Posts Tagged ‘Arteries’

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Women’s Heart Attack-Why Daylight’s Saving Time Can Be Dangerous to Heart Health

Wednesday, October 28th, 2009

I came across an interesting article in the October 2009 of “Bottom Line Personal.”

The article talked about how switching away from daylight’s saving time can be dangerous to your health. The switch could trigger women’s heart attack as well as men. In a nutshell, here is why.

“Heart Attack Alert: Switching Away from Daylight Saving Time Can Be Danergous to Your Health” . The magazine interviewed Michael Terman, PhD who has a long list of credential including professor of clinical psychology at Columbia University and director of clinical chronbiology at New York State Psychiatric Institure.

We all know that on Sunday, November 1, you fall back one hour and one March the 14th, 2010 you spring forward one hour. Researchers have looked at the rate of heart attacks around the time switches and found that in the spring there was a 5-10% increase in heart attacks during the 3 days after the switch to DST. In the fall, there was a significant spike heart attacks on the Monday after the switch to ST.

Why? Well, researchers theorized that the sleep disruptions may hurt the heart by increasing the activity of the sympathetic nervous system, which speeds heart rate and by increasing the level cytokines, immune cells that spark inflammation and damage arteries.

How to protect our heart health? Dr. Terman recommends the following:

-Gradually set the alarm later. For instance in the fall, allow your circadian clock to drift one hour later during the week or so after the switch. For example, if you normally wake up at 7:00 Am, set the alarm for 6:00 AM ST on Sunday morning of the switch. Then gradually set the alarm 10 mintues later each day until you reach 7:00 AM. In the spring, just reverse it.

-Exercise daily. This stabilizes the circadian rhythm

-Eat regular meals

-Take melatonin the right way. Take a very small amount-0.25 mg 5 hours before your bedtime the week before DST. Your circadian clock will sense that nightime has begun and will adjust itself towards earlier sleep onset.

-Use a dawn simulator. You can adjust your circadian rhythm using this device that plugs into your light fixture and “simulates” the outdoor transistion from a starlight level of light to sunrise level of light. The device allows you to gradually move “dawn” later during the week or so in the fall and later in the day duirn the week or so switch to DST. This can be ordered at http://www.cet.org. The cost is $215

This was a very interesting article. To read it in its entirety, you can go to http://www.bottomlinesecrets.com and look for the October 2009 issue.

Remember to sign up for my “You Deserve to Have A Healthy Heart” newsletter.

To Your Success,
Monique Hawkins
540-858-2885
SKype: Monique371
mentormonique@gmail.com

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Women and Heart Disease-Some FAQ

Friday, October 9th, 2009

Those women who are concerned about their potential for developing heart disease usually have many questions. I recently found a site that answers many questions about women and heart disease.

Below are a few concerns many women usually have. You can visit http://www.womenshealth.gov for even more information.

Do women need to worry about heart disease?

Yes. Among all U.S. women who die each year, one in four dies of heart disease. In 2004, nearly 60 percent more 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 get heart disease. But women of all ages should be concerned about heart disease. All women should take steps to prevent heart disease.

Both men and women have heart attacks, but more women who have heart attacks die from them. Treatments can limit heart damage but they must be given as soon as possible after a heart attack starts. Ideally, treatment should start within one hour of the first symptoms.

If you think you’re having a heart attack, call 911 right away. Tell the operator your symptoms and that you think you’re having a heart attack.

Do women of color need to worry about heart disease?

Yes. African American and Hispanic American/Latina women should be concerned about getting heart disease because they tend to have more risk factors than white women. These risk factors include obesity, lack of physical activity, high blood pressure, and diabetes. If you’re a woman of color, take steps to reduce your risk factors.

What does high blood pressure have to do with heart disease?

Blood pressure is the force your blood makes against the walls of your arteries. The pressure is highest when your heart pumps blood into your arteries – when it beats. It is lowest between heart beats, when your heart relaxes. A doctor or nurse will write down your blood pressure as the higher number over the lower number. For instance, you could have a blood pressure of 110/70 (read as “110 over 70″). A blood pressure reading below 120/80 is usually considered normal. Very low blood pressure (lower than 90/60) can sometimes be a cause of concern and should be checked out by a doctor.

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a blood pressure reading of 140/90 or higher. Years of high blood pressure can damage artery walls, causing them to become stiff and narrow. This includes the arteries carrying blood to the heart. As a result, your heart cannot get the blood it needs to work well. This can cause a heart attack.

A blood pressure reading of 120/80 to 139/89 is considered prehypertension. This means that you don’t have high blood pressure now but are likely to develop it in the future.

How can I lower my blood pressure?

If you have hypertension or prehypertension, you may be able to lower your
blood pressure by:

* losing weight if you are overweight or obese
* getting at least 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate physical activity or 1 hour and 15 minutes of vigorous activity each week.
* limiting alcohol to one drink per day
* quitting smoking if you smoke
* reducing stress
* following the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) Eating Plan, which includes cutting down on salt and sodium and eating healthy foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products

If lifestyle changes do not lower your blood pressure, your doctor may prescribe medicine.

Remember to visit http://www.womenshealth.gov/ the site where all this information came from.

To Your Health
Monique Hawkins
540-858-2885
mentormonique@gmail.com
Remember to sign up for my “You Deserve To Have A Healthy Heart” Newletter!

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Heart Disease and Women: Tips on How to Lower Your Risks

Monday, August 31st, 2009

Heart disease and women suffering from it is a serious health problem today. However, as we have learned in a previous post, there are things we as women can do to reduce the risk of developing this serious disease.

As reported previously, there are nine activities women can do to lower their risk of heart disease. They were:

We talked some about what steps you can take to lower your cholesterol. Today, we can briefly cover how to lower your blood pressure. How? By doing this according to Go for Red for Women. Their site is http://www.goredforwomen.org/understand_your_risks.aspx

Reduce High Blood Pressure!
High blood pressure (or hypertension) makes the heart work harder than normal. This makes both the heart and arteries more prone to injury. High blood pressure raises the risk of having a heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, eye damage, heart failure and atherosclerosis (fatty buildups in the arteries).

As a woman, you have an increased risk of developing high blood pressure if you are 20 pounds or more over a healthy weight (for your height and build), have a family history of high blood pressure, or have reached the age of menopause. More than 73% of women ages 65 to 74 have high blood pressure.

What’s more, your risk of developing high blood pressure increases during pregnancy, especially in the last trimester. If not treated, high blood pressure during pregnancy can endanger you and your baby. On the other hand, if you’re taking oral contraceptives, talk to your healthcare provider to evaluate the risks and benefits.

The lesson is to make sure you never develop high blood pressure. This in turn can reduce your risk of heart disease. The problem of heart disease and women  doesn’t have to be yours!

Monique Hawkins

540-858-2885 anytime

Skype: Moniqu371

mentormonique@gmail.com

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Heart disease and women : You Deserve To Have A Healthy Heart

Sunday, August 30th, 2009

There are many reports that show that women are just as susceptible as to heart disease as men.  As Goforred.com states at

http://www.goredforwomen.org/understand_your_risks.aspx:

“Your heart is in your hands. Heart disease and stroke are largely preventable if you work to lower your risks. It’s important to know that there are a range of factors that can raise your risk of heart disease and stroke. The more risk factors you have, the greater your chances of developing heart disease and having a heart attack or stroke.”

Knowing this, it is important to discover what the risks you can control as a woman. If you know what to do to reduce your risk for heart disease, you can reduce the risk of your developing the disease.

Risk Factors You Can Control or Treat

These risk factors can be controlled or treated with help from your healthcare professional. You can modify others by changing your lifestyle.

Here are some ways you can lower your cholesterol. In the upcoming posts, more detail will be given for each of the other factors you can control to prevent heart disease.
Lower Your Cholesterol!
Cholesterol is a soft, fat-like substance found in the blood and in all the body’s cells. A high cholesterol level is bad because cholesterol can build up with other substances in the inner walls of arteries. This buildup, called plaque, can narrow the arteries and reduce blood flow. Plaques that rupture can cause blood clots that can totally block blood flow in the artery. Clots also can break off and travel to another part of the body. If a clot blocks an artery that feeds the heart, it causes a heart attack. If it blocks an artery that feeds the brain, it causes a stroke.High blood cholesterol has no symptoms, and many people have it without knowing it. Find out what your cholesterol levels are, so you can lower them if you need to. If you need to lower your LDL (or “bad” cholesterol), work with your doctor to create a diet low in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol, and an exercise plan.

If you’re overweight, work with your doctor to create a diet and exercise plan to help you lose the extra pounds. Diet and increased physical activity are important, but they may not get you to your goal. If these efforts don’t succeed, your doctor may also prescribe medication. Even if you need to take cholesterol-lowering drugs, a healthy diet and increased physical activity are still important.

Yes, heart disease and women is a serious issue. However, if  you take the necessary steps, you can dramatically reduce your risk to heart disease. After all, you deserve to have a healthy heart!

Until the next post,

Monique Hawkins

540-858-2885

Skype: Monique371

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