase your chances of preventing heart disease.

Jim Morham is a vocal advocate for healthy living and products that promote good health. Due to personal needs, Jim strives to find the very best quality products that aid good health, in order to share them with others. Visit his site at http://purest-omega-3.com/.

By Jim Morham

Reduce Blood Pressure the Natural Way

2011-11-03T14:55:00.000-07:00

More than 74 million Americans suffer from high blood pressure, according to the American Heart Association. As any person who is diagnosed with high blood pressure can tell you-it's frightening. Once diagnosed, many patients are placed on medications such as diuretics. These medications deplete the body of potassium and magnesium resulting in such ailments as muscle cramps, fatigue and weakness.

People often seek the advise of a naturopath when they have been prescribed medication and are looking for a more natural approach. An assessment of them through blood work often finds numbers approaching hypertension. High blood pressure has many different causes. Finding the root of the problem is the key to a creating a natural treatment plan.

High blood pressure may be caused by high levels of Homocysteine, an amino acid that causes plaque buildup in the arteries and affects blood pressure. This compound can be reduced by administering vitamins B6, B12 and folate. Regular injections of these vitamins often drops blood pressure by 10 to 20 points in as little as six weeks. These vitamins may also be ingested, but it takes longer to work than injections.

High cholesterol may also be an underlying factor. If a person has high cholesterol, they also have high plaque development, which affects blood pressure. Niacin (also known as vitamin B3) is an organic compound used most commonly in modifying cholesterol levels. Magnesium and potassium deficiencies are common with patients placed on diuretics. Depleting the body of potassium also affects magnesium levels, which is one of the top deficiencies in the United States. Using magnesium supplements or eating foods high in both potassium and magnesium may also help to lower blood pressure.

Diet and Food to Treat High Blood Pressure:

Vitamins B6 and B12: dairy, beef, chicken, eggs and pork. Vegetarians are at a higher risk for deficiency in these vitamins and may want to take supplements.
Folate: spinach, asparagus, lentils and collard greens are excellent sources.
Magnesium: nuts such as almonds, walnuts, cashews and peanuts, halibut, soybeans, spinach and oatmeal.
Potassium: bananas, apricots, beans, tomatoes, melons, potatoes, peas dates and figs.
Mediterranean diet: The Paleo-Mediterranean diet helps hypertension and lowers blood pressure. It is composed of nuts, colorful vegetables and fruits, which are full of nutrients such as vitamins B6, B12, folate and magnesium. It also consists of a combination of whole grains, seeds, legumes, seafood and good fats like olive oil. These healthy foods consumed in small portions help to make a healthy heart and body.

Herbs

Hawthorne Berry: This herb works as a vasodilator. It dilates the arteries and allows for more oxygen and blood flow. Hawthorne berry is a very nutritive herb for the cardiac system in general and is found in most herbal formulations.

Garlic: Garlic not only tastes wonderful, it also lowers blood pressure and cholesterol. It can be consumed raw or in supplements. For patients suffering from high blood pressure, there may be a number of causes. Finding the root cause is crucial to finding the right treatment plan. It is always important to seek the health care advice of a naturopathic physician before administering herbal remedies.

Dr. Tricia Pingel is a naturopathic medical doctor located in Scottsdale, Arizona. She treats a variety of conditions, including menopausal symptoms with bio-identical hormone replacement, infertility, cardiac, thyroid disorders, anxiety/depression, gastrointestinal concerns, such as, gas/bloating, food allergies, celiac disease, IBD and more!

Please visit http://www.drpingel.com/ for more information

By Dr. Tricia Pingel, NMD

Avoiding Complications Associated With Open-Heart Surgery

2011-11-02T14:52:00.000-07:00

Most patients are not advised on the complications that may complicate an open-heart surgery. Any kind of surgery has its own share of risks and complications. However, if a patient is undergoing an open heart surgery, the extent of complications will depend on the patient's current health condition. Therefore, doctors recommend that patients ought to learn how to avoid various complications associated with open-heart surgery to avoid the erosion of a patient's confidence towards an open-heart surgery.

The first step involves consulting your doctor about the most possible complications that may occur after the surgery before undergoing the operation. The complications may be minor or major depending on your health condition. Minor complications include bruises, vomiting, nausea, skin numbness and other minor infections. Some of the most notable major problems associated with open heart surgery include continuous bleeding, heart attack, stroke and graft failure. By providing you with this sort of information, the doctor ensures that you do not file a lawsuit claiming negligence on the side of medical staff. This also helps to bolster the your confidence thus ensuring that you are psychologically prepared to undergo the surgery.

It is also important to inform your physician if you have any sort of allergies. This is necessary more so if you are allergic to a certain type of medicine. This helps to avoid complications that may arise if the doctor recommends that type of medicine to you. Taking the right type of medicine that does not have side effects facilitates your various body organs to be able to mesh together thus maintaining good health. It is also important to avoid certain habits such as smoking and taking of alcohol before undergoing the surgery. These types of habits increase the risk of developing more complications.

In order to avoid the prospect of developing complications such as kidney failure and blood clotting, it is advisable to seek advice from your doctor to be able to know whether it is possible to donate your own blood probably three weeks prior to the surgery so as to facilitate blood transfusion during the surgery. Blood transfusion helps to alleviate complications such as heavy bleeding. This ensures that body parts such as the kidney are able to mesh together thus preventing kidney failure.

In the event that you have a sensitive skin, it is important to consult a dermatologist to be able to know how to avoid complications such as thick scarring. In normal circumstances, scars that arise after a surgery tend to heal on their own. It is important, however, to consult a dermatologist before undergoing the surgery in the event that you develop abnormal scars and the various methods that can be used for scar removal.

Moreover, most patients tend to develop a heart complication known as atrial fibrillation. Therefore, in the event that you feel an abnormal heart rhythm which results with a sharp pain on the chest, it is important to see a doctor who will provide you with the right medication to alleviate such complications that arise after the surgery. Lastly, it is advisable for you to make essential changes in your life. These changes include eating a balanced diet and frequent exercising to minimize the risk of developing more complications.

By Tom Sparks

Maintaining a Healthy Heart: Here Is the Secret

2011-11-01T14:50:00.000-07:00

If you are like me, you probably have heard many times that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Nowhere is this truer than with regard to taking care of your heart health.

When you think of it, poor heart health is like driving with four bald tires. Sooner or later one of them is going to fail and you are going to be stuck. That's why preventing heart disease and the effects that come with it are of primary importance.

Preventing heart disease is just like having home owners insurance. Starting from an early age you should be eating a healthy diet filled with Omega 3 fatty acids and avoid all the foods that increase weight and bad cholesterol.

Besides eating healthy foods, how can I fight bad cholesterol?

According to the studies conducted by the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, fighting bad cholesterol while promoting a healthy heart can be achieved by eating a diet that includes fish. Fish oil 1000 is a supplement that contains the essential fatty acids DHA and EPA.

Fish oil 1000 refers to the dosage found in a single gel tablet of Omega 3 supplements. According the clinical human studies at Mayo, there is strong evidence to show that while helping to boost the good cholesterol such as HDL, a second benefit is the strong reduction of blood triglyceride levels.

These levels of cholesterol directly correspond to the fat content in the blood and the resulting plaque buildup in the arteries. A simple blood lipid profile will determine if you have excess cholesterol that is a major contributor to poor heart health.

What else can I do to maintain good heart health?

If preventing heart disease through a regimen that includes fish oil 1000 is the primary step you can take for good heart health, than keeping your weight to the proper body mass index is extremely helpful through a thoughtful exercise program.

Exercising the heart is no different from exercising any mussel in your body. By working up a sweat five times a week, you will go a long way to fighting fat buildup by burning calories. This is part of the battle to maintaining a strong heart.

Exercising at least five times a week for thirty minutes will build up stamina and make you feel like you are achieving something beneficial. In fact, your heart will benefit from the two- step approach of exercise as well as a quality diet. This will take you a long way to preventing heart disease.

Recommendation

Work this new system starting today. Set a time to walk or ride a bike each day. Combine this activity with fish oil 1000 and a diet rich with other Omega 3 fatty acids. Then set an appointment to have a blood panel in order to set your goals.

If you stick to this regimen, in six months you will see a very positive result that will make your heart pump for joy. To your good health!

Jim Morham is a vocal advocate for healthy living and products that promote good health. Due to personal needs, Jim strives to find the very best quality products that aid good health, in order to share them with others. Visit his site at http://purest-omega-3.com/

By Jim Morham

Cardiac Emergencies - Are You Prepared?

2011-10-31T14:47:00.000-07:00

Nurses and doctors are forced to know how to take care of a cardiac emergency, but what about you? I have two friends' stories I would like to share with you briefly. Both of these two gals are medical professionals with very different outcomes. How do you want your friend or loved one to end up?

A few years back I had a wonderful colleague who was an emergency room nurse. She would soon turn 40 and was actually excited about it. She had a known problem of going into an unusual heart rhythm, but felt it was being cared for with medications. One night she felt a strange sensation in her chest, called out to her husband for help and dropped to the floor. Her husband was not trained in CPR and didn't call 911 quickly enough. No AED or CPR for several minutes; precious time without oxygen to her brain. Against all odds, she survived and is talking and living today. She lives, however, with a brain injury in a long term care facility never to practice nursing again.

A year or two later I had a friend who was in her last year of med school. Her and her husband would soon be doctors and starting to work side by side in an internal medicine practice. One sunny day she chose to go for a run before starting her shift. She turned on her I-pod and started running. While out she collapsed on the street. A woman looking out the window called 911 and ran to her side. Knowing CPR she quickly started the steps of breaths and rescue breathing for the young doctor. Minutes later a police officer arrived with an AED in his trunk. Together the two hooked up the AED and shocked the young doctor. When the ambulance arrived they hooked up the doctor to the heart monitor to find she was no longer in a lethal heart rhythm and they could focus on getting her to the hospital for further treatment. Today the two doctors work side by side and play with their six month old son in their free time.

Learning CPR and ensuring that your business, church, school or emergency vehicles are equipped with a functioning AED are key to a good outcome. Neither of these two gals was older than 40. Both of them were well trained to care for other peoples emergencies, but only one had the emergent care that she needed. I encourage you to contact your local American Red Cross or American Heart Association to find a class near you and help to make sure your area is well equipped with an AED.

Kerri Busteed is an Emergency Room Nurse who knows the importance of being prepared. As you can see by her story, she has firsthand knowledge of success stories using proper CPR and an AED. Anyone can learn to use one of these machines and it is easy to remember the steps with the machines giving audible step by step clues as you go along. Visit Kerri's website at http://www.Aedforeveryone.com and find the right AED for your needs.

By Kerri J Busteed

Heart Disease Takes Many Forms

2011-10-30T14:46:00.000-07:00

Heart disease is one of the major killers in the early twenty-first century. Medical professionals are working hard to learn more about these diseases and how they can be prevented. A disease can be invisible and develop slowly. Some people will not know they have a problem until a major incident occurs unless the condition is a family trait which they are already looking out for.

A major incident might be a heart attack. It could be a fainting spell during which a person hits her head and ends up in a hospital with a concussion. For some individuals, however, signs start appearing little by little, offering early warning signals that a part of the body is not working correctly.

For example, someone might experience changes to her heart rhythm. It might beat more quickly or more slowly than normal. Chest pains could build-up, but then subside without leading to full-blown cardiac arrest.

There are numerous conditions which affect your most important muscle. Certain ones attack the valves. Veins and arteries might become blocked, restricting blood flow. This is a complicated pump, and it might not be pumping as it should. The muscle itself could become damaged, and if this damage is not addressed quickly enough, a patient might not get enough blood to her brain and fainting can result. A virus can be the culprit which causes the damage.

Genetic diseases are also responsible for certain conditions. Babies are sometimes born without fully developed vessels leading to the heart. Wherever possible, a surgeon will correct a birth-related issue so that the child can go on to live a normal life. Some diseases, however, are recurring issues which have to be controlled with medication. For example, high blood pressure and high cholesterol trouble some patients who do not look like typical candidates for angina or coronary issues.

It might seem like a stereotype, but lots of people imagine that heart problems tend to strike individuals who are overweight. This is often true. In fact, an increase in obesity is one factor which has caused a rise in the number of people suffering from many illnesses.

Certain lifestyle choices can cause a genetically healthy person to suffer from worrying symptoms. These choices include smoking, eating poorly, eating too much, drinking too much alcohol, and not getting enough exercise. Even an individual who is skinny might be at risk of having clogged arteries or high blood pressure if her habits are self-destructive.

Then again, if you are already prone to heart disease, there are ways to mitigate their potential effects. For example, stop smoking. Start exercising regularly. Get enough sleep and reduce stressors which could cause high blood pressure. Eat well-balance meals and keep your weight within normal limits. Get regular check-ups and take medication which is prescribed to you. If there is a tendency for family members to suffer from arrhythmia or angina, then get yourself screened for similar problems. Age is another factor which could lead to deterioration of all organs. Certain supplements and particular foods, however, are especially effective for maintaining proper blood flow and coronary health no matter how old you are.

for more information about disease management please visit: http://www.healthysoon.com

By Joel M Smith

Soluble Fiber for Cholesterol

2011-10-29T14:43:00.000-07:00

Soluble fiber for cholesterol is another safe and healthy way to lower cholesterol naturally, which lowers your risk of heart disease. Using fiber to lower cholesterol is a safer alternative to toxic drugs, besides which foods high in fiber have many other health benefits.

Fiber foods have an important function in your body, and help to lower your risk of several chronic health conditions. Such fiber rich foods should be included in your diet on a daily basis.

Soluble means that your body can break them down, as opposed to insoluble which means that they pass through your digestive system without being broken down.

What foods contain soluble fiber for cholesterol?

Here is a short list of foods high in fiber.
    * Psyllium husks
    * Peas, beans, lentils
    * Oats, oat bran, wheat bran,
    * Broccoli, carrots, squash, potatoes, Zunccini
    * Apples, oranges, tangerines, plums, strawberries, blackberries, apricots

There are more comprehensive lists of soluble fiber foods online, but the above list gives you an idea of common foods that you can include in your diet to lower cholesterol naturally.

How does soluble fiber for cholesterol work?

Excess cholesterol that is not used by the body to synthesize hormones or other important functions is combined with bile acids in your large intestine, is recycled through your liver, and ends up back in your bloodstream.

Fiber foods can bind with the cholesterol and help transport it out of your body when you move your bowels. This is part of the way that foods high in fiber can lower cholesterol naturally, rather than using statin drugs that have dangerous side effects.

Using fiber to lower cholesterol does work and has been shown to be effective in well conducted studies. The role of soluble fiber for cholesterol has been known for years, but the public has only recently been made aware of it's benefits.

The USDA recommends 14 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories consumed for healthy adults. This works out to about 25-30 grams of fiber per day. The average for adults in the United States is approximately 15 grams.

Increased intake of fiber to lower cholesterol has also been associated with a lower risk of cancer, stroke, Alzheimer's disease, and diabetes, as well as heart disease. Foods high in fiber thus have many benefits beyond helping to optimize cholesterol levels.

Soluble fiber for cholesterol is one of the most important strategies for maintaining a healthy cholesterol profile. Try working these soluble fiber foods into your diet, and you will automatically lower your risk of heart disease!

By George Parigian

Detecting Heart Arrhythmias Through Symptoms And Heart Monitors

2011-10-28T14:41:00.000-07:00

Have you ever experienced a sudden pounding in your chest for no reason at all? Have you ever tried feeling your pulse and felt a skipped beat? If you did, you may be experiencing heart arrhythmias.

Let me make it clear now that a heart arrhythmia is not a disease condition, but just a symptom. Having a heart arrhythmia may indicate that you may probably have a more serious condition that is causing your irregular heartbeats. So, what is a heart arrhythmia?

Heart arrhythmia is a condition where you experience irregular heartbeats. Your normal heart rate is 60 to 100 beats when you are in you resting state. If your heart rate is slower than normal, or bradycardia, or faster than normal, or tachycardia, it is considered as an arrhythmia.

Symptoms for this condition are pretty specific. They will be the following:
• Palpitations. You can feel your heart beating very fast, like you just sprinted a hundred meters.
• Pounding sensation in the chest. This is different from palpitations. Where palpitations are fast and almost flutter-like, pounding will be like slow and heavy stomping sensations on your chest.
• Dizziness which may, or may not be, accompanied by fainting spells.
• Difficulty in breathing.
• Weakness and activity intolerance.

However, not all people experience the same set of symptoms. Some may be your classic textbook case, exhibiting all the symptoms mentioned, while others may not show any symptoms at all. These arrhythmias can go undetected if you are not particular with monitoring your heartbeat from time to time. People who exercise regularly usually monitor their heartbeats to measure how hard they have been working-out. People who have sedentary lifestyles, on the other hand, are not usually inclined to do so.

The best way to detect arrhythmias, other than counting your pulse rate, will be with the use of a heart rate monitor. These are readily available in the market and are usually used by gym-rats and exercise enthusiasts. Some of the best heart rate monitors do not only measure your heart rate, but it also measures your respiratory rate, the amount of calories that you have burned, and the data can even be transferred to you computer to be analyzed. But those will be the monitors that are being used by people who want to lose weight. A medical heart rate monitor is a bit different.

A medical heart rate monitor, also called a Holter monitor, has to be worn for a duration of 24 to 48 hours to monitor your heart activity. Monitoring is done with the use of electrodes that are attached to your chest in specific places. The device itself can be placed in your pocket or worn in a belt.

One important thing to remember when about to be submitted to heart monitoring tests is that you should take a bath. You are not allowed to get the device and the electrodes wet as long as you are wearing them. You should also avoid magnets, metal detectors and high-voltage areas. This will affect your results and may even ruin your device.

If you seem to be exhibiting signs of arrhythmias, you should go and consult with a doctor immediately. As mentioned earlier, it can be indicative of an underlying condition. The earlier that condition gets treated, the better.

By Wendy Lau

Preventing Heart Disease and Adhering to a Healthy Lifestyle

2011-10-27T14:39:00.000-07:00

As the US population continue to age, mainly due to the baby boomers reaching the age of 65, one of the health problems to watch for is heart disease. Heart Disease and Cardiovascular disease can be prevented, but it requires a concerted effort and continued commitment to remind seniors and middle age Americans of proper health and nutriton. Health experts, nutritional experts have long advocated a daily adherence to a low fat diet, low carb diet, low calories and low cholesterol diet. This can all be done by a conscientious decision by Americans to only by foods that meet those criteria, but more important people need to develop several recipes or several dishes that they can altenate on a daily basis. Isolating the bad stuff, while taking more and more of the good stuff is a lifestyle that people can learn to love.

Efforts to eliminate high cholesterol is critical with respect to heart disease. Americans simply must eliminate fast foods and the processed foods from their diet. And for parents, emphasis of a cooked dinner must once again become the norm in everyday American life; as it was back in the 1960's. Fast foods and processed foods are very low in nutritients and therefore are useless to the body cells. Malnourishing the body cells make them weak and ineffective against viruses, which in turn can cause a lot of problems, if not addressed in a timely manner. A simple little problem can become a huge headache, all of which contribute to the high health care costs for the government. Reversing bad eating habits for Americans perhaps will not be as difficult as once thought, now that the Obama administration have agreed to cuts in Medicare. The government simply does not have any money to sustain the growth in that program.

This is a unique opportunity to continue the movement to instill proper nutrition to the American family once more. Obviously health shows like Dr Oz is helping tremendously to promote the healthy lifestyle. But, we must not relent. Other ways that promote a healthy lifestyle are the natural supplements that are plentiful now in the huge health and wellness industry. With regards to heart disease, one company in particular with a product containing Resverotrol is Sisel International. Resverotrol have long been known to exist in red wines, and numerous scientific studies going back to the 1980's have shown that countries with population that drink a lot of red wine (such as France and Italy) have a very low rate of heart disease or heart attack. The Sisel product Eternity contains resverotrol and is 100% natural, without any toxin or harmful chemical. More information on the product can be obtained at the website below.

To Your Health

E-mail: psaintjean1@gmail.com
For more information on Resverotrol and how to prevent heart disease, visit my website at http://livehealthyandprosper.biz

By Patrick Saint Jean

How Does Coronary Heart Disease Affect the Body: Here Are the Facts You Need to Know

2011-10-26T14:37:00.000-07:00

If you are a person like me that wants to enjoy life to its fullest, you know there are certain things you need to do. First, save enough money to live a decent life. Second, make the most of your relationships, because you only live once.

Most importantly, keep yourself healthy so you can attain the first two goals! If the term coronary heart disease doesn't get your attention, it should. How does coronary heart disease affect the body? The answer is, every way that will make your remaining days miserable if you don't prevent this problem before it starts.

What causes coronary heart disease?

Assuming you are not genetically predisposed to suffer from heart disease, the causes are mainly self- inflicted. For something that sounds so complicated, it's really quite simple. The diet we consume is the direct cause of the condition that is referred to as coronary heart disease.

Diets deficient in Omega 3 fatty acids that are found in healthy foods like beans, green vegetables, fruit, poultry, fish and whole grains, are often replaced with foods that are heavy in saturated fat and too much sugar.

Now, how does coronary heart disease affect the body? Very simply, if you eat all the wrong foods and build up your cholesterol above 199mg/dl, you are filling your arteries with waxy type plaque known as LDL cholesterol.

This bad cholesterol is responsible for cutting off blood supply to the heart. If the blood and the essential nutrients and oxygen contained within are deprived from the heart, the chance of heart attack increases exponentially.

How will the rest of my body be affected?

Remember, a sick heart that is struggling to pump blood to other organs will cause damage to other organs in the body that are needed to function. One potentially deadly set back could be the kidneys. Your body needs functioning kidneys to filter out waste from the blood.

Other organs that can be adversely affected from reduced blood flow include the liver. The liver also acts as a catch basin for impurities in the digested foods we eat. In addition, the liver can also be a contributor to high cholesterol if not working at one hundred percent capacity.

Is there a way to prevent coronary heart disease?

The best way to avoid coronary heart disease is to try to prevent the problem from happening in the first place. There are several ways to accomplish this task. First, take the plunge and quit smoking once and for all. Smoking robs the blood of precious levels of oxygen that the heart needs, not to mention other damage to the body including the lungs. Second, a healthy diet that consists of high dose fish oil will do wonders to promote good heart health.

Clinical studies from Mayo Clinic have shown conclusive proof that high dose fish oil from cold water fish like sardines and salmon are beneficial in fighting cholesterol and specifically triglycerides.

Remember, bad cholesterol levels are a major contributor to poor heart health. As the arteries become clogged with plaque as a direct result of the saturated fat we consume, lacking in proper amounts of Omega 3 fatty acids, like those found in high dose fish oil; the damage to the heart is potentially deadly.

These same clinical studies have shown the efficacy of high dose fish oil in helping to reduce high blood pressure. High blood pressure is a result of constricted blood vessels in the arteries. As it becomes more difficult for blood to circulate through the arteries, the chances of heart attack and stroke increase dramatically.

Recommendation

So, there are the facts. Now you can answer the question, how does coronary heart disease affect the body? The stakes are very high, but with proper nutrition built around foods filled with Omega 3 fatty acids and avoidance of saturated fat, you can go a long way to insuring good heart health. Why not give it a try now?

Jim Morham is a vocal advocate for healthy living and products that promote good health. Due to personal needs, Jim strives to find the very best quality products that aid good health, in order to share them with others. Visit his site at http://purest-omega-3.com/

By Jim Morham

Putting Pressure On Your Heart

2011-10-25T14:35:00.000-07:00

These days there are hundreds of tests for thousands of different diseases, some that require only a vial of blood, others that include an x-ray, and those that are a bit more invasive-tiny wires inserted into blood vessels to detect problems. In testing the condition of the heart, doctors prefer to begin with the least invasive of all tests: the stress test. No, you will not be tied down to a chair and shown your piling unpaid bills, nor will you be shoved off a bridge with a bungee cord wrapped around your ankles. (Both scenarios may already be stressing you out a little.) A stress test is, for some people, even more awful than that because it involves... exercise!

A stress test gives doctors information about how a patient's heart works during physical stress (the part where you can't breathe and think that you are surely going to die). The test usually involves walking or running on a treadmill or pedaling on a stationary bike to make your heart beat faster. Your heart rate, blood pressure, and electrocardiogram are measured at this time. A stress test can help doctors determine if enough blood is flowing to your heart when you are active, determine your likelihood of developing heart disease, identify abnormal heart rhythms, and help you develop a safe exercise program (that will not make you feel like you might be dying from a heart attack).

There are a few different types of stress tests that can be performed, depending on how you react to each. If you are able to walk or run on the treadmill and produce a normal ECG, that may be the only test required for doctors tell the condition of your heart. If you are unable to exercise drugs can be administered to make the heart beat faster, just like if you were exercising. (Unfortunately it doesn't help you burn any calories at all.) A stress echocardiogram (or an "echo") produced those wiggly lines you often see on medical shows, offering a visual of the heart's movement under stress. The echo can reveal a lack of blood flow that other tests may not reveal. Finally, a nuclear stress test involves a small amount of radioactive substance that is injected into you. The doctor then uses a camera to see a clear picture of the heart tissue. No superpowers are promised.

There are, of course, risks associated with stress tests, though none that are too dangerous. Only one in 5,000 people will experience a heart attack during a stress test. Other risks include arrhythmia (an abnormal heartbeat), low blood pressure, and general discomfort. And if you do pass out on the treadmill during a stress test, it may not be your heart that is a problem. It could be your lungs or anemia or a general distaste for exercise. If you've never exercised before, a stress test is likely to be very, very stressful.

Search, find and make appointments with top doctors at leading international hospitals on Medeguide.com.

By Rasee Govindani

CABG to Fix a Broken Heart

2011-10-24T14:32:00.000-07:00

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2008 7.25 million people died from coronary artery disease (CAD) around the world, and it is the number one killer of men and women in the United States. CAD is caused by the hardening of the coronary arteries, responsible for supplying the heart with blood necessary for it to function. Though many risk factors for CAD are out of our control, including gender, family history and age, many others aren't.

The heart's plumbing

The heart is a very strong muscular pump with pipes (blood vessels) that lead to it and from it, and requires oxygen-rich blood to function, carried to it by the coronary arteries. And just as your kitchen sink, over time, becomes clogged with food, grease and rust, the same happens with the pipes of the heart, by something called plaque. (The technical word for this is atherosclerosis.) This plaque hardens and narrows the coronary arteries, limiting the amount of blood the heart receives. This is coronary artery disease. If the blood supply to the heart is completely cut off, a heart attack occurs. Over time CAD can lead to heart failure and arrhythmias.

Signs of trouble

Initially CAD does not present any symptoms, but as the arteries become narrower, the first sign that something may not be quite right with the heart is angina, or chest pain. Another symptom of CAD is shortness of breath, to the point of extreme fatigue during exertion. (If you struggle to catch your breath walking up a flight of stairs and then need to sleep three hours to recover, it might be time to check in with your physician.) Unfortunately the most obvious symptom of coronary artery disease is one you hope to avoid-a heart attack.

Risk factors

High blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and being obese all contribute to increasing the chances of a person developing coronary artery disease. Smoking is another factor. If there is family history of heart disease, it is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle to combat the power of genetics. Losing as little as ten kilograms can reduce a person's blood pressure by 20 mmHg systolic and dramatically reduce the chances of developing diabetes, a gateway to a multitude of serious diseases.

Fixing a broken heart

If lifestyle changes don't work, the most common and simplest approach to treatment of coronary artery disease is through medication, often a combination to tackle the various symptoms of CAD, including beta-blockers to treat angina, statins for high cholesterol and heparins to prevent blood clots. Your cardiologist may recommend a dosage of aspirin to help prevent a heart attack or stroke if you are at risk for either.

For patients with severe blockages or debilitating angina, a catheter may be inserted through a blood vessel and then expanded to open up the blocked artery (angioplasty). Sometimes a stent-a small mesh tube-is placed in the artery to prevent future blockages after an angioplasty. If this procedure fails or complications occur, a coronary artery bypass grafting surgery, or CABG surgery (CABG, pronounced just like the vegetable) is carried out to graft a healthy blood vessel onto the blocked artery, bypassing it altogether.

Search, find and make appointments with top doctors from leading international hospitals with ease at Medeguide.com

By Rasee Govindani

Preventing Heart Disease With Omega 3

2011-10-23T14:30:00.000-07:00

You went to the doctor and got the bad news. All the test they took, the Blood Test, Electrocardiogram, a Stress Test, and more. The results came back with undesired readings.

You have coronary heart disease,(CHD) which is due to the narrowing of the small blood vessels that transport blood and oxygen to the heart. Coronary Heart Disease is the main cause of death for both men and women in America.

CHD is due to plaque collecting along your artery walls which slows down the rate of blood flow to your heart putting it under stress. Your first step should be toreduce cholesterol in your diet. You should definitely give it a try before going in for a more complicated treatment.

Even if you have developed CHD, it's never too late to start trying some precautionary measures by including omega 3 in your diet. One of the best ways to prevent CHD is to limit the amount of the saturated fat in your diet and include more omega 3 rich foods.

Keeping a watch on your cholesterol has become a laughing matter in the US, but it really is not something to laugh about. Most of the people in America have high cholesterol. Then we have the other factor, triglycerides. They are not talked about nearly as much as cholesterol but are equally bad if allowed to go out of control. Research has shown that including omega 3 into your diet can help you raise the amount of HDL, the good type of cholesterol while lowering both the LDL or bad cholesterol and triglycerides in your blood. Cholesterol causes the plaque that is forming in your arteries that will in time give you heart disease. Its a very slow and a progressive disease that knocks you down with a heart attack usually before you know you have it.

Some of the common symptoms to warn you of a heart problem could be:

Tiring easily
Short of breath
Feeling weak

Last of all, you could be suffering from chest pain, angina.

The most common sign of a heart trouble is Angina. You start feeling like someone is grabbing your heart and squeezing it. The pain is a result of your clogged arteries not getting sufficient blood and oxygen to your heart. The intensity of pain varies from case to case. Some people only suffer mild pain while others more severe. You can also feel this pain in your arms, neck, in your stomach or in your upper back.

Omega 3 acids have proven to be very effective in preventing angina. Increased intake of Omega 3 fatty acids in the diet, will be beneficial even if you have already had an heart attack. It lowers the risk of death, having another heart attack, or stroke. It appears to help stop the hardening of the arteries by slowing down the building up of plaque and blood clots which slows the flow of blood.

Some precautions need to be taken regarding its usage. Some people like to over do a good thing. Too much omega 3 in your diet can also be harmful. If you eat fish 3 times a day or take over 3 grams of omega 3 supplements, that can result in other problems. It is advisable to consult a doctor if you intend to take more than 3 grams of omega 3 per day, it's always better to check with your doctor before starting any new medicines if you are already taking other medications.

If you are young and healthy, why not start a dietary change or add supplements to your diet to help you remain healthy and live a longer healthier life.

Sandy is a common guest blogger at www.whatisomega3.com and offers some sound advice on What's Omega 3 good for, which could be very helpful for you to lead a healthy lifestyle.

By Sandy Sachs

Basic Life Support Training - The Tool That Makes You Proficient in a Crisis

2011-10-22T14:27:00.000-07:00

How basic life support training can empower you

Many times when there is a medical emergency, we feel at a loss not knowing what to do to. We feel kind of helpless, in shock, doing nothing even though we want to help all we can to lessen the suffering. Basic life support (BLS) training can make you know exactly what to do when there is a cardiac arrest. It makes you capable of taking charge, doing what is right and what is needed and makes you a dependable citizen.

Why Basic Life Support training is essential for all people In workplace or at home, you can never predict when a cardiac arrest may occur. You never know when a sudden crisis may threaten the life of your loved ones. Timely and competent measures are needed to overcome such life-or-death crisis situation - especially in case of children. If you have undergone basic life support training, you know the causes and how to alleviate them, and you can deal instinctively and competently with such medical emergencies.

What kind of emergencies BLS training help you deal with?

BLS training helps you to become competent in dealing with crises like:
• Cardiac arrest
• Choking
• Sudden collapse

The aim of basic life support training is to provide emergency measures until complete medical care will be administered by professionally trained medical personnel. They do not involve any drug administration or invasive procedures.

Who all can be empowered by the Basic Life Support training?

BLS training can benefit anyone of almost any age. BLS Certification courses are mandatory for police officers, fire-fighters, paramedical personnel etc. Teachers, parents, day-care providers, security personnel, old-age home-care personnel and even lay persons can undergo training so that they know what needs to be done whenever any emergency happens in their vicinity before professionally trained medical help arrives.

Skills learnt at BLS training make you a knowledgeable citizen

Quite a few techniques that are followed at hospital are taught during training. Called 'ABCs of pre-hospital emergency care' BLS training teaches how to check for and help to maintain
• Airway patentancy
• Breathing - spontaneously or artificially
• Circulation

Whatever the crisis may be, Basic life support training ensures that victims are helped to maintain the ABCs if they cannot do so by themselves. It also makes you capable of undertaking CPR protocol, administering CPR procedure correctly until emergency service personnel arrive on the scene and take charge of the patient.

Basic life support training helps you get familiar with diverse adults, children and infant rescue techniques for providing appropriate and adequate emergency measures during any life-threatening emergency and makes you a responsible and supportive citizen.

A to E Training & Solutions Ltd provides a range of first aid training courses, resuscitation training and emergency life saving courses. We also provide a support infrastructure for the same."

By Brian Y

Home Cholesterol Test

2011-10-21T14:25:00.000-07:00

A home cholesterol test is one way that you can begin taking more responsibility for your health, and understanding just how your diet and lifestyle affect your cholesterol values. A cholesterol blood test will determine if you have normal cholesterol levels, and if not, the cholesterol test results can be read and further interpreted by your doctor.

Testing in a home environment is just not as accurate as the tests performed in your doctor's office. Home test kits are just not engineered to replace a full diagnostic lab, but they don't have to. These tests are meant to help you keep track of your cholesterol values, and make adjustments to your diet and lifestyle when you need to.

Caution: Never substitute a home cholesterol test, or home testing (of any kind) for proper diagnosis and treatment from your doctor Home tests help you keep track of markers like cholesterol or blood sugar, but they are not meant to be substitutes for a proper medical test or diagnosis!

Although the home cholesterol test is fairly accurate, it should be calibrated with the cholesterol blood test that you have in your doctor's office. Take your home test kit with you and test
yourself at the same time your doctor draws your blood for the full laboratory test.

That way you can see how the results of the two tests differ, and will be able to get an idea of just how far off the cholesterol test results are between the cholesterol blood test you get in the doctor's office and the home cholesterol test.

When you buy online, read reviews carefully, do a little research into the product you are buying. Some of these cholesterol testing systems are expensive (over $100.00) dollars, require you to buy a testing unit, and additional test strips for it. This can run well over $100.00 for both.

Obviously you would not use a home cholesterol test as often as you would use a glucose monitor for instance. You are merely trying to track your normal cholesterol levels, and see how they respond to changes you make in your diet and lifestyle.

Here are some brands:
    * CholesTrak, Home Access Instant Cholesterol Test
    * Cardio Check (gives you both HDL and LDL level)
    * Lifestream Personal Cholesterol Monitor(gives you both HDL and LDL level)

"Cardio Check" seemed to have by far the highest customer satisfaction ratings online.

A home cholesterol test should can run between $10.00 and $150.00 depending on how comprehensive the test is. Some tests only give you total cholesterol, which is not a very useful indicator. It may tell you how your total cholesterol levels is responding to diet or exercise, but it does not indicate real risk factors.

For that you need to know your HDL level, and a test that gives you both LDL and HDL levels will give you the information to assess risk factors more clearly. When you know both your LDL and HDL levels, you can calculate total cholesterol, as well as HDL/LDL ratio which is the best cholesterol values which indicate your heart disease risk.

The home cholesterol test to look for is one that at least gives you both HDL and LDL levels. These should run you about $30-$50 and are available online. Again you will have to check it for accuracy against the cholesterol blood test from your doctor, but if it gives you a somewhat reliable indicator of your cholesterol values, then it's doing it's job.

By George Parigian

Heart Healthy Solutions To Think About (Part 4 of 4)

2011-10-20T14:24:00.000-07:00

When choosing a cooking oil it is best to choose one that contains 72 to 75% omega three fatty acids. Flax seed oil, olive oil and macadamia nut oil are all great examples of oils that contain a large amount of omega three fatty acids. Consuming omega fatty acids on a consistent basis would be a heart healthy habit that does not have a price tag. You must know that consuming oil from a bottle is not a good heart healthy practice. The moment the oil is taken from the original source it starts to oxidize, causing free radicals. Even if you decided to freeze or refrigerate the oil it would still oxidize but only at a slower pace. On a side note, it would be wise to consume your essential fatty acids in a capsule that is flooded with nitrogen so that the oil in the capsule will not oxidize. There are many natural health food stores that have them available to you. Peanut oil, Olive oil and Avocado oil are different from the polyunsaturated oils corn and soybean. They usually have one or two open bonds in them which makes for a lower melting point and as a result they are "less likely" to cause damage when you cook with them. However, they are not completely 100% safe.

Using oils for cooking or salads are just not safe. Around the time of the 1940s we saw the emergence of two food items that would forever change the face of cardiovascular health. When cooking oils and margarine emerged in the 1940s that is officially when heart problems and other health issues began to skyrocket. Since the time doctors have insisted that we use cooking oils and margarine, we have had an epidemic of heart disease and strokes. The reason is that these sources of fats are more likely to produce free radicals. Butter is the safest fat for cooking because the carbon chains are only four to eight carbons long. There are no unsaturated bonds in butter, that's why butter can sit for a long period of time without spoiling. If you cook with butter at low temperatures it cannot harm you. It actually becomes a good fat that your body uses.

I hope you have discovered today that heart problems do not happen by happenstance. There is a science to everything. In order to rectify any problem you must first get to the root of the problem. In closing I wish to remind you that fried foods, cooking oils, margarine, burnt meats, lack of supplementation and the deficiency of the trace mineral selenium are all contributing factors in the heart disease epidemic. Your health is your wealth.

Daylo Swidward is a health researcher and author. He has spent the last 14 years traveling to over 35 countries on 5 continents and documenting simple health-enhancing principles that can be applied by anyone who desires to achieve optimal health. For more information on Daylo's findings, visit http://www.dayloswidwardshealthhub.blogspot.com.

By Daylo D Swidward

Heart Healthy Solutions To Think About (Part 3 of 4)

2011-10-19T14:20:00.000-07:00

Often times people die suddenly from cardiomyopathy disease complications. Every year between 75,000 and 100,000 athletes under the age of thirty die while exercising. We would think that athletes live a very heart healthy lifestyle. The tragic reality is that they don't. No matter the level of competition, most athletes have a tendency to consume large amounts of fried foods or foods that are high in free radicals. Aside from vegetable oils and fried foods, two of most common causes of heart attacks are burnt meats and the deficiency of the trace mineral selenium. Burnt meats contain heterocyclic amines. According to wikipedia.org, some heterocyclic amines found in cooked and burned meats are known carcinogens, which is the correct term for cancer causing agents. Research has shown that cooking certain meats at high temperatures creates chemicals that are not present in uncooked meats. For example, heterocyclic amines are the carcinogenic chemicals formed from the cooking of muscle meats such as beef, pork, fowl and fish.

Selenium is a trace mineral and strong antioxidant which is thought to protect our body from free radicals. You cannot guarantee that you're going to get nutrients such as selenium out of your food so if you do not supplement you are playing Russian roulette with your health each day that you wake.

I will now present more facts concerning the relation of free radical consumption to declining heart health. In 1997 The Harvard School of Public Health did a study that showed that the people of the southeastern part of the United States have a lifespan that is shorter than the people in the upper midwest region. Do you know how the people who live in the upper midwest prepare their food? They eat most of their food stewed, roasted, boiled and poached. The people who live in the southeast part of the country (between Washington D.C. and East Texas) primarily eat fried foods such as fried fish, fried chicken, fried hush puppies, fried tomatoes, fried okra, fried potatoes and things of the like. The fried food is the reason that their average life span is twenty years shorter than those who live in the upper midwestern part of the country.

To be specific, it is important that you stay away from all vegetable oils if you desire to keep your heart healthy. There are many health experts who recommend certain oils as being "ok to use", but there are no oils that are safe to use unless they are taken in capsule form. For the sake of this conversation I will speak on the subject of which oils are less harmful than others. I realize that no individual is perfect and we all have an occasional craving for great tasting food, so we will examine which oils are the lesser of evils.

Daylo Swidward is a health researcher and author. He has spent the last 14 years traveling to over 35 countries on 5 continents and documenting simple health-enhancing principles that can be applied by anyone who desires to achieve optimal health. For more information on Daylo's findings, visit http://www.dayloswidwardshealthhub.blogspot.com

By Daylo D Swidward

Heart Healthy Solutions To Think About (Part 2 of 4)

2011-10-18T14:21:00.000-07:00

As you continue to age and become less active your diet becomes more critical to your heart health as well as your overall health. For middle age individuals, it is a dire requirement to supplement with the proper nutrients. Supplementing with the proper nutrients is one of the better heart healthy methods that you can practice. You are doing yourself a disservice if you typically eat like many of the citizens in the southeastern part of the United States who eat large quantities of fried foods. The reason is that fried foods contain free radicals which damage the lining of the arteries. If one consumes enough free radicals, they can expect to have coronary artery blockages. The consequence of a blocked artery is a heart attack. Remember to refer back to the beginning of part one of this series to see what the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute says about how a heart attack happens.

Joel Wallach states, "Heart diseases have nothing to do with cholesterol. They have to do with free radical damage to the lining of the arteries of the heart, the brain, the larger arteries of the chest or belly cavity." If you don't protect yourself with antioxidants and all of the known essential nutrients required by the heart, you can end up dead even though you are doing everything else right. Did you know that you can have over twenty-five different heart diseases? A stroke, which is listed as one of the top heart diseases, can disable or kill you. A blood clot or a thrombosis type of stroke is actually caused by an essential fatty acid deficiency. If you don't have enough omega 3's in your diet you might expect a blood clot or a thrombosis type of stroke. Most heart issues be them strokes, heart attacks or cardiovascular disease are avoidable by proper supplementation and avoidance of free radical consumption. Avoidance of free radicals is the easiest and most practical heart healthy solution.

The biggest sources of free radicals are margarine, cooking oils and fried foods. Simply put, heart disease, the prevention of heart disease and possibly the reversal of certain heart ailments can happen by totally eliminating free radicals from the diet. Our ancestors outlived us because they were cooking with creams and lard. Cardiomyopathy is a very important heart disease that you can sometimes survive. The flip side to surviving this disease is that doctors will have to put in a pacemaker or a stint and put you on drugs to control the rhythm of your heart.

Daylo Swidward is a health researcher and author. He has spent the last 14 years traveling to over 35 countries on 5 continents and documenting simple health-enhancing principles that can be applied by anyone who desires to achieve optimal health. For more information on Daylo's findings, visit http://www.dayloswidwardshealthhub.blogspot.com

By Daylo D Swidward

New Tips on Women and Avoiding Heart Disease

2011-10-17T14:18:00.000-07:00

There have been many articles written about how the omega 3 in fish can help prevent heart disease in men. However there are few articles that discuss whether omega three fish supplements can help women fight coronary disease as well. Does this mean that women are simply not affected by heart issues, or could it perhaps mean that fish oil simply cannot help prevent coronary heart problems in women?

Statistics on Women and Heart Disease

While there does seem to be fewer statistics on women and coronary disease than their male counter parts the statistics that are available are actually quite alarming. Statistics on women and coronary disease show that about 267,000 women each year die of a heart attack and that 31,837 of those women die of congestive heart failure.

Although these statistics on women and heart disease don't specify how many of these deadly heart attacks are a result of coronary heart disease we can at least assume that many of those deaths are due to this type of heart disease. So, the question now is can fish oil help prevent heart problems in women.

Eating Fish and Taking Fish Oil Supplements

Whit the statistics on women and heart disease are frightening there is some good news. Studies have shown that eating fish 2-4 times a week can reduce the chances of a woman developing heart disease by 30%. And for those women who enjoy eating fish 5 times or more a week reduces that risk by 45% for the next 16 years. So, if eating fish can help prevent heart disease in women then will taking fish oil have the same results?

The answer to that question is yes. Eating fatty fish gives women omega-3 fatty acids in a quantity that they can't get from any other dietary source through the food that eat. However, fish oil supplements contain the same omega-3 fatty acids that women get by eating fish. In fact, by taking daily fish oil supplements women may actually be getting more of these omega-3 fatty acids than they do eating fish 2 to 5 times a week.

In addition studies show that taking omega 3 fish supplements can also lower blood pressure. If this is the case, than not only can eating fish or taking fish oil supplements help to prevent cardiovascular disease in women but, it may well help to prevent congestive heart failure as well since uncontrolled blood pressure is a leading cause of this type of poor heart health.

Conclusion

With more and more women choosing to eat healthy and take fish oil supplements as well perhaps it won't be too long before we see those statistics on women and heart disease on the decline.

Jim Morham is a vocal advocate for healthy living and products that promote good health. Due to personal needs, Jim strives to find the very best quality products that aid good health, in order to share them with others. Visit his site at http://purest-omega-3.com/

By Jim Morham

Reducing High Cholesterol Levels Naturally

2011-10-16T14:01:00.000-07:00

First, let's clear the air - despite its reputation, cholesterol isn't bad for you. In fact, it is the backbone of many vital processes in your body. It is contained in every cell, responsible for maintaining the fluidity and permeability of your cell walls, and aids in cell-to-cell communication. In addition, it is a component of many of your body's hormones, helps form bile for digestion, and is necessary for nervous system transmission. All in all, it is necessary for you to survive.

That being said, as with many things in life, there can be too much of a good thing. High levels of cholesterol in the body - known as hypercholesterolemia - will build up plaque in the blood vessels, and increase your risk for cardiovascular complications such as heart attack, atherosclerosis, heart disease, chest pain, and stroke.

There are no symptoms of high cholesterol, so unless you have had your cholesterol levels checked, or suffered a complication due to high cholesterol, you probably do not know whether you have it or not. Obviously, a healthy diet and weight, as well as other factors will predispose you to having healthy cholesterol levels. Risk factors such as obesity, smoking, diabetes, poor diet, a lack of exercise, family history, and high blood pressure will increase your chances of having high cholesterol. A blood test to check your cholesterol levels is a routine test your doctor can easily perform at a checkup.

A total cholesterol level of over 200mg per dL of blood is considered high. In addition, there are two types of cholesterol, LDL and HDL. Ideally, your LDL levels should be below 100, and your HDL, known as the "good" cholesterol since it prevents cholesterol build up in your blood vessels, should be above 60. These numbers can vary somewhat depending on your personal risk factors for heart disease.

In cases of severe hypercholesterolemia, it may be necessary to at first resort to prescription medications in addition to lifestyle changes in order to adequately reduce your risk for heart disease. There are a variety of drugs available that will either block the production of cholesterol (statins) or decrease the absorption of cholesterol (cholesterol absorption inhibitors). As is the case with many medications, these can potentially come with undesirable side effects such as muscle pain, liver damage, digestive issues, memory loss, respiratory issues, fatigue or dizziness. It is important not to rely solely on medication to reduce cholesterol, and making natural changes to your life can help eventually reduce or even take away the need for medication at all.

Lifestyle Changes to Reduce Cholesterol

    * Lose any extra weight you have as it contributes to high cholesterol levels. Even losing just a few pounds can make a difference, so start small and work from there.

    * A healthier diet can make a big difference. Reduce caloric intake if you are overweight, and limit your intake of saturated and trans fats. Instead try to incorporate foods that are low in fat or contain unsaturated fat, as well as those that contain omega-3 fatty acids (such as fish, olive oil, flax oil, walnuts, etc.), as these help lower LDL and raise HDL levels. Avoid eating too many foods with high cholesterol such as eggs or dairy products. Whole grains, fruits and vegetables are good for the cardiovascular system as well.

    * Exercise is very helpful for reducing cholesterol. Find a form of exercise you like, and try working your way up to exercising at least 5 times per week for 30 minutes per day. Walking is an easy one to do, though really it can be anything as long as you enjoy it and will stick with it long term.

    * If you are a smoker, quitting will not only reduce your cholesterol levels but decrease your risk for heart disease and high blood pressure.

In addition to lifestyle changes, there are a number of natural medicines that may help to reduce your cholesterol levels:

    * Garlic: Can lower your LDL levels as well as reduce triglycerides and benefit the cardiovascular system and immune system. Allicin is the main active ingredient in garlic, however it is believed there a number of compounds in garlic that work synergistically together to benefit cardiovascular health.

    * Red Yeast Rice: Contains naturally occurring lovastatin, which is the active ingredient in the pharmaceutical version of certain statin drugs. Because there is no way to verify the actual amount of lovastatin in a particular brand of red yeast rice, it is important to take a good quality supplement if you decide to go this route, and get your cholesterol levels checked regularly to monitor its effects.

    * CoQ10: Is a natural molecule in the body involved in energy production. CoQ10 reduces the oxidation of LDL in the bloodstream, reducing plaque buildup. Also, it improves heart function and if you are taking statin drugs, replaces CoQ10 in your body that is lost as a side effect of the medication. For this reason, CoQ10 is often combined with red yeast rice supplements as well as statin drugs.

    * Fish Oil: Omega-3 fatty acids were mentioned as having healthful effects on cholesterol. Fish oils supplements contain large amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, as well as EPA which is involved in healthy circulation.

    * Fiber: In addition to promoting healthy digestion, fiber intake in the diet or as a supplement - particularly, soluble fiber - is great for healthy cholesterol levels. It promotes excretion of bile, which then causes the body to use LDL to make more bile and reduces your cholesterol levels. Also, fiber can reduce the absorption of cholesterol in your digestive system.

    * Plant Sterols and Stanols: These natural components of many grains, fruits and vegetables help lower LDL levels and maintain healthy HDL levels. They are being added to many common butter or margarine replacement spreads these days, so that is probably the easiest way to get them consistently, though they can be incorporated into your diet or taken in higher doses through supplementation.

Reducing your cholesterol levels will not happen overnight. But by incorporating changes to your lifestyle and diet, and using natural and/or prescription medicines depending on how high your cholesterol is, you will be able to bring it down to a healthy level and reduce your risk for many potential serious cardiovascular complications.

Dr. Petersen is a naturopathic doctor living in San Diego, CA.
For more articles, news, and natural health tips visit http://www.thenaturalhealthspot.com

By Jason Petersen ND

Enlarged Heart Symptoms: Why They Are Not Enough

2011-10-15T14:00:00.000-07:00

A very common misconception about enlarged hearts is that it is a medical condition. Yes, it is a medical condition, but it is also a symptom of another more serious disease. Having an enlarged heart, usually first detected through a routine chest x-ray, will actually alert your physician that you may have a more serious underlying condition. In this article, we will be discussing the symptoms within a symptom and how misleading they could be.

Enlarged heart is also known as cardiomegaly. The symptoms for this condition may vary. There are some people who do not present any symptoms whatsoever, but there are also some people that manifest a few signs. Enlarged heart symptoms are actually very nonspecific. They are so general that they can be mistaken as symptoms of another condition. Examples of those symptoms would be the following:

Difficulty in breathing and shortness of breath
Dizziness
Cough
Chest Pain
Abnormal heart rhythms or arrhythmias
Edema
Easy fatigueability and/or activity intolerance

Symptoms in cardiomegaly can easily be related to the condition. For example, an enlarged heart can cause abnormal heart rhythms because it is having problems pumping blood. Your normal, resting heart rate will be around 60 to 100 beats per minute. In the case of a person with cardiomegaly, it will be slightly higher than that. You see, disease conditions can affect blood flow, therefore, needing the heart to put on additional effort to pump blood to the different areas of the body. This "extra effort" will cause the heart to enlarge. Enlargement of the heart is not a good thing. Although it is bigger, the muscles are weaker as compared to a normal-sized heart. These weak muscles will try their hardest to pump blood by increasing the number of beats per minute. Once the heart becomes too tired, it will momentarily pause or slow down its beating. And that is how arrhythmias are related to cardiomegaly.

You have to bear in mind, though, that the aforementioned symptoms can also be caused by just about any condition. Arrhythmias, for one thing, can also be caused by alcohol abuse, smoking, and diabetes. The human body is a wonderful and confusing thing. Everything is interconnected, that when you start to analyze one condition, you can just go on forever. Everything is related to, or can be caused by, something that is also related to everything.

Since the symptoms of cardiomegaly are too general, diagnostic procedures are needed to rule out other conditions that may be causing their onset. I have mentioned before that an enlarged heart is usually spotted during routine chest x-rays. This is actually one of the most basic diagnostic procedures that a patient can undergo in order to have the condition diagnosed accurately. Other procedures will include electrocardiogram, echocardiogram, stress test, CT Scan, MRI, and many others.

It is important to know a lot about a specific condition because it will aid you in making informed decisions. The internet is a very rich place for information regarding health and medicine, so you should try look into other websites if you feel like you need a more in-depth explanation.

By Wendy Lau

Dietary Cholesterol Is Not the Cause of Heart Disease

2011-10-14T13:58:00.000-07:00

Ask anyone about cholesterol and heart disease and they are likely to say that cholesterol in the blood causes fatty deposits to accumulate in the artery, causing the artery to block. A bit like silt accumulating in a pipe. But where did this theory come from?

Back in the 1950's, a doctor called Ancel Keys carried out a research study which looked at the relationship between dietary fat intake and heart disease deaths. His work resulted in him making the front cover of Time magazine, and the government adopted his theory to push a low fat diet solution to the nation.

But the interesting thing is that Keys's study was a fix! It was known as The Seven Nations study, yet his research covered twenty two countries, the data from which showed no correlation between fat consumed and heart deaths. Keys chose to pick only seven countries whose data could be presented as meeting his hypothesis and he ditched the rest. It was scientific fraud! However, the theory had taken hold, gained a life of its own and no one wanted to put the brakes on.

So this wisdom that is pushed by governments, pharmaceutical companies, food companies, agricultural companies and whoever else, is that you will be at a much reduced risk of heart disease if you lower your cholesterol.

This still continues to be the norm, even though much respected research studies have shown that it isn't so. For instance, in 1948, The Framingham Heart Study began, in accordance with the then National Heart Institute. It is still running today and has so far researched over fifteen thousand people over three generations. After twenty two years, it announced that they had found no relation between diet and heart disease. Another twenty seven years of research is done, and in 1997 the Framingham Study announced that they had found no association of dietary fat and heart disease when responding to suggestion that deaths from coronary heart disease had affected data in research on strokes.

One doctor who had involvement in the Framingham Study research(so not just some naysayer!) was Dr George V Mann, a biochemist and physician, maybe this quote from him illustrates why low fat/low cholesterol is still pushed as the answer to heart disease. "The diet-heart hypothesis has been repeatedly shown to be wrong, and yet, for complicated reasons or pride, profit and prejudice, the hypothesis continues to be exploited by scientists, fund-raising enterprises, food companies and even governmental agencies. The public is being deceived by the greatest health scam of the century."

Considering the above, what hypothesis should we be looking at? Maybe it should be this...excessive insulin in the bloodstream kick starts a chain reaction of oxidation and inflammation that causes heart disease.

Let's delve into what that really means. Our modern intake of moderate to high amounts of processed carbohydrates, sugars, starches and grains brings forth too much glucose into the bloodstream which needs to be removed by continual surges of insulin which the pancreas sends out.

There's two things to focus on from this. Excessive insulin results in the production of more small, dense LDL particles in the bloodstream. By the way, LDL means "low density lipoprotein," it is what transports cholesterol around the body to fulfil its many functions. The second issue is that LDL is chemically altered by insulin.

The body doesn't like that alteration, it's recognised as unnatural, foreign, so the body sets off an oxidation process to get rid of it. However, the oxidation action causes the walls of arteries to change from smooth to sticky. Oxidised deposits of that LDL stick to the wall of the artery forming plaque and the whole process causes the area around the artery to inflame.

The plaque that accumulates in the wall of the artery has a lipid core which spills into the artery when it ruptures. The resulting blood clot leads to a heart attack.

It's the oxidation of LDL cholesterol(that is produced by the liver, not from food we eat) happening at an excessive level and the arterial inflammation that it produces that is the main cause of coronary heart disease.

If excessive insulin is not present in our bloodstream, then the amount of LDL cholesterol that we have has no relevance to heart disease risk. The impact of diet on heart disease risk is significant, but not in the way that was first presented sixty years ago, the misinformed way that still dominates the health advice that we receive.

By Rob Rushmer

A Diet to Reverse Heart Disease

2011-10-13T13:56:00.000-07:00

In the United States, rising health care costs are a substantial problem. As a nation, we spend massive amounts of money to get the best health care available. With all of the money we are spending, it would seem that we should be the healthiest people in the world. Unfortunately this is not the case. As we continue to increase our health care spending, we are only getting sicker.

The primary causes for chronic illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes are biochemical and physiological imbalances. These imbalances are mostly due to the unnatural, processed foods that we are putting in our bodies. As long as we continue to eat the wrong foods, it doesn't matter how much we spend on health care, we will still be getting sick.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. On a global scale, about 452 million people die each year from this condition. The sad fact behind these deaths is that they are mostly preventable. With the proper nutrition, this condition can not only be prevented, but reversed.

Exercise is often extolled as a preventative measure for heart disease. While exercise is very important to health and wellbeing, it is not the most critical factor. Many people who suffer from high cholesterol, obesity, hypertension and diabetes still have these conditions even when they are following a regular program of exercise. The benefits from exercise alone are not sufficient for preventing heart disease, diabetes and the long list of other chronic illnesses that afflict our society.

There has been much emphasis placed on nutrition and its role in prevention. The problem is that there is often a lack of understanding about what constitutes proper nutrition. Counting calories and monitoring fat, protein and carbohydrate intake is not going to prevent heart disease. It's not just the number of calories, carbohydrates or fat you're taking in that matter. It comes down to the nature and quality of the food.

A natural, whole foods, plant-based diet has been shown to prevent and reverse heart disease. Experts have written books with extensive scientific evidence showing how animal-based foods contribute to chronic conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. There are many examples of patients who have cured themselves of heart disease simply by eliminating animal products and other unhealthy substances from their diet.

In addition to removing animal products from the diet, it is also important to cut out all unnatural substances. Artificial ingredients and processed foods have chemicals that do a significant amount of damage to the body. A food, such as an apple, that was originally healthy becomes unhealthy after it has been processed into some other product.

When you take out all processed foods and artificial ingredients and abstain from eating animal products, you are left with only the most nutritious foods in your diet. Fresh fruits and vegetables have a high concentration of vitamins, minerals, enzymes and phytochemicals. All of these substances work together harmoniously in ways that modern science still does not completely understand. Our technology cannot surpass the engineering of nature to provide us with the best possible nutrition.

When we as a society learn how to eat for optimal health, we will see drastic reductions in chronic illnesses and their related costs. We do not need to live in fear of heart disease. Once we change our lifestyle and eating habits and follow the proper guidelines for nutrition, we can eliminate this illness and enjoy far greater health.

By John C Sampson

The Link Between Heart Disease and Cholesterol

2011-10-12T13:54:00.000-07:00

Did the blood tests recommended by your doctor show that you have high cholesterol or triglyceride levels? Do you have poor diet and exercise habits that have resulted in weight gain? If so, you may be at risk for heart disease. What do you do?

You should develop a healthy lifestyle that includes appropriate weight loss and changes in diet and exercise. This is especially true for heart patients. For those with existing high levels, medications may be an important complement to both diet and exercise in helping to lower and maintain your cholesterol levels. (Remember to talk with your doctor before implementing an exercise program or making drastic changes to your diet.)

Cholesterol and Triglycerides?

Hyperlipidemia is the general term applied to high blood cholesterol and/or elevated blood triglycerides. We now know that elevated triglycerides promote the deposition of cholesterol in the arteries, which results in a thickening and hardening of the artery walls, a condition known as atherosclerosis. Reducing triglycerides in the bloodstream is a good strategy to help minimize heart problems.

According to the American Heart Association, one study by Koren-Morag, Graff and Goldbourt found that individuals with elevated triglycerides have a nearly 30% increased probability of suffering a stroke, even after taking into account other risk factors such as cholesterol levels. One of the most important aspects of this study is that it clarifies the independent link of lipids to stroke, meaning that a causal relationship is likely. Adjusting your intake of fat is very important.

Responding to High Cholesterol

Researchers have established a strong link between high cholesterol and heart problems and, more recently, between high triglyceride levels and heart problems. When blood levels of these lipids are low, the likelihood that they will directly contribute to disease is much lower.

The good news is that their levels can be managed. Also it is ideal that you target your LDL levels to below 100 mg/dL of blood if you're a heart patient and to below 130 mg/dL if you do not have heart disease.

The Inheritance Factor

Because a genetic basis exists for the production of lipids and for their concentration in your bloodstream, a family history of heart disease suggests an increased likelihood of developing heart problems.

The Role of Medicine

For some people, changing food intake patterns and adopting an effective exercise program are not enough to reduce LDL levels to normal.

Jimmy Thakkar runs a health based blog under the name of Bodyalivenutrition.com. He also manages a WordPress blog which provides articles on best ways to lower your cholesterol.

By Jimmy Thakkar

10 Tips to a Healthy Heart

2011-10-11T13:52:00.000-07:00

Today, everyone is talking about leading a healthy life and eating food that is good for the heart. Having a healthy heart is not only important for the old, even the young need to take care of their hearts.

Healthy Heart Tips

Here are 10 tips that will help you have a healthy heart and live a healthy life.

1. Stop Smoking

Quit smoking. This is a very important step towards living a healthy life. However, you should take a cup of oat straw infusion or sunflower seeds a month before you start to quit smoking. Sunflower seeds have the power to minimize craving for nicotine as they fill up the nicotine receptors. Your nerves and blood vessels have to be prepared against the affect of withdrawal, and the infusion helps in strengthening the nerves and the blood vessels.

2. Touch

Research has shown that people who are living a life full of love and affection are less likely to develop heart problems as compared to other people.

3. Seaweeds

It has also been found that seaweed is quite effective in maintaining a healthy heart.

• It helps calm down the blood pressure.
• It helps regulate triglyceride levels.
• It controls cholesterol and phospholipids in the body.
• It helps in dissolving the fat inside the blood vessels.
• It can help in restoring the proper functioning of the heart.
• It can help in extending the life of heart muscles and getting a stable heartbeat.

4. Beta-carotenes

Beta carotene helps in reducing the chances of strokes by as much as 40%. Some of the foods that contain high amount of beta-carotene are:

• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Winter squash
• Dark leafy vegetables
• Sweet potatoes
• Seaweed
• Apricots.

5. Garlic

Studies have shown that garlic helps in lowering blood pressure, reducing cholesterol and phospholipids. It also helps in other things like:

• Strengthening the functioning of the heart.
• Increasing the immune system response.
• Reducing clotting and clumping of platelets which helps in reducing strokes.
• Stabilizing blood sugar level.

You should include a few cloves of garlic in your food.

6. Essential Fatty Acids

Increase your intake of food high in essential fatty acids. The best example of this type of food is flax seed oil or wheat germ.

7. Lemon Balm Tea

Lemon balm helps in strengthening the heart. You can drink it as tea or a few leaves can be steeped in white wine for a couple of hours before you drink it with the dinner. You can also use lemon balm vinegar along with the salads.

8. Remain Active

Maintain an active lifestyle. Go for daily walks, swimming and regular exercise. Skip rope and engage in as much physical activity as you can.

9. Avoid Restrictive Diet

Avoid fasting, dieting or binging as they put your electrolyte levels out of balance. This can adversely affect your heart muscles, thus making them weak.

10. Healthy Food

Eat healthy food like whole grains, beans, vegetables, greens, seeds, fruits and fish. However, reduce the intake of dairy products.

Following these tips can help you strengthen your heart and say goodbye to future strokes or the need to undergo surgery and subsequent operating room protocols.

By Greg Garner

VAP Cholesterol Test

2011-10-10T13:50:00.000-07:00

The VAP cholesterol test is the very latest diagnostic test to determine your risk of heart disease. Standard cholesterol level tests identify only 40% of those at risk for heart disease. In fact, half of all heart attacks are suffered by people with normal cholesterol levels!

But now medical science has recently developed a newer and more accurate test for heart disease risk called the VAP test for (Vertical Auto Profile). This test benefits you in two ways.

    * It is THE most accurate indicator of your risk of heart attack.
    * It helps identify various risk factors that you can control to prevent a heart attack.

Not all doctors provide the VAP cholesterol test, but it's use is increasing as more and more doctors realize their standard testing fails to identify everyone that is at risk.

The VAP test is done the same way as other cholesterol tests where a nurse or lab technician draws your blood and then sends it to a laboratory which then runs the test and returns the cholesterol test results to your doctor.

Regular cholesterol tests provide four measurements:
    * Total cholesterol
    * Triglycerides
    * LDL - Low-density lipoprotein
    * HDL - High-density lipoprotein

Although these four elements do have some value in determining your risk of heart attack, the VAP cholesterol test can pinpoint your risk, taking much of the guesswork out of this medical diagnosis.

This is very helpful for people who have cholesterol test results that show normal cholesterol levels, but who's true heart attack risk can now be successfully identified.

How does the VAP Test work?

The test identifies the following:
    * Identifies small dense LDL particles that cause arterial plaque
    * HDL2 and HDL3
    * IDL - Intermediate-density lipoprotein
    * Lipoprotein A
    * (VLDL1, VLDL2, VLDL3) Very low density lipoproteins

These small sub-fractions of cholesterol pose the greatest danger to you. The VAP cholesterol test will identify these particles, their density, and distribution. This information helps your doctor create a customized approach to reducing your risk of a heart attack and strokes.

Standard test results are still valuable as a screening method for heart disease. It is an inexpensive way of determining if you are at increased risk. The addition of the VAP test further clarifies your degree of risk and allows you to make needed lifestyle changes to head off a possible heart attack.

The key is to identify risks early while there is still time to reverse them with diet and exercise rather than drugs such as statins which have toxic side effects.

The VAP cholesterol test will soon become the standard for determining your heart attack risk. This will go a long way toward making heart attacks increasingly rare and survivable! Ask YOUR doctor about the VAP test, and start reducing your risk now!

By George Parigian

What You Should Know About Heat Stroke and TIA Stroke

2011-10-09T13:48:00.000-07:00

Heat stroke and TIA stroke are disorders that are highly preventable if you know how to take care of yourself. Prevention starts by learning about what diseases are such as their causes, signs and symptoms and the particular treatment methods. When you are aware of these information, then you will be able to avoid these disorders.

Heat stroke or also referred to as sun stroke is a medical condition that is life-threatening, brought about by increased body temperature that eventually causes damage to the different organs of the body. According to statistics, there are about 700 people who die yearly of heat stroke in the United States. Heat stroke happens when the temperature of the body goes beyond 40.5 degree Celsius and when the cooling system of the body stops working. This is a medical emergency that needs to be promptly treated since it can lead to death.

There are two ways in which heat stroke happens. The first one is when the cooling mechanisms of a person are impaired and the other is when a person does strenuous activities in a very hot environment. Those who are at risk of developing sun stroke are infants, athletes, the elderly and those who work outdoors. The signs and symptoms of heat stroke include nausea and vomiting, fatigue and body weakness, headaches, dizziness and muscle cramps. There is also the absence of perspiration and extremely high body temperature, rapid pulse, flushed and red skin, difficulty of breathing, confusion, disorientation and seizures.

To treat heat stroke, rehydration is very important to ensure that the blood flow within the body is still normal. Oral fluids are important such as cool sports drinks with less glucose. If oral fluids are not tolerated, then IV fluids should be used. The person should also be staying in a cool environment and adequate rest is required. There are different methods of making the body cool down, including evaporation, immersion and placing ice packs under the armpits and the groin. However, the temperature should be brought down and maintained at 38.5 - 39 degree Celsius so as not to make the body too cold.

On the other hand, transient ischemic attack or TIA stroke is a neurologic disorder caused by a blood clot in the brain, spinal cord or the retina. This is also called mini stroke since tissue death does not happen even if there is a disruption in the cerebral blood flow. It should not be taken lightly since when it is not treated, worse attacks can happen that will eventually lead to ischemic stroke.

The manifestations of TIA stroke include weakness and numbness that occurs in the face, the arms or the legs that happens suddenly, and is usually localized on one side of the body. There can also be confusion, slurred speech, blurring of vision, inability to maintain balance and coordination, dizziness and headache. These symptoms can occur rapidly and can last for only a short time. However, you should seek for immediate treatment since this can lead to a major stroke. The treatment is focused on lowering down the blood pressure, the cholesterol and lipid levels. There will be medications given to you such as aspirin to help dissolve the clot and prevent further clot formation. There will also be blood pressure lowering medications, anti-platelet drugs and medicines that lower down your cholesterol levels.

If TIA stroke and heat stroke are not treated immediately, there are several complications that can happen. But you can always avoid them when you know how to avoid having these disorders.

By Danica Susan

Trans Fats/Saturated Fats - What's the Difference?

2011-10-08T13:46:00.000-07:00

Have you seen any food warnings lately about 'trans fats'? You probably have, because they're everywhere! But what are trans fats? Sometimes they're referred to as saturated fats, and in many places they are being targeted along with saturated fats as the 'bad boys' you want to avoid if you don't want heart disease. Yet saturated and trans fats are very, VERY different, even though 'trans fats' ARE saturated. Confusing? You betcha. But knowing the difference could save your health, and maybe your life!

Did you know that saturated fat is found NATURALLY around your heart, in your cell walls, in your brain, and in the linings of your lungs? It is a natural component of your body, and one that your body needs. Another fact you need to know is that, chemically, saturated fats are stable, because the carbon atoms in them are all bound to hydrogen atoms - the bonds are 'saturated'. They are not likely to react with other compounds, causing free radicals. Saturated fat is found in foods such as butter, animal fat, whole milk, and coconut oil, all of which were consumed heartily before the 1950's, until 'warnings' were given that saturated fat would increase heart disease.

To solve the problem of too much saturated fat (which never was a problem - heart disease was rare in America until the early 1900's), men took unsaturated oils such as corn and soybean oil (liquid in their natural state), exposed them to extremely high temperatures and pressure in the presence of hydrogen, and created a pseudo-saturated substance that not only solidified the oils, but also created a product that the cells in our bodies CAN'T recognize! The process is known as hydrogenation, and the by-product of hydrogenation is partially hydrogenated oils, resulting in 'trans fats'. ( Full hydrogenation would result in too hard a substance for consumption).

Are the 'trans fats' the same as naturally saturated fats? Technically, they are saturated, but in NO way are they the same as what mother nature has given us! Though they may look, feel, and even taste something like the real thing, they aren't the same!! The chemical structure may be similar, but they are still different! Trans fats interfere with normal cell metabolism, have been shown to reduce good cholesterol and increase bad cholesterol; they have been linked to diabetes, cancer, brain damage and obesity. They are UNNATURAL and our bodies know the difference, even if we don't!

Could it be that the rise in heart disease during the past 60+ years has NOT been from too many saturated fats (natural ones, that is), but from the extreme change in diet from NATURAL foods to refined, processed foods, unsaturated oils, and 'hydrogenated hybrids'?

Don't be fooled by look-a-likes that are as different as night and day. True saturated fats are NATURAL and healthy; man-made saturated fats - resulting in 'trans-fats' - can be deadly (literally!) Deep-frying in shortening is NOT wise. Using lard is much safer. Baking with shortenings is not a good idea either. My suggestion would be to find some coconut oil for all your baking purposes. Use real butter rather than margarine. Eating margarine is like eating plastic that has been softened, colored, and flavored!

Our bodies take a LOT! They are wonderfully made! But... they do break down, some faster than others. With heart disease and cancer on the rise, be WISE. Feed your bodies natural, live food given to us by our Maker. Your body will thank you!

For more clarification on food myths and the effect they have on your health, check out http://www.haveahealthyheartnow.com.

I inform people about some of the myths that are circulating concerning food as it relates to health, and provide suggestions that will dramatically increase the potential for living disease free.
I am the mother of 5 and grandmother of 6 girls, with one on the way! Married to Kirby!

By Beverly Batdorf

The Importance of Knowing the History of Heart Disease and the Signs of Heart Disease

2011-10-07T13:44:00.000-07:00

It is undeniable that heart disease is the leading cause of most countries in the world especially in the United States, Canada, England and Wales. In the United States, statistics say that about 25% of all the deaths are caused by heart diseases. This should then alarm everyone to take care of their heart. One way of doing that is to know the history of heart disease including the different signs of heart disease.

Heart disease is a general term that is used for the disorders that affect the heart. There are several types of heart disorders which include cardiomyopathy, cardiovascular disease, heart failure, ischemic, coronary, hypertensive, and valvular heart disease. History taking is very important for health care professionals especially when you are suffering from a heart disorder. They need to know the history of a heart disorder that you have for the proper diagnosis and especially for the treatment methods that need to be carried out. When you go to your doctor and you are being asked a lot of questions about the history of heart disorder, you have to patient and answer truthfully since the information they are asking for are vital.

There are different signs of heart disorders for the different types but there are common warning signs that you need to be aware of. The most common manifestation is chest pain or chest discomfort. There a lot of conditions that can cause chest pain but it should never be ignored. Chest pain is actually a term is used to describe discomforts such as pressure, pain, choking, numbness or squeezing that is felt at the chest and neck area, upper abdominal area including the head, the jaw and the arms. This can last for a few seconds to several days and it can be rare or frequent.

One of the common signs of heart disorder is palpitation. This refers to the awareness of the heartbeat, and most of you would have probably experienced it already. This is often described as a skip in the heartbeat wherein there is a pause that is followed by an unusually strong heartbeat. It can also be described as rapid or irregular heartbeats. This is a common sign of cardiac arrhythmia wherein the heart has abnormal rhythms. Another common manifestation is dizziness or light-headedness. This is of course indicative of several other disorders such as anemia, dehydration, diabetes and a lot more but it can also be a sign of heart disease. It should be properly evaluated by a doctor to learn the underlying cause.

Fatigue and shortness of breath are also common signs of heart disorder. Fatigue happens when you are always tired and unable to do your usual daily activities. This is often accompanied by somnolence or sleepiness at daytime. Although these can be caused by other disorders, proper evaluation is necessary since it can be a sign of heart failure. Meanwhile, shortness of breath is a common sign of respiratory disorders but is also common in heart disorders. This usually happens at night, during exertion and when lying flat on bed.

When you experience any of these signs of heart disease, you should go to your doctor immediately and have yourself checked. Remember to be cooperative when the history of heart disease is being asked so that you will be given the proper treatments.

By Danica Susan

The Truth About Red Wine and Heart Disease

2011-10-06T16:14:00.000-07:00

Red Wine, Heart Disease, Hungry Sharks and Knights in Shining Armor

What is so special about wine? What is it that makes it potentially more protective against coronary heart disease, and perhaps other diseases, that other forms of alcohol?

In recent years, scientists have concluded without doubt that many human diseases such as heart disease, cancer and the aging process is caused or stimulated by a ravenous group of chemicals called free radicals, that act like hungry sharks. These highly charged little villains prowl the body and attack healthy cell membranes through a process that is called oxidation. In this scenario, there is however a knight in shining armor that jumps to the rescue and purges these ever hungry little killers. The name of our crusader is antioxidants.

Without getting too technical, the oxidation process in our bodies is crucial for health, without it, for instance, we would not be able to extract energy from our food. But if there are too many free radicals in our bodies this can be harmful.

Our body has its own defenses against free radicals, in the form of enzymes that are able to turn the hungry little sharks into harmless water. However, sometimes our body's natural defense mechanisms can't cope. Other times, external events can cause huge increases of free radicals within our bodies, such as x-rays, cigarette smoke and exposure to toxic substances. At times, this surge of free radicals can swamp our defenses and illnesses such as radiation sickness may take place.

So what does oxidation and free radicals have to do with heart disease?

Low density lipoproteins, commonly know as "bad" LDL, can penetrate and gather against the inner walls of our arteries, under certain conditions, forming fatty streaks and plaque. Taken alone, LDL particles aren't so dangerous it seems, however, when attacked by free radicals they turn into dangerous and somewhat aggressive cells, capable of actually penetrating and harming the smooth inner walls of our arteries. This process is called oxidation. Oxidized LDL is known to be the culprit in stimulating atherosclerosis, heart disease and stroke.

Antioxidants, as the name suggests (anti-oxidants) can help stop the oxidation process, which are the results of free radicals doing their stuff. Most antioxidant research has been carried out on vitamins (A, E, beta carotene) but quite a lot of work has also been done on the healthy benefits of red wine. While most research on red wine has been done in relation to coronary heart disease, it seems that the benefits of wine don't stop there.

Red wine and Coronary Heart Disease

Red wine contains a wide range of flavanoids; these are the chemicals that give the wine its particular taste and character, making one different from another. Many of these flavanoids act like antioxidants. Perhaps the forerunner of wine research was carried out by a certain Serge Renaud, who discovered the French Paradox, which suggested that wine was the decisive factor in protecting the people in southern France from their very high fat diets and ultimately coronary heart disease. Even if these people do eat large quantities of high fat cheese, pâté, and salami they have some of the lowest rates of heart disease in the world.

Another study, statistical rather than practical, by a Professor Grey of the University of Bern in Switzerland focused on the low, medium and high coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality figures of the World Health Organization.

What did he find? Well from among the high mortality areas were Finland and Scotland, the middle areas included Ireland, and the low CHD areas included Spain, Italy and France. He then compared heart attack rates with antioxidant levels in blood samples taken from men living in those areas.

Vitamin E and Heart Disease

What he found was very interesting, the results showed that high antioxidant levels, in particular vitamin E, coincided with low death rates of heart disease. Moreover, his results showed that vitamin E levels were 94% more accurate in predicting CHD rates than were cholesterol levels or blood pressure figures! Apart from diet, the high CHD regions drink very little, if any wine, whereas the low regions traditionally accompany their meals most days with wine.

It certainly seems strange that two much studied cities; Glasgow in Scotland and Toulouse in France show many similarities and yet many differences. The inhabitants of both cities eat tremendous amounts of high fat foods, traditionally take little exercise and drink alcohol. The surprising difference is that while the people of Glasgow have one of the highest rates of CHD in the world, the fortunate people of Toulouse have one of the lowest. Traditionally beer and spirits are the preferred drinks in Glasgow, while the folks in Toulouse drink red wine.

It has also been suggested that drinking in moderation together with meals is beneficial, while binge drinking at bars in the evening is harmful. It seems the southern Europeans don't drink for the alcohol buzz, but just as a pleasant accompaniment to their meals.

At first the large heart institutions such as the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association ignored both antioxidants and frowned upon wine. While it is clear that it could be potentially dangerous for a physician to recommend his patients start drinking alcohol, it is also strange that they pretended for so many years to ignore the evidence. Well, now even if they don't promote the taking of vitamin pills; antioxidants and free radicals are now recognized. However, according to the AHA "There is no scientific proof that drinking wine or any other alcoholic beverage can replace conventional measures. No direct comparison trials have been done to determine the specific effect of wine or other alcohol on the risk of developing heart disease or stroke. Just ask yourself who would pay for such studies. Clinical Trials have the purpose of showing one thing to be better than another, or whether a certain substance is beneficial to health. The costs of clinical trials is so high that only the pharmaceutical industry have the financial clout to invest in them - invest is the correct word. What a surprise.

http://www.allabout-heart-disease.com - the site that tells you how it is, about getting your life back and living it to the full! Articles, tips, advice and the latest news on how to take care of your heart.

By Nicholas Webb

Critical Facts About Heart Disease Prevention

2011-10-05T16:10:00.000-07:00

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in America. An estimated 81 million American adults, or more than 1 in 3, have one or more types of cardiovascular disease, including:

* high blood pressure,
* atherosclerosis (build up of cholesterol, fat, and fibrous tissue in the walls of the arteries),
* coronary heart disease - narrowing of the arteries to the heart muscle, reducing blood supply to the heart, and resulting in angina pectoris (chest pain) and myocardial infarction (heart attack),
* heart failure, and
* stroke (interruption of blood supply to the brain).

For more than two decades, cholesterol has been vilified as the culprit for heart disease. You have been told by doctors and the media to keep your cholesterol as low as possible. Consequently, a low-fat diet is endorsed and foods like eggs and animal (saturated) fats that are high in cholesterol are banished.

In reality, cholesterol is vital for your body. It is found not only in your bloodstream, but also in every cell in your body, where it helps to produce cell membranes, hormones, vitamin D, and bile acids for fat digestion. Moreover, cholesterol is essential for your memory and brain function.

Eating foods high in cholesterol does not simply translate to high blood cholesterol. In reality, one of cholesterol's roles is to repair injuries. When the liver receives signals that there is damage in the lining of the arteries, it transports cholesterol to the area to do the repair work. High levels of cholesterol often indicate that you have sustained much damage.

So what causes damage in the lining of arteries in the first place? Latest research shows that insulin and leptin resistance are the strong causal link to such damage leading to cardiovascular disease. Insulin and leptin resistance is the result of eating too much sugar and refined carbs over an extended period of time.

In this case, how come so many doctors are still prescribing cholesterol-lowering drugs (statins) to their patients? What are the side effects of statins and are they truly effective in lowering your risk of heart disease? Read on to learn more.

High blood cholesterol does not necessarily mean that you have a higher risk of heart disease. Find out how to assess your heart disease risk from your blood test results.

Finally, like other degenerative diseases, cardiovascular disease is mostly preventable by good dietary and lifestyle habits. Learn ways to naturally lower your risk of heart disease.

Is cholesterol The Cause Of Heart Disease?

75% of the cholesterol in your bloodstream comes from what your liver is manufacturing and distributing. That's why the cholesterol that you eat plays little role in determining your cholesterol levels in the blood.

The cholesterol that's being made by the liver and deposited in your arteries is called LDL (the "bad" cholesterol), and the cholesterol that's being taken away from the arteries back to the liver is called HDL (the "good" cholesterol). The reason cholesterol is taken back to the liver is that it can be conserved and recycled for future use.

One function of cholesterol is to keep your cell membranes from falling apart; it acts like a super glue. When the lining of your arteries are damaged, inflammation occurs, just like when you cut your finger. The liver is notified to send cholesterol to the damaged site to do repair work. This is a deliberate process that takes place in order for your body to produce new, healthy cells.

A common problem is that there is damage occurring in your body on a regular basis. In this case, you have chronic inflammation, which leads to accumulation of cholesterol in your arteries (called plaque) and an increased risk for high blood pressure and heart attacks.

Hundreds of scientific studies have now linked insulin and leptin resistance, caused by eating too much sugar and white carbs, to damage in the lining of arteries and cardiovascular disease. That's why people with diabetes (a disease characterized by insulin and leptin resistance) have a much higher risk of heart disease than people with normal blood sugar levels.

To make things worse, insulin and leptin resistance also result in a greater number of small, dense LDL cholesterol (as opposed to bigger and less dense LDL) which can squeeze between the cell lining inside the arteries and get stuck, potentially oxidize (turn rancid), and cause more inflammation and plaque formation.

Are Statins The Cure For Heart Disease?

If you have high cholesterol, it means that you have chronic inflammation in the body. The cholesterol is there to help your body heal and repair.

By taking cholesterol-lowering drugs, yes, you are lowering your cholesterol levels and reducing plaque buildup in your arteries but you are not addressing why your body needs to produce the extra cholesterol in the first place. Besides, with less cholesterol to do the repair work, how do you heal the damage in the lining of the arteries?

Statin drugs have proliferated in the market. In America, it is the second most common class of medications prescribed, after antidepressants. Many doctors prescribe them to lower their patients' cholesterol, not understanding that they are only dealing with the symptoms but not the underlying disease.

In addition, they are exposing their patients to a series of major side effects, including:

* muscle and tendon problems,
* cognitive impairment, including memory loss,
* depressed immune function,
* pancreas or liver dysfunction,
* sexual dysfunction, and
* cataracts.

Statins also lower your CoQ10, which is an antioxidant that mops up free radicals and a biochemical that transfers energy from food to your cells to be used for the work of staying alive and healthy. Statins, by blocking the pathway involved in cholesterol production, also blocks the same pathway by which CoQ10 is produced.

The loss of CoQ10 leads to loss of cell energy and increased free radicals which further damage your DNA and accelerate aging. The heart is usually the first to feel the statin-associated CoQ10 depletion because of its extremely high energy demands. The longer you are on the drug, the more complications you may have. These can range from chronic fatigue to cardiomyopathy (heart muscle disease) and congestive heart failure.

Hence, if you are on statins, you need to supplement with CoQ10. If you are over 40, you should take the reduced version called ubiquinol as your body is less efficient in converting it. Unfortunately, most doctors don't tell you this.

Given all these unpleasant side effects, are statins really effective in lowering your risk of heart disease? Many studies show that the result is inconclusive for people who have not had a heart attack.

Even BusinessWeek did a story on this topic in the January 17, 2008 issue. It reports that in Pfizer's own newspaper ad for Lipitor, the drug company boasts that Lipitor reduces heart attacks by 36%. But there is an asterisk next to it and in smaller print underneath, it says: "In a large clinical study, 3% of patients taking a sugar pill or placebo had a heart attack compared to 2% of patients taking Lipitor."

What this means is that for every 100 people who took Lipitor over the test period, 3 people
who were on placebos had heart attacks, versus 2 people on Lipitor. Not a significant achievement to brag about!

Other studies on Zetia and Vytorin (which is a combination of Zetia and Zocor) also fail to show that the drugs reduce the risk of heart attacks or strokes.

Therefore, unless you have already had a heart attack, were born with a genetic defect called familial hypercholesterolemia, or are high in heart disease risk factors (see below), you should carefully weigh the risks and benefits before taking statins.

Alternatively, you may consider taking niacin (vitamin B3) to raise your HDL, and lower small, dense LDL and triglycerides (fats in blood). The major side effect of high-dose niacin is flushing of the skin and itching. Unfortunately, the non-flush niacin that's available in the market seems to be ineffective for this purpose.

Make sure the niacin is nicotinic acid and not other related forms as they are not as effective. Start with 500 mg of sustained release niacin every other day and slowly work up to 2 grams per day to minimize side effects such as upset stomach, headache, and dizziness.

Take niacin with a big meal like dinner and 2 glasses of water to reduce the hot flush. Sometimes, it is necessary to take an uncoated aspirin 30 minutes before taking the niacin. Also, don't drink alcohol or hot fluids around the time of the dose.

Do not take niacin if you have chronic liver disease, diabetes, or peptic ulcer. Always consult with your physician before taking high-dose niacin.

How To Assess Your Risk Of Heart Disease

Except for people whose total cholesterol is 340 or higher, your cholesterol number is not necessarily the most accurate measure of heart disease risk. The following are indicators from your blood test results that provide a better assessment of your risk:

* HDL/Total Cholesterol - ideally, this ratio should be above 0.24.
* Triglyceride/HDL - ideally, this ratio should be below 2.Triglycerides tend to rise from eating too much sugar and refined carbs, being physically inactive, smoking, excessive drinking, and being overweight or obese. Elevated levels increase heart disease risk.
* Small, dense LDL - a high number is linked to a higher risk.
* Homocysteine - too much of this amino acid in the blood is associated with buildup of plaque in arteries and tendency to form clots.
* C-Reactive Protein (CRP) - a marker for chronic inflammation in the body.

Small, dense LDL, homocysteine, and CRP are not part of your typical blood cholesterol tests. You have to specifically request for these additional tests.

Please note that some people with high cholesterol may not have a high risk of heart disease and should definitely not be taking statins. On the other hand, some people with low cholesterol are actually at risk for heart disease. The next section discusses ways to prevent heart disease through heart-healthy dietary and lifestyle habits.

How To Naturally Reduce Your Risk Of Heart Disease

The goal here is not to reduce your cholesterol as low as it can go because cholesterol, as explained, serves some very important functions in the body. Rather, you want to avoid chronic inflammation which raises your risk of heart disease as well as many other degenerative diseases.

* Optimize your insulin levels. 75% of your cholesterol is produced by your liver, which in turn, is influenced by your insulin levels. Sugar, through a process called glycation, causes damage in the lining of your arteries. Therefore, if your HDL/Total Cholesterol ratio is too low, your should aim to eliminate sugar, fruits, and grains from your diet. Then, gradually reintroduce a small amount of fruits and whole grains when your cholesterol improves.
* Make sure you get plenty of high quality, mercury-free fish oil. It contains omega-3 fats which help cut down inflammation, lower your total cholesterol and trigylcerides and increase your HDL cholesterol. Studies show that fish omega-3 is just as effective as low-dose aspirin in preventing heart disease, without any long-term side effects of the drug.
* Avoid oxidized fats or trans fats. Stay away from refined vegetable oils which are high in polyunsaturated fats. These fats are easily damaged and oxidized during high heat processing or cooking. Oxidized fats are characterized by the presence of free radicals that cause inflammation in the body. Do not use canola, corn, soy, safflower, or sunflower oils. Be aware that they are commonly used in fast foods, restaurants, and processed foods.
* Avoid charring your meats.
* Eat right for your Metabolic Type. Protein types tend to require more fat and protein (in particular, red and dark meats) and less carbs than the Mixed and Carb types. By eating the right proportions of fat, protein, and carbs for your body, it will be like giving an engine the right mix of fuel to run in the most efficient manner. If you want to find out your Metabolic Type and the best foods for your specific body, please contact me.
* Heart-healthy fats include olive oil, coconut oil, organic dairy products (butter, cream, cheese, etc.), organic free-range eggs, avocados, raw nuts and seeds, and organic grass-fed meats.
* Optimize your vitamin D levels at 50-70 ng/ml. Research studies find that vitamin D deficiency is associated with stiffening of the arteries, a risk factor for heart disease and stroke.
* Reduce your homocysteine levels. Folic acid, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, and choline are nutrients that lower homocysteine. These nutrients are found mostly in eggs, meats, and green leafy vegetables.
* Check your thyroid. Poor thyroid function (hypothyroidism) often results in high cholesterol levels. Low thyroid function can be due to a diet high in sugar and low in fat-soluble vitamins and minerals. Use natural sea salt, not the refined iodized salt, for a balanced intake of minerals.
* Exercise daily. When you exercise, you increase your circulation and blood flow throughout your body. Even 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day can improve your cardiovascular health.
* Drop the excess weight. Carrying extra pounds increases your risk of heart disease. Even a little weight reduction will raise your HDL levels.
* Avoid smoking. Smoking constricts your blood vessels and raises your risk of heart attacks.
* Don't drink alcohol excessively. Limit to one drink a day.
* Address the sources of stress in your life. Reduce them or learn ways to cope with them.
* Get plenty of restorative sleep every night.

Carol Chuang is a Certified Nutrition Specialist and a Metabolic Typing Advisor. She has a Masters degree in Nutrition and is the founder of CC Health Counseling, LLC. Her passion in life is to stay healthy and to help others become healthy. She believes that a key ingredient to optimal health is to eat a diet that is right for one's specific body type. Eating organic or eating healthy is not enough to guarantee good health. The truth is that there is no one diet that is right for everyone. Our metabolisms are different, so should our diets. Carol specializes in Metabolic Typing, helping her clients find the right diet for their Metabolic Type. To learn more about Metabolic Typing, her nutrition counseling practice, and how to get a complimentary phone consultation, please go to http://cchealthcounseling.com/

By Carol Chuang

Reversing Heart Disease Naturally and Effectively With Reishi Mushroom

2011-10-04T16:06:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder what the leading cause of death here in America is? No it's not homicides nor cancer, but the number one killer here in the United States is Heart Disease. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for people of most ethnicities in the United States, including African Americans, American Indians or Alaska Natives, Hispanics, and whites. It is now estimated that one in four Americans will die of heart disease. This is a serious disease that affects all age groups and ethnicities. More and more Americans have sub come to this deadly disease. We are in hope; this disease can be treated, reversed and prevented, with this time-tested herb used for more than 3,000 years. Reishi Mushroom, a medicinal mushroom will help prevent and reverse all heart disease.

First, Heart Disease is made up of many diseases and conditions that affect your heart. Some of these diseases are coronary artery disease, which is a disease that affects your blood vessels. It is also the most common heart disease in our country. The main cause of coronary artery disease is the accumulation of plaque build-up in the arteries that supply oxygenated blood to your heart. These plaques consist of bad cholesterol deposits. Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that your body needs. But, when you have too much in your blood, it can build up on the walls of your arteries. This can lead to heart disease and stroke. Another form of heart disease is heart rhythm problems also known as arrhythmias.

Heart arrhythmias are irregular or abnormal heartbeats, either too slow or too fast. Another heart condition of many relating to heart disease is infections of the heart. Bacterial endocarditis is an infection of the heart valves or heart's inner lining. This sort of infection occurs when germs, primarily bacteria, but also fungi and other microbes enter the blood stream and attack either the heart valves or lining of the heart. It's important to know that this disease can affect men and women and both children and adult. It will be of great value to take the necessary steps not only to educate you of this number one killer, but adapting an improved lifestyle, one that includes a herbal/natural regime. The top herb with great history and use, as well as both clinical and scientific research in treating/preventing heart disease is the Reishi mushroom. Scientific studies show, the Reishi mushroom treatment is effective and improves 81.77% of heart disease patients. The best result where 93.3% in one study.

What is a Reishi Mushroom? Reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum) or Ling Zhi is a medicinal mushroom with long use in ancient China dating back thousands of years. Unlike other herbs and medicinal mushrooms, the health benefits of Reishi are extremely broad. This queen of herbs is known to have miraculous health benefits. Some of its benefits include immune modulating, aids in autoimmune diseases, potent antioxidants, improve cardiovascular system (Heart), anti-cancer, anti-stress, improve memory and concentration, radiation protection, promotes liver cell recovery and many more. As you can see Reishi mushroom has many health benefits, this is why it is considered a superior in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Reishi mushroom is beneficial for the heart health. The main compounds in Reishi mushroom that aid in improving heart health are sterols, polysaccharides (Beta-D-glucans), triterpenes (Ganoderic Acids) and adenosine. As mentioned above the most common heart disease is coronary artery disease, the accumulation of plaque build-up in the blood. This accumulated plaque is bad cholesterol, just to make things clear not all cholesterol is bad. There are two types of cholesterol, good (HDL) and bad (LDL). The cause for bad cholesterol in the body is poor nutrition. Artificial, chemically changed fats such as margarines are a leading CAUSE of heart disease. Numerous clinical studies have shown Reishi mushroom extract to be effective in coronary heart disease. In one study 14 cases out of 15 had LDL levels substantially decreased. These benefits were obtained after 1 week of Reishi extract treatment. The main compound found in Reishi responsible for the improvements is the polysaccharides. The polysaccharides found in Reishi also have also been found to improve the circulation of the myocardium (the innermost muscle of the heart), increase blood flow and lowers oxygen consumption.

One clinical study showed Reishi improved heart disease patients in up to 92%. Another important compound found in the Reishi mushrooms are triterpenes. Triterpenes are responsible for blood pressure and blood lipid improvements (cholesterol). Patients (taking Reishi extract) from another clinical trial showed significant decrease in total cholesterol. Their HDLs or good cholesterol did not change, but their LDLs or bad unwanted cholesterol was decreased, which is the proper way to lose cholesterol. Triterpenes also have an adaptogenic effect, helping the body to adapt to large range of environmental, biological, and sociological stress (protection from excess stressors). A final major component of Reishi for heart health is adenosine. Adenosine, a nucleotide and derivative of RNA, is connected with inhibiting platelet aggregation and regulating energy. Alleviating bad blood, dislodging blockage (blood clots) in the body. Reishi has a harmonizing effect on the body, immune system as well as the circulatory system.

It's clear, that this time tested medicinal mushroom has very positive effects on body, especially the heart. Clinical studies have shown that Reishi has the ability to alleviate many of these issues. We read often how as Americans we need to reduce our cholesterol and blood-fat levels. Not only has Reishi extract been shown to do this, it also balances the ratio of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol. Clinical studies and trials have shown Reishi to help over 80% of people with heart problems. Every negative issue relating to the heart along with the use of Reishi was lowered/reversed/alleviated in as little as 10 days. Reishi mushroom extract is the key for heart health and vitality.

5 Easy Strategies to Reverse Heart Disease Naturally

1. AVOID MARGARINE AND ALL HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OILS. Use Coconut oil instead or raw butter
2. Added in Reishi Mushroom Extract
3. Exercise, some form of cardiovascular activity (jogging, biking, swimming, powerwalk, yoga, etc) few times a week.
4. Eat more organic fruits and vegetables with EVERY meal
5. Go vegetarian, but if you choose to eat meat. Go with Hormone free, Organic grass-fed and pastured animals. Add in wild-caught fish.

An excellent source for organic reishi mushroom extract to aid in improving your heart health. Visit http://www.invincibleherbs.com

By Mariam Turay

Not So Silent Killer - The Spiraling Effects of Heart Disease Among African Americans

2011-10-03T16:03:00.000-07:00

For decades, heart disease has cut a wide swath through the health and well-being of American society. Over 70 million Americans are living with a form of heart disease, and it is the most likely cause of death. Statistics for African Americans are particularly dire. Of 5 million individuals diagnosed with heart disease, 725,000 are African American, with an estimated increase of 900,000 expected by the end of the decade. Although risk factors are identical across racial groups, blacks present multiple factors and symptoms are likely to be more advanced and aggressive. In 2003, American Heart Association statistics showed an alarming 41% of black males and 44.7% black females had cardiovascular disease compared to 34.3% and 32% of white respectively. The harsh social and economic realities of African American life have exacerbated the onslaught of the disease, towards which we are seemingly predisposed. Despite this, blacks remain the most underrepresented and under served population in research studies, clinical trials and treatment. Black women, who have the highest risk factors, remain the lowest on the healthcare ladder for diagnosis and life-saving tests and treatment and are 69% more likely to die from a heart attack or stroke than white women. Grim health outcomes notwithstanding, it is possible to reverse medical predictions to achieve and maintain optimum health through education and positive lifestyle changes.

Risk Factors
The risk factors for heart disease are as follows: hypertension; family history; cigarette smoking; diabetes; obesity; high blood cholesterol and physical inactivity. Previously, increasing age and gender were determining factors; though this is no longer true as the disease has been diagnosed at increasing younger ages. Each year, 40,000 more women than men suffer strokes and women account for 51% of the total heart disease. Secondary risk factors are high levels of triglyceride, the most common type of fat in the body which accelerates to high cholesterol and diabetes; excessive alcohol in-take and previous heart attack or stroke.

Risk factors and symptoms tend to be higher and more destructive in blacks. For example, a black, female diabetic, with attendant factors of obesity and a sedentary lifestyle, may be so far advanced that a limb may need to be amputated. Dr. Malcolm Taylor, MD, Assistant Clinical Professor for University Medical Center, in Mississippi, Director of the Congestive Heart Failure Clinic at St. Dominic-Jackson Memorial Hospital and former President of the Association of the Black Cardiologists explains, "Diabetes is not only a disease involving glucose, it also causes premature aging of the blood vessels. That's why the number one cause of death for diabetics is cardiovascular diseases." The virulence of the risk factors have led researchers and genetic scientists to explore the existence of intrinsic biological determinants or a human genome that make blacks more naturally predisposed susceptible to certain chronic illness such, genes for salt retention that causes hypertension and another for that exacerbates diabetes.

The prevalence of hypertension in African Americans is the highest in the world and plays a significant role in cardiovascular complications. Clinical Director of the Hypertension and Vascular Biology and Head of the Hypertension Division of Cardiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland and a founding member of the Association of Black Cardiologist, Dr. Elijah Saunders asserts that one African-American dies as a result of high blood pressure every hour in the US, which is nearly twice as often as whites. "Blacks also develop high blood pressure at younger ages than whites and suffer more damage to their organs as a result of the disease." The pressure of stressful life experiences negatively impacts cardio vascular health. In today's fast-paced, competitive environment, a number of external components contribute to elevated blood pressure including social-economic factors such as career pressure, lack of or underemployment, substandard living conditions and racism. In addition, lack of adequate healthcare and shoddy management of chronic illnesses paves the way for long-term heart failure. Stress stimulators often trigger the development of calcification which causes injury to the cells. The accumulated calcium becomes a marker for aththerosclerosis, a thickening and hardening of artery walls which eventually blocks the arteries.

The culture of eating, not to nourish but to fuel the body, is a particular egregious contributor to cardiovascular disease, which relates to the arteries and vessels within the cardiac system. While many Americans are aware that poor nutrition and lifestyle are not conducive to optimal health, cultural practices are difficult to break. Fried and starchy foods, heavy salt intake, dairy, unsaturated fats and high cholesterol meals - staples of traditional African American cuisine - are major causes of aththerosclerosis. Over time, the accumulation of hard-to-process foods particles creates a blockage in the vessels which eventually compromises the arterial walls. Americans' increasing corpulence and ever-expanding waist line also weighs heavily. Lisa Jubilee, nutritionist and co-founder of Living Proof, Nutrition and Fitness Center in New York City says, "We're observing the phenomenon of the skinny, fat person who looks great dressed up and doesn't weigh much, but have substantial fat deposits stored in their midsection causing an apple shape." The abdominal fat causes heart disease by pressing into the internal organs and decreasing the oxygen supply to various parts of the body.

Yo-yo dieting is also vicious enemy to the heart and the body's metabolic system. The shock of food deprivation and supply places substantial stress on the body and hinders its ability to lose weight naturally. Jubilee explains, "Your body doesn't care if you're trying to lose weight or build muscle, its main focus is survival. Therefore it will try to find nutrients however it can, even it means metabolizing muscle which will then cause atrophy." Gradually, vacillating dieting habits weakens the heart muscles and leaves other organs susceptible to cardiovascular disease.

What to Look For: Symptoms and Signs
The body sends a number of signals to the individual to bring about life-saving change. One of the most flagrant signals is a transit ischemic attack (TIA) or "mini stroke." Dr. Donna Mendes, Chief of Vascular Surgery at St. Luke's Roosevelt, Uptown in New York City, Clinical Professor of Surgery at the College of Physicians & Surgeons, and the first African American female to become board certified in the specialty of peripheral vascular surgery explains, "A TIA occurs when the blood vessel in the brain develops an ulcer caused by high cholesterol. Plaque forms around the crater which eventually breaks off and makes its way through the blood stream towards the brain. The portion of the brain impacted will suddenly experience decreased blood flow, resulting in a TIA." The part of the body controlled by that portion of the brain becomes impaired, lasting from a few minutes to twenty-four hours. For example, while combing the hair the comb may fall from a person's hand. Other indicators include loss of sensation on one side of the body, loss of vision, motor function or intermittent pain in the calf after walking, which results from decreased oxygen and blood flow. Peripheral artery disease is also a major element in the development of heart disease. It affects arteries which emanate from the heart, which, when damaged, causes stroke, gangrene or amputation of the lower extremities.

Despite exhaustive studies of heart disease in Caucasians, scientists have only recently begun to study the presentation of the disease in African Americans. Dr. Taylor asserts, "Blacks still receive less cardiovascular care, even for acute symptoms, are less likely to receive EKGs, cardiac testing, bypass surgery or even an aspirin." Historically considered a man's disease, women present much milder, vague symptoms than male counterparts, which are often missed by both primary physicians and cardiologists. Because they do not the display the heart clutching, Hollywood version of an attack most associated with heart failure, they are often misdiagnosed or under-treated despite the existence of one or more risk factors. After weeks of persistent breathlessness and vague sense of physical unease, Joan Connell, then 42, an accounting professional at Ziff Davis Publishing, went to the emergency room convinced she was having a heart attack. Despite being an overweight smoker who had been physically inactive for years, she was sent home. A week later she returned with a second heart attack and was rushed into emergency bypass surgery which revealed four blocked arteries.

This year, the National Institutes of Health released the Women's Ischemic Syndrome Evaluation study (WISE) to address the discrepancy in symptoms between men and women and to assist physicians in identifying and treating the illness in women. Symptoms in men include angina (chest pain), pressure or discomfort in the chest or a tingling sensation in the arm of on one side of the body. Women, however, experience a broader constellation of symptoms over a prolonged period of time. Dr. Patrice Desvigne-Nickens, MD, Head of the Cardiovascular Medicine Scientific Research Group at the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute in Bethesda, Maryland explains, "In the presence of one or more pertinent risk factors, women present a wider set of symptoms for cardiac ischemia which results in heart attack. These symptoms include fatigue; shortness of breath; feelings of indigestion and ill health; palpitations; neck, shoulder and upper back pain; nausea; vomiting; sweating and lightheadedness."

Connell says that Black women's superwoman syndrome is detrimental to women's health and receiving proper care. "We are often over-stressed from working two jobs, taking care of family and juggling multiple responsibilities, the last thing we have time for is taking care of ourselves." According to Dr. Desvigne-Nickens treatment is time-sensitive therefore the level of damage and the expeditious delivery of treatment plays a significant part in determining the severity of the damage and if the patient survives the attack. Self-care is not selfish. Dr. Desvigne-Nickens says, "Doctors must pay close attention in order to discern symptoms and then order the appropriate test. Women must feel empowered to act quickly to get the necessary treatment."

Treatment: Cutting Edge Technology, Medication, Protection and Testing
Take heart. Over the years scientists and pharmaceutical companies have developed sophisticated treatment methods, dose-appropriate medications and minimally invasive techniques which have proved effective in the treatment of heart disease. Often EKGs fail to accurately show measure heart defects. Imaging studies have revolutionized how doctors view - and treat - vessel and organ damage.

· Angiography or arteriogram - a procedure that uses X-ray and a special dye to see inside the arteries, veins and heart chambers to detect narrowing or blockage of the vessels. Other forms of angiographies which correspond with various parts of the body include renal, aortic and coronary.
· Carotid Ultrasound - illustrates blood flow and the narrowing of the blood vessels.
· Cardiac Scanning (CT) - examines how well the arteries diffuse blood
· Ankle Brachial Index - predicts the presence and the severity of peripheral artery disease. The patient's blood pressure is first taken at rest in the arm and in the foot and again several minutes later. A reading under one indicates narrowing of the blood vessel. DR. Mendes also suggests checking the pulse in the groin, behind the knees and in the leg.
· Stress tests - used to determine the amount of stress the heart can manage before developing either an abnormal rhythm or evidence of ischemia. One of the more popular, the treadmill test provides information on how the heart responds to exertion and involves walking on a treadmill or pedaling a stationary bike at varying levels of difficulty, while electrocardiogram, heart rate and blood pressure are monitored.

Because of the under-representation of blacks in the heart disease studies, the FDA has mandated greater minority inclusion in clinical trial. Now there are several medications that mitigate the multiple risk factors. Rimonabant, available in 2007 blocks receptors in the brain that help reduce the risk of heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. Others currently available are designed to raise HDLs (good cholesterol) and lower plaque. Dr. Taylor explains, "Patients' response is dose-dependent. African Americans tend to need higher doses to get better results and greater cardiac benefit.

· BiDil has been specifically shown to reduce mortality, hospitalization and improve quality of life.
· Beta Blockers lowers blood pressure, treats chest pain and assist in the recovery of heart attack survivors.
· Ace Inhibitors and angiotensin dilates the blood vessels to improve the amount of blood the heart pumps and lower blood pressure. ACE inhibitors also increase blood flow, which helps to decrease the amount of work the heart does.

In addition to angioplasty (inserting a balloon) and stents, minimally invasive surgeries have transformed heart disease treatment, resulting in shorter hospitalization and recovery time, improves medical outcomes, causes less complications and trauma and is more economical.

· Off-Pump Bypass (beating heart surgery) is performed on a beating heart and reduces the risk of medical complications including stroke, bleeding and renal failure.
· Anjiojet - Saline jets create a powerful vacuum within the artery, breaking up the clots, and removes pieces through a catheter and into a pump.
· Trans-Myocardial Laser Revascularization (TMLR) employs a laser to create blood perfusion channels in the heart that supplements the function of the coronary arteries.

Prevention
A diagnosis of heart disease is not a life sentence nor should it be a source of shame or weakness. It presents everyone with the opportunity to recreate and rejuvenate their life through awareness, proper diet and exercise and healthy lifestyle changes. Reducing controllable risk factors is key.

· The core prevention messages are unchanged. This includes becoming physically active, smoking cessation and maintaining weight level in keeping with one's height and specific body type.
· Diet. Reduce intake of saturated fats found in dairy, red meats, and organ meats such as liver, kidney, sausage and giblets. Incorporate vegetables and foods in their natural forms such as whole grain and high fiber foods which help unclog arteries. Avoid white foods which have been drained of their nutritional content. This includes bread, sugar and pasta. Avoid products containing high fructose corn syrup contained in sodas and fruit juices.
· Know your numbers - blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar - so that you can control your risks.
· Learn how to read food labels. Some processed foods and nutritional bars that contain mysterious fillers.

Analyze the content before consuming the product.
Ultimately, education is key and African Americans must assume greater responsibility for their own health. Dr. Taylor cautions, "A doctor will spend more time with a patient who knows something about their disease."

Author Denise A. Campbell is the Founder and Creative Director of GoldenPen Writing Ink, a multifacted writing and communication service.

Originally published on http://www.blackenterprise.com/magazine/2007/05/01/warning-signs/

By Denise Campbell Laidler

Heart Disease in Women - Why It's Different From Men

2011-10-02T16:00:00.000-07:00

Men and women have obvious physical differences, but there are differences that go far deeper. One of those deeper differences is how we respond emotionally. This difference is demonstrated through the different reactions and emotional responses to life's situations. Generally, men will keep their emotions bottled up inside, whereas women, on the other hand, will express themselves freely.

In addition, it has been documented, that men and women are different when it comes to displaying certain symptoms of diseases. One such difference is the exhibited affects of heart disease and their variance in symptoms between men and women. Two of the differences include the difference of symptoms demonstrated and the age at which heart attacks occur.

Symptoms
The health of both men and women suffer from the effects of heart disease. Yet, the symptom exhibited from heart disease in women varies significantly from how the symptoms are expressed in men who suffer from heart disease.

First of all, it's important to note that both men and women die from heart disease. However, the percentage of women dying from heart related diseases is greater than their male counterparts. What may contribute to this disproportionate statistic of fatalities attributed to heart disease in women is that the signs of a heart attack in a woman are not as apparent as a man who is experiencing a heart attack.

Generally, when a patient, who fits the profile, is experiencing chest pains a standard operating procedure is to order an angiogram. The results of this angiogram will reflect any blockages of the coronary arteries. The differing results of this test are striking between the two genders. The hearts of men are more likely to show signs of blockage in the coronary arteries, while the coronary arteries of the women will not.

Yet, medical experts emphasize that the health of a woman's heart is still in jeopardy. This is due to the discovery that heart disease in women begins within the small arteries of a woman's heart. These small arteries, as opposed to the larger coronary arteries in the male heart, have exhibited blockage which eventually deprives portions of the heart. This particular heart malady is called microvascular disease and is a prominent heart disease in women who experience the symptoms of chest pain associated with a heart condition.

Age
Another contributing factor of heart-disease in women and men is age. The age difference, between the two genders, is significant when experiencing the realities of heart-disease.

Unlike men who suffer heart attacks at earlier ages, women suffer the effects of cardiovascular disease during the later stages of their life. This fact is borne out in that the leading cause of death amongst older women is heart-disease. The average age for heart attacks amongst women is at the age of 70.

To counter the effects of heart-disease in women at a later stage in life, it is highly recommended that women become actively engaged in fighting heart-disease at an earlier age. The recommended timeline, to become more aware of heart-disease in women, is immediately following the menopausal stage

In addition to thinking early about heart-disease, preventative measures include a healthy diet and a routine form of aerobic exercise. These preventative measures should be in concert with the management of hypertension, weight control and regular cholesterol screenings.

By Dayne Amiel

Reversing Heart Disease and Cholesterol

2011-10-01T15:58:00.000-07:00

There is a variety of conditions and disorders that affect the heart that are all placed under the umbrella of heart disease. Coronary artery disease has been the overall leading cause of deaths across the globe. This leads many to want to know how can be done for the cause of reversing coronary artery disease. Types of heart disease include hypertension, cardiovascular disease, cardiomyopathy, inflammatory heart disease, valvular heart disease, heart failure, coronary heart disease and Ischaemic heart disease. There are then sub categories of these main categories of heart disease.

A healthy lifestyle is a way of preventing getting any type of heart disease. This includes a healthy diet and exercise. However, some hereditary and environmental issues can predispose some people to the ailment of any type of heart disease. It is also good to know what some of the causes are in order to be able to prevent the onset and worsening of a condition of coronary artery disease.

High cholesterol and high blood pressure are two major causes of types of coronary artery disease. Cholesterol can build up in the blood vessels and lead to a condition that blocks the flow of blood to the heart. This is coronary disease and it can worsen if you do not start reversing coronary artery disease symptoms. Worsening of the condition can lead to angina when the cholesterol builds to the point where the heart is not getting enough oxygen and chest pains begin.

When the heart has become so weak that it no longer can pump blood to the heart, fluid builds up in the body tissues. The combination of high blood pressure and blocked blood vessels can cause heart failure. In a situation where blood is totally blocked from reaching the heart that part of the heart starts to die. This is what leads to a heart attack.

Besides high bad cholesterol and high blood pressure, other factors that contribute to the risk of developing a form of coronary artery disease are smoking, being overweight, not enough exercise and stress. Of course reversing coronary artery disease would entail improving upon all of these factors. If you have factors that put you at risk, it is best to address one factor at a time.

Benefits to the health of anyone, whether at risk for coronary artery disease or not include not smoking, keeping your body weight at a healthy level, regular exercise and a healthy low-fat diet. Taking these steps will not only reduce your risk of coronary artery disease, but also will reduce your risk of developing diabetes, high blood pressure, some cancers, stroke and osteoporosis.

There is a variety of conditions and disorders that affect the heart that are all placed under the umbrella of coronary artery disease. Heart attack has been the overall leading cause of deaths across the globe. Women seem to be the primary suffers of heart disease. With this in mind of the wife and mother of the household changes her eating and exercise habits, it will transfer over to the remainder of the family and work toward reversing heart attack risk.

Do you want to learn how to prevent and even reverse heart disease [http://reversing-heart-disease.info]? Please visit the following site to learn more about heart disease.

By Mike Gate

How to Prevent Heart Disease, Stoke and Circulation Problems With Pulsating Energy

2011-09-30T15:53:00.000-07:00

What is Heart Disease?

* Heart disease is a common type of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Heart disease is the #1 cause of death of men and women in the United States.

Heart disease is a term used to describe different types of problems with the heart or its blood vessels. The most common form of heart disease is coronary heart disease (CHD), which involves hardening and narrowing of the arteries (atherosclerosis). It is caused by the buildup of fatty material (called plaque) on the inside walls of the arteries.

Healthcare providers look for coronary heart disease risk by checking several factors, including blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose, family history, and lifestyle factors such as smoking, excessive alcohol use, fatty diet, lack of exercise, being overweight and stress!

What is a Heart Attack?

A heart attack, also known as myocardial infarction, occurs when blood flow through the arteries of the heart becomes blocked due to coronary heart disease.

Prevention and early treatment:

Pulsating Energy Resonance Therapy (PERTH) is stimulating the entire meridian system. In case of heart disease prevention or treatment the heart meridian is stimulated with human like frequencies and a magnetic field strength like the heart is normally producing. The immediate effect is harmonizing the heart beat and better blood trophic. The blood flow to the heart muscle increases immediately! Every session with PERTH lasts about 4-6 hours. Healthy people using PERTH preventive treatment 2-3 times a week. People who already suffer heart disease should use PERTH treatment every day. In addition:

Main effect of optimized magnetic fields:

- Support of blood circulation in arteries, capillaries and veins - Increase in partial pressure of oxygen (pO2) - Improvement of metabolism - Increase protein production - Stimulation of defense cells (T lymphocyte and macrophage) - Stimulation and harmonization of glad functions (e.g. lymph system)

Coronary Heart Disease - Research

N.N. Bogdanov et al.: 'Optimization of the Effects of Physical and Health Resort Factors in Ischemic Heart Diseases and Arterial Hypertension,' Ter-Arkh 1986, p. 108-111., Presents and discusses the results of Pulsating Electromagnetic Fields in prevention and rehabilitation in 280 patients with coronary heart disease. A very good result when Pulsating Electromagnetic Field Therapy is combined with drugs**

** Today we can say conventional drugs are far less effective as expected and they have a high risk of side effects.

Circulation Disorders - Research A.P. Dovganiuk, A.A. Minenkov: "The Use of Physical Factors in Treating Chronic Arterial Insufficiency of the Lower Limbs," Vorp Kurortol Fizioter Lech Fiz Kult (5), 1996, pp. 7-9. - The study investigates the effects of Pulsating Electromagnetic Fields on 450 patients and shows positive results in almost 87%. N. Haimovici: "Pulsating Electromagnetic Fields in Clinic and Research," Herder Clinic, Bremen, Therapiewoche [Therapy week], 31, 1981 pp. 7317-7330. - Of the 2081 patients treated with low-frequency pulsating magnetic fields in this clinic and as outpatients, 253 cases involved arterial and venous circulation disorders. These tests yielded positive results.

Pulsating Electromagnetic Resonance Fields (PERTH) stimulate this "bio-energy field" through biological resonance with physiological electromagnetic impulses between 0 to 30.000 Hertz and amplitudes within the physiological biological windows. Communication within and without our organism is a continual information & energy exchange via oscillating electromagnetic fields. Most likely, the entire electromagnetic effects on the organism have their origin in the extra-cellular ground substance or matrix, stimulating other systems to tune into its oscillations. All rhythmical processes and therapies (light, movement, sound etc.) produce electromagnetic oscillations, stimulating and regulating the "bio- energy field" influencing ground substance and basic regulation, directly affecting the endocrine and the nervous systems.

PERTH is applicable in primary prevention, therapy of disease, and maintenance of health through activating self-regulatory and self-healing processes on INFORMATION & ENERGY level. PERTH frees the "bio- energy field" from interference and so to speak harmonizes our organism by providing it with normal biological rhythms. This in turn will be reflected in a more balanced picture in the Meridian Diagnosis.

While Meridian Diagnosis reveals disharmonies in the electromagnetic melodies of an individual's life and biography, Pulsating Electromagnetic Resonance Fields restore soundness in the electromagnetic music by bringing the organism back to resonate with Biological Rhythms.

Why do we need PERTH? Our lifestyle is an enormous pressure to our body due to:

- Lack of exercise - Increasing environmental pollution - Processed food, preservatives, all forms of drugs - Stress, mental and physical overload, lack of sleep - Emotional stress and problems - Lack of energy - Are your energy reserves depleted?

Energy deficiency leads to disease!

All degenerative disease and premature aging is caused by energy deficiency in the human biological system. Many symptoms simply disappear if the energy level of the effected person is increased. It is more effective to treat the cause (energy deficiency) and not the symptoms (disease).

At the age of 20, our energy potential is at it highest. The energy of our body reduces considerably between the age 35 and 45. At the age of 60, human energy can be as low as 60% and at the age of 75 as low as 50%. The risk of disease increases. The body lacks energy to fight infections or recover from accidents.

Stimulate your body's energy levels!

How does the PERTH system work?

Latest technology combined with scientific Know-how made the development of the PERTH therapy systems possible. With the help of a computerized unit and a mat, pillow or head applicator, PERTH creates the energy field, which stimulates the body to produce extra energy. At the push of a button, one of the 6 (+8) available programs can be started, which last between 10 and 60 minutes. This Pulsating Energy Resonance Therapy (PERTH) provides a multitude of benefits for your health.

Bioresonance treatment can assist in:

- Increasing the natural regenerative power of your body - Disease prevention - Improving the ability of your body to combat chronic and degenerative disease, such as arthritis, osteoporosis and rheumatism - Improved recovery and injuries - Reduced effects of aging - Regulation of blood pressure - Reduction of stress levels - Sleep and relaxation - Treatment of pain and headaches - Menstrual problems - Strengthening the immune system

Many times I receive emails with questions about specific disease condition. Can it help here, can it help there. I will reverse this question now and say : "Is there any way it can't help"?

To understand what we trying to do we must first understand the importance of the Meridian System in our body. (Download)

All 12 main meridians are connected to inner organs, e.g. stomach, heart, spleen-pancreas, liver, small and large intestine, lung, bladder, kidney, pericardium, triple warmer and gallbladder. When we are able to stimulate all of these meridians effectively with hume like frequencies and a very low field strength (body own) the flow of life energy (Chi, Prana) is increasing. The energy in 6 meridians is going up and in the other 6 meridians going down (Yin / Yang) or male and female energy. The optimal relation would be 50% to 50% up/down, this means a person is completely balanced. Balancing in fact is most necessary for any healing procedure. Let's say an unbalanced body receives perfect nutrition and vitamins. The ability to use these healing properties is far less effective than in a perfectly balanced system.

The conclusion lies clear on hand and is very simple to understand, we need to balance the system first and metabolism will do the rest. Can it have a reduced effect on aging? Yes most definitely, when we combine Energy+Oxygen+better Metabolism and good nutrition, vitamin rich and minerals the aging causes are drastically reduced. In Traditional Chinese Medicine it is known over 5.000 years a disturbance in the meridian system is the major cause of all diseases, besides other factors, we face today: Stress, junk food, processed food, electric pollution, TV, microwave and so on.

Heart diseases, cancer, osteoporosis, alzheimer's, parkinson's disease, asthma, burn out syndrome, stress related diseases, multiple sclerosis, rheumatic disease etc. are the end result of meridian disturbances. Is the energy flow in the meridians without blockage and interruption the pathological symptom will disappear. A better way of course is preventing that a disturbance will occur.

Under today's overloaded environment the PREVENTION should be our main concern. Preventing is better than cure! That's were we find the greatest advantage of PERTH.

- PERTH therapy as prevention gives relief from stress
- It brings health, strength and vitality
- It will avoid any of the major diseases in the first place
- With PERTH and natural nutrition heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, burnout, sleeping disorder, asthma, allergies, etc. are virtually impossible.

When we consider increasing cost for health care, trips to a doctor, the time involved, long waiting hours, bad weather situation and the fact that what we can expect (a symptom oriented drug treatment with side effects) is not necessarily what we want, a small investment in our own health and for the entire family will pay for itself.

What if you or your child would get a cough attack at night?

Can you imagine all the trouble?

Let's say you have your "PERTH-home doctor" handy in the comfort of your home - you would turn it on, laying on the mat applicator and the attack is over in about 10 minutes. Would it give you peace of mind and more quality of life? Research: M.R. Scarfi et al.: Exposure to 100 Hz Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields Increases Micronucleus Frequency and Cell Proliferation in Human Lymphocytes, Bioelectrochem. - Bioenerg. 43/1 (77-81) 1997. - The experimental research on which this article is based shows the increased lymphocyte activity in fighting off infections and also proves at the same time that there is no genetic damage.

Remember "Energy deficiency leads to disease!" More energy, more health and vitality. Burnout syndrom for exapmle is a comon disease under the influence of stress and success pressure. A daily "relaxation", balancing and harmonization of all meridians with PERTH will definitely re-establish life quality - a clear head, better focus, better sleep. This is what pappens immediately. When the sleep is good the head is free we can work more concentrated and effective. Let me ask you this:

What is your intention for 2009/10? Being more fit, relaxed, vital and productive or would you rather wait until something happens to you, your wife/husband or children?

I honestly belief it is much more important today to pay more attention to holistic health and prevention than ever before.

But Why?

Our environment has changed. The planetary constellation (Earth) comes to an ending point in 2012. Doomsday? Well, Kind of...

Five great cycles of 5.200 years will close the time bubble of a 26.000 year cycle. This entire cycle is an era or paradigm and it will end December 21st 20012. A new, higher level will begin.

The Long Count Calendar of the Ancient Mayans ends on Dec 21 2012. There isn't much information regarding what the Mayans thought would occur in 2012, but the consensus of opinion is that there will be great change. To some people this means a positive, spiritual change. Other consider that a catastrophic event may have been predicted. Read more about the Mayan Calendar. Galactic Research Institute (see resource box)

I don't think the world will end in a catastrophic event, it is just the ending point of the old and the starting point of a new 26.000 year paradigm. How about change? CHANGE is happening already, most visible during the last 26 year cycle of this period (starting in 1986). Implosions on the material level (mega corps, banking crash, health system, insurance companies, real estate, financial crises) and a shift (lift-up) on the spiritual or eternal level.

How can I be so sure about that?

More light is coming in - this means our planet is increasing the frequency level. And it is dramatic. This explains one fact: People with a low frequency (e.g. depressed, sad, confused, aggressive) die very fast and unexpected today - if through disease, accident or any other cause it doesn't mater. So the greatest intention we should have to increase the frequency level permanently. As higher the vibration is the better is our health and well-being, vitality and strength. For example laughing, happiness sends out positive vibs and increases the frequency level. For example "A holistic cancer clinic in Switzerland uses this understanding during the cancer therapy on patients". Every patient has to go in a video room for at least one hour a day. There, only funny movies are shown - so the patients forget cancer and laugh as much they can. The result the survival and cure rate increased dramatically up to over 80% !! That's right over 80%.

What does it tell us?

When we find a solution to increase our frequency (vibration) level and harmonize / balance the system the more likely any dis-ease will disappear. After many years of research in the filed of energy medicine I could not find any better equipment with so many positive and often miraculous results in the same price range. (there are other systems for professional use starting in the $ 20,000 price range) To mention the fact that PERTH is a home treatment system and very easy to use. Miss-use or wrong handling nearly impossible.

To make a long story short - Who needs PERTH?

When we consider the great variety of possible treatment and prevention possibilities virtually everyone needs PERTH. Please see the long list of medical success stories and researches. This list is not complete.
Medical & Clinical Studies: http://www.sri.new-planet.net/index.php?pr=Medical_Studies Galactic Research Institute: http://www.lawoftime.org/home.html

By H. Juergen Loebner

An Overview of Heart Diseases

2011-09-29T15:50:00.000-07:00

Heart disease is currently the leading cause of death in the United States. It is a major cause of disability. Nearly 700,000 individuals die of heart disease in the United States each year. This means that heart disease accounts for roughly 29% of all deaths in the United States each year. Heart disease is an umbrella term that encompasses several more specific heart conditions. The most common heart disease in the United States is coronary heart disease. This can lead to heart attack.

The risk of coronary heart disease can be reduced by taking a number of steps to prevent and to control the adverse factors that put specific people at greater risk for heart disease and heart attack. Knowing the signs and symptoms of a heart attack, calling 911 immediately, and getting to a hospital as soon as possible are crucial to getting a positive outcome after a heart attack. It is also possible for people who have already had one heart attack to work to reduce the risk of future heart events.

Cardiomyopathy is one of the diseases contained under "heart disease." It literally means "heart muscle disease" as Myo = muscle, pathy = disease, and cardio = hart. This disease is the deterioration of the function of the myocardium, the actual heart muscle, for any reason. People who have cardiomyopathy are frequently at risk for arrhythmias and or sudden cardiac death.

Extrinsic cardiomyopathies, cardiomyopathies where the primary cause of the disease is outside the heart muscle, are the main classification. The majority of cardiomyopathies are caused by ischemia. The World Health Organization calls these specific cardiomyopathies. Common causes of myopathies include:

- Alcohol
- Coronary Artery Disease
- Congenital heart disease
- Nutritional diseases affection the heart
- Ischemic cardiomyopathy
- Hypertensive cardiomyopathy

Coronary artery disease is a disease of the artery caused by the accumulation of atheromatous plaques within the walls of the arteries that bring blood to the myocardium, or heart muscle. Chest pain and heart attacks are symptoms of and conditions caused by coronary artery disease, or CAD.

More than 459,000 Americans die of CAD on a yearly basis. In the United Kingdom, more than 100,000 deaths are due to coronary artery disease annually.

Cardiovascular disease is any number of specific diseases that affect the heart or the blood vessel system. This is particularly true of the veins and arteries leading to and from the heart. Research that has been conducted on heart diseases suggests that women who suffer from cardiovascular disease usually suffer from the forms that affect the blood vessels while men typically suffer from forms that affect the heart muscle itself. Known or associated causes of cardiovascular diseases include diabetes, hypertension, hyperhomocysteinemia, and high cholesterol.

For more information on heart disease in all of its forms, please visit http://www.medtroniclawsuitattorney.com.

By Joseph Devine

The Basic Facts About Heart Disease - What is it and What Are the Risk Factors?

2011-09-28T15:43:00.000-07:00

Heart diseases are also called cardiac diseases. Individuals of all ages can develop heart diseases. The most common form of heart disease in adults is coronary artery disease, which is the major cause of heart attacks and the most common form of heart disease in children, is congenital heart disease.

Heart disease can affect the heart muscle, the heart vessels, heart tissue or the heart valves. Heart disease can be caused by smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, infection, and toxins or from a birth defect. Some people are born with heart disease and most develop heart disease over time.

There are certain factors that put certain people at risk for heart disease such as individuals who have a family history of heart disease, those who smoke, and those who have high blood pressure or high blood cholesterol. Individual who are obese or lead inactive lives are also at an increased risk for heart disease. Age increases your risk for heart disease. Some of the risk factors such as family history and age cannot be controlled.

Heart disease present at birth can usually not be controlled if it is heredity in nature. Factors such as smoking, blood pressure and blood cholesterol and controlling diseases such as diabetes that when uncontrolled can lead to heart disease. You can reduce your risk for heart disease by controlling your blood pressure and blood cholesterol, by not smoking, and by getting enough exercise and eating healthy foods.

If an individual suspects heart disease due to having symptoms such as chest pain or discomfort, nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath, dizziness or a feeling that something bad is going to happen they should contact their doctor for an exam and diagnosis. Doctors are trained and have the skills to make the diagnosis of heart disease. You will first be asked to fill out a medical history form that will list your general health, and your symptoms as well as any family history. During the examination your vital signs will be taken including your blood pressure, weight, height, pulse, respiratory rate and temperature.

The doctor will give you a complete examination to rule out any other diseases. You may be sent to a laboratory for blood tests and to the x-ray department for a chest x-ray. Your doctor will be evaluating your risk for heart disease and any sign of present heart disease. You may also be sent for an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG), which will reveal any arrhythmias or irregular heart rhythms.

You may then be sent for special tests such as an exercise electrocardiogram, a fluoroscopy, phonocardiography, echocardiography, or an angiocardiography (cardiac catheterization). Your doctor will then put all the test results together and determine if you have heart disease or are at risk for heart disease.

Risk factors for heart disease are high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, the presence of diabetes, and smoking. These are the highest risk factors. Other factors are age, family history, and being obese and having an inactive lifestyle as well as stress. These last factors are considered minor risk factors.

After your doctor review your test results and determines your heart health and your risk factors for heart disease the doctor will give you a diagnosis or tell you what you can do to decrease your risk for heart disease.

Dee Braun, a single mom of 6, is a Certified Aromatherapist, Dr. of Reflexology and natural health practitioner. Click now to visit Health or High Water at http://www.healthorhighwater.com/ where you'll find info on ways to improve your health using natural nutritional supplements to help battle the ravages of time, poor nutrition, toxins & stress as well as address many common health conditions.

By Dee Braun

Heart Disease and Associated Problems

2011-09-27T15:40:00.000-07:00

To be told you have "heart disease" can strike fear into anyone hearing it for the first time, however it's not as bad as it sounds. In this article I am going to explain some of the terms, causes and remedies associated with a very common problem.

What is Heart disease, well put simply it is a general term used to describe several different conditions, all of which are potentially fatal, but are also treatable and/or preventable. The condition is primarily a disease of lifestyle, and is largely preventable through risk factor awareness and modification.

However it is a serious condition and if heart problem symptoms are ignored it is a major cause for heart attacks (myocardial infarction), congestive heart failure, angina pectoris, stroke, sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), and ischemia (reduced blood flow). The most common form is coronary heart disease, also known as coronary artery disease

Coronary

Coronary artery disease is the most common form of heart disease, it is caused by a narrowing or clogging of the coronary arteries that supply the heart with oxygen and nutrients. Coronary artery disease and the resulting reduced blood flow to the heart muscle can lead to other heart problems, such as chest pain (angina) and heart attacks (myocardial infarction). The risk of coronary heart disease can be reduced by taking steps to prevent and control those adverse factors that put people at greater risk for heart disease and heart attacks.

Cholesterol

If you have too much cholesterol in your bloodstream, the excess is deposited in arteries, including the coronary arteries, where it contributes to the narrowing and blockages that cause the signs and symptoms of heart disease.

High levels of the wrong type of cholesterol (LDL) can be life threatening especially because this type of cholesterol has the capability to choke the arteries and thus cause a heart attack.

What happens is that the levels of the lipoprotein, which is made in the liver and in cells lining blood vessels, rise with things that make heart disease more likely, like smoking, obesity, high cholesterol and diabetes. Conversely the levels fall when patients stop smoking, lose weight and get their cholesterol and diabetes under control.

Cholesterol levels should be less than 5.5. If your cholesterol level is 6.5 mmol/L or greater your risk of heart disease is about 4 times greater than that of a person with a cholesterol level of 4 mmol/L.

The best defense against high cholesterol is simply controlling the risk factors that could lead to coronary artery disease, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, stress, excessive alcohol consumption, physical inactivity and being overweight. Regular aerobic activities have a good effect on blood vessels and cholesterol.

Dietary aids to lowering cholesterol

o reduce cheese intake and/or substitute low fat varieties
o choose reduced fat milks
o substitute polyunsaturated margarine for butter
o choose lean cuts of meat and remove all visible fat
o eat skinless chicken, fish or beans
o beware of pies, pasties, fish and chips and commercial cakes (hidden fat)
o make cakes at home with polyunsaturated fat, cook chips with polyunsaturated or monounsaturated oil
o lose weight if overweight.

High blood pressure also causes many other types of cardiovascular disease, such as stroke and heart failure.

Arteries

Coronary artery diseases are diseases of the arteries that supply the heart muscle with blood. If you suffer from CAD it generally means that blood flow through the coronary arteries has become obstructed, reducing blood flow to the heart muscle.

Like any muscle, the heart needs a constant supply of oxygen and nutrients, which are carried to it by the blood in the coronary arteries. When the coronary arteries become narrowed or clogged by cholesterol and fat deposits (atherosclerosis), the heart cannot get enough and the result is coronary heart disease (CHD).

Stroke

Other cardiovascular diseases include stroke, high blood pressure, angina (chest pain), and rheumatic heart disease. Smoking and uncontrolled high blood pressure are important risk factors for stroke.

Although stroke is highly preventable, certain risk factors such as; family history, age, sex and race can't be controlled. People with diabetes are also two to four times more likely to die of heart disease and experience stroke.

Prevention

Although heart disease is a serious condition that requires constant monitoring, there are many things you can do to reduce your risk for cardiovascular problems and live a full, active life, even if you should suffer a heart attack.

Study results indicate that heart disease is almost twice as likely to develop in inactive people as in those who exercise regularly. However studies have also shown that after five years of giving up smoking, the risk of developing heart disease is the same as for someone who never smoked.

As well, if you exercise on a regular basis, the chance of your developing heart disease is about half that of people who do no exercise at all.

Dick has a 35 year background in the Health industry, he has written numerous other articles and he has informative health related websites at http://www.life-wave-patches.com and http://www.healthinnovationsonline.com

By Dick Aronson

Tips on How to Live With Heart Disease

2011-09-26T04:48:00.000-07:00

Heart disease is not a just single condition or disorder. It has many forms and conditions. Hence, the term 'heart disease' refers to any disorder pertaining to the heart and the supporting blood circulatory system.

The Causes of Heart Disease

Some heart diseases are unpreventable. Typical examples are congenital and hereditary heart disease, which are due to defects existing at birth and due to genes respectively. There are other heart diseases, which are acquired due to lifestyle.

For the acquired types, it is possible to prevent them by living healthily, including doing physical exercise regularly, eating a balanced diet, not smoking and drink excessively.

There is a connection between heart diseases and diabetes. In fact, diabetic are up to 4 times more likely to suffer from a heart attack.

Prevention of Heart Disease

As mentioned, living healthily is the best prevention. Other preventive measures are maintaining a healthy weight, keeping your cholesterol levels within healthy ranges, controlling your blood sugar if you have diabetes, controlling your blood pressure, and make sure that you eat a balance diet that is rich in both fruits and vegetables as well as whole grain and nuts.

By doing these, you will not only be able to prevent heart disease but also prevent many other ailments as well. Staying healthy enable your body to withstand damages caused by disease. Hence, even if stricken by illnesses, you are likely to recover faster.

Testing for Heart Disease

Doctors will check for heart diseases when there are related family history and or high risk factors. The risk factors are hypertension or high blood pressure, breathlessness, heavy smoking or drinking, obesity, high cholesterol level, sedentary lifestyle and diabetes.

Treatment for Heart Disease

On first diagnosis of heart disease, a patient will very likely be advised to adopt a healthier lifestyle. For example, doing frequent exercise, eating a balance diet, quit alcohol and smoking. This is the first step in treatment. The next step will be medications and or surgery. There are many varieties of treatments for different problems of the heart.

If the prescribed medication does not seem to be effective or if the patient's condition deteriorates, the next recourse will be surgery. There are also wide ranges of surgeries that can be performed and many of them are minimally invasive. Hence recovery time is quicker.

About Living with Heart Disease

The first thing to consider when it comes to living with heart disease is the actual condition of the disease. Are you just being cautious because of high risk factors? Or, do you have a serious heart condition? If you have only a mild form of heart disease, you probably have medication to control the problem.

Another aspect of living with heart disease is physical exercises. If your heart disease is serious, you should not exert yourself too much. A good form of exercise would be to take daily walks.

One of the more difficult aspects of living with heart disease is forgoing the fatty and unhealthy food such as fast food. Some discipline is really important here. If you want to prolong your life, it is a fair trade. However, nowadays, healthy foods are just as delicious.

The best approach to heart disease prevention is not a single course of action. In addition to exercise and diet, losing weight, keeping blood sugar level low are also important.

Good heart disease prevention also means having low cholesterol level. This may be achieved by making changes to diet and by taking prescription medications if so recommended by the doctor.

Consuming dietary supplements such as antioxidants, vitamin B and folic acid is helpful to heart disease prevention. Mangosteen is a very good source of all three. It is rich in antioxidants, which help to destroy free radicals. It is rich in vitamin B and folic acid that helps keep homocysteine low, which will otherwise will lead to arteriosclerotic disease.

Thus, with the help of a few changes to diet, lifestyle and also keeping blood pressure, LDL cholesterol low one can get the most out of heart disease prevention measures and ensure a longer life.

By Cindy Heller

Heart Disease - The Leading Cause of Fatalities in Women

2011-09-25T04:46:00.000-07:00

Although women are less prone to heart disease as compared with men, it must be known that heart disease is the leading cause of death for women today. The risk is in fact higher for women for certain profile of the population. For example, women smokers are several times more prone to heart disease than male smokers.

Heart diseases are caused by many different factors. For example old age, obesity, smoking, high blood pressure, diabetic and a sedentary lifestyle can cause heart disease to develop. In addition, menopause in women can also causes heart disease.

Understanding the causes of heart disease is the important first step toward prevention of the disease. Prevention of the disease after all is much better than cure. In this regard, people at risk of heart disease should have regular check-ups and also stick to the instructions by their doctors.

Knowing the causes of heart disease will help you in taking preventive measures such as reducing the level of cholesterol, keeping to a healthy body weight, eating healthy foods and exercise regularly. A change in lifestyle and diet will go a long way in removing many of the causes of heart disease. If you feel that you are at risk of develop heart disease, consult a doctor as soon as possible. Early and proper treatment will prevent more serious conditions from developing. Although heart disease is basically unavoidable, there are certain things that you can do to prevent it, for example, maintaining a healthy diet and exercising regularly. By keeping yourself healthy, you will not only prevent heart disease; you will also be better prepared to deal with many other ailments and health conditions.

It is important to understand that heart attack is triggered by two different factors. The first is the pathological buildup of abnormal plaque in the arteries, plaque that gradually hardens through calcification. The other factor involves the blood clotting that blocks blood flow to the heart. One of the latest theories on coronary artery disease is that it is an inflammatory process, which is characterized by repeated cycles of irritation, injury and healing of the blood vessels.

The Problem of Late Diagnosis

Doctors today are better equipped to diagnose and treat heart disease in women. However, in many cases, the diagnosis is made very late such that effective treatment is not possible. Often, a diagnosis of women coronary heart disease is made after a stroke or a heart attack. Often, the contributing factors to heart disease in women are due to cigarette smoking, high cholesterol level, high blood pressure, lack of exercise, obesity and even suffering from diabetes.

A woman who actively sough to eliminate these risk factors will have a better chance of survival as well as not being struck down by the many potential heart diseases. It may mean having to change one lifestyle for the better.

Heart disease in women can also be caused by age, effect of menopause and heredity. Thus, women need to know the risk factors that cause heart diseases, negate their effects and avoid aggravating any existing condition.

Women can take active measures such as taking vitamins and certain medications. Medications that can help prevent heart disease includes Sytrinol, Potassium and also M.S.M. Sytrinol has been found to be effective in keeping the cholesterol levels normal by reducing triglycerides as well as low low-density lipoprotein levels. M.S.M. also can develop protein and keep the connective tissues strong.

For more information regarding heart disease and heart disease in women, you should consult your doctor to discuss the possible treatment and preventive methods, especially if you have existing high risk factors. All is not lost if you have already developed a heart disease. The range of treatment options available today, from pills to minimally invasive surgeries, means that prognosis is much better than in the past. The only thing to add to tip the balance in your favor would be a positive attitude and living as healthy a lifestyle as possible. Stay fit with regular exercise and a proper diet. Seek the support of family and friends, or even specialized non-profit organizations, to steady and toughen your mental resilience. All these will help to combat the effects of heart disease.

By Cindy Heller

How To Prevent And Treat Heart Disease

2011-09-24T04:44:00.000-07:00

Heart disease is a general term for a number of different diseases, all of which influence the heart in some way. Heart disease is in fact considered as being the leading reason of death nowadays in the United States. Heart disease indeed possesses serious threat to many people. Therefore, it is important to understand the methods to prevent and treat heart disease.

Prevention methods

There is reason to be hopeful because according to experts, heart disease prevention is promising. Even though some risk factors including sex, genetics, and age of a person are not within our control, one can still make an alteration in lifestyle and also change diet so that the odds of heart disease are significantly reduced.

There are also other methods by which heart disease prevention can be achieved. According to what the American Heart Association proposes, one must control obesity even in children and also make a determined attempt to take proper diet that contains enough nutrition. One of the better nutritional supplements you may want to try for heart disease prevention is mangosteen puree that is rich in antioxidants which aid in destroying free radicals that are the reason behind damage to cells and which in turn will result in heart disease.

Good heart disease prevention may also mean controlling the blood pressure and having LDL cholesterol at low levels. The best way to attain these goals is by making appropriate changes to diet and even by taking medications if so recommended by the doctor. Clearly, having low blood sugar levels will consider as heart disease prevention.

Another alternative is to exercise because it is a well known fact that regular exercise can reduce the risks of heart disease. Experts have a tendency to recommend as much exercise as humanly possible at least an hour per day. For many people, this seems like a never-ending task but the truth is this amount of exercise can be attained in ways other than going to the gym. Basically changing some habits, such as walking to work, can make people healthier. Walking is perhaps the easiest, cheapest, and healthiest type of exercise for most people and therefore should be taken advantage of.

The best heart disease prevention may not be a solitary course of action; rather, one may decide to have many strategies combined into one that will prove to be more effective. You can select approaches such as changes in diet, together with reducing excess weight and also maintaining blood sugar levels as well as taking nutritional supplements that are suggested by health experts.

Treatment options for heart disease

If you have heart disease then you will have to have some types of heart disease treatment in order to solve your problem. There are various heart disease treatment options that are available nowadays. The first treatment is of course prevention as explained previously.

However, if your heart disease is serious, than most probably you will also have to use more serious techniques of heart disease treatment. This includes medical treatment, which will usually be started straight away, even before an exact diagnosis of a heart problem is made.

This medical treatment may comprise of oxygen from a tube in the nose, oxygen through a face mask, nitroglycerin under the tongue, pain medicines, and aspirin. There are also clot dissolving medications which are often given, and the earlier these drugs are given, the higher the chances of opening the blocked artery and defending the cardiac muscle from further injury.

Cellular therapy, for example, is considered as being a potential treatment for heart disease. This is due to cellular products have been revealed to hold great potential for the treating of injured and diseased tissues in the body. They come from many sources, such as stem cells from bone marrow, peripheral blood, and myoblasts from skeletal muscle cells. The research so far has shown that this cellular therapy offers amazingly positive results, and so with additional research and more advancement, in the future this just may be known as the cure for heart disease.

Surgery can be executed on those who experience heart disease at any age although other methods are preferable. Surgery is necessary for those who do not react to their medications or whose condition worsens radically. In some situations, surgery is the only method to amend the problem and give the patient a probability of good health. In uncommon cases, repeat surgery is needed afterward to rid the body of excess fluids that have developed in the chest.

Heart surgery can be wearing and the healing period can be slow so it is no surprise to find out that a huge number of people who suffer from heart disease which needs surgery are interested in less invasive surgery. Less invasive surgery for heart disease can involve smaller incisions, less pain, and a much faster healing period. Not only does this type of surgery involve shorter hospital stays, it can also reduce the risks of complications to the patient during and after the operation.

There are many resources that are available if you want more information on the treatment of heart disease. The most significant thing of all is to keep a healthy lifestyle, a healthy and nutritious diet, and plenty of exercise. By keeping a healthy lifestyle you will not only be guarding yourself against heart disease but as well against all illnesses and health conditions in general.

By Cindy Heller

Heart Disease - What Is The Difference Between

2011-09-23T04:42:00.000-07:00

Organic Heart Disease And Degenerative Heart Disease?

Although Heart Disease is the main cause of death in the Western World it is amazing how little the general public actually know about it.

For example very few people realize that there isn't just one type of Heart Disease. In fact there are at least ten different types and these fall into two distinct categories - Organic and Degenerative.

The major difference between Organic and Degenerative Heart Disease is their causes.

Organic refers to a situation where the organ (the heart) is damaged by a specific event. This can also be referred to as "acute", which simply means that it happened suddenly or over a short period of time. Degenerative Heart Disease (sometimes referred to as "chronic") is caused by gradual deterioration over a long period of time.

There are two types of Organic H.D. - Congenital and Rheumatic .

Defects that occur at birth are classed as Congenital Heart Disease. These may affect the heart itself : it may not have developed normally during pregnancy, the wall of the heart may be damaged (hole in the heart), or the blood vessels may be underdeveloped. These defects may be hereditary or more likely have been caused by external factors such as drugs or infection during pregnancy. They are normally diagnosed at birth or in early childhood but it is not uncommon for the symptoms to occur for the first time in adulthood..

Rheumatic Heart Disease can be the result of a bout of rheumatic fever. Occurrences have decreased considerably due to the use of antibiotics to treat rheumatic fever.

There are at least eight specific diseases, which fall into the category of Degenerative Heart Disease. The common factors within this category are that the disease has progressed gradually and that there is no specific event that has caused it.

The vast majority of people who are diagnosed with Heart Disease have some form of degenerative heart disease. This is the form of disease that is the target of the awareness campaigns and is the type that we can help to prevent by our lifestyles choices.

Remember: It's Your Heart! It's Your Life! It's Your Choice!
To find out more about the different type of heart disease and the methods I have used to overcome the symptoms of heart disease since I suffered a heart attack in 1999 visit http://heart-attack-and-heart-disease.com

By Paul Darby

Heart Disease - Public Enemy Number 1?

2011-09-22T04:40:00.000-07:00

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 women died of cardiovascular disease (both heart disease and stroke) than from all cancers combined. The older a woman gets, the more likely she is to develop cardiovascular disease; however women of all ages should be concerned. African American and Hispanic American/Latina women are more likely to get heart disease because they tend to have more risk factors such as obesity, lack of exercise, high blood pressure, and diabetes than Caucasian women. Women of color are also more likely to die of the disease.

Having diabetes raises your chances of getting heart disease and high levels of triglycerides are linked to the disease in some people. Also Being overweight increases your risk. Chest or arm pain or discomfort can be a symptom of cardiovascular disease and a warning sign of an actual or impending heart attack. If your dad or brother had a heart attack before age 55, or if your mom had one before age 65, you're more likely to develop heart disease. Birth control pills can pose risks for some women, especially women older than 35; women with high blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol and women who smoke.

Almost 700,000 people die of heart disease in the U.S. each year. You can find out more about heart disease by contacting the National Women's Health Information Center at 1-800-994-9662. The risk of coronary disease can be reduced by taking steps to prevent and control those factors that put people at greater risk for cardiovascular disease and heart attack. The very best ways to prevent heart disease are to control high blood pressure, diabetes or a high cholesterol level and, if you smoke, STOP SMOKING.

Cholesterol

What does high cholesterol have to do with heart disease? Cholesterol can clog your arteries and keep your heart from getting the blood it needs. People with high blood cholesterol or high blood triglycerides often have no symptoms, so have your blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels checked regularly. If your levels are high, talk to your doctor about what you can do to lower them. You may be able to lower your levels by eating better and exercising more, if not, your doctor may prescribe medication to lower and bring it under control.

When there is too much cholesterol in your blood, it can build up on the walls of your arteries, forming plaque and causing blood clots. There are basically two types of cholesterol: Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is often called the "bad" type because it can clog the arteries that carry blood to your heart. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is known as the "good" type because it takes the bad cholesterol out of your blood and keeps it from building up in your arteries. All women age 20 and older should have their blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels checked at least once every 5 years. If you are overweight, losing weight can help lower your total cholesterol and LDL ("bad cholesterol") levels.

Try to eat 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 5 a day), Cereals, breads, rice, and pasta made from whole grains (such as "whole-wheat" or "whole-grain" bread and pasta, rye bread, brown rice, and oatmeal), Eat less organ meats (liver, kidney, brains), Egg yolks, Fats (butter, lard) and oils, Packaged and processed foods.

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

Conclusion

Heart disease is not contagious - you can't catch it like you can the flu or a cold. It is a general term that refers to a variety of acute and chronic medical conditions that affect one or more of the components of the heart. The symptoms you describe to your doctor will help to decide if you need to be tested for heart disease. Your doctor will also check if you have any conditions that can increase your chance of getting the disease. These conditions include: high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, high 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 plus a regular exercise program can help you avoid heart disease.

By Richard Ealom

Heart Disease - Know About Symptoms and Heart Care

2011-09-21T04:37:00.000-07:00

Your heart, other than your brain, is the center of many body processes especially that it pumps the river of your life, your blood. When not taken care properly, you may contact or acquire a heart disease that could be a threat to your life.

What is heart disease?

Heart disease , also known as cardiovascular disease, is an umbrella term used to describe other ailments that affect the busiest muscle in the body, the heart. Mainly, it affects older people and is hereditary in nature. Heart diseases have become one of the major causes of deaths all over the world. Many of the variants of the disease are considered as "silent killers" because they show no visible symptoms especially those that are affected with high blood pressure.

Heart disease s are closely associated with blood pressure, cholesterol, hardening of the arteries, heart attacks and strokes. The disease occurs when the heart and vessels of the blood are not working properly or are malfunctioning because of other factors like too much cholesterol, fatigue and improper diets.

Other Problems Related to Heart Disease

Many of the problems that go along with heart disease have to do with the arteries. Arteries are not the same with veins. They are muscular blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart. Arteriosclerosis or the hardening of the arteries is one of the complications of heart disease. The arteries become thick and no longer flexible that the blood could not flow smoothly.

Another problem is atherosclerosis. This occurs when there are plaque deposits caused by the buildup of cholesterol and far in the arteries. In turn, the arteries become narrow and the blood can not flow through. When the heart could not get enough blood to pump, a person is suffering from angina and could feel chest pain.

Two of the most deadly complication is heart attack and stroke. These two happens when the heart malfunctions. There is heart attack when a blood clots in the part of the heart. On the other hand, stroke happens when the brain is not able to get enough blood due to the clotting of blood or bursting of blood vessel.

Acquiring Heart Disease

Unlike diseases that are caused by virus or bacteria, heart disease is not contagious. Rather, there are risk factors that increase the chances of a person to acquire heart disease. One of these factors is old age. When people get older, the functioning of the heart could not be as healthy as it uses to be while we are young. The heart also deteriorates especially because of unhealthy lifestyle. As earlier said, heart disease is also hereditary. When you have family members who had the same problems, most likely you could also acquire the same.

However, some risk factors of heart disease are controllable. Among these factors are smoking, having high blood pressure, being overweight, and not exercising. These entire factors, if not monitored can contribute to having a heart disease.

Signs of Heart Disease

Heart disease s do not actually give visible symptoms or signs to people suffering it. Most of the time the disease is detected when the patient is already feeling chest pain or already had a heart attack of stroke.

To determine whether a person has a heart disease, one or a couple of the following procedure is initiated. Electrocardiogram records the electric activity of the heart. Through this test, the heart beating is determined when it is normal or not. Echocardiogram, on the other hand, uses sound waves that bounced off the parts of the heart. These waves create a picture of the heart, which is displayed in the monitor. With the stress test, some cables are connected to the body and to the electrocardiogram machine. The heart activity and how the muscles react while the patient exercise is being monitored. Catheterization locates the narrowed arteries through a long and thin tube that is inserted inside the body. This tube emits a special dye. Last is the carotid artery scan, which also uses sound waves to locate blockage in the carotid artery.

By Dr John Anne

How Risky Is Coronary Heart Disease

2011-09-20T04:34:00.000-07:00

Since it is becoming a common medical malady, it is important to be aware of the risk factors for coronary heart disease. There are a number of irregular conditions that affect the heart and the vessels supplying the heart with blood. Coronary heart disease is the most widespread kind of heart problem. It is also the most common cause of heart attacks.

Damage that occurs to the heart when the supply of blood is reduced is referred to as coronary heart disease. What normally happens is, deposits that are fatty in nature, build up within the lining of blood vessels whose job it is to supply blood to the heart muscles. This causes narrowing of the blood vessels and the resulting factor is a reduction in the blood supply to the heart muscles. This causes symptoms of pain known as angina.

Causes of Coronary Heart Disease

There are risk factors for coronary heart disease that are considered to be responsible for this disease. The biggest and most well known culprit is high cholesterol. Worldwide cholesterol levels in different populations vary quite dramatically. The Japanese population for instance, has much lower blood cholesterol levels and the rate of heart problem is lower. But in other populations that have similar incidences of blood cholesterol levels often have very varied disease rates.

Smoking tobacco is often quoted as one of the major risk factors for coronary heart disease. The smoker has a twice greater chance of developing heart problem than a nonsmoker. Studies indicate that after having given up smoking for five years, the risk factor of developing heart problem lowers to that of a person who has never smoked.

There is a medically proven relationship between smoking tobacco products and coronary heart disease. While smoking is legal and remains a personal choice, it is a dangerous practice and it is necessary for individuals to know that smoking habits play a role in the causes of serious disease for the heart. Many individuals may be in denial regarding the connection between smoking and heart disease. This denial is often based upon a need to mollify criticism towards smoking and may also stem from those companies who profit from the sale of tobacco products.

Pop Cultural Influences

When watching old episodes of the TONIGHT SHOW with Johnny Carson, it is surprising to see that he casually smokes cigarettes during the greater part of the program. In the classic films made in the 1930's and 40's, many actors puff away on cigarettes during the duration of the film. In one of the most bizarre scenes in the 1973 film THE EXORCIST portrays doctors smoking whilst acting in the examination scene. Fans of classic motion pictures and television programs will notice that the number of people portrayed smoking while acting out their roles as very high by today's standards. It is no wonder that the incidences of coronary heart disease were so high only a few decades ago.

At one time, smoking was so routinely shown in film and television productions worldwide that it acquired a foothold in pop culture. The result of this is that much of the public, close to 50%, was profoundly addicted to tobacco products. This addiction has not been without consequences as coronary heart disease and lung cancer incidences increased to correspond with the huge amount of individuals who enjoyed smoking cigarettes.

How Smoking Contributes To Coronary Heart Disease

Despite various attempts by stakeholders in the tobacco industry to deny the link between smoking tobacco products and coronary heart disease, medical technologists have confirmed the link between the two after numerous research programs over the last two decades. The continuous inhalation of smoke into the lungs over an extended period of time constricts the arteries and leads to heart problem. This limits the blood flow throughout the arteries and the potential for a heart attack becomes very significant. This is a very dangerous situation to be in. Besides this, the smoking of tobacco products can cause various other ravaging effects on the human body. This can include breathing problems and the stunting of growth.

Diagnosis Of Coronary Heart Disease

The only sure way that coronary heart disease can be diagnosed is with a special procedure known as a coronary angiography. An x-ray sensitive dye is introduced to the blood flow to the heart. X-rays are then taken to examine how well the blood is flowing through the heart. This procedure is undertaken in conjunction with cardiac catherization when the patient is under sedation.

Prevention

The best possible way to prevent risk factors of coronary heart disease is to avoid them as much as possible. The most important thing to do is to maintain a healthy lifestyle. This includes eating healthily and ensuring the correct amount of daily physical activity. Only by living as healthily as possible will you be able to protect yourself from any of the risk factors.

By Cindy Heller

The Treatment Of Heart Disease

2011-09-19T04:33:00.000-07:00

Heart disease has become the number one cause of premature death in the United States and many other parts of the world. It is also a debilitating malady that disables many people. Its treatment methods are thus vital for improving the quality of life of people suffering from these illnesses. The most common form of heart disease is the narrowing or blockages in the coronary arteries - blood vessels that supply the heart itself with blood. Fortunately various forms of treatment are available for many heart diseases.

Various Treatment Options

Some treatments take the form of prevention rather than cure. There are simple lifestyle adjustments like the cessation of smoking. Smoking cigarettes is a major contributing risk factor and the treatment options would have to include stopping this habit. It is very important to bear in mind that after a mere three years after smoking is stopped, any risk of heart disease lowers to that of a non-smoker.

It will also be of vital importance for heart disease treatment to lower blood cholesterol levels. By lowering these levels, the build up of plaque in the coronary arteries is reduced. Cholesterol levels should be kept below 200mg/dL and below 130mg/dL for LDL cholesterol.

Also to be taken into consideration are the problems you might experience with any heart disease treatment should you also suffer from ether high blood pressure or diabetes. These conditions need to be under control as both are recognized contributory factors.

It is possible that you might have to resort to more serious treatment methods if your heart disease status is of a more serious nature. This route usually means that medication will have to be commenced with immediate effect; perhaps even before a proper diagnosis of your particular type of heart disease is made.

Medical treatment such as pain medication, nitroglycerine taken under the tongue, aspirin and oxygen, where the oxygen is administered via a nose tube or face mask. Aspirin may also be prescribed as it thins the blood and helps prevent clotting. Other drugs may also be given to prevent clotting. The sooner heart disease treatment is given the better, as this may preclude the chance of the arteries becoming blocked.

When Heart Disease Requires Surgery

Although heart surgery is an option for the treatment of heart problem, it is a very risky procedure. To endure the discomfort of surgery and the relatively long recuperation period are unpleasant consequences of a heart surgery. Heart disease can affect anyone at any stage of life.

Surgery can be performed at any age for people suffering from heart disease. Heart surgery is only resorted to if other methods have failed. People who do not respond to medication or have a rapid decline in their heart condition become candidates for heart surgery. There are some instances when surgery is the only method available to repair the heart disease and offers the patient the possibility of good health subsequently. Repeat surgery is needed in some cases and could be for something as simple as ridding the body of extra fluids that might have built up in the chest cavity. But anyone suffering with some form of heart disease should face the fact that they might require heart surgery one day.

Less Invasive Surgery for Heart Disease

It is not surprising that many people suffering from heart disease that requires surgery would rather opt for less invasive methods. Heart surgery is a major operation and the time needed for recuperation and rehabilitation is extensive. Less invasive techniques involve less pain and scarring as incisions are much smaller and recovery times are much quicker. This kind of heart surgery is becoming a routine alternative to the big heart operations.

Less invasive heart surgery does not require the entire chest cavity to be opened up since small incisions are used in this less complex form of operation. In addition, there is no need for vessel grafts from the arms or legs and no need for huge equipment like heart lung machines. This type of heart surgery also means a shorter stay in hospital and a lesser chance of complications for the patient.

No treatment should be embarked upon without first consulting your physician or health professional. You can discuss your family history regarding the incidences of heart disease among close family members since in some cases there is a genetic predisposition for heart disease. Your physician will be able to ascertain the incidence of any heart disease after conducting the necessary examinations and tests. If any issues are discovered, they will suggest corrective measures to be taken in the form of a treatment plan. In the meantime, eat healthily, exercise adequately and keep off all vices like smoking and excessive drinking.

By Cindy Heller

How To Live With Heart Disease

2011-09-18T04:31:00.000-07:00

The agony of finding out that you may be suffering from some form of heart disease is usually traumatic. Your doctor has just received the laboratory test results for the battery of tests that you have completed during your recent checkup. From what the results indicate, if you do not stop eating all those fatty foods that you love so much, you are going to require bypass surgery very soon. Do not worry that your quality of life will get worse since there are modern treatment plans that get you on to the road of recovery as long as certain lifestyle changes are made.

Living With Heart Disease

The first consideration is the type of heart disease you are suffering from. Is your doctor tracking your cholesterol levels? Or, is it something a lot more serious? The severity of your heart condition will shed a great deal of light on the kind of lifestyle you can have and how it actually affects you.

If the type of heart disease is currently a very mild form, you should be able to keep a lid on it with medication. But for many people in a state of denial, they will refuse to or do not like taking their medication since they would be admitting to the fact that they are handling with their heart problems well.

So if you have heart medication to take for your condition and you are too stubborn to take it, understand the consequences of this action. Is it better to take a couple of pills on a daily basis or would you prefer to have to go to the extent of requiring heart surgery? Surely no one wants to undergo heart surgery. So think carefully before rejecting medication. It is a lot easier to deal with than other more complicated treatment methods.

Getting adequate amount of exercise on a regular basis is another facet of living with heart disease. If the heart disease in your case is of the more serious kind, you may not want to overtax yourself. If you sit still all day long you have a higher risk of getting blood clots. So get off your butt and get some exercise. Start with brisk walking over short distances and gradually build up.

There are some more difficult aspects to having heart problems. One of them is giving up delicious fatty food and desserts. But then again it all boils down to whether or not you would like to prolong your life. There are trade offs in all situations. Nowadays there are so many more options though. Just a few years ago we could not obtain half the low fat option foods that are available today. Not only are they delicious, they are also healthier options.

Your doctor will be able to provide you with information about heart diseases and the Internet has many reputable websites. Some of the heart health websites host forums where you can communicate with other people suffering from heart diseases.

Living with heart disease is really just about taking your prescribed medication, ensuring that you eat in a healthy manner and remaining active. With research you will find all the information you ever need to know to manage your condition better.

The Progress Of Heart Research

Due to the debilitating effects of various forms of heart diseases, medical technologists around the world are working towards developing more effective treatment methods through heart research.The search for knowledge about what heart problem really is and the pursuit of solutions to use to prevent and treat the disease is extremely vital. There are many companies and organizations that either conduct a research, or support the cause for heart research.

Heart Disease Research Organizations

The Research Center for Stroke and Heart Disease is a non-profit organization established to raise awareness of and find solutions for prevention of stroke and heart diseases. Its reach is worldwide and it concerns itself with all types of heart disease and stroke. The Research Center for Stroke and Heart Disease designs, implements and evaluates projects that educate people with regards to the risk factors for these illnesses and motivates them to practice good habits in the quest for reducing them.

The Research Center for Stroke and Heart Disease operates from Buffalo General Hospital. There are several full-time and part-time staff members and they make use of contractors who have a background in communications, health care management and computer programming for heart research. During the past ten years of their existence the Research Center for Stroke and Heart Disease has built a very good reputation.

Another heart research organization is the British Heart Foundation. This organization is considered to be the British nation's heart charity. The British Heart Foundation focuses in particular on three very important issues. They invest in pioneering heart disease research, support and care for heart patients and they provide essential information to assist people to reduce their risk of premature death from heart or circulatory related disease.

Harvard Medical School should also be mentioned. It is a center that concentrates its efforts on heart disease research. Harvard Medical School has been in the heart research arena for several decades. They have a vast amount to offer in terms of information and education regarding heart diseases: what it is, what its causes are, up-to-date research findings and many statistics.

Research into heart disease is the only solution that will help to clarify this disease throughout the world today. There is always hope that sometime, preferably in the near future, such research will show the way to completely avoid heart disease for everyone.

By Cindy Heller

Heart Disease

2011-09-17T04:28:00.000-07:00

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and is a major cause of disability. Almost 700,000 people die of heart disease in the U.S. each year. It is also a major cause of disability. There are many different forms of heart disease. The most common cause of heart disease is narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries, the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart itself. Heart disease is a term that includes several more specific heart conditions. The most common heart disease in the United States is coronary heart disease, which can lead to heart attack. There are many different forms of heart disease. The most common cause of heart disease is narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries, the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart itself. This is called coronary artery disease and happens slowly over time. It's the major reason people have heart attacks. Other kinds of heart problems may happen to the valves in the heart, or the heart may not pump well and cause heart failure. Some of these risk factors a person can't do anything about, like being older and having other people in the family who have had the same problems.

Some people are born with heart disease. Heart disease is not contagious the can't catch it like you can the flu or a cold. Some of these risk factors a person can't do anything about, like being older and having other people in the family who have had the same problems. But people do have control over some risk factors -- smoking, having high blood pressure, being overweight, and not exercising can increase the risk of getting cardiovascular disease. Smoking is a major risk factor for heart disease in women. Cardiovascular diseases are the leading causes of death in New York State, killing more than 70,000 residents each year. Many of these survivors are disabled and cannot lead productive lives. They also are at high risk for additional events. High blood pressure-High blood pressure increases the heart's workload, causing the heart to thicken and become stiffer. It also increases your risk of stroke, heart attack, kidney failure and congestive heart failure.

Heart disease, also called cardiovascular disease, mainly affects older people and means that there are problems with the heart and blood vessels. Drinking too much alcohol can raise blood pressure, cause heart failure and lead to stroke. About 20%-30% of women who have had an episode of preeclampsia will develop the disorder in a subsequent pregnancy, which makes this history at least as significant a risk factor for future preeclampsia as chronic hypertension, renal disease, and pregestational diabetes. The earlier in the first gestation preeclampsia developed, the higher the risk of recurrence in the next: the condition returned in more than half of women who had their first episode before week 27, compared with a 40% recurrence when the index episode was between week 27 and 30, and 20% at week 37 or after. Cholesterol-lowering medicines lower the risk of heart attacks in men. Taking an aspirin every day may lower your risk of problems if you have coronary artery disease, a heart attack or angina.

Heart Disease Treatment Tips

1. Angioplasty-This opens a blocked vessel by using a balloon-like device at an artery's narrowest point.
2. Atherectomy-This involves cutting the plaque out of an artery, so blood can flow freely.
3. Bypass surgery-This involves taking part of an artery or vein from another part of the body.
4. Pacemakers - A pacemaker is a small electronic device that's put inside the body to regulate the heartbeat.
5. Valve replacement. If a heart valve is damaged or isn't working, a surgeon can replace it.

Juliet Cohen writes articles for online medical clinic [http://www.online-medical-clinic.com/] and skin disorders. For more information visit our site at http://www.diseasestreatment.com

By Juliet Cohen